Three decades of organising

Submitted by AWL on 20 May, 2015 - 8:47 Author: Gerry Bates

Veteran Australian trade union activist and Workers’ Liberty member Bob Carnegie has been speaking to meetings around the UK about his organising experiences over three decades.

Starting the tour on Tuesday 12 May Bob spoke to a meeting of Lambeth Left Unity, alongside an activist from the Ritzy Cinema workers campaign. On Wednesday 13 May Bob spoke at the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) conference with Dave Smith of the Blacklist Support Group. The FBU may have been subject to blacklisting practices and a police cover-up.

On Thursday 14 May Bob attended the Royal Courts of Justice, with the Blacklist Support Group campaigners who are pursuing a class-action-type litigation through the High Court against the construction contractors who blacklisted them. One BSG activist said afterwards, “I had the honour of meeting and talking to Bob Carnegie today. He is pretty much a living legend in left politics!”

Bob spoke to victimised RMT cleaners’ rep Clara Osagiede at RMT headquarters at Unity House, then accompanied RMT rep Daniel Randall on a workplace visit to Oxford Circus station. In the evening, he spoke at a meeting of the RMT Central Line East branch, sharing stories, particularly experiences in the 2012 Queensland Children’s Hospital construction workers’ strike.

On Monday 18 May Bob was in Liverpool speaking at a meeting hosted by Unite Liverpool construction workers’ branch. Over 50 people attended, including current and ex-construction workers, many of whom have been blacklisted.

Bob will visit PCS conference on Tuesday 19 May, attending a social hosted by the Independent Left group. On Wednesday 20 May he will speak at the London Unite construction workers’ branch.

On Thursday 21 May he will speak at a joint meeting hosted by Workers' Liberty and the University of London IWGB branch at 7.30pm, Room D103, 25 Gordon Street, London.

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