Anti-Workfare Protest in Ashton-under-Lyne

TODAY some 20 protesters demonstrated outside Ashton Job Centre calling on customers to 'BOYCOTT WORKFARE'. The response of the cliants was mostly sympathetic, but the management called the police who tried to keep order in the street outside as people handed out leaflets insisting that there be 'No Work for Dole - Only Work for pay'. This action was supported by the Tameside Unemployed Workers Alliance, Tameside Trade Union Council (TUC) and the Manchester Peoples Alliance. A loud hailer was employed to castigate the staff of the job centre for supporting the 'forced labour' policy of the current government and banners were raised. The leaflet declares: 'The DWP continues to refuse to publish the names of charities and businesses where tens of thousands of unemployed people are being made to work without pay.' It seems that already Wetherspoons, Argos, Shoezone, The Red Cross, and Superdrug have dropped out of the scheme since the begining of this year. At one point a crowd of young sympathisers congregated across the street to shout their support for the protest. Because of the success of this event it is likely that the will be other such protests. Visit Boycott Workfare www.boycottworkfare.org