HONOUR WINDRUSH GENERATION SAYS UNITE

“Today is Windrush Day,” writes Sharon Harding, national officer for equalities (BAEM and disabled members). She continues,

“This not just a day to remember the Windrush generation, but to honour them and to speak their truth, and to defend their legacy.

“They came to this country in its hour of need. After the devastation of war, Britain called and they answered. They, worked in our NHS, drove our buses, built our railways, powered our industries, and strengthened our communities. They gave their labour, their skill, their culture, and their courage.

“And let us be clear they did not just help build Britain. They are Britain. They are the communities that we live in today.

“But recognition alone is not enough.

“Because alongside this story of contribution and sacrifice, there is also a story of injustice. Members of the Windrush generation are people who gave decades of their lives to this country and were betrayed. They have been denied healthcare, denied homes, denied dignity. Some were detained. Some were deported. Families were torn apart.

“That was not just a failure of policy. It was a failure of humanity. And today, as trade unionists, as part of Unite, we say this clearly,

“An injury to one is an injury to all.

“The lessons of Windrush are not locked in the past. It shows a direct link to the present.

“We see it in ongoing inequalities at work, in the hostile environment, in insecurity for migrant workers, and in divisions that try to pit worker against worker. But Unite rejects division.

“We know the truth: whether you came on Windrush, whether your family has been here for generations, or whether you arrived yesterday! Working people share the same struggles and the same rights.

“The right to decent work. The right to fair pay. The right to dignity. The right to belong. That is what solidarity means.

“So today, we do more than remember. We commit. We commit to fighting racism wherever it exists, in workplaces, in systems, in society. We commit to standing up for justice for every worker, no matter where they come from. And we commit to ensuring that what happened to the Windrush generation is never allowed to happen again.

“Because the true way to honour Windrush is not with words alone. It is with unity. It is with action. It is with unwavering solidarity.”