On Wednesday evening around 50 people gathered in Islington town hall to celebrate Jeremy Corbyn becoming the Honorary President of Islington Trade Union Council.
For 40 years as the Islington North MP Jeremy has been an active supporter of trade unionists in Islington and across the country. More recently he has been seen on the many picket lines and rallies. His solidarity has been welcomed by those striking across Islington, from mail to rail, teachers, university staff, doctors, nurses, ambulance and other NHS workers, bus drivers and more. Strikers for inflation matching pay and to save these public services have won pay rises way above the initial offers that would have cut real pay by around 10%. Workers in the private sector get a spin off from this in their own struggle for decent pay.
Many tributes were paid to Jeremy, from very personal ones where he has taken up the case of one family to support for whole workplaces like the Whittington Hospital. Jeremy is also an internationalist and his efforts to win peace over wars and support the displaced refugees from these wars was praised. It is his anti-imperialism that was his biggest threat to the establishment and led to their concerted efforts to bring him down.
Active trade unionists from Islington and nearby boroughs, young and older and community campaigners spoke warmly of Jeremy as a man of integrity, consistency, humanity, a socialist and an anti-racist. His victimisation and isolation by the Labour Party leadership was criticised and one campaigner for mental health provision spoke of the significant support for him in Islington’s jewish community.
Jeremy responded to the many positive comments as expected with thanks and politics. He spoke of the government created crises in housing, education, health and other public services, the money wasted on wars and the threat of the far right. These can only be challenged by more people getting involved in campaigning and Jeremy drew particular attention to the new anti-trade union laws, the Minimum Service Levels, which will make effective strikes illegal and must be resisted.
Trade unionists in Islington and the Honorary President of Islington TUC, Jeremy Corbyn, will continue to be friends.
Andy Bain
Islington TUC President
