The parcels carrier has sacked a leading activist. Support the solidarity campaign

UPS – set to become the biggest independent parcels carrier in the UK after acquiring TNT’s parcel business – last week showed its contempt for employee relations after it sacked Winston Dallen, a leading activist at its Camden site.

Winston has worked at UPS for 14 years, with an unblemished record, but unfortunately for him UPS have decided he was crucial to the organising drive which saw Unite membership at the Camden depot rise three-fold in the past year, from 40+ to nearly 150.

This action follows a recent negotiated settlement over London weighting at the site, which averted strike action at the depot. Management had prepared a strike-busting operation in the event of the strike taking place, involving paying for over 100 hotel beds and 50 hire cars to bring union-busters to Camden from right round the UK.

Despite blinking first, when they realised Unite was serious about calling action, UPS have vindictively lashed out after signing the agreement. First they sacked Winston, then they suspended another Unite rep in preparation for a sacking and only backtracked when they realised the tissue of lies they had prepared as justification for dismissal was about to be exposed. The suspension of this rep has now been lifted – against the wishes of the rep, who wanted the chance to clear his name and expose the management liars.

They have also sacked 3 other drivers from the depot (increasing the total of 350 drivers UPS have booted out in a 15-month period!).

Stewards from round the country met today to discuss Winston’s case and unanimously voted full support to the campaign to get Winston re-instated. This follows a unanimous vote at Winston’s branch to support him – with even supervisors involved in the process raising their hands in support of Winston and condemning the company.

The Camden reps have produced a petition in support of Winston, with nearly half the site having signed it in the opening days. This is now being rolled out to the other sites to publicise his case. The drivers and pre-loaders at Camden are intending to protest the sacking and are organising a car park meeting from 07:30 on Tuesday 9th Oct. The convenor of the UPS National Negotiating Committee has appealed for the broadest possible support for the campaign, and Counterfire is therefore appealing for the biggest possible turn-out of solidarity on Tuesday.

Richard Allday, chair of Unite’s road transport sector in the London and Eastern region, has also endorsed this call, saying “It is essential that the union support our reps when the employers try to bully them into submission. Winston has demonstrated over many years his commitment to supporting his fellow workers, which is the only reason for this sacking. I urge any trades unionist, or supporter of workers’ rights to show their support for Winston on Tuesday, and pledge my support for any action his fellow workers decide on to win his job back.”

If you want to show your support, the protest will be at the UPS depot, 355 Regis Road, Camden NW5, 07:30