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Protest against privatisation of ambulance service Brighton

At the end of January some of our members joined a demonstration against the privitisation of another NHS service; patient transport. This ambulance service is being privitised to cut costs by the joint Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG’s), who decide how to spend the health budget locally. The demonstration was timed before a CCG meeting to show anger at the imminent sell-off.

Not only is this another dismantling of the NHS and introducing profiteering into healthcare; there are potentially large job losses, changes to terms and conditions for those transferred, changes of criteria for patients eligible for the services and no guarantee of the same standards of care, as a company runs dispatch and then sub contracts the transportation.

Imperial Hotel does not pay

Brighton SolFed has started a public campaign against Imperial Hotel. This hotel owes a former worker part of his wages, including his notice pay, holiday entitlement, money stolen from his pay, and sick pay. While he was working in another hotel, which is also owned by the owner of Imperial, on what should have been his day off, the worker sustained an injury to his finger. As a result, he stayed off sick for one month. He did not receive any sick pay or compensation. The manager told him that he could not claim anything because he had been working for less than one month when it happened and because it was his fault.

Self-Education In Action

During a September Saturday Brighton SolFed held a network and skills day covering; the immigration act and healthcare, the attack on benefits, fighting wage theft and anarchists on austerity. This full day, including a mighty lunch prepared by members, maintained a constant level of debate and information, concluding in practical action points to continue agitating around Brighton and beyond.

Fighting for ourselves 101: An example in the University

I work in admin at one of the universities in the city. Recently, one of my colleagues left the department for a new job. It was expected that I would take on some of their workload. This was not something I could really do, and when I started to be asked, I found it stressful. I talked about it at the drop-in, and a number of useful suggestions were made.

Pride of the past

With all the world-wide Pride events taking place, it's easy to forget where and how it all began. The Stonewall Riot in NYC occurred during the year 1969, when continued police harassment at The Stonewall gay bar in Greenwich Village prompted the community to fight back. In the days that followed, thousands of people came out to protest police brutality and inequality for gay people.

SolFed action in response to sacked Red Cross worker

SolFed responded to a call for international action after the sacking of a CNT member in Spain. Ana, a worker with Red Cross in Alicante, had suffered prolonged bullying by her works coordinator culminating in her wrongful sacking. Ana is a well respected substance abuse worker with years of experience. As a member of our sister union, the CNT, her sacking has initiated a campaign to see her reinstated. The sacking has thrown light on Red Cross and their vicious internal practices toward their workforce, high-lighting the fact that they are no different to any other cut-throat capitalist company.

SolFed locals responded with a communication blockade and pickets of Red Cross shops in Newcastle and Brighton.

Brighton's picket was part of a week of SolFed action, here's their report:

Living Wage Now!

The ‘living wage’ is an annual estimation of the average wage needed to cover in a realistic way the expenses of a person living in the UK. It is also a demand made by different unions and civil organizations in the UK and sets the ‘subsistence salary’ at £7.85 per hour (except for London, where the ‘living wage’ is £9.15 per hour).

Brighton Solidarity - newsletter #3

Latest edition of our regular newsletter, including articles on hospitality workers conflicts, the radical bank project, state repression in Spain and workers' rights advice. For workers control and self-organisation, enjoy!

19. July 1936: A Tribute to the Spanish Revolution

On 19. July 1936, the Spanish state collapsed, after the fascist militar coup. The  revolutionary working class expelled the military from many areas of the country and made the most developed experience of self-management that eever happened. Eventually the Spanish Revolution failed both due to its enemies and its own mistakes.
Today, almost 80 years later, our intention is not to create a myth, beautiful but harmless. We want to recover this part of the history of the Spanish revolutionaires which is the history of all freedom lovers and, of course, give tribute to those who gave their lives for the emancipation of humanity.

The Radical Bank evicted: A brief history of self-management to be continued

For fourteen days a diverse and relatively big group of people faced managing the space, without leaders or public or private funds. Issues such as cleaning and maintenance, legality, security, activities, communication and conviviality were discussed in open meetings and tackled collectively.

 

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