|
Mon 1 August 2011
PRESS RELEASE FROM UCS Co-ordinating Committee
Tony Benn to headline UCS 40 Anniversary Concert
Shop Stewards who were part of the UCS Work-In in the shipyards
of Glasgow and Clydebank today announced a series of events
organised to mark the 40th anniversary of the famous industrial
dispute.
The main event planned is a Gala Concert on Sat 1 October in
the Mitchell Theatre where Tony Benn will be the Guest of Honour.
He was the Labour Minister who created the UCS consortium in
1968 and a prominent supporter of the Work-In when in opposition.
He will be backed by a line up of Scottish talent, some of
whom played in fund raising concerts at the time.
A specially commissioned suite ‘Work-in at UCS’ composed by
Eddie McGuire, the prominent Scottish composer will also feature.
Jimmy Cloughley, a member of the UCS Co-ordinating Committee
said “The stewards who took part in the work-in felt that, following
the deaths of two of the main leaders, Jimmy Airlie and Jimmy
Reid, it was important to mark the 40 Anniversary positively.
It is important when working people face increasing attacks
on their jobs and conditions, to remember a successful struggle
against a Tory Government bent on on butchering them. The community
and country supported us. We righted a wrong,and it must never
be forgotten. Unity of purpose, honesty, information leadership
and democracy are the lessons of UCS.”
The list of artistes includes Pat Kane; Jimmie McGregor; Dave
Anderson; Arthur Johnstone; Rab Noakes; Gary Lewis; Fraser Speirs;
Kevin McDermott; Simone Welsh; The Whistlebinkies; Alba Brass
and Sax Ecosse.
There will also be a number of yet-to-be-announced special
guests. In addition to the concert, an exhibition about the
Work-In will open in the Mitchell Library on 24 September, and
showings of contemporary films shot in the yard during the Work-In
are planned.
The events will be mostly funded by a grant from Unite the
union.
The Work-In took place in 1971 when the then Tory government
removed funding from the UCS yards and planned to close and
sell them off. This provoked the Stewards Co-ordinating Committee
to declare a ‘work-in’ which attracted huge support from Scotland,
the rest of the UK, and around the world.
ENDS
For Further Information please contact: Chris Bartter (Communications)
07715 583 729, chrisbartter@btinternet.com Jim Lister (FairPley)
07793884136, jlister@fairpley.com Stephen Wright (FairPley)
07734 350 247, swright@fairpley.com
Index
See also http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ucs-work-in-40-years-on.html
|
