Unite's
Health National Industrial Sector Committee has voted for their union to call a
national demonstration in defence of our health service.
This
decision follows a wave of massive protests, including 25,000 marching recently
in Lewisham, south East London, against health cuts.
Jerry
Hicks the Rank and file member candidate challenging Len McCluskey in the
election for Unite General Secretary said “this is absolutely brilliant, the
vote will give heart to everyone who wants to fight to stop the destruction of
our NHS”.
He
added “this decision highlights the willingness of Unite members in health to
fight to defend the NHS at a time when the union is fighting against attacks on
‘agenda for change’, and while our members are leading the resistance to the
South West pay cartel”.
He
was also keen to stress the need for urgency "We haven't a moment to lose.
The NHS is the jewel in the crown of the post war welfare state. The Con-Dems,
led by the Tories want to privatise that service and it's working people who
will pay the price, just as we are paying the price for the banking crisis”.
Jerry
Hicks believes that sometimes you just have to judge what is right over wrong despite
what the law may state, saying “The first strike action I ever took was in
support of the NHS, since then due to anti-union laws brought in by the Tories
under Thatcher, left unchanged by Labour Government that would be called
‘secondary action’. But attacking the NHS doesn’t just affect those that work
in it, it affects everyone. I say that makes it legitimate for everyone to act
to support it. Let's take to the streets to save our NHS”.
Notes to Editor:
Unite is the biggest union in the UK with 1.5
million members.
Unite is currently holding an election for
its General Secretary, in which there are only two candidates, Jerry Hicks and
Len McCluskey.
Jerry Hicks was runner up in Unites General
Secretary election of 2010 beating two Assistant General Secretaries and
securing 52,527 votes.
No comments:
Post a Comment