G
Grim O'Grady
Guest
From the NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Saturday April 2 2005
TRADE UNION DEMONSTRATION AGAINST DEPORTATIONS
Assemble 12.30 Whitworth Park, Oxford Rd, Manchester. Bring Your Union
Banner!
The National Union of Journalists is currently running a campaign
against the deportation of one of our Manchester branch members - Mansoor
Hassan.
Mansoor worked as an investigative journalist in Pakistan where he
exposed honour killings, government corruption and crimes involving drug
trafficking.
The campaign has brought into focus the pressing need for all trade
unions to take up the challenge of defending and supporting refugees and
asylum seekers. We believe asylum is a trade union issue.
Right to work for all seeking asylum
In 2002 the government withdrew the right to apply for permission to
work from people seeking asylum. The right to work of many who came before
that date has been withdrawn, even though their claims for asylum have not
yet been fully considered. Thousands of skilled and willing workers have
been forced to live on benefits, rather than being able to earn a living and
make a contribution to society. We are urging unions to campaign on this
issue and pressure the government to change the law.
Campaigning against vouchers for those seeking asylum was successful.
We can do the same over the right to work.
Trade unions can organise migrant and undocumented workers
Some unions have already been involved in organising migrant workers,
including putting out information in languages other than English, but
there is still a huge amount to do. Migrant workers are found in all sectors
of the economy but especially in food processing, agriculture, catering,
cleaning, health and care services, and through agencies in many other
workplaces.
Deaths and injuries are even more prevalent among migrant workers. As
the TUC/ILO report -Forced Labour and Migration to the UK- and recent
revelations in the media have shown many - like the Morecombe cockle
pickers - are super exploited due to language barriers, fear over their
rights as migrants, and because their accommodation is provided by
their employers. We need to look at creative ways of reaching and organising
all these workers, including contacting them in the communities where they
live, and using learning reps to campaign for English classes to be available
to all who need them, at times and places convenient to them.
Making sure migrant workers are organised and have the same wages and
conditions as others stops the bosses undermining gains others have
made and benefits us all.
Public sector workers should not be made into immigration officers
Workers in housing, health, benefits and nearly every public service
are now being told to check people’s immigration before they can access to
the service. Many people seeking asylum or coming to this country for
other reasons are being refused vital services, even when they have paid tax
and national insurance contributions.
Trade unionists in these services are discussing how they can stop
having to act as immigration officers, taking these issues up nationally in their unions.
We hope you will agree that immigration is a trade union issue.
We look forward to seeing you on 2nd April at this important
demonstration.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Saturday April 2 2005
TRADE UNION DEMONSTRATION AGAINST DEPORTATIONS
Assemble 12.30 Whitworth Park, Oxford Rd, Manchester. Bring Your Union
Banner!
The National Union of Journalists is currently running a campaign
against the deportation of one of our Manchester branch members - Mansoor
Hassan.
Mansoor worked as an investigative journalist in Pakistan where he
exposed honour killings, government corruption and crimes involving drug
trafficking.
The campaign has brought into focus the pressing need for all trade
unions to take up the challenge of defending and supporting refugees and
asylum seekers. We believe asylum is a trade union issue.
Right to work for all seeking asylum
In 2002 the government withdrew the right to apply for permission to
work from people seeking asylum. The right to work of many who came before
that date has been withdrawn, even though their claims for asylum have not
yet been fully considered. Thousands of skilled and willing workers have
been forced to live on benefits, rather than being able to earn a living and
make a contribution to society. We are urging unions to campaign on this
issue and pressure the government to change the law.
Campaigning against vouchers for those seeking asylum was successful.
We can do the same over the right to work.
Trade unions can organise migrant and undocumented workers
Some unions have already been involved in organising migrant workers,
including putting out information in languages other than English, but
there is still a huge amount to do. Migrant workers are found in all sectors
of the economy but especially in food processing, agriculture, catering,
cleaning, health and care services, and through agencies in many other
workplaces.
Deaths and injuries are even more prevalent among migrant workers. As
the TUC/ILO report -Forced Labour and Migration to the UK- and recent
revelations in the media have shown many - like the Morecombe cockle
pickers - are super exploited due to language barriers, fear over their
rights as migrants, and because their accommodation is provided by
their employers. We need to look at creative ways of reaching and organising
all these workers, including contacting them in the communities where they
live, and using learning reps to campaign for English classes to be available
to all who need them, at times and places convenient to them.
Making sure migrant workers are organised and have the same wages and
conditions as others stops the bosses undermining gains others have
made and benefits us all.
Public sector workers should not be made into immigration officers
Workers in housing, health, benefits and nearly every public service
are now being told to check people’s immigration before they can access to
the service. Many people seeking asylum or coming to this country for
other reasons are being refused vital services, even when they have paid tax
and national insurance contributions.
Trade unionists in these services are discussing how they can stop
having to act as immigration officers, taking these issues up nationally in their unions.
We hope you will agree that immigration is a trade union issue.
We look forward to seeing you on 2nd April at this important
demonstration.
