I have just come back from the rally we organised tonight at the House
of Commons for the Unison members who are being victimised for
campaigning against privatisation. The rally was really successful.
Speakers
from Karen Reissman’s campaign explained that Karen, a health worker,
has now had her appeal rejected and has now been sacked for speaking
out publicly against the privatisation of health services in
Manchester. Michael Gavan was also with us. Michael is the Unison
branch secretary at Newham council and has also been sacked for
organising meetings to protest against the council’s privatisation of
its services.
The Freemantle care workers also came along and
John Freeman, their Unison branch secretary, described the treatment
the care workers received at the hands of the Fremantle company after
Barnet council had privatised their service and jobs.
It was
incredibly moving to listen to these stories of courage and
determination in standing up for what people believed was right. We all
acknowledged the courage shown by Karen, Michael and the Freemantle
workers.
Unison members at the meeting resolved to take the
message about these individual disputes and acts of victimisation back
into their branches and to use every mechanism available through the
union’s structures not just to gain support for these individual
campaigns but to mobilise to put Unison at the heart of campaigning
against privatisation.
Tonight could just be the start of transforming Unison into a fighting union.
Tomorrow
NAPO holds its rally in Parliament against cuts in their services and
jobs caused by Gordon Brown’s comprehensive spending review. At the
same time the Police Federation is holding a 1000 strong meeting in
protest at the pay settlement imposed on the Police by the government.
On Thursday RMT is demonstrating outside City Hall in London against
the Mayor’s decision to put the East London line and Crossrail out to a
franchise and Newham council workers are out on strike in support of
Michael Gavan.
Surely the message is fairly clear. People have had enough and are not willing to take it anymore.I have just come back from the rally we organised tonight at the House
of Commons for the Unison members who are being victimised for
campaigning against privatisation. The rally was really successful.
Speakers
from Karen Reissman’s campaign explained that Karen, a health worker,
has now had her appeal rejected and has now been sacked for speaking
out publicly against the privatisation of health services in
Manchester. Michael Gavan was also with us. Michael is the Unison
branch secretary at Newham council and has also been sacked for
organising meetings to protest against the council’s privatisation of
its services.
The Freemantle care workers also came along and
John Freeman, their Unison branch secretary, described the treatment
the care workers received at the hands of the Fremantle company after
Barnet council had privatised their service and jobs.
It was
incredibly moving to listen to these stories of courage and
determination in standing up for what people believed was right. We all
acknowledged the courage shown by Karen, Michael and the Freemantle
workers.
Unison members at the meeting resolved to take the
message about these individual disputes and acts of victimisation back
into their branches and to use every mechanism available through the
union’s structures not just to gain support for these individual
campaigns but to mobilise to put Unison at the heart of campaigning
against privatisation.
Tonight could just be the start of transforming Unison into a fighting union.
Tomorrow
NAPO holds its rally in Parliament against cuts in their services and
jobs caused by Gordon Brown’s comprehensive spending review. At the
same time the Police Federation is holding a 1000 strong meeting in
protest at the pay settlement imposed on the Police by the government.
On Thursday RMT is demonstrating outside City Hall in London against
the Mayor’s decision to put the East London line and Crossrail out to a
franchise and Newham council workers are out on strike in support of
Michael Gavan.
Surely the message is fairly clear. People have had enough and are not willing to take it anymore.
