Workfare Wednesday: We won’t stop until you do Homebase!

Homebase boasted about cutting paid work with workfare. We can’t let them get away with it!

In the first of our weekly call outs for online workfare action on a Wednesday, it’s time to show Homebase that we won’t settle for their PR guff!


Two weeks ago, it emerged that Homebase is 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. 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.

At their stores

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? Haringey Solidarity group put this poster, this poster and this leaflet together, which you might like to adapt and print. Let us know if you need help covering printing costs!

So far actions have been called in:

London on Saturday
London on Sunday
Bristol on Saturday
Bath on Sunday

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: Tweet to @homebase_uk
By email: order.enquiries@homebase.co.uk or info@homebase.co.uk or enquiries@homebase.co.uk
By phone: 0845 077 8888 or 0845 601 6911
Or contact the company they are owned by: The Home Retail Group.

By post

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.”

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