One year ago 22 security workers at Belfast International Airport were unfairly and unjustly sack

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday May 25, 2003 09:52 by Left of centre - ATGWU broad left

One year ago 22 security workers at Belfast International Airport were unfairly and unjustly sack by ICTS, the workers in a last desperate attempt to win a living wage and decent working conditions legally withdrew their labour, they though they had the full support of their union, “ATGWU” but at their hour of need they were let down, not by the union but by bureaucrats and careerists who have collaborated with the bosses to under mind their struggle.

One year ago 22 security workers at Belfast International Airport were unfairly and unjustly sack by ICTS, the workers in a last desperate attempt to win a living wage and decent working conditions legally withdrew their labour, they though they had the full support of their union, “ATGWU” but at their hour of need they were let down, not by the union but by bureaucrats and careerists who have collaborated with the bosses to under mind their struggle.

Not only were the workers abandoned by the bureaucrats and careerists they were delivered to the bosses like lambs to the slaughter, they have had their good names slandered, “they were called storm troopers” these storm troopers are Madden 66 diabetic, Chris 43 recovering from open heart surgery and Gordon a 43 year old cripple” in a attempt to hide the collaborators guilt, who are the real Nazi’s and Fascist these want-a-be Dictators called on the Police riot squad to threaten these three workers out of there own building.

On Saturday 24th May 80 trade unionists march in solidarity with the sacked airport workers, the peaceful and dignified march made it’s way through the main streets of Belfast to Transport House symbolically we went in, the meeting was address by speakers from the ATGWU, FBU, UNISON, NIPSA and the SP and SWP all have pledged support, Andy Gilchrist FBU is meeting with them this week.

The sacked workers voiced disappointment that Bill Morris had insulted them by not attending, you could not but notice that there was no ATGWU banners on display and that The General Secretary/Dictator Bill Morris and his three collaborators Elsby, Condit and McCusker failed to attend.
This was a deliberated insult to the 22 sacked workers, by failing to attend the solidarity demo, Bill Morris is no better than a absentee Landlord, Bill you can try a wash your hands of these workers, you can hide and refuse to meet them, but when the time for justice comes and it will in the courts of Belfast that day you and your collaborators will face the truth.

100 years ago trade unionist such as Larkin and Connelly organised the working class to fight employers for workers rights such as sick pay and wages above that of poverty,

Today workers through the world are still facing these employers, who are encouraged by the Anti-Trade Union Laws and often supported by the state and military who push the neo-liberal agenda of the new world orders desire to rule the world, Rulers who can find 100,s of millions of Dollars to fight illegal wars but not one penny to stop 19,000 children from starving to death every day.

The workers from Belfast Inter A/port call for a executive enquiry must be heard,
But the time has come for us as a union and the greater trade union family to stand shoulder to shoulder and unite in struggle against employers like ICTS and the Anti-Trade Union Laws.

This time next week the ATGWU will have a new leader,
It’s time the Bureaucrats and Careerists realised that there time is up, the ATGWU is a lay members union, today the rank and file lay members have taken back their building, next Saturday we take back our union.