A question of right and wrong - support the Clarks workers!

12 Oct

Short Read (3 mins)

Social justice is at the heart of the Gospel.

That we should treat others as we would wish to be treated and as we would treat Christ Himself. We can all think of times when historically churches have called out or challenged industrial injustice. During the General Strike of 1926, the Methodist Conference publicly identified with the miners as they campaigned for, "not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day". Such interventions both by Christians and by Christian Socialists were common-place back then and were greatly valued by those standing up to oppressive employers. They made churches relevant to people's lives.

Times now have changed. Or have they? Christians on the Left need to have a careful look at the current dispute raging at Clarks. The workers there have been forced to take industrial action to stop 'fire and rehire'. They face a direct attack on their pay and conditions, with the employer seeing to impose contracts which cut their wages, and their holiday and their benefits and which effectively extend their times at work.

Fortunately, the spirit of 1926 is alive and well at Clarks.

The current scenario is all the more shocking when we remember Clarks’ Quaker roots. Clarks, and yes we are talking here about the shoe maker, has been taken over by a Hong Kong based private equity firm. 109 of the 145 employees in the Clarks warehouse in Somerset have contracts signed before the take over and these workers are now being presented with a contract which would reduce pay by 15%, reduce holidays by 3 days, reduce sickness benefits and even eliminate 10-minute breaks and hot drinks. Effectively cutting their pay and, by their reducing holidays, extending their time at work.

Not surprisingly these workers have resisted this attack on their terms and conditions. Their union, Community, reasonable, considered and ever-keen to find a negotiated solution has tried all it can to avoid a dispute and to get the employer to see sense. But Clarks are refusing to do so, and so - rightly - the union is now supporting members in their decision to take strike action. Such management intransigence is not acceptable. That this is not the way to treat ordinary working people in 2021. These are loyal workers, who have stuck with the company throughout the pandemic. They deserve better treatment than this.

These need our support and they need it now.

Please sign the petition below and spread the word. This really is a case of right and wrong and this is wrong. Ordinary working men and women deserve better than this. Gospel imperative applies here:

"And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me" Matthew 25:40 (NLT)