Members of Northampton Solfed spent some of their Saturday morning handing out copies of Catalyst at the Weston Favel Shopping Centre, until security staff moved them on. (Yet again we find that 'public' places are no such thing.)
More distribution is planned for next Saturday. Any one interested in helping out, or who would like some copies to distribute in their own area should contact us.
On Sunday 9th Solidarity Federation members joined the march in Witney, Oxfordshire, constituency of Prime Minister David Cameron. The march, against postal privatisation and austerity cuts, was organised by the CWU (Communication Worker's Union) Eastern Branch. Solidarity Federation members from the new Thames Valley local as well as from Liverpool and London handed out leaflets arguing for anarcho-syndicalist methods in struggle and introductory leaflets about the Solidarity Federation which were well received by marchers.
A brief look at last year’s developments with regards to Intern pay, a story that the BBC News website is has just updated under its Education section.
Last year, the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) argued for a 'training wage' of £2.50 for those on internships of three months or more as a means to 'boost UK productivity'.[1] Unpaid intern work is of inherently unequal access, because those people with good connections and from wealthier backgrounds are much more likely and capable of finding and staying on an unpaid internship.
SF members who are unwaged will group together under the Unwaged Workers Network. As we move towards forming this network, we first need to find out which members fall into this cateogry, and what are the primary issues we face.
We encourage all unwaged members to contribute to the discussion on our forum if you have online access. This includes unemployed, non-working students, retired, living on benefits, volunteeers and those on work experience placements.
First, we will look towards the production of material along the lines of the Know Your Rights series, and an eventual industrial bulletin. Members should also contribute to online articles that will appear on this section of the SF website.
Any industrial network is only as strong as its members are active, so get stuck in and help the network grow and gain influence!
We are very pleased to announce the formation of a new Local - Oxford and Reading!
Founded by a group of class struggle Anarchists and Anarcho-Syndicalists, the new Local will look to jointly cover both cities as a constituent part of the larger Federation. We will be looking to promote the messages of direct democracy, direct action and worker self-organisation in Oxford, Reading and the surrounding area.
We are due to have our inaugural meeting in the coming weeks, and shall be looking to complete our official afilliation with the Solidarity Federation very soon. If you are interested in Anarcho-Syndicalism and live or work nearby, get in touch with us! We can be contacted through the contact form here on the website.
In Solidarity,
Oxford & Reading SolFed
Statement by German anarcho-syndicalist group FAU on the situation of temporary employment in Germany and recent developments between unions and employers' organisations.
A campaign to save Toxteth’s historic Welsh Streets from demolition has been dealt a blow after English Heritage refused to put a preservation order on 9 Madryn Street, the house where Ringo Starr was born.
The 11 streets of Victorian terraced houses were built by Welsh workers to house local dockers and their families. The area was also infamous for its radical political tradition.
Lack of central heating and persistent rising damp has driven the most recent residents out, but preservationists argue that modern restoration methods can make the homes habitable again. This is obviously an idea that the property developers don’t want to see gain traction, as simply restoring the houses would not justify massive asking prices.
The new Catalyst is out. In this issue:
Actions speaks louder: Did the trashing of Tory HQ at Millbank in November mark the start of a militant anti-cuts movment?
Direct Action: Centrefold poster to pull-out and keep - or decorate your local occupation with!
Housing benefit cuts spark poverty fears: We interview a claimant.
'All joined up': An interview with a French teacher who participated in the general strike and economic blockades there.
Pensions under threat: Divide and rule game looks set to undermine both public and private sector workers' pensions.
Know Your Rights: A brief guide to the law around Redundancy
Northampton Solidarity Federation joined the small protest in Northampton town centre today against the budget cuts. The protest was centred on the uk uncut protest and focussed on the contradiction between cutting welfare and services on the one hand whilst allowing the rich, and large businesses to avoid, legally and illegally, billions in pounds of taxation.
This discrepancy lies at the very heart of our economic system and the politics which go with it. When push comes to shove we see that all works for the benefit of the rich and the workers pay the cost. Welfare is cut: are tax avoiders chased, are tax loopholes closed? Bankers crash the economy with their greed for bonuses, are they chased down and held to account? Of course not: that's not how the capitalist system work:, run by the rich for the rich.
