Workers Centres have proven transformational for local organising initiatives, ranging from the defence of migrants to the waging of workplace struggles. Across this three-part series of discussions and workshops, we will explore what it would mean to establish a Workers Centre at Pelican House.
Join us to hear about the experiences of worker centres internationally with Janice Fine, followed by a roundtable discussion on the local challenges and opportunities in Tower Hamlets. Worker centres are community-based organisations that provide support and resources to low-wage and immigrant workers. They often focus on campaigning for workers’ rights, providing education and training, and helping workers navigate the law and regulation about work. After the speakers, there will be a practical workshop on building a worker centre in Tower Hamlets!
23 JUNE –EVERYBODY WELCOME – NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NECESSARY !!
Admission is free, though a £5 donations is suggested to support programming at Pelican House!
Arrive from 6pm
Discussion begins 7pm
Social from 8:30pm
The venue has level access throughout and an accessible toilet.
The News From Nowhere Club is hosting a panel of representatives from various left wing political parties & groups to give a short introduction of their competing visions of politics. After these introductions, members of the panel will answer questions from the audience. This will involve speakers from across the left, both radical and mainstream, and a member of the London group of the Solidarity Federation will be part of the panel. Come along for what is likely to be a lively discussion on what the future might look like and how best to get there.
St John’s Church Hall, High Road Leytonstone E11 1HH Free entry Donations/Raffle/Voluntary Membership £5pa 7.30pm Buffet (please bring an item if you can: vegetarian or vegan only) No entry before 7.30pm please (unless specified) 8.00pm Talk and discussion till about 10pm
We have updated our resources page. While previously it was just a page of recommended reading, now those suggestions have been updated, expanded, moved to their own page, and can be found HERE. Every recommendation includes a link to an online version that can be read for free.
The resource page also now contains PDF download links to some flyers and pamphlets that we have designed, so you can print them out yourself if you need some outreach materials. So far we only have a couple of short introductions to anarchism and syndicalism, but more will be added as they are created. Example below:
A planned eviction of of tenants in East London was stopped by people from London Renters Union blocking the doorway for five hours. The landlord and estate agents repeatedly came to the house, and people several times linked arms and blocked the door. Finally the landlord agreed to some breathing space for the tenants, who had nowhere to go, to find a new place.
Most evictions are not resisted, often the landlord does not even get a court order, tenants simply leave. Is it really worth doing eviction resistance, when the tenants will have to move out eventually?
Yes eviction resistance is extremely worth it. The most basic reason is that these tenants had not been able to find another place and were at real risk of destitution. A couple of weeks grace period could make all the difference to them.
On a wider level, part of the reason housing is so terrible is because landlords have it too easy. Tenants feel demoralised and powerless. The looming shadow of eviction stops people complaining about repairs and objecting to rent rises. Being able to stand up collectively and stop an eviction helps break that feeling of powerlessness for tenants and impunity for landlords. People spent hours huddled under a tarpaulin in terrible weather in order to protect someone else, and then said they felt happy, joyous, it was inspiring.
For eviction resistance to succeed, numbers are crucial. There were 20-30 people in front of the door at all times. This meant people were coming early then leaving for work and other people arriving later. Bailiffs can come around 8am so unfortunately we needed to be in place before that. You need a way to communicate with your supporters throughout the day whether the resistance is ongoing and you still need people or not. Don’t give out the tenant’s address publicly. Meet up in a park or at a station in the morning. Have later arriving people text somebody for the address.
The eviction resistance included several elderly and disabled people. There was a lot of effort made to look out for people’s safety and welfare, including having folding chairs, umbrellas, food, water etc. There is no way to make an eviction resistance 100% safe, as a landlord may start punching people and police can make arbitrary arrests, but the two main ways to make it as safe as possible is a big turnout and keeping calm. It can help to discuss safety issues beforehand, for example you can say that vulnerable people might leave if the police arrive. A small group of people can talk to the landlord and deflect him from threatening participants.
Standing with a load of people prepared to come out and stand up for two tenants, who in most cases they had never met, was a moving and emotional experience. This is a way we can fight against the alienation and powerlessness of so much of our current life.
The international network of neighbourhood Workers Centres has proven transformational for local organising initiatives, ranging from the defence of migrants to the waging of workplace struggles. Across this three-part series of discussions and workshops, we will explore what it would mean to establish a Workers Centre at Pelican House.
Join us for a workshop to discuss the ongoing Organise Now x BFAWU campaign to unionise GAILs. The panel will feature hospitality workers, union organisers, and volunteers discussing how we can organise in non-union workplaces. We will also hear from a special guest from the Starbucks campaign in the US! Come and join the session if you work somewhere without a union, want to support a new union campaign, or just want to learn more about organising at work today.
25 JUNE – EVERYBODY WELCOME – NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NECESSARY !!
Admission is free, though a £5 donations is suggested to support programming at Pelican House!
Arrive from 6pm
Discussion begins 7pm
Social from 8:30pm
The venue has level access throughout and an accessible toilet.
