[Mass: demonstrations by tenants clashes with police outside…]
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Mass: demonstrations by tenants clashes with police outside council meetings, and the threat of a rent strike at the end of March have had an effect on Paisley's Labour council.
At a meeting on Thursday last, Rentrew District. Council decided to reverse its earlier decision to impose a rent increase of 50% on the people of Paisley.
Instead they agreed a 35% increase plus a 60% increase in rates.
Tom McNamara, a leading militant in the Ferguslie Park tenants' movement, which has been at the forefront of the tenants struggles in Paisley, commented:
"The fight will go on as far as I am concerned. The councillors claim they cut the increase because of the imminent closure at Linwood, and not because of what is KA referred to as 'mob rule.
We know this small concession was a result of pressure by the tenants alongside the trade union and labour movement in the area.
In my opinion the committee leading the struggle against rent increases will not accept this position but will go ahead with the rent strike."
He said the maximum increase the committee might be prepared to accept would be one in line with inflation over the last year. 50%.
Lothian Regional Council, another council where the Labour Group have refused to make cuts in services, announced a rates increase of 50%.
This was narrowly carried in the council after the defection of the ex-convenor Peter Wilson to the Council for Social Democracy and support for the Tories.
However Wilson failed to carry any other Labour councillors with him.
Dundee District Council, who are maintaining services and refusing to put any increase on the rents, have yet to announce their rate increase. However another record increase is expected.
These three councils have followed the policy of the Labour Coordinating Committee and have maintained services at the expense of rate increases.
However the effect of the increases on working class living standards and the upping of the stakes by the Tory government is bringing growing recognition