By Chris Ford, Industrial Workers of the World, London Regional Secretary - March 5, 1990.
Today after a long and high profile campaign the IWW secured a victory for our cleaner members mployed at Exchange Tower who will now be paid the London Living Wage of £8.30 per hour. For ten years many members have been earning poverty wages on the minimum wage.
The arrival of the IWW immediately set about changing this situation launching a campaign for the London Living Wage, this saw widespread publicity, a motion in Parliament, our members stood firm in the face of the intimidation of the management company Cashmens who also managed Heron Tower.
On March 8th IWW in Frankfurt and industrial unionists in Warsaw and Tokyo were planning solidarity demonstrations at the offices of the MGPA owners of Exchange Tower.
But the employers have conceded to the just demands of the workers.
Some of the traditional unions at Canary Wharf have abandoned cleaners - full-time officials declared 'you need to keep your head down in a recession'.
The IWW has continued to fight, organising the unorganised, the abandoned and the betrayed. At Reuters nearby IWW is engaged in another campaign for the London Living Wage and for the removal of a gang of a feral managers intimidating cleaners.
The gains at Exchange Tower send a clear message that solidarity wins justice in the workplace! Thank you to all our members and supporters.
