'The H&B Workfare Deal, Employ Three, Get One Free'

bristol | miscellaneous | feature Monday April 02, 2012 23:13 by Bristol Solidarity Federation bristolsolfed at gmail dot com

Saturday saw nearly 40 anti-workfare activist from Bristol Solidarity Federation, Bristol & District Anti Cuts Alliance, Youth Fight for Jobs, Bristol Anarchist Federation, The IWW, Right to Work and others take the fight-back against workfare to the streets of Bristol.

A noisy and vocal crowd visited many of the poverty-pimps working with the government of rob people of their time and chances to find work. If workfare was about getting people jobs, the government might have paid heed to its own research which states: “There is little evidence that workfare increases the likelihood of finding work. It can even reduce employment chances by limiting the time available for job search and by failing to provide the skills and experience valued by employers.”

Escorted by the police throughout, the group headed straight for a Holland and Barrett's in the swanky Cabot Circus. Bemused shoppers were treated to punk classics from the wheeley-bin sound-system and gladly accepted a variety of literature outlining the perils of Workfare. Then the march headed-off to picket more of the cities Workfare providers. Primark, McDonalds, Greggs, Wilkinson's and another Holland and Barrett were targeted.

Across the UK there were over 20 actions targeting workfare. These were held as a response to the "National Day of Action called by the Solidarity Federation. There seems that will be part of an ongoing campaign. 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. 

http://www.solfed.org.uk/?q=unwaged-workers/abolish-workfare-the-solidarity-federations-guide-to-the-governments-unpaid-work

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/