Kate Ramsden, UNISON proud to bring solidarity to all trade union members in struggle
Because a victory for one is a victory for us all
That’s the beauty of collective action – of standing
together in solidarity and comradeship
That’s what the Tories and the capitalists fear
That’s why they are attacking our employment rights and our
right to strike
They know that when we stand together we are strong
And that is why we are standing together now
Saying enough is enough
Our right to strike is a fundamental human right
It is essential to balance the power between worker and
boss
We have seen the waves of strikes across the UK
Demanding decent pay for our members facing a cost of
living crisis worse than we’ve seen in decades
Our members, dependent on foodbanks to feed their children
and themselves
Facing an impossible choice between eating and heating
Yet we are still the 5th richest country in the
world
The money is there for decent wages
It’s just that it is in the hands of the richest
The very people who don’t need it
The people who are running our country and bringing in
these draconian laws
And here’s the thing – the supreme irony of it all
Our economy is a shambles – the worst in Europe
And the way to fix it is to put money in the pockets of
ordinary people
People like you and me.
Workers who spend in our local shops and businesses,
supporting the local economy
The people who pay our taxes
The richest do neither
They squirrel money away in offshore accounts and avoid
paying taxes at all costs
Nadim Zahawi anyone? And he’s just the one that got caught!
Don’t be fooled
The money is there and keeping wages down is a matter of
political choice
And they are NEVER going to make that choice through
discussion and bargaining
Not this government!
So it’s choice we can ONLY resist by withdrawing our labour
– by going on strike for above inflation pay rises
So we will NOT let this government, a government of and for
the greedy rich – take away our right to strike.
We all know the law is unnecessary – compassionate trade
unionists will ALWAYS make sure people are not placed at risk through our
action – which is more than we can say for this government.
This is only the start. Today’s massive action across the
country – alongside the protests and rallies – is only the start
And we have the support of the public who have woken up to the
mess this government is making – to the unfairness and the inequality
When we stand together we can win.
Solidarity comrades