Scandal of Fruit Farm workers

[durruti02]

Many Unite/T+G activists would agree with you to an extent. One of my friends is a lass who is one of the key organisers of low-paid farm workers - almost all immigrant labour nowdays - in the east region with a 20+ year history of organising BUT she has to work through the union, not against it.

Urbanblues is right - one cannot simply come out with 'where are the unions', 'where are the left' - its meaningless and trite.

One of the obvious problems is made clear in the BBC article nightbreed linked to:

"Workers' bravery - The hearing was told that workers, from Poland, were afraid to give evidence to the inspector for fear of losing their jobs or accommodation.

The GLA uses a points system to calculate the extent of breaches in its licence. A score of 30 counts as a fail, and Saphire Trading reached a total of 185 points. The GLA chairman Paul Whitehouse praised the courage of employees who helped with the investigation.

"It is the bravery of the workers who suffered at the hands of Saphire Trading in coming forward and making statements to the GLA that helped us to get this result," he said."

Ultimately the task of union organisers is to raise confidence so workers dare to take up the issues themselves. The unions can only support those workers - it is not a replacement for their self-activity. And a union activist will not rasie that confidence by beginning from the position of 'the unions are crap, where are they?', will it?

"..Fair play UB .. i am being polemical as usual, it is yes of course way to trite to say 'why isn't A,B, or Z doing something about this' D02 p.16

yes i have already accepted that was an emotional ranty reaction .. and i acknowledged in the OP the good work Unite have always done in this sector .. but it is not working .. is that the fault of Unite? I doubt it .. i am nor sure what else they COULD do bar throw in hundreds of organisers that have to be paid from somewhere ( and i suspect the work would NIT be self fiancing in terms of new members )

.. i think my attitude is that there needs to be some sort of campaign to bring home to people what is happening on their doorsteps .. we always here about solidarity campaigns and anti this and anti that .. the countryside and those who live and work there need one .. though as always of course if we can't sort out where we live how can we help them

p.s. i was hoping you would say some more on the nssn thread ..

 

[nightbreed]

Ultimately the task of union organisers is to raise confidence so workers dare to take up the issues themselves. The unions can only support those workers - it is not a replacement for their self-activity. And a union activist will not rasie that confidence by beginning from the position of 'the unions are crap, where are they?', will it?

Never a truer few set of words there Dennisr.

 

[Cobbles]

No figures as such, but I've noticed that I seem able to buy less and less despite all these various offers (most of which I find rather unhelpful or impractical, anyway).

Prices don't seem any lower, so far as I can tell.

Line caught tuna and mange tout prices have been driven down thanks to New Labour generating demand in areas of urban regeneration (e.g. where the corner shop has been replaced by an equality focused macrobiotic deli).