Today, a dozen of us took the tube to Whitecity for our London Citizens orientation. We met Mathew Bolton and Marzena Cichon, two of the more senior members of the Living Wage Campaign.
It was exciting and probably the most comprehensive day of training I've ever had. In the past, most of the places I've gone have adopted the trial-by-fire method of just throwing one into the fray and seeing how they do. While that's thrilling and brings out a lot in an individual, I just welcomed the opportunity to be fully trained and taught as to what my job was going to be and how I was going to do it. Probably the highlight of the training for me was when Matt said we had to act like spies if the grocery store security was tailing us in the store. The specific area's we're going to work in are supermarkets. This particular chain of grocery store is one of the largest in the U,K,, and they don't pay the "Living Wage," about 6 or 8 pounds an hour to their cleaners, stockers or cashiers.
London Citizen's goal is to interview the workers who don't make the Living Wage, get testimony from them, and engage them with management to achieve the Living Wage, so their children and children's children can have the opportunity to succeed or at the very least, live above the poverty line. It's funny that after frequenting these stores at least once or twice a week that management will catch on to us and send security after us. I really don't want to get in trouble for obvious reasons or the person we're trying to interview in trouble. This does bring up another facet that not just effects London Citizens and the supermarkets in question, but every business and government; the press. I relish the opportunity to get involved in the media side of it, adding to their website, helping to edit promotional material and draft press releases. I'm going to be involved in that realm to a degree, an area I think I can really make an impact. The press gives publicity, both good and bad to everyone and everything with a large enough public footprint. Bad press for the private industry is bad for business, so the massive assemblies where London Citizens approaches corporations about poor wages and working conditions is bad for business, so they have to acquiesce.
London Citizens is important, not just important to workers, but important to Democracy. People complain that government isn't responsive to voters and solely a self-fulfilling entity. London Citizens is a way for people to get involved directly in government without having to support a specific side. If they are brave enough, some of them will get up to the podium on live national television to voice their plight and what they personally did to better their socio-political position. London Citizens is unique because they aren't a third party advocating on behalf of a group of people, they are the people effected by a lack of a Living Wage. Its success hinges on people getting involved. By enfranchising voters, even if it's got nothing to do with an election (especially if it's got nothing to do with an election), you're increasing their faith in the Democratic system that change is possible. The capitalistic system dictates privatized industry working for a profit, not necessarily for the betterment of their workers or the community as a whole. Participation in democracy is key to its survival and success. People have to work together, inside and outside politics to sustain progress (technological, scientific, political, religious).
This could sound like dogma to some, but Democracy in the West is facing a challenge, people are becoming more and more disenfranchised and dissatisfied with American and British democracy because of the recent recession and ongoing Global War on Terror. I'm glad I picked London Citizens and I hope that I can contribute to the long run success of the Living Wage Campaign.
Stay Tuned,
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