I just thought that I should mention the Burberry rally today which I did hope to go to, but couldn't in the end... With good news in Swansea about Amazon, the closure of Burberry is a reminder that manufacturing jobs are still threatened, with more and more companies moving overseas. I worked in the Plaid Rhondda Office with Jill Evans for over a year, and I know that she has supported the campaign wholeheartedly, and worked with the Union in making the campaign a success. I know the area well, and it must be disappointing for Treorci to lose these well needed jobs. It's uncertain whether new industries will open shop in the area, especially as transport links are very poor due to lack of New Labour investment in the road structures. You may argue that there is now a new Rhondda relief road, but that stops at Porth!...
The rally was a success today, and the workers have protested consistently and effectively throughout the campaign. They managed to win some concessions - enhanced redundancy payments, long-service awards, and around £500,000 for workforce re-training.
Protest politics is long from being dead, and if one positive thing can be said from this, it is that the voice of the people shone through in this campaign, and that they made sure that the issue was at the top of the political agenda.
5 comments:
Although you made a political point regarding the New Labour transport links, you didnt have the grace to even mention Leighton Andrew's role in the whole campaign yet mentioned 'support' from a Plaid MEP...I think its hardly a political point to accept that Leighton's work was far more tireless than Jill's, but its woeful that you havent even mentioned him.
Of yeah there is an election on isnt there? So much for positive Plaid politics working together with anyone/tories.
I think its hardly a political point to accept that Leighton's work was far more tireless than Jill's, but its woeful that you havent even mentioned him.
..yes that is a political point. You are welcome to add your contribution of LA's work. I don't want to get invloved in the argument of who worked harder at supporting the workers. It was their campaigning that made it all the more important.
Of yeah there is an election on isnt there? So much for positive Plaid politics working together with anyone/tories.
yes there is an election. which leads me to question why it was only LA and Chris Bryant who got to speak at the rally yesterday. That's hardly a sign of working together- looks more like a Labour Party election campaign to me.
Becuase they have been at the forefront of the union campaign, and where invited by the union to speak.
You say: "[Jill] worked with the Union"
I think this is probably a lie. I ask you to provide evidence to the contrary.
Can you give one example of Jill's work with the Unions? She and Leanne made a huge mistake from day one, thinking they would run their own independent campaign. They got smashed, and you know it.
When will Plaid in the Rhondda realise Syd Morgan's style doesn't work in every campaign.
If they had been willing to join the union campaign (which they didn't) they would have had far greater impact/credit.
They didn't notify the union of meetings they held with the company, and when Jill managed to get her one "celebrity" endorsement, she refused to tell the union so that they could maximise the media coverage in favour of the campaign. Instead, she got a crap article in the Wales on Sunday. Which no Burberry board member will read.
Plaid are total amateurs when it comes to running campaigns of their own, and also campaigns for "people".
As last night's Treorci by-election result showed, Jill will get crushed in May, and she deserves to.
I might have known that blogging on this issue would open a can of worms....
It's not a lie to say that Jill worked with the Union's- at least she attempted to do so, to the annoyance of LA.
From what I understand, they did not mount a separate campaign, and sought to work alongside the Union-led campaign to the best of their ability.
Post a Comment