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North London SolFed

Workfare: Who's the one being intimidating here?

Some developments over the last few days are worth flagging up for anyone interested in or affected by Workfare - which show pretty comprehensively exactly who's being a bully and who's not.

Freeing the data

Most important is that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has lost its appeal to hide the names of companies and charities which are involved in using unemployed people as a source of free labour.

Report from a day of protest against Benefit Reform and Workfare in Tottenham

In the morning some of us went to the 1000 Mothers March against the benefit Changes in Tottenham with Haringey Solidarity Group. There was good turn out of 5-600 and a lively local march made its way from Tottenham green up the high street.                                                                                        We peeled off and headed down to Turnpike Lane to picket Poundland along with members of Solent Solfed, (who'd come down for the party later that evening) from 1pm onwards.

Workfare picket hits a nerve in Haringey

North London SolFed and Haringey Solidarity Group picketed Homes for Haringey on Wednesday 10th April. It was our second picket there over the use of workfare by the council housing provider and a charity Groundwork. After sacking one third of their gardening staff two years ago, they are now forcing benefit claimants to do the work for no pay.

East and West London Unite to Attack Workfare

Despite the freezing temperatures and snow showers on Saturday 23rd March, members of Feminist Fightback, North London Solfed, Boycott Workfare and other local groups, residents and anti-workfare protesters picketed Argos in Leytonstone and Poundland in Wembley.

In Leytonstone, for a large demonstration the reception from the public was generally very positive, with residents driving past slowing down and opening windows asking for leaflets. Plenty of people stopped to chat despite the cold.

Haringey Council and Groundwork picketed over Workfare

Yesterday North London Solidarity Federation picketed the Homes For Haringey offices in Wood Green and the depot for Groundwork, in Tottenham, who are employed by the Council to provide gardening and improvement services on estates in the area. The demonstration was against Groundwork's use of workfare; unemployed people are forced by Jobcentres to do the work. They are not being paid for it and they can't refuse or they would lose their benefits for two months.

Corrala Utopia- a direct action response to the housing crisis

A solfed member visited Corrala Utopia, a block of flats in Seville squatted by evicted families who have lost their jobs due to the crisis.

Picket in Holloway during the national day of action against workfare

The struggle against workfare continues. As a part of the national day of action members of the North London SolFed picketed several shops around Holloway.

How do you build a movement?

This article was written by a SolFed member and originally appeared in the "How do you build a movement?" column of the Occupied Times.

The article focuses on a practical approach to organising in which theory follows practice, is designed to appeal beyond a politicised core, and by which a movement is built by achieving concrete and escalating victories.

OT Issue 18 here.

Victory for the Counihan family - Now let's beat back all housing cuts!

The North London local of the Solidarity Federation would like to offer our sincerest congratulations and solidarity to the Counihan family who recently had their housing benefit reinstated by Brent Council.  The fight you've led has been inspirational and militant.  It serves as an example for the sort of struggles that are going to be needed if we're to win the to fight against the onslaught of cuts facing the working class.

Pret a Manger Communications Blockade Part 2 - Thur 29th Nov

What: Pret a Manger communications blockade

When: Thur 29th November, 2:00 - 4:00pm

Call, email, and text Pret on the 29th November between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00pm demanding that Andrej be reinstated and that Pret stop victimising all union members.

See full article for email addresses and phone numbers.

Hospitals and clinics occupied all over Madrid as health workers strike against privatisation

Workers are taking action against privatisation plans in a wave of occupations of hospitals and clinics across Madrid, with massive support from patients and from the population of Madrid. Today a 48 hour strike in health care in Madrid saw 80% of workers on strike. This is just the first of four planned walkouts. Huge demonstrations in support of public health care carried banners like “Health care, we don’t sell it, we defend it.” and “100% free and public.” There have been other occupations outside Madrid, such as the hospital occupation in Zaragoza just before the general strike.

Pret a Manger Communications Blockade - Wed 28th Nov

What: Pret a Manger communications blockade

When: Wed 28th November

Since forming PAMSU earlier this year, Andrej and other workplace activists have faced victimisation from management.  For Andrej, this has reached a point where he has been sacked on trumped-up disciplinary charges.  His final hearing will occur on Thursday the 29th of November.

"Support your local barista": NLSF in mobile information pickets of London Pret shops

Despite the wet weather, today a member of NLSF joined PAMSU in leafleting some half-a-dozen Pret a Manger shops in central London.  Demanding reinstatement for sacked union activist Andrej, we handed out several hundred leaflets, began conversations with customers, and established contacts with a handful of workers inside the shops.

PAMSU Website Goes Live as Union Announces Living Wage Campaign

The Pret a Manger Staff Union, formed in London when a group of workers got sick of management mistreatment, has been standing up for Pret employees for a number of months now.  As part of the increasing momentum enjoyed by the campaign, the PAMSU website is now live.  And on it is the announcement that PAMSU will be fighting for a living wage for all Pret workers.

The Black Friday Wal-Mart Strikes: An Analysis

Friday the 23rd of November will see Wal-Mart, which owns UK chain ASDA and which has an entirely non-union workforce, hit with coordinated strikes and protests.  The date of these strikes is not arbitrary.  It's “Black Friday”, the busiest shopping day of the year in the US. 

This article, written by a American-born SolFedder who's worked retail in the past, seeks to explore the strikes: their roots and their implications for the American working class.

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contact info

London has two Solidarity Federation locals, North London and South London.
North London
email: northlondonsf@solfed.org.uk
mobile: 07811017091

Address: London Sol Fed, 84b Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX

If you are an education worker in NL, please contact the LEWN from the contact form.

You can get in touch with us via the contact form on this site.

Our leaflets

Stuff Your Boss - North London
A re-written version of SolFed's national Stuff Your Boss leaflet.  Include North London's contact details. (pdf)
Education Struggle are Our Struggles
Generic leaflet that can be given out to education workers, students, parents, or members of the public. (pdf)
J30 Propaganda
(pdf), (pdf), (pdf), (pdf), (pdf), (pdf), (pdf)
SF posters
Three SolFed posters: Just saying Barcode At Work (pdf), (pdf), (pdf)
Workplace Organiser Training Leaflet
Leaflet and generic invitation for the Solidarity Federation workplace organiser training (pdf)
Don't Cross Picket Lines!
Short, generic double-sided A5 leaflet meant to be given out on picket lines or in the run-up to a strike. (pdf)
Office Angels Leaflet
"Office Devils" leaflet handed out at picket lines in support of a cheated agency worker. (pdf)
North London leaflet for March 26th
Obviously, this is a bit late, but the content of the leaflet still holds true.  Please feel free to plagiarise if you think it will be useful.  (pdf)


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