Friday, 21 March 2008

Murderous b%#?&$£s

I'm used to getting angry at how New Labour ministers suck up to the CBI and company bosses who are busy throwing our members out of work, breaking safety law or attacking union organisation. But Kim Howells performance in sucking up to General Montoya takes the biscuit.

General Montoya is the Commander of Colombian National Army, who even the US Department of State says is involved with the militia groups who murder our brothers and sisters in the Columbian trade unions. Getting bullied or sacked for standing up for your rights in the UK is scary enough. But in Columbia more than 550 trade unionists have been assassinated since 2002 - with government backing.

Meanwhile our government continues giving military aid to the Columbian government, and Kim Howells poses for photos with General Montoya and has now even made false comments linking a solidarity organisation to terrorism - putting the lives of trade unionists at further risk.

I'm delighted that UNITE has called on Kim Howells to withdraw his comments or be sacked.

We should draw the wider lesson too. With our government signed up to the "war on terror" it's easy for people to be labeled "terrorist" just because they challenge US policy, wear the wrong clothes or pray in the wrong way. Repressive legislation and racism are both inextricably linked to our government's attachment to an aggressive US foreign policy. To defend our rights and freedoms, and those of working people around the world, UNITE needs to take a clear position against the war. Both Amicus & TGWU sections have policy against the war, but while TGWU is affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition, Amicus is not yet.



1 comment:

Highlander said...

By the same token - it doesn't help that Unite erroneously label the FARC as 'Marxist'.