FBU activist asks why unions won't stand-up for free Speech!

 

Paul Embery

In a recent article on the 'Spiked' website, firefighter, Paul Embery, drew attention to the reluctance of some trade unions in Britain to stand up and defend the right to free speech. 

In March 2019, Embery spoke at a pro-Brexit 'Leave Means Leave' rally in Westminster and as result, was dismissed from his role as a full-time regional official with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and barred from being an FBU official for two years. The FBU said they had done this because Embery had breached their anti-Brexit policy and had appeared alongside individuals "with whom there should be no shared platform." One of these people was Nigel Farage. 

In August 2021, an employment tribunal found that he'd been unfairly dismissed from his union job. The  Norwich Employment Tribunal ruled that Embery had not been dismissed for supporting Brexit itself, but because of a "witch-hunt", which had a "pre-determined outcome." 

With increasing regularity, what we're seeing in Britain today, is more people having action taken against them for exercising their right to free speech, because of a desire by some self-righteous, politically correct clique, not to offend minorities, and to be 'socially inclusive'. Its leading to a kind of insidious totalitarianism. 

Embery refers to the case of the feminist academic, Kathleen Stock who was hounded out of her job by woke students at Sussex University, because she believes that one's biological sex is immutable. He refers to the case of the Christian, Maureen Martin, who was sacked by a housing association because her views on traditional Christian marriage were  held to have breached the associations policies and procedures on diversity and equality. Maureen Martin had expressed these views in an election leaflet when she stood as a  Mayoral candidate in  Lewisham, for the 'Christian Peoples Alliance'. Another case, that Embery refers to, is that of the Batley Grammar School teachers, who were suspended over an issue concerning religious studies. It was claimed by Muslim protestors that one of the teachers, - who had to go into hiding for his own safety and that of his family - had insulted the Prophet Muhammed when he used a cartoon in his class to illustrate a point about religious bigotry. 

In an interview, the teacher said he felt as though he'd been "thrown under a bus" after facing protests and threats of violence in the wake of the row. His union the National Education Union (NEU), was criticised for failing to stand up for its members, after it did not immediately condemn the intimidation. The head teacher of Batley Grammar School, was also accused of being pusillanimous. 

I remember this case well, because my union branch of Unite, in Bury, tried to rally support for the Batley Grammar School teachers, by moving  an emergency motion at a National Conference of Trades Union Council's which was to scheduled to take place in June 2021. Not only did the NEU try to get my Unite Branch Secretary, Brian Bamford, to withdraw the motion calling for support for the Batley teachers, but he was also told by a TUC official that the motion would not be going on the agenda. Far from welcoming the moral stance adopted by Bury Unite commercial branch in the North West, which represented bin men and council worker's across the borough, Brian was criticised by some trade unionists for having given an interview to the Tory supporting Daily Telegraph, which had published the story. Brian told the Daily Telegraph (22 May 2021), how he'd been pressurised into withdrawing the motion by an NEU official, and that he had no intention of abandoning the motion. He said: "Staying silent goes contrary to what we believe in at our branch...the school curriculum should not be dictated by an indignant mob who congregated outside Batley Grammar School." 

The NEU admitted to trying to get the motion withdrawn describing it as a 'sensitive issue'. The story was also covered by Brendan O'Neill, the editor of Spiked, in the Spectator on 24 May 202I. He wrote: "If you need someone to support your right to freedom of speech, forget the teaching unions. Don't look to the commentariat. And don't even bother with the Labour Party...No it's the bin men you want to turn to. It's the nation's fine refuse collectors who will back you up when your liberty to speak is being pummelled.' 

My good friend and colleague, Brian Bamford, died in February 2022, aged 81. He was a steadfast defender of liberty and free speech. He was also the joint editor of the Northern Voices blog.