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Tag: Updates from the Field
STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon
?? STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon ??
On this year’s 139th International Workers’ Rights Day, ACORN International affiliate STRASCAS led a powerful protest parade in Douala with 190 members demanding decent work, safety, union rights, and social dialogue. Their slogans were clear:
✊ Decent work = Decent pay
✊ More protection = Fewer deaths
✊ Yes to inclusive collective bargaining
✊ Stop union repression!This important day also marked a major step forward: STRASCAS officially became an affiliate of the Confédération Entente Nationale des Travailleurs du Cameroun.
?? STRASCAS défile pour les droits des travailleurs au Cameroun ??
À l’occasion de la 139e Journée Internationale des Droits des Travailleurs, notre affilié STRASCAS a organisé une parade revendicative puissante à Douala, rassemblant 190 membres autour de slogans forts :✊ Travail décent = Salaire décent
✊ Plus de protection = Moins de décès
✊ Oui au dialogue social collectif et inclusif
✊ Stop à la répression syndicale !Cette journée fut aussi marquée par une avancée importante : STRASCAS est désormais affilié à la Confédération Entente Nationale des Travailleurs du Cameroun.
Travailleurs saisonniers filière canne à sucre
ACORN is featured in Jack Shenker’s review of Against Landlords
ACORN is featured in Jack Shenker’s review of Against Landlords: How to Solve the Housing Crisis by Nick Bano, published in the latest issue of the London Review of Books. The article doesn’t just name-check ACORN, it highlights the heart of our work: turning frustration, fear, and isolation into collective action and power.
Shenker writes about Ruby, a tenant trapped in the UK’s cruel private rental system, living with chronic illness in a mold-infested HMO owned by a retired doctor profiting from public housing benefit. After falling from the security of a corporate London job and grappling with the trauma of housing instability in her early adulthood, Ruby found herself once again on the brink of eviction. Stripped of income, health, and options, what little recourse did she have in the face of a system stacked against her? Organizing with ACORN. From role-playing landlord confrontations at a workshop, to speaking at our TSB bank occupation in Tottenham, Ruby found her voice and a community that fights back.
The review also acknowledges the legacy we’re building on: from Red Clydeside to the Stepney Tenants’ Defence League, ACORN, the London Renters Union, and Living Rent are organizing in a much harsher landscape, where rent strikes are criminalized and tenant protections are eroded. But as the review rightly points out, our confrontational actions, occupying banks, storming letting agents, and naming and shaming exploitative landlords shine a necessary light on the power imbalance at the heart of the housing crisis. For renters like Ruby, community unions like ACORN offer resistance need to combat the housing crisis’s in our communities .
Bano’s book and Shenker’s review both make one thing clear: landlordism in Britain has become a national industry, bolstered by MPs, corporations, even charities. But the fight is far from over. As Bano says, “The solutions are already in our neighborhoods.”
? Read the article: “Renters v. Rentiers” in the London Review of Books
? Read the book: Against Landlords by Nick Bano
? Join the fight: Your Local ACORN Branch
ACORN London members have been working non-stop throughout April, delivering impressive results in their fight for housing justice and community power!
From standing shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent a neighbor’s eviction to launching a new branch — Every door knocked is another potential member, every meeting builds our collective strategy, and every action puts landlords and officials on notice that housing justice cannot wait.
10 direct actions with targets confronted
1 successful eviction resistance
5 community meetings organized
1 new branch launched
Countless doors knocked, bringing scores of new members into the movementThis is what people power looks like.
Dundee in Scotland: A full pause on rent payments & £1,000 in compensation
Congratulations to our affiliate, Living Rent Dundee in Scotland, for their victory securing both compensation and critical repairs for union member Charlie.
Charlie endured unacceptable living conditions in their Dundee tenement flat, suffering from severe roof damage that caused water to leak into walls and ceilings. This led to serious mold and dampness issues throughout the home. The situation was made worse by an outdated heating system and a non-functioning window. Despite reporting these issues, the agency failed to complete any repairs for over a year.
After joining Living Rent Dundee, Charlie worked alongside union representatives to negotiate with both the current letting agents, DJ Alexander, and the landlord. We’re thrilled for their success in securing:
A full pause on rent payments until all necessary repairs are completed and the property meets proper standards
£1,000 in compensation for the distress and uninhabitable conditions
This victory demonstrates the power of community organizing and tenant solidarity.
ACORN Bradford – 1 – 0 Bailiffs!
In a huge victory for member Stuart, ACORN Bradford has successfully fought back against harassment from bailiffs. Stuart had been relentlessly chased over debts, facing threats of forced entry and a council that refused to establish a payment plan. But thanks to the determination and solidarity of Bradford members, the bailiffs have been called off, enforcement paused, and a fair payment plan secured.
A special shout-out goes to Gemma, who turned out to support Stuart—just weeks after fellow members successfully resisted her own eviction. Solidarity in action!
Bradford Council staff hung up on Stuart when he tried to offer a reasonable £100 monthly payment—on top of already sky-high council tax bills. Now, with the union’s help, Stuart is back in control of his finances, able to open his curtains and sleep peacefully at night.
As for Bristow & Sutor, shame on them. One of their staff members refused to refer Stuart to the welfare team unless he made an immediate payment—even after he shared concerns about his physical and mental health. When asked, “Do you need a payment before passing to the welfare team, so someone doesn’t go out and hang themselves?”—they said yes. Utterly disgraceful.
Stuart put it best:
“I had ACORN members round to mine today because bailiffs were harassing me – scum bags! A few phone calls from ACORN and great support from the members and we turned out winners over the money-grabbing scum bailiffs – all thanks to ACORN.”
ACORN Bradford stands ready to take on any bailiff, anytime, anywhere—and they win.
Adani Group and Dharavi: Corporate Expansion, PoliticalConnections, and Community Displacement in Mumbai
Adani-ACORN-White-Paper-v1.9-1
For nearly two decades, ACORN International has supported organizations working in Dharavi, a
community of millions in the heart of Mumbai. The report details the dangers facing residents
in the face of a re-development contract granted to the Adani Group, questions about the
granting of the contract and the history of the Adani Group including the serious concerns about
corporate governance and criminal indictments.
Living Rent Members in Troglen Secure Victory: Action Against Damp, Mould, and Unsafe Living Conditions Leads to Immediate Results!
Living Rent members at Sanctuary Housing in Troglen banded together out of concern for damp and mould in their homes, clogged gutters, and woodlice on the balconies. Residents banded together and took action- submitting a petition with over 70 signatures demanding a meeting with Sanctuary’s Housing Director, and marching on the central office. Within a week, results were secured, just in time for Christmas!
ACORN Honduras Wraps Up 2024 with Strong Connections: Evaluating Progress and Expanding Support for Children’s Rights into 2025.
This December, ACORN Honduras did an end-of-year evaluation of their activities and accomplishments in support of rights for children, and spent time connecting with local community centers to expand and deepen their network. Kicking off 2025 right!
ACORN Peru Wraps Up 2024 with Solidarity and Support: Soup Kitchens, Art Workshops, and New Partnerships.
In December, ACORN Peru focused on solidarity actions and cultural activities to close the year out strong, including a soup kitchen in Calaralas, art workshops for local students, and building a new relationship with a community in San Jose, who are requesting help negotiating with local authorities.
A Community Voice Celebrates Advocacy & Honors Local Leaders at Annual Awardees Dinner and Christmas Party.
A Community Voice hosted their annual Awardees Dinner and Christmas party, where members of the community were honored for the advocacy to advance the causes of the working people of Louisiana. Honorees included Inez Barnes, Diane Adams, Rev. Richard S Bell Sr, and Louisiana State Representative Matthew Willard.
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