Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

After Friday's PayFest headcount we have just under 100 tickets left for Glasgow's big equal pay party next Saturday at The Barrowlands.   As regular readers know, we had to set a deadline for selling tickets and sending these out through the post.  Please note that if anyone turns up without a ticket, they won't get in because we are not accepting money at the door. But rather than have these tickets  go to waste   I think we should offer an extra 'free' ticket or two to all the partygoers who are already supporting the event. So if you have already bought a PayFest ticket and would like to invite along other family members or friends, just drop me a note and I will set these aside for you to collect on the night at The Barrowlands.  My email address again is: markirvine@compuserve.com   PayFest Ticket Deadline - Don't Be Turned Away! Don't get turned away at the door when your fellow Clai...

A new Gastropub has opened at 226 Gallowgate right next door to The Barrowlands, the site of next week's big equal pay party - PayFest 2019.   The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is very relaxed and there's an interesting menu with a Spanish twist to compliment the surroundings which I would describe are 'shabby chic'. Glasgow and the Gallowgate are definitely going places.      

Social media is really great for sharing information and mobilising people, although the downside is that every so often you tend to get bogged in some very negative, unproductive conversations.     

Cold War Steve presents - 'A Brexit Nightmare' though it could equally be called 'Spot Your Favourite Brexit Loony', if you ask me.  Labour 'leader' Jeremy Corbyn is included, of course. @ Coldwar_Steve    

Sound on 😂 pic.twitter.com/zQArz0uguS — Courtney (@AlaskanCourtney) June 29, 2019   PayFest - Glasgow's big equal pay party at The Barrowlands - is now only a week away. So here are some great dance moves to inspire all you partygoers.    

I’m not saying Trump is Bigfoot but I’ve never seen Trump and Bigfoot in the same room together. #AdiosTrump pic.twitter.com/5RPiufeEWJ — Cameron Grant (@coolcam101) June 27, 2019   Now that you come to mention it - you never see Trump and Bigfoot in the same room together! So if Bigfoot doesn't turn up at the G20 Summit in Osaka, that completely nails it for me.    

Don't get turned away at the door when your fellow Claimants are having a great at The Barrowlands next Saturday - the ticket deadline is 5pm today! When all your friends are in the club but you got turned away at the door. pic.twitter.com/I0Qhl2U2s7 — Paul Bronks (@SlenderSherbet) June 27, 2019       PayFest News - Ticket Deadline There has been a bit of a surge in ticket sales for next Saturday's 'PayFest Party' at The Barrowlands which was probably to be expected because the deadline for ticket sales is today (Friday 28 June) at 5pm. On Friday we will do a headcount to confirm numbers because it is not possible to sell tickets or collect money on the door. So if you haven't got your tickets already, you will need to do so in the next 48 hours by dropping me an email to:  markirvine@compuserve.com    Tickets ordered now will not be posted out, but will be held at the door for people to collect on the night.     ...

An SNP supporter sent me this 'poster' via social media during an exchange of views about the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council. Now I like and admire Susan Aitken and there is no doubt that she played a positive role in the dispute - far better than any of her predecessors. But it's patronising nonsense to suggest that everything just 'fell into place' after Susan Aitken became the new Council leader in May 2017.  Because in August 2017 (after a 10 year battle) the Court of Session condemned the Council's WPBR pay scheme as 'unfit for purpose' - yet the SNP led Council immediately appealed this decision. So credit where it's due for sure, as I've said many times before on the blog, but let's not over-egg the pudding.     Glasgow's Unions and the Fight for Equal Pay No one has been harder than me on the unions over the past 14 years when it comes to the fight for equal pay in Scotland's councils. B...