Global union workers (Email ’em) challenges invitation of British National Party to USconference.
Leaders of the largest trade unions in the UK, Ireland, NorthAmerica and Canada have made a fierce protest against the decisionof a large hotel chain to host a conference due to be addressed bythe leader of the far right British National Party (BNP), NickGriffin.
In a letter to the Westin Hotel from the world’s firstinternational union, Workers Uniting which represents three millionworking people, expresses deep anger about the decision of themanagement to allow an individual – whose views are so offensive toso many – to address a white supremacist conference on itspremises.
The Westin Hotel chain has over 160 hotels and resortsworldwide. Workers Uniting, the world’s first global union is apartnership between Unite from the United Kingdom and the UnitedSteelworkers (USW) from the United States and Canada.
In their letter signed by Unite joint general secretaries DerekSimpson and Tony Woodley and USW international president LeoGerard, they say: “Workers Uniting is appalled that the Westinwould allow an individual whose views are so offensive andabhorrent to many, to hold a public address on its premises.
“You should be aware that a court order was made against the BNPafter legal proceedings were issued against the party on thegrounds that its membership requirements discriminated on groundsof, amongst other things, race. In 1998 Griffin received anine-month prison sentence (suspended for two years) after beingfound guilty of distributing material likely to incite racialhatred. As well as this, Griffin is reported to have referred tothe Holocaust as the ‘Holohoax’.”
Derek Simpson, Tony Woodley and Leo Gerard are urging hotelmanagement to reconsider their decision in order to avoid seriousreputational damage to their business.
Notes to editors
The leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin, is due tobe the keynote speaker at the ‘American Renaissance’ conferenceFebruary 19th – 21st.
The conference is due to be held at: The Westin WashingtonDulles Airport, 2520 Wasser Terrace, Herndon, Va. 20171 UnitedStates.