Lincoln Trades Council opposes anti-migrant march

October 11 Dean Everitt of Wyberton near Boston, has announced that he will be organising a march against immigration on Saturday 19th November in Boston, Lincolnshire.

He says that "there are school-leavers who can't get a job because migrants are taking them and working longer hours for less pay." The trades union movement in our county would agree with the organiser of the march, Mr Everitt, that low pay and unemployment are important issues around which to organise campaigns. It is a disgrace that there is such endemic low pay within Lincolnshire. It is also a disgrace that areas of Lincolnshire have unemployment levels that are higher than the national average.

Wrong target

However, this is where the Lincoln & District TUC will diverge from the comments and actions of Mr Everitt. In organising a march against immigration, he lays the blame for these problems at migrant workers, or the Government for letting these migrant workers into the country. His message is that if these migrant workers weren't here, or if no more arrived, the living conditions of ordinary people from Lincolnshire would improve. The trade union movement in Lincolnshire would disagree. There is no doubt that living standards are deteriorating for the majority of the population. Inequality is at a Victorian-era level, 2.5 million people are unemployed (including 1 million young people) and pay increases are consistently less than price rises. This situation is not caused by migrant workers, but by the privatisation and cuts agenda of successive governments of the last thirty years.

Mr Everitt - and those who are tempted to support his campaign - would find their time better spent by putting their energy into a positive campaign for jobs, such as the Youth Fight for Jobs campaigners who - 75 years on - are following in the footsteps of the hundreds of men who marched from Jarrow to London. Marchers involved in the 2011 Youth March for Jobs will be speaking in Lincoln on Thursday 13th October at 7pm at Lincoln Labour Club on Newland to talk about their campaign to demand decent jobs and apprenticeships for young people. Lack of jobs, low pay and deteriorating public services are not caused by immigrants. They are caused by the millionaire 'piper' politicians who run this country and who play the tune of those who pay them, the fat cat bosses in the banks and big businesses of Britain.

Oppose the march

Lincoln & District TUC will be supporting trade union members and community activists who will oppose the march on 19th November in Boston. Those who reject racist division and support unity amongst working people will be assembling at 12 noon at Sleaford Road park in Boston. Lincoln & District TUC encourages working people from all nationalities to come along and get involved, and to unite in the trade unions and anti-cuts groups behind a common programme of defense of jobs, pay and public services for all.

Regards,

Nick Parker,

President, Lincoln & District Trades Union Council