Don’t let Unite leaders jail Gordon McNeill
unite member | 02.09.2008 17:16 | Workers' Movements
Senior officials of the Unite trade union are continuing in their attempt to have sacked Belfast Airport Shop Steward, Gordon McNeill jailed for the “crime” of protesting outside an empty building.
Protest - Wednesday 3 September 9.30am Outside Belfast High Court
The case will be heard in Belfast High Court on Wednesday morning. There will be a protest outside the court from 9.30am.
A protest was held at lunchtime today outside Unite’s Antrim Road offices. After the protest Gordon McNeill commented:
“I am dismayed that the top leaders of my union are prepared to see me go to jail rather than concede my basic and reasonable demand that the compensation they paid my fellow shop stewards should also be paid to me, but without the gagging clause that would prevent me from bringing out the truth about what happened in this dispute.
“It really is a low point in the history of trade unionism that the Unite leadership are prepared to imprison me because I sat on a garden chair outside an empty Transport House. I was interfering with no one. How could I have been when the Unite officials have moved from the building to the Antrim Road?
“Today, during our protest at Antrim Road, we had the unbecoming spectacle of Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly, coming out of the building to shout insults at the protestors, making ridiculous accusations that we are “anti trade union scum”, and compared us with “fascists”.
“I would like to remind Mr Kelly that I have just fought and won a long battle with my former employer, ICTS, and, in doing so, have secured a victory for all trade unionists. My campaign is to defend my basic democratic right to free speech and my right to protest. It is Jimmy Kelly, along with Unite General Secretary, Tony Woodley, who are trying to deny these rights.
“If they succeed in adding their name to the long list of anti union employers and governments who jail trade union activists all they will have done is place an indelible stain against their own reputations as trade union leaders. My campaign for justice will continue.”
Unite leaders enforce injunction to prevent Gordon McNeill from protesting at Transport House
Court case to be heard next Wednesday (3rd Sept) at which Gordon will face fines or imprisonment or both
Protests to be called next week against the injunction
"Not only are the Unite leaders trying to deny me the right to speak, now they are also trying to take away my democratic right to protest" Gordon McNeill
Unite leaders this afternoon served Gordon McNeill with a court summons in order to prevent him from continuing his protest outside Transport House in Belfast. Gordon now faces the prospect of imprisonment or fines or both as a result of the injunction barring him from protesting in Transport House that was taken out against him by Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly.
Gordon was peacefully protesting outside the building – which is closed for renovations - demanding that the Unite leadership pay him the compensation that they have paid his fellow shop stewards, Chris Bowyer and Madan Gupta, but without the gagging clause that would prevent him from ever again speaking about the role played by union officials in this dispute.
This protest has been because Gordon has refused to sell his right to tell other trade union members the truth about what happened to himself and his colleagues. Unite General Secretary, Tony Woodley and Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly have offered him £40,000 if he will sell this right.
As Gordon has said in a letter that is now being circulated throughout the trade union movement in Britain, Ireland and beyond: "The truth about what happened in our dispute is part of the history of the labour movement and, as such, is the property of the whole movement. It is not mine to sell."
Now the issue is not just about the right to speak, it is also about the democratic right to protest.
PROTEST
In response to this vindictive attempt by union leaders to imprison a trade union activist, protests are to be organised next week at Unite offices throughout Britain and Ireland. There will be a protest in Belfast outside the Amicus office, AEEU House 26 Antrim Road (where all Unite officials are currently based) on Monday 1 September at 1pm.
After being served with the summons Gordon said:
"This just shows the lengths that the Unite leadership are prepared to go to keep me silent. Tony Woodley and Jimmy Kelly are so determined to shut me up they are prepared to put me in jail rather than allow me to protest outside an empty building!
"It is a scandal that trade union leaders should use the courts to prevent a peaceful protest. They are setting a dangerous precedent that will be taken up by employers and by the government to prevent pickets and protests by trade union members or by communities.
"If Tony Woodley and Jimmy Kelly think that, by approaching me with a bribe in one hand and a court order in the other, they will shut me up they can think again. I am appealing to all trade unionists to stand with me to defend the basic freedoms of speech and association"
For further information contact Gordon on 07934632366
Unite leaders attempt to imprison trade union activist
Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly, issues Gordon McNeill with a court summons for protesting outside an empty building!
Sacked airport shop steward, Gordon McNeill, who has been campaigning for over six years for justice from him employer. ICTS, and from his union, now faces imprisonment.
Gordon, along with 23 other workers, was sacked in 2002 for going on strike for a 50 pence per hour pay rise. ICTS were only able to get away with this because the leadership of his union, the T&GWU, co-operated with them by repudiating the strike.
The sacked shop stewards this year won a landmark legal case against ICTS in which they proved that their sacking was discrimination on grounds of their political views as active trade unionists. This was a victory won for all trade unionists.
The union leadership, meanwhile, has done all it can to cover up the truth about its role in this dispute. They have paid two of the three sacked shop stewards £40,000 each on condition that they never again speak about the role played by any union official during this long sttruggle.
Gordon McNeill has refused to accept this bribe. He has demanded that the union pay him the £40,000 compensation as a right, not as payment for his silence.
Last Friday Gordon was protesting outside Transport House demanding that the gagging clause be lifted. This was a peaceful protest that did not interfere in any way with Unite officials – Unite has moved to the Antrim Road and Gordon was protesting outside an empty building!
Yet Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly served Gordon with a summons to appear in court on Wednesday and be charged with breaking an injunction barring him from protesting in Transport House. This is a serious charge that could end up with Gordon being jailed.
There have been many lows in terms of the role of union officials in this long struggle, but this attempt to jail an activist for protesting outside an empty building must be the most disgraceful episode to date.
Union leaders should be defending the right to protest as well as the right to freedom of speech. Instead we have Unite officials trampling on both these rights.
Don’t let them away with this. Build the campaign to defend Gordon McNeill. Contact Jimmy Kelly and Tony Woodley and demand that they lift the injunction and remove the gagging order. Move resolutions in your union branch condemning their actions.
Protest Wednesday 9.30 am outside the High Court. Bring placards and banners
Jimmy Kelly’s legacy
Jimmy Kelly is determined to make trade union history by being the first union leader to put one of his shop stewards in prison. And, just to make matters worse, he wants it done for the crime of protesting outside an empty building!
This is not the first time Jimmy Kelly has tried to get Gordon McNeill thrown in jail. At the end of May, when Gordon was two weeks into a hunger strike and seven days into a hunger and thirst strike, Jimmy did his best to send him down.
On 27 May Jimmy served Gordon with an injunction to stop him protesting on the balcony of Transport House. At this stage Gordon was semi conscious and unable to move around unassisted.
Unconcerned about his medical condition, Jimmy promptly went to the court to have him imprisoned. Don’t take it from us that a trade union leader could act with such Thatcher-like inhumanity – read his own admission of what he did in his current court affidavit (paras 12 – 13, see www.belfastairportworkers.wordpress.com}
“12. As a result of the Defendants actions in May Committal proceedings were prepared and I swore an affidavit in support of having the Defendant committed, a copy of which is attached hereto and marked “JK2” at the time of swearing hereof
“13. The Committal proceedings were not pursued by the Plaintiff in May as the Defendant was hospitalised on or about 28th May… “
So, sadly for Jimmy Kelly, the health service intervened before he could get his way. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Undeterred Jimmy Kelly has now come back to have a second go. It seems that he is determined to be remembered for something – even if it is only as the trade union leader who jailed a union activist for sitting outside an empty building.
Not a legacy everyone would want, but it doesn’t seem that anyone is able to save him from himself.
The case will be heard in Belfast High Court on Wednesday morning. There will be a protest outside the court from 9.30am.
A protest was held at lunchtime today outside Unite’s Antrim Road offices. After the protest Gordon McNeill commented:
“I am dismayed that the top leaders of my union are prepared to see me go to jail rather than concede my basic and reasonable demand that the compensation they paid my fellow shop stewards should also be paid to me, but without the gagging clause that would prevent me from bringing out the truth about what happened in this dispute.
“It really is a low point in the history of trade unionism that the Unite leadership are prepared to imprison me because I sat on a garden chair outside an empty Transport House. I was interfering with no one. How could I have been when the Unite officials have moved from the building to the Antrim Road?
“Today, during our protest at Antrim Road, we had the unbecoming spectacle of Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly, coming out of the building to shout insults at the protestors, making ridiculous accusations that we are “anti trade union scum”, and compared us with “fascists”.
“I would like to remind Mr Kelly that I have just fought and won a long battle with my former employer, ICTS, and, in doing so, have secured a victory for all trade unionists. My campaign is to defend my basic democratic right to free speech and my right to protest. It is Jimmy Kelly, along with Unite General Secretary, Tony Woodley, who are trying to deny these rights.
“If they succeed in adding their name to the long list of anti union employers and governments who jail trade union activists all they will have done is place an indelible stain against their own reputations as trade union leaders. My campaign for justice will continue.”
Unite leaders enforce injunction to prevent Gordon McNeill from protesting at Transport House
Court case to be heard next Wednesday (3rd Sept) at which Gordon will face fines or imprisonment or both
Protests to be called next week against the injunction
"Not only are the Unite leaders trying to deny me the right to speak, now they are also trying to take away my democratic right to protest" Gordon McNeill
Unite leaders this afternoon served Gordon McNeill with a court summons in order to prevent him from continuing his protest outside Transport House in Belfast. Gordon now faces the prospect of imprisonment or fines or both as a result of the injunction barring him from protesting in Transport House that was taken out against him by Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly.
Gordon was peacefully protesting outside the building – which is closed for renovations - demanding that the Unite leadership pay him the compensation that they have paid his fellow shop stewards, Chris Bowyer and Madan Gupta, but without the gagging clause that would prevent him from ever again speaking about the role played by union officials in this dispute.
This protest has been because Gordon has refused to sell his right to tell other trade union members the truth about what happened to himself and his colleagues. Unite General Secretary, Tony Woodley and Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly have offered him £40,000 if he will sell this right.
As Gordon has said in a letter that is now being circulated throughout the trade union movement in Britain, Ireland and beyond: "The truth about what happened in our dispute is part of the history of the labour movement and, as such, is the property of the whole movement. It is not mine to sell."
Now the issue is not just about the right to speak, it is also about the democratic right to protest.
PROTEST
In response to this vindictive attempt by union leaders to imprison a trade union activist, protests are to be organised next week at Unite offices throughout Britain and Ireland. There will be a protest in Belfast outside the Amicus office, AEEU House 26 Antrim Road (where all Unite officials are currently based) on Monday 1 September at 1pm.
After being served with the summons Gordon said:
"This just shows the lengths that the Unite leadership are prepared to go to keep me silent. Tony Woodley and Jimmy Kelly are so determined to shut me up they are prepared to put me in jail rather than allow me to protest outside an empty building!
"It is a scandal that trade union leaders should use the courts to prevent a peaceful protest. They are setting a dangerous precedent that will be taken up by employers and by the government to prevent pickets and protests by trade union members or by communities.
"If Tony Woodley and Jimmy Kelly think that, by approaching me with a bribe in one hand and a court order in the other, they will shut me up they can think again. I am appealing to all trade unionists to stand with me to defend the basic freedoms of speech and association"
For further information contact Gordon on 07934632366
Unite leaders attempt to imprison trade union activist
Unite Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly, issues Gordon McNeill with a court summons for protesting outside an empty building!
Sacked airport shop steward, Gordon McNeill, who has been campaigning for over six years for justice from him employer. ICTS, and from his union, now faces imprisonment.
Gordon, along with 23 other workers, was sacked in 2002 for going on strike for a 50 pence per hour pay rise. ICTS were only able to get away with this because the leadership of his union, the T&GWU, co-operated with them by repudiating the strike.
The sacked shop stewards this year won a landmark legal case against ICTS in which they proved that their sacking was discrimination on grounds of their political views as active trade unionists. This was a victory won for all trade unionists.
The union leadership, meanwhile, has done all it can to cover up the truth about its role in this dispute. They have paid two of the three sacked shop stewards £40,000 each on condition that they never again speak about the role played by any union official during this long sttruggle.
Gordon McNeill has refused to accept this bribe. He has demanded that the union pay him the £40,000 compensation as a right, not as payment for his silence.
Last Friday Gordon was protesting outside Transport House demanding that the gagging clause be lifted. This was a peaceful protest that did not interfere in any way with Unite officials – Unite has moved to the Antrim Road and Gordon was protesting outside an empty building!
Yet Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly served Gordon with a summons to appear in court on Wednesday and be charged with breaking an injunction barring him from protesting in Transport House. This is a serious charge that could end up with Gordon being jailed.
There have been many lows in terms of the role of union officials in this long struggle, but this attempt to jail an activist for protesting outside an empty building must be the most disgraceful episode to date.
Union leaders should be defending the right to protest as well as the right to freedom of speech. Instead we have Unite officials trampling on both these rights.
Don’t let them away with this. Build the campaign to defend Gordon McNeill. Contact Jimmy Kelly and Tony Woodley and demand that they lift the injunction and remove the gagging order. Move resolutions in your union branch condemning their actions.
Protest Wednesday 9.30 am outside the High Court. Bring placards and banners
Jimmy Kelly’s legacy
Jimmy Kelly is determined to make trade union history by being the first union leader to put one of his shop stewards in prison. And, just to make matters worse, he wants it done for the crime of protesting outside an empty building!
This is not the first time Jimmy Kelly has tried to get Gordon McNeill thrown in jail. At the end of May, when Gordon was two weeks into a hunger strike and seven days into a hunger and thirst strike, Jimmy did his best to send him down.
On 27 May Jimmy served Gordon with an injunction to stop him protesting on the balcony of Transport House. At this stage Gordon was semi conscious and unable to move around unassisted.
Unconcerned about his medical condition, Jimmy promptly went to the court to have him imprisoned. Don’t take it from us that a trade union leader could act with such Thatcher-like inhumanity – read his own admission of what he did in his current court affidavit (paras 12 – 13, see www.belfastairportworkers.wordpress.com}
“12. As a result of the Defendants actions in May Committal proceedings were prepared and I swore an affidavit in support of having the Defendant committed, a copy of which is attached hereto and marked “JK2” at the time of swearing hereof
“13. The Committal proceedings were not pursued by the Plaintiff in May as the Defendant was hospitalised on or about 28th May… “
So, sadly for Jimmy Kelly, the health service intervened before he could get his way. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Undeterred Jimmy Kelly has now come back to have a second go. It seems that he is determined to be remembered for something – even if it is only as the trade union leader who jailed a union activist for sitting outside an empty building.
Not a legacy everyone would want, but it doesn’t seem that anyone is able to save him from himself.
unite member