Mick Abbott Dies

IT is with great sadness that we have heard the news that Mick Abbott has passed away: 

Mick Abbott was a leftwing trade union activist in the building industry who fought for workers rights all his working life.  The scaffolder from Wigan was a TGWU shop steward on many construction sites throughout the 1970s leading a number of disputes over safety and pay including during the construction of Fiddlers Ferry Power station in Warrington.  While based at Sullom Voe in the Shetlands n 1979, Mick was part of the strike committee which organised 7000 offshore workers demanding better conditions.  

 

Mick Abbott was a key campaigner for the release of the Shrewsbury Pickets at a time when the official leadership of the trade unions were looking the other way and was a co-signatory of an article in Workers Press that argued that "All unions with members in the building and construction industries must be forced to call indefinite strike action until Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson are released.".  He raised money for the families of the jailed union activists and in 1975 led a march by building workers from Wigan to London to protest against the miscarriage of justice.  Following the release of Des Warren from prison, the pair became close friends at the time when Des was writing his iconic book, Key to my Cell about the Shrewsbury conspiracy.

 

Because he stood up for workers rights, Mick Abbott was blacklisted by the big building firms using the services of both the Economic League and the Consulting Association.  Mick's blacklist file starts fifty years ago in 1964 and an entry at the top of his file actually reads "On building industry blacklist". His blacklist file records how he was repeatedly refused work by firms such as Tarmac, Bovis, Sir Robert Mcalpine and Fergus & Haynes.  The Guardian newspaper ran a story on Mick in 2013 in which he is quoted as saying: 'this nearly ruined my marriage and it meant my children were on free meals at school. My file goes back to 1964 and the last entry says that I rekindled the campaign for justice for the Shrewsbury pickets in 2006. They have been watching me all these years and passing this information around, blighting my life over four decades.' 

Mick Abbott was an active member of the Blacklist Support Group, running stalls at our AGMs, attending early morning protests and court cases. In 2012, Mick had private discussions with MPs on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee about the impact that blacklisting had on his working life and family. Despite serious illness, Mick continued to campaign against the blacklisting of trade union members and for the Shrewsbury pickets until his death.

It is an honour to have known the man. Our thoughts go out to his brother Terry and his family at this sad time.

 

Dave Smith

 

Blacklist Support Group

Protest Picket at Fiddler's Ferry - Terrorism Act threat to Northern Voices Photographer

'If you want to be done under the Terrorism Act just keep taking photographs!' exclaimed a Security Guard at the Fiddler's Ferry Protest Picket today. This exchange, between an anxious security official and an NV photographer, occurred as some 30 supporters of blacklisted electrician Steve Acheson assembled beneath the cooling towers of Scottish & Southern Power Station just off the M62 near Widnes. The company representatives seemed taken aback as dawn broke and the multi-coloured banners of the demonstrators began to decorate the wire fences facing the plant.

It was special turn out because a week or so previously the company's security guards had seized the banners denouncing the blacklisting of construction workers on grounds that they were defamitory. On that occassion the female police officer on duty had looked on while a female head of security had ordered the removal of the banners. Those reporting the event of that morning suggest that both the police officer and the Company boss of security addressed each other using their own Christian names as if they were pals.

Today the male police officers who presented themselves were very diplomatic and reasonable, even suggesting how the protesters might seek to regain their banners from the company. Today their were dozens of banners including Warrington Trade Union Council; the RMT union of railway workers; the Right to Roam ramblers; Unite the Union; the Socialist Party and loads of independent and do-it-yourself flags manufactured by the blacklisted electricians themselves. Later a company representative asked Steve Acheson to take down a couple of banners on their fence: one saying 'Scottish & Southern sold our banners' and the other an elaborate flag calling for 'Justice for the Shrewsbury Pickets'. Following this the protesters took the banners outside the gates were they gave out leaflets explaining their case.

It seems clear that Scottish & Southern PLC are determined to collect evidence to go to the County Court to get some kind of restraining order against these recurring protest pickets. Today, the Security Guards were themselves taking photos of the demonstrators as the sun shone on the nothing new.

Fiddler's Ferry Rally to support Steve Acheson

Following the mugging of Steve Acheson's banners by company security guards last week, with police looking on, a rally has been planned to take place at Fiddler's Ferry Power Station on Tuesday 16th, February at 7am.

The Power Station is situated between Widnes & Warrington just off the A49.

To Warrington Trades Council contacts:
Dear All,

Manchester Campaign Agaist Blacklisting have called for a peaceful protest at Fiddlers Ferry next Tuesday morning from 7 a.m. to support Steve Acheson against the latest (probably illegal) actions from the power station security in taking down Steve's banners, then taking them from him - all under police protection. We now have legal advice from a lawyer specialising in human rights law that they had no right to take down the banners; as they were tied on the fence there was no criminal damage, and although the power station Head of Security said they were defamatory, that is a civil not a criminal matter. Also to take someone's property like that is a form of theft, even if supervised by a police officer. So 7 a.m. at Fiddlers Ferry, Tuesday 16th Feb. Best to park in the pub car park rather than the lay by.

AndyWarrington: Trades Council

County Court Writ served & banners snatched at Fiddler's Ferry picket

Editorial comment: Steve Acheson has been on picket at Fiddler's Ferry since he was made redundant in dodgy circumstances almost two years ago. In an attempt to stop this picket last October, the Power & Energy Company at Fiddler's, issued a writ for him to appear the Royal High Court of Justices in London. This was what is called a 'super injunction' and is normally only used in extreme circumstances: it was rejected by the High Court Judge as an application by the company 'bordering on the edge of paranoia'. Now, it seems, the company is again trying to return to the Courts: below Andy from Warrington TUC reports on the events of Monday the 8th, February:

Steve's [Acheson] banners taken by security at Fiddlers Ferry. Police in support of security guards. Had a phone call from Steve today - a police officer came down to the protest today, went into the power station for 2 minutes, then came out with 4 security, one with a video camera, and the Head of Security as well. They told Steve to take down his banners, when he refused they said that they would remove them from the fences. As Steve told them to leave his property alone, the police officer told him that if he stopped them, he would be arrested for a breach of the peace. Security proceeded to remove the banners, and take them inside the power station. Steve asked where they were going with his property, Head of Security said if he writes to them to ask they will see. Steve asked the police officer what was she going to do as this was theft, however she took no action. They also served Steve with a writ for the County Court, again no date, time or place is on the court papers. The whole time apparently they were filming, must have been hoping to provoke him and get an arrest.

Andy: Warrington Trades Council

Terrorism Act injunction thrown out of Court!

We're happy to report that the Terrorism Act injunction brought against Blacklisted worker and Trades Unionist Steve Acheson has been thrown out of the High Court today.

The Judge dismissed the application by Scottish & Southern Energy, branding their application "fantasy bordering on the edge of paranoia", and added "This court exists to grant injunctions in urgent cases. It does not exist to grant injunctions which might be thought to be convenient to applicants". Acheson was also awarded costs.

Scottish and Southern Energy have now stated their intention to apply to the local County Court, but this would seem foolhardy as a higher court has already rejected this application - a high risk strategy has not paid off so far.

Further reading:
Article on BBC website
Article on Manchester Evening News website

Terrorism Act 2000 being used against Blacklisted workers

A hearing is pending in the Royal Courts of Justice, London, on Wednesday 21st October at 10.30am, at which Scottish and Southern Energy is applying for an injunction against Steve Acheson, one of the 3 electricians in the class legal action blacklist case against companies affiliated to Ian Kerr's Consulting Association, & also Sec. of the Unite/EPIU Manchester Contracting Branch: this is an injunction sought by the main contractor at Fiddlers Ferry.

This injunction is being brought under the Terrorism Act 2000 & seeks to show that Steve, as the 1st respondent, & others unnamed [as second respondents], by their constant picketing of the site represent "a threat to the energy supplies of this country". Because this application is being brought under the Terrorism Act 2000, Steve will not be able to defend himself at this hearing, as we understand it. The basis of the application is that by picketing the site he is committing a Trespass because he & others are on the Firm's property; that having issued leaflets to workers on the site calling for 'direct action' he is 'inciting' the workforce to commit acts contrary to the national interest which may impact on energy supplies & that he has, at times, acted in a way that might have intimidated the workforce. There is no mention in the company's deposition to the Court that he was formerly employed by them, nor that his picket represents a campaign against blacklisting. One senior trade union leader in the RMT has already said that if this goes ahead it will have consequences for the whole trade union movement.