{"id":11997,"date":"2017-04-04T15:34:12","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T14:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=11997"},"modified":"2017-04-04T16:54:08","modified_gmt":"2017-04-04T15:54:08","slug":"dialogue-not-vetoes-plea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=11997","title":{"rendered":"\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Dialogue not vetoes\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 plea"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unite has called on the British and Spanish governments to ease tensions over Gibraltar, after the two nations became embroiled in a row over the UK territory\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future after Brexit.<\/p>\n

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Last week the EU made clear that Spain would be offered a veto<\/a> on how any post-Brexit deal would apply to the Rock.<\/p>\n

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There are concerns that the move would open the door to Spanish attempts to claim sovereignty over Gibraltar. The veto could also be used to strangle Gibraltar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thriving economy and diminish the rights of the territory\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s workers once it leaves the EU.<\/p>\n

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Gibraltar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s economy is closely linked to the EU, with more than 12,000 people crossing back and forth between Gibraltar and Spain every day. Unite has 7,500 members who work in Gibraltar.<\/p>\n

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Responding to the EU\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inclusion of a Spanish veto in its draft position on the Brexit<\/a> talks, former Tory leader, Michael Howard, said that Theresa May would be willing to go to war<\/a> to protect the territory.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Jaw jaw\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Theresa May has since tried to dampen the row, saying that Gibraltar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s position would be decided through \u00e2\u20ac\u015bjaw-jaw<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 not war-war.<\/p>\n

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The spat highlights the difficult situation that Gibraltar \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the site of historic territorial contentions between the UK and Spain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c now finds itself in.<\/p>\n

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Although Gibraltarians voted by a landslide to remain part of the UK in 2002, the headland also voted to remain in the EU by a 96 per cent majority.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re taken aback by how the EU are undertaking the current negotiations in respect to Gibraltar. We understand that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re siding with Spain because it is going to remain an EU member, but we expect them to deal with us as part of the UK,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Fred Martin, Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s executive secretary for the Gibraltar area committee.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need to see that the UK government is not going to accept any deal if it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t apply to us. However, while we appreciate that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a strength of feeling to what Gibraltar means to the UK, comments such as those made by Michael Howard need to be expressed in a manner that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t close doors on us.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Instead of sabre-rattling, the UK government needs to represent the interests of the Rock, said Martin.<\/p>\n

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He explained, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe want a free-flowing border, not just for the economy, but for social ties and for the health and social care workers who go in and out every day. We need that lifeblood and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an issue that could be extremely detrimental to Gibraltar if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not solved.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, called on the UK and Spanish governments to ease the fears of Unite members in Gibraltar.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lifeblood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite members, Gibraltar residents, Gibraltarians and EU residents all cross the border between Spain and the Rock every day, keeping the local economy strong.\u00c2\u00a0 The people of the Rock don’t want sabre-rattling and war-mongering by some on the right of the Conservative party,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s many members on Gibraltar – those from the Rock, Spain, and of other European nationalities – will be heartened to hear that the government of Gibraltar has said it will respect the rights of existing Spanish and EU workers in Gibraltar.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI am calling on the London and Madrid governments to follow suit. Do not play around with people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lives, rights and futures, but sign up to the call of the government of Gibraltar for \u00e2\u20ac\u0098dialogue not vetoes\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Unite national officer for Gibraltar, Kevin Coyne, said Unite members in Gibraltar work in a range of occupations, including public services, logistics, construction<\/a> and banking<\/a> and that the union would fight to protect their interests.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coyne explained that current tensions were a resurfacing of past disagreements.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Spanish had a real play time with the border not so long ago, which created five hour long queues, and under General Franco the border was completely closed. Now the Spanish government is gearing up to those kinds of tricks again,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Coyne said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Solidarity <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut there is real solidarity and understanding from Spanish workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 organisations, who we have developed close links with, over the border issues and the right to self-determination.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEveryone thinks that Gibraltar is a \u00e2\u20ac\u015blittle Englander\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 issue but the territory itself is a beacon for progressive politics \u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0 for instance there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no anti-trade union legislation and there are bank holidays on May Day and Worker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Memorial Day.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coyne said it was imperative that the needs and wants of Gibraltar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inhabitants and workers be respected and accommodated \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including the wish to remain part of the UK \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and called for the British and Spanish governments to work towards those ends.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unite has called on the British and Spanish governments to ease tensions over Gibraltar, after the two nations became embroiled in a row over the UK territory\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future after Brexit.   Last week the EU made clear that Spain would be offered a veto on how any post-Brexit deal would apply to the Rock.   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[486,591],"wps_subtitle":"Rock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 voices must be heard","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11997"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11997"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11999,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11997\/revisions\/11999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}