The next Scottish Assembly is on Sunday, March 23rd from 1:15pm to 6:30 at the Friend’s Meeting House in Glasgow.

The Summer Assembly is an all-scotland IWW dayschool and organising event, open to both IWW members and non-members. This year we have workshops on:

* Organsing your workplace
* Getting the message out
* Problems and solutions at work
* The National Blood Service and what you can do to save it

There will also be an introductory session on what the IWW is, and a discussion session on what our tactics should be for IWW growth within Scotland. A late lunch will be provided, and a social is planned for afterwards.

If you have any questions either leave them as a comment here, or email iwwscotland@gmail.com

From the Greenock Telegraph: http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=1&id=16826

Hospital Workers Back IRH Strike

by Lorraine Tinney

HOSPITAL workers at Inverclyde Royal have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over car parking charges.

A staggering 87 per cent of staff across Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board said they would walk out if tolls aren’t scrapped. Unison held a postal ballot to crank up pressure on health secretary Nicola Sturgeon to reverse her decision to charge staff up to £7 a day for using hospital car parks.

The strike vote means that up to 1,000 union members at Inverclyde Royal including nurses, porters and lab technicians could bring the hospital to a standstill.

Raymond O’Donoghue, unison divisional convener in Inverclyde, said: “This shows the strength of opinion over charges that so many workers would go on strike.

“Staff do not want this and the public certainly don’t want it.

“It is very hard to get people to vote in postal ballots and there was a 40 per cent turnout which means around 6,000 voted which is phenomenal.”

But he stressed that patients wouldn’t suffer if staff did walk out.

He said: “We would take sensible action – we are not in the business of hurting patients. Strike action is always a last resort.”

Unison bosses also collected 1,000 printed letters signed by staff and the public in Inverclyde objecting to proposals and took them through to Edinburgh yesterday to hand over in person to the health secretary.

A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “It is disappointing that Unison would threaten patient care by balloting for strike action.

“Unison nationally is already part of a Government and NHS led review of hospital car parking across Scotland and it therefore seems inappropriate timing to ballot for local strike action. This however, is a matter for the local branch of Unison.

“It would be interesting to find out exactly who has been balloted in this case as it appears that many staff, based on sites where parking charges are already in effect, have not been balloted.

“Our primary objective is to ensure that patients, visitors and staff who need a car to carry out vital NHS duties can park at our hospitals when they need to. As an employer we have no obligation to offer all staff free parking without any constriction.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is fully complying with national Scottish guidance to NHS Boards on car parking charges and we are doing nothing different from other NHS organisations faced with the same problems on their busy hospital sites.”

Clydeside GMB has began distributing the following posters to raise attention to the ongoing struggles of hospital staff who are being charged extortionate fees as a result of a swingeing decision by Greater Glasgow Healthboard to charge hospital staff and patients alike for parking at hospitals. The money being earned from the parking charges is not going into funding better public transport to hospitals or supporting staff to get to and from work, and is not specially earmarked for a specific purpose or for investment. The Healthboard has been open about the fact that it sees this as just another source of revenue. Despite a government review being ordered into the decision and a consultative ballot on the issue the Healthboard has stated it has no intention of dropping the charges. This is a tax on hospital workers, and the IWW aims to support workers fighting the charges by highlighting the issue and trying to bring others to register their support and get involved. We all benefit from the NHS. Attacks on hard working healthcare workers are attacks on the NHS itself. They must be stopped, for all of our benefit. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Healthcare Workers (IU 610 workers), Clydeside GMB.

car-bank2.pdf

parking-tax2.pdf

>> Printable fliers in a pdf <<

 V - I - C - T - O - R - Y- ! - ! - !

Posted [on Herald forum] by: Jim McFarlane, Glasgow on 12:21pm today…

The Scottish Exec may take the credit but it was the grassroots campaign of students & workers at Crichton backed up by the UCU and IWW (industrial Workers of the World) which kept the issue alive and refused to accept Muir Russell’s plans, which created the possibility of this decision being reversed

The Scottish Exec may take the credit but it was the grassroots campaign of students & workers at Crichton backed up by the UCU and IWW (industrial Workers of the World) which kept the issue alive and refused to accept Muir Russell’s plans, which created the possibility of this decision being reversed

THOUSANDS of Glasgow postal workers walked out of delivery offices today in a dramatic escalation of industrial action.

Strike-hit Royal Mail was plunged into deeper chaos after 13 workers who had refused to cross a picket line were sent home and union officials claim up to 5000 colleagues walked out in support of them.

Around 1100 staff at the Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn were already on official strike today and the wildcat action added to the disruption.

The Communications Workers Union claims a deal was offered to bosses which would have averted the unofficial action but it was rejected.

Local Glasgow public sector disputes intensify…The Glasgow Evening Times reports:-

SOCIAL workers could join an indefinite strike affecting some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable children and adults.

Unison has begun the process of balloting 1000 social workers about a mid-August stoppage which would hit frontline services hard.

The move comes as an indefinite strike by 600 social care workers over new pay and gradings enters its second week.

Social workers are being asked to absorb some of the workload but many are thought to back their colleagues’ plight.

advertisement

Unqualified social care workers manage cases for children at risk, prisoners, methadone users and the homeless.

Services have been plunged into chaos and the situation is only likely to worsen. Brian Smith, Unison social work secretary said: “The ballot process is under way and it will close in about ten days’ time.

“A strike by social workers would be planned for the middle of August.”

Speaking at an unofficial rally in George Square yesterday Mr Smith added: “This would have the effect of closing down all the services which are being hit by the strike at the moment.”

Social care worker Tricia Billsland, from Baillieston, said: “I have worked in social work for 30 years. I’m disgusted by what’s happening.

“I’m losing about £1000 a year. It’s a breach of promise.”

Crisis talks between Unison and Glasgow City Council took place yesterday but so far there is no sign of a breakthough.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said today: “A meeting took place yesterday between the chief executive and depute director of social work and representatives of the union. A further meeting is scheduled for tomorrow and both sides are committed to finding a solution.”

Publication date 31/07/07

HUNDREDS of striking social care workers in Glasgow today staged a massive unofficial rally.

Around 500 defiant staff gathered at lunchtime in George Square after council chiefs refused their request to hold a demonstration.

The move came as the strike, over controversial gradings and pay structures, entered its second week.

Public sector union Unison said the high turnout reflected the solid support for the dispute among the social care staff in Glasgow City Council.

Unison social work secretary Brian Smith said: “The City Chambers is the place to come to show your displeasure towards Glasgow City Council. However, the council said we had not given them enough notice and our request to stage a demonstration was turned down.

“We decided to try and get all our members to meet in George Square for lunch.

“Hopefully the level of support that we have seen today will send another clear message to the council.”

Social care worker Jackie Ritchie said: “We felt it was important to come today. We all do valuable jobs and it’s time that was recognised.”

And Tricia Billsland from Baillieston added: “I have worked in social work for 30 years and I’m absolutely disgusted by what’s happening.

“I’m losing about £1000 a year. It’s breach of promise.”

Union leaders and council chiefs were meeting again this afternoon in the latest bid to resolve the dispute, which has disrupted lifeline services for pensioners, youngsters and drug addicts.

From The Herald, 11/07/07

Bruised and battered after an epic 100-mile protest hike, a group of students arrived at Glasgow University yesterday to confront Principal Sir Muir Russell and were greeted by news their campus could be saved.

The students made the five-day walk from Dumfries to Glasgow, protesting against a decision to halt undergraduate admissions at Crichton Campus. Glasgow University, facing an £800,000 financial deficit, decided to withdraw its undergraduate liberal arts courses, with immediate effect.

In protest, the group of students - several of them parents - set off from Crichton Campus, Dumfries, last Thursday at 9.30am and finally arrived at the university’s main gate yesterday at 12.30pm.

Sir Muir was presented with a selection of essays by Crichton students explaining why they believed Glasgow University must continue there, and a drawing of the Rutherford McCowan Building by local artist Hugh Bryden, who supports their campaign.

The presentation was made by six-year-old Caidhn Downes, son of walk leader Wendy Downes, 33, a single mother, who completed the trek in time to graduate today with an honours degree in liberal arts.

Caidhn said to Sir Muir: “These people have done a really long walk, so please can you keep the Crichton Campus open?”

A review is currently in place, led by the Scottish Funding Council, which allocates resources to universities and colleges, to develop a new funding strategy which will allow undergraduate teaching to recommence at Crichton in future.

Sir Muir told the walkers he was still hopeful that a more immediate solution could be found.

He said: “We were highly disappointed when the Scottish Funding Council was not able to help us eliminate our funding deficit, but we are now in new discussions with stakeholders and I am hopeful we can find a funding strategy which will allow us to break even.

“Since the election, there has been a change in the political situation which has thrown some weight back on us continuing to offer undergraduate arts courses there.

“The ball is now in the court of the funding council and the minister to find a way of solving this.”

Ms Downes, limping from an knee injury sustained on the walk, added: “One day, Caidhn may well follow me to Crichton, so I hope his presentation will emphasise how important Glasgow University is to the future educational wellbeing of young people in the region. The walk was very difficult. At times, we all felt like giving up but we are determined to let the principal know how strongly we feel.”

Her fellow marcher, and parent, Eryl Shields, 46, said the 20-mile-a-day hike had been “very arduous”. She added: “At least once a day, I thought I cannot go on but I had to continue - we all felt we had to do something very powerful to emphasise just how important Crichton is to the people of Dumfries.”

Another marcher, Crichton graduate Victoria Pyle, 22, from Edinburgh, said she hoped the march would help “reconnect” the two Glasgow University campuses.

She said: “We may be in two different places but we are one institution. Crichton is a fundamental part of Glasgow University. It is a common misconception Crichton is full of Dumfries locals who were rejected from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

“I chose Crichton for its peaceful campus and its reputation for research excellence. It led me to an excellent job in politics as an information researcher.

“People don’t understand the value of Crichton until they experience it for themselves.”

The demonstrators were backed by Alasdair Morgan, MSP for Galloway & Upper Nithsdale.

He said: “I am here because I support the marchers. Glasgow was core to the set-up of Crichton and it has delivered great success so far.

“There is no rational educational argument for Glasgow to leave Crichton. South-west Scotland is deprived of higher education facilities.

“We need not just technical courses but also arts degrees, and Glasgow is key to that.

“There is a review under way and hopefully we will hear something positive in September. It may be a U-turn but politicians are used to doing U-turns. When you make a mistake, it is good to own up to it.”