[UK] Unite will ‘confront head-on’ further attacks on the right to strike

The UK’s second largest union, Unite, has vowed to tackle attacks from the government on workers’ right to strike, head-on, Unite the Union reports.

In response to the latest threats by the UK government to undermine workers’ right to strike, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Unite will confront head-on and by whatever means necessary, any further attacks on the right to strike. 

“In Britain, we already operate under the most restrictive labour laws in Western Europe. A workers’ right to withdraw their labour is inalienable in any democracy worth its name.

“This is a cynical, authoritarian move designed to protect corporate profits and has been wheeled out to satisfy the needs of short-term factional politics.

“While corporations make billions and ordinary working people suffer, this government chooses to attack the rights of British workers.

“When P&O, a billion-dollar company owned by a foreign dictatorship, brutally sacked 800 British workers, they broke the law. The government’s response was a fine.  

“When British workers threaten to defend their living standards in the face of a cost-of-living crisis not of their making, this government threatens to take away their democratic rights. 

“We are now forced to put the government on notice. Unite will not sacrifice the protection of our members’ jobs, pay and conditions on the altar of ‘party gate’. If you force our legitimate activities outside of the law, then don’t expect us to play by the rules.

“And Labour now needs to stand up and be counted. I don’t want hard-to-believe promises for the future; we need concrete action now. This is an attack on working people and on the whole of the labour movement. It’s time for the political wing that was founded by and continues to be funded by our members to step up to the plate.” 

Source: Unite the Union

(Quotes via original reporting)

The UK’s second largest union, Unite, has vowed to tackle attacks from the government on workers’ right to strike, head-on, Unite the Union reports.

In response to the latest threats by the UK government to undermine workers’ right to strike, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Unite will confront head-on and by whatever means necessary, any further attacks on the right to strike. 

“In Britain, we already operate under the most restrictive labour laws in Western Europe. A workers’ right to withdraw their labour is inalienable in any democracy worth its name.

“This is a cynical, authoritarian move designed to protect corporate profits and has been wheeled out to satisfy the needs of short-term factional politics.

“While corporations make billions and ordinary working people suffer, this government chooses to attack the rights of British workers.

“When P&O, a billion-dollar company owned by a foreign dictatorship, brutally sacked 800 British workers, they broke the law. The government’s response was a fine.  

“When British workers threaten to defend their living standards in the face of a cost-of-living crisis not of their making, this government threatens to take away their democratic rights. 

“We are now forced to put the government on notice. Unite will not sacrifice the protection of our members’ jobs, pay and conditions on the altar of ‘party gate’. If you force our legitimate activities outside of the law, then don’t expect us to play by the rules.

“And Labour now needs to stand up and be counted. I don’t want hard-to-believe promises for the future; we need concrete action now. This is an attack on working people and on the whole of the labour movement. It’s time for the political wing that was founded by and continues to be funded by our members to step up to the plate.” 

Source: Unite the Union

(Quotes via original reporting)