As Starbucks executives face a fierce grilling today in Parliament, UK Uncut has today announced a national day of action targeting Starbucks coffee stores in protest against the government's spending cuts that are hurting women. The announcement comes as top Starbucks executives face the Public Accounts Committee over recent exposes of the company's tax avoidance. Activists have chosen to target the company as a result of its tax avoidance; taxes they claim could fund public services currently being cut by the government. The action will see Starbucks stores transformed into refuges, crèches and homeless shelters to highlight the disproportionate impact of the government's spending cuts on women. The action will take place on Saturday 8 December, three days after the Chancellor's autumn statement when further spending cuts are expected to be announced. Sarah Greene, a UK Uncut activist said: It is an outrage that the government continues to let multinationals like Starbucks dodge millions in tax while vital services like refuges and rape crisis centres face the axe. It does not have to be this way. The government could easily bring in billions that could fund vital services by clamping down on tax dodging, but are instead making cuts that are forcing women to choose between motherhood and work, and trapping them in abusive relationships. Starbucks has come under fire after a Reuters investigation disclosed that the company had paid no UK corporation tax in the last three years, despite reporting sales of £1.2bn. The company was also reported to have filed accounts saying the companies UK operations were making a loss, while reporting strong UK profits to investors. Source: ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-title
