“It’s not a coincidence that the government is tearing up trade union rights just at the time when people most need a union to speak on their behalf.”
Barry Gardiner MP
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook
Labour MP and leading campaigner against fire-and-rehire Barry Gardiner MP has sent out a strong rallying call to oppose the Tories’ attacks on our trade union rights and back a major Campaign for Trade Union Freedom Conference on December 3rd.
In a video recorded for social media, the MP for Brent North says that “It’s not a coincidence that the government is tearing up trade union rights just at the time when people most need a union to speak on their behalf, to protect their living standards, [and] to protect their jobs.”
Arguing that we have already seen the Tories’ attitude clearly in “the way in which the government allowed agency workers to undermine those who’d withdrawn their labour [and] in the way in which they’ve imposed huge penalties in law against unions who make a technical error in their ballots,” he warns how they’re “going to make sure that there is no TUPE rights, and [that] all the retained EU legislation, like maternity leave, are now under attack.”
As Barry says, “that’s why it’s so important on 3rd December that we all speak with one voice to say how important trade unions are for working people in this country” and back the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom. See you there!
- CONFERENCE: From Pentonville to P&O: union rights & tory wrongs – campaigning for free trade union – Saturday, December 3rd at Hamilton House Mabledon Place London WC1H 9BD. Hosted by the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom. Supported by the Institute of Employment Rights. Register for free here.
- With: Frances O’Grady, TUC // Dave Ward, CWU // Kevin Courtney, NEU // Jo Grady, UCU // Mark Serwotka, PCS // Mick Lynch, RMT // Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary // Mick Whelan, ASLEF // Barry Gardiner MP // John McDonnell MP //Professor Keith Ewing // Lord John Hendy KC // Ben Chacko, Morning Star // Matt Foot, Lawyer & writer // Andy Green, CTUF & Unite EC // Nabeela Mowlana, Young Labour // Laura Pidcock, Peoples Assembly & more, including workers in dispute. Chairs: Tony Burke, CSEU & Sarah Woolley, BFAWU.
- Follow the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on Twitter here and Facebook here.
