On Friday the 3rd of June, four members of the North London Solidarity Federation were lucky enough to sit down with and engage in comradely discussion some twelve members of the Milan Local of the Italian USI – AIT.
After having our profile pulled off Facebook along with around 50 other political and anti-cuts groups on the social networking site around the time of the Royal Wedding (suspicious timing we're sure you'll agree), NLSF is back on Facebook, this time as a 'Page'. So if you're on Facebook, just search North London Solidarity Federation, go to our Page, click the 'Like' button, and help spread the word!
A list of all the groups that had their accounts disabled can be seen here.
On Saturday 4th June, almost 150 people took part in the Liverpool People's Assembly Against The Cuts. Members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation were amongst them, as the conference discussed resisting cuts in the public sector, to the NHS, and in communities.
Contrary to the name, the event was quite traditional in its set-up. Each of the three sessions was a panel debate, with the chair introducing four speakers who opened and closed the sections, with other contributions often also taking the form of prepared speeches. Despite this limitation, there were still many good points made. Numerous times, the TUC and trade union leadership came in for substantive criticism, and a SolFed comrade drew this together to make the point that we need to act for ourselves and build our own confidence rather than looking to leaders.
This Saturday, Liverpool Trades Council have called for a People’s Assembly Against the Cuts. This all-day event is being organised as a forum for discussion and planning, with the possible aim of setting up an all-Liverpool anti-cuts campaign.
Liverpool Solidarity Federation believes that it is important working class people and communities organise themselves against attacks by the ruling class. That is why we welcome the idea of an all-Liverpool anti-cuts campaign, uniting communities, workplaces, the employed and unemployed, students and pensioners to challenge the most savage attacks our class has ever faced.
This has been doing the rounds on social networking sites and has made us chuckle. Well worth a listen!
Also, keep an eye out for Buffy the Anarcho-Syndicalist. More info here.
In preparation for today's picket in support of sacked IWW/LAWAS workers at the Ichiban Sushi restaurant, the London Locals of the Solidarity Federation have released the following statement:
The London Locals of the Solidarity Federation would like to express our fullest solidarity with the IWW members who have been unjustly dismissed from from the Ichiban Sushi Restaurant. We stand in full support of these workers and will attend and promote any solidarity actions that occur on their behalf.
This past Monday saw well over a-hundred radical workers and student activists gather in the Marchmont Community Centre to hold a 'public assembly' on the upcoming June 30th strikes.
Trade unionists and anti-blacklisting campaigners have criticised the awarding of a top health and safety honour to the construction firm Balfour Beatty.
The company was recently awarded the Royal Society for the Protection of Accident's most prestigious award at this years Occupational Health and Safety Awards.
Steve Kelly, spokesperson for the Blacklist Support Group, described the award as "offensive".
He commented: "At first I thought this was a joke. Balfour Beatty are the construction company with the WORST record of sacking and blacklisting Safety Representatives in the entire industry."
In the news recently, there have been a few articles about a cop and various politicians downplaying the seriousness of rape. These unfortunately aren’t only the words of a few ‘out of touch’ old sexist men, they reflect a wider culture that blames women being 'provocative' for rape, and excuses rapist men on the grounds that they have uncontrollable sexual drives.
The occupations and demonstrations that have rocked Spain in opposition to austerity, unemployment and party politics have reached Brighton. At least 30 people, mostly from Spain, were occupying part of the Old Steine in Brighton city centre tonight in solidarity with the movement in Spain. An assembly run on directly democratic lines, with a megaphone being passed around participants, discussed tactics and goals of the camp, with decisions made to stage further protests and put on a programme of workshops. The assembly also reiterated its independence from all political ideologies and parties.