Monday 11 March 2013

Defend Max Watson, Jawad Botmeh and Steve Jefferys

See here and here for more information about the suspension of UNISON NEC member and London Met branch chair Max Watson, London Met UNISON activist and elected staff governor Jawad Botmeh, and UCU activist Steve Jefferys.

Senate House Branch has sent the following message of support to London Met UNISON and UCU as well as a donation of £100 to the campaign for their reinstatement:

Dear London Met UNISON branch and London Met UCU branch,

Please accept the full support of our branch in defence of Max, Jawad and Steve. We are appalled that spurious disciplinary measures are being used in this way to victimise trade unionists.

We have a great deal of admiration for trade unionists at London Met and the fight you have put up over the last few years against privatisation, outsourcing and the most appalling attacks on the terms and conditions of London Met workers.

At our AGM the branch voted unanimously to support the campaign in defence of all three and we will be sending a donation in support. We will also continue circulating details of petitions and lobbies to our members.

We have also written to Malcolm Gillies to protest the treatment of Max, Jawad and Steve and to urge their immediate reinstatement.

In solidarity,
Josephine Grahl

Branch Secretary
UNISON Senate House

We also wrote to London Met Vice-Chancellor Malcolm Gillies to urge that the three be reinstated:

Dear Professor Gillies,

I am writing in support of Max Watson, Jawad Botmeh and Steve Jefferys and urge you to abandon the disciplinary action against them.

None of the three suspended has done anything wrong and Jawad has already suffered greatly from a miscarriage of justice.

For London Met to continue this spurious disciplinary action against trade unionists can only bring the university into disrepute and damage its reputation nationally and internationally.

I hope this situation can be resolved as soon as possible without any further action being taken, and that all three will be allowed to return to work.

Regards,
Josephine Grahl

Branch Secretary
UNISON Senate House

If you haven't yet signed the petition in support of the three you can do so here.

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