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It
is the first anniversary of the sacking of the 24
airport workers for striking against poverty pay.
These workers have gained overwhelming support from
ordinary workers across the country but have been
sold out by their union leadership. Within their union
there is growing support for their campaign and they
are determined to fight for justice. That's why it
is important that everybody makes a speacial effort
to make it along to this Saturdays demo to show solidarity.
Leaflet for the demo below
In
a disgraceful move Belfast International Airport has
sacked twenty-two workers for striking against poverty
wages. In May last year, security workers at Belfast
International airport went on strike. All of the workers
at the time employed by ICTS and were members of the
TGWU. The strike was against the derisory wages and
conditions that their company was offering. Workers
were paid as little as £4.75 an hour (approx
9K), with no overtime or sick pay. This was in contrast
to workers in Luton airport who did the same job for
the same company for 20K per year. It was also in
contrast to other workers in the airport such as porters
who were on over £6 an hour with six months
paid sick pay and
overtime rates of double pay.
The
strike had been properly balloted, with 97% voting
in favour of strike action. After the first round
of industrial action the matter went to the Labour
Relations Agency, but workers said that management
showed no genuine desire to negotiate and the workers
decided to continue with industrial action. After
receiving confirmation from T&G officials that
the action was official and therefore legal the workers
decided to go out on the 14th May between 4am and
8am. That day they again sought and received confirmation
from T&G officials that the strike was official.
However on the 2nd day of the action the same officials
issued a repudiation notice to the employers and the
two shop stewards Gordon McNeill and Madan Gupta,
designating the strike illegal. The employers were
over the moon and used the repudiation notice to sack
the two shop stewards and another 22 of the striking
workers. Some of the sacked workers had been at the
airport for decades.
After
the sackings there was practically no support from
the T&G official. The ICTS management has been
openly applauding the great way they were able to
get rid of these workers on what was little more than
a technicality. The two shop stewards had been seen
as a thorn in the side of their bosses for continuously
demanding fair play for workers at the airport.
Since
they have been sacked there have been many changes
to the hours worked by other workers at the airport.
Some have found that their hours have jumped from
39 per week to 45. There is no doubt that the airport
is
pleased to be rid of these people as an example to
others who are thinking of taking similar actions.
The
twenty-two sacked workers have started a campaign
to fight for re-instatement. They are completely united
and determined to fight this gross injustice. They
have been touring workplaces and gathering support
from a whole range of workers for their campaign.
So far members of the TGWU, the FBU, NIPSA, the CWU
etc have pledged their support for the 24th. They
have forced the leadership of the TGWU to also come
out and back the rally on the 24th and pledge their
support for the campaign. They are determined that
Northern Ireland Employers will not be allowed to
get away with paying poverty wages and sacking anyone
who dares to fight back
Why
you should support the sacked workers:
a.. Northern Ireland has some of the lowest wages
in Western Europe
b.. Northern Ireland has a higher proportion of people
living below the
poverty line than the rest of the UK
c.. Homelessness in Northern Ireland is worse than
anywhere else in the
UK
The
airport workers are striking a blow for working class
people all over the North. If they are successful
it will send a message to the employers and the politicians
that low pay and poor conditions will not be tolerated
any longer.
Visit
these websites for regular updates articles and reports
Socialist
Party
Socialist
Youth
Committee
for a Workers International
International
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