The Free Our Unions campaign is renewing activity in 2020 to resist the Tories’ plans for new laws restricting strikes. Trade unions activists who want to be part of this effort can sign the statement below, using this Google Form.
STATEMENT
We commit to resisting and campaigning to defeat Boris Johnson’s proposed new anti-strike law.
The UK already has what Tony Blair proudly called “the most restrictive anti-union laws in the Western world”. The Tories’ plan to impose “minimum service requirements” will effectively remove rail and transport workers’ right to strike entirely. It is yet another step in seeking to reduce workers to defencelessness as our interests are crushed.
Free trade unions are essential to any meaningful democracy. We support the policy passed by Labour Party conference and TUC Congress for repealing all anti-union laws and guaranteeing strong rights to strike and picket. Beating back this new attack is the first step in winning those demands.
We call for the widest possible labour movement coalition, involving trade unions, Labour Parties and pro-worker campaigns, to defeat the Tories’ plans and reassert the right to strike.
Signatories (all in a personal capacity, except where signed by a branch/committee):
Michelle Rodgers, National President, RMT
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East
RMT Bakerloo Line branch
RMT East London Rail branch
RMT Finsbury Park branch
Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Ian Hodson, President, BFAWU
Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South
Jo Grady, General Secretary, UCU
Riccardo La Torre, Secretary, Eastern Region FBU
Janine Booth, Chair, RMT Disabled Members Advisory Committee; Trade Union Liaison Officer, Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP
Kirstie Paton, National Executive Commitee, NEU
Patrick Spence, Labour councillor for Haggerston, London Borough of Hackney; Unite
Pete Firmin, CWU; Trade Union Liaison Officer, Hampstead and Kilburn CLP
Leon Rosselson, Musicians’ Union
Kelly Rogers, NEU
Becky Crocker, RMT
Daniel Randall, Assistant Chair, RMT Bakerloo Line branch
Josh Lovell, Cambridge UCU
Arielle Bennett, UCU
Duncan Morrison, Branch Secretary, Lewisham NEU branch
Laury Nitko, Committee Member, Lewisham District NEU
Ian Townson, Secretary, Lambeth and Southwark Unite Community
Graham Bash, Unite Community
Moshe Machover, Unite
Mark Bebbington, Unite
Sabina Khan, Unite
Mike Barson, Musicians’ Union
Cathie Hammond, PCS
Tessa Van Gelderen, GMB
Jonathan Gathercole
Alex Blenkhorn, Unison steward, Stockport
Roger Grenville, Unite Community, Leamington Spa
William Thom, Glasgow
Daniel Nichols, Unison, Romford
Daniel Davison-Vecchione, Cambridge UCU
Sacha Ismail, Unite
Jackie Cairns, Unite, Preston
Hugh Price, GMB
Sheila Ravnkilde, Unite Community
Cristiana Theodoli, RCN Glasgow
Niamh Collins, RCN
Kristian Ravnkilde, Unite Community
George Walker, former Unison steward
Elizabeth Elliott, Union Learning Rep, Aberdeen UCU
Bridget Dunne, Unite Community
Lynton North, Tavistock
Derek Blackmore, GMB, Plymouth
George Gray, UCU
Jim Woodburn, Derby
Aubrey Nunes, London
Dom Nasilowski, Branch Committee, Scottish Freelance Branch BECTU (Prospect)
Lea Bonnell, Local District Secretary, Lewisham NEU
Rebecca Lisle, GMB
Alex Thomas, GMB
Keith Algar, retired Executive member, FBU
Ian Christian, Unite Community
Richard Ernest Hart, former shop steward, Unison
Clare Evans, Calne
Ken Moore, UCU
Jim Hignett, Unite
Melanie Swan, Unite delegate to Dulwich and West Norwood CLP
Sally Richardson, Kingston-upon-Thames
Andrea Gilbert, Unite
Michelle Jose, Unison, Truro
Alissa Naumann, Unison, Oxford
Lee Parks
David Wilson, Ellesmere Port
Vicky Jones, Portsmouth
Jaqueline Taylor-Bramell, Selby
Miriam Hayward, Worthing
Gezelle Kenard, Crawley
Chris Strachan, Unite Community
David Cawley, London
Andrew Cottrell, Tadley
Louise Heywood, Unison steward, Stockport
David Sharp
Daniel Rowe, NEU
Christine Robins, Unite
Jane Lunt, Leeds
Soodabeh Balali, Unite
Sacha Marten, Tonbridge
Jon Flanagan, PCS, Dunfermline
Janet Cooper, GMB, London
Jacqueline Cairns, Preston
Murdo Maclean, Edinburgh, Unison
Chris Helm, PCS
Denis Lenihan, London, GMB
Sandra Smith, Rugby, Unite
William Smith, Branch Chair, Unite Community Coventry & Warwickshire Branch
Susan Donaldson, Branch Executive Committee, PCS BEIS branch
Hattie Robinson, NEU Disabled Teachers’ Network
Martin McGinty, Unite Community delegate to Bermondsey & Old Southwark CLP
Delia McNally, East Boldon
Jamie Horton, London
Steve Chapman, Sheffield, Unite
Richard Clark, Harrogate
[Further signatories to follow]