LTB 827/12 - SHREWSBURY 24 CAMPAIGN

[Geezer]

LTB 827/12 - SHREWSBURY 24 CAMPAIGN


No. 827/12


Ref: GS: 16.0


Date: 02 November 2012



To: All Branches

Dear Colleague

SHREWSBURY 24 CAMPAIGN

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign are encouraging supporters to sign Ricky Tomlinson's Downing Street e-petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. They need 100,000 signatures to bring about a debate on the subject in the House of Commons. The Hillsborough Campaign achieved this and as a result they brought out into the open the real truth about the events 23 years ago.

The Shrewsbury pickets' application is with the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign believes that Ricky's e-petition can bring about the release of Government documents concerning the prosecutions of the 24 that continue to be withheld after 40 years.

Attached is an information sheet.

We would urge Branches to encourage members to sign the petition.

Any enquiries on the LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary's Office quoting the reference GS 16.0.

Yours sincerely


W HAYES
General Secretary

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INFORMATION SHEET – PLEASE SIGN OUR E-PETITION http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SHREWSBURY 24 CAMPAIGN – TO OVERTURN A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the first-ever national building workers strike. In 1972 construction workers faced hostile and powerful employers, lump labour and isolated workplaces that changed constantly whenever a contract finished. Building workers, predominantly in UCATT, the T&GWU, FTAT and the NUG&MW, organised themselves and carried out effective picketing of sites throughout the country. At the end of the twelve-week dispute, in September 1972, they succeeded in winning the highest ever pay rise in the history of the industry.

Five months after the 1972 building strike ended 24 pickets were picked up and charged with over 200 offences, including unlawful assembly, intimidation and affray. Six of the pickets were also charged with conspiracy to intimidate. None of the pickets had been cautioned or arrested during the strike. Approximately 70 police had accompanied the pickets on the Shrewsbury building sites at all times. No complaints were laid against the pickets at the time.

At the first Shrewsbury trial, beginning in October 1973, three of the pickets were found guilty of conspiracy to intimidate, unlawful assembly and affray. They were sent to prison: Des Warren for three years on each charge, Ricky Tomlinson for two years on each charge and John McKinsie Jones for nine months on each charge, all sentences to run concurrently.

Jailing these building workers remains one of the most notorious anti-trade union acts of the state in recent times. All the might of the police and criminal justice system were used against the pickets to deter trade unionists from organising effectively. The convicted Shrewsbury pickets were blacklisted from the industry and most were never able to work in their trade again.

Many trade unionists will recognise that these issues are the same as those that face us today, although the industries may have changed. Working people are being subjected to major attacks on living standards, pensions, health & safety and employment rights at work. Strong trade unions, then and now, are the only way that we can defend our hard-won rights and living standards.

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign was established in 2006. Our aim is to overturn this miscarriage of justice. We have spent several years researching the background to the trials and have found fresh evidence to support the case. On 3rd April 2012 we submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) on behalf of the pickets to have the case referred to the Court of Appeal, where we are confident it will be quashed.

Our research has uncovered many documents in the National Archives at Kew that have been released under the “thirty-year rule”. However, we have also found that there are a number of Government documents relating to the 1972 strike that have been withheld. The Government have used section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act to claim that these documents should not be seen on grounds of national security. We believe that these papers show the extent of the political interference in the case at the time.



We have launched two initiatives to have these documents released.


1. John McDonnell MP has sponsored an Early Day Motion calling upon the Government to release the documents. It currently has 50 signatures. We would ask you to encourage MPs to sign it if they have not already done so. It can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/170" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


2. Ricky Tomlinson has created a Downing Street e-petition for the same purpose. We would be grateful if you would publicise this and circulate it to your affiliates to encourage members to sign it. We are confident that if this is done we will reach the target of 100,000 signatures that will trigger a parliamentary debate. It can be found at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sixteen national trade unions have affiliated to our campaign, as well as many individual branches and trades councils. We have also received support from the TUC who gave a guest Blog spot to Ricky Tomlinson on their Stronger Unions site:
http://strongerunions.org/2012/08/01/th ... f-justice/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Most recently, the Labour Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, proposed a motion to the City Council in support of the campaign. He has called upon everyone to sign the e-petition and has requested that the Justice Secretary release the documents.

We would ask you to affiliate to the Campaign if you have not already done so.


The Campaign can provide speakers to trade union meetings to talk about the issues surrounding the 1972 strike and the subsequent arrests and trials. We can also provide up to date information about the latest research that we have carried out and the new evidence that we have discovered. Ricky Tomlinson will try to be available for as many meetings as possible.


Full details of the campaign, including affiliation information, are on our official website. A link can be found at the bottom of the page.


Eileen Turnbull
Researcher and Treasurer





Shrewsbury 24 Campaign, PO Box 92, Liverpool L19 3WD Tel: 07927-937773

[fishtank]

The Government have used section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act to claim that these documents should not be seen on grounds of national security.

Because obviously if whatever happened on a building site in Shrewsbury forty years ago ever fell into the hands of terrorists who knows what the outcome could be...
They might find out the secret of the chopped egg/pickled onion combination packed lunch/dirty bomb or how to disassemble a tartan flask blindfolded.
I can sleep easier in my bed knowing those documents are safely tucked away.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The Government have used section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act to claim that these documents should not be seen on grounds of national security.

Because obviously if whatever happened on a building site in Shrewsbury forty years ago ever fell into the hands of terrorists who knows what the outcome could be...
They might find out the secret of the chopped egg/pickled onion combination packed lunch/dirty bomb or how to disassemble a tartan flask blindfolded.
I can sleep easier in my bed knowing those documents are safely tucked away.

Nah its simpler than that. The Tories are so far out of touch that they probably think as some builders are Irish, then they must have been Republican sleepers.

The Birmingham Pub bombings were only 2 years later, I wonder if there is a super grass connection or at least thats what the Cons may be worried about.