Solidarity with refugees

Unite has called on prime minister Rishi Sunak and home secretary Suella Braverman to stop with “racist and inhumane, dog-whistle announcements” after the government published its Illegal Migration Bill, which has been widely condemned.

Unite executive head of operations Gail Cartmail wrote to the prime minister and home secretary this week, urging them to focus on what matters to working people, including tackling the cost of living crisis and the out-of-control profiteering of energy giants and other large corporations.

Gail said that Unite unequivocally stands with refugees and “will continue to lead on what the Government should also be prioritising, improving jobs, pay and conditions”.

You can read Gail’s letter in full below:

Dear Prime Minister and Home Secretary,

I am writing on behalf of Unite the Union, primarily because we believe you have seriously misjudged working people’s priorities, which we do not believe are aligned to the Government’s anti-migrant policies and rhetoric, which are demonising refugees.

These actions by the Government have emboldened fascists in the UK, resulting in the alarming rise in violence and intimidation organised by the far right against refugees that we have seen.

Rather than using such racist and inhumane, dog-whistle announcements, including the latest Bill, to deflect attention from the broken economy the focus of the Government should instead be turned to fixing the real problems this country faces.

The priority should be tackling the cost of living crisis millions are struggling with, while the profiteering – not least by energy giants – carries on unabated. Unite will continue to lead on what the Government should also be prioritising, improving jobs, pay and conditions, and giving our solidarity to refugees.

Sincerely,

Gail Cartmail

Unite executive head of operations