Showing posts with label picket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label picket. Show all posts

Friday 24 June 2022

Anger!!


       Tomorrow Saturday, 25th June, 10am. George Square, Glasgow, there is a march in support of the striking railway workers.

          So you're pissed off being driven into the grubber, angry at being promised pie in the sky, those illusions of high skilled, high wage jobs, sometime in the next ten to twelve years, perhaps, and in the meantime, go to the food bank, watch your kids shiver at home during the winter, see your elderly rapidly going to their grave earlier than they should. All this while the rich parasite class grow fat on your austerity. Are you angry at those with salaries in the £100,000's telling you not to ask for a big pay rise as it will only feed inflation. At the same time, the boss of Birmingham airport has just been given a 10% rise in his salary. They are having a good laugh at us.
         Well you have a right to be angry, this is an extremely wealth country, meanwhile the government is driving the population into dire poverty, while we have an army of millionaires and billionaires, all their wealth gleaned from your labour. So let's get angry, really angry and take our anger onto the streets, join the picket lines of those strikers fighting for a decent wage increase, and protecting their conditions.
        Tomorrow Saturday, 25th June, 10am. George Square, Glasgow, there is a march in support of the striking railway workers.
        Join them bring your family and friends, bring your street, bring placards, come and make plenty of noise. Their fight is our fight, we the ordinary people of this country, are all being hit by this tsunami of avoidable hardship and with it will come evictions, dire poverty, health problems, children's potential stunted, and a crumbling health service that will end up being privatised.

       Tomorrow Saturday, 25th June, 10am. George Square, Glasgow, there is a march in support of the striking railway workers.



Visit ann arky's home at http://strugglepedia.co.uk    

Friday 25 October 2019

That Was A Great March!!!


         I wrote this article away back on October 24th. 2010, I still hold that same opinion, marches and rallies will never achieve any meaningful change. It way well publicise your cause, make you feel good, but don't expect the government to be too bothered by your colourful and boisterous march/rally.  

 They are laughing at you.
       I was at the mass “demonstration and rally” against the cuts, held in Edinburgh on Saturday 23rd. The figure was put at about 20,000, it was very colourful with lots of banners fluttering in the stiff breeze. As we marched down Princes Street it seemed to be a very sombre, quiet and sedate affair, we could have been following a funeral. At this point a comrade turned to me and in a cynical manner stated, “This will have them shaking in their shoes.”  When was the last time a government in this country changed its policies because of mass demonstrations and rallies? It certainly wasn’t the Iraq war, it went ahead in spite of the largest demonstrations seen in Britain and across the world for many a year. It wasn’t the poll tax, the poll tax disappeared because of civil disobedience, non-payment and grass roots organisation and the marches and rallies turned to riots. Around 11am. on Thursday 21st. 11 people occupied a large bank in Glasgow city centre and closed the bank for a couple of hours. They left before there were any arrests. Those 11 probably had a greater impact than the 20,000, though the 20,000 gave a lot of police officers some easy overtime payment.
       If you want a government to move in a particular direction then you have to have strategies other than marching from A to B waving your banners and shouting at the selective deaf. Selective targets, boycotts, work to rule, occupying and selective picketing have to be among your weapons, Surprise and unpredictability are the hallmarks of good planning, mass rallies may politicise more people and can be a gauge of the support for a particular idea but are hopeless weapons by themselves if you are trying to implement change.
           If everybody at that demonstration and rally went back to their community and workplace and organised to fight at that level, in federation with other communities and workplaces, it would have a far greater effect than organising another and bigger demonstration and rally in a few months time. The struggle for change has to be every day and everywhere.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk     

Thursday 22 February 2018

Call For Solidarity.

          As you may know there is industrial action planned across the University sector. There will be a picket outside some of the main buildings operated by the University of Glasgow on the Crichton campus on Thursday 22, Friday 23rd, Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th February, from approximately 8.30am-11.30am (though on some days it may well go on longer and start earlier).
         We have also organised a TEACH OUT at the Theatre Royal, Shakespeare Street, Dumfries on the afternoons of Thursday (22nd), Friday (23rd), Tuesday (27th) and Wednesday (28th). The aim, is to show students that we care about education and we are not simply putting our feet up. It is a chance for more informal, experimental, less stressful and collaborative education. It is free for anyone to take part and we are open to more spontaneous events taking place in the space .
         We would love you to show support, if you can, by taking part in visiting the picket or taking part in the TEACH OUT or just dropping by for a tea and a chat and/or publicising the events by passing on the attached flier.
 






































































Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasggow.me.uk

Thursday 8 August 2013

Sports Direc And Zero Hours Contracts.


      We all know, or should know, that the "zero hours" contracts are a direct road to deprivation and an employers dream. Some firms are just dipping their toes in, while others are grasping the opportunity with both sweaty, greedy hands. Sports Direct is in there with both hands milking the con with gusto. This firm employs 90% of its staff on "zero hours" contracts. There employees are onto, no job security, no guarantee income, no ability to plan their week. They are there at the whim of the boss, business is slow, just go home and I'll phone when I need you, is the way the game is played. This type of contract has to be stopped and stores like Sports Direct have to feel the anger of the people by boycott and picket. The only way they will abandon this unjust means of employing people will be if it hurts their pocket.
    In the meantime 38 Degrees, are backing a court case against Sports Direct being taken out by an ex-employee. and are asking for your support:
    Can you chip in just £1 to help fund the case against Sports Direct?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/the-people-vs-sports-direct
        It’s the people vs Sports Direct. Companies abusing zero hours contracts have been all over the news this week. The stories started after it was revealed that Sports Direct employ 90% of their staff on contracts with no guaranteed hours week to week, no holiday pay or sick pay. [1]
     Today 38 Degrees member Zahera, an ex-employee of Sports Direct, is taking them to court to challenge their use of the controversial contracts. If she wins, it will send out shockwaves to all companies abusing these contracts. And it will put pressure on the government to tighten up the law and protect vulnerable employees.
    Can you chip in just £1 to help fund the case against Sports Direct?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/the-people-vs-sports-direct
      Elizabeth George, a lawyer at law firm Leigh Day, has offered to represent Zahera and will only receive a fee if we win the case. But there will still be costs involved. If Sports Direct decide to fight, it could cost over £10,000 to go to court, much more than Zahera could afford on her own.
      But if enough of us chip in just £1 each to raise the money, it will send a powerful message to Sports Direct and their billionaire owner, who will have deep pockets to fund their legal team. They'll see that they are heading to court to face not just one ex-employee standing up for her colleagues’ rights, but an army of 38 Degrees members too.
      Can you chip in £1 and back Zahera against Sports Direct?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/the-people-vs-sports-direct
     38 Degrees members have already sent over 120,000 emails to Sports Direct demanding they treat their staff properly and give them the option of fairer contracts. [2] They have so far refused to comment, hoping the story will go away. But by taking them to court we’ll force them to.
      Zero hours contracts are already being investigated by the government. But our action could set a legal precedent for all businesses, not just Sports Direct, and will put the government under pressure to act fast. [3]
     We know that people powered legal cases can win. Last week, we celebrated after beating Health Minister Jeremy Hunt in court. [4] 38 Degrees members donated £15,000 to the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign’s case against his plans to close their local hospital. It was a huge win in the fight to save our NHS and made headlines across the country.
      Now let’s use our collective power to take on Sports Direct and strike a victory not just for Zahera, but for people on zero hours contracts across the country.
        Can you chip in £1 to help fund the case against Sports Direct?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/the-people-vs-sports-direct

Thanks for standing with Zahera

Robin, Belinda, Megan, Blanche & the 38 Degrees Team


FURTHER INFORMATION

Why could it cost so much?

      To issue the claim, Zahera is required to pay an issue fee of £250. There is a further fee if the claim goes all the way to a full hearing of £900. Law firm Leigh Day are representing Zahera on a no-win no fee basis, so there is no cost here. However Elizabeth will be bringing a co-counsel to fight the case with her. We anticipate the cost to be in the region of £10,000 plus VAT for the hearing.
If for some reason the case doesn’t go ahead we would offer a refund.

      What happens if we raise more than is needed to fight the case?
Any donations made above the amount needed to fight the case will go towards 38 Degrees' campaigning work, including pushing the government to tighten up the law around zero hours contracts. For more details of our donations policy click here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/pages/donations-to-38-degrees

      Are all zero hours contracts bad?
Many people would like to see zero hours contracts banned outright, but for some employees, zero hours contracts are a useful flexible way of working. However, the news has been filled with stories of companies abusing these contracts to bully staff. This case could be a landmark moment in the fight to stop this abuse.

NOTES:
[1] Sports Direct: 90% of staff on zero-hour contracts - http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/28/sports-direct-staff-zero-hour-contracts
[2] Email Sports Direct - https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/sports-direct-stop-unfair-zero-hour-contracts
[3] They won't be lovin' it: McDonald's admits 90% of employees are on zero-hours contracts without guaranteed work or a stable income - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/they-wont-be-lovin-it-mcdonalds-admits-90-of-employees-are-on-zerohours-contracts-without-guaranteed-work-or-a-stable-income-8747986.html
[4] Save Lewisham Hospital campaign in the papers - http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/tag/save-lewisham-hospital/









Thursday 27 June 2013

Glasgow ATOS, Anniversary Picket.

 

Glasgow Against ATOS, 1st Anniversary Picket.


Friday 28 June, 12:30 - 14:30
Corunna House,
Cadogan Street,
Glasgow.

       Another article by Glasgow Activist J. C. highlighting the vicious attack by this government on the ordinary people, in particular the brutal assault on the disabled and vulnerable in our society.

ATOS: Government approved Contract Killers!
    ATOS is a French multi-national company who have been employed by the Department of Works and Pensions to assess claimant’s fitness for work. In Glasgow their work capability assessment centre is based at Corunna House in Cadogan Street in the City centre.
       ATOS use a points based computer system to assess people. The majority of people who go through the ATOS process end up with no points or very few points; even severely disabled people or people with chronic illnesses or serious mental health problems have been declared fit for work by ATOS. We call the ATOS assessment centre at Corunna House “Lourdes” - because of its miraculous ability to cure people.
      Doctors who work for ATOS receive only eight days training in disability, and have found patients with severe M.S. and terminal cancer to be fit for work!
      ATOS’s brutal and insensitive treatment of the disabled has attracted widespread criticism from many sources. The General Medical Council are investigating allegations of improper conduct against twelve ATOS doctors, and two ATOS employees are under investigation after referring to patients as “parasites” and “down and outs”.
     The British Medical Association has condemned the ATOS assessment procedure as being not fit for purpose. Many M.P.’s have criticised ATOS’s brutally insensitive treatment of the disabled. Michael Meacher M.P. led a commons debate on this matter on the 17th of January this year and criticised almost every aspect of its operations including the thousands of people who have died after ATOS have decided they were fit for work. You can see his speech on YouTube.
      A lady called Joyce Drummond recently quit her job at ATOS. Joyce worked as a nurse there but had to leave when she could no longer carry out what she was supposed to do. Joyce has gone on record and given many newspaper interviews about how ATOS assessments really work. She has explained that these are not genuine assessments but just an excuse to deprive people of their entitled benefit.
     The assessment starts well before you reach the assessment room. In fact, patient’s behaviour and abilities are observed from the moment you enter the building. When people go from the waiting room to the assessment room it is noted whether or not they are well presented, are they tidy, have they done their hair and make-up? And so on.
      Seemingly innocent questions are asked by the assessors:
  • Do you have any pets – this can be linked with ability to bend to feed and walk.
  • Do you look after someone else – parent or carer- if you do this will be taken as evidence of functioning
  • Any training, voluntary work, socialising will be used as evidence of functioning.
  • Can you use phone, computer, or washing machine?
  • Can you manage bills?
     A whole range of dirty tricks is used against patients, because the ATOS assessments have nothing to do with fairness or compassion, or reorganising the benefits system, - it is all about taking money from the poorest and neediest in society.
     Joyce Drummond says that in her opinion the money given to Atos and spent on tribunals should be given to NHS GPs. They are best placed to make assessments regarding patients work capability. They have access to all medical reports, past history, specialist input and know their patients.

        How do ATOS decisions affect individuals and families?
Well, everyday there are stories in the papers describing the devastating effects of the decisions reached by ATOS.
       There are stories of people who are unable to work being left without any means of financial support.
       There are stories of people dying while awaiting results of their appeals after an ATOS assessment.
     There are stories of people committing suicide after appearing before ATOS.
      Nick Barker a farm labourer who had a brain haemorrhage which paralysed him down his left side and left him struggling to walk killed himself just before he was due to go up on his appeal. The coroner said the benefits assessment was the key to the tragedy.
      A lady called Linda Wootton, who had a heart and lung transplant was declared fit for work by Atos; her husband received the letter as she was dying in Hospital.
      I don’t intend to go through case after case, or pile on statistics and facts and figures; you can check all these things out online.
      Instead let me tell you what we are doing about ATOS.
      Glasgow against ATOS is committed to getting rid of ATOS and having them replaced by a compassionate and humane assessment procedure. In order to do this we campaign in every way we can.
We believe one of the most effective ways to campaign is through direct action. It is our experience that you can talk to politicians and officials till you are blue in the face and they will ignore you, but if you occupy their offices and invade their space they might actually have to do something.
       Over the past year, Glasgow against ATOS in conjunction with Citizens United and disability rights campaign group Black Triangle have carried out occupations of the Commonwealth Games office (who are sponsored by ATOS), and various banks and building societies who have dodged paying income tax,- If big business paid their taxes there would be no need for cuts of any kind. We have also confronted politicians face to face and at their offices and homes.
     On the last Friday of every month we have a picket outside ATOS at Corunna House starting around 12.00 a.m. Some of us stay there and leaflet and talk to people coming and going to their assessments, while the rest go on what we call a rolling picket. We go through the city centre with banners and a megaphone and hand out leaflets and bring the scandal of ATOS to public attention. Recently two of our group were arrested during one of our pickets for using the megaphone and will appear in court in June and July. We hope that activists and groups will support our demonstrations outside the court on these days.
We produce tons of leaflets, posters, banners and stuff like t-shirts to help raise public awareness of the immoral activities of ATOS and the plight of ATOS victims.
      We raise funds to pay for all of this; - we recently had a fantastic fundraising night which raised almost a thousand pounds. In addition to this we have had discussions with the trade unions at ATOS although we think that they are a bit unhappy with us after we occupied their offices at Corunna House a couple of weeks ago.
     Our fight ties in with the bedroom tax campaign because the majority of families affected by the bedroom tax will have a disabled member who has probably suffered at the hands of ATOS at some point.
What is really going on?
      There is a war going on in society, a war between the people at the top - the ruling elite and big business, and the people at the bottom. A war between rich and poor, a war between the needy and the greedy!
This is a Class War!
     This is no exaggeration, working class people are the victims of this war and thousands of working class people die every year as a result of the war on the sick, disabled and unemployed.
What can we do? - Join the Fightback!
      How do we do it? - Get together, come up with ideas, produce leaflets, talk to each other and involve others, Take an interest – become involved in Glasgow Against ATOS or other campaigning groups.
Don’t Moan, - Organise! Don’t get Angry – Get Even!
Visit us on Facebook at Glasgow Against ATOS.

ann arky's home.

 


Thursday 26 July 2012

REMPLOY PICKET.


      Most of us are aware of the devastating effect the government's cuts can have, but probably none wore than those employed by Remploy.
       There used to be over 50 workers at the Remploy factory in Preston, now reduced to only 18, each of them was out on the picket line for the second day of their national strike, 100% turn outs were also reported at Heywood and Wigan. Support came from BAE and Rolls-Royce workers as well as teachers, passing council refuse workers and ex-Remploy workers who had taken advantage of previous redundancy packages.
The government has been Orwellian in claiming they are helping disabled people into work whilst sacking them from their jobs. In Preston the workers were shown 6 job opportunities to apply for, each of these positions turned out to already have been filled. One ex-Remploy worker had found work on the railways and promised 20 hours a week of work, only to be told upon arriving for his induction that he was only going to be offered a zero hours contract.
The site at Preston carries out socially useful work, recycling computer equipment that ends up being re-used by the Department for Works and Pensions amongst others. Bidders from the private sector have actually offered to take over the factory but their cases have not even been entertained.
As they have proved themselves ‘fit for work’, the Remploy workers could face a bleak future without Employment Support Allowance and be forced into Workfare schemes. “We have been thrown on the scrap heap”, one worker said.

For more info see  Remlpoy Workers

ann arky's home.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

PICKET WORKFARE.


 rovingpicket against workfare in london this saturday

     As part of the National Week of Action Against Workfare from July 7th to 14th, some members of The Commune are helping to organise direct action against workfare’s main offenders.


Meet this Saturday July 7, mid day near Goodge St station.
       Workfare isn’t just unpaid labour for the unemployed and a major attack on benefits. It is an attack on all working people – on their jobs, pay & conditions, and their ability to organise. We need to fight workfare together, whether or not we are in work, and whether or not we are on benefits.
     Invite your friends, family, campaigning group, union branch. Also, if you can, bring things to liven it up: banners, placards, musical instruments and noise makers.
      The leaflets we’ll be using are found below (print some and bring them along if you can) 

ann arky's home.

Sunday 1 April 2012

WORKFARE = SLAVE LABOUR.


         Our friends in the corporate world simply love the ConDem's slave labour scheme that goes by the name of "Workfare", however some of them have been dropping out of the chance of some free labour, not because of any moral judgement, but because of the bad publicity from pickets and protests. Bad publicity might damage their stand in the "market place". So they'll make phony excuses, curse under their breath and walk away. All the more reason why we have to keep up the pressure on those still determined to milk the slave labour scheme. Holland & Barrett is one such corporate greed merchant.



          Members of Clydeside Industrial Workers of the World, the Anarchist Federation and Solidarity Federation picketed the Queen Street branch of Holland & Barrett at lunchtime on Saturday 31st March. We managed to turn some people away at the entrance. We had placards proclaiming 'The H&B Workfare Deal, Employ Three, Get One Free' in the style of Holland and Barrett advertising as Holland and Barrett plan to have a quarter of their workers as unpaid labour. Another placard said, 'Say No To Workfare At Holland and Barrett'. We gave out 500 leaflets detailing Holland & Barrett use of unpaid labour. A number of people stopped to ask what the picket was about. A member of the Holland & Barrett staff was one of these people on her way in to start her shift. She said that one girl had been on work experience at the store, but that she had got a permanent job. We pointed out generally Holland and Barrett have not given permanent contracts to 80% of people on work experience, their plans to introduce a 1000 more work experience people in the next year and how that could affect the hours of the permanent staff. The manager tried to tell us to move away from the entrance, but we just ignored her. In a final pathetic attempt to show us who was boss she bluffed that the police were on their way, even though there was nothing remotely illegal about what we were doing.

      There were over 20 actions against workfare over the weekend around Britain that will be part of an ongoing campaign. These actions were part of a national day of action called by the Solidarity Federation. The actions tied in with the international days of action against austerity called by the International Workers Association that included the general strike in Spain on March 29th, and the M31 European Day of Action Against Capitalism.
 
 
ann arky's home.

Tuesday 10 May 2011

PICKETS CAN BE FUN.

        The above is what we think of the Con/Dem's policy on disability benefit. It is cruel, unjust, damaging to the mental heath of those targeted and is nothing more than an exercise in squeezing the vulnerable to save money, and at the same time generating money for these large companies at tax payers expense.

Picket and Picnic at Atos
Thursday12th May 5pm-6pm

Ca'D'Oro Building,
45 Gordon Street,
Glasgow, G1 3PE


Bring food to share.
Part of the National Week of Action Against Atos
 http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/
thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

Thursday 16 December 2010

TAX DODGERS OF THE HIGH STREET.


      This is just a few of the big wealthy businesses that are ripping off the British tax payer while the government turns a blind eye and swings the hatchet at public services. We in Britain are being mugged by a gang of public school thugs. As far as I am aware, mugging is a crime against which you are entitled to fight back in self defence, you can legally take what action is necessary to defend yourself. Hit back hard.


BHS:
        BHS is part of the Arcadia group, owned by Sir Philip Green. Well no, not really, because he gave it to his wife, who doesn't actually work there at all, but she lives in Monaco so doesn't have to pay income tax. This costs Britain around £300 million. That's enough to pay the full £9,000 hike in tuition fees for 32,000 students. Or, the salaries of 20,000 NHS nurses.
      To make matters worse, David Cameron sought advice from billionaire Sir Philip Green on government cuts, We are not really “in this together”.

    WHERE DID ALL OUR MONEY GO? 
     HE SENT IT OFF TO MONACO!


VODAFONE:
     Vodafone owes the UK an estimated £6 billion in avoided tax. This money would cover most of the £7 billion per year cuts to the welfare system.
     It's not only Britain where they aren't paying up. Vodafone owes the Indian government £2 billion in tax from buying an India company. This could save millions of people in India dying from starvation.

     THEY SAY TOP UP!      
       WE SAY PAY UP!

LLOYDS TSB:
     The Lloyds banking group was bailed out by the government after taking too many risks with our money. The bail out cost the British public £850 billion, that's 95% of this country's deficit. Yet we are the ones facing cuts – not the bankers.
     In fact these banks are actually promoting tax avoidance by encouraging wealthy customers to channel money through China.
     Pay them a visit and picket their premises, organise demonstrations to let the public know what they are up to. You are being asked to pay the shareholders bonuses by taking a cut in your standard of living, don't swallow the crap, fight back.
ann arky's home.

Saturday 6 November 2010

NEWS CORPORATION.

     
     A short profile of Rupert Murdoch taken from Class War,  his influence spreads far and wide, so you should know a little about the man.
     Rupert Murdoch is News Corporation, an organisation that has evaded, (avoided) paying what would be considered his fair share in tax.
      Some of Murdoch's tax avoiding assets: Fox, Sky, The Sun, News of the World, The Times, The Financial Times, and Myspace.com. He is rated as the 117th richest person in the world with a net worth of $6.3 billion
        He is a union hater and according to the Economist in 1986 Murdoch helped to smash the British print unions by transferring the production of his newspapers to a non union plant at Wapping in East London. He stated that he would dismiss the 6,000 striking workers who were trying to win some concessions out of the media billionaire. The London Evening Standard called the episode, "the biggest union-busting operation in history."
      According to a BBC report; "Mr Murdoch's die-hard loyalty to the tax loophole has drawn wide criticism." The report found that in the four years prior to June 30, 1998, "Murdoch's News Corporation and its subsidiaries paid only $325 million in corporate taxes world wide. That translates as6% of the $5.4 billion consolidated pre-tax profits for the same period. By comparison another multi-national media empire, Disney paid, 31%. The corporate tax rates for the three main countries in which News Corp. operates - Australia, the United States and the UK - are 36%, 35% and 30% respectively. Further research reveals that Mr Murdoch's main British holding company News Corp. Investments, has paid no net corporation tax within these shores over the past 11 years. This is despite accumulated pre-tax profits of nearly $3 billion." 
    So in keeping with the feelings of the ordinary people about occupying and picketing bailed out bankers and tax dodgers we could start a boycott campaign against the tax dodging anti-working class newspapers who will be peddling the crap put out by the millionaire cabal at the Westminster House of Hypocrisy and Corruption, that these cuts are necessary.