Solidarity in action

In 1973, John Keenan, Robert Somerville and Bob Fulton, three Unite members took a stand against a coup on the other side of the world.  They refused to help Pinochet bomb the people of Chile.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey explains how their acts are typical of our movement.

The twentieth century was marked by great acts of international solidarity by the labour movement.

The Spanish Civil War in the 1930s saw may heroic acts of solidarity by trade unionists from Britain and Ireland.

General Franco led a fascist uprising against the elected left wing government in Spain, an uprising that prompted thousands to join the colours of the International Brigades and go to Spain to fight for democracy and against fascism.

In the period after the Second World War, trade unionists have been involved with solidarity work the world over.

Our members have shown solidarity with the peoples of Africa and Asia as the chains of colonialism were thrown off through the 1950s and 60s.

Many of us were involved with campaigning against the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

And of course solidarity with the struggle against apartheid in South Africa rightly has been given high praise.

We continue this work today.

In Latin America we are supporting progressives in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador and the progressive government of President Bacholet in Chile.

We stand against the right wing murder squads in Colombia and Guatemala, and with the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination in the Middle East.

Back in 1973, the coup in Chile was being engineered by the United States against the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende.

This brutal act – in breach of international law – unleashed a reign of terror that saw many thousands of activists murdered, people just like our union members today. Many thousands more had to flee the country; many found refuge here in Britain and Ireland.

There were very many acts of solidarity by trade unionists in workplaces organising boycotts against Chilean goods.

But it was the action by members at the Rolls Royce aero engine plant at East Kilbride that captured the imagination.

British-supplied Hawker Hunter fighter bombers equipped with Roll Royce engines were bombing the Allende Government into submission.

These pictures were beamed around the world – everyone knew that the military was engaged in brutal war against its own people right from the start.

In 1974, Pinochet sent these same aero engines back to the makers for a routine service, never suspecting that Unite members in Scotland would be so outraged by what had gone on in Chile that they would refuse to work on them.

For four years our members maintained a boycott against these engines. They were left to slowly corrode in the yard outside.

For four years our members resisted pressure from Rolls Royce management to allow the engines out.

In 1978, using methods that had the feel of the secret services, these engines were spirted away. But by then, they were useless – our members’ boycott had taken its toll.

These four years were so important for Chilean workers; four years when the aircraft couldn’t bomb and four years of inspiration for Chileans that they were not alone, that the world stood with them against the terror.

The Chilean government recently awarded our three members the highest decoration available to non-Chilean nationals.

I was a member of the Chile Solidarity Campaign in 1973.

It was therefore with immense pride and pleasure that our union has honoured three Unite heroes -John and Robert (and Bob in his absence) (pictured)  – presenting them with the union’s gold medal for most distinguished international service.

Please watch this film and see for yourself their tremendous, timeless solidarity in action.