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CWU Condemns The Suspension Of Parliament In Order To Secure A No-Deal Exit From The EU

The leaving of the EU was always the biggest threat to worker’s rights, workplace health & safety at work, the environment and the NHS since the Thatcher era in the 1980s.

Despite the hard-line anti-EU stance of some political organisations and the Trade Unions, the reality is that none of the workplace health and safety legislation we have today would exist if not for the introduction of them by the EU.

The reality is that, the UK, well England in particular, has returned more Tory governments to Westminster than any other. The country is in reality a ‘conservative’ (with a small ‘c’) country after all said and done.

The Tories systematically condemn Trade Unions and worker’s rights and in particular health & safety at work protections, food safety standards and environmental standards as can be seen by the fact air pollution is amongst the worst in Europe and that the UK has been taken to court by the EU for not meeting the commitments the country has given to reducing air pollution.

Since then our beaches and waterways, are deteriorating, and we do not recycle majority of our own plastic waste, but dump it on Asian countries.

Any deal with the USA which this country will be desperate for after we leave the EU will result in lowering of environmental protection standards and food safety standards, along with major attacks upon health and safety at work, and the elimination of majority of EU standards we know have today.

These are the reasons why Unionsafety has always reported on the facts of Brexit and on the threats that a Tory government pose to health and safety at work, the environment, food safety and the NHS, despite criticisms from elements within the Union.

As previously stated by this website, Brexit is a requirement of the extreme right-wing of the Tory party, without which they cannot remove worker’s rights, environmental and food safety standards, not to mention worker’s rights and especially health & safety at work regulations.

A Trade deal with the US is their wish in order to change the employment and business cultures of the UK, and to align employment, health & safety, environmental, and worker’s rights legislation with that of the US.

Unelected PM Boris Johnson is determined to ensure that the dream of the extreme right, the ERG, comes true and to ensure no interference from democracy; he has decided to prorogue Parliament for 5 weeks.

Demonstrations have taken place across England this week despite the virtual news blackout and failure of the media to reflect and report on the true opinions of the public over this issue.

Today (30th August), Tony Kearns, Acting General Secretary of the CWU issued a letter to all the Union’s branches regarding the current prorogation of Parliament by an as yet unelected PM, with the clear intent of ensuring a no-deal exit from the EU on 31st October.

His LTB in full announces the scale of demonstrations taking place over the weekend, and condemns Johnson’s attacks on democracy:

The Peoples Assembly are calling for a demonstration in London next Tuesday evening and a number of demonstrations are being called around the country this Saturday (details below).

• Aberdeen, 12 noon at the Castlegate.
• Birmingham, 1 pm on Victoria Square by the Council House.
• Bournemouth, 11 am, Bournemouth Square.
• Brighton, 12 noon, The Level BN1 4ZN.
• Bristol, 12 noon, College Green.
• Cambridge, 12 noon, outside The Guildhall, Market Square.
• Dundee, 2 pm, City Square.
• Exeter, 11 am, Bedford Square.
• Glasgow, 2 pm, George Square.
• Leeds, 11 am, Town Hall.
• Liverpool, 12 noon, St George’s Hall.
• London, 12 noon, Downing Street.
• Leamington Spa, 12 noon in the Pump Room Gardens.
• Manchester, 12 noon, Cathedral Gardens.
• Newcastle, 12 noon, Grey’s Monument.
• Norwich, 2 pm outside City Hall.
• Nottingham,  11 am, Brian Clough Statue close to Old Market Square.
• Oxford, 11 am, Broad Street outside Balliol College.
• Plymouth, 11am, Armada Dial.
• Southampton, 12 noon, Guildhall Square.
• Sheffield, 11 am, Town Hall.
• Swansea, 12 noon, Big Screen at Castle Square.
• Swindon, 11 am, 29 Wood St.
• York, 12 noon, St Helen’s Square.

Events are fast moving on this subject and although these events are called at short notice we support the calls being made to stop this attack on our democracy and encourage as many Branches, reps and members to support these demonstrations where possible.

LTB512/19 provides us with the CWU’s view on the current anti-democratic act of the government, as explained by Tony Kearns:

‘Colleagues will be aware that since the decision by the Government to stop Parliament sitting for a five week period from early September, a number of protests have taken place around the country to oppose what is considered an attack on the democracy of the country.

The voices of opposition to the actions of the Government and the participants in the demonstrations come from across the political spectrum including those on both sides of the remain versus leave debate.

For the CWU this is not simply about stopping a no deal Brexit that would hit working people hardest. It is about an unelected Prime Minister avoiding accountability in a serious attack upon our democracy.

We have campaigned consistently for a General Election to begin to reverse the attacks on working people, particularly through the Government’s austerity measures and to bring about a transformative political agenda with the election of a Labour Government.

We have supported vocally and physically countless demonstrations against this Government austerity agenda and we believe it right to support demonstrations that rally against the undemocratic processes of this Government as part of our call for a General Election.’

Source: CWU / Unionsafety

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