The 4^th annual Sheffield Anarchist Bookfair took place last Saturday 11^th May at the Showroom Workstation. A member of Bristol AFed went to the Bookfair as part of the Kebele Social Centre/Infoshop Collective. This is their personal account of the day:

After a slow start to the day – waking up at 4am and being stuck on the side of the motorway until 9am – we finally arrived at the Sheffield Anarchist Bookfair at around midday. We set up our stall next to Bristol Against Arms Trade (BAAT) and were happy to find ourselves nestled between comrades from Collective Action and The Commune with The Cowley Club Social Centre (from Brighton) and Sheffield IWW opposite us.

Once we’d finished setting up I took some time to look around the other stalls. There were at least 28 stalls at this year’s Anarchist Bookfair. Despite this the Bookfair gave off the impression of a bustling and active movement with lots of people walking between stalls and talking to eachother. This really felt like a local Bookfair and I loved it.

There was a ride range of groups and organisations represented from The Anarchist Federation to Sheffield Animal Friends; Corporate Watch to The Communist Worker’s Organisation; Feminist Library to the Stop G8 Infotour. It really showed off the wide range of opposition to capitalism and the State both in Sheffield and nationally.

The highlight of the day was the projector screen which had been set up at one end of the room to display Tweets sent to the #sheffbookfair hashtag. At the beginning of the day this was used by the organisers to post announcements about the Bookfair but soon descended into light-hearted trolling. Some personal favourites included: “Would Collective Action please come to the front desk as your Platform is about to be towed #sheffbookfair” and “Why don’t Afed and Solfed merge? The name would be Asol. #sheffbookfair” all sent – in good spirit to our fellow comrades – by attendees of the Bookfair.

I managed to attend three of the planned eleven workshops. The meeting rooms were initially hard to find but after a bit of searching (and asking one of the organisers for directions!) I finally found my way to my first meeting: “Anarchists! Know your theory!” organised by Collective Action.

This was the second meeting hosted by Collective Action at the Bookfair (and it was only 1pm!). The speaker started off by talking about what he saw as some of the obstacles that the anarchist movement in the United Kingdom needed to overcome before becoming effective and then laid out their definition of Specifism (a school of anarchist communist thought similar to platformism), the “Specific Anarchist Organisation” (SOA) and it’s tactic of social insertion. After they’d finished they opened the floor to questions and a lively discussion about the organisational structure of Collective Action and the wider anarchist movement followed.

The next workshop I attended was “The Idea of the Commune” hosted by a comrade from the Anarchist Federation and based on an article from the most recent issue of Organise. He talked in great detail about the history of the idea of the commune and it’s roots in the Paris Commune, the role of the it in revolutionary struggle as well as giving a brief history on anarcho-syndicalism and the differences between it and anarchist communism. The discussion then moved onto the role of the commune in a contemporary context. People talked about the role of the encampments in the Occupy movement (with specific mention given to the Oakland Commune AKA Occupy Oakland), the recent call out for a People’s Assembly Against Austerity by people like Tony Benn, the differences and role of worker’s councils/soviets within the commune,  the organisational structure of communes and the practicalities of federation between them.

The third and final meeting I attended was: “Anarchism, Marxism and the state: the real divide amongst revolutionaries?” organised jointly by The Commune and The Communist Worker’s Organisation. This was a packed meeting with several people having to leave to go pick up more chairs to accomodate the large numbers of people.

The workshop began with members from both organisations talking about Marx and the role of the state within Marxist thought. The Commune suggested that the idea of the “transistional state” or “worker’s state” which is often cited as one of the major differences between Marxists and anarchists was infact a concoction of social democrats and Bolsheviks like Lenin and Trotsky. He argued that Marx did not advocate for the formation of a state and thus Bakunin’s commonly cited argument against Marx was infact invalid.

The Communist Worker’s Organisation then went on to discuss the trouble of reformists in all revolutionary organisations using the members of the CNT who joined the government during the Spanish Civil War as an example from the anarchist side. He then took the oppurtunity to quote from SolFed’s “Fighting for Ourselves” but about what though has escaped me!

A lively discussion followed with people talking about the role of the state in a pre-, present and post- revolutionary context as well as the trouble of defining what exactly a “state” was. The subject of civil war cropped up alongside the validity and practicalities of violence versus non-violence. There were various ideas about how the revolution should come about and what form it should take but the general consensus within the room was that a state should not be apart of it!

If you weren’t lucky enough to visit the Bookfair yourself several of the workshops were recorded and uploaded to Sheffield Indymedia alongside photos of all the stalls! It’s just like being at the Bookfair yourself (minus everybody else of course)!

Overall I felt like the Sheffield Anarchist Bookfair was a well-organised, exciting event that really showed off the revolutionary character of Sheffield. Having never been to Sheffield before I got a great sense of what the city was like and I will definietly be visiting again in the future! A big shout to the organisers of the event, as somebody who helped organise Bristol Anarchist Bookfair I know how stressful it can be! Here’s to next year!

The next Anarchist Bookfair will be in London on 19^th October! The Manchester & Salford Anarchist Bookfair will take place 23^rd November and there will also be a Working Class Bookfair in Sunderland on the 8^th June.

Check out the Anarchist Bookfairs of the World website for a list of all the international bookfairs!

As the march began the Radical Block took position near the front of the procession. The demonstration snaked out of College Green and down Park Street towards the Fountains as chants rung out from the block. There were some old favourites in there as well as a few new ones including a variation of “Solidarity Forever” called “Aristocracy Forever”.

The purpose of the Radical Block – as well as giving the radical movement in Bristol a visible presence on the march – was to show solidarity with the Bangladeshi Garment Workers who are currently fighting for better working conditions and rights after a factory collapsed leaving over 400 workers dead. We handed out leaflets about the situation in Bangladesh, implicating Primark (who have a flag ship store in Bristol) and capitalism in the death of the workers.

When we arrived outside Primark our place at the front allowed us to stop the march. We chanted, handed out leaflets and stood outside with a banner which read: “Fire to the Bosses – Power to the Bangladeshi Workers”. There we made sure we had our photo taken so we could send it to the struggling workers in Bangladesh so that they knew that Bristol was with them!

May Day March arrives at Primark (pic by red orbital)

The march continued making its way through town and finishing in Castle Park where we unfurled another banner which read: “Remember Haymarket May 4th 1886-2013″ with the words: “TUC Censored” scrawled over the top in red paint. This was in reference to Bristol Trades Council who refused to allow an anarchist speaker to talk at the May Day rally, despite the anarchist origins of International Worker’s Day. Though after speaking to a couple of us, Andy Robertson assured us that we can have a speaker at the next demonstration, we look forward to that!

After the speakers had finished, the Radical Block moved off again, this time marching down Union Street accompanied by a cycle-powered sound system. It descended on Primark for a second time. The police seemed well aware of our plans after successfully dragging two comrades out of the building prior to the march arriving, and threatening to arrest one person if they tried to leaflet outside Primark.

Radical Block returns to Primark (picture from redorbital rob@redorbital.co.uk)

Little did they know that a third person was already inside Primark. As the Radical Block pulled up outside they broke into action pulling out a megaphone and started talking about the situation in Bangladesh and how companies like Primark where complicit in the death of the Garment Workers there. They were met with lots of positive responses by the people shopping in Primark, even more looks of shock and confusion, no doubt at the sheer lack of care Primark seems to pay to its workers (both in the UK and across the world).

They were eventually escorted out of the premises by a security guard and several police but not before successfully leafletting the store. Once they were outside they joined the main demonstration out front where people were talking on megaphones about the situation in Bangladesh and the general crisis that is capitalism.

There was a positive response from inside and outside the store, with some people opting to boycott Primark, join the protest and in one case even give an impromtu  speech on the megaphone!

We left having made our point and having arranged to have our message of solidarity sent to Bangladesh (via some existing contacts and from a Bangladeshi person who spontaneously joined our demo). Today has shown that May Day in Bristol can be marked with more radical action than just the A to B march with the unions, we look forward to an even bigger and more effective demo next May Day, and a year of resistance until then.

Remember Haymarket : 4th May 1886 – 2013 [TUC Censored]

]]> http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/radical-block-marches-in-solidarity-with-bangladeshi-workers-at-bristol-may-day/feed/ 2 Bristol Anarchist Federation biig 1367690129-may-day-protesters-target-primark_2021892 picture from redorbital rob@redorbital.co.uk http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/global-reports-of-may-day-actions-2013/ http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/global-reports-of-may-day-actions-2013/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 18:30:00 +0000 Bristol Anarchist Federation http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/?p=1116 ]]> MAY DAY – May 1st – has been celebrated as International Worker’s Day since 1890. The date was chosen by members of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket Affair which occurred in Chicago, United States in 1886: On May 1st 1886 American unions held a nationwide general strike. An estimated 400,000 workers went on strike in Chicago. In the days following the strike, seven anarchists were framed and sentenced to death after a bomb was thrown at the police during a rally called on May 4th in response to an act of police violence following the strike outside the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company on May 3rd that left six workers dead.

For a full history of the Haymarket Affair, the Haymarket Martyrs and the origins of May Day please watch this talk by Bristol Radical History Group from 2012 at Hydra Books.

Across the world yesterday workers took to the streets to celebrate International Worker’s Day (1st May)! We have complied below a incomplete list of actions from around the globe. With this list we hope to showcase the sheer size and diversity of the modern worker’s movements:

EUROPE

• Small groups of anarchists joined trade unionists and communists in London, England for a march and rally which descended on Trafalgar Square;
• Clashes broke out in Istanbul, Turkey after police tried to prevent thousands of demonstrators from following their traditional march route;
• Thousands of people joined May Day marches in Madrid, Spain one of many being held in over 80 cities across the country;
• Demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia were attended by thousands of people. In St. Petersburg a large “rainbow column” protested the criminalization of the promotion of homosexuality in the city by waving rainbow flags and displaying various pro-LGBTQ slogans;
• A 24 hour general strike in Athens, Greece brought the city to a standstill. Trains and ferries stood dormant as thousands of workers marched across the capital against austerity;
• The traditional May Day demonstration in Berlin, Germany brought out 10,000 people as the city government drafted in 7,000 auxiliary police in an attempt to control the march;
• Elsewhere in Germany 2,500 people marched in Nuremberg; 700 in Stuttgart; 200 in Bonn for a specifically anarchist rally; 450 in Rostock and a further 2,000 in Hamburg;
• In Copenhagen, Denmark a action called by AFA (Anti-Fascist Action) and Libertarian Socialists gathered around 800 to 1,000 participants and the Mayor of Copenhagen was booed off stage as he tried to address the May Day rally;
• Similar scenes in Aarhus, Denmark led to the Prime Minister being shot with a water pistol and being booed off stage;
• 30 people were arrested on a May Day demonstration in Tbilisi, Georgia after police attempted to disperse the previously peaceful march;
• May Day rallies also took place in various cities across Europe including: Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg, France; Sofia, Bulgaria; Seville, Andalusia; Barcelona, Catalonia; Bucharest, Romania; Zagreb, Croatia; Malmo, Sweden; Kiev, Ukraine; Turin, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; Vienna, Austria and Vladivostok, Russia.

NORTH AMERICA

• Protestors “ran riot” in Seattle, US after 150-200 people stayed after dark for a “non-permitted” demonstration which left eight police officers injured. The protest followed an earlier march in support of immigrant rights organised by labour activists, students and civil rights advocates;
• Thousands of people also rallied in New York City, US. The march headed down Broadway late in the afternoon for a rally at City Hall and was scheduled to finish at the original home of Occupy Wall Street Zucotti Park;
• In Chicago, US – birthplace of International Worker’s Day – thousands again marched in demand for immigrant and worker’s rights. Anarchists occupied the statue to commemorate the Haymarket Affair draping it in the black flags of anarchy;
• Protestors in Washington D.C., US veered off of the planned march route and stormed a GAP clothing store in protest against their business practices (i.e. employing sweat shop labour). They later marched on the White House where they were confronted by White Pride demonstrators. A brief scuffle followed, which had to be broken up by uniformed Secret Service members;
• 447 people were arrested in Montreal, Canada at a march organised by Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC). Police declared the protest illegal shortly after it began despite a festive and peaceful atmosphere;
• In Vancouver, Canada a black bloc with flaming torches led a March of well over 100 people through the centre.
• Protests were also held across North America including: Los Angeles, San Fransico, Denver, Oakland and Portland in US and Ottawa, Canada.

SOUTH AMERICA

• Pro- and Anti-Government protestors held rival May Day rallies in Caracas, Venezuela. Tensions are still high after the election results were disputed by opposition candidate Henrique Capriles leading to scenes of violence across the country;
• In Havana, Cuba protestors flooded Revolution Square carrying photos of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez with the words “Our Best Friend”;
• More than 150,000 filled the streets of Santiago, Chile on International Worker’s Day. Clashes with the police led to over 120 people being arrested and 40 police officers being injured;
• May Day marches in Bogota, Colombia ended in clashes after police attacked protestors who fought back and attacked several banks;
• President Evo Morales speaking at the annual May Day march in La Paz, Bolivia said he is expelling USAID from the country for allegedly seeking to undermine his government;
• Protestors burned effigies of President Enrique Pena Nieto at a May Day event in Mexico City and fought police in Oaxaca, Mexico.

AFRICA

• Workers braved the rain in Lagos, Nigeria to take part in May Day rallies;
• Hundreds of workers and trade unions in Tunis, Tunisia protested the interim government, which they claim, has hijacked the revolution that ousted former long-term President Ben Ali for their own goals;
• Demonstrations were also held in Marrakesh, Morocco under the slogan: “Free All Political Prisoners in Morocco”;
• Egyptian anarchists and other radicals held a demonstration in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt.

MIDDLE EAST

• The Iraqi Communist party held a huge May Day demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq;
• In Karachi, Pakistan workers held a torch-lit march on the eve of May Day demanding improvements to working conditions;
• Activists waved Lebanese and communist flags during a demonstration  in Beirut, Lebanon to mark Labour Day.
• Anarchists joined a block organised by ACF Unity in Tel Aviv, Israel as part of wider celebrations to mark International Worker’s Day in the city;
• Demonstrations were also held in Gaza, Occupied Palestine to demand better working conditions and access to work.

ASIA

• Tens of thousands of garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh protested again against poor working conditions which has recently led to the death of over 400 people after a garment factory collapsed and caught fire. They demanded the execution of textile bosses who are responsible for the disaster;
• May Day demonstrations were held across India including rallies in: Tumkur, Ramagundam, Bangalore and throughout Nizamabad district, Karimnagar district, and Adilabad district.
• Sixteen May Day rallies were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Members of the leftist People’s Liberation Front carried photos of Engels and Lenin on their demonstration;
• 10,000 people marched in Hong Kong, China with striking dock workers leading the charge for better working conidtions;
• Trade unions held demonstrations in Tokyo, Japan demanding more jobs for young people;
• Thousands of  workers took to the streets and waved flags in Seoul, South Korea to ask for an extensive revision of the labour law;
• More than 10,000 people marched in Taipei, Taiwan against government plans to cut pensions;
• Over 5,000 workers in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia rallied for better working conditions and higher wages. Cambodia is the world’s third-largest producer of garments most of which are exported to Europe and the US;
• Thousands of people joined May Day demonstrations in Jakarta, Indonesia demanding higher pay and other demands. Some protested a proposal for the government to slash fuel subsidies that have kept the country’s pump prices among the cheapest in the region;
• Protesters in Manila, Philippines burned effigies of Barack Obama and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III outside the U.S. Embassy as 8,000 people rallied against contractual work, low wages and union busting.

AUSTRALIA

• Queensland saw its biggest May Day march in over a decade

Anarchists took part in (and in some cases organised) demonstrations across the globe yesterday. It is inspiring to see such a wide display of diversity from the international anarchist movement with comrades from every corner of the planet coming out onto the streets to celebrate May Day and fight for worker’s rights!

The majority of demonstrations in the United Kingdom will be taking place this Saturday 4th May including a rally and march against austerity organised by Bristol Trades Council for 11AM at College Green. There has been a call-out by Bristol 1st of May Group for a Radical Block on the march. Come join Bristol Anarchist Federation and other anarchists/radicals under the red & black flags!

This year Bristol Trades Council is pulling out all the stops and attempting to throw their biggest May Day March in years.  Whilst they may not have said it themselves, we’d like to think the effort of everyone who got involved with the 1st of May Group last year and the success of our demos, actions, and saturday march is what inspired them!

We have a lot of respect for trade unions, their members have been at the forefront of many working class struggles for almost as long as their has been a working class.  Despite the repression of the 1970s unions still hold a lot of potential for helping to organise mass action.

However far too often they are held back by the bureaucrats at the top who have lost touch with the rank and file militants pushing for more action. Mainstream unions can find themselves caught up in red tape they are unwilling to risk pushing through, and are often unable to move their focus beyond their narrow memberships.  If we are to make a difference and show our collective strength on May Day (and beyond) we need more than just our unions on the streets, so we’re putting out the following call to join them on May the Fourth:

To the Streets for May Day !
May Day  has been celebrated as international workers day since 1890, it is a time to remember our collective history, and those that fought and died of to win us the 8 hour day, safety at work, and much else that it’s all to easy to take for granted. It is also a time to reignite and unite the present struggles for a better world.

For May Day 2013, Unions in Bristol are calling for a March Against Austerity. We are calling for a Radical Block to march with them, so come and join us on the streets if you are;

Mad – at the government which continues to attack societies most vulnerable for the benefit of no one other than themselves (and their rich mates).
Angry – that the costs of living are going up and your boss won’t pay you more.
Frustrated – that your working conditions are being destroyed and the bureaucrats at the top of your union don’t seem up for the fight your fellow workers are ready for.
Worried – that if we don’t do something soon there will be no NHS or decent education left for your children.
Bored – with the latest lies from the politicians and press you’re expected to believe.
Inspired – by the courage of those that have gone before us, who have fought against exploitation, and won us all victories which last to his day.
Optimistic – about creating a society that can meet all our needs and seek an end to; sexism, racism, transphobia, ableism, ageism, homophobia, and the many other oppressive and destructive ways in which we are divided.

So grab your red flag, your black flag, your pirate flag or no flag at all and get together at 11am, Saturday the 4th of May on College Green to take to the streets of Bristol, and rekindle the spirit of resistance!

Some of Bristol First of May Group
http://bristol1stofmay.wordpress.com

Leave a comment if you want to know more or get involved!

There is also for balance, a ‘why anarchists should care about bolshevism’ article on the same blog. Although as part of the class struggle anarchist current (which has always been the most prominent, especially outside of america), we would refute some of the points it makes. Anarchists do have a revolutionary strategy, and do believe some ideas are better than others.

The Anarchist Federation has a clear (but adaptable and evolving) revolutionary strategy, which we trace back to the revolutionary strategies of other anarchist communists, anarcho-syndicalists, council communists and situationists. It doesn’t matter if you even know what all those words mean, the point is Anarchism evaluates the past, and tests ideas in the here now. Creating an evolving combination of ideas that fit in with our core beliefs (against hierarchy, for a free and equal society).

We are opposed to the leadership of individuals exerting power over others, of the hierarchies that can develop in formal vanguardist strategies leading to a disconnect between ‘the revolutionaries’ and ‘everyone else’. We are not opposed to a leadership of ideas.

That said we may be taking it too personally, after all these points apply to some anarchists, just not all (or not many). The same is true of the other article, many of points won’t apply to many socialists, but they will apply to some. We have to remember to learn from each other even when we don’t agree especially when we don’t agree.

Anarchists should care about Bolshevism and Marxism  and take the time to read about or discuss the ideas. We should also learn about Capitalism, about feudalism, about primitivism. Whilst Anarchism should be a living breathing movement and not a labourious homework assignment, it is important that we learn from a whole range of human ideas, experience and understanding. Becoming stuck in an unchanging dogma is the least anarchist thing we could do.

For more on AFeds revolutionary strategy check out the UK Anarchist Federation Positions section of our resources page

Anonymous calls for internet blackout to protest CISPA

Electronic Frontier Foundation- Defending Your Rights In The Digital World

#CISPABlackout

The big weekend! Homebase have been quiet since Wednesday, when they released a frankly lame statement about maybe suspending further commitment to workfare. They’re probably waiting to see what happens so lets make sure we get their attention.

If you can, get down to a protest, listed on facebook and indymedia (Bristol   Bath) or grab a friend, print some of the boycott workfare leaflets  and head to your local homebase to talk to staff/customers!

If neither is possible call them on 0845 077 8888 or try 0800 0850565 (always be polite to ppl who work in call centres).

You can also drop them a fax for free using http://www.freepopfax.com/
Harringay Branch fax 02088003876
Manchester Fax – 0161 873 5058
Southport Fax – 01704 533968
Liverpool Fax – 0151 5218801
London Fax – 0208-523-4081
Southend Fax – 01702 353469
Farnham Fax – 01252 723820
Bicester Fax – 01869 320183
Bath Fax – 01225 339510
Milton Keynes Fax – 01908 609061

(we had to try a couple of times/numbers to get through!)

Yesterday, sources including Tom Prides blog, revealed that Homebase had been recruiting unpaid workers via a ‘work experience program’. Even worse they were actually boasting about getting extra hours of work by exploiting job seekers and reducing their ‘payroll costs’.  A poster was spotted in a management office asking  ‘would 750 hours with no payroll costs benefit your store?‘.  Few companies are this brutally honest about their motivations!

Our first response was to ‘politely contact’ homebase online, and we were far from the only ones.  Angry comments on twitter & facebook were popping up faster than they could delete them. They managed to remove ours, only for a many of our facebook friends to repost it.  All these responses seemed to worry the management at Homebase and they quickly put out a couple of rushed statements including:

‘[..] The company has not signed up to the workfare programme, but, on occasions, works with local organisations to help unemployed people into the workplace. A number of unemployed people have recently joined our Haringey store through JobCentre Plus in a short, voluntary programme, to gain work experience. They are entirely under no obligation to participate, nor will non participation affect any benefits. Colleagues at this store also have not been impacted by this programme in any reduction of hours.’ and ‘Some of our best colleagues have joined us having previously been unemployed [...]‘

Even on a first read through these statements seem to be full of double speak and blatant lies. They start by saying they haven’t signed up to workfare but then describe a workfare scheme they have evidently signed up to! They move on to say it is voluntary even though it has been repeatedly revealed that the job centre forces people onto so-called ‘voluntary’ schemes, by threatening them with sanctions,  telling them the only alternative is an even worse mandatory scheme,  illegally giving inaccurate information and not explaining to them their right to refuse.

Next they say that the workfare scheme has not impacted staff or reduced over time hours, boycott workfare quickly exposed this as an outright lie with a staff member reporting massive reductions in overtime. They also revealed that Homebase isn’t offering any of their unpaid workers jobs, hardly surprising given the fact that only 4% of people on the work program end up with steady job. As for their claim that some people who got a job with them were unemployed before hand?  Well surely this is true anywhere, its quite common to be unemployed before you get a job!

We’re calling on individuals and groups around the country to join us in taking action against Homebase. (facebook event)

Bristol AFed, SolFed and friends at one of our previous anti-workfare demonstrations

We propose that people keep up the contact and criticism via their twitter, facebook, you tube, customer email, media enquiries email, post box,  and telephone.  Then, if Homebase has not 100% officially backed out of all methods of exploiting unpaid workers at the expense of their paid staff, we call on people to hold protests at their local homebase store a week from now, on Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th of APRIL. If there isn’t a Homebase close by, why not hold a protest at an Argos instead, seeing as it also uses workfare in the same way and is owned by the same parent company!

If you are thinking of joining in with the national days of action against Homebase, we highly recommend you speak to the staff working in the shop before hand. If you work their yourself, or know someone that does, this is ideal. Even if you don’t it is worth going down before your protest and politely talking to staff in a relaxed way. Make it clear that your protest is not aimed at them, but at the management and owners of homebase. Explain how if this isn’t stopped it could negatively affect their jobs.  Encourage them to get together and talk to other members of staff at Homebase, and consider joining a workplace group or union to fight to protect and improve their pay and conditions (we would recommend the IWW or Solidarity Federation, but the choice will depend on the local situation).

We will be calling for a picket and protest at our local Homebase, in the mean time we have set up a Facebook Event to help people network, share ideas, and advertise their local events. We also suggest using the Boycott Workfare and UK Uncut websites to help network with other people in your area.

Calling a protest doesn’t have to take a lot of time, print off some leaflets (feel free to copy anything from our last workfare leaflet – we will post links to other leaflets produced (send ‘em to us!) so people can copy them if they don’t feel like writing their own), make some placards and banners, text call and speak to your mates, then publicise the event online or on any community notice boards etc.

Additionally, this is the demand we’ve made of Homebase, what would be enough for you to call off your action may vary:

Release a binding statement that clearly states 1) you will never participate in any workfare schemes nationally or locally*1 2) Homebase will stop all current involvement with all schemes (including the ‘work experience program’) that equate to people working for you for no money*2  3) you apologise for the callous nature of the poster that was up in a management office (a picture of which is bellow) and will investigate the manager(s) responsible 4) You compensate anyone who has been on such a scheme with you, and if a paid position is available offer them a job should they decide they want one. Due to the circumstances of the job offer it should be completely acceptable for someone to refuse, homebase should work with the job centre to ensure this in itself does not lead to sanctions. This absolutely must not impact on hours, overtime or pay for current staff members.

*1with the definition of workfare being any scheme where unemployed people work for you without pay, including (but not limited to) so-called ‘work experience’ schemes operated by the job centre and private companies.

*2 Homebase will also ensure that no one suffers any sanctions due to the scheme ending, something they should actively pursue and check up on with the relevent job centres.

As always any questions, comments, suggestions or criticisms then drop us an email or leave a comment.

We would never suggest that the BBC doesn’t have clue about class analysis, that they focus far too much on social stereotypes instead of economic realities, or that this is part of a mainstream narrative going back decades that is damaging true class consciousness. We also wouldn’t want to suggest that these ideas mostly serve (deliberately or not) the interests of those like the Tories, who rely on us being divided and would prefer we see the working class as a demonized Shameless stereotype rather than something we proudly belong to.

However, despite not wanting to suggest any of that we do think we can come up with a better class calculator than they can. So here we present to you…

The Great Bristol AFed Class Calculator

Traditional social divisions of capitalist and working class seem out of date in the 21st Century, having never reflected a society that can truly be fair and equal or meet the needs of most people.

Anti Capitalists throughout the world have teamed up with other workers to fight against the class system. To find out where you fit in use this calculator below, by clicking on the relevent answer.

Question One
Which most accurately describes how you make a living?

A) I use my wealth, status, privileged background or ownership of the ‘means of production’  (eg a company, its factories and machines) to profit from the labour of others

B) I sell my time & labour for a wage, and/or recieve welfare during periods of unemployment

We hope you like our quiz, leave any suggestions or reviews in the comments. If you want to read more about class we suggest you start with Work, Community, Politics, War (click the image for the next page) from prole.info.