Dave Patterson, an electrician, who worked mostly overseas in places like Azerbaijan and Angola, died last night.

Dave joined the IWW before anybody else I know of in Scotland, before the Stevenson College branch of the 90s. He joined the Clydeside IWW, at its inception. He was born in Springboig, Glasgow, and as a teenager was involved in the formation of the National union of School Students in the mid 70s .He only rarely made meeting s& events due to his work, and his Scottish residence was south of Aberdeen.

He was a dual carder also in OILC. In the course of a year I would usually see him a few times, after attending different football matches or at the STUC Mayday. In 2011 he got married to Lucy, a nurse in Edinburgh. This year in May, he was absent. A mutual friend came up to me before the Clydeside IWW took part in the procession, to explain he had been diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable strain of cancer. A few days ago he was moved to a hospice in Gogar near Edinburgh.

This is a sad & sudden demise and in Scotland we mourn the loss of Dave, an unforgettable character. But knowing Dave and his affinity with the wobbly tradition, he would say – “Don’t Mourn, Organise!”

All fellow workers from across Scotland send our condolences to Dave’s family and friends.

Sunday, 5 May
May Day March and Rally
Assemble 11:30 am George Square, march off 12 noon; rally 02 Academy, Eglinton Street, organised by Glasgow Trades Union Congress
https://www.facebook.com/events/563174533716112/

Monday 6 May
Anti-Workfare Walk of Shame
Meet British Heart Foundation shop, 270 Sauchiehall Street, 12 noon, organised by the Crutch Collective, backed by Cydeside IWW, Glasgow Solidarity Federation, and Glasgow Anarchist Federation
https://www.facebook.com/events/187028154782756/?context=create

Friday 10 May
Presentation by IWW member and Glasgow Uni professor Ben Franks on his book ‘Between Anarchism and Marxism: the beginnings and ends of the schism’, Kinning Park Complex, discussion 6;30-8.30, social 8.30 onwards. Hosted by Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Clydeside IWW, Radical Independent Bookfair, and the Strickland Distribution
https://www.facebook.com/events/558999170798205/

Tuesday 14 May
Clydeside IWW monthly meeting
7 pm, Electron Club, 2nd floor CCA, Sauchiehall Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/308779775918655/

Wednesday 19 June
IWW Clydeside Public Meeting
7-9 pm, Glasgow Unitarians Meeting House, 72 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7DS, evening of short videos, round table presentation, group discussion, refreshments, chance to tell the world what we stand for and what we do! (with plenty of membership applications forms on-hand)
https://www.facebook.com/events/179626955528011/

Author of ‘Rebel Alliances: The Means and Ends of Contemporary British Anarchisms’ (2006), Benjamin Franks will be present to discuss his recent work, ‘Between Anarchism and Marxism: the beginnings and ends of the schism’ (2012), followed by a group discussion.

“The standard approach, endorsed by orthodox Marxists and many anarchists, is to see an irreconcilable difference between anarchism and Marxism. However, the historical record shows that whilst Marx opposed – and was opposed by – leading anarchists prior to 1917 there was considerable positive interaction between diverse Marxist and anarchist groups. The division between the two, viewed as fundamental, I argue, is in fact the product of a particular form of political structure that dominated the revolutionary-left in the last century. Now that these hierarchical forms of organisation have been discredited, rediscovered and revised forms of Marxism have arisen that, once again, actively engage with anarchism”.

Refreshments available though feel free to BYOB!

Hosted by Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Clydeside IWW, Radical Independent Bookfair, and The Strickland Distribution.

A4e is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Government welfare policy. In 2011 the company turnover was £180 million, 100% of which came from the public coffers. Out of this the bosses shared out £11 million between them. A4e have a catastrophic record of failing to meet even the paltry minimum targets set by the Department for Work and Pensions for finding people jobs on the workfare scheme, the Work Programme. You have more chance of finding a job without their bullying ‘back to work’ tactics. Not content with what amounts to the officially sanctioned scam of lucrative welfare to work contracts from their friends in Government there are numerous accusations of fraud against them, where records are apparently falsified, so that they can claim even more public money for not doing their job. They are further subsidised by the public by their use of mandatory unpaid labour within the company as well. The costs of Workfare are socialised while the profits are privatised.

We are asking everyone to make their voice heard once more. Contact A4e and complain about their involvement in Workfare.

The aim is to shut down their communications as much as possible in order to cause them disruption. They may not listen to individual complaints, but they will take notice when they can’t do their day-to-day activities for the sheer volume of complaints coming in! Be polite.

Email A4e: customerservices@a4e.co.uk
Head of Communications: kmccrory@a4e.co.uk
Media Relations Manager: jkerr@a4e.co.uk
Send secure email via: https://www.hushmail.com/

Like many chain stores, Superdrug, who made a £20 million profit last year, have been given a massive public subsidy, in the form of unemployed people working for nothing but their benefits on a workfare scheme. Superdrug suspended their participation in the Government’s ‘Work Experience’ workfare scheme earlier in the year after Tesco was picketed and received a lot of bad publicity for using the same scheme, but Superdrug began using the scheme again from at least June.

This scheme is not only an attack on the unemployed, who are bullied on to the nominally voluntary scheme by Job Centre Plus, or are forced on to other workfare schemes for refusing to take part in ‘work experience’ that mostly involves stacking shelves for 30 hours a week for up to 8 weeks, and who face sanctions i.e. having their benefits cut in certain circumstances, while on the scheme. It is also a direct attack on Superdrug workers – replacing paid jobs, holiday pay & ending temporary posts.

Superdrug will no longer be taking on temporary staff to deal with the busy Christmas period. Rather than hire extra workers, Superdrug will be taking on more people on ‘Work Experience’ – workers Superdrug still don’t have to pay. Not only will this impact on those being exploited as unpaid labour, but on students & others who rely on holiday work.

The same number of people will be doing the same amount of work – but thanks to workfare, Superdrug can replace paid workers with unpaid ones. Once again, the lies of the government and businesses, claiming that workfare is a way to help people back into work, are exposed. The exact opposite is true – workfare is a job destruction scheme.

We call on Superdrug to end this exploitation and withdraw immediately from all workfare programmes. Any workers now working unpaid should be hired straight away.

The best way to end the iniquity of workfare is to directly affect the profits of the companies exploiting it. We have shown that it works – join us doing the same to Superdrug! Until Superdrug gives in, help us in fighting this attack on all workers’ terms and conditions.

The picket is part of a ‘Boycott Workfare’ National Day Of Action. They have information on other High Street stores that use workfare on their website:
http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment: a group of benefit claimants and supporters in Glasgow:
http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/

Supported by Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clydeside-IWW/216550781713688?fref=ts

The starting time of the Superdrug Workfare picket is 11 a.m. as some places online are saying that the Starbucks demo starts at 12 noon and some people want to go on to the Starbucks demo after the picket and the 2nd workfare picket!
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/941
http://www.facebook.com/events/512984508719380/
14:00 British Heart Foundation Furniture shop, Argyle Street.

There’s a petition “British Medical Association & Interserve PLC: Pay Your Cleaners the London Living Wage!” on Change.org.
Please sign here!

Outsourced John Lewis cleaners have won an immediate and backdated 9% pay rise following their pledge of industrial action. The increase, backdated 5 months, takes their pay to £6.72 per hour at three central London sites, and £6.50 at one outer London site. Supervisors will now get £8.00 per hour and £7.84 respectively.

United in the IWW trade union, the cleaners notified their employer, ICM, last week of the trade dispute and impending ballot for industrial action. This ballot could have seen visible and noisy industrial action by cleaners at four John Lewis sites in London in the run up to Christmas.

John Lewis has seen pre-Christmas profits increase on last year already. The company are proud of their partnership structure, where all staff are ‘partners’ who share in the company’s profits.

But John Lewis’ cleaning contract is outsourced to MML, who outsource it again to ICM. The cleaners have seen their hours reduce and workload increase, while they were paid minimum wage of £6.19 – and they don’t share in the profits.

This increase, including a backdated lump sum just before Christmas, will make a real difference to our members’ lives. ICM further pledged to look at the potential to pay a Living Wage of £8.55 as they enter contract talks early in 2013.

IWW National Secretary Frank Syratt said:

“It is our members’ unity, solidarity and courageous stance that has won this increase. They are an inspiration and a lesson to other workers”

“There is still work to do. John Lewis needs to ensure all their workers – whether partners or outsourced – take home a Living Wage of £8.55 and receive full sick pay, lifting them out of poverty and insecurity. IWW pledges to continue organising and campaigning to make this happen”.

Contact: south@iww.org.uk for more information.

1. For details of the trade dispute, please see the press release of Monday 12th November, which can be found at www.iww.org.uk.
2. The new London Living Wage rate of £8.55 (£7.45 outside London) was announced recently by Mayor Boris Johnson during Living Wage week hosted by the Living Wage Foundation and KPMG. In the same week it was announced that 5 million workers (1 in 5) in the UK do not earn a Living Wage, the minimum amount necessary to live properly on.
3. IWW cleaner members, employed by ICM and working at John Lewis Oxford Street took strike action in August 2012 demanding a Living Wage and an end to hours cuts. They stopped hours cuts and won an increase from £6.08 p/h to £6.72 p/h.
4. Photographs of the previous strike at Oxford Street are available from Peter Marshall at http://www.demotix.com/users/peter-marshall/profile

Gordon Street Co-Op Bank and Co-Op store

Sat 24/11: Anti-Racism March

Annual event, 10:30 for 11:00 start, Glasgow Green

Sat 24/11: Glasgow’s Radical Independent Book-fair project…

10:00-17:00 Radisson Blu Hotel, 1st Floor lobby, Argyle Street (near Central Station)
Mini stall at Radical Independence Conference (note although there is an entry charge for the Conference -
the RiB stall will be outside the main hall and therefore access to it is free).

More events to come… watch this space.

First Session:
11-12.50 Industrial Union networks for Scotland – education, health, Public service etc.

1. How to go about it & general objectives, way of operating; for 40 minutes;
2. Break into sub groups for 40 minutes, 610 Health; 620 education, 650 Office Public/Private and others.
3. Convene back for 30 minutes to finalise, network coordinators, goals & communication means.

Lunch [hot & cold] 12.50 – 1.40 at venue.
Second Session:
1.40 – 3.30 The Precarious world of work & organising
The Issue of Precarity, as capitalism favours casualisation, part-time work and insecurity in the workplace, is to understand what is going on, how to map it and fight back/organise to counter it. Invites to precarious workers and related initiatives
3.30-3.50 Tea and comfort break
Third Session:
3.50-5.40 – From the Bottom Up, strategy to resist cuts in services, and mobilise community and workplace opposition, which goes beyond gesture politics of Trade Union leaders and Parties. A panel of invited contributors [from within IWW, claimants groups and radical Trade Unionists] to  give 5 minute statements before opening out for discussion.
This session was advertised in leaflet distributed 20th October Demo.

5.45-5.50 Closing remarks by Chair and evacuate room, take away stalls etc. [by 6pm at latest, possible retiring to pub for refreshment]
central-scot@iww.org.uk
clydeside@iww.org.uk

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clydeside-IWW/