A RETROSPECTIVE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME, WORKFARE-STYLE

LAST WEEK’S WEEK of Action against Workfare saw 11 demos around the country, and got off to a positively super start, as Superdrug announced their withdrawal from the scheme (get it? “Super”? As in “Super”drug? No? Ahh, forget it). Okay, it was on the Friday, not the beginning of the week, you pedant, but they pulled out all the same.

graphic criticising Poundland's breach of minimum wage

But as a reminder, what is Workfare? From the B.A.R.F. leaflet: “Unemployed people being forced to work for free for up to six months with no guarantee of a job afterwards, many of them for major high street companies, such as British Heart Foundation, Debenhams, Poundland, Superdrug, Tesco, W.H.S. Smiths, and more.” So, yeah, modern slavery, but without the obligation to keep the slaves healthy, because this time there’s more than enough of us.

At the beginning of the week, the Employment Related Services Association (E.R.S.A.) put out a ‘myth buster’ in defence of Workfare – conveniently made up of mythology itself. The E.R.S.A. is the trade body for welfare-to-work companies like A.4e and J.H.P. Employability. Though they claim that the scheme is only used in limited ways, 163,000 people were on “Government training and employment support programs” in February 2013 – over 10% of J.S.A claimants – most of which were Work Experience Placements. They think that Work Programme providers wouldn’t force people to do something that won’t help them get work, because they won’t get paid if they don’t help find someone a job; which is a logical perspective if you have no basis in reality. They also allege that mandation is used only in a minority of circumstances and must benefit to the local community, ignoring how claimants are pressured into placements, or not properly informed about their mandatory nature, and how the so-called “benefit to the local community” often includes cleaning private homes. And one of their most naïve claims: placements organised via the Work Programme and Mandatory Work Activity programme are unpaid precisely so they do not displace paid workers. But it is patently obvious that access to a ready supply of unpaid workers does replace paid jobs and undermine wages, and the companies know it too: Asda reduces overtime hours for staff; Argos replaced its Christmas temps with Workfare staff; J.H.P. Employability cuntishly even advertised workfare as “free temporary staff for up to four weeks” on their site. It’s uncertain to what extent this impact is, as the govermint refuses to actually carry out any trials. The E.R.S.A. also claim the public don’t object to workfare, in the face of growing opposition, and to prove it they hark back to a March 2011 poll done for thinktank Policy Exchange – long before workfare hit the headlines.

Another factoid to consider in all this: incidence and severity of assaults on JCP staff are apparently on the up, with frustration and confusion about sanctions are cited as the cause.

On Tuesday, attention was turned to the Salvation Army, whose U.K. H.Q. was paid a surprise visit. Nevertheless, the media-savvy Sally’s showed how they’re happy to act as Iain Duncan Smith’s Workfare foot soldiers, as their heavy-handed response to a peaceful protest left one person temporarily arrested after being falsely accused of assault, until police realised they’d been lied to. Never content to just stop there, when questioned about how they “can morally take sick and disabled people and force them to work?”, the charity replied that they believe in “emancipation through employment” – just like at Auschwitz. Should you wish to let them know exactly you think about their use of forced labour, ring them on 02073 674500 (or e-mail them at: info@salvationarmy.org.uk) – and please spare a thought for their witless P.R. officer who is probably even now just entering the dole queue. ‘Arbeit macht frei’, indeed.

But the real shit in ya slippers was Duncan Sith’s Workfare bill getting itself enacted in Parliament. Aside from a few votes against, Miliband’s goons put the ‘Slave’ back into Labour as their abstention slipped the law through with ease. Not only did politicians enable a retroactive law to be enacted, they also deprived 225,000 people of justice, effectively robbing £130 million in welfare payments people were lawfully due. Neo-nazi I.D.S. (who has grown fat off benefits via his unemployed albeit rich, wife, four child benefit-enriched children and his own periods of dole claims) had this particular wet dream extraordinarily rushed through, with the Second Reading, Committee Stage and Third Reading all being scheduled for the same day. Which is nice. This spate of legal time travel now means that the govermint has ‘always complied’ with the court ruling, even though for two years it did not. Slavery is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, and Orwellian fiction becomes fact.

But then again, if Babyface Smith didn’t get his way, “If the Department cannot make these retrospective changes, then further reductions in benefits might be required in order to find the money to repay the sanctions.” Otherwise known as: “Fuck you, plebs!”

Wednesday seemed a bit of a quiet one, but saw Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group leafleting outside the local Job Centre, in solidarity with the day’s strike by the P.C.S. union.

One highlight of the week, for what it’s worth, is on the Thursday when the govermint was forced to admit that jobcentres have been setting targets to sanction claimants, despite assurances by employment minister Mark Hoban in Parliament that this sort of thing doesn’t happen. According to a leaked e-mail, staff in Walthamstow were threatened with disciplinary action for being 95th out of 109 on the league tables, only punishing six of their 300 claimants a week, when they should be setting up 25 innocents for sanctions (the keywords staff were on the lookout for were: “Do not accept the same job search every week, do not accept ‘I dropped off C.V. to shops like Asda or Sainsbury’s’, listen for telltale phrases ‘I pick up the kids’, ‘I look after my neighbours children/my grandchildren’ or just ‘I am busy’”). Bearing in mind that such a league table could only have been compiled based on data supplied by senior management; makes you wonder what the top prize is? The D.W.P. is of course trying to blame this faux pas on a couple of middle management bad eggs, rather than admit a general culture of top-down institutional hatred for ordinary people; surprise surprise, but why be so naïve as to expect that honesty is the name of the game? So all we’ll get out of it is a bullshit inquiry distraction before they start screwing us harder, but at least they were caught lying.

On the Friday, seven activists from the Black And Red Federation held a modest afternoon demo to greet the new Poundland on Westgate Street. Despite the focus of the High Court judgement (where Cait Reilly – the Geology Graduate forced to give up voluntary work in a museum to work for nothing at Poundland – whose successful challenge led to the ruling declaring Workfare regulations unlawful), Poundland are still at it. Poundland have 30-hour ‘Work Experience’ placements across 71 of their stores, though allegedly not in Bath. 80% of placements do not even get offered any kind of job there; considering how Poundland’s profits rose by 27% to £40 million in the last financial year, they can probably afford to hand out a bit of wage. Though they claim that their scheme is completely voluntary, it does involve Job Centre Plus, so the threat of benefit cuts are still on the cards for those who refuse. The degree to which the scheme is genuinely voluntary is disputed though, as there are countless reports of lies and intimidation to force Jobseekers’ participation, and after one week the scheme becomes mandatory. Not only are placementees getting an effective £2 or so an hour (do we not have a minimum wage in this country anymore?), the scheme is also a direct attack on Poundland’s other workers – replacing paid jobs, holiday pay & ending temporary posts for students and others who rely on this type of work. Boycott Workfare have received various complaints from Poundland staff who have had their hours cut, because of the Workfare job destruction scheme.

The demo was met by overwhelming support from the passersby (at least those who have heard of Workfare, which is surprisingly few), with such classics as the posh elderly former Tory (“Well, the government are just a bunch of cunts aren’t they? Pardon my language”), the Tory-hating U.K.I.P.-enthusiast, and Red Army Faction tattoo guy coyly suggesting a much-needed bombing campaign – perhaps we’ve been aiming a bit low with our action? Well, maybe they will, once they work our way through the bag of donuts they got donated. Protests like these do add up; until Poundland gives in, help us in fighting this attack on all workers’ terms and conditions – Donut Shop At Poundland.

Feedback form: http://www.poundland.co.uk/enquiry/customer-enquiry/
Press centre: poundland@bottlepr.co.uk
Chief Executive (Warburg Pincus – their U.S.-based private equity fund owners): egustafson@warburgpincus.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Poundland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/poundland

Then on the Saturday, B.A.R.F.ers joined 50 or so Bristol Afed, Solfeders, Wobs and Socialist Partygoers and fiends for a rolling picket throughout Bristol centre, meeting at Castle Park at 2p.m., and chaosing its way through Cabot Circus for Dorothy Perkins, then Poundland (where a worker bizarrely knifed the banner and stole a demonstrator’s camera), then Debenhams, then McDonalds and then into the Galleries for Greggs, where protesters were handed another donation of donuts, from an amused competitor (notice a pattern?). The day finished up inside the Marriot Hotel, just before everyone froze to death. Saturday also saw action in Kirkgate, Scotland;

So, who has pulled out of the sinking ship we call ‘Workfare’? Well, we have Holland and Barrett, the Red Cross, Capability Scotland, Sue Ryder, Scope, Superdrug, P.D.S.A. and Cancer Research, just off the top of my head. The Children’s Society has also pledged not to use Workfare. Already before the latest withdrawals, the govermint complained how “The high profile withdrawal of placements from a number of larger charities meant a sharp reduction in placements.” British Heart Foundation, for its part, are also now “moving away”, whatever that means; recently they declared they had withdrawn from the Mandatory Work Activity scheme, but are still openly declaring on their website that they are participating in the Work Programme – despite the fact that, in December, the scheme was extended to give providers the power to force many sick and disabled claimants on Employment and Support Allowance to work for nothing, or face sanctions. Nah, bollocks, B.H.F.’re still fair game! Contact them via phone (retail H.Q. tel: 01372 477300; head office tel: 02075 540000; customer service centre – 03003 303322) or e-mail (customerservice@bhf.org.uk).

Also fair game is the Y.M.C.A., who recently made a statement defending their use of forced unpaid workers, ignoring the fact they are responsible for pushing people into destitution and possible homelessness, through sanctions which can last up to three years. Uselessly, their president Bishop John Sentamu has spoken out against workfare in the past. They can be rung on 02071 869500 or their shops’ hotline: 08456 010728, and e-mailed on shop@ymca.org.uk and enquiries@ymca.org.uk, tweeted at @ymcaint and then Facebooked at www.facebook.com/ymcas. But remember whilst it’s well worth trying to speak to a manager if possible, bear in mind most people taking calls/e-mails will be low paid retail or admin and could even be on Workfare themselves.

For the number-crunchers out there, one in five people sent on Mandatory Work Activity in charity shops face benefit stoppages of three or six months. Alongside B.H.F. and Y.M.C.A., charities like the R.S.P.C.A. (head office tel: 03001 230100), the Papworth Trust (e-mail: info@papworth.org.uk; utilising disabled labour) and T.C.V. (The Conservation ‘Volunteers’, formerly B.C.T.V.; head office tel: 01302 388883, e-mail: information@tcv.org.uk, www.btcv.org.uk/volunteer/index.html) are still involved – with the latter previously boasted of using 20,000 unpaid workers on various govermint schemes since the ’80s, and their current lucrative D.W.P. contracts have forced at least 589 people into unpaid work.

Miscellaneous Rogues Gallery

 

From Boycott Workfare:

  • Asda has been at the heart of workfare in the UK, helping the government relaunch its “Work Experience” scheme last year. We have had reports that one of their stores in Manchester uses disabled people on workfare on the night shift.
  • A.4e is one of the biggest beneficiaries of govermint welfare policy – in 2011 the company turnover was £180 million, 100% of which came from public coffers. Out of this the bosses shared out £11 million between them. A4e utterly fail to meet even the paltry minimum targets set by the D.W.P. for finding people jobs on the Work Programme. Not content with just this scam, aided and abetted by their friends in government, there are numerous accusations of fraud against them, where records are apparently falsified, so that they can claim even more public money for not doing their job. They are further subsidised by the public by their use of mandatory unpaid labour within the company as well.
    customer services: customerservices@a4e.co.uk; freephone tel: 0800 345666
    head of communications: kmccrory@a4e.co.uk
    media relations manager: jkerr@a4e.co.uk
    head office fax number: 0114 275 4632; send free faxes via: www.freepopfax.com; many classic books are available as free P.D.F.s online – perhaps A4e would like to read them?
    website complaints form: mya4e.com/contact-us/complaints-form
    Also, why not send a secure e-mail via: www.hushmail.com
  • Argos appears to be using six week placements from the Job Centre on a massive scale. Multiple reports of Argos using workfare placements so that paid staff hours are being reduced, and fewer Christmas temps employed have emerged.

    business e-mail: info@argos.co.uk
    corporate irresponsibility (H.R.G.): gordon.bentley@homeretailgroup.com, corporate.responsibility@homeretailgroup.com
    media relations (H.R.G.): media.relations@homeretailgroup.com
    managing director: john.walden@argos.co.uk
    head office tel: 01908 690333
    customer Services tel: 01785 710253

  • Debenhams has 165 stores across the U.K. and Ireland, and a turnover of £2.2 billion. They too have been taking advantage of wageless, rightless workers supplied by the D.W.P. at the taxpayers’ expense. They’re very keen to insist that the scheme they’re involved in is voluntary, but D.W.P. rules say if you don’t get take part you’re referred to a scheme which carries 3 year sanctions. So it’s only voluntary if you say ‘yes’.
    press office: press.office@debenhams.com
    customer services: customerrelations@debenhams.com
    company secretary (Paul Eardley): company.secretariat@debenhams.com
  • Tesco has committed to 3000 workfare placements, and so far 80% of the 1,500 people who have gone through their stores have not been given a job. Tesco’s profits last year were £1.7 billion. 1,500 eight- week, thirty hour placements would mean the company has so far profited from 360,000 hours of free labour on the schemes.
    head office e-mail: online@tesco.co.uk; tel: 08457 225533; Tesco Direct: 08456 004411
    customer service e-mail: customer.service@tesco.co.uk
    Phil Clarke, current C.E.O.: philip.clarke@uk.tesco.com

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2013/03/five-things-the-government-wont-tell-you-about-workfare/

http://www.channel4.com/news/now-asda-is-accused-of-employing-youths-for-no-wage

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CALLING ALL SWAMPYS

READERS OF THE Mutineer old enough to remember the headline-grabbing road protests at the Newbury Bypass, and (closer to home) at Solsbury Hill in Bath, and the A30 at Fairmile in Devon, could be forgiven for thinking that the era of protesters inhabiting treehouses and tunnels and chaining themselves to trees and bulldozers was one of those things we left behind in the 90s, along with Britpop, Gameboys and shellsuits. Even though those protests didn’t stop those particular roads being built, they resulted in over 300 other such road schemes being scrapped. Of course, even those behind such roads admitted that they were effectively pointless and only served to put more cars on the road.  Now that the Tories have regained power, however, they intend to finish the job that Thatcher and Major couldn’t finish. Indeed, the fight back has already begun, with camps set up along the route of the proposed Bexhill to Hastings road and with many more road schemes to begin soon, including some of those abandoned at the end of the 90s (along with that old Shed Seven album you only ever listened to the once). What’s more, they have the support of both local residents and some pretty high-profile environmental groups. Many of these roads go through nature reserves, woodlands and other places no-one wants to see concreted over and destroyed forever. So be prepared – environmental devastation could be driving past your house soon – so dig out that Levellers t-shirt, grab your spade, a tarp, some pallets and as much rope as you can get, and put them within easy reach. You might be needing them very soon.

Mr Swampy, pictured here in the height of 90s crust [above]
Mr Swampy, pictured here in the height of 90s crust [above]
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ANARCHY VS. CHAOS: A REVIEW

ON SATURDAY 24TH November, Bath’s Black And Red Federation (B.A.R.F) hosted a polite public discussion on anarchism at the Manvers Street Baptist Church, complete with tea and (vegan) cake. Anarchism has received a bad press over the centuries, with anarchists forced into stereotypes of either violent thugs or sandal-footed hippies – caricatures repeated by both the media and political establishment on one side, but also by self-proclaimed anarchists on the other. But many anarchists see it differently: the philosophy had become a relevant and mass movement of hundreds of thousands of everyday people fighting for freedom in 1920s Ukraine and 1930s Spain, however briefly. Far from embracing destruction and chaos, anarchists say that ‘Anarchism is Order’! On the day, 25 attended to hear three local speakers’ presentations, examining the Peterloo Massacre and its repercussions, anarchism in the workplace and the links, if any, between anarchism and violence. The day then broke down into a wider discussion on the challenges facing anarchist organising today; all in all, a well-received and thoughtful day. Keep an eye out for the next one!

https://network23.org/barf

GETTING STARBUCKED

THE RECENT UPROAR surrounding Starbucks has once again pushed the issue of tax-dodging, and its relation to austerity, into the limelight. Starbucks is one of the largest coffee chains in the U.K., and the second largest café/restaurant chain in the world. Yet, in the last three years they’ve paid no corporation tax at all in the U.K., despite making sales of £3.1bn. And on Saturday December 8th, despite their sudden agreement to pay back £20m of their £400m debt, U.K. Uncut and friends hit them with a wave of 40 protests and occupations around the country. And their execs’ new-found generosity to the tax man came with a hefty price tag – two days before they publicised the details of their ‘gift’, they also told over 7,000 staff how they’re cutting paid lunch breaks, sick pay, maternity leave and a string of other work benefits.

But the only reason that companies like Starbucks are able to employ a workforce with such scroogery at all, is due to state support, in the form of working tax credits and housing benefit (benefits now also under threat, thanks to George Osborne). And we’re not just talking Starbucks: other big names recently have been Vodafone, Amazon, and the Arcadia group. And Osborne knows this. That’s why you won’t see him raising corporation tax, or closing tax loopholes, or clamping down on offshore tax-havens.

With that in mind, up to 40 activists in Bristol shut down both the Broadmead Starbucks and Park Street one, meeting overwhelming approval from passers-by. And in Bath, a collection of 20 activists held a demo outside the High Street branch, alongside the monthly Bath FreeShop, handing out free fairtrade tea and coffee.

Outside of protests, though, one way that Starbucks workers can fight such attacks is to unionise, and take action. Starbucks, a company previously infamous for its union-busting, has now seen workers out on strike in Chile and New Zealand, and also unionising under the International Workers of the World (I.W.W.) in North America. Starbucks have clearly offered concessions in the hope of staving off disruption to their business, and the potential loss of profits that this represents. It also shows the power that protest groups can wield. Making big companies pay their tax won’t stop the cuts, but a sustained wave of pickets, occupations and blockades – alongside strike action – just might.

http://www.starbucksunion.org

http://www.iww.org.uk

http://www.bathanticutsalliance.blogspot.com

http://m.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/03/starbucks-slash-lunch-breaks

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9728630/Starbucks-20m-gift-makes-joke-of-tax-system.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interactive/2012/dec/03/starbucks-uk-employees-new-contracts

FRACK YOU, HIPPY!

WITH THE NEWS that hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’ – pumping a chemical/water cocktail into shale rock at huge pressure, to release gas) is to take place in Keynsham, Frack Free Somerset – a coalition of groups opposed to fracking in the region – have been touring town and city centres to show off their street theatre am dram, and on both the 10th November and 1st December (the national day of action, alongside other groups in Wales, Sussex and Lancashire), they took centre stage in central Bath: The Big Rig Revolt!

Mother(Earth)fuckers UK Methane have submitted their planning application to undertake fracking in Keynsham, in order to extract trapped methane gas. There is much hot air surrounding the process, with evidence pointing again and again at contamination of groundwater in fracked-up areas, but there are also links to air pollution, food source poisoning and even the odd earthquake in Lancashire.

Frack Free Somerset’s daring play involved a mock fracking rig and the 20-strong cast delivering a 5-star performance in their portrayal of ‘Frack the World Inc.’ employees, a fictitious company, proclaiming the safety of their drinking water, while pumping ‘toxic chemicals’ into drinking cups via a tube. Members of the public unsurprisingly refused a sip.

But back to real life: with news that recommencement of fracking in Lancashire has just received approval on the 13th of this month, campaigners are calling on the public to object to the planning application, details of which can be found at: http://www.frackfreesomerset.org/what-you-can-do/keynsham-action-alert/planningobjections/

www.frackfreesomerset.org

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20707574

STATING THE OBVIOUS

A DEFIANT YET modest group of eight activists from Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance, Occupy Bath and B.A.R.F. anarchists, were all out in ‘force’ on the freezing night of Wednesday 5th December, leafleting with blue-tinged fingers, and bemoaning George Osborne’s mopey Autumn Statement. A statement that basically stated: “Yes, the evil Con-Dem austerity package has failed to turn around the economy’s nosedive” and “Yes, we’re gonna do at least another six years of the same, and feign surprise when it turns out it didn’t work”. As well as the recent years of frozen wages, ‘Workfare’ neo-slavery and dismantled public services, the new plan similarly attacks benefits, pensions and teachers’ unions. Meanwhile, the Sunday Times Rich List reported that the wealthiest 1,000 UK citizens have seen their fortunes increase by over £18 billion over the past year, to more than £414 billion – over a third of the national debt. Without meaning to state the obvious, but perhaps it’s about time for a bit of old-fashioned wealth redistribution?

LAST ORDERS AT THE BELL?

DARK DAYS FOR Bathonians last month, with the announcement of the impending sale of Walcot Street’s Bell Inn. For those not in the know, the Bell has long been one of the city’s most distinctive waterholes, with a reputation for real ale, almost nightly live music and independent spirit. The foil-hatted amongst you can almost be forgiven for thinking that some sinister Illuminani-esque conspiracy has been targeting the city over the last decade or so, with closures of real pubs like the Hat and Feather, the Porter Butt and the Longacre (even Moles’ future is looking shaky), the expansion of boarded-up wasteland along the London Road, and increased gentrification (yes, this is Bath we’re talking about). Walcot Street, the so-called ‘Artisan Quarter’, whatever that means, has been hit hardest, with the loss of Doolallys cafe and the sabotage of Walcot Nation Day festival, an annual fest of true weirdness.

Maybe the Bell’s motley crue of dedicated boozers and misfits can save the pub, though, and buy it up themselves; providing they can cough up the £925,000. But failing that, this might well be the pub’s final death knell. Well, we’ve always thought it high time the city had another gastro-pub.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Regulars-fear-future-Bell-pub-goes-sale/story-17392550-detail/story.html

GROUNDHOG DAY, OCCUPY BATH-STYLE

NOVEMBER 16TH-18TH saw the return of Bathonian regulars Occupy Bath, for their anniversary weekend trip down memory lane. Barred by the Council from their old haunt in Queen Square, campers made a last minute detour to upmarket Royal Crescent, to dirty the stuffy elegance with their tents and banners and ghastly cookfires. After a swift set-up, and hot nosh (care of Bath Food Not Bombs), they resumed the old General Assembly meeting format – open, consensus-based discussions where all present get to air their views and decide camp policy. A year on, this camp was more firmly focused on the government austerity program, as well as Britain’s corrupt economic system. As well as bathing in the glare of the B.B.C. and Bath Chronicle’s media spotlight, the campers found themselves also dazzled by the flash of busloads of tourist cameras, who must have thought they’d encountered some post-apocalyptic human zoo – and maybe they had. The next day, it was all out to hassle Starbucks on their tax evasion, complete with banner, megaphone and minor security guard scuffles. And then come the Sunday they packed up and went their separate ways, rather than outstaying their welcome for weeks on end, like last time! But unlike many of the Occupy cells, the Bath group are still very much active, particularly in the form of their brainchild Bath People’s Assembly, which meets every month at the Friends Meeting House – and maybe you should do, too?

http://new.bathpeoplesassembly.org/

http://standingstonesblog.blogspot.co.uk/

ANARCHY VS. CHAOS: AN INTRODUCTION TO ANARCHISM

Black And Red Federation
bathactivistnet[at]yahoo.co.uk

16/11/12

MEDIA RELEASE – for immediate use
Anarchy vs. Chaos: An Introduction to Anarchism

ON SATURDAY 24TH November, from 3 until 6pm in the Coffee Lounge of Manvers Street Baptist Church in Bath (a minute’s walk from Bath Spa train station), the Black And Red Federation will be organising a discussion on anarchism, and invite members of the public to come along and take part. The group feels that recent government policy and business lobbyists have made the UK a better place for millionaires and rightwing politicians, but an increasingly uncertain and unhealthy place for everyone else.

Anarchism has received a bad press ever since its birth 219 years ago, with anarchists forced into stereotypes of either violent thugs or sandal-footed hippies – caricatures repeated by both the media and political establishment on one side, but also by self-proclaimed anarchists on the other. But many anarchists see it differently: the philosophy has come a long way since its roots amongst the Taoists of ancient China and the Christian heretic Anabaptists of 16th Century Europe, promoting mutual respect, equality and rationality, and opposing oppression wherever it appears. Indeed, anarchism had become a mass movement of hundreds of thousands of everyday people fighting for and winning freedom in 1920s Ukraine and 1930s Spain, however briefly. Far from embracing destruction and chaos, anarchists say that ‘Anarchism is Order’!

In Bath on the Saturday, a handful of local speakers will make short presentations on the ideas and history of this important but controversial political philosophy, before breaking down into longer group sessions where all present are invited to discuss and offer their two cents. The group will ask whether, in this current climate of biting austerity and growing global unrest, anarchists and their ideas have any role to play?

Entry is free, food and hot drinks will be available, as will stalls of literature, and all are welcome to come along and join them on the day!

Notes to the Editor:

If you would like any further information, please email bathactivistnet[at]yahoo.co.uk

You may also want to check out any of the following:

network23.org/barf
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UNFAIR UNIVERSAL CREDIT CRUNCH

ARE YOU READY for yet another change to your benefits? More money is being taken from our pockets and being wasted in overhauling the benefit system. It seems all very confusing but it basically boils down to less money for the vulnerable, disabled, unemployed and elderly and more in the back pockets of the rich. You will also need a computer and the internet, two costly commodities for your home, which these categories are unlikely to be able to afford or be able to use (15 million people do not have a computer in the U.K., 8,000 of which have never used the internet!). It will mean more job losses for those who work for the benefit system, and cuts to pay and pensions. And for those of you who find it difficult to manage money, have bills coming out all over the month or do not have the time to sort it all out due to kids etc., your benefits will be coming to you in one lump sum! For most this will mean bouncing in and out of your overdraft, paying more money to the banks for the pleasure. You will now not be able to work up to 16 hours a week and claim J.S.A., and anything you work will be deducted from your benefits, so you will end up losing a lot more and having to work for it. The new scheme will be put into action between 2013 and 2017, but we in the southwest will be hit first, starting with the pilot study in Bath and and surrounds. So get ready with your complaint letters, e-mails and phone calls to council and local M.P.s. Go to the benefits office and council house, make a big fuss and egg on the staff to complain to their bosses too! And anything else you may think of to show your anger and stress; it’s time to nip this in the bud now.