I find people like Nicholas Carter, Daily Bulletin Saturday 13th April quite naive in stating that Mrs Thatcher saved us from destruction by the Unions.
Trade Unions were formed, not just to defend workers rights, but to try and develop and maintain workers rights; because of the sheer greed of employers. The Trade Unions were and are, there to give workers dignity in the workplace. Looking back in history, I am mindful of the situation in Tolpuddle, a village in Dorset when in 1834 a group of farm workers fed up with their pay constantly being cut by their employer, decided to form a Trade Union. The mistake they made was to swear an oath of secrecy
The Tolpuddle story is about how ordinary working people combined together to defend their families. Six leaders were subsequently arrested and were marched from Tolpuddle in handcuffs and ball and chain round their lower legs to the courthouse in Dorchester some 15 miles away, I believe. They were found guilty which was a formality and sentenced to 7 years of transportation to Australia for simply taking an oath of secrecy.
The idea of solidarity as a basic human right is now, quite rightly an International demand and while bad employers remain, so should the Trade Unions.
Ray Durkin
Santa Ponsa
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