Berwick Upon Tweed & District Trades Union Council
At a meeting last Friday Berwick Trades Union Council along with local anti-fascist campaigners discussed the intention of the Scottish Defence League and the North East Infidels to march through Berwick on the 5th of July. The council wishes to express its revulsion and deep concern at the prospect of these fascist thugs once again invading our community with their messages of hate and division. In February last year Berwick put up a tremendous display of solidarity in opposing the SDL and EDL. The fascists on the other hand chanted racist slogans and caused mayhem in the town centre.
We call on all those who supported the anti- fascist demonstration last year to do the same this year but this time to make it even bigger and stronger. Let’s tell these racist thugs they are not welcome in our peaceful and inclusive community. We have an organising meeting on Friday 20th June, open to all those groups and individuals in our community who want to show a collective opposition to the fascists.
On a more positive note the council, along with the People’s Assembly, are in the process of organising a yearly day school and this year the theme is trades union history and how to organise in the 21st century. Berwick has suffered more than most areas with low wages, part time working and zero hours contracts. The best way to defend and improve working conditions is through locally active trade union organisation. Details will be published in the coming weeks.
Our day schools are open to all and our invited speakers will often challenge the views of mainstream political parties, including the Labour Party. All the mainstream parties are now dancing to the tune of UKIP, playing along with immigration and benefits as the cause of economic hardship. There are alternative left wing perspectives out there but such views are ignored or dismissed as ‘old fashioned’ by the media. But the opposite is true: if all the mainstream can offer is to scapegoat the poor and the immigrant then their policies are as bankrupt as their economy; it’s time for a fresh look at ‘old’ ideas.