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DEFEND THE UCU IN WALES
STOP VICTIMISATION AT COLEG MORGANNWG
16 June
Management at Coleg Morgannwg have initiated disciplinary action
against Guy Stoate, President of UCU Wales and NEC member. It has
taken them two months to decide to act over a trivial incident on the
picket line during the 24th March strike. On the day the
disciplinary action was announced over 70 members of UCU at the
college held a spontaneous rally in support of Guy. This was a
magnificent display of solidarity. It gave real meaning to the old
trade union slogan that �An injury to one is an injury to all�.
College management appear now to be threatening other branch officials
they claim organised the rally including Ian Bosworth, the Branch
Chair and Chair of UCU Wales FE committee.
There can be no doubt that this is an act of direct victimisation in
an attempt to undermine one of the best organised UCU branches in
Wales. The fact that it took so long to initiate the disciplinary
process suggests college management discussed it with the employers�
organisation Colegau Cymru. This organisation has always urged its
members to take a hard-line against union activists in Wales. Guy is
the fifth UCU Wales officer or negotiator to be targeted over the last
few years.
It
is no coincidence that the employers have gone on the offensive at
this time. Guy has had a high profile in leading and organising UCU�s
Cymru�s action in defence of our pension scheme. He spoke at the large
strike rally in Cardiff on 24 March and was in the press prior to
that. At the same time he has been the lead negotiator for UCU in the
talks with CC on a return to national conditions. Talks the employers
do not want and which they will undermine in any possible way.
At
UCU National Congress on 29 May the NEC moved an emergency motion
supporting Guy and the Morgannwg Branch. It was passed unanimously and
delegates gave Guy a standing ovation. This sends a clear signal to
Morgannwg management and the Welsh employers that UCU is solidly
behind Guy and the other branch officers. The strike on 24 March was
lawful, our members had every right to take that action and picket
effectively to get the message across that we do not accept the need
for pension cuts.
It
is now important that every branch in Wales organises to support Guy.
This incident is not just about one or two key activists. It is a
declaration of war on the union�s ability to organise effectively in
every Welsh FE college. If the employers get away with victimising
the Union�s President in Wales no activist or branch officer is safe.
We
are moving into a period where we face unprecedented attacks on our
pay, jobs and pensions. As do all other public sector workers as this
government tries to shift the blame and the cost of the financial
crisis on to working people. More than ever we will need strong union
organisation to resist those attacks.
That is why it is absolutely vital that we vigorously defend all our
activists against victimisation and assert our right to organise,
strike and picket.
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