MUCH of the focus of protest against the welfare reforms has been against the Bedroom Tax and rightly so. However the Tory/Liberal assault on our Welfare State is much more comprehensive. With the ending of Disability Living Allowance and the introduction of Universal Credit later this year, the sick, disabled, and unemployed will experience the brunt of these policies by this government of big business tax dodgers and the super rich. Of huge concern is the surge in the number of Jobseekers being "sanctioned" by the DWP on the flimsiest of pretexts.

Low paid workers are also getting hit with cuts of "in work benefits".

Ironically, as the PCS union (who organise DWP workers) has pointed out, many workers in the DWP who administer the benefit system will themselves be in receipt of Universal Credit due to low pay. These workers are subject to attacks on their terms and conditions, and increased work loads as the Tory led government ensure the service is increasenly attractive for privatisation.

So given the claimant and the worker on the other side of the counter have so much in common, is it possible they could give this government nightmares by actually joining forces against their common oppressor?

Such a possibility will be be considered at the next public meeting of Clydebank TUC when Joe McCormack manager of West Dunbartonshire Citizen's Advice Bureau and Cat Boyd a senior PCS trade union activist in the DWP discuss the attacks on claimants and PCS members.

Meeting starts 7pm on Thursday, June 6 in the Hub Community Centre, Kilbowie Road, Clydebank.

All welcome.

Tom Morrison secretary Clydebank TUC