Pooling ‘people power’

Unite’s Community initiative is only two years old, but has already won victories up and down the country.

 
The latest of these happened on Tuesday (February 24), when Newry council agreed to overturn its decision to dramatically hike swimming pool user fees for the disabled, elderly and unemployed.

 
The decision comes after a concerted campaign from a local Unite Community branch, which spearheaded protests and galvanised the people of Newry to stand up to the unjust fees.

 
Newry Unite in the Community spokesperson, Martin McKeown, hailed the council’s overturned decision as proof that community solidarity makes a difference.

 
“This is a people power victory – Unite in the Community provided the leadership but this is a victory belonging to the people of Newry who stood up and refused to accept these unfair user fee charges,” he said.

 
“Unite in the Community built up a grassroots campaign against this issue, raising awareness, organising an online petition and then we stepped up the campaign by organising protests outside the leisure facility and the chamber,” McKeown added, noting that the protests were well-attended by a range of disadvantaged groups which would be affected by the fees.

 
The council had proposed hiking the new community swimming pool’s user fees by staggering amounts. Under the proposed scheme, disabled children, previously paying just over £5, would be asked to pay £165 – a 2770 per cent increase. Elderly users, previously paying about £3, were to pay £65, and fees for the unemployed were to rise from £90 to £165 – an 83 per cent hike.

 
Unite lead community organiser Albert Hewitt explained the aims of Unite’s community initiative.

 
“Community membership is Unite’s way of saying we want to work with local communities in this sort of campaign,” Hewitt said. “The union seeks to provide campaigners with the resources necessary to successfully demand a fairer society.
“We want trade unionism to play a key part in community life – not just helping workers during difficult times, but working together, every day.”

 
Hewitt hailed Newry’s success but said this victory was only the beginning.

 
“I’m sure that [Newry’s activists] will go on to build on this victory and challenge more of the brutal austerity policies being implemented by the Stormont parties at a local and regional level,” he added.

 
Interested in taking on austerity in solidarity with your local community? Find out more about Unite Community membership here.