WHEN IS A BOYCOTT NOT A BOYCOT?

        Over the years there have been pickets and attempted boycotts of multi-nationals because of some aspect of their business, recently it was Holland & Barrett because of their embracing the workfare scheme. What were we trying to do? Get Holland & Barrett to be a more compassionate capitalist, or trying to shut it down? Do we want a more compassionate capitalism, or can we shut it down? Were we capable of imposing a boycott and to what effect? When is a boycott not a boycott, and when is it a valid tactic?

This from Profane Existence:

          It really pisses me off when I hear some punk kid or anarchist claim they are boycotting Nike (or whichever other giant corporation). Not because I think they should be supporting Nike, but simply because it shows a lack of any understanding of what a boycott is. And if we desire to be effective, we need to have a clear understanding of what different tactics and strategies actually are.

          Boycotting is a non-violent consumer tactic which is based on withdrawing support (usually financial) as a way to force ones enemy/oppressor into a compromised position in which they must negotiate with you or meet your terms in order to regain your support. So simply not participating is not the same as actively boycotting. Thus going Vegan is not a boycott of the meat and dairy industry for example.

          There are many problems with the idea of some patched up crusty claiming to be engaging in boycott tactics against major corporations. The first of which is that in order to take part in a boycott, you must first have support to withdraw, meaning you need to be a client or customer of the target company who financially contributes to them. Even further, you need to be open to reinvesting that financial support one the target has complied with your demands. This differs greatly from the DIY punk ethos of making our own shit rather than giving them our money, which is actually more about creating an alternative economy, or perhaps an alternative to economy.

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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.

STILL STRUGGLING TO ABOLISH SLAVERY??

      Capitalism's answer to the unemployment problem, start slave labour, simple!

      One Quarter of Holland & Barrett Staff Could Soon Be On Workfare -Work for Dole Money. Holland & Barrett are set to become one of the biggest exploiters of forced labour with plans to take on 1000 unpaid work placements from the JobCentre over the next year. With a workforce of only around 3,500 people this could amount to more than a quarter of their current staff on Workfare.
      All 5 Workfare schemes still have sanctions in certain circmstances i.e. benefits are cut, so they are not entirely voluntary. Jobcentres use every trick in the book to force benefit claimants onto nominally voluntary schemes. The Guardian has reported that young people who refuse the Work Experience scheme face Workfare under a different scheme.

       These schemes represents a huge public subsidy for Holland and Barrett who make millions in profit. At present they offer a four week induction programme followed by more specialized product advisor training. Under the Work Experience scheme young people can be required to carry out a two month period of workfare, under the Work Programme it can be as long as six months. Therefore Holland & Barrett can use hese schemes to cover wages during their induction and training periods. They have the added advantage of having workers with no employment rights who can be laid off at a moments notice. So the ones they like they keep, the ones they don’t they can get to stack shelves or hump boxes about for a bit and then farm them back to the dole office. Holland and Barrett have taken on 500 young people for 8 week periods since last summer and of these only about 20% have been taken on permanently.

        Holland & Barrett can therefore use public paid for schemes to fund both their recruitment costs, staff training and to make up any extra staff at busy periods. This will have a devastating impact on the staff to whom they actually pay wages, who will no doubt see hours and over-time cut. If Holland and Barrett are using free staff who are paid only meagre Government benefits then that means they are recruiting less staff than they would otherwise. Workfare is causing, not curing unemployment.

Boycott Holland and Barrett! Boycott Workfare!

ann arky's home.