Yorkshire

On Saturday 4th February, Hull Solidarity Federation and friends picketed Pizza Hut in solidarity with workers from the IWW Pizza Hut Union, in support of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. The picket started at 11:30, lasting around 2 hours in the freezing cold until we had handed out all 400 of our leaflets. Management came and incorrectly told us that we were not legally allowed to hold a picket outside the restaurant and subsequently called the police. The officers, trailed by a cameraman for an as yet unaired police documentary, informed us that what we were doing was perfectly lawful.

WYSF held a picket of Adecco today in Wakefield as part of the international campaign against Adecco's strike breaking practices. Despite the extreme cold and snow approx 100 leaflets where given out. Thanks to all the comrades who turned up.

WYSF attended pickets and demos across the north:

Leeds report:

In Leeds WYSF joined a picket of a public sector building (name omitted to protect the individual member), before joining the march and demo.  An estimated 10,000 took part, the biggest demo in Leedsin a long while.  SF were joined by AF and quite a few people came up and took papers and expressed support for the Red and Black flags.  Lots of support from the public and the march was “clapped” all the way into the city centre.

N30 report from Hull:

WYSF took part in the "Hardest hit" demo in Leeds against benefit cuts today. Overall a good turn out, and we were well received. We gave out "poverty pimps" leaflets against ATOS and the other companies as well as a leaflet about Scope and their attack on smaller disability organisations. Speeches were the usual with 2 exceptions, PCS union rep asked people to join the Nov 30th strike and pickets, and a young man who spoke passionately about the affects of the cuts, criticising all politicians including Miliband, this got a loud cheer. All in all a good day

West Yorkshire Solidarity federation has been passed the following information which directly affects one of the locals members.

News has just come in that Scope (essentially a national non advice giving organisation) is going to shut down DIAL UK following an earlier merger.  This will affect disabled people’s advice services at a time when the need is greater.  Added to this experienced staff are being dumped.  Scope will claim that it has no option following cuts in funding, but they are still managing to pay their chief exec thousands.

We have been told the following:

“If – as seems likely now – none of the current staff get positions in the new structure the main sources of knowledge and intelligence about the network will be lost when it is most needed. Understanding the network and its operation and working on its behalf is the essential uniqueness of DIAL UK.

On Saturday 2nd July WYSF held a leafleting session outside Vodafone in Hull as part of a campaign against tax dodging and anti union practices. We gave out 500 leaflets and had a pretty positive response.   This included one person asking about groups in Nottingham, who was refered to the National Website.

If anyone's interested in anarcho-syndicalism and building a solfed presence in Hull and East Yorkshire please get in contact with us by emailling solfed[at]solfed.org.uk or alternatively hull[at]solfed.org.uk

Comrades! belting success - dished out 200 leaflets, could have been more. LOADS of messages of support from public. Was issued with a statement from OA as soon as we landed saying Dan had been paid. I think we've picked up on a real burning issue to people. 6 + me from local anarchist group attended.
Statement taken from Newcastle Evening Chronicle, fingers crossed..

On the 11/05/11 West Yorkshire Solidarity Federation picketed the Leeds branch of Office Angels. We were joined by Leeds AF. Office Angels locked there doors (maybe thinking we where planning to storm the office) but didn't come out to see what we were doing. We gave out 300 leaflets, getting a good response. Some people came over... to ask for leaflets and at one point the whole of a bus queue outside of Office Angels where reading the leaflet.

Members of WYSF (along with AF) picketed Office Angels in Leeds and handed out over 200 hundred leaflets.  We had a very positive response including one person who wanted more information and is going to look at the National website to see what we do.  We also spoke to someone who was posting her CV to Office Angels who was very interested in the leaflet and the information it contained.