The Clark's Strike and March - We Support Workers Not The Labour Party

The Picket Line at Clark's in Street

We wish to highlight our position, following the allegations by Clark's of "threats and intimidation" to its workers at the picket line organised by the Labour Party-affiliated union "Community".

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope responds:

 

Leader of Somerset Independents
Andrew Pope

"Somerset Independents states again its support for residents and workers of Somerset. Indeed, it is in our Constitution that we protect Somerset residents and Somerset workers at Clark's - all of them.

Somerset Independents wishes to state that we support Clark's workers, but not the Labour Party. And from their responses to our questions to them, the local Somerset Tory MPs seem to support Clark's managements actions, to their shame. Neither Labour nor Tory are helping. They are out-of-date and out-of-touch.

Somerset Independents has taken action to protect residents and workers at Clark's - whether they are in the Community Union mentioned by Clark's - or not in the union. We've taken action to support workers at Norseland in Ilchester too. Where is Labour? Where are the Tories?

Somerset Independents has tried to work with the unions. We've offered the hand of help. But we have been met with a brick wall on Clark's and also at Norseland, where the GMB Union has let workers down. Their pay and working conditions have suffered.

These unions fail because of their connections to Labour, which put workers off. The Community Union and the GMB Union both affiliate to the Labour Party. Both unions donate large sums of money to the Labour Party. At a time when MPs are being examined for paid advocacy following Tory MP Owen Paterson's corruption, this needs to be looked at.

Labour's unions have also donated to Barry Gardiner, Brent North MP from London, who is due to speak at Saturday's march. He has received tens of thousands of pounds from these unions, as shown in his Register of Interests at Parliament, seemingly for his deeply flawed Fire and Rehire Bill, but for a company that he is the sole director of, according to Companies House records.

Barry Gardiner MP controls the money and the unions give it to him. There is no other Director, despite claims to the contrary that a Labour Lord is also a Director (Labour Lord Hendy).

Sadly it's another case of Labour or Tory, same old story. Gardiner is paid by the unions, but where the union money goes is not transparent enough.

So now we know why these unions don't want to work with Somerset Independents, although we have offered to pressure Clark's management and to work with the unions in the spirit of partnership.

These Labour Party-dominated unions are more interested in dialogue with the Labour Party and Labour MPs who do not live in Somerset such as Barry Gardiner, than working with Somerset Independents to pressure Clark's management and to resolve this dispute.

The Labour Party's methods are outdated. Their attitudes are outdated. Members money is mis-spent. Labour is totally split from top to bottom between Corbyn supporters and Starmer supporters.

That's why Labour is going nowhere in Somerset.

Meanwhile, Somerset Independents is winning its campaigns:

- exposing councillors who don't pay council tax,

- exposing councils who spend public money wrongly, and

- on holding companies like Norseland and Clark's to account.

Somerset Independents is standing up for workers and residents, whereas Labour-supporting unions have failed to win for workers.

And our success in campaigns shows why Somerset Independents is gaining support for its work in Somerset, working with residents and workers.

Somerset is our County."