News

Take action this week!

A week of action kicks off on 8th December

Workfare now for sick and disabled people

Since Monday, sick and disabled people claiming ESA can now be forced to work without pay. As if this isn’t bad enough, many of their placements will be with the very charities which are meant to support disabled people. Charities such as Scope, Sense and British Heart Foundation are all profiting from workfare. See a longer list here and the full list here.

But what we do is having an impact: yesterday Age UK announced they were pulling out (although their independent stores may still be involved); Scope claims to be reviewing its involvement; British Heart Foundation has not pulled out completely, but has announced it is “stepping back”.

Replacing Christmas staff

We’ve had reports that Argos and Superdrug are systematically replacing paid Christmas staff with workfare. They’re not the only ones. Asda was definitely at it this time last year. We’ve heard from staff at Shoezone too.

If they exploit us, we will shut them down!

Take action this week

There’s loads of actions planned in the coming week. Find out what’s happening near you, and if there’s nothing announced yet, decide what you’d like to do!

Every action counts and there’s loads of things you can do as an individual. You could leave post-it messages in workfare-using shops; let people know their rights by leafleting outside Work Programme providers; or there’s more ideas on this page.

Please also keep up the pressure on British Heart Foundation to pull out entirely.

Here’s the list so far of actions happening in the coming week. But more are being announced so keep checking back, let us know what you plan and how it goes!

Saturday 8th actions:

Birmingham
Workfare’s Christmas Bonus For The Bosses

Brighton
Superdrug Steals Christmas

Dundee
Name and shame: The Dundee Workfare providers tour

Edinburgh
Say No! To Unpaid Labour

Glasgow
Anti-Workfare Picket Against Superdrug

Leeds
The Leeds Tour of Workfare

Liverpool
Combat Workfare

London
North London Solidarity Federation
Combat Workfare National Day of Action

London
South London Solidarity Federation
END UNPAID WORK

Wednesday 12th action:
London
Anti-Workfare surprise party

Friday 14th:
London end of year social at LARC

Saturday 15th
Kings Lynn
[EXPAND Workfare tour of shame]
Workfare is the enforced labour of claimants. It denigrates workers and lessens the chance of full time paid positions. Several companies in our area are involved in this practice, for more info visit
boycottworkfare.org and see the lists of current perpetrators.

A “Walk of Shame” will be organised in King’s Lynn, on the 15th December, would you like to be involved?
We will meet outside the ironically named Topshop, and moving on from there soon after.

The action should take approximately 1-2 hours and will be fun, with a little mischief but absolutely nothing illegal. We will be visiting various locations, but on our way we will be passing several
‘targets of opportunity’ such as the tax-dodging Vodafone, and venting our spleen.

Our current regime needs to know that the people want jobs, not workfare, and the public need to be informed honestly about all the implications of this vile scheme. Please come along, bring your game face, attitude and humour. I promise you a good time, and the chance to be involved in an action that really does make a difference.

For more info and your preferred date please contact me at: pierre.lapin[at]ymail.com
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Brighton
Mystery anti-workfare event

York Sat 15th, 12pm, Ryedale House, Piccadilly, York, YO1 9PE. Please invite friends to their Boycott Workfare Facebook event.

Staines – Meet at 12pm at WHSmiths, Staines on Saturday 15th December for the pickets.