Rally for victimised workers

PCS activists rallied on Tuesday of last week against the politically motivated sacking of key union officers.

The latest victims are Mark Hammond, PCS Home Office group president, and Sue Kendal, Home Office PCS south & south east branch secretary.

The official reason given is a satirical magazine comparing a senior manager to the “Bride of Chucky”.

Neither Mark nor Sue had anything to do with this publication, and management have not produced a shred of evidence to suggest they do.

The real reason is that they were exceptionally effective at recruiting and mobilising members. Mark Serwotka has accused the Home Office of trying to decapitate the union.

Speakers at the rally included Mark Hammond, Sam Buckley, sacked CSA Hastings PCS officer, and John McDonnell MP, chair of the PCS parliamentary group.

Mark denounced the politically motivated cuts as an attack on all working people. Sam urged everyone to mobilise their members to reinstate Sue and Mark.

John McDonnell MP compared Mark and Sue to the Tolpuddle Martyrs and pledged the full support for their reinstatement. He also called for the reinstatement of the victimised reps at Hastings, where five union officers have been sacked on what the union believes are trumped up charges since November 2007.

PCS Home Office secretary Paul O’Connor led the rally to an impromptu lobby of the Home Office—where Home Office officials refused to accept the formal notice of PCS’s intention to ballot for action in support of Mark and Sue and against cuts.

Email messages of support to Sue Kendal and Mark Hammond at [email protected]