Jeremy Corbyn and Howard Beckett join the Goodlord picket, photo James Ivens

Jeremy Corbyn and Howard Beckett join the Goodlord picket, photo James Ivens   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Ferdinand Lyons, East London Socialist Party

Unite the Union held a mass picket outside the tenant referencing company Goodlord on 26 April as part of a day of action against ‘fire and rehire.’

Goodlord staff are currently on strike over cuts to their pay and conditions, and members of the Unite tech workers’ branch, Unite Community branches, Unite housing workers branch, National Shop Stewards Network and Socialist Party members all brought solidarity.

The picket was used as a launch for Unite’s national campaign against fire and rehire, with a large new banner to match.

The picket was also attended by Howard Beckett, Unite assistant general secretary, who is leading the new campaign and the ex-Labour leader and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn who both addressed the picket.

Corbyn rightly pointed out the working class needs to fight, and the Goodlord strikers represent the best of what the labour movement stands for.

The Socialist Party stands in solidarity with Unite the Union and the Goodlord strikers in demanding the outlawing of fire-and-rehire tactics and for Goodlord to come to the table and meet the strikers’ demands and settle the dispute.