international

CNT-E has achieved recognition of the discrimination that Doctors Without Borders has committed since 2014 in their recruitment procedure. In that year, workers at the NGO managed to get their temporary contracts -whose use in this case was illegal- changed to permanent contracts. However, MSF did not change the contracts of two migrant workers.

Talk and public discussion on June the 28th (Tuesday) at 6pm at The Cowley Club

From Brighton-SolFed, we want to support the French workers in their struggle against the Hollande government´s law aimed at reforming worker´s rights. Especially to the people facing police brutality and repression.

Nowadays in Europe, it is not unusual for governments to attack working conditions with the excuse of “deficit control” or the “competitiveness of the economy”. What is unusual (and amazing) in France, is the worker´s firm opposition.

This struggle concerns all of us. Their victory or their defeat will be ours, so we invite all of Brighton´s working class to show solidarity and join this event for the diffusion of information about these events and a discussion on our French comrades strikes.

The CNT (an anarcho-syndicalist union in Spain) workplace branch in Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Spain is fighting against the precariousness of the fund-raising staff. MSF has been including abusive clauses in their contracts and also has been discriminating against migrant workers.

Solidarity to the Polish Strikers

Six million workers in Britain were born abroad. Increasingly, they have been blamed for all the financial woes of neo-liberal capitalism and the suffering that the rich have inflicted on millions more. With conditions in French migrant ghettos worsening, the racist rhetoric of the British ruling class has become more shameless. By their own economic measures the immigrants have contributed far more than they have received, and so the ruling class are having to resort to hateful and emotive attacks.

Thames Valley Solidarity Federation is a local of the British branch of the International Workers Association, an anarcho-syndicalist group. We commend the striking workers for their courage in ignoring the discouragement of capitalists within their own community and their mainstream trade unions.

SolFed responded to a call for international action after the sacking of a CNT member in Spain. Ana, a worker with Red Cross in Alicante, had suffered prolonged bullying by her works coordinator culminating in her wrongful sacking. Ana is a well respected substance abuse worker with years of experience. As a member of our sister union, the CNT, her sacking has initiated a campaign to see her reinstated. The sacking has thrown light on Red Cross and their vicious internal practices toward their workforce, high-lighting the fact that they are no different to any other cut-throat capitalist company.

SolFed locals responded with a communication blockade and pickets of Red Cross shops in Newcastle and Brighton.

Brighton's picket was part of a week of SolFed action, here's their report:

Last Monday the 30th of April there was a new repressive strike against the anarchist movement in Spain. Thirty eight people were arrested in a police operation under the name ”Operación Piñata”. Fifteen  of them are facing charges of terrorism and five are in preventive imprisonment. Private homes, social centers and squatted spaces were registered in Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia and Granada.

Raids were carried out in a very open way, trying to create social alarm. The media is publishing names of people and groups and presenting as facts fake accusations. They talk about “anarchist terrorism” and organisations with leaders, hierarchical infrastructures and varied recruitment methods.

This is the continuation of police operation “Operación Pandora”, which took place last December within a context of constantly increasing repressive politics from the Spanish government.

Judge Eloy Velasco freed a dozen of the arrested with charges, three from Barcelona and seven from Madrid. The Prosecutors requested admission in preventive imprisonment for five other people.

The morning of the 1st of April fifteen people who were arrested as part of Operation Piñata declared before the Audiencia Nacional. The two women and the men arrested in Barcelona were released that afternoon, but will to go to the closest court to sign periodically. Seven of those arrested people (in Madrid) face the same situation.

The Prosecutor, however, requested that five people had to be admitted to preventive prison. In fact, the lawyers who were in charge of the defense of the detainees learnt that morning that in the prison cell of the High Court (Audiencia Nacional) they were fifteen people waiting to declare, when until then, they thought that there had been just thirteen arrests.

From Brighton, we want to show our solidarity with the comrades who have been arrested. We reproduce a text explaining the events that took place in Spain on March 30th.

(What follows is the translation of an article from the media, reproduced from a government press release. We are already aware of at least one other arrest; the case is still very much open. Protests have been called for in various cities tonight. The arrests are connected to the recent Operation Pandora).

12 People Arrested by the Policia Nacional for belonging to the Grupos Anarquistas Coordinados (GAC)

Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia, Granada, 30/03/2015

The arrested have been accused of membership in a criminal organization with terrorist objectives, and of committing felonies relating to sabotage and the placing of explosive and incendiary artifacts.

17 searches have been carried out by police, during which another 14 people were arrested for resistance.

We are calling a communications blockade against Manpower employment agency who our Polish sister section is in dispute with. See details here and don’t forget to call and email. 

The action has been called as part of a week of action in support of our sister section, the Polish ZSP, who are involved in taking action within two Polish Amazon dispatch centres that Manpower hires workers for. The workers in these centres are paid 1/4 of the wage of workers in Germany carrying out the same job, are denied paid breaks during 10 hour shifts and receive no extra pay for working evenings and weekends. In addition there have been a series of late or incorrect payments from Manpower whilst pay varies between different centres and between directly employed and agency workers.

South London Solidarity Federation is calling a communications blockade against Manpower employment agency on Thursday 29 January.

The action has been called as part of a week of action in support of our sister section, the Polish ZSP, who are involved in taking action within two Polish Amazon dispatch centres that Manpower hires workers for. The workers in these centres are paid 1/4 of the wage of workers in Germany carrying out the same job, are denied paid breaks during 10 hour shifts and receive no extra pay for working evenings and weekends. In addition there have been a series of late or incorrect payments from Manpower whilst pay varies between different centres and between directly employed and agency workers.