Defend the right to strike
James Ellis, East Sussex Socialist Party
Socialist Party members attended a protest outside Hastings Crown Court on 29 June in solidarity with three GMB union pickets, recently arrested on a picket line.
Bin workers were in a dispute over pay with Biffa, the private company which manages refuse for Wealden District Council. The GMB members were arrested under the guise of the Highways Act, legislation aimed at stopping the blocking of roads.
The true causes of the arrests are clear. They were carried out by the police on behalf of Biffa management, intended to break the strike and stop effective picketing.
Gary Palmer, a regional GMB organiser, and one of those arrested, spoke at the protest before heading into court. He and the other pickets were in good spirits and grateful for the solidarity.
Biffa had been attempting to move refuse trucks out of the depot. One was driven by a manager without the required safety training.
These arrests were clearly intended to intimidate bin workers into calling off the strike. They failed!
Those arrested were back on the picket lines the next day, determined to continue the strike. The strike ended in success, with the bin workers winning pay rises of 24-27%.
The three GMB members pleaded ‘not guilty’ and rightfully so. The only ‘guilty’ parties are the people who were trying to drive refuse trucks across a picket line, and the employer for using the police to try enforce poverty wages.
While the strike ended in success, the charges still currently stand. This is an attack on the whole trade union movement; we cannot allow these threats to go unanswered.
The next hearing will be at Brighton Court on 16 November.
The Socialist Party will be there in solidarity and we invite you to join us!
