Marking International Workers' Memorial Day

On 28 April 2021, Reading Trades Union Council gathered at the graveside of Henry West, a victim of a workplace fatality at Great Western Railway in 1840, to mark International Workers' Memorial Day. Nikki Dancey (GMB), James Denny (RMT), James Parker (Unite), Chris Reilly (RMT) and Tanya Wills (Unite) represented RTUC, with guests joining from near and far.

As RTUC President, Chris made the main oration, which went as follows:

“Never has the IWMD been more important. Over the last year, the COVID19 pandemic has exposed an occupational health crisis in workplaces worldwide. Workers have been routinely denied even basic Health and Safety protections, consultation with safety representatives and safety committees on ‘Covid safe’ policies and practices in many industries has been non-existent, enforcement of Health and Safety legislation has mostly been a disgrace. These same problems existed before the pandemic and resulted in the deaths of millions of workers worldwide. The pandemic demonstrates why health and safety must be a right for everyone who works.

We could not have a starker reminder of the important role of Trade Union Health and Safety representatives in saving and protecting workers lives than the COVID19 pandemic.

Never before has the slogan of International Workers Memorial Day been more appropriate:

REMEMBER THE DEAD - BUT FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING!

Chris followed his statement with a reading of a poem:

Unusual Usual days and nights

Gazing through the windows at the sun, moon, rain

Workers readied themselves for work day and night

Kissed their husbands, wives, partners, children goodbye

Walked, rode their bikes, drove their cars, took the trains

They entered the factories, pits, building sites, mills

They pressed buttons, operated machines, used power tools

“Just another usual working day?”

However this was to be an unusual usual working day for some.

Soon some would operate no buttons, machines or tools

Never enter another factory, pit, building site, mill

Walk, ride bikes, drive cars or take trains

Would never feel the warmth of a loved one’s kiss

Nor husbands, wives, partners, children left behind

Never ready themselves day or night for work

Never gaze the sun, moon or rain through windows.

No usual working days or nights again for some.

[Credit: Karla Bradford & Chelmsford Trades Union Council]

RTUC supports strike action at Go North West

On 3 April 2021, Reading Trades Union Council delegate, James Denny (RMT), and Will Bennett (also RMT) attended the rally and march in support of striking bus drivers at Go North West in Manchester and, with the help of friends from the North, carried the RMT and RTUC banners around Manchester for around an hour.

The march, easily numbering over 100 in the estimation of delegates, closed or restricted busy roads with only an apparent handful of frustrated motorists compared to widespread support from residents, families and workers on the route.

What is it about? It’s about something insidious and menacing called 'Fire and Rehire'. Unite explains the action at [https://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/stop-the-go-north-west-fire-and-rehire/] whilst the GMB has similar action nationally against British Gas [https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/gmb-british-gas-engineers-face-mass-april-1-sackings-strike-continues].

Bus drivers at GNW started all-out strike action on 28 February to stop an attack on their pay and conditions. The company wants employees to sign new contracts to work longer hours on the same pay, meaning a real terms pay cut of around £2,500.

Families know this, and they know they won’t be able to afford the cuts. Families know they’ve been ensuring essential workers get to work during the COVID19 crisis, at their own risk.  Families know 'fire and rehire' is wrong, and for this reason it was heartwarming to see many children waving to the march from the doorsteps.

James was also interviewed by the Workers' Revolutionary Party newspaper, saying "We are facing the greatest attack on terms and conditions and welfare that we have seen for a very long time. We need a general strike for a whole range of reasons" [https://wrp.org.uk/features/national-strike-to-defeat-fire-and-rehire-call-from-manchester-rally/].

Unchecked, this action will inspire many other employers. What’s happening in Manchester and at British Gas, and in other workplaces elsewhere, will be with us all soon if we don't act.

Join the struggle to maintain your basic rights now, make sure you’re in a union and that your union affiliates to their local trades union council. Everyone can and should join a trade union - employed or not - and now more than ever it matters.