Red Clydeside

Glasgow and the Wobblies

Ret Marut — Sun, 20 May 2007 02:21:58 +0000

"It was perhaps a natural development that one of the strongest branches of the Advocates of Industrial Unionism should be in the Singer Sewing Machine Works at Kilbowie, Clydebank, which employed some 12,000 workers. Singers was primarily an American firm, but it had established itself in Europe, and exerted an effective monopoly in the manufacture of sewing machines.

1915-1920: Red Clydeside and the shop stewards' movement

Steven. — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:47:44 +0000

Although unemployment decreased slightly in the few years immediately preceding the beginning of hostilities, inflation rose dramatically, increasing the prices of foodstuffs, rents and fuel, but decreasing workers’ wages by 15%. While conditions at work were fairly miserable, workers had to return to bad housing where overcrowding was not uncommon and disease rampant.

1919: The 40-hours strike

Steven. — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:17:53 +0000

The objectives of the strike were overtly political; they were to secure a reduction of weekly working hours to 40 in order that discharged soldiers could find employment, and to stop the re-emergence of an unemployed reserve, thereby maintaining the strength of labour against capital.

1915: The Glasgow rent strike

Steven. — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:06:16 +0000

During the First World War, rent increases across Glasgow provoked massive working class opposition, mainly from women organised in tenants’ groups. Their struggle against profiteering landlords during extremely difficult circumstances is a valuable example of how collective action really gets results.