Belfast Hunger Strike

antrim | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Sunday February 15, 2004 11:40

by Belfast T&G - none

Urgent support needed

Two Belfast International Airport shop stewards, Gordon McNeill and Madan Gupta, who were sacked for taking strike action over pay, will begin a hunger strike on Monday 16th February inside their unions regional HQ, Transport House Belfast Northern Ireland.

They are demanding that the Transport and General Workers Union (T&GWU) Executive agree to set up an Inquiry, made up of rank and file members of the union, to uncover the truth about the role played by their union official, Joe McCusker, and other officials, at the time of their dismissal.
Sacked shop steward Gordon McNeill commented:
"We want the T&GWU to agree an immediate inquiry into the role played by our union officials at the time we were sacked. We will not come off our hunger strike until we get it" Gordon McNeill
"Madan Gupta and I have very reluctantly, and with heavy hearts, taken this decision because we can see no other way of bringing this long dispute to a resolution. All the sacked workers are totally frustrated at the way in which an officer in the union and other officers have treated us.
"The issue has dragged on for nearly two years and has taken a big toll on us, badly affecting our health. Madan and I are determined to bring it to a head now. We want an Inquiry but we want it to be made up of rank and file members who will be prepared to look at what happened in a truthful and independent way.
"It clearly states in the union code of practice that, where a shop steward is dismissed, an immediate inquiry will be set up to investigate. That’s all we are asking for but we have been forced to take this drastic action because, up to now, this right has been denied us.
"In May 2002 our union official, Joe McCusker, called us out on official strike. Then, when we were on strike, he told our employer that he had repudiated our action and the company then used this as their excuse to sack us. We have now found out that a week earlier he had given the company an assurance that there would be no strike.
"We want to know why this happened. Were we set up? What links, if any, existed between our official and our employer, ICTS? We have been asking these questions for nearly two years and have not been given answers. That is why we need an inquiry.
We want Joe McCusker to sign an affidavit clarifying that he told us that our strike was both legal and official. To date all the promises that he would do so have been broken. We want to know why.
"Going on hunger strike might seem to many a desperate step to take in order to get the union to take the very simple step of setting up an inquiry. But we have been driven to this, we have been slandered, vilified and threatened to the point that we feel our lives have been ruined, and we want to get to the truth in order to clear our names.
The real question is why it takes such drastic action to get the T&GWU leadership to concede an inquiry. We are asking union members to support our action by putting this question directly to our General Secretary, Tony Woodley"
Gordon McNeill can be contacted on 07719574338
Tony Woodley’s mobile no is 07976828950
He may also be contacted at Transport House in London – Tel: 02076112500

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Comments (11 of 11)

Belfast slim in cancelled

by I WANT MONEY - Real T&G

Mon Feb 16, 2004 14:25

The threatened Hunger Strike by 2-sacked workers at Transport House in Belfast as not happened.
And if it had I would say, “Fuck them!” Especially Madan Gupta, as he is a former screw in the Blocks, were 10 Republicans died on Hunger Strike while Gupta’s colleagues laugh in their faces. As for Mc Neill he only wants money! A LOT OF MONEY! A £100.000 for himself and “FUCK THE REST OF THE WORKERS.”

PS the regional committee has all ready called for a review of the practices of the ATGWU in region 3 in the past 3 years.

This is nothing but a cheap publicity stunt if they have the balls to do it, and why is the IRSP giving support to Gupta, how quick they forget their comrades of 1980/81

Support should be given but not the right tactic

by Belfaster

Mon Feb 16, 2004 15:32

Support should be given to these workers. I am surprised though that the SP, as Gordon is an SP member, are taking the tactics of individual sacrifice and the hunger strike. As a democratic centralist organisation I presume the SP have agreed this tactic

I say this simply as I believe that it is the wrong tactic and secondly as Gordon is ill this would be very unwise.

Building workers unity and cross community and trade union mass mobilisation to highlight, fight and to win this struggle is the way to take this fight forward.

At the moment

by In Belfast.

Mon Feb 16, 2004 17:17

Gordon is being interviewed on the news in ATGWU headquarters presenty, talking about why he is now on hunger strike.

real T&G

by t&G

Mon Feb 16, 2004 20:09

good to see even T&G top brass (or is that future top brass) now read Indy media.
If the T&G have no worries why not give the Air port workers an open investigation?

Good Luck

by maalox - Ye Gods!

Mon Feb 16, 2004 21:46

Well, i'm personally _very_ ill at ease about people doing hunger strikes when not in prison, but we should ALL be supporting these workers, whose union has (inexplicably?) deserted. This has been ongoing for a long, long time and the way the T & G have treated them is scandalous. People don't spend years paying subscriptions just so their union can get them sacked for no reason. People who argue against direct action and for 'reforming the unions' take note. Good on yez, good luck.

sorted

by t&g

Tue Feb 17, 2004 01:29

T&G today agreed to the hunger strikers demand for an investigation.
Well done to all involved.

Scabs out of T&G

But well done

by Amazed

Wed Feb 18, 2004 13:58

However, didn't the SP disagree with the 80, 81 hunger strikes? So now what has changed that sees one of their members agreeing to go on hunger strike. What happened to all of that mass workers unity ? This is a huge change in policy, has this been agreed with members. It has even been reported on the CWI site.

what?

by even more amazed

Wed Feb 18, 2004 19:53

So amazed your understanding of the policy of the SP during the hunger strikes is that they disagree with any hunger strikes on principal, think you might want to re read that bit of history.

Just to be clear

by Amazed also - Ex Milt.

Thu Feb 19, 2004 11:15

So the SP is for individual members going on hunger strike in preference to mass working class action in this case.

I never thought I to would see the day when the SP strategy was to urge members to go on hunger strike to win a fight. How times change

just to be clear

by still milit

Sat Feb 21, 2004 23:09

wrong again

Well which one

by Well

Mon Feb 23, 2004 20:36

They were not on hunger strike or they are not SP members?

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Comments (11 of 11)