The
Wobblies express in the strongest terms our condemnation of the unfair dismissal of Fellow Worker Oscar Alvarez, union representative of the IWW at the Metroline bus company out of the West Perivale Bus Garage in London.
Despite the facts being against the company, and despite a global solidarity campaign led by London IWW, internal company appeals procedures have defended the original decision and are now exhausted. Oscar will now fight his case at Employment Tribunal with full IWW support.
Oscar’s umfair dismissal results from a minor disagreement with a car driver on the road who had cut up his bus endangering herself, her baby and his passengers.
Oscar has been a leading union activist on the buses, fighting the imposition of a two-tier workforce and shoddy new contracts. There were breaches of procedure during his disciplinary and dismissal, and the results are disproportionate.
IWW activists reached out to gather public support for this campaign, and bus drivers in particular have all without exception voiced their support for Oscar. An online IWW campaign has led to Metroline being flooded with emails from around the world.
Despite this campaign and the facts being on our side, the company has stuck to their guns, defending the unfair dismissal. Oscar will now fight his case in Employment Tribunal with full IWW support.
The IWW deeply thanks all those who have stood with Oscar so far making an injury to one an injury to all.
Please keep up the support by joining IWW (www.iww.org.uk/join) and telling all your friends and colleagues about our movement
If you want to know more about this case, read this article by The Prisma and stay tuned in our FB page
Further, the IWW sends our encouragement and support to the London bus drivers to keep the resistance going and refuse to sign any new contracts.
Whichever union you belong to, we must hold together, because they can’t force us if we ALL refuse.
Justice for Oscar! Justice for Busworkers!