2.00pm Sunday 4th March 2018 Devonshire Arms, 1 Devonshire Road, Cambridge CB1 2BH

Cambridge Radical Social is an initiative by members of Cambridge Solidarity Federation, in an attempt to bring together those in and around the area involved in or just curious about radical political organising and radical social movements. Regardless of whether you are already involved in a local group, attending the university, or simply live in the area and want to meet up with local activists, this is the event for you.

This is not an activist meeting, in the sense that no one is expected to do or join anything by attending. It is an attempt to create a friendly, relaxed and informal social platform for local radicals as well as a welcoming environment for those new to, curious about or sympathetic towards radical activism and social movements.

A 40-strong march to Youngs Estate Agents in Kemptown on Saturday 13th January demonstrated that tenants will not put up with their demands for repairs being ignored. Tenants demanding "Safe Conditions: No Evictions" showed they would continue to fight while the agency and landlord refuse to acknowledge the need for repairs and payment for works carried out.

Join the pickets at Fujitsu, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP (by Central Park Metrolink station) between 7-10am on strike days. We are particularly keen to maximise turnout on Wednesday 24 January – there will be activities people can do without standing around outside.

Join the joint strike rally with Mears / Manchester Working and First Bus Rusholme at 12:30 on Friday 26 January. It’s at the Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 6DD (entrance on Major St)
Send a message of support to support@ourunion.org.uk or Unite the Union, Fujitsu MAN34, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP

Send a message of protest to Duncan.Tait@uk.fujitsu.com, copying support@ourunion.org.uk
Please sign the online petition against victimisation of reps in Fujitsu, circulate it and share it on social media.

Union members at Fujitsu have announced a series of strikes—as bosses dismissed victimised reps. The first walkout will begin on Wednesday 24 January. Management sacked two reps over the christmas with one of the reps being dismissed  while he was on compassionate leave to attend a family funeral.

These are just the latest attacks in a long running dispute over compulsory redundancies, victimisation of reps and breaches of a redundancy agreement. IT workers at Fujitsu in Manchester have already taken 27 days action in this long running campaign and plans further  strikes  on Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 January, Tuesday 30 January and Thursday 8 February – Wednesday 14 February. Union members are also taking part in action short of a strike and are working to rule.

Jion the smash IPP march and protest  on the 14th February meeting outside 12 Minshull St, Manchester M1 3FR ( Probation Office ) This March is to get IPP sentences abolished retrospectively. The government have said its wrong yet 4000 prisoners still remain, including Ian Hartley, a prisoner at HMP Risley. His family need him home !

More than 4000 people are serving IPP (imprisonment for public protection) sentences in British prisons. Six years since the sentence was abolished, thousands still languish in jails with no release date. Parole board delays, prison overcrowding and sheer neglect is leading unprecedented rates of prisoner suicides and mental health problems. 80% are over tariff and desperate to be free

Short clip from emergency protest against Youngs agency, 13. January 2018,  in support of tenant facing a revenge eviction

Good old Sir Richard Branson has once again managed to get himself to the front of the queue for state handouts. Having spent years channelling public money into massive profits at Virgin Rail, he is now turning his attention to milking the NHS. Figures released in January 2018 show that his company, Virgin Care, won a record £1bn worth of NHS contracts in 2017. Added to already existing contracts, this means that Virgin Care now has over 400 separate NHS contracts. Funny how these arch free market capitalists, such as Branson, seem to be able to swallow their anti-state principles when it comes to claiming state subsidies. Good old Sir Richard even took this to the extent of suing the NHS in 2017 when Virgin Care lost an £82m contract. In the process he won an undisclosed sum that otherwise would have been wasted on treating sick people. 

Brighton SolFed is continuing its campaign against local letting agents G4 Lets into the new year, as the agency has not yet made an adequate offer to meet the demands of two groups of tenants. Both groups are asking for the return of their deposits and for compensation. In one instance, tenants were charged for pre-existing damage to the house they were living in, which was damp and infested with vermin throughout their tenancy; in the other, tenants have been charged for wear and tear and for redecoration costs, even though they had the interior of the property repainted professionally before they moved out.

Thursday 22nd December saw another picket organised by First bus drivers at the Rusholme Depot in support of their ongoing dispute over pay. Drivers at First's Rushome depot are being paid up to £5000 a year less than colleagues working at the First’s Queen’s Road base just five miles away. The drivers at the Rusholme depot originally worked for Finglands Buses who were taken over by First Manchester in 2013. At the time of the takeover the Finglands drivers were promised parity but after repeated promises by First to harmonise pay, drivers at Rusholme still find themselves being paid 23% less.