Trabajadores de Starbucks en Chile preparan para hacer huelga

La North London Solidarity Federation manda toda nuestra solidaridad a los trabajadores Chilenos de Starbucks que estan mobilizando para una huelga por asuntos de convenios.

Starbucks, aunque le gusta vestirse como un empresa responsable y social, es un ejemplo del sector global de servicios, cada vez mas precario y mal pagado. Organisandose y preparando por accion industrial, los trabajadores Chilenos de Starbucks hace un inspiracion a trabajadores de hosteleria del mundo.

A los trabajadores: solidaridad total del Reino Unido. Vuestra lucha es global.

In English

The North London Solidarity Federation extends our heartiest solidarity to the Chilean Starbucks workers who are preparing to strike as part ongoing contract negotiations.

Following on from the successful protest in Bristol against the sacking of a CNT delegate at Isban, the subsidiary of Santander. The Bristol Local moved the message to the streets of Bath. Around 15 members of SF and other activists from around the region, continued the message of solidarity that has been demonstrated around the world.

The message of the rejection of agency work and the reinstatement of the fired worker has been spread by sections of the IWA-AIT. In Spain CNT members held demonstrations in Salamanca, Ciudad Rodrigo, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Villaverde, Zaragoza, Malaga and Leon. In working class area of Madrid Santander banks and ATMs were targeted. With message of solidarity sprayed on windows and the ATMs put out of action.

October 1st was the day chosen to tell Santander Bank that we won’t allow their attacks on union organising.  This was a coordinated action by all the IWA sections in response to the dismissal of the CNT delegate in Isban-Santander Bank in Madrid for demanding fair terms and conditions.

Multinational banking group Santander was targeted for union busting across the breadth of their empire on Tuesday 1st October 2013 by the anarcho-syndicalist International Workers Association (IWA). A number of actions were held in Britain by the Solidarity Federation (SF-IWA). In Bristol, the local SF-IWA section was joined by members of Bristol Anarchist Federation, BARF & migrant Spanish workers to deliver a message of resistance to the company and solidarity with the sacked union organiser of the Spanish anarcho-syndicalist Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT-IWA) union. The CNT has been organising within Isban, a computer services company owned by the Santander Group into which thousands of workers have been transferred. Workers at Isban are controlled and dismissed through the use of employment agencies. Pay and conditions have deteriorated at the same time that the banking group’s profits have soared.

The NUT and NASUWT unions in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Eastern regions are on strike on Tuesday October 1.

The strikes are over pay, pensions, workload and conditions. If you live or work near a primary or secondary school do your best to show your solidarity.

PAY

As of 1st September this year, schools are now free to implement performance-related pay. This will in effect result in the depression of wages and not the proposed improvement in 'quality of teaching'. Teachers will be subject to a new performance management cycle, including Oftsed-style observations, that will determine whether they will make their progression on the teachers pay-scale. Some boroughs and local authorities have decided not to adopt the new format, but many academy heads are using their new found autonomy to effectively pay whatever they want from next year on.

The Revolution Starts in Swindon

(Borrowed and edited from Bristol AFeds excellent blog bristolaf.wordpress.com)

We may have been exaggerating a little with the title, but Swindon radical Bookfair (Sat 21st of September) was a step in the right direction. It was a great opportunity for radicals from the town and the wider region to meet up and share information and a chance for other Swindon locals to get involved and find out about their towns radical past, present and (fingers crossed) future.

Later this year, teachers in the NUT and NASUWT will take part in a series of one-day strikes against attacks on their pay, pensions and conditions, not to mention a raft of pro-market, anti-pupil polices flying out from the DfE. Until now, the universally hated Mr Gove has been able to swan about the country opening academies, praising private involvement in education and pontificating on the future of the curriculum. Last week however, Mr Gove ran into a small obstacle.

16/8/13 

Newcastle SolFed found the magic picket attendence today as they continue putting the pressure on Poundland. Poundland are becoming notorious for using and abusing unemployed workers. Using the unemployed as free labour is not only a disgrace in itself, it threatens those in full time or part work jobs in the shop.

We can honestly say that today we were able to really approach people and explain the problem with the government workfare scheme. Previously we have held reasonably large pickets that may have been daunting for shoppers, some times a dozen or more. So what do you know? Small is the new big!

Look out for the next Newcastle SolFed, picket at a piss-taking shop near you!

North London Solidarity Federation sends out fullest solidarity and support to the workers at Curzon cinemas.  Struggling against precarity, zero-hours contracts, management disrespect, and low wages, the workers at Curzon have been fighting to establish a union in their workplace.

Workers at over 8 cinemas across London have demanded a union.  They submitted a petition with over 1500 supporter signatures and have framed their demands not only in terms of their own material interests, but in protecting the integrity of the independent film industry. In response, management has ignored workers' demands for collective meetings and set up a faux-employee representation program.

Hull SolFed held another anti-workfare ‘demo’ on Saturday the 20th, this time a mobile one. Based on suggestions on the Boycott Workfare website, we held a walk a shame through hull town center, stopping at nine different workfare providers, forming a picket outside each store, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers. We also had some musical accompaniment, which helped to draw attention to the picket and kept the day more interesting.