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Welfare Action Gathering – Saturday 9 July, Manchester

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WAG July 2016 flyer BW_2016Saturday 9th July, The Mechanics’ Institute, 103 Princess St, Manchester M1 6DD 11am – 4.30pm

Boycott Workfare will be holding its 3rd Welfare Action Gathering on Saturday 9 July, supported by Unite Community Manchester. We’re inviting groups and individuals from across the country to join us.

We will be coming together in Manchester to share ideas, tactics and concerns about current and future attacks on welfare. It will be a day of learning from each other and an opportunity to plan how to work together to continue to defend these fundamental rights.

Previous gatherings have seen the sharing of a huge wealth of knowledge and acted as catalysts for further successes in our fightback. At a time of continuing attempts to undermine basic rights to welfare and dignity, it is vital that those opposing these injustices come together in solidarity, to support our related struggles and exchange our expertise.

Workshops

The day will be arranged around participant-based workshops, with opportunities for less structured discussions.

Themes for workshops so far include:

  • What does Universal Credit mean for welfare activists and claimants? How will the landscape of welfare change under Universal Credit? What are the opportunities for fighting back? Where should this fight-back focus its energies?
  • Strategies for activists – how can claimants and non-claimants work together to challenge sanctions and workfare?
  • Fighting the the misuse of psychology in workfare and welfare – a workshop from Mental Health Resistance Network.
  • Making use of health and safety rules to combat exploitation. What are the rights of those being sent on workfare? How can these rights be used to prevent workfare?
  • Leaflets and Communication: analysis and strategy sharing. What gaps are there in terms of knowledge sharing? Which leaflets have been successful and effective? What makes them useful? What have been successful strategies for online communication? Where are there gaps? How can we support related campaigns and organisations?

We’ll also be screening some films

If you would like to help lead or facilitate one of these workshops, please get in touch. Likewise if you have an idea for a further session, or if there’s something that you think it’s important to cover that isn’t addressed at the moment, please suggest it. The broader the range of voices and ideas, the better. Contact Liam at info@boycottworkfare.org.

Food, Transport and Access

Obviously, no-one (despite what the DWP believe) can work on a empty stomach, so free and tasty lunch, snacks and refreshments will be provided. Boycott Workfare also have a budget for helping with transport costs to and from the gathering, for those near and far, so please get in touch about this too.

The Mechanic’s Institute is a 0.4 mile walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible. A creche will be available throughout the day.

This Welfare Action Gathering offers a chance to celebrate our successes, share how they were achieved, and to focus our energies on the future struggles ahead. It also offers an opportunity to put faces to the names of people that you have been communicating with. There’s a facebook event  here.

Come and join us for a day of information sharing, discussion, bonding, and fun! Saturday 9th July, The Mechanics’ Institute, 103 Princess St, Manchester M1 6DD 11am – 4.30pm.

Contact Liam at info@boycottworkfare.org to register your interest or if you have any queries.