Millions ?One Push From Penury? ---- Challenging the coalition governments assertion that
people are better off in work research (commissioned by the Guardian) has found that 2.2m
children are living in households on an ?economic cliff-edge?. There are close to 7
million working-age adults living in extreme financial stress, ?one small push from
penury?, despite being in employment and largely independent of benefits. ---- Unlike the
?middle-classes? these 3.6m households in Britain have little or no savings, no equity in
their homes: ---- and struggle at the end of each month to feed themselves and their
children adequately. ---- Unable to cope on their current incomes, with no assets to fall
back on, they are left vulnerable to ?something as simple as an unexpectedly large fuel bill?.
Contrary to the notions of the work and
pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, the
findings prove that getting a job does not
ensure your children are not brought up in
poverty.
The research has brought to light the
existence of what has been called ?the new
working class - except the work they do no
longer pays?. Having a job is no protection
against homelessness and destitution despite
the spin from Cameron of a ?fair? society in
which ?work pays?. Austerity measures have
created a new generation of working poor,
struggling with debt and fearful that they
could lose the jobs they do have.
Another report, by Oxfam, has found that
more people in poverty are working than
are unemployed. The amount of people
working and claiming housing benefit has
double since 2005. The report also found
that more and more working people were
turning to charities to help them make ends
Meet.
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Organise! And Youth Fight For Jobs Take Action Against Slave Labour
On 19th of May Organise! And Youth Fight
For Jobs picketed Holland and Barrett and
Boots to oppose the use of free labour by
both companies.
Across the UK Holland and Barrett have
been using free labour to cut their staff
costs. The picket was part of a day of
action against the company called by
SolFed (the British section of the anarcho-
syndicalist IWA). As long as this practice is
continued pickets will continue to turn away
customers from their stores across the UK.
Afterwards Organise! joined the Youth Fight
For Jobs picket of Boots on Donegall Place.
The picket was to expose the rolling out of
a scheme across Britain and Ireland which
will give young people the ?opportunity? to
work 9-4 every day for two weeks and
receive only their dole money. Boots will not
even pay for travel or any other expenses.
Both pickets were well received by the
public, however the underpaid security
worker at Boots was not too impressed.
She repeatedly threatened the picket with
police and told us we had best be on our
way ?before they got here?.
The cops did arrive, checked out the picket
and as there was nothing illegal about the
protest refused to move us on. The
previously gobby security guard chose to
skulk red-faced in the shop after that.
Under the guise of ?helping the unemployed
back into work? the government is rolling out
various workfare schemes that will provide
free labour for their rich corporate
friends. Many charities and even trade
unions ? who should know better ? have
been hoodwinked into supporting these
schemes.
------------------------------------------
?You?d better be going before the police get here?.
The cops came, we stayed, the security guard
disappeared.
------------------------------------------
Anger In Dublin At Sick ?Pro-Life? Advertising Campaign
Youth Defence have provoked anger with
their new ?pro-life? advertising campaign.
The bill board adverts they have paid to
plaster all over the city claim ?abortion
tears her life apart? and that, despite the
evidence to the contrary, there is ?always
a better answer?.
The republic?s advertising standards
agency has been flooded with complaints
about the hundreds of posters on bill
boards, bus stops, buses and trams across
the city. In an effort to increase the
stigma faced by women in Ireland
considering, or having had, an abortion
they have produced two styles of poster.
One showing the face of a distraught
young woman and the other a foetus
sucking its thumb, both are emblazoned
with the same slogan.
Choice Ireland have criticised the ads for
not being representative of women?s
feelings following a termination, and only
serving to increase the shame and stigma
surrounding the issue of abortion.
Stephanie Lord said they had received:
A number of angry and offended
emails about these billboards.
Some of the emails are from women
who have had abortions themselves
and who object to the message the
billboards convey. These billboards do
not speak for them. For a woman who
has had one to walk past this every
day, it?s just horrible.
Youth Defence plan to cover the whole of
the Republic in these offensive and mis-
informed posters. We have a photo below
of just what should be done with this
garbage just as soon as it is spotted!
----------------------------------------
Low paid to be punished for taking Industrial Action
In an attack on the rights of the most
vulnerable workers to defend themselves
Iain Duncan Smith plans to take money off
us for taking industrial action.
The new Universal Credit model of benefit
payments, part of a massive overhaul of the
benefits system, includes plans to restrict
payments to those who take industrial
action.
Presently, workers who earn under ?13,000
are able to claim Working Tax Credit
(WTC) to top up their wages, workers can
claim WTC against the first 10 days of
strike action. Duncan Smith
intends to take that away,
pushing those forced to take
action in defence of services,
terms and conditions, and jobs
into greater poverty.
This is a blatant attack on the
right to strike and organise.
Struggles for better pay will see
workers put into even greater
financial hardship than at
present.
Duncan Smith reckons that:
"the right to strike is a choice, and in
future benefit claimants will have to
pay the price for that choice, as under
universal credit, we no longer will."
Strike for a ?living wage? and we?ll stop your benefits -
That is the message to the working poor from Ian Duncan Smith
=====================================
* Anarchist journal
Bron : a-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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