Unite statement on Gordon McNeill
28 May 2008
Unite deplores the decision by Gordon McNeill to resume his
hunger strike at the union’s Belfast office and believes it is an
attempt to coerce the union into making him a large cash payment to
which he has no legal or moral entitlement.
Over the last week the union has delivered on
its long-promised commitment to pay in full the legal costs
incurred by Mr McNeill and his colleagues in the course of their
Employment Tribunal case against their employer, ICTS. It has
further reached agreement on Unite meeting all legal costs
associated with the appeal by ICTS against the Tribunal judgement
in favour of Mr McNeill and colleagues.
It is therefore dismayed that Mr McNeill has
decided to resume his hunger strike in an effort to secure what his
legal representatives have demanded in writing as a payment of one
million pounds each for himself and his colleagues, notwithstanding
that they will each receive a considerable sum from ICTS if the
latter’s appeal is dismissed, as Unite hopes it will be.
Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley
said today: “Unite has met all Mr McNeill’s legitimate
concerns and ensured that neither he nor his colleagues will have
to pay a penny towards their legal costs arising from this
case. It is clear therefore that what we are now dealing with
is an unprincipled money grab which we have no intention of
conceding.
“While Mr McNeill persists in his attempts to
coerce the union outwith both our own democratic procedures and
normal legal representations there can be no question of any
further discussions with him or his representatives. It is
time that Mr McNeill gave up on these antics. I have asked our
Irish region to take all necessary steps to secure the property of
our union and the rights of its members and employees.”
Unite Irish Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly
said: “We have been working intensively over the past year to
resolve this dispute arising from the past. Unite has gone the
extra mile to meet those concerns which are legitimate and to
ensure that Mr McNeill and his colleagues to not suffer any further
hardship.
“However, the interests of our hundred
thousand members across Ireland mean that we cannot continually be
held to ransom in this way. It is deplorable, in particular,
that the Socialist Party has apparently abandoned all its
principles in order to support this circus and is now taking the
view that disgruntled union members have a right to demand seven
figure sums in compensation from their union and to go on hunger
strike when they do not get it. This has nothing to do with
socialism as I understand it.”
