Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets Campaign: Historic 40 Year Fight 1972 - 2012
10 November (From the Justice for Shrewsbury Campaign) The Construction Industry is notorious as the most dangerous industry to work in. More workers are killed & injured in Construction than any other industry. On top of that, over 2000 workers die from exposure to deadly asbestos every year. Over 3300 building workers have been denied work & blacklisted for daring to speak out against these disgraceful conditions, and for trying to prevent even more deaths and injuries.
Our campaign fully supports the fight of the rank & file sparks to stop employers cutting wages. They are in the forefront against attempts of this Coalition of Bankers & Employers to make workers pay for a crisis they created. They have brought the world to the brink of a world trading crash.
Everywhere throughout the world millions of workers are losing their homes & jobs. In the UK they are expected to give up their pension rights. Disabled workers have their meagre allowances cut.
Wages are cut by below inflation rises & wage freezes. If Construction employers are allowed to cut 35% to the electricians wages, others employers will try the same. Bankers & Employers continue to pay themselves increases in pay & pensions with complete contempt for us all.
Next year is 40 years since the 1972 building workers strike. It's
significance is the fact that 24 Pickets were convicted of an 1875 Conspiracy Law 6 Pickets were given prison sentences. Des Warren & Ricky Tomlinson of "Royle Family" fame given 3 years & 2 years respectively. It has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice to the trade union
movement of the last century. The lessons of Shrewsbury remain vital for trade unionists fighting today to defend wages, jobs and conditions faced with the anti-Trade Union laws.
In 1972 the Tories & Employers had attempted to bring in wage freezes together with anti-Trade Union laws to prevent workers from fighting to defend wages & jobs like today. The Miners smashed the pay freeze & 5 Dockers fighting to defend jobs were jailed. Tens of thousands of dockers went on strike defying the anti Trade Union laws. 60,000 workers surrounded
Pentonville prison, forcing the release of the 5 Dockers.
So when Building workers went out on strike for 12 weeks & using the Miners' successful tactics of flying pickets, they virtually closed the whole country's sites down. The Tories & Employers were unable to use the anti-TU's laws because the Dockers had defeated them. They used an 1875 Conspiracy law to criminalise trade unionists - 6 months after the strike
ended!
Senior Police Officers had accompanied the pickets on the day in question, and congratulated Des & Ricky on the conduct of the pickets. (Read Des Warren's The Key to My Cell, police reports & you'll see the state's conspiracy.) Sir Robert McAlpine was a member of the Tory cabinet & members of his family had links with the local Judiciary.
All of the original 210 charges were dropped for lack of evidence, despite reports by 2 Prosecution Authorities & 2 Police Authorities, and over 800 witnesses interviewed. The state was forced to rely on Conspiracy charges; 1000's of riot police surrounded the court. The leaders of the trade unions
abandoned the pickets, even though there was massive support for them throughout the country.
40 years on, as part of the continuing struggle for justice for Des and the other Shrewsbury pickets, we are having a film & discussion meeting, with coverage of this historic struggle and interviews with Des & Ricky. Speakers will include strikers from 1972, blacklisted workers & the sparks current dispute.
All welcome.
