Back in 1915, the working class women of Glasgow didn't mess about. When landlords tried to raise rents they organised a rent strike, with women on watch for bailiffs trying to evict tenants who didn't pay up.
Once a bailiff was spotted a bell was rung and everyone legged over to where he appeared and hurled flour bombs at him and whatever else they could find. They even pulled the pants down of the sorry rent collectors, who would retreat instantly.
By November 1915 as many as 20,000 tenants were on rent strike in Glasgow and it began to spread to other parts of the country. In the same month, 18 tenants were taken to court for non-payment of a rent increase and officials were met with thousands of women and shipyard workers protesting. On the orders of the then Munitions Minister, Lloyd George, the women were freed and the next month the Rent Restriction Act was passed.
At the centre of the Govan rent strike and demonstrations was Mary Barbour, who worked to change laws to help families in poverty in Glasgow. As well as leading working class women to challenge the power of landlords and the state, she also fought for free school milk, children's playgrounds, municipal wash-houses, and an end to slum housing.
Mary Barbour was certainly one remarkable woman and she will be remembered in a talk for International Women's Day by historian, Catriona Burness, at the Working Class Movement Library on Saturday, March 4th. Hopefully Catriona will be explaining the relevance of Mary Barbour today, where similar things are happening in Salford, with unaffordable housing and increasing service charges for social rent properties.
The event will also feature Karen Bosson, North West Regional Women's Secretary of the Communication Workers' Union and a member of the TUC NW Women's Committee, talking on current women trade unionists' campaigns in the region.
Admission is free and there will be light refreshments available. The event is part of Wonder Women 2016, annual feminist festival, which runs until13th March. For further details on this see www.creativetourist.com/wonderwomen .
Remembering Mary Barbour
Saturday 5th March 2pm free
Working Class Movement Library
The Crescent
For further details see the Working Class Movement Library website – click here
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