Industrial Workers of the world iww.org.uk

Spotting Bullying

Bullies tend to surround themselves with supporters and spies while cultivating allies in senior management. They create rivalries in the workplace, bringing out the worst in people as they try to be ‘in’ with the bully. Being bullied makes people feel vulnerable, isolated and frustrated, and may lead to stress related illnesses. It affects relationships with family and friends.

I have just joined the IWW and look forward to taking part in things. We have members in my area (north west Wales). We hope to get enough to start a branch eventually. We have just set up a website http://union-wales.org/iww.html

When the fat cat city ‘bankers’, stock broker, financial whiz kids and economists: the people who really run the country, the people who determine government policy on the economy and public spending (or lack of) and taxation, the people who cream off obscene personal fortunes for them selves and their rich buddies, when they get into a crisis as is inevitable, all of a sudden we have a bottomless pit of tax payers money available to bail them out.

The second edition of IWW Education Workers Industrial Union's occasional freesheet, workingclasroom, is now available online and in print. It contains news, views, letters, and details on how to get in touch with EWIU.

Download pages 1 and 4
Download pages 2 and 3

If you would like to request some copies to distribute at work, please email education@iww.org.uk

The main Health and Safety inspector attending the scene told Glasgow Sheriff Court that the lorry tail-lift that killed Dr Graham Meldrum at Allied Bakeries Glasgow depot in July 2005 was not operational. The lorry should not have been on the road, he stated. The Fatal Accident Inquiry into Dr Meldrum’s workplace death started its fifth week on 11th August, and heard damning evidence of corporate disregard for workers’ safety.

Please circulate widely.

On the 21st August Chris Lockwood, union organiser and member of the Industrial Workers of the World was fired from his bar job at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield (UK). This has been part of a long campaign by management of picking off and isolating workers who have voiced objections to recent changes that have worsened the conditions of all who work there. The Showroom cinema is a registered charity and claims to be an "investor in people", yet has consistently attacked workers pay and conditions with the sole aim of greater profits.

We believe that every worker (no matter what the industry) is entitled to respect and should be organised to defend themselves in the work place. Chris’ firing represents a direct and illegal attack against union organising. Management have refused our request to review his dismissal, so on the 12th of September members of the Industrial Workers of the World will be picketing the Showroom cinema to demand the immediate reinstatement of Chris Lockwood.

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A small demonstration called by London IWW took place last week in support of another radical union, 'Workers' Initiative' (Inicjatiwa Pracownicza) in Poland. It was called to support WI members being discriminated against in the Polish postal service, and particularly the sacking of a member - Bartosz Kantorczyk - for his lead role in a wave of strikes last year. The IWW is demanding his reinstatement and back-pay from the date of his termination.

IWW Central England Region is pleased to announce the recent formation of the Nottinghamshire General Membership Branch of the IWW! So if you're in the area and want to get involved in building the One Big Union in Notts, drop a line to notts@iww.org.uk

Chris Parry, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) has announced his resignation amid controversy. Parry was ousted from the ISC, the body that advances the interests of private profit-making schools, after "war-like" comments he made about the divide between the private and state sector in education.

On June 7, Wobblies and supporters held loud and visible protest rallies at the stores of the art supplies chain Boesner in Colone, Frankfurt, Berlin, Vienna and Graz. With these actions, they protested against the management of the Boesner shop in Colone, who prevented an organizing drive of the Colone IWW by harassing workers who had tried to form a works council (Betriebsrat) there.