Workers Solidarity Movement

As we as workers and unemployed continue to bear the brunt of the rising cost of living and economic downturn weasel words from current British prime minister Gordon Brown and local administration that they understand ‘our concerns’ and tighten our belts is ok for some with their fat cat salary and the perks. It’s seems that our bosses including trade union bureaucrats are clearly divorced now more than ever from the everyday realities and concerns facing our class.

· ANARCHISTS DEFEND LOW-PAID WORKERS
· WSM REJECTS ISME DEMANDS FOR WAGE FREEZES/PAY CUTS

Workers Solidarity Movement,
23rd July 2008

As the cost of living and rate of inflation has hit a 10 year high, over 200 construction workers at Kilroot power station in Northern Ireland decided to take matters into their own hands without intermediaries in solidarity with a victimised worker who was ‘asked’ to leave the site after raising health and safety concerns.

On July 5th 2005 the IWW in Grand Rapids and the CNT in Seville called for a world wide day of action on Starbucks restaurants. We know people have many issues with Starbucks from their flagship role on Capitalist Globalisation to their overpriced cup of froth laughably posing as coffee. This day of action, though, set out not to attack the company per se. Our aim was to encourage workers within it to get organised and unionised or, at least, to start thinking about it. Specifically we were supporting the call for solidarity for Cole Dorsey fired for organising workers into the IWW in Grand rapids in the USA and Monica: organising for the CNT in Seville Spain.

Anarchists, trade unionists and social justice activists placed a placed a lunchtime picket on the offices of Lionbride in Dun Laoghaire on Friday the 4th of July as part of an International Week of Solidarity with Jakub G, a longstanding Polish Lionbridge employe who was fired for encouraging fellow workers to join a union to protect their pay and conditions in Lionbridge's Warsaw office.

Lionbridge, is a USA based multinational company that provides translation, and software development services. They have operations in over 26 countries, including Ireland, and everywhere they are hostile to decent pay and trade union rights. Today there are protests outside their offices all over the world.

In the USA they sacked a barista active in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union as part of it’s ongoing offensive against employees pushing for a better wage and regular working hours. Cole Dorsey was fired after two years of service, while he was coordinating a union recruitment drive at Starbucks stores in Grand Rapids. In Spain, a barista, Monica, was fired in April from a Starbucks in Seville for her activity on behalf of her union, the National Confederation of Workers (CNT-AIT).

Organise! and the Belfast branch of the Workers Solidarity Movement and supporters picketed Starbucks in Belfast city centre today from 12 to 1 pm.

Union members and social activists are gearing up for what may be the largest, global coordinated action against Starbucks ever.

On Saturday July 5th anarchists, trade-union members and social activists in Dublin, Belfast and around the world will be leafleting and protesting against the anti-union practices of Starbucks. In Dublin a protest will be held at the Starbucks on Dame St. at 2pm. Earlier on sturday in Belfast two simultaneous protests will be held at the Starbucks at 90 Botanic Avenue and Cornmarket. In England, Europe, Canada, the USA and Latin America simultaneous protests will be held.

Union members and social activists are gearing up for what may be the largest, global coordinated action against Starbucks ever.

On Saturday July 5th anarchists, trade-union members and social activists in Dublin, Belfast and around the world will be leafleting and protesting against the anti-union pratices of Starbucks. In Dublin a protest will be held at the Starbucks on Dame St. at 2pm. Earlier on sturday in Belfast two simultaneous protests will be held at the Starbucks at 90 Botanic Avenue and Cornmarket. In England, Europe, Canada, the USA and Latin America simultaneous protests will be held.