Peter Cleall

“Trade unionism is more important than it’s ever been. Trade unions have to understand that they have to fight back against the ruling class imposing on them the burden of the economic downturn. For workers to have to re-balance the banks out of their own money is tantamount to theft. Those who caused the crash should be the ones who pay the balance. Trade unions must take action to defend and improve workers’ conditions and jobs. They should be equipped to do this but what has happened is that they have become aligned with employers who appear benevolent, but who are really crooks, prepared to extract the maximum out of workers. The unions must demonstrate resistance to closing to factories or cutting jobs. They must stop this cosy relationship with governments as that leads to co-determination which aligns governments and trade unions in some kind of common cause. There never will be common cause between those who want to extract profit and those who work by hand or brain.” Arthur Scargill interview with the Galway Advertiser February, 2010.