We are very pleased to announce the formation of North Devon IWW, the latest group to be chartered in the Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England Regional Administration (WISE-RA) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union.
A Left-behind area
The arrival of the fighting union is very timely. North Devon is a left-behind, peripheral region whose workers receive some of the lowest wages in England. There has been a decline in the manufacturing industry – where some IWW members enthusiastically organised back in the 1990s. Those who do not go into self-employment find little more than the undignified hospitality and tourism industries, rife with “seasonal jobs” and zero-hours contracts.
North Devon is home to a rapidly ageing population. Between 2011 and 2031, the number of those aged 85+ is projected to double and the numbers of those aged 35 to 55 will decline. This presents a couple of big challenges. Firstly, faced with a rising cost of living, elderly workers will be expected to work for longer, and employers will demand they work just as hard as they used to. Secondly, the health and social care sector will come under enormous strain, putting a huge amount of pressure on the already overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated workers.
Time to fight back!
With the changing economic and social conditions, the necessity of building working class power is more important than ever. Only by workers fighting together against the bosses can we defend and improve our workplaces and communities. The IWW has a proud history of organising the unorganised, unionising sectors usually ignored by the labour movement. We intend to bring a culture of direct action to empower workers and build confidence and the knowledge that they have the ability to change things.
Every worker in North Devon has power when we come together!
Do not put up with your boss’ crap; fight back!
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You can contact North Devon IWW by popping us an email at northdevon [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk, or by sending a message on Twitter or Facebook.
North Devon IWW is a group within Bristol General Members Branch, who can be contacted at bristol [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk
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