STOP PRESS: Key union activist sacked


Rob Williams addresses Socialist Party

Rob Williams addresses Socialist Party ‘Support Visteon Workers’ meeting in London, photo Paul Mattsson

Socialist Party member Rob Williams, the Unite convenor of the Linamar car parts factory in Swansea, was called into the directors’ office of the plant on Tuesday 28 April and told that he was being sacked for “irretrievable breakdown of trust”.


Updates at http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/7210


This blatant victimisation of one of the leading left-wing shop steward activists in the car industry was met by an immediate production line walk-off by the day shift. They surrounded Rob’s union office after management called in police to forcibly remove Rob from the building.

Rob has been very active in the campaign of the sacked Visteon car parts workers and has recently visited all three of their plants. His sacking is likely to be linked to his role in this struggle. The Visteon Unite convenors are demanding that Rob be reinstated and they, alongside many others, are calling on Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley to also back the immediate reinstatement of Rob.

Linamar recently announced 140 redundancies.

● Messages of support should be rushed to Rob Williams:

[email protected] and to Socialist Party Wales: [email protected]
● Send messages urging Unite to defend Rob and other lay officials, to the Wales secretary of Unite:
[email protected]

● Phone through your protest to Brian Wade, head of Swansea Linamar on 01792 656339 and to the personnel manager on 01792 656238.