There was a noisy and colourful march this afternoon by care home Fremantle UNISON strikers and supporters from Burnt Oak to Edgware. I think there were about 150 people in total. The march received a lot of support from passerbies and “toots” from Car horns.I had a brief chat with the trade union web site Labourstart editor Eric Lee who was due to speak. Fremantle had threatened to take libel action against Labourstart over their coverage of this dispute.
Local Labour Party MP Andrew Dismore took part in the March with Local Councillors and Party supporters. He spoke at rally (see standing in photo next to Barnet UNISON branch secretary, John Burgess). UNISON Regional Secretary Linda Perks was next then I spoke briefly as well, but I had to leave before the end in order to go to a memorial service.I pointed out that tens of thousands of public sector workers in London had been transferred into the private sector (myself included!). They had all been promised like Fremantle staff that there terms and conditions would be protected under TUPE. However, TUPE had failed to protect Fremantle staff (ironically due to gross management incompetence and opportunism), so in this dispute we need to defend the principle of TUPE protection. It is also a disgrace that in London, the richest capital in Europe that the workers who carry out hard, difficult manual work looking after the most vulnerable of clients in care homes are paid just over £6.60 per hour, and have had their sickness, overtime and holiday pay slashed.
NEC member Jon Rodgers, Former London Regional secretary Geoff Martin, sacked UNISON NHS activist Karen Reissman were also due to speak. Under threat Newham UNISON LG Chair Michael Gavan was also there.
