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International Solidarity Campaigns
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£1,750 raised for hardship fund!
27 May 2009
About 150 workers and trade union activists packed out the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre on 26th May to discuss the lessons of recent disputes and how to build solidarity for upcoming struggles.
The meeting, which was co-sponsored by the Visteon shop stewards, the Fire Brigades Union and the Socialist Party heard from several speakers.
Chris O'Kane, a leading organiser of the sacked NCP traffic wardens who were recently victimised for taking industrial action explained the background to their fight for re-instatement.
Chris was followed by John Maguire, Unite convenor for the Belfast Visteon workers who took a stand for all workers when they occupied the Visteon plant and succeeded in securing a much improved redundancy settlement for all workers in Visteon. John, on behalf of the Visteon workers announced a donation of £1,000 towards the Linamar workers Hardship Fund. John, echoing the point made by several Visteon workers on the night, supported the Socialist Party's demands for trade union negotiating officials to be regularly elected, subject to recall and to live on the wages of the members they represent.
Peter Hadden of the Socialist Party explained that the meeting was primarily to discuss how the labour and trade union movement should respond to the scandalous sacking of Rob, but also emphasised the growing need for working class people to organise not just industrially but also politically. Peter explained that the criteria of trade union elected representatives to live on the average wage should also apply to political representatives. All Socialist Party candidates and public representatives are committed to living on a workers wage, which is the best way to make sure elected representatives do not become completely detached from the real financial struggles of ordinary working people.
The last speaker was Rob Williams who was recently sacked for his role in defending his members wages, terms & conditions at the Swansea Linamar plant. Rob is the Unite convenor at the plant and has been very vocal in building solidarity with the recent Visteon occupation and blockades. Rob was given a heroes reception when he visited the Belfast Visteon occupation to give the support of the Swansea plant. When Rob stated he stood shoulder to shoulder with the sacked Visteon workers, he did not anticipate he would be joining them on the dole! The strike ballot to get Rob reinstated, which was announced the following day, resulted in 88% in favour. Strike action is likely to start in a couple of weeks.
The discussion from the floor circled around how to build solidarity for the strike. It was stated by many workers present that the sacking of Rob is an attack on the entire trade union movement. If Linamar get away with removing a militant Unite convenor without a proper determined response from the Unite union and the broader trade union movement, then it will be a sign to other bosses to go after all trade union activists who fight to defend their members.
The meeting ended with an inspirational collection of £500 in cash plus a donation of £1000 from the Visteon workers and £250 donation which FBU activists from Northern Ireland had raised at their unions national conference.
It was agreed to co-ordinate solidarity action to raise support for the Linamar strike. A number of workers also expressed interest in joining the Socialist Party. For more information on solidarity action contact the Socialist Party on 02890232962.