Brighton SF are backing the March 3rd national day of action against workfare called by Boycott Workfare. We'll be supporting the actions organised locally by the Brighton Benefits Campaign. We urge all SF Locals to do the same, supporting local events or organising something if nothing is planned. We think workfare is an attack not just on the unemployed, but also undermines the conditions of workers in paid employment. We think concerted direct action can beat it, and will be redoubling our efforts to this end.
We are calling for SF nationally to launch a concerted campaign against workfare. We ask other Locals to discuss and support this idea as soon as they can. Like other Locals, we have been involved in anti-workfare campaigning on a local scale for several years, and several of our members have been forced to work for their benefits. The current upsurge in interest around workfare makes it a good time for co-ordinated national action. This should not be a rival to Boycott Workfare, but a case of us co-ordinating nationally what we're already doing locally. We urge SF groups to work together with existing campaigns and groups wherever these exist, as we do in Brighton.
We also propose SF organise a national day of direct action against workfare for Saturday March 31st. This could involve pickets, communications blockades and so on. We should discuss a target throughout the month within SF and the wider movement and announce it nearer the time, as companies are pulling out regularly the moment. For now our focus should be helping to make the March 3rd day of action as effective as possible.