Woke but antiworker?

In the Preface to Capital, Marx writes that "however much he may subjectively raise himself above them," individuals remain creatures of their class relations. In a spectacular example of this, the seemingly left-wing management of Scarlett Letters Bookshop - which they describe as a "space which platforms the voices of marginalised communities" - has dismissed a worker without notice and are denying the rest of the workers fixed-hour contracts and sick pay. The workers have joined United Voices of the World, whose office is next door, and are balloting to strike.

Many of the workers are sex workers who were promised stable jobs that would help them cope with the precarity of sex work. They were assured they would be given fixed-hour contracts after Christmas 2024. But in January, the shop closed for two weeks. In February, opening hours were cut, though a few workers were allowed to work at events in Pelican House, where the bookshop is (Pelican House is often used as an event space for strike fundraisers and left-wing events). Workers unable to work due to illness were advised by management to crowdfund from the sex worker community.

Management continued to give assurances about fixed-term contracts until they met with the union last month and denied the possibility of offering them. Under pressure from the union, they disclosed the bookshop's finances which the workers say show no barrier to sick pay or fixed-hour contracts. The workers run the shop day-to-day, and want to cooperatively run it according to their ideas.They are also demanding pay for pieces of graphic design and illustration work that fall outside of their duties.

This workers’ struggle against a ‘radical’ employer is a lesson to anyone on the left who thinks that they can take on roles as ‘good’ capitalists and landlords and still be on the side of the working class. In the final instance, we operate within a class structure, and that structure exerts pressure on us to behave accordingly.

Solidarity with the Scarlett Letter Bookshop workers! Donate to their hardship fund at bit.ly/sc-let.