Stop Workfare in Hackney! Demonstrate March 17th

Saturday March 17 – 12:00pm until 1:00pm

Hackney, Narrow Way by St. Augustine’s Tower

We will be highlighting shops/companies/empoyers in Hackney who employ people for no wages  in Hackney, Tesco, Boots, McDonalds, Hackney Community College, London Fields Primary School, and many more.

Already the campaign is working, with TESCOs on the defensive and TK Maxx, Sainsbury’s, Scope, Waterstones, Shelter Marie Curie, 99p stores and CAAT have pulled out.

Keep up the pressure.

When opeds in the Daily Mail refering to Workfare as, Nazi attacks on the vulnerable, you know you are onto something.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/390444520970494/

 

Boycott Workfare is a UK-wide campaign to end forced unpaid work for people who receive welfare. Workfare profits the rich by providing free labour, whilst threatening the poor by taking away welfare rights if people refuse to work without a living wage. We expose and take action against companies and organisations profiting from workfare; encourage organisations to pledge to boycott it; and actively inform people of their rights.

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

Weekend of Online Action Against Workfare – Saturday 3rd – Sunday 4th March

Protests against workfare will be taking place in 35 (and counting) locations tomorrow as part of a National Day of Action called by Boycott Workfare.  For the latest details of protests visit their website at: http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=359

Despite Chris Grayling’s humiliating climbdown on workfare this week, the battle is far from over.  The government have not scrapped workfare sanctions. They have removed some sanctions from one of the five schemes.

Just like before, we need to show that companies profiting from forced labour that is not acceptable.  Under the Work Programme claimants can be forced to work in private companies for up to six months or face the poverty and possible homelessness that benefit sanctions bring.

We need to stop this now.  Please contact the companies concerned, flood their facebook pages and twitter feeds, email them and make sure they know that we are just as angry as ever about their used of forced labour.

The government refuses to tell us which companies are profiting from unpaid labour on the Work Programme, and has removed any information from the DWP’s website.  How, due a now ‘disappeared’ Freedom of Information Act request, we know for sure that the companies and charities below have taken on workfare staff under the Work Programme scheme.

Remember to tell them if are are planning to boycott them or withdraw donations unless they pull out of workfare immediately.

ASDA – on twitter @asda and facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/Asda  Their facebook wall is locked down but you can leave comments.  Or you can contact them direct (Freephone no) at: http://your.asda.com/contact-us

Savers – on twitter (but not very active) @saversstore or facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Savers-Health-and-Beauty/102022502083? Contact them direct at: http://www.savers.co.uk/contact-us_19.html

Barnados – on twitter @Barnados  They have said they will not take young people on work experience who face sanctions but have remained silent on the workfare staff in their shops.  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/barnardos#!/barnardos?sk=wall  Contact page at: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/who_we_are/contact_us.htm

Holiday Inn – on twitter @holidayinn on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/HolidayInnUKIreland#!/HolidayInnUKIreland?sk=wall

Pizza Hut – on twitter @pizzahut  There UK page is @pizzahut_uk but is barely active.  They are busy on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/PizzaHutUK?sk=wall  Contact page at: http://www.pizzahut.co.uk/restaurants/faqs.aspx

Poundstretcher – on twitter @poundstretcher1 (barely active) and not active on facebook email them at: ed@poundstretcher.co.uk – website at: http://www.poundstretcher.co.uk/

British Heart Foundation – on twitter @thebhf on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/bhf   Contact page: http://www.bhf.org.uk/contact-us.aspx

Wilkinson – Barely active on twitter.  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/WilkinsonPlus#!/WilkinsonPlus?sk=wall  Their wall is locked down but you can leave comments or contact them at: http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/page/contact_index/

99p Stores – Can’t find them on twitter.  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/99p-Stores/49590173920  or contact them at: http://www.99pstoresltd.com/contactus.asp

Salvation Army – believed to be involved in Mandatory Work Activity and the Work Programme.  On twitter @salvationarmyuk or facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/salvationarmyuk Contact page at: http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/contactus

Booker Wholesale – on twitter @bookerwholesale and facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/BookerWholesale  Contact page at: https://www.booker.co.uk/help/contactus.aspx

Jamie Oliver – Jamie has been whinging this week that he hasn’t been sent a workfare slave yet even though he signed up to the Work Programme months ago.  Why not tell this multi-millionaire what you think of him using forced labour on twitter @jamieoliver

______________________________________________________________

It is unclear whether the following companies will remain involved in the Work Experience scheme or the far more draconian Work Programme.  Ask them and demand they do not profit from forced labour.

Argos – on twitter @argos_online and facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/argos  Contact page at: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/StaticDisplay/includeName/ContactUs.htm

McDonalds – very busy international page on twitter @mcdonalds  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/McDonaldsUK  Contact page at: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Aboutus/Contact-us.html

Primark – on twitter @primarkjobs Seemingly impossible to get in touch with any other way.  Visit your local store instead!

Holland & Barrett – inactive twitter page @holland_barrett  Contact page at: http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/contactus.asp

Cancer Research UK – on twitter @CR_UK  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/cancerresearchuk  Contact page at: https://aboutus.cancerresearchuk.org/contact-us/?secure=true

Age UK – on twitter @age_uk   On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/ageuk  Contact page at: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/contact-us/

______________________________________________________________

Many other companies and charities are using workfare.  Very little has changed despite Chris Grayling’s announcement.  According to the trade industry for workfare providers,  only Boots have told them they are pulling out so far.  Oxfam and Shelter have made clear statements distancing themselves from workfare and the Work Programme.  Sainsburys, Tesco and Waterstones have all said they are not involved in the scheme.  Poundland has pulled out of Work Programme but will continue to take work experience placements as long as they are not subject to benefit sanctions.

Please list contact details of all known workfare exploiters in the comments.

The following charities are part sub-contractors for Work Programme as part of the Disability Works consortium.  Several of them have also used workfare in their charity shops.  Contact them and demand they pull out of workfare.  More importantly, with government plans revealed to force sick and disabled people into permanent work for no pay we urgently need a statement from all these charities that will they not play any part in such a crueland abusive scheme.

SCOPE – on twitter at @scope  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/Scope  Contact page at: http://www.scope.org.uk/contact-us

Mencap – on twitter @mencap_charity  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/Mencap  Contact page at: http://www.mencap.org.uk/contact-us

MIND – on twitter @mindcharity  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mindforbettermentalhealth  Contact page at: http://www.mind.org.uk/contact

Leonard Chesire Disability – on twitter @LCDisability  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leonard-Cheshire-Disability/77071765498  Contact page at: http://www.lcdisability.org/?lid=108

Action for Blind People – on twitter @action4blind  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/actionforblindpeople  Contact page at: http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/other-pages/contact-us/

Advance – not active on twitter or facebook.  Contact page at: http://www.advanceuk.org/index.asp?m=6&t=Contact+Us

Pluss – on twitter  @plussaddtolife  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pluss/257795488431  Contact page: http://www.pluss.org.uk/contact

United Response – on twitter @unitedresponse  On facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/UnitedResponse?ref=ts  Contact page at: http://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/get-support/contact-us/

And if you’ve still got time after all that then why not give disability deniers Atos a kick, the company responsible for the flawed health and disability benefit eligibility tests testing which have driven some people to suicide.  They’ll only feel left out otherwise.  On twitter @atos  Not allowed on facebook.  Contact page at: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/index.php?option=com_enquiries&Itemid=226

If you ring companies please remember you are probably speaking to a low paid receptionist, and just as importantly that communications can be easily traced.  It is an offence to make malicious or abusive phone calls.

National Day of Action Against Workfare – 3/3/12

From Boycott Workfare, visit their site for all the latest updates at: http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=359

In solidarity with Liverpool Uncut’s action against workfare on Saturday 3rd March, Boycott Workfare has called a national day of action against workfare. There’s already actions planned in Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Lincoln, three places in London, Leeds, Manchester, Margate, Nottingham, Paisley, Sheffield and Tunbridge Wells (with others still planning!). Why not visit your high street as well?

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, and Topshop to name but a few. We’ll have the latest details on each of the companies online soon. Get a group together, make a plan, and head to the streets.

Workfare means that those who need welfare are forced into unpaid work for multi-million pound companies. Instead of a living wage, they receive only JSA – a tiny £53 a week for the under-25s – far below minimum wage.

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?

We can put a stop to this forced unpaid labour – Waterstones, Sainsburys and TK Maxx have all 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!

Details of actions:

• Aberdeen – 12 noon outside M&S. See Facebook event here.
  
• Belfast – Name & Shame Workfare/Steps to Work Tour. Meeting outside Tesco Metro, Royal Avenue at 2pm. See Facebook event.
• Birmingham – 11.30am outside Poundland on Union Street. Facebook event.
• Brighton - Brighton Benefits Campaign are picketing Tesco in Jubilee Street (opposite Jubilee Square) from 12 noon. See Facebook event. Brighton Youth Fight for Jobs & Education are picketing Tesco in St James’s Street Kemp Town from 11.30am.See Facebook event.
• Bristol – 12 noon at College Green. More info.
• Cardiff - 2pm Outside Poundland on Queen Street. See Facebook event.
  
• Edinburgh - Join ECAP to plan on Monday 27th! Details tbc for the 3rd.
• Glasgow – 1pm, March 3rd, Top Shop 229 Buchanan Street. See Facebook event.
• Leeds - 12 noon until 3pm. Location tbc. See Facebook event.
• Lincoln – Picket, protest, occupy. Meeting 12 noon on High Street. More details to come.
• Liverpool – Take action with UK Uncut, 1pm until 4pm. Meet Next to Nowhere Social Centre, Bold Street, Liverpool. More info.
• London, Brixton - 12 noon, Acre Lane Tesco.
• London, Ealing – 1pm, The Arcadia Centre 50/52 Broadway, Ealing W5 2ND
  See Facebook event.
• London, Oxford Street – Meet outside BHS on Oxford Street, 11:30am. More info and download leaflet for the Oxford St action.
• London, Hackney – See Facebook event.
• London, Kingston - 1pm, Outside Starbucks at the top of Kingston High Street, near the junction with Eden Street. KT1 1NY. See Facebook Event
• London, Lewisham – Join UK Uncut at 1pm, Lewisham High Street More Information.
• Manchester – 12pm at 60 Market Street. More details here.
• Margate – 11am at Occupy Thanet site. Facebook event here.
• Milton Keynes – 1pm at McDonalds, MK Central. Facebook event here.
• Newcastle – 12pm outside Eldon Square. See Facebook event.
• Norwich – 2pm outside Primark, Haymarket,Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1QD
• Nottingham – 12pm outsideWilkinsons, Parliament Street See Facebook event.
• Oxford – Join Solidarity Federation in a Thames Valley action. Assemble 12 noon at Carfax Tower before moving on to selected target(s). More Information.
• Paisley – Meet on the High Street at 11.30am at the old Littlewoods site
• Sheffield – Meet Devonshire Green, Sheffield, 1pm. We will meet at 1pm and decide on a target. See Facebook event.
• Tunbridge Wells – Meet at the Millennium clock in Tunbridge Wells at 12 noon.
• York – Meet at 1pm, Parliament Street Fountain.

Let us know what you’re planning. The campaign is UK-wide!

Picket Atos in Glasgow: 17/02/12

Friday 17th February – 4-5pm

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

Deliver a protest letter to Maria Killer Miller 13/2/12

Monday 13th Feb Come and join us in delivering Maria Miller (Minister of Disabled People) our protest letter opposing the closure of the Independent Living Fund (ILF).

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/

Anti-Benefit Cuts Benefit Gig

MAD PRIDE
For the Holocaust Day
TOTTENHAM CHANCES
339 Tottenham High Road
Tottenham N17 6QN

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

Protest Outside Atos in Solidarity with the Nottingham 2

Friday 3rd February 1-2pm Triton Square.

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.