{"id":5721,"date":"2015-09-15T11:05:35","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T10:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=5721"},"modified":"2015-09-15T16:33:05","modified_gmt":"2015-09-15T15:33:05","slug":"by-any-means-necessary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=5721","title":{"rendered":"By any means necessary"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey made it clear from the very start of his moving speech that he was, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bhereby giving this government due notice of my union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intent to oppose, defy and using any means necessary defend the democratic rights and freedoms of all trade unionists and the working people of our nation.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To applause throughout his contribution, Len made the cast iron case why the trade union Bill was an unprecedented attack on our human rights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt beggars belief that in 2015 we should have to stand here today in order to defend our movement.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Instead of recognising the role trade unions have played in the nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s history, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bthis prime minister seeks to paint the millions of trade unionists and their families as \u00e2\u20ac\u0098the enemy within.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTories now drunk on class prejudice, intend to destroy this movement as a force in British life.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We were now at a crossroad. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe can resist with perhaps the possibility of defeat; or we can capitulate with the certainty of oblivion.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey are leaving no stone unturned in their effort to break our influence in the workplace, destroy our political involvement, deplete our funds and make any action we might take ineffective or illegal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey seek to reduce trade unions to no more than employment advice agencies, while turning our members \u00e2\u20ac\u201c who dare to act \u00e2\u20ac\u201c into criminals.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opportunity<\/strong><\/em>
\nLen told the conference however that we should see that this threat is also an opportunity.
\nOpposition to the Bill has come from far and wide \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including some unexpected quarters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDavid Davis \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a Tory who takes freedom seriously \u00e2\u20ac\u201c has described parts of this Bill as more appropriate to a Franco dictatorship. Amnesty and Liberty have denounced its violation of human rights. Even the Financial Times editorial this morning has come out against it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Broad and united campaign<\/strong><\/em>
\nIt all heralded the possibility \u00e2\u20ac\u015bof a broad and united democratic campaign against this legislation is greater than ever before. Because it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just attack trade unions \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it threatens freedom of speech. It menaces freedom of association \u00e2\u20ac\u201cvalues which all British people cherish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why when we debate the issue of strike thresholds we should move the argument onto our ground. Instead of quibbling over percentages, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s use the language of democracy and modernisation.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Len called on the government to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bgive us secure secret workplace balloting. End this archaic reliance on postal ballots \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and turnout will never be a problem again.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But, Len continued that \u00e2\u20ac\u015bif this government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reckless violation of international legal standards is passed it raises the thorny question of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098must we always obey the law\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur history and that of the world is littered with brave men and women who have defied bad laws and who fought and yes died to give us our heritage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd if that history tells us anything, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that when one section of society is segregated, asked to identity itself with labels and armbands and submit to a state-sponsored blacklist, the civil liberties of all of us are put at risk.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To a standing ovation Len concluded, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bLet\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s find some courage amongst us now. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s be brave and overcome our doubts and fears. There is power in the union. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s make sure it stays that way.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey made it clear from the very start of his moving speech that he was, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bhereby giving this government due notice of my union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intent to oppose, defy and using any means necessary defend the democratic rights and freedoms of all trade unionists and the working people of our nation.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5722,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[392],"wps_subtitle":"Nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s democratic freedoms at risk ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5721"}],"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=5721"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5723,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5721\/revisions\/5723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}