Unite to fight for jobs
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An injury to one is an injury to all - unite to save jobs.
Thousands of construction workers have been out on unofficial strike at major sites across Britain. As the jobs slaughter continues many working people are rightly worried for the future. The behaviour of the sub-contracting bosses, in housing Italian workers separately, adds to this fear and division.
Across the whole of Europe, including Britain, thousands of jobs are being lost every day with no end in sight. Governments have handed hundreds of billions of pounds to the bankers but have told working people that they must pay the price for the crisis. But there is resistance. Last week a million French workers were out on strike against Nicolas Sarkozy's "reforms", Greek workers and farmers have been fighting to defend their livelihoods, in Ireland 400 workers are occupying Waterford Glass. In all of these examples of a fightback, the anger needs to be focused on those responsible -the employers and bankers out to protect their profits, and their allies in government.
We oppose the spread of neoliberalism across Europe, and support the unity of all workers to defend jobs and living standards, equal pay, binding national agreements negotiated by trade unions, and equal legal status for all, regardless of nationality. We oppose the contracting out and privatisation system that uses competition to drive down wages and conditions.
We can sense the mood for a fightback in Britain. However, the slogan "British jobs for British workers" that has come to prominence around the dispute can only lead to deep divisions inside working class communities. The slogan, coined by Gordon Brown in his 2007 speech to Labour's conference, is being taking up by the right wing press and the Nazi BNP. These are forces that have always been bitterly hostile to the trade union movement.
That is why, while supporting action to defend jobs, we believe that the action has to be directed against the employers and the contracting firms, not against migrant workers. We congratulate those strikers who ejected the BNP from the picket line at Immingham, and we urge other strikers to do the same. We support the demands of the Lindsey Oil Refinery strike committee.
We need a massive drive to unionise all workers, and a campaign to defend all jobs and create new ones. Every worker will benefit from a campaign to unionise overseas workers in order to prevent employers from using them as a weapon against fellow workers. Most importantly, we have to have unity if we are to fight back against the effects of the most severe economic crisis since the 1930s. "British jobs for British workers" is a slogan that focuses on what divides working people not what can unite them.
Every worker is facing the same horrors in the face of recession. We can't let ourselves be divided. We should fight for well-paid jobs with decent conditions for all.
We support:
The march for workers rights, and for global and environmental justice on 28 March in London on the eve of the G20 summit. This protest is supported by some 40 organisations including trade unions, the TUC, and campaigning groups. It is a protest against the neo-liberal policies that have encouraged contracting out and competitive wage cutting.
The protest called by Stop the War, CND and others on 2 April at the G20 summit itself.
Thousands of construction workers have been out on unofficial strike at major sites across Britain. As the jobs slaughter continues many working people are rightly worried for the future. The behaviour of the sub-contracting bosses, in housing Italian workers separately, adds to this fear and division.
Across the whole of Europe, including Britain, thousands of jobs are being lost every day with no end in sight. Governments have handed hundreds of billions of pounds to the bankers but have told working people that they must pay the price for the crisis. But there is resistance. Last week a million French workers were out on strike against Nicolas Sarkozy's "reforms", Greek workers and farmers have been fighting to defend their livelihoods, in Ireland 400 workers are occupying Waterford Glass. In all of these examples of a fightback, the anger needs to be focused on those responsible -the employers and bankers out to protect their profits, and their allies in government.
We oppose the spread of neoliberalism across Europe, and support the unity of all workers to defend jobs and living standards, equal pay, binding national agreements negotiated by trade unions, and equal legal status for all, regardless of nationality. We oppose the contracting out and privatisation system that uses competition to drive down wages and conditions.
We can sense the mood for a fightback in Britain. However, the slogan "British jobs for British workers" that has come to prominence around the dispute can only lead to deep divisions inside working class communities. The slogan, coined by Gordon Brown in his 2007 speech to Labour's conference, is being taking up by the right wing press and the Nazi BNP. These are forces that have always been bitterly hostile to the trade union movement.
That is why, while supporting action to defend jobs, we believe that the action has to be directed against the employers and the contracting firms, not against migrant workers. We congratulate those strikers who ejected the BNP from the picket line at Immingham, and we urge other strikers to do the same. We support the demands of the Lindsey Oil Refinery strike committee.
We need a massive drive to unionise all workers, and a campaign to defend all jobs and create new ones. Every worker will benefit from a campaign to unionise overseas workers in order to prevent employers from using them as a weapon against fellow workers. Most importantly, we have to have unity if we are to fight back against the effects of the most severe economic crisis since the 1930s. "British jobs for British workers" is a slogan that focuses on what divides working people not what can unite them.
Every worker is facing the same horrors in the face of recession. We can't let ourselves be divided. We should fight for well-paid jobs with decent conditions for all.
We support:
The march for workers rights, and for global and environmental justice on 28 March in London on the eve of the G20 summit. This protest is supported by some 40 organisations including trade unions, the TUC, and campaigning groups. It is a protest against the neo-liberal policies that have encouraged contracting out and competitive wage cutting.
The protest called by Stop the War, CND and others on 2 April at the G20 summit itself.
1811 Signatures
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Patrick Ward
- Union/campaign
- NUJ
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Pete Gillard
- Union/campaign
- Unite
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Chair, London Regional Council, Amicus Section
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James Cussens
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch secretary
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Frank Wood
- Union/campaign
- UNITE
- Position in organisation (if any)
- NEC
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Nicholas Martin
- Union/campaign
- UNISON
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Ben Drake
- Union/campaign
- York City UNISON
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Steward
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Gill George
- Union/campaign
- Unite
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Executive Council
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Sean Wallis
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch Secretary UCL UCU
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Sasha Simic
- Union/campaign
- USDAW
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Shop Steward - Central Books Ltd
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Unjum Mirza
- Union/campaign
- RMT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Senior Safety Representative
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Andrew Neeson
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Ken Muller
- Union/campaign
- NUT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Assistant Secretary, Islington NUT
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Iain Ferguson
- Union/campaign
- UCU
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David Green
- Union/campaign
- UNISON
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Shop Steward/H & S rep
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Paul Maurins
- Union/campaign
- Bolton Trades Council
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Treasurer
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Ben Windsor
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Keith Chadwick
- Union/campaign
- Amicus section Unite
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Vice President Burnley Branch
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Paul Atkin
- Union/campaign
- NUT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Health and Safety Adviser
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Dave Marsh
- Union/campaign
- NUS
- Position in organisation (if any)
- В
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Robert Aldis
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James Eaden
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- National Executive Member
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alison king
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Jeannie Robinson
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch Officer Nottingham Trent University UCU
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Beatrice Leal
- Union/campaign
- NUS
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gary duncan
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Anna Owens
- Union/campaign
- PCS
- Position in organisation (if any)
- BRANCH ORGANISER
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DR GEORGE PAIZIS
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch Exec and vice president
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Adrian Cousins
- Union/campaign
- UNITE
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Shop Steward
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Paul Brook
- Union/campaign
- UCU Manchester Metropolitan University
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Business School Convenor
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Adrian Budd
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch chair
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Robin Burrett
- Union/campaign
- nut
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Graham Woodruff
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John Baker
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Scott Bronstein
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Paul Vernell
- Union/campaign
- NUT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- South Glos NUT Membership Secretary (pc|)
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Tom Woodcock
- Union/campaign
- NUT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Secretary, Cambridge Trades Council
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Gordon Lean
- Union/campaign
- Unite the Union
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Branch Secretary
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Professor Malcolm Povey
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- NEC
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Dan Arthur
- Union/campaign
- UCU
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Jenny Compton-Bishop
- Union/campaign
- UNISON
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June Jones
- Union/campaign
- Unison (retired)
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Colin Smith
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Ian Crosson
- Union/campaign
- UCU
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Membership Sec Tower Hamlets College Poplar branch
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Kevin Corr
- Union/campaign
- National Union of Teachers - Retired
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Sophie Jongman
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Chris Blakey
- Union/campaign
- NUT
- Position in organisation (if any)
- National Executive Member
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Andrew Smith
- Union/campaign
- NUT/Unison retired member
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Louis Bayman
- Union/campaign
- NUS
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Janet Portman
- Union/campaign
- UNISON
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Steven Ellis
- Union/campaign
- UNISON
- Position in organisation (if any)
- Steward
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1811
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