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Our view of joint action
• YOUR correspondent is correct in saying the Labour government’s Lyons report needs to be scrapped (Impact of job losses, April 3). We are indeed in sympathy with those, like the writer, whose civil service jobs at the Archway Tower are in danger.
But neither the secretary or president of Islington Trades Union Council (ITUC) are “jumping on a bandwagon”. We are affiliated to the TUC. We have affiliated trade union branches from the PCS union and further education union branches of UCU, whose members are facing similar redundancies at London Metropolitan University. ITUC is, in fact, taking very practical steps to support workers in struggle.
Austin Harney, assistant branch secretary from the Office of the Public Guardian at Archway Tower, is a delegate at our Trades Union Council and often reports back on behalf of PCS. We had a guest speaker from UCU London Metropolitan University at our February meeting, speaking of the 550 threatened redundancies.
Our proposition of “joint action” does not mean secondary action, as the writer seems to think. We would like to see the Thatcherite, anti-trade union laws which have shackled union disputes scrapped. We are referring to joint campaigning, such as demonstrations and public meetings, with workers in public services, students, community activists, our two MPs and councillors, and putting the case for protecting such services and strengthening voices that need to be heard.
With regard to giving “false hope” to those workers at London Metropolitan University threatened with redundancy, ITUC would not be fulfilling our role if we did not reach out to workers in dispute.
Mick Gilgunn
Secretary, Islington Trades Union Council
Gary Heather
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