Defend Abdul Omer campaign
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Unite convenor Abdul Omer sacked...
Let s unite to stop
the union busters
A
bdul Omer Mohsin, Unite
convenor for London
Sovereign, lost his appeal
against dismissal on
Tuesday.
The Unite official who
represented Omer at his appeal
demolished the company’s case.
It’s simple. Abdul Omer has been
sacked for being an effective union
rep.
Sovereign have made a simple
calculation. They may have to pay
out at an employment tribunal but
they’d rather do that than have an
effective union operating.
This attack is now about much
more than Abdul Omer as an
individual.
Intimidate
This decision is meant to intimidate
workers. The sacking is supposed
to warn everyone that if you cause
“trouble” you will be sacked.
Unite is committed to fight this
vicious attack on the union. Unite
needs to call a meeting of workers
from both garages as soon as
possible.
The meeting needs to vote to
ballot for official strike action
against the sacking of Abdul Omer
and to deliver a big vote for a strike.
Across London bus workers
should send messages of support
to Abdul Omer and messages of
protest to Sovereign.
Every bus garage should invite
reps from Sovereign into their
meetings to explain about the attack
on the union.
It’s also important that Unite
puts pressure on Tory Mayor Boris
Johnson. At the end of the day he’s
responsible for the operators that run
the capital’s bus services. He should
be forced to come out against this
outrageous attack on the union.
Fight
Some people might say that it’s too
late to fight. This just isn’t true.
Last year Rob Williams – the
Unite Convenor at the Linamar car
component plant in South Wales
– was victimised and sacked. After
an official ballot for action was won
he was re-instated.
People at Linamar recognised
that the attack wasn’t just about the
convenor, it was about the future
of the union. London Sovereign
workers have to take the same
stance, as do bus workers across the
capital.
It’s worth taking another leaf out
of the Linamar workers’ book.
When Rob was sacked things
didn’t go on as normal. Unofficial
action meant management
understood that they would face real
problems if Rob wasn’t re-instated.
Abdul Omer was sacked for being an effective
union convenor. If you oppose his victimisation
l Send messages of support to:
defendabdulomer@yahoo.co.uk
l Send messages of protest to Sovereign at:
customer@londonutd.co.uk
If any worker at Sovereign wants
to be treated with respect in the
future there has to be a fight now.
If not there will be more attacks
on reps, more disciplinaries and
more sackings.
If they can sack the Unite
convenor at Sovereign what will
happen at Arriva North, at London
United, at Metroline?
The union has to beat back this
attack. That means a mass meeting
at Sovereign as soon as possible and
getting the union moving to show
Abdul Omer and the Sovereign
workers that the union won’t rest
until he is re-instated.
busworker online
The rank & file paper for busworkers
now has its own website.
Visit us for the latest stories and to
have your say:
http://busworker.blogspot.com/