9 November 2010
FA Cup heroes supporting strikers off the pitch
THANKS to the Cedar Lounge Revolution and The Workers United/Red Pepper blogs for this piece about football strikers' solidarity with BBC picket-line strikers and FC United eschewing prime-time publicity during their FA Cup glory in favour of trade union principles.
(Cedar Lounge is featuring an interesting debate on sports stars' political leanings, particularly those on the Left and including Alex Ferguson, Jack Charlton, Pat Crerand, Brian Clough and Newcastle manager Chris Hughton, amongst many others. And, of course, Martin Ferris TD.)
Saturday, 6 November 2010
FA Cup heroes are supporting strikers off the pitch
FA Cup giant killers FC United are refusing to take part in the BBC's flagship Football Focus show today in solidarity with striking BBC journalists.
The non-league club was formed by disgruntled Manchester United fans in protest at the running of the Old Trafford outfit.FC United won 3-2 at their much higher ranked neighbours Rochdale last night. Club general manager Andy Walsh, speaking exclusively to The Workers United, said: "I told Football Focus producer David Garrido that we would not be taking part in solidarity with the strike.
"I've told everyone at the club not to take part.
"I'm a trades unionist and it is important that people take a stand.
"We spoke to some BBC reporters last night because of a misunderstanding."
The Workers United understands strike-breaking BBC staff told FC United officials that the dispute only involved newsroom journalists and didn't cover sport.
That is not true. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has 4,100 members at the BBC – in all departments – who are striking over a pension scheme that covers all workers.
FC United boss Walsh is a former member of the national executive of the Banking, Insurance, and Finance Union, now part of Unite.
DECLARATION: I am a member of the NUJ and a former BBC sports journalist. I'm not in the pension scheme. I support Manchester City.
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