Industrial Workers of the world iww.org.uk

IWW members working on the Stratford City development site of the Olympic construction site have produced a report into health and safety failings by employers on the site. Malpractice is widespread, with accidents regularly not reported, insufficient signage and unprotected deep excavations as just some of the problems faced by workers. Moreover, bosses and police regularly use intimidation and harrassment to ensure that workers do not fight back.

This week London IWW branch overwhelmingly decided to support a campaign by the London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) against the introduction of a new 'work for welfare' scheme proposed by the government. In doing so, London IWW members will refuse to comply with this new scheme, which is expected to be piloted in the London borough of Hackney over the coming year. The Welfare Reform Act was passed, unsurprisingly, by the government last month, and proposes the introduction of draconian measures for benefit claimants, including:

1. Forced labour in menial, unsociable jobs for unemployment benefits, amounting to as little as £1.73 per hour
2. Privatisation of Jobcentre Plus to companies who will be paid more, the less benefits they give
3. Reduction of income support for single parents
4. Phasing-out of carers' allowances
5. Greater powers for the Police to hold information on claimants

May 25th Bank Holiday at the Wagon and Horses, Digbeth, Birmingham. Hard hitting political songs from David Rovics & Attila the Stockbroker. A variety of food and stalls in the garden from 6pm with performances following and DJs later in the evening. £6 in. Fundraiser for the West Midlands Industrial Workers of the World, the fighting union!

Attila first heard about David Rovics about eight years ago and immediately got in touch: they did a UK tour in May 2002 and went

It has transpired today that Sir Alan Davies, head teacher of Copland School in Wembley, has been suspended after serious allegations over pay and bonuses. He, and two other members of senior management have been accused of awarding themselves around £1 million in bonuses over the last seven years, on top of their already significant pay packets.

Several schools threatened with closure have had a bit of a wake-up call in recent weeks. Four schools - two in Glasgow and two in London - have been occupied by parents and campaigners against unnecessary cost-cutting measures meaning the closure or merging of perfectly good local schools. This wave of occupations can be seen as part of a rising wave of discontent, as bosses, bankers and bureaucrats try to punish the working class for their own mistakes.

Increasing numbers of workers are being pushed into roles as “independent contractors” rather than being hired as employees. As employees, workers can ‘enjoy’ what little legal protection is available to them, such as minimum wages, laws against unfair dismissal ordiscrimiination, and so on. As independent contractors – essentially, individuals hired as outsourced businesses to play the role of employees – they do not have access to these legal protections.

The International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) condemns in the strongest possible terms the military attack by the Israeli state and IDF on the 1.5 million Palestinian people living in the Gaza strip. This attack has included sustained indiscriminate aerial bombing of urban population centers, schools, mosques, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured, and homes have been destroyed. This attack is a form of collective punishment by the Israeli state against the people in Gaza.

It has been announced that the government plans to create an extra 35,000 apprenticeship places in the next year, as an effort to combat the recession that is well underway. Gordon Brown has pledged a whopping £140 million to create these places at colleges around the UK.