(en) Britain, Bristol Anarchist Federation, Victories in the Battle Against Workfare

The last week has seen two more victories in the ongoing battle against the governments 
workfare scheme! http://bristolaf.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/wf-front.pdf---- Homebase & 
Argos (both owned by the ?Home Retail Group?) have ended their involvement. Homebase was 
only exposed for using the scheme in April, and originally boasted it was getting them 
?750 hours (work) with no costs?. Turns out there was a cost after all. Bristol Anarchist 
Federation launched a week of action 
http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/take-action-against-homebase-lets-stop-workfare-in-its-tracks/ 
targeting their online presence and branches of their stores. Along with members of the 
Solidarity Federation, Boycott Workfare, 
http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/victories-in-the-battle-against-workfare/www.boycottworkfare.org 
and thousands of angry folks on twitter/facebook we managed to get their attention.


Homebase have now finished the ?evaluation? of their scheme announced after the first few 
actions, and have opted to end all involvement. Around the same time Argos announced 
?after careful consideration we have decided to halt any further recruitment of colleagues 
through the work experience programme ?. Great news for paid staff who reported having 
their hours and overtime cut when the scheme started, and for those who will no longer be 
forced to work for free to help line the pockets of the already wealthy owners of Home Retail.

The second victory of the week came with the government dropping its plans for compulsory 
SIX MONTH workfare placements for everyone finishing the ?work programme? . With the 
current smaller scale schemes already facing so much trouble it must have been obvious 
that this ambitious plan would be unworkable.

The array of workfare schemes and sanctions facing benefit claimants can appear 
unbeatable, but we?re proving that this isn?t the case. We should take count of every one 
of our victories as they show when we fight back we can win, and we?re going to keep 
fighting back ?till workfare is gone for good.

(Please read the following in the voice of one of those nice sounding people who talk over 
the end credits of programs on Channel 4) If you or someone you know is affected by the 
issues raised in todays blog post, email Bristol [at] Afed.org.uk or read Boycott 
Workfare?s Guide To Avoiding Workfare 
http://www.boycottworkfare.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/How-To-Avoid-Workfare-Full.jpg . 
Otherwise keep an eye on the blog for more on getting involved in ending workfare.