The Socialist 12 May 2009

Fight all job cuts

MPs live it up at our expense !

Sweep away the thieves and their system

Renationalise the railways

Sri Lanka's killing zone

Corus jobs slaughter - fight the closure

News in brief

Linamar sack Swansea trade union leader

A victory at Linamar would be a victory for all workers

Visteon workers discuss socialism

No2EU - Yes to Democracy campaign news

No to the EU gravy train

Youth Fight for Jobs Launch conference

Gaza: the nightmare continues

Imperialism sucked deeper into Afghan quagmire

Defending jobs and conditions at the Olympics site

Defending jobs and conditions at Fiddlers Ferry

Wales TUC: For trade union democracy and for trade union rights!

Socialist methods tested

Workplace news in brief

PCS conference: A fighting union that defends its members

NSSN - fight the bosses' offensive

NSSN Conference: Saturday 27 June

Defeating the poll tax

Save our schools Weston Favell, Northampton

Lewisham Bridge primary school

Threat of academies

Previous issues, etc

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Defending jobs and conditions at Fiddlers Ferry

A good spread of Warrington trade unionists and construction workers from across the north-west came to a meeting organised by Warrington trades council. The meeting was to campaign against the blacklisting of union activists in the construction industry, recently exposed by the Guardian newspaper and the Information Commissioner.

Blacklisted electrician Steve Acheson spoke, outlining his exclusion from work over the last nine years.

The Labour government made a law to make blacklisting illegal in 1999, but then stopped short of passing the regulations necessary to give effect to the law they had passed.

There was a lively discussion on the blacklist, its effects and also the somewhat muted response of the Unite trade union to the confirmation of the existence of the blacklist. It was agreed to attend a protest at Fiddlers Ferry power station on 1 May, in solidarity with Steve, after he was unfairly selected for redundancy on the site 19 weeks ago.

A resolution was unanimously passed to forward to the Merseyside Association of Trades Councils and to put to other trade union branches.

At the protest, the union rep from the power station came out for a word. These workers are potentially very powerful - Fiddlers Ferry generates 3% of England's electricity. At the end we were offered breakfast from the power station canteen!

For more information email warringtontuc@live.co.uk