SolFed locals | Brighton SolFed

Locals

The Solidarity Federation has a two-fold structure: members belong to Locals and Industrial Networks. Locals form the backbone of SolFed and put solidarity into practice in the local community. They are organise or get involved in local campaigns across a wide range of issues – both in the community and in workplaces. Issues are wide-ranging: defending our natural and local environment and health; opposing racism, sexism and homophobia; in fact, anything which defends or contributes to our mutual quality of life. It is all part and parcel of building a solidarity movement. A Local is formed whenever there are three or more members in a defined geographical area, who should meet at least once each month. Locals are expected to use their own initiative in pursuing their activities.

We currently have locals in the following places:

Belfast SolFed

Manchester SolFed

Brighton SolFed

Newcastle SolFed

Bristol SolFed

North London SolFed

Calderdale SolFed

Northampton SolFed

Cambridge (local in formation)

Norwich SolFed

Donning and Doffing - on the front lines

South London SolFed

Edinburgh (in formation)

Thames Valley SolFed

News from SF locals

HOW TO FIGHT REDUNDANCIES AT YOUR WORKPLACE

Get organised

If you are facing redundancy it is important you get organised. You should talk to your co-workers and organise a meeting as soon as possible. If necessary meet outside to ensure social distancing. If your workplace is unionised you should contact your union branch. You should also collect phone numbers and other contact details of your co-workers. It is important that everyone keeps in touch throughout the dispute, so consider setting up a WhatsApp group or something similar. Remember, your employer will try to divide you by getting you to compete for any jobs that may be available. Be positive from the outset, stress the need for unity constantly and focus on the failing of the employer.

Get to know your rights

Read more about HOW TO FIGHT REDUNDANCIES AT YOUR WORKPLACE

Manchster SolFed at demo called in support of migrants yesterday

Manchester Solfed supporting the demo against the hostile environment and detention of migrants, organised by Queer Support for Migrants, outside the detention centre at Manchester Airport Yesterday. The action was part of a series of decentralised, local actions taking place last weekend around the country, coordinated around the slogan ‘Solidarity Knows No Borders’

Read more about Manchster SolFed at demo called in support of migrants yesterday

Fifty-one years after the Stonewall riots LBGTQ+ people still face discrimination and violence in all aspects of their lives

LGBTQ+ people in the UK and across Europe still face discrimination in all aspects of everyday life, according to a survey conducted last month by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The survey, the largest of its kind ever conducted, focused on the social experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in 30 European countries, and found that little progress has been made over the past few years.

Compared with a similar FRA survey from 2012 the number of LGBTQ+ people in the UK who say they have been harassed in the past five years has risen from 55% to 62% - six points higher than the European average. The number of people in the UK who say they have been violently attacked at least once has gone up by nine points.

Read more about Fifty-one years after the Stonewall riots LBGTQ+ people still face discrimination and violence in all aspects of their lives

New Social Distancing Measures and How to Stay Safe at Work

The government has announced that social distancing can be reduced from two to one metre but only if measures are in place to mitigate the risk. Examples of measures that can be used to mitigate the risk include, consider if the activity needs to continue, working back to back or side to side, screens being fitted to protect workers, only working together at less than two metres apart for short periods and reducing the number of people each person has contact with.

If your employer is making you work within two metres of another person, with no mitigating measures in place, they are breaking the government guidelines.

The government has produced guidelines on what measures employers should be taking to protect workers for the following sectors

Read more about New Social Distancing Measures and How to Stay Safe at Work

Change the World, Join SolFed!

What does it mean to change the world? Where do we start? How do we get masses of people to wake up and rise up? Sometimes it feels impossible. People vote for parties who openly attack their interests. Most of the time only a handful will join protest marches or do anything more militant. The climate is changing, wars are raging the world over, and most people don’t even want to hear about it.

But that isn’t the whole story…