Showing posts with label rent strike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rent strike. Show all posts

Wednesday 21 June 2023

Rebellion.

 

                                                 Image courtesy of Daily Record.

        Over the centuries Glasgow has been a city of rebellion as workers fought for decent wages and conditions, the poor and unemployed fought for some form of help. In a lot of these actions there was confrontation with the military and on occasions fatalities. Today we face mass poverty, food banks, an education system on its knees, a social care system that has evaporated before our eyes and a health system that by all modern standards is not fit for purpose. Meanwhile large corporations are making billions in profits and handing out excessive bonuses to shareholder. There are striking workers in all section of our society in an attempt to stop this greed driven grossly unfair distribution of society's wealth, wealth created by the workers. What brought the citizens of Glasgow to turn to rebellion in those past centuries, what element is missing now that stops us from demanding more and taking to the streets to take what is rightfully ours? Will Glasgow and other cities once again become cities of rebellion, the conditions are there, poverty, grossly unfair distribution of wealth, draconian legislation preventing us from taking our grievances to the street in protest. How much further will we allow our society to sink before we cry out, enough is enough.

                                                     Image courtesy of BBC.

          Some date of past rebellions in the city of Glasgow. To read about these and more of Glasgow's past go to https://spiritofrevolt.info and click on "STRUGGLEPEDIA"

1706 The Union
1706 Against the Union
1787 Calton Weavers Strike
15th February 1800
1812 Weavers Strike
6th March 1848
1915 Rent Strikes
1919 'Forty Hour Week’ Strike

 

                                                   Image courtesy of BBC

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Friday 16 August 2019

Be Proud Of Our History, And Carry It Forward.

      History tells us that the struggle of the ordinary people has always been the only means by which they gain anything in the quality of life. To date this struggle has been endless, and will continue to be so until we finally take control of our own lives, free from the throttling and exploitative hand of state and capitalism. 
      The people of Glasgow have a rich and varied history of struggle through the ages, and that struggle still continues. We should remember those who took up the baton before us, we owe them much, and we should be proud to take up that baton of struggle today, it is our only way to a free and just society.
      To the memory of those valiant working class warriors of the past I will repeat a post I wrote in March 2015, I think it is important that we realise that today's problems are not something new, but are part of that same struggle our forefathers fought and we continue today, a struggle for a just society.
   The citizens of Glasgow have always been a rebellious bunch, like other large cities across the UK, they have been involved in a long struggle to improve their conditions, and sometimes that struggle has been bitter and violent. You could say Glasgow has been a City of Rebellion, from the union in 1706, we had anti-union riots, and many more after that, some being violently put down, there was the 1725 Malt Tax riots, Feb 1800 crowds breaking into shops, and the troops called to quell their anger, 1812 the weavers strike, and so it goes on, with other protests and riots in between. However, today March 6th. marks the 167th, anniversary of the Glasgow food riots, back then society hadn't the safety valve of "food banks".
     The trouble started when the mass unemployed were expecting some sort of handout of provisions, which never materialised. The angry and starving crowds started marching through the main streets in the city centre, smashing their way into food shops, and went further, starting breaking into gun shops. The entire city centre came to a standstill all business closed. By now the starving angry and armed crowds were covering the city centre marching and shouting, "bread or revolution". 
     The authorities read the "riot act", the crowds were spreading into other districts of the city, breaking in to any food shop they came across. The city fathers called on more troops troops from Edinburgh. March 7th. crowds again gather in Bridgeton, a young boy threw something at the troops and was arrested. However the crowd were not having that, stormed the troops and rescued the young boy. It was then that Police Superintendent, a Captain Smart, gave the order to open fire, in the ensuing minutes, five of the crowd were shot, also a police officer was shot in the cross fire. For some days after this event crowds still lined the streets, however every public office in the city was securely guarded by troops.
       And so the struggle goes on, the rent strike 1915, the Upper Clyde work-in, 1971/72. In between the bitter and sometime violent struggles we have had an endless catalogue of smaller battles, but never the less important, and part of our history, a history that proves that it is only the ordinary people who carry forward this struggle for a better world for all, against an elite of rich and powerful, that will do their damnedest to hold on to their privileged position. So let's not forget those who challenged that elite, at times with great personal sacrifice and on occasions, death.
Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Saturday 4 August 2018

Rent Strike, A Well Tested And Tried Working Class Weapon.

          Mention "rent strike" in Glasgow and you will get a response of 1915. However the rent strike is not just a part of history of working class struggles from the past, it is still a valid weapon in the armoury of the ordinary people. It is encouraging to see it is still alive and functioning well. This report is from Canada, but I'm sure across the globe, the rent strike is a powerful weapon being used against the greed of landlords and their policy of gentrification.
      This from It's Going Down:
         What follows is a call to support the Flemingdon Park rent strike, yet another rent strike popping off in so-called Ontario in Canada.
BACKGROUND
        On August 1st more than 200 tenants at 31-35 St. Dennis Drive will withhold their rent. Rent strikers demand Minto Properties withdraws its application to raise rent above the guideline. Despite serious and persistent disrepair in the building, Minto wants to raise tenants’ rent by $180 over three years. This would mean that every month Minto would take $70,000 more in rents from the pockets of tenants in the building.
           Minto bought the building 31-35 St. Dennis Drive last year. The company anticipates rising rents in the area with the arrival of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The landlord is now beginning to price out working class and immigrant tenants, renovate units, and raise rents even higher. The building is owned by Roger Greenberg, one of Canada’s richest 100 people in 2018.
           31-35 St. Dennis is home to many immigrant families. More than half the residents are Roma people from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Roma people who are new to the country after having fled persecution at home are once more being threatened with displacement.
For more information please contact: stdennistenants@gmail.com
CALL AND WRITE TO MINTO

Phone Script:

            I’m calling to demand that Minto immediately withdraw its application to raise rent above the guideline at 31-35 St. Dennis. Should you choose to ignore tenants’ demands, you will face further action from tenants and community members who support them.

Email Example:


Rob Pike,
            I am writing in support of rent strikers at 31-35 St. Dennis Drive. I demand Minto immediately withdraw its application to raise rent above the guideline at 31-35 St. Dennis.
           Minto’s bid to price working class and immigrant tenants out of their homes will not go unopposed. Should you ignore your tenants’ demands you will face further action against your company by tenants and we community members who support them.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXX

Contacts:

Rob Pike
President of Minto Properties
rpike@minto.com

George Van Noten
VP Property Operations (Ottawa)
613.230.7051
GVanNoten@minto.com

Amanda Mitchell
VP Marketing and Communications
416-301-0017
amitchell@minto.com

Michael Kidd
Regional Manager
647-255-3466
mkidd@minto.com

           *Minto is a member of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers (FRPO), the Ontario landlords’ association. Rob Pike of Minto sits on FRPO’s Board of Directors. Please cc Daryl Chong of FRPO on your emails *

Daryl Chong
Interim President & CEO
416-385-1100 ext.20
president@frpo.org

RENT STRIKE DEFENSE FUND

            The Flemingdon Park rent strikers are not only up against their predatory landlord, Minto Properties; they will also have to contend with Landlord and Tenant Board. Far from a fair and even arbiter of landlord-tenant disputes, the Board is a veritable eviction factory – 90% of the Orders it makes each year are for vacant possession of tenants’ homes.
              If Minto drags hundreds of rent strikers to the Board, they will need a defense fund. The Board may require each rent striker to pay Minto’s eviction application filing fee of $190. It is the Board’s practice to apply these fees as a punitive measure against tenants.
      For information on how you can donate please contact stdennistenants@gmail.com. A donation of $190 sponsors one rent striker, ensuring they have their eviction fee covered going forward. If you’re a union member or a member of another organization interested in making a larger donation.
Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Wednesday 18 November 2015

A Wet And Windy Walk Of Pride.


       Glasgow's Walk of Pride, yesterday, November 17th. was not as well attended as we would have liked, nor did as many people turn up that said they would. Perhaps the weather had something to do with that, as it was dreadful, cold, windy and wet. Never the less, all in all about 20 people braved the Scottish crap weather, and Walked with Pride, carrying their banners and making the symbolic noise of an odd racquet and whistle, down to the City Chambers in George Square. So marking that wonderful working class victory won in 1915, 

         A big thank you to all those who left the comfort of their home and braved the lousy Scottish November, and a thank you to all those who helped organise the event. 
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Sunday 15 November 2015

Glasgow's Walk Of Pride.


        A rallying call, for this Tuesday, 17th. November, 12 noon, this is not a protest march, it is a Walk of Pride, a chance for all Glaswegians to show their pride in their parents and grandparents. In the struggles that they fought, the poverty and repression they endured with solidarity and dignity. The battles they won, against all the odds. November 1915 saw the rent strike victory over the greed of landlords, forcing the government of the day to introduce The Rent Restriction Act, freezing rents across the whole of the UK, until the end of the war.
       This was no mean victory, it took the combined determination and solidarity of all the women in the districts of Glasgow and Clydeside, combined with the unstinting support of the workers in the shipyards and factories of Clydeside.
       Let's hold our heads high, show our pride in that spirit of solidarity, and determination that built an unbeatable working class army of ordinary people. Let's make it a fun day, let's celebrate our history, our culture. Come along in your groups, families, friends and neighbours. Bring your noise with you, let's create that noise that rallied the women of the time to come out and face down the sheriff officers. Bring pots, pans, whistles, drums, racquets, banners and music. Let's walk with pride, it's our history, a history of solidarity. 
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk


Sunday 8 November 2015

Entertainment, Information, Education, Fun.




      Glasgow, great city that it is, always something going on, at the moment we have the Spirit of Revolt exhibition, The Rent strike, 100 years On”, taking place in the Mitchell Library foyer, running until November 28th. Following on from that we have an eight day festival of events from, “The Only Way Is Ethics”, running from November 29th. To December 6th. This festival has a myriad of events, so I'm sure you will find one or more to grab your interest. If I were to pick a couple that I will certainly be at, then it would be, “Banner Tales of Glasgow” December 1st, Free, from 6pm-9pm. Film, Live Music and Conversation. The other, a must, would be Wednesday 2nd December, “The Man Who Never Died” a Joe Hill Song Night, Live Music, 17:30-23:00, this is shaping up to be a fantastic night, £7, £4 un-waged. Both these events will take place in The Old Hairdressers, 27 Renfield Lane Glasgow G2 6PH. It's events like this that let's us take the council's sterile slogan, “People Make Glasgow” and turn it into a truth, the real people make the real Glasgow.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Monday 26 October 2015

Rent Strike Exhibition, Glasgow.

        Small correction regarding the coming Spirit of Revolt exhibition on The Rent Strike, 100 years on, being held in the Mitchell Library main foyer. The exhibition will start on November 2nd. as stated, but will close Saturday 28th. November, not the 29th. as previously stated, as the Mitchell Library is closed on Sundays. Sorry for the misinformation. Hope to see you all there with your comments and chat.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Friday 6 March 2015

Workers Know Your History, Glasgow's 1848 Food Riots.

      The citizens of Glasgow have always been a rebellious bunch, like other large cities across the UK, they have been involved in a long struggle to improve their conditions, and sometimes that struggle has been bitter and violent. You could say Glasgow has been a City of Rebellion, from the union in 1706, we had anti-union riots, and many more after that, some being violently put down, there was the 1725 Malt Tax riots, Feb 1800 crowds breaking into shops, and the troops called to quell their anger, 1812 the weavers strike, and so it goes on, with other protests and riots in between. However, today March 6th. marks the 167th, anniversary of the Glasgow food riots, back then society hadn't the safety valve of "food banks".
     The trouble started when the mass unemployed were expecting some sort of handout of provisions, which never materialised. The angry and starving crowds started marching through the main streets in the city centre, smashing their way into food shops, and went further, starting breaking into gun shops. The entire city centre came to a standstill all business closed. By now the starving angry and armed crowds were covering the city centre marching and shouting, "bread or revolution". 
     The authorities read the "riot act", the crowds were spreading into other districts of the city, breaking in to any food shop they came across. The city fathers called on more troops troops from Edinburgh. March 7th. crowds again gather in Bridgeton, a young boy threw something at the troops and was arrested. However the crowd were not having that, stormed the troops and rescued the young boy. It was then that Police Superintendent, a Captain Smart, gave the order to open fire, in the ensuing minutes, five of the crowd were shot, also a police officer was shot in the cross fire. For some days after this event crowds still lined the streets, however every public office in the city was securely guarded by troops.
       And so the struggle goes on, the rent strike 1915, the Upper Clyde work-in, 1971/72. In between the bitter and sometime violent struggles we have had an endless catalogue of smaller battles, but never the less important, and part of our history, a history that proves that it is only the ordinary people who carry forward this struggle for a better world for all, against an elite of rich and powerful, that will do their damnedest to hold on to their privileged position. So let's not forget those who challenged that elite, at times with great personal sacrifice and on occasions, death.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Thursday 8 May 2014

Failed System.


      The fight against injustice has never gone away, it is part and parcel of the exploitative system of capitalism. Throughout the years people have struggled, organised and fought bitter battles, demanding a fair and just society for all. In Glasgow, we can go back to 1787, the Calton Weavers strike where the weavers of that area  organised to fight the continuing erosion of their living standards, and in the usual attempt at repression, the powers that be were responsible for the deaths of at least six strikers. 1915, the Glasgow Rent strike, a fight to stop the landlords from squeezing the last drop of sustenance from their tenants.  Since then nothing has really changed, we are still fighting the continuing erosion of our living standards, the bedroom tax, zero hour contracts, workfare slave labour and sanctions, the removal of disability allowance from the most vulnerable in our society, and a continuing erosion of wages and working conditions.


         Centuries of bitter struggles just to keep some semblance of decency, while the employing class get richer and richer. Surely by now we should have realised that the system doesn't work in our favour, it can't be modified to work for the benefit of all our people, it has to be scrapped, shoved in the dustbin of history, relegated to the category of man's greatest folly. It has to be replaced by a system that sees to the needs of all our people, a system based on co-operation, mutual aid and sustainability, free from the corrosive motive of profit. We have to do it ourselves, by organising within our communities  mechanisms that circumvent the existing capitalist structures. The help wont come from those already in power, they are doing just fine and are loathed to change anything. The system will only crumble and die when we decide we have had enough, of this endless exploitation and bitter struggle.



Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Rent Strike, Miners' Strike And All That.


    Recently we had a French comrade visit the UK, and while touring and talking he also interviewed some of the local comrades. He has now put together those interviews in French and English, and they make interesting reading. The English version can be read HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Monday 27 May 2013

The Brutal Bedroom Tax.

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        Iain Duncan Smith's arrogant bedroom tax, a plan to push people into the “right” size of house, according to his Orwellian formula of age and sex of children and “spare” bedrooms, is starting to produce the horrors that were predicted. Because of this dictatorial policy, we have already had one suicide, and tens of thousands of the poorest people in the UK are at risk of being forced into homelessness. According to information from 107 local authorities, 86,000 households have been forced to seek one bedroom accommodation, while in the last year only 33,000 were available. Here in Scotland, the district of Inverclyde is looking at a disaster. The council has stated that 1,100 households would be required to move to single bedroom accommodation, while only 96 were available last year.
      These families are having to take a 14% cut in their housing benefit until they find the “right” size one bedroom accommodation. A 14% cut in housing benefit to some of the most vulnerable people in our society, because of a policy that can't be implemented, is surely a brutal vindictive criminal act. The forced moving is brutal enough, but being forced to move when there is no where to move, and being hit by a cut in your housing benefit while waiting for that mythical one bedroom home, has no place in a civilised society. This policy is typical of the attitude of this millionaire cabal who are still living in the era of the landed gentry and “their” peasants, you and I, are their peasants and are not seen as “real” people. A home to them is a matter of their choice, a home to us peasants is a privilege for which we should be forever grateful. This millionaire cabal's answer to the problem is that, they don't have to move, they could take in a lodger, get employment or work extra hours.
      This callous shuffling of people to suit some economic grand plan, requires to be met with the same determination and organisation that won the 1915 rent strike, the same unity and solidarity the beat the 1989/90 poll tax. The bedroom tax is an ill conceived, unfair policy that will no nothing but cause misery and distress to thousands of families. This will affect whole communities as it will force the break up of families and force them out of homes and communities where they have lived for years. It can and must be beaten. Get organised, speak to your local anarchist federation, this is every bodies fight.

ann arky's home.

Monday 2 July 2012

WORKERS KNOW YOUR HISTORY -GLASGOW'S BLOODY FRIDAY.


THE RENT STRIKE TO BLOODY FRIDAY, 1919.
GLASGOW’S BLOODY FRIDAY 1919.
       Like all the events in political struggle it is difficult to trace the thread back to what brought it to this stage, Bloody Friday 1919 is no different. This was not just an attack on a large demonstration in Glasgow, it was the culmination of a series of radical events in Glasgow and the Clydeside area where the state showed its brutality. Perhaps we could even take it back to the 18th century and the radicals like Thomas Muir and others. However we can certainly take it back to the rent strikes of the first world war, the forming of the Labour Withholding Committee, (LWC) The Clyde Workers Committee (CWC) and the political climate of that period.
THE RENT STRIKE.
       In pre First World War Glasgow there were a large number of empty houses, by the year 1915 all were occupied by incoming workers to the munitions and allied war industry trades. A shortage of workers and materials saw a lack of maintenance and the housing stock deteriorate rapidly. At the beginning of the war the landlords tried to implement large rent increases, at the receiving end of this were 7,000 pensioners and families whose men were fighting in France. This brought about the formation of the "Glasgow Women's Housing Association" and many other local "Women's Housing Associations" to resist the increases. A variety of peaceful activities were used to prevent evictions and drive out the Sheriff's officers. There were constant meetings in an attempt to be one step ahead of the Sheriff's officers. All manner of communication was used to summon help, everything from drums, bells, trumpets and anything that could be used to create a warning sound to rally supporters, who were mainly women as the men were at work in the yards and factories at these times. They would then indulge in cramming into closes and stairs to prevent the entry of the Sheriff's officers and so prevent them from carrying out their evictions. They also used little paper bags of flour, peasmeal and whiting as missiles directed at the bowler hatted officers. These activities culminated on the 17th of November 1915 with the massive demonstration and march of thousands through the city streets and on to the Glasgow Sheriff's Court. The size of the demonstration caused the Sheriff at the court to phone the Prime Minister of the day, this resulted in the immediate implementation of the "1915 Rent Restriction Act" which benefited tenants across the country.
THE LABOUR WITHHOLDING COMMITTEE.
        This happened in a time of war, so it was obvious that by 1915 Glasgow and Clydeside had a very large class oriented militant grassroots movement and had forced the Government on this occasion to act in their favour. The rent strike was mainly a women’s organisation but the men were proving to be just as militant in the workplaces. Around the same time in 1915 during a prolonged period of considerable economic hardship for most industrial workers, Clydeside engineering employers refused workers demands for a wage increase. The insatiable demand for war munitions had lead to a rapid rise in inflation and a savage attack on the living standards of the working class. Workers were demanding wage increases to offset these repressive conditions. At this time Weir’s of Cathcart was paying workers brought over from their American plant, 6/- shillings a week more than workers in their Glasgow plant.
      The dispute between workers and management at Weir’s rapidly escalated into strike action. The strike was organised by a strike committee named the Labour Withholding Committee (LWC). This committee comprised of rank and file trade union members and shop stewards. It was they who remained in control of the strike rather than the officials from the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE).
      The strike started in February 1915 and lasted almost 3 weeks. At its peak 10,000 members of the ASE from 8 separate engineering works were on strike throughout Clydeside. The officials from the ASE denounced the strike and backed the government’s demands to resume work. It was this double pressure from the government and their own trade union that drove the workers from the various engineering works in Glasgow to form the LWC to give the workers a voice and to organise the strike to their wishes.
      Although the strikers demands were not met, its importance is in the fact of it forming the LWC. A committee formed from rank and file union members that determined policy in the work place and refused to follow the directives from union officials when those directives conflicted with the demands of that rank and file.
THE MUNITIONS ACT.
      The government alarmed by the February 1915 strike, summoned trade union leaders to a special conference. The result of this conference being the now notorious Treasury Agreement. The outcome of which was that all independent union rights and conditions including the right to strike, were abandoned for the duration of the war. It also allowed the employers to “dilute” labour. Meaning they could employ unskilled labour in skilled jobs to compensate for the growing labour shortage, due to the every increasing demand for munitions and the endless slaughter of young men at the front. The Munitions Act also made strikes illegal and restrictions of output a criminal offence. The Munitions Act also allowed for the setting up of Munitions Tribunals to deal with any transgressions of the act.