This is a guest post by MoreMediaNonsense
Listening to Brendan Barber’s speech today to the TUC one thing that really annoyed me was his reference to Cuba. Barber attended May Day celebrations there this year and his speech there was a model of uncritical support for the regime.
I am proud to bring greetings from the British trade union movement and the 6.5 million workers we represent. I am proud to be the first general secretary of the Trades Union Congress to come to Cuba – especially so on the occasion of your May Day celebrations, on the 50th anniversary of the revolution, and on the 70th anniversary of the CTC.
And I am proud of the links between British and Cuban trade unions, with CTUC general secretary Salvador Valdes Mesa and international secretary Raimundo Navarro attending our Congress in Liverpool later this year.
Let me begin by saluting the huge social achievements of the Cuban people over the past five decades, delivering levels of literacy, numeracy, public health and access to clean water that would shame many richer nations.
Not a word about what actually happens in Cuba to anyone who wants to be in an independent trade union :
The same labour standards remain in force in Cuba. Workers can only belong to the single trade union. Freedom of association is restricted and collective bargaining and the right to strike are not recognised by law. Several independent activists who were sentenced to lengthy terms in prison in 2003 were exiled. The country has a unique system of labour relations, with the State playing the role of all social actors.
This is so typical of the unreconstructed rubbish old Left, they still can’t help sucking up to any so called socialist regime, especially one to which they have idiotic sentimental attachments. No wonder trade unionism has collapsed as a major force in UK politics when its leader indulges in such pointless and disgusting posturing.
Dinosaurism at its worst.
