Accessibility info for UK Uncut’s ‘Refuge From The Cuts’ action
Posted on Sun 2nd Dec 2012, 4:02pmAccessibility info for UK Uncut’s ‘Refuge From The Cuts’ action at Starbucks across the UK, Saturday 8th December!
Greetings Uncutters!
We’re asking everybody who’s organising an action on Saturday 8th to make it as inclusive as possible, and publicise information about accessibility.
For example, you could post on your Facebook action page whether the Starbucks has step-free access, and if public transport to the location is accessible.
You could also link up with local disability activists who could help advise on making the action more inclusive (and maybe come on the action too!).
If you’re planning to attend an action and would like information about accessibility, you can get in touch with the organisers – there’s a contact email address at the bottom of each action page - see here for the list.
Accessibility for the central London actions
In central London there are two actions happening close together. Both are just off Regent St - click here for info.
The nearest step-free tube station is Green Park, which is a 10 minute push/wheel away.
Action 1 (‘Cuts Creche’) Starbucks has step-free access (map). This action starts at 11.30am and is due to end at 2pm. Bring your children! There’s a specified end time to reassure people who might be new to taking action.
Action 2 (‘Refuge From The Cuts’). Like a lot of the Starbucks in Central London, this store unfortunately does not have step-free access (map). But there’ll be plenty of action and entertainments happening outside – including hopefully a Samba band!!
Contact: ukuncut@gmail.com
Islington actions and Disabled People Against Cuts
Islington Disabled People Against Cuts (IDPAC) are delighted to be supporting the actions in Islington. Cuts to women’s services and housing issues affect many of us as women and tenants. There is no justification for any cuts. Multinational giants like Starbucks should pay their fair share of taxes, properly resourced public services should be available for all.
We are encouraging all disabled people locally to turn out and show your rejection of all cuts.
IDPAC members will be at:
Starbucks, 7 Islington High Street @ 12 noon
Action details are here.
Turn Starbucks into a rape crisis centre. Share any information, resources or knowledge about support you have with others.
Starbucks, 30 Upper St @ 2pm
Action details are here.
Make this coffee-house a home, resist cuts to housing benefits, the bedroom tax, rack-rents and call for more accessible housing.
Both Starbucks are step free.
Nearest step free station to both actions:
Kings Cross station. Circle; Hammersmith & City; Metropolitan; Northern; Piccadilly; Victoria lines.
Then take the eastbound 205 bus from outside the station to Angel (less than 10 mins).
Buses 19, 30, 43, 56, 153, 274 also serve this area.
Accessible toilets are within 5 mins of both actions.
Contact: islington.dpac@gmail.com
Greetings Uncutters!
We’re asking everybody who’s organising an action on Saturday 8th to make it as inclusive as possible, and publicise information about accessibility.
For example, you could post on your Facebook action page whether the Starbucks has step-free access, and if public transport to the location is accessible.
You could also link up with local disability activists who could help advise on making the action more inclusive (and maybe come on the action too!).
If you’re planning to attend an action and would like information about accessibility, you can get in touch with the organisers – there’s a contact email address at the bottom of each action page - see here for the list.
Accessibility for the central London actions
In central London there are two actions happening close together. Both are just off Regent St - click here for info.
The nearest step-free tube station is Green Park, which is a 10 minute push/wheel away.
Action 1 (‘Cuts Creche’) Starbucks has step-free access (map). This action starts at 11.30am and is due to end at 2pm. Bring your children! There’s a specified end time to reassure people who might be new to taking action.
Action 2 (‘Refuge From The Cuts’). Like a lot of the Starbucks in Central London, this store unfortunately does not have step-free access (map). But there’ll be plenty of action and entertainments happening outside – including hopefully a Samba band!!
Contact: ukuncut@gmail.com
Islington actions and Disabled People Against Cuts
Islington Disabled People Against Cuts (IDPAC) are delighted to be supporting the actions in Islington. Cuts to women’s services and housing issues affect many of us as women and tenants. There is no justification for any cuts. Multinational giants like Starbucks should pay their fair share of taxes, properly resourced public services should be available for all.
We are encouraging all disabled people locally to turn out and show your rejection of all cuts.
IDPAC members will be at:
Starbucks, 7 Islington High Street @ 12 noon
Action details are here.
Turn Starbucks into a rape crisis centre. Share any information, resources or knowledge about support you have with others.
Starbucks, 30 Upper St @ 2pm
Action details are here.
Make this coffee-house a home, resist cuts to housing benefits, the bedroom tax, rack-rents and call for more accessible housing.
Both Starbucks are step free.
Nearest step free station to both actions:
Kings Cross station. Circle; Hammersmith & City; Metropolitan; Northern; Piccadilly; Victoria lines.
Then take the eastbound 205 bus from outside the station to Angel (less than 10 mins).
Buses 19, 30, 43, 56, 153, 274 also serve this area.
Accessible toilets are within 5 mins of both actions.
Contact: islington.dpac@gmail.com
Press release: Starbucks 'blatant admission of guilt' over tax
Posted on Sun 2nd Dec 2012, 1:21pm07415 063231 | 07572 594128
Responding to reports that Starbucks is set to voluntarily increase its tax payments in the UK [1], Jane Harvey, a spokesperson for UK Uncut said:
"Starbuck's announcement is a blatant admission of guilt that they have intentionally avoided tax in the UK for years. It is not up to Starbucks to promise it will pay a bit more tax when it suits them, it’s up to the government to force companies to pay their fair share. This announcement shows that protest and public pressure works and that we are doing the government’s job for them as they refuse to tackle tax avoidance. The government’s next step must be to close the loopholes that Starbucks and other companies use to avoid paying billions in tax to the UK, instead of targeting single mums and disabled people through slashing public services, the welfare state and privatising the NHS."
UK Uncut will be staging a national day of action this Saturday targeting Starbucks stores in protest at the company's tax avoidance and the impact of government spending cuts on women [2]. There are currently 28 actions planned to take place at Starbucks stores across the country, including Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Truro and Shrewsbury [3].
NOTES TO EDITORS
1 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9716155/Starbucks-opens-negotiations-with-HMRC-to-start-paying-more-UK-tax.html
2 - http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-title
3 - http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions
Responding to reports that Starbucks is set to voluntarily increase its tax payments in the UK [1], Jane Harvey, a spokesperson for UK Uncut said:
"Starbuck's announcement is a blatant admission of guilt that they have intentionally avoided tax in the UK for years. It is not up to Starbucks to promise it will pay a bit more tax when it suits them, it’s up to the government to force companies to pay their fair share. This announcement shows that protest and public pressure works and that we are doing the government’s job for them as they refuse to tackle tax avoidance. The government’s next step must be to close the loopholes that Starbucks and other companies use to avoid paying billions in tax to the UK, instead of targeting single mums and disabled people through slashing public services, the welfare state and privatising the NHS."
UK Uncut will be staging a national day of action this Saturday targeting Starbucks stores in protest at the company's tax avoidance and the impact of government spending cuts on women [2]. There are currently 28 actions planned to take place at Starbucks stores across the country, including Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Truro and Shrewsbury [3].
NOTES TO EDITORS
1 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9716155/Starbucks-opens-negotiations-with-HMRC-to-start-paying-more-UK-tax.html
2 - http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-title
3 - http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions
Guest blog from Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union
Posted on Sat 17th Nov 2012, 2:01pm
'For a fair tax system and a just society' by Ian Hodson, National President, Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union
The issue of Starbucks avoiding tax is yet another example of the establishment looking after its own at the expense of the rest. In the recent budget, the government was prepared to slap a tax on pasties and put thousands of jobs at risk.
George Osborne was fully prepared to put a further burden on working people through a flawed and totally impractical tax and it took a considerable amount of campaigning in order for him to scrap it.
The government will bend over backwards to squeeze and pressurise those with little money. They pull out all the stops to attack those on benefits, yet at the same time, they refuse to deal with those businesses and other wealthy individuals that use loopholes to avoid paying tax.
The priorities for this government couldn't be clearer- the dismantling of the welfare state and the passing over of our valued public sector into the hands of their rich and greedy friends in the city. The aim is to concentrate the wealth of the many into the hands of the few.
This government isn't just making us pay for an economic crisis we didn't create by placing the financial burden on the least well off and cutting benefits; it intends to allow workplace exploitation through both the watering down of hard fought employment legislation and the reduction of health and safety protection. This means that our children will be entering workplaces far less safe than they were before.
The government is also hell bent on abusing the unemployed with their vile 'Workfare' programme, which is nothing less than another subsidy to big companies in the shape of free labour, masquerading as 'work experience'.
A fair tax system is required with airtight, robust legislation running alongside it that will make it easy to bring criminal charges against those that fail to pay their taxes. This government and others before it have deliberately failed to deal with tax loopholes, believing that it helped to create growth. There can be absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the current recession, the worst in history puts an end to that theory.
The failure of the government to close loopholes in our tax system has led to a lack of investment in schools, housing and our health service. Instead, they attack our pensioners and disabled whilst targeting and demonising anyone that claims any sort of benefit.
They have the temerity to do this in the name of 'economic necessity' and 'fairness', yet they cut taxes for themselves and other millionaires, whilst allowing others to avoid paying it completely.
All of this explains why UK Uncut's campaign is both right and justified.
Our members in the BFAWU fully endorse and support the activities they carry out in pursuit of fair taxation and a just society. We must not, cannot and will not be deterred from this aim.
The BFAWU is asking its members across the country to join the day of action organised by UK Uncut for the 8th December. We will also be raising the issue from the platform of the demonstration taking place in Manchester (Say No to Osborne’s cutbacks and no more Condem Austerity) which has been organised by Greater Manchester association of trades councils also being held on the 8th December.