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Total Victory At Lindsey by: rjones2818 Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 15:45:47 PDT         | More

(10:00AM EST - promoted by Nightprowlkitty) Original article, by Steve Kelly,UNITE London Construction Branch member, via Socialist Appeal (UK): On Monday 29th June the workers at Lindsey agreed to return to work with heads held high.It was a magnificent result and all those involved deserve a great round of applause. The dispute began when 51 scaffolders were sacked at Lindsey and refused employment with another contractor on the site. They were regarded as troublemakers by management.The rest of the workers immediately downed tools in support of them.

rjones2818 :: Total Victory At Lindsey

When workers stand together, the oligarchy quakes! Other workers on other sites around the country took solidarity action, when 670 workers were then sacked at Lindsey the fight was really on.What a brave fight the workers took on.Their demands were simple: all to be reinstated and no victimisation against any of the other workers involved in solidarity action. Kelly then explains why the bosses folded: The workers, those who actually produce the results (in this case, construction) which the bosses take credit for, told the bosses that it was all of the workers or none of them. It was quite simple, really. With support from other work sites which were striking in solidarity with the Lindsey workers, the bosses were faced with united opposition, and the crumpled. Three cheers for the Lindsey workers, their brothers and sisters who joined in solidarity, and even the unions (who came on board after the strike had started). And what does a strike in England and the UK have to do with us in the States? Take Republic Windows and Doors, for starters. You remember Republic, don't you? The window factory in Chicago that was occupied by workers after the bosses started to take away equipment and then said they were shutting down the factory? Now, the workers won their fight over the bosses trying not to pay what the workers had earned and the severance packages which were mandated. This in and of itself was a victory for the workers. Guess what? The company was bought out and the new owners are rehiring all of the workers! Can you say total victory? I thought you could. Note: There was a really good documentary which was previewed at Socialism 2009 called Workers' Republic. Look for it when it comes out! When workers stand together, the oligarchs tremble. When workers stand alone, the oligarchs jump for joy. This is a lesson which all workers, blue collar and white, need to learn and to understand. When you don't stand together, you work at your bosses whim. Period. Not fighting for your, and your fellow workers, jobs means that many, if not most or all, of those jobs will disappear. Fighting for your, and your fellow workers, jobs means having a chance to keep those jobs. It's as simple as that.

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Tags: Industrial Action, labor, Socialist Appeal (UK), Steve Kelly, Unite Union, Republic Windows and Doors, (All Tags)

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