Trade unions are becoming increasingly concerned by a rise in “racist and bigoted” comments online from their own members and officials, the new leader of the Fire Brigades Union has told the Guardian. Steve Wright, the general secretary of the FBU, said internal inquiries into allegations of racism have uncovered dozens of cases where members have been found to use racist slurs or stereotypes, often regarding asylum seekers.
Gosh, so everything in the union garden isn't rosy after all?
Other unions have had similar incidents, he said. Together, a group of unions plan to launch a campaign warning that online populists and far-right organisations are distorting the truth about immigration and race.
Why the assumption that they are distorting it? Maybe they are accurately reporting what their members are telling them?
“On social media, some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up. You’d like to think we’re getting better, and we’re not.
“So we have been talking to other unions and they have seen exactly the same problems. We are pushing for new policies within our union which will recognise that this is happening and address issues of racism and bigotry within the union. We also want the TUC to address this too.”
Not address the cause of this discontent with progressive left wing dogma, dear me, no! Just shove it down people's throats even harder. That'll do the trick!
“It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said. “I think it’s born out of last year’s riots, because our members are representative of society. We have seen the rise of Trump and the politics of Farage and it is hugely damaging. But it has resonated with some of our members.”
And that mustn't be allowed to happen! Who do they think they are, having their own opinion that isn't shared by the union leadership?
Why is it that whenever someone gets in a position of power over others they expand their scope to start policing thoughts and opinions that they don't like.
ReplyDeleteIt's our fault btw. We just don't want to get involved in these things so all the prodnoses get into these positions.
There's a certain amount of truth to that, but when you look at who then takes over, maybe we should step up more?
DeleteI left my union decades ago when I realised that the union bosses were in it for themselves and the ordinary members were just voting and striking fodder.
ReplyDeleteSame here, when an issue that affected my grade/level was ignored because 'the lower paid section is more important to us' and I asked them to refund my subs, in that case!
DeleteObviously high time these union leaders elected a new membership.
ReplyDeleteThat appears to be what most of them are indeed planning!
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