The following letter of solidarity was sent from Fran Heathcote, President of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) DWP (Department for Work and Pensions group) Group Executive to Spanish miners who are engaged in a struggle with the right wing Spanish government to save their jobs and communities (see: ‘Spain Miners light up Madrid and show workers the way to struggle!’, www.socialistworld.net, 17/07/2012)
We urge trade unionists everywhere organise solidarity messages and other actions to aid the Spanish miners in their vital struggle.
Dear comrades,
I am writing to you to give full solidarity from the PCS DWP group executive which represents 80,000 civil service trade union members who deliver support and benefits to the unemployed and pensioners in the UK.
Your struggle has been an inspiration to our union and we want to offer full support to you in your battle against austerity. We know full well how important jobs are in mining communities, as our members are still trying to support the unemployed in mining communities destroyed by Thatcher in the 1980s.
The destruction of 8,000 miners’ jobs is unacceptable, as well as all the cuts the Spanish government wants to make.
We recognise the attacks on trade unions that the Spanish government wants to make which is also what the British government is planning to do starting with our union PCS in the civil service.
However it also shows that austerity governments recognise the opposition of the organised working class and the potential for us to defeat them
Our union, PCS, is fighting all the cuts but also putting forward a real alternative. There is no need to make any cuts if we make the super-rich and big business pay their share.
Yours in solidarity,
Fran Heathcote
DWP Group President
