sacked Willis Cleaners demo thursday 5 march

[Urbanblues]

from http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/433688.html

so is John McDonnell also spreading 'cancerous shit' UB , or has he been duped??

"Alberto is a cleaners branch activist in Unite sacked from Schroders Bank by Lancaster cleaning company after a successful campaign against redundancies and for the living wage. He was entrapped by the company and UKBA at company offices, leading to his arrest and subsequent dismissal. One of the charges for gross misconduct was telling the press what had happened to him.

Alberto’s appeal will be heard on Friday at 11:00. Come along show your solidarity in protest at this victimisation of a leading trade union activist:

Lancaster Docklands Office, 31 Beaufort Court, Admirals Way London, E14 9XL Meet 10.30am outside Canary Wharf UNDERGROUND exit

John McDonnell MP says:

"I know how hard Alberto has worked in the campaign to secure a living wage and decent working conditions for his fellow workers. I pay tribute to his tenacity and courage in this campaign. Alberto has stood firm in his determined fight for justice for low paid workers and it is important that we now stand firmly behind him.
You have my wholehearted support. Yours, John McDonnell MP"

Professor Gregor Gall says:

'Unfortunately, Alberto's sacking represents one incident in a growing toll of incidents where union lay officers and activists are sacked, suspended or disciplined by their employers in recent years for various so-called offences which amount to standing up to management on behalf of themselves and their fellow workers. The cases where such victimisation has been rescinded or withdrawn invariably involve robust action from the individual's union and co-workers. I wish Alberto all the best in being able to make this so in his own case.'

Gregor Gall, Research Professor of Industrial Relations,
University of Hertfordshire,


Supported by: Justice for Cleaners @ Schroeders Bank, Latin American Workers Association, National Shop Stewards Network, Clerkenwell & St Pancras Unite branch, MPs John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn and more.

Photo: Alberto (red t-shirt) supporting Willis cleaners sacked by Mitie as they handed in a petition asking for their union Unite's official backing for their five month old protests. (May 2009)


alt media
- e-mail: [email protected]
- Homepage: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/britain/bosses_using_raids_to_target_activists"

so is John McDonnell also spreading 'cancerous shit' UB , or has he been duped??

No, just you, fool!

This post and Alberto Durango's sacking are entirely unrelated to the sacked Willis cleaners. Conflating separate issues is just silly; and, a sign of desperation on your part durruti. You can’t win the argument fairly; so, you attempt, extremely clumsily, to do so by introducing external factors.

You’re now becoming a persistent bore, durruti. I’d suggest you take up a hobby; one that involves lots of research and the ability to distinguish shit from shite. Plum!

Why not open a post that addresses Alberto's issues, you idiot.

 

[durruti02]

so is John McDonnell also spreading 'cancerous shit' UB , or has he been duped??

No, just you, fool!

This post and Alberto Durango's sacking are entirely unrelated to the sacked Willis cleaners. Conflating separate issues is just silly; and, a sign of desperation on your part durruti. You can’t win the argument fairly; so, you attempt, extremely clumsily, to do so by introducing external factors.

You’re now becoming a persistent bore, durruti. I’d suggest you take up a hobby; one that involves lots of research and the ability to distinguish shit from shite. Plum!

Why not open a post that addresses Alberto's issues, you idiot.

make yer mind up ffs .. this from you, UB, above

" On Thursday 18th June Alberto Durango and Chris Ford turned up at Unite’s L&E United Left as representatives of the sacked Willis cleaners, a company neither had worked for – seems Alberto was a manager with a cleaning company who himself had been sacked; and, Chris Ford, a member of Unite for a matter of weeks, is quite simply someone who doesn’t like trade unions, their officials or their structures – or, at least those he can’t control.

The meeting that night had an extremely full agenda, including extended disputes reports, committee officers’ elections, discussions on the up-and-coming sector committee structures, a debate on the GS hustings, and, a discussion around the People’s Charter.

Like all such meetings discipline is called for. That evening a small group of malcontents decided to continuously disrupt the meeting; thus, when somebody proposed allowing an uninvited visitor to speak on an issue, an issue by the way whose main players had walked away from the union, the Chair declined – did the Willis cleaners act in the same disrespectful way at the NSSN last Saturday?

After several minutes of disruption, and outpourings of disgraceful language from a couple of those out to cause trouble at any cost, the Chair asked the meeting to decide whether the Willis campaign reps should be given the floor."



and reply from me D02,

clearly this Alberto Durango IS part of this issue, judging from the above .. why pretend otherwise? .. and while you see him as a disrupter a 'malcontent' ( great stalinist words mate ! ) John MacDonnell clearly sees him as something differrent

frankly i think the lot of you sound like a bunch of sectarians .. 'they' sound like a bunch of sectarian trotskyist nuts and you sound like a old dinosaur stalinist sectarian bureaucrat ..

sad for the cleaners at the end of the day


and btw u watched that reelnews film of your mates steve hart bullying yet? no??

 

[glenquagmire]

and, Chris Ford, a member of Unite for a matter of weeks, is quite simply someone who doesn’t like trade unions, their officials or their structures – or, at least those he can’t control.

The version I received read like this:

and, Chris Ford, a member of Unite for a matter of weeks, is quite simply someone who doesn’t like trade unions, their officials or their structures – or, at least those he can’t control or become a FTO of.

Did you remove that last bit or maybe you received a different version?

I love the idea of Chris Ford as an FTO!

 

[Chris Ford]

* The Trade Union Co-ordinating Group hosts





The Annual Tolpuddle Lecture

With Tony Benn



Question and answer session with panel:

Brian Caton , POA General Secretary

Professor Mary Davis

Alberto Durango, Cleaner Activist

Chair: John McDonnell MP



Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons, London

13th July, 6.30pm



The historical significance of the Tolpuddle Martyrs to the trade union movement is clear. However, as this lecture aims to discuss, it is not just the past but also the present and future of the movement which can be informed by this event.



The current political climate highlights the relevance of such an event. The TUCG is working on amendments to the Equalities Bill, which is currently before parliament, including gender pay audits for the public and private sectors and statutory rights for equalities reps; the POA have suffered the withdrawal of their trade union rights and had promises for their reinstatement reneged on; at SOAS, a supposedly prestigious and progressive educational institutional, workers were treated with an absolute lack of respect by the university's cleaning contractors and denied fundamental rights; at the Lindsey Oil Refinery 650 workers were sacked by Total following strike action. These events lead us to question how far the labour movement has come and where it goes from here.



Join us for a lecture by Tony Benn followed by a question and answer session to discuss current issues of trade union rights.


The Trade Union Co-ordinating Group hosts





The Annual Tolpuddle Lecture

With Tony Benn



Question and answer session with panel:

Brian Caton , POA General Secretary

Professor Mary Davis

Alberto Durango, Cleaner Activist

Chair: John McDonnell MP



Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons, London

13th July, 6.30pm



The historical significance of the Tolpuddle Martyrs to the trade union movement is clear. However, as this lecture aims to discuss, it is not just the past but also the present and future of the movement which can be informed by this event.



The current political climate highlights the relevance of such an event. The TUCG is working on amendments to the Equalities Bill, which is currently before parliament, including gender pay audits for the public and private sectors and statutory rights for equalities reps; the POA have suffered the withdrawal of their trade union rights and had promises for their reinstatement reneged on; at SOAS, a supposedly prestigious and progressive educational institutional, workers were treated with an absolute lack of respect by the university's cleaning contractors and denied fundamental rights; at the Lindsey Oil Refinery 650 workers were sacked by Total following strike action. These events lead us to question how far the labour movement has come and where it goes from here.



Join us for a lecture by Tony Benn followed by a question and answer session to discuss current issues of trade union rights.



* The Trade Union Co-ordinating Group (TUCG) brings together eight national trade unions (BFAWU, FBU, NAPO, NUJ, PCS, POA, RMT and URTU),

 

[Chris Ford]

A couple facts. I am the elected Branch Organiser of the UNITE Clerkenwell & St Pancras Branch, I dont know ++++ (urban blues), I've never had a conversation with him, worked with him or been active in anything with him. But he seems very capable of posting malicious lies about me, regarding my history in the trade union movement and my motives. In fact my membership of AMICUS/UNITE goes back more than "two weeks" more like six years. However even I did join recently - so what - do people have to pass a probation period now before they can pass an opinion? I am also a member of UCU due to my employment also in other places perhaps that confuses some people. I have a long history of trade union activity also in PCS/CPSA and the UCW - I have never applied or sought to become a full-time official contrary to what this person is circulating about me. Perhaps ++++ should take note that not that long ago 800 PCS members accross London participated in strikes to defend me from victimisation after I led a seven months all out strike in Brent. If I fitted the the description these people are parroting around about me I doubt that would have happened.

What is it that I have done to provoke these smears and lies? I am representing a victimised trade union activist against his employer. An activist with an excellent
record of biulding up Justice for Cleaners. Most principled trade unionists in that situation express solidarity with victimised activists of their own union never mind other unions. That is not what has happened here, at a time we have been trying to mount a defence of Alberto against his employer and their collusion with the Home Office people who claim to be part of the "left" have spent all their time denouncing a sacked activist. Nothing by them about condemning the employer or the Home office! Nothing about how to mobilise in defence of their own union! Just smears and lies. I ask you whose interest does this serve?

At the UNITE 'united left' meeting Alberto had attended to speak to the left of the union which he is a member about his victimisation and a dispute that he has been involved. I and other officers of my Branch had notified the united left well in advance of a wish to discuss these issues. Outside the meeting the chair Jim Kelly said he would not take it for discussion as he had not been notified this seriously questionable. In the meeting he would not allow to be discussed because he said "there were people present including from the cleaners branch who disagreed". So what! Its a sad day when a left meeting refuses to even allow migrant workers so speak because someone else disagrees. The meeting took a vote not whether to support the sacked Willis workers or not but whether to allow Alberto to speak either about his own victimisation or that of the sacked Willis rep and workers. The meeting voted not to let him speak - that is shamefull!

Even if the 'united left' felt it could not support the Willis workers, it could have discussed it and decided it refused. It could have discussed defending Alberto from Lancaster Cleaning Company, it refused to even contemplate this basic question of working class solidarity. You really need to ask whose interests to they serve?

 

[Chris Ford]

Labour Representation Committee forum on the cleaners struggles on Tuesday 4th August, 6:30 Somerstown community centre.
Speakers are Alberto Durango victimised UNITE activist, Clara Osadiega RMT, cleaner from SOAS UNISON, Bob Crow RMT, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Dear, NUJ, Gill George of UNITE NEC (pc)

Spread the word.

 

[cesare]

edit out poster's real names pls

 

[editor]

I dont know ++++ (urban blues)

Name edited. Don't use people's real names please.

 

[durruti02]

fwded message form SOAS campaign

" dear all
workers in the UNITE union at Mitie (Willis)--who also organised around the living wage and who have been fighting off attacks on union organisation for some time, were today conned into a fake meeting on health and safety issues by their managers and raided. a number have been picked up and detained. protests will follow.. with one on friday at 12:30.. watch this space for more detials..
other news: the RMT union have agreed to work with the SOAS unions to develop a "hands off my workmate" campaign and the teach in we plan"

 

[durruti02]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31945093/ns/travel-news/ the sears tower is now the Willis Tower .. these people have MONEY!