Residing Wage, New Period & John Lewis – on Saturday thirteenth December 29014 a Santa led protests in Brixton for a dwelling wage for store employees, Class Warfare protested in opposition to property builders needed to evict tenants on a Hackney property to allow them to refurbish and allow them to at excessive non-public rents, and a cleaners union protested inside John Lewis on Oxford road for a dwelling wage and higher remedy for cleaners working there.
‘Santa’s Naughty Record’ Residing Wage – Brixton
Lambeth Residing Wage campaigners, led by a powerful Santa, protested in and outdoors retailers within the centre of Brixton, handing out fliers calling for all employees to be paid a dwelling wage. They urged store employees to affix a union and gave out varieties.
The protest was supported by Unite the Resistance, the Socialist Celebration and Unison (who offered the Santa costume) and likewise the Quick Meals Rights Hungry for Justice marketing campaign supported by the Bakers, Meals & Allied Staff Union, BFWAWU, the Nationwide Store Stewards Community and different teams.
The small group went into various retailers and used a megaphone to inform customers and employees why they have been protesting and handed on union membership varieties to the employees there. At some shops they have been stopped as they tried to enter and as an alternative protested outdoors, and the place they have been in a position to stroll in they left when requested.
I met them on the first store they protested at, Morleys Shops and went together with them to Subway and Poundland earlier than I needed to go away for an additional protest. They continued visiting extra retailers for a few hours.
‘Santa’s Naughty Record’ Residing Wage
Class Warfare: ‘Evict Westbrook, Not New Period’ – Berkeley Sq
Supporters of Class Warfare protested on the Mayfair places of work of US property builders Westbrook Companions in solidarity with the tenants of the Hackney New Period Property. Westbrook see the property merely as a chance to make giant income and intend to evict the prevailing tenants of those low hire social properties by Christmas to allow them to then refurbish them after which re-let them at market rents, round 4 instances as a lot because the threatened tenants have been paying.
This was a smaller protest than both the organisers or police had anticipated. It hadn’t been effectively publicised and sickness and a few disputes between supporters of Class Warfare had diminished the numbers attending, although a number of of the New Period residents had additionally come to protest.
Class Warfare arrived with two banners and a few placards and a Christmas Card for Westbrook Companions with some removed from seasonal greetings. Moderately to my shock, a consultant from Westbrook was current to fulfill the protesters and obtain the cardboard.
Protests by the New Period residents had earlier attracted appreciable media consideration, significantly after a video by Russell Model went viral. Just a few days after this protest Westbook who have been additionally below stress from Hackney Council bought the property to the Dolphin Sq. Basis, a charity which supplies safe social lodging, and the specter of evictions was lifted.
Class Warfare: ‘Evict Westbrook, Not New Period’
Cleaners Xmas Protest in John Lewis – Osford Avenue
The Unbiased Staff’ Union of Nice Britain (IWGB) and prospects protested inside John Lewis’s Oxford St retailer, calling for the London Residing Wage for cleaners there and an finish to their remedy as second-class residents. Lots of the Christmas customers inside the shop applauded their noisy protest.
I met with the IWGB an hour earlier than the protest and so they instructed me they deliberate to protest contained in the flagship John Lewis retailer on Oxford Avenue which might be stuffed with Christmas customers and instructed me after I might meet them on the restaurant on the fifth ground.
I arrived to seek out them unpacking their banners and placards and a PA system, with John Lewis employees watching them and asking them to not get in the best way of individuals taking their meals to the tables, in order that they cleared the best way.
The protest started with a speech by IWGB organiser Alberto Durango to let these within the restaurant know why they have been protesting after which the group moved off, stopping at An appropriate level to share the message that John Lewis doesn’t make use of the cleaners, however makes use of a cleansing contractor. This implies the cleaners get low pay, poorer circumstances; they need to be paid a dwelling wage and to be handled just like the others who work within the retailer.
Together with the cleaners have been a gaggle of John Lewis Clients who met and marched with them with placards ‘JOHN LEWIS YOUR CUSTOMERS SAY PAY YOUR CLEANERS THE LIVING WAGE’.
It was a loud protest and attracted the eye of many patrons at numerous ranges of the shop as they protesters slowly made their means down ground by ground, stopping on the balcony at every stage.
By the point they reached the third ground, John Lewis managers have been asking the protesters to cease and go away the shop. The continued on their means down, protesting loudly as they did so. Just a few police arrived and commenced to go down with them.
After they reached the bottom ground there was confusion with police and John Lewis safety employees, some making an attempt to cease the protesters leaving and others pushing them out and the protest persevering with. I bought pushed in all instructions and my photos right here have been largely blurred. Finally along with a lot of the protesters I bought outdoors and the protest continued there.
We get information that some folks have been arrested inside the shop. Exterior one police officer tries to cease the protest by grabbing the amplifier, however folks maintain on to it and others shout and movie
him. He manages to tug out the leads, however then steps again, and the protest continues. Police rush out carrying one protester who has been arrested however remains to be shouting for cleaners to get a dwelling wage and put him into the again of a police van.
Police gained’t give any particulars of the arrests. Among the IWGB went to attend outdoors the police station the place folks have been arrested, ready there till they have been launched within the early morning. I don’t assume any have been truly charged maybe as a result of cell phone footage from inside the shop shared on the internet confirmed them being assaulted by police whereas making an attempt to go away.
Many extra photos at Cleaners Xmas Protest in John Lewis.
Tags: Aanta’s Naughty Record, Alberto Durango, arrest, baker’s, BFWAWU, Brixton, Christmas card, Christmas evictions, Christmas customers, Class Warfare, cleaners, cleaners union, prospects, evictions, Meals & Allied Staff Union, IWGB, John Lewis, dwelling wage, London, London Residing Wage, low pay, Morleys Shops, Nationwide Store Stewards Community, New Period, New Period Property, NSSN, outsourced, outsourcing, Oxford St, peter Marshall, police, poor circumstances, Poundland, protest, Santa, Subway, Unison, Westbrook, Xmas Protest
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