Staff had wages and hours cut due to firm using free dole labour!

The following briefing was recently sent to NV blog from the campaign group 'Boycott Workfare'.

"Two weeks ago, it emerged that Homebase was taking on tens of workfare placements in their Haringey store: 750 hours of unpaid work in just one week in just one of Homebase’s 342 shops.

A week later, a Homebase poster was leaked: it showed managers boasting about how they have been able to cut the wages bill with workfare.http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/workfare-why-did-so-many-labour-mps-accept-this-brutal-unforgivable-attack-on-vulnerable-people-8542193.html Then a staff member told us what it had meant for staff: overtime cut for everyone and some people’s hours reduced cut from 48 down to 8.

People’s response has been immense, with loads of online pressure, people pledging to shop elsewhere, and pop-up demos outside their shops. It’s obviously having an impact.

On Easter weekend, Homebase took their Facebook Page down at least three times because of the scale of response from the public. Since then they have deleted literally hundreds of comments.

Yesterday, Homebase posted a new statement, saying “While we review our local arrangements, we have decided to make no further commitment to the Job Centre work experience programme.” But that still leaves tens of workfare placements in their Haringey store and possibly elsewhere too.

Step up the pressure for every single person working in Homebase to be paid.

A week of action has been called against Homebase, culminating in protests, leafleting and pickets at their stores this weekend. Why not print some leaflets and visit a store near you? We’ll post a template flyer here very soon, and let us know if you need help covering printing costs!

So far actions have been called in: London on Saturday, London on Sunday, Bristol.

Let us know what you plan and we’ll add it to the list!

Online:

On Facebook (if they bring their page back again): facebook.com/homebase

On Twitter:

By email: order.enquiries@homebase.co.uk or info@homebase.co.uk orenquiries@homebase.co.uk

By phone: 0845 077 8888 or 0845 601 6911

Or contact the company they are owned by: The Home Retail Group.

A clever project has been set up for people to write or send parcels to workfare users’ Freepost addresses. More info here.

…and if you’re in Liverpool, there’s a whole week of workfare fun planned next week.

Homebase has boasted about workfare reducing paid work. We can’t let them get away with it. After all, “If you exploit us, we will shut you down.”