A-Infos (en) Edinbrugh Claimants defy court

[Platformist Anarchism <platform@geocities.com>]

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EDINBURGH CLAIMANTS DEFY COURT SENTENCE AND 
  CARRY OUT NEW 3RD STRIKE ACTION

On the morning of 11 February 1998 Edinburgh 
Sheriff Court sentenced a claimant to 150 hours 
community service  for delivering an Edinburgh 
Claimants "3 Strikes" warning letter to a 
Benefits Office official at High Riggs 
Unemployment benefit office.  Four hours later 
20 claimants and supporters carried out a 3rd 
Strike action against Marianne MacDonald, a 
Project Work interviewer at High Riggs, and her 
manager Mr Laird.

Demonstrators - all wearing masks consisting of 
Marianne MacDonald's face! - stormed into the 
benefit office in central Edinburgh.  They 
carried posters of MacDonald with the words NO 
ONE LIKES A BULLY.  Protesters gave out leaflets 
bearing MacDonald's photo and detailing how she 
had consistently harassed claimants and tried to 
cut their benefits on 8 documented occasions.  
The leaflets denounced Labour's New Deal as 
'compulsory slave labour" and condemned the cuts 
in single parent's benefits.

Police arrived but too late to stop the action.  
There were no arrests. Edinburgh Claimants 
declare "We won't be intimidated by the police 
and courts.  The 3 Strikes resistance 
continues."

In the court case the Sheriff stated that the 3 
Strikes campaign was " a pre-meditated and 
clearly illegal attempt to undermine the 
operation of the welfare benefits system". 
Earlier, on 21 January, the claimant had been 
found guilty of Breach of the Peace at Edinburgh 
Sheriff Court for delivering the "3 Strikes" 
letter.  In court the Procurator Fiscal 
described the whole 3 Strikes campaign in 
Edinburgh, including the flyposting of a photo 
of a dole official round the city and the 
placing of the photo on the internet.  The 
Sheriff (the judge) said this was a "sinister 
offence" and he was "considering a prison 
sentence".

The 3 Strikes campaign is a collective response 
by claimants to harassment and benefit cuts - 
dole officials and their managers responsible 
for particularly bad treatment of claimants are 
given warning letters asking them to treat 
claimants fairly : if they ignore 2 warnings and 
commit a 3rd "offence" then their photo is taken 
and put on posters with details of their 
actions, and a demo is held at their benefit 
office.

MORE INFORMATION The exact charge was "That on 
12 June 1997 in the Job Centre at the Dept of 
Social Security, 20 High Riggs, Edinburgh you 
did conduct yourself in a disorderly manner, 
pass offensive abusive and threatening writings 
to Marrianne MacDonald, employee there, and 
place her in a state of fear and alarm and 
committ a breach of the peace."

The letter passed to the official read : "Dear 
Marrianne MacDonald You have already received a 
written warning explaining our 3 STRIKES AND 
YOU'RE OUT campaign.  Yet you have persisted in 
harassing claimants to the point where we have 
received another complaint against you. THIS IS 
YOUR FINAL WRITTEN WARNING One more complaint 
against you and we will take your photograph and 
transform it into a giant poster with details of 
your offences highlighted. There will also be an 
angry demonstration held at your place of work 
and the Edinburgh media will be alerted.  We are 
sure that you, like us, hope there will be no 
need for a STRIKE 3 measure and that you will 
temper your over-zealous behaviour accordingly. 
Sincerely,  Edinburgh Claimants"

The delivery of the final written warning was 
due to no fewer than 3 separate complaints being 
made against the official in May 1997, as a 
result of her activities as a Project Work 
interviewer.

We would like to thank everyone who gave their 
solidarity to the defendant and Edinburgh 
Claimants over the past few weeks.  Thanks to 
everyone who came to the 3 Strikes action.  And 
thanks for all the  letters, phone calls and e 
mails of support , received from all over 
Britain and even from Ontario, Canada!

Above all we hope everyone will step up their 
own activities.  Don't let them intimidate us.  
Resistance to attacks on claimants must 
continue, and link with the wider struggle.

AUTONOMOUS CENTRE OF EDINBURGH / EDINBURGH 
CLAIMANTS, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh 
EH7 5 HA Scotland.  0131 557 6242 (ansaphone) 
anarchy@cableinet.co.uk   pager 01426 128984. 
(v.short message only)  Open : Tuesdays 12-4pm, 
Thursdays 1-6pm.  Meetings Mondays 7.30pm. * 
Please get in touch if you'd like copies of our 
3 Strikes posters or other leaflets or posters 
on opposition to workfare, dole snoopers, etc.. 
LEGAL NOTE  In court the claimant pled guilty to 
the charge as above; the prosecution dropped the 
part of the original charge that he made 
"abusive, offensive and threatening remarks".  
He stated that although he had delivered the 
letter, he was not a member of Edinburgh 
Claimants nor had he been involved in any other 
3 Strikes-related activity.  Please bear this in 
mind in anything written.

Text of leaflet given out at demo:

THE POLICE AND COURTS CAN'T STOP CLAIMANTS 
DIRECT ACTION

Today claimants and supporters are taking 
action.. We say * We won't stand for our 
benefits being cut.  The government is cutting 
single parents benefits and threatening to cut 
disabled benefits. * We won't put up with 
compulsory slave labour.  From April, unemployed 
under 25's are being forced to work for benefits 
plus =A315. * We won't be intimidated by the 
police and courts.  Today, 11th February 1998, a 
claimant was sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff 
Court for delivering a "3 Strikes" letter 
warning a benefits official to stop harassing 
claimants. * Edinburgh Claimants "3 Strikes" 
resistance continues.  Today we are carrying out 
a "3rd Strike" demonstration against notorious 
benefit bully Marianne MacDonald, an official at 
High Riggs Benefit Office, and her manager Mr 
Laird, who we hold responsible for her bullying 
behaviour.

WHAT IS THE 3 STRIKES RESISTANCE? This was the 
letter passed to the official, for which a 
claimant was charged= . : "You have already 
received a written warning explaining our 3 
STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT campaign.  Yet you have 
persisted in harassing claimants to the point 
where we have received another complaint against 
you. THIS IS YOUR FINAL WRITTEN WARNING One more 
complaint against you and we will take your 
photograph and transform it into a giant poster 
with details of your offences highlighted. There 
will also be an angry demonstration held at your 
place of work and the Edinburgh media will be 
alerted.  We are sure that you, like us, hope 
there will be no need for a STRIKE 3 measure and 
that you will temper your over-zealous behaviour 
accordingly. Sincerely,  Edinburgh Claimants"

WHY MACDONALD AND LAIRD? Today's demo is being 
held because we have received 8 complaints 
against MacDonald, and despite 2 letters to her 
and manager Laird, she still abuses claimants.

Mac Donald's actions include - Cutting a 
claimant's benefits by lying that the claimant 
had refused to apply for a job - Forcing a 
claimant with a science degree to apply for bar 
and restaurant jobs - Ordering a claimant to 
attend repeated restart interviews - 
Enthusiastically forcing claimants onto the 
compulsory cheap labour scheme Project Work.- 
Harassing claimants : claimants describe her as 
"obnoxious", "nasty" and "extremely officious"

THE NEW DEAL IS A DIRTY DEAL The "New Deal"is 
initially targetted at 18-24 year olds 
unemployed over 6 months.  Around 40% (govt. 
estimate) will get a low paid temporary six 
month job.  Some will be allowed to do certain 
courses - but will only get =A338.90 benefits 
per week.  And around 40% will be forced to work 
for their benefits plus =A315 per week (only 
=A353.90).  Anyone refusing these crap choices 
will have their benefit cut, initially for 2 
weeks.

The New Deal is an attack on everyone in a job 
too.  More low paid temporary jobs and more 
compulsory work for benefits undermines 
everyone's wages and conditions.

This applies to benefit offices too - how long 
before unemployed on schemes do some benefit 
office jobs?  We support benefit office workers 
struggles against cuts and privatisation, and 
urge them to refuse to be used to attack 
claimants.

The employed and the unemployed need to get 
together to take real action against the attacks 
New Labour is making on us all.  It's useless 
relying on leaders like the trade union bosses.  
We need to organise ourselves, linking up all 
the different battles for social justice.

RESIST REBEL REVOLT In France unemployed people 
demanding benefit increases have occupied 
benefit offices, entered supermarkets in big 
groups and liberated trolley loads of food, and 
demonstrated in their thousands.  Could a 
similar revolt happen here?

SINGLE PARENTS How dare the government say that 
single parents should work - they are already 
doing invaluable work bringing up their 
children.  Single parents need good child care 
facilities, public services, public recognition, 
and a decent income for all the work they do.  
Every mother is a working mother.

WAGE SLAVERY Labour make out a job is the way to 
salvation.  In most jobs you are poorly paid, 
bored, get ordered about, and slave away to make 
some fat cat rich or to prop up the government.  
Only if people rebel and take the world's 
resources into all our hands will we be able to 
decide what to make and how to make it, only 
then will work be enjoyable and satisfying.

Edinburgh Claimants c/o Peace & Justice Centre, 
St Johns, Princes St., Edinburgh (mail only)  
0131 557 6242  Get in touch!

NO WAGE SLAVERY   NO DOLE SLAVERY
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