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.

Ambos grupos locales del norte y sur de Londres, pertenecientes a la anarcosindical Solidarity Federation, queremos extender la lucha en solidaridad con los companeros del sindicato I.W.W., que han sido injustamente despedidos del restaurante "Ichiban Sushi". Estamos hombro con hombro, junto a estos trabajadores y promoveremos cualquier accion solidaria que suceda en su apoyo.

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."

Leaflet and generic invitation for the Solidarity Federation workplace organiser training

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.

Last night, Saturday the 21st of May, saw upwards of thirty people attend a public meeting on the upcoming June 30th education and civil service strikes. Hosted by the North London Solidarity Federation, the meeting was very practically focused. Attendees talked about their particular workplace or uni situation and highlighted strategies and tactics which have helped them to organize at work and/or begin talking to their co-workers or fellow students about June 30th and why they shouldn't cross picket lines. We discussed what sorts of momentum-building actions could be undertaken in the run-up to June 30th that will ensure education workers and students are not only aware of the issues but feel empowered and confident enough take strike action.

Present: j, Auto, P, Mons, M

Workplace Reports:

Auto: Still crunching, more and more people openly angry at management

Mons: Hopefully meeting with co-workers outside school (inspired by workplace training!), after being made to do invigilating which is shit work, not in our contract and normally you’d be paid more for it but we are paid for TAing instead (a lower rate than invigilating). Hoping to organise joint student-worker meeting in build up to June 30 strike; how can students support the strike? How can we make the strike strong?

M: Found out the union is Prospect, but not joining. It’s Annual Performance Review time. They are making redundancies with a decent voluntary redundancy package. There’s some anger, e.g. a report was taken up by the media, BBC Oxford, and totally distorted which management regarded as a success because it was positive coverage even though really inaccurate.