Shrewsbury 24: 40 years on

40 years on - still no justice for the Shrewsbury 24 Dear colleagues It was forty years ago today that twenty-four construction workers were disgracefully put on trial in Shrewsbury for their trade union activities. Charged with conspiracy to intimidate, three of the workers were jailed with another three jailed in subsequent trials. The workers, eighteen of whom where members of the Transport & General Workers’ Union, now Unite, were picketing construction sites in the town during 1972 in support of the National Building Workers Strike when the police arrested them in an attempt to criminalise trade union activity. Ever since their arrest forty years ago, the twenty-four - supported by the trade union and wider Labour movement - have fought for the release of evidence and crucial documents necessary to prove their innocence. Successive governments have refused to release any evidence claiming it would be detrimental to ‘national security’. Ricky Tomlinson one of the twenty-four and now a renowned actor, believes as do we, that this is simply a disgraceful cover up of the truth by security services. Unite is supporting the on-going campaign to clear the names of the Shrewsbury 24 and I will be joining others in presenting a petition to Government in November calling for the release of all documents relating to the trial in order to assist their application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Attached is a copy of the petition to download and ask I that you get as many members, family members and friends as is possible to sign up for ‘Shrewsbury 24 Campaign’ and return completed forms to PO Box 92, Liverpool L19 3WD by Friday 8th November 2013. Many thanks for your support and assistance in this important fight for justice. Yours sincerely Len McCluskey General Secretary