Highstreets Across the UK!

In solidarity with Liverpool Uncut’s action against workfare on Saturday 3rd March, Boycott Workfare has called a national day of action against workfare. We’re planning a Boycott Workfare action in Central London on this day and encourage people all over the UK to take action on their high streets – UK Uncut style.So many high street stores are involved in taking on forced unpaid labour that there is plenty of choice – Tescos, Asda, Holland & Barrett, Primark, HMV, TK Maxx and Topshop (yes, Philip Green’s Arcadia group not only dodges taxes but dodges wages too!) to name but a few. Get a group together, make a plan, and head to the streets to send a clear message that we do not accept workfare.

Set up your own facebook event for your local action and use this page to let us know what you’re planning to do in your area and we’ll collect all the events together here.

Workfare means that those on benefits are forced to do unpaid work for multi-million pound companies. Instead of the living wage – they receive £2.25 in benefits an hour for 30 hours of work.

Workfare means those in paid positions may see their jobs replaced by this unpaid labour. Why would a company pay for people to do these jobs when they can get free labour from the Job Centre?

Under the government’s highly disturbing welfare reform bill, disabled people could be forced off DLA and onto JSA and find themselves being forced onto workfare.

We can put a stop to this forced unpaid labour – Waterstones and Sainsburys have recently announced that they would no longer take unpaid placements – the other companies just need a bit more encouragement to stop this exploitation.

We demand an end to this exploitation and call for welfare rights and living wages for all!

If you continue to exploit us we WILL shut you down!

Actions so far -

Liverpool Uncut http://www.facebook.com/events/236875173062726/

Boycott Workfare London http://www.facebook.com/events/230237220400658/

Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street, Glasgow G2 7AB

Atos and the DWP are conning people into signing on for Job Seekers Allowance when they get turned down for sickness benefit. This means they are forced into applying for jobs that loads of other people are applying for and as most people win their appeal against getting …turned down for sickness benefit with the help of an advice centre it also means a lot of sick and disabled people are being harassed into applying for jobs that they are too ill to carry out. If claimants just ask for a reappraisal their money is reduced until they win their appeal, but they are not forced to job search or restart their claim for sickness benefit from scratch and they will get their sickness benefit back-dated.

We also want to let claimants know that it is fairly easy to appeal against being placed in the Work Related Activity Group on Employment Support Allowance (the new name for sickness benefit). In this situation you get sickness benefit, but they try to harass sick and disabled claimants off ESA by forcing them to attend regular interviews over a number of months.

We will be giving advice leaflets to sick and disabled claimants outside Atos, but please share this information with anyone you know on sickness benefit:

What to do if you ‘fail’ a Work Capability Assessment -

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-to-do-if-you-fail-your-work.html

How to prepare for an ESA Tribunal Hearing -

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/p/how-to-prepare-for-esa-tribunial.html

We will also continue to inform the public of how Atos are helping the government make the sick and disabled pay for the public debt caused by the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics:

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/p/atos-robbing-poor-to-give-to-rich.html

Where: Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9DA

 When: Monday February 13^th 2012

Time: Assemble: 2pm next to Caxton House

We really need your support to challenge the fact that funding through the fund, for over 20,000 disabled people with significant support needs are at risk.

This decision disregards disabled people’s human rights potentially removing us from the community to the care home. We were not even consulted.

Bring people, banners and noise! Invite media friends!

For further details contact DPAC: mail@dpac.uk.net or call Hammersmith & Fulham Coalition against Community Care Cuts (HAFCAC) on 07899 752877

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/01/deliver-protest-letter-to-maria-miller-13212-caxton-house-london/

FRIDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2012.
8pm – 1am
Admission £5 / £2 concessions
A Fundraiser for the Campaign Against Welfare Benefit Cuts

THE INNER TERRESTRIALS / EDGAR BROUGHTON / THE OLYMPIC CLAMP DOWN / SON OF PSYCHOYOGI / PAUL BIRTILL

The mental health right’s campaigning organisation MAD PRIDE is bringing the next in it’s series of Fundraising events to support campaigns raising concern about the implications of the current government welfare benefits ‘reforms’, which in real terms will mean cuts to benefits for sick and disabled people, including those with mental health difficulties, to a new venue in Tottenham, following from a series of events in venues around south London in the last year.

Artists appearing are THE INNER TERRESTRIALS a stomping mix of dub, punk, ska, folk and general anarchic danceability that has gotten audiences over the world going crazy, from Bristol to Berlin, Warsaw, Tokyo and beyond.

We are pleased to invite back a ‘legendary’ artist of cult status in the shape of original 60′s / 70′s ‘agit prop’ rocker EDGAR BROUGHTON who featured strongly at the recent ‘Celebration of Creative Lunacy’ event for World Mental Health Week at the Montague Arms in New Cross in south London last October.

Another cult ‘legend’ that will also make an appearance on the night is the band fronted by original Deptford Fun City punk band ‘Alternative TV’ co founder Tyrone Thomas. ‘Alternative TV’ performed at early MAD PRIDE events and Tyrone has been a long standing active MAD PRIDE supporter.

Singer songwriter Chris Ramsing, the frontman of the PSYCHO YOGI band who featured on last years ‘Holocaust Day’ memorial event has also been invited to make a solo appearance in his guise as the SON OF PSYCHO YOGI
MAD PRIDE are at the frontline of putting the politics back into music, sustaining the Alternative Cultural vibe and evoking the spirit of the old days of Rock Against Racism and the like.

We have also invited the well respected Liverpudlian published poet PAUL BIRTILL to perform some of his pieces.
Stunning visuals will be provided by our ‘regular’ VJ, visual artist Dave Eyre aka the FLICKERING LIGHT who’s original projections and animations have been much in demand at various gigs and venues around London and beyond for a number of years and who adds another dimension to the evening.

Our regular MC – the irreplaceable Mr JASON WHY a well known figure around the ‘open mic’ scene in London will be whipping up proceedings with his infectious enthusiasm and spontaneous poetics.

All in all it promises to be another night of original and quality acts that MAD PRIDE have established a strong reputation for. Do yourself a favour and come and enjoy the treats on offer – all at bargain prices, in line with our policy of keeping admission prices low and accessible to those on low incomes and benefits -and in the process give support to a vital and otherwise marginalised cause. The venue has full disabled access and a reasonably priced bar. It is located nearby to Seven Sisters tube station and Tottenham Hale BR and is served by a number of local bus routes. There is also free parking space available at the venue.

For more info and images of the featured artists go to

INNER TERRESTRIALS
http://www.myspace.com/innerterrestrials

EDGAR BROUGHTON
http://edgarbroughton.com/index.html

THE OLYMPIC CLAMPDOWN
http://www.myspace.com/theolympicclampdown

SON OF PSYCHO YOGI
http://www.psychoyogi.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sonsofpsychoyogi

For more info on the event / campaigns- check
http://www.madpride.org.uk/
or call 077 577 15035
For campaign info and advice / support – check
For info about the venue and this event go to -
http://www.chancesclub.co.uk/
Or look them up on facebook
or call 0208 361 0653

Benefit claimants, disabled people and supporters will be gathering outside Atos’ head office in Triton Square this Friday in solidarity with the Nottingham 2 who were charged with ‘aggravated trespass’ at a previous protest in Nottingham.

A wheelchair user and a pensioner were charged with Aggravated Trespass after peacefully entering one of Atos’ assessment centres on one of the National Days of Action Against Atos and the Benefit Cuts held last year.  Whilst the charges have now been dropped campaigners have said this case has highlighted a new approach from Nottinghamshire Police towards peaceful protesters as discussed on Nottingham indymedia:

“The arrests of Notts Uncut activists just before Christmas and the confiscation of a photography student’s tapes after he filmed an arrest demonstrate that the local force is changing their attitude towards peaceful protest.

This seems to have been confirmed by a police officers’ remark who commented on the arrest of the ‘Atos Two’ by stating that there ‘had been too much of this sort of thing and we were told to crack down on it’.”

A demonstration is also due to be held in Nottingham this Friday meeting at  the junction of Carlton Street and Heathcote Street, Hockley  at 12.30pm.

In London protesters will gather outside Atos’ gleaming corporate headquarters in Triton Square in both solidarity and in protest at the companies continuing involvement in the Work Capability Assessment.

Join us from 1pm – bring banners, leaflets, placards, noise!

There will also be a vigil/protest against the Welfare Reform Bill on both January 31st and February 1st outside parliament meeting at Old Palace Yard from 1-3 pm.

The activists are angry about the impact that the proposed Welfare Reform Bill will have on poor and disabled people. Recent reports have shown that as a result of the bill 500,000 families stand to lose their homes while others will become ‘imprisoned in them’(4). Nearly half a million people would lose their Disability Living Allowance, including disabled children(5). People with terminal illnesses would be forced into work, and 3.2 million will be put through demanding tests that have already pushed some to take their own lives(6). According to their own research, the government’s flagship reform will push 100,000 children into poverty(7).

The government has defended the bill on the grounds that it needs to cut the deficit. However, the activists point out that much greater amounts of money are lost through tax dodging by the super-rich each year, money which could instead continue current welfare provision. In January, Private Eye revealed a further £2 billion tax dodge by Vodafone, in addition to the £6 billion scam revealed in 2010(8). The most recent dodge by Vodafone is greater than the cuts to Disability Living Allowance, which will affect half a million people.

The bill continues to be debated in the Lords, but will have to return to the House of Commons, where MPs will vote on peer’s amendments to the bill. In spite of strong criticism of the bill from disabled peers, David Cameron has already sworn that he will call on coalition MPs to overturn the amendments.

The target of the secret action is not being pre-announced, with UK Uncut only calling on people to travel to Holborn tube station in central London with a charged Oyster card, ready to travel to a secret location. The exact details of where the action is expected to be leaked through Twitter.

Richard Whitehurst of DPAC said:

“These vicious cuts have already led to at least 31 disabled people committing suicide and many more are now talking about it as they feel they have no future. In the 21st century, in one of the richest nations in the world, disabled people should not be forced to live in fear every day of their lives.

Cuts to disabled people’s benefits and services will not save money but will ultimately cost the taxpayer far more as pushing disabled people into destitution and withdrawing care services will lead to an increased demand for NHS care. With the cap on benefits some single disabled people living in London will be left with only £25 a week to meet all their needs for food, heating and all other costs after paying their rent.”

Sarah Evans of UK Uncut said:

“British people are proud of the welfare state because it has provided for the 99% for over 60 years. This bill will remove vital lifelines and force people into deeper poverty, making many prisoners in their own homes. This Bill is simply not needed or wanted by anyone. There are alternatives- we can afford a fair welfare system that provides for all.”

“Instead of taking serious action against rich companies tax dodging and their ‘fancy corporate lawyers’ David Cameron is instead choosing to make the poorest and most isolated pay for the economic crisis they didn’t cause. At least £25 billion of tax is avoided every single year by super rich companies and individuals, far more than the government hopes to save through this devastating bill. The welfare reform bill is cruel and unnecessary and it must be stopped.”

1 – Disabled People Against Cuts is a UK based organisation fighting for justice and human rights for all disabled people. http://www.dpac.uk.net/ | http://twitter.com/Dis_PPL_Protest
2 – http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/de95/m_civrgt.htm
3 – UK Uncut is a grassroots anti-austerity direct action network. The announcement of the action is available at http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/message-from-the-invisible
4 – http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/dec/14/welfare-reform-families-lose-homes & http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16050
5 – http://www.mencap.org.uk/news/article/half-million-disabled-people-may-lose-benefit
6 – http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/latest-news2/medical-test-for-dla & http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/31/consequences-benefit-changes-mental-health
7 – http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/22/housing-crisis-benefit-cuts?intcmp=239
8 – http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=in_the_back&

•  no cut to Housing Benefit for having a spare room.
• to keep benefit entitlement for young people who are severely disabled, so they have financial independence coming into adulthood;
• increasing to two years the one-year time limit on National Insurance-based sickness benefit for people who are recovering;
• entitlement for terminally-ill people – the government wanted to force people who have longer than six months to live, to attend work-focussed interviews to get benefit.

Where: Abingdon St, London SW1

Google map

Vigil & lobby of the Lords & MPs to oppose the Welfare Reform Bill & benefit caps.

1pm Wed 11 January

Opposite Parliament – Lords’ entrance, Abingdon St

All welcome

Bring placards from your organisation to be visible to the press
For more info, contact Single Mothers’ Self-Defence (SMSD) and the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust

smsd@allwomencount.net 0207 482 2496

PaulNicolson@z2k.org 07961177889

December 1 – December 31 2011

Everywhere!

Join us in December for a month of protests, actions and demonstrations against poverty pimps Atos and the condem government’s Welfare Reform Bill.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122853381158514

With thousands to face homelessness in the New Year due to housing benefit cuts, the harassment and further impoverishment of hundreds of thousands of disabled people due to punitive ‘assessments’, the continued persecution of people on sickness benefits, soaring unemployment and forced labour in the name of Workfare, a truly Victorian Christmas is on the cards for millions of us.

Whilst Atos CEO and disability denier Keith Wilman tucks into his organic Christmas turkey or multi-millionaire poverty pimp Emma Harrison of A4e hangs tinsel in her tax payer funded stately home, millions of disabled, low paid, unemployed or sick people are facing a future of poverty, worsening health and homelessness.

Parents will be spending Christmas terrified that the new demands of conditionally for benefits, such as forcing single mothers into workfare schemes, will leave them unable to properly care for their children. People will life threatening conditions or mental health problems will be terrified that their upcoming Atos assessment, notoriously flawed as it is, will further strip them of vital and life saving benefits. Tens of thousands of low waged families are about to be socially cleansed from city centres due to housing benefit cuts whilst unemployed people face the prospect of being forced to work full time and still survive on just a few pounds a day.

The Welfare Reform Bill will see millions of disabled people forced into a similar, if not identical, testing regime for the new Personal Independence Payment that has tragically led to suicides amongst people already forced to undertake Atos’ Work Capability Assessments

For the last year disabled people, claimant activists and supporters have been protesting against the inhumane treatment being inflicted on already vulnerable people. Scores of protests have been held outside (and sometimes inside) the offices of Atos ‘Healthcare’, the largest ever march of disabled people and supporters has taken place, protests have been held outside the Daily Mail, A4e offices and other workfare providers and online activity about benefit issues has exploded.

Still the Tory Government pushes ahead, with their Lib Dem lap dogs never far ahead. We need more than ever to increase the pressure and fight these attacks on our most basic needs and very survival. Organise and help spread the word now, please list all local actions, protests below and we will do our best to help promote and support all events as well as list them here.

Alternatively why not gather up your friends and turn up to spread seasonal cheer at your local Atos unannounced and then tell us about it afterwards. Everyone loves a surprise guest at Christmas!

We will not stop until they kill us.

A list of Atos corporate offices can be found at: http://uk.atos.net/en-uk/a bout_us/locations/

A PDF of all Atos Assessment Centres is available at: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/UserFiles/File/fact-sheets/2011/Assessment%20Centre%20Location%20List_July%202011.pdf

Brighton
12th December & 19th December

Brighton DPAC telephone and email blockade of Brighton ATOS Healthcare.

http://www.facebook.com/events/132910660153707/

Edinburgh

16th December 10-12am
Atos Benefit Testing Centre, 44 York Place, Edinburgh

Join us in this protest and in leafleting and showing solidarity with claimants going into ATOS.

http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/edinburgh-protest-against-atos-16th-december/

Glasgow

16th December 1.30-2.30pm
Atos Medical Assessment Centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street

Anti-Atos Leafleting plus giving claimants advice on appeals and what to do during benefits medical assessments.

http://www.facebook.com/events/243943635673280/

Followed by

Anti-Capitalist Carol Singing outside Atos Part 2
16th Dec – 5-6pm
Outside Atos Offices, Ca’D'Oro Building, 45 Gordon Street, Glasgow

http://www.facebook.com/events/263534123702031/

London

1st December – 5.30pm-6.30pm
LSE Campus, Aldwych

Protest at Iain Duncan Smith’s LSE Talk.  Millionaire Iain Duncan Smith wants you to join his army of unpaid workers. Come and expose his doublespeak!
http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/protest-at-iain-duncan-smiths-lse-talk-december-1st/

3rd December – 2pm
Olympic Park, Stratford

Protest Against Atos Outside the Paralympic Test Event!
http://www.facebook.com/events/313266012034394/

14th December – 9am
Downing Street, London SW1

The Right to Work Campaign will be protesting in Central London on
to highlight the scandal of mass unemployment to coincide with the announcement of the unemployment figures.
http://righttowork.org.uk/2011/12/protest-to-highlight-scandal-of-mass-unemployment/

16th December – 2pm
Triton Square, London NW1

A Real Victorian Christmas Party and Picnic at Triton Square

http://www.facebook.com/events/197478607000007/

Everywhere

12th Decmber – 23rd December

A Rolling Festive Phone-in to Atos ‘Healthcare’

http://www.facebook.com/events/281777128534663/

Online

Sign the petition against benefit cuts: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20968

Also on the 17th December – Join the UKUncut Christmas Special: http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/christmas-special

SAY NO TO THE UNFAIR TESTS CUTTING SICKNESS AND DISABILITY BENEFITS

GATHER AT THE ATOS BENEFITS TESTING CENTRE, 44 YORK PLACE, EDINBURGH THIS COMING FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER 10AM – 12 NOON

PART OF THE UK-WIDE MONTH OF ACTION AGAINST ATOS

“Thousands of seriously ill cancer patients will be forced to take medical tests and face “back to work” interviews, despite assurances from ministers that they would not make it harder for the sick to get welfare, charities have warned.

Buried in a report to ministers by Prof Malcolm Harrington, the government adviser on testing welfare recipients, are proposals to force cancer patients who are undergoing intravenous chemotherapy to prove they are too ill to work.”

(Guardian 6.12.11 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/06/cancer-patients-welfare-work-tests?CMP=EMCSOCEML657%%__AdditionalEmailAttribute1%%

This is what awaits us unless we get organised to resist. Already tens of thousands of ill people are being subjected to the Work Capability Assessments, disqualified from sickness benefits and thrown onto Job Seekers Allowance, where they face compulsory work-for-your-benefits forced labour schemes.

ATOS are the multinational company with a £500 million contract from the government to carry out the tests which are central to deciding whether or not people get sickness benefits.

This is all part of the wider attack on the majority of us, to try and make us pay for the greed of the rich and the crisis in their chaotic capitalist system.

Join us in this protest and in leafleting and showing solidarity with claimants going into ATOS. You are welcome to bring placards, banners, whistles, drums, whatever you would hope to find.

If you or someone you know is being called in for such a test – don’t go alone! Take a friend or adviser with you. Read detailed info on how to deal with the tests here http://www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/node/5<

Organised by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk ecap@lists.riseup.net

We also encourage people to contact Black Triangle disability rights group http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/

Info on the uk-wide month of action against ATOS here https://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/a-month-of-festive-action-against-atos-and-the-benefit-cuts/