Anti workfare demonstrators rallied in Edinburgh city centre then occupied a Job Centre as part of the Groundswell Network's UK Wide Day of Action on 21 July.

Edinburgh Claimants and the Edinburgh Support Group for the Liverpool Dockers joined forces to organise a rally on the theme No to Workfare, No to benefit cuts for single parents, No to casualisaton and sackings.

Around 30-35 demonstrators were joined by passers-by to listen to speakers from Edinburgh Claimants, the Dockers Support group and the newly formed Claimants Union in Wester Hailes (a large Council scheme in the west of Edinburgh).

Over 20 protestors moved on from the rally at The Mound - Edinburgh's speakers corner - to nearby South St Andrews St Job Centre. Inside the Job Centre, demonstrators stuck up posters and gave out leaflets to claimants and staff. In between blowing whistles and chanting, an impromptu speech was made through a megaphone appealing to benefit office workers to join the resistance to workfare.

Meanwhile manager Berny Jaster, having called the police, dashed about frantically, trying to tear down posters and telling claimants not to believe the demonstrators - surely they didn't think that Tony Blair would do anything wrong? Suddenly a loud shout FUCK OFF JASTER! rang out from behind a Job Centre board, causing consternation among the manager's underlings.

Police ejected the demonstrators but there were no arrests and the protest continued outside for around half an hour longer, till several hundred leaflets were all given out. All in all a successful day, and the joint organisation between Edinburgh Claimants and the Dockers' Support Group augurs well for future co-operation.

Edinburgh Claimants, c/o Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5 HA. Tel 0131 557 6242

NOTE The demo was reported in The Herald newspaper and on Edinburgh Live cable TV.