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27
April 2010
The United Campaign is
supporting two new Early Day Motions laid before the House
of Commons and we are encouraging all of our supporters to
write to their MP following the election.
Early
Day Motion 1180 relates to the hiring of police to replace
striking security staff who were members of the PCS union.
The EDM notes the issue of police being taken off other duties
and raises concerns over constituents being put at greater
risk from the reduced police presence.
The United Campaign is also very concerned about the unnecessary
undermining of the fundamental rights of the striking security
staff, whose ability to press their case was seriously undermined
as a result.
Security staff are among the lowest paid workers and the
action by employers was probably in breach of their rights
under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms.
Early
Day Motion 1226 requests the release of documents in relation
to the "Shrewsbury Pickets" - those who were harassed
and imprisoned following industrial action in the building
trade in 1972. The Shrewsbury Pickets famously including long
prison terms for Ricky Tomlinson and Des Warren.
The government maintains the documents are "secret",
but this raises suspicions about why they have not been released.
The EDM also calls for a public inquiry into the case, a request
the United Campaign fully supports.
This issue is still relevant today as the fallout from the
way the strikers and pickets were crushed - almost certainly
against their human rights - has contributed to the problems
in the building trade ever since. These problems include high
injury and death rates, casualisation and blacklisting.
The United Campaign is aware that MPs will be distracted
by the general election but nevertheless, the issues and indeed
the EDMs will be there when Parliament resumes its activities.
We want to draw attention to these EDMs and encourage support
in Parliament and elsewhere for the issues so we are urging
supporters to write to their MPs after the election urging
them to sign.
More information:
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