Belfast Solidarity Meeting: Reinstate Rob Williams

antrim | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice Tuesday May 19, 2009 14:00 by Gary Mulcahy - Socialist Party

Victimised Linamar (ex-Visteon) Unite covenor

On May 6 the management of Linamar (formerly Visteon) in Swansea sacked the plant convenor, Rob Williams.

Rob has a record of defending the jobs and terms and conditions of his members that is second to none. Alongside the Belfast Visteon shop stewards, he successfully fought to maintain Ford terms and conditions in Visteon and in Linamar.

He also played an important role during the recent Visteon struggle, visiting the Belfast occupation and also the picket lines in Basildon and Enfield.

It is because of his proud role as a trade unionist that he is being sacked. Linamar management want him out of the way so that they can drive down wages, worsen conditions and, if necessary, close the factory.

This is not just an attack on an individual – it is an attempt to smash trade union organisation in this factory.

It is a declaration of war against the entire trade union movement. If Linamar are allowed to get away with victimising a prominent trade union leader management in other companies will feel free to do the same.

Linamar workers are now balloting for strike action to demand Rob’s reinstatement. They must not be left to fight this battle alone. A line must be drawn and the rank and file of the trade union movement must be mobilised to ensure that the victimisation of trade union activists stops here.

Show your solidarity with Rob by coming along to the public meeting. This meeting will draw the lessons of the Visteon occupation and will discuss what we can do locally to put pressure on Linamar to reinstate Rob.

Poster for meeting - please print and display 0.05 Mb