Bolton Council's Suspension of Trade Unionists

YESTERDAY, Bolton Trade Union Council called off a demonstration set to be held at 6pm outside Bolton Town Hall in support of some leading trade union activists who have been suspended by the Labour Council, and are threatened with the loss of their jobs.  It was halted because Bolton's Labour Council is holding talks with the trade unions concerned in an endeavour to solve a dispute in which three leading trade union activists from Unison and the GMB have been suspended from work, and a further 19 trade unionists have been notified that they too could face disiplinary action. 

A leading local trade unionist from Bolton told Northern Voices:
'This all relates to events that took place in Bolton on the public sector's day of action.'

That public sector 'Day of Action' took place on Thursday the 10th, July, and involved Unison, the GMB, and Unite.  An informant from Bolton Trade Union Council has told N.V. that he believes:
'It is clear to us that the objective is to remove key activists prior to the £25 million cuts to be implemented next year.'

Many trade unionists in the region are disturbed that Bolton MBC, as a Labour Council, are using what they see as Tory anti-trade union legistlation to seemingly intimidate the local authority labour in their employ.