This is an urgent message from Hackney Trades Union Council. Please circulate as widely as possible to trade union members and branches throughout the UK and beyond. Please show your support by taking action as outlined below.

Please copy message of support to
 hackney.unison@unisonfree.net
____________________________________________________________

Dear friends, anti-racists, trade unionists and comrades,
Support the Hackney anti-racist 3: suspended for challenging racism

The attached file is the first newsletter in the Defend the Hackney anti-racist three campaign. To read it you will need adobe acrobat reader, which can be downloaded from the web free of charge from (www.adobe.com).

Three Unison branch officers have been suspended by Hackney Council and threatened with dismissal for (allegedly) distributing a draft report into racism at Hackney Council. Due to legal threats against the national union by the council, the final report is not yet available, however we believe that it may be published in the next few days. To ensure that you receive a copy, please reply to this email.

The Unison report uses case studies to expose the systematic denial of justice to black workers, it details the systematic non-compliance of the council with the existing non discrimination notice. It also calls on the CRE to take further enforcement action against Hackney for its breaches of the Race Relations Act.

I know that it is not a good time to organise, but please can you do the following today:

forward on this email and the attachment to trade union activists, anti racists and community campaigners.

Place this matter on the agenda for the January meeting of any of the above. Seek to get a donation for the campaign and/or invite a speaker to your January meeting.Send emails of protest/support to the bodies listed in the
newsletter.

If you live or work in Hackney, can you also print some copies of the attached newsletter and distribute them to colleagues and neighbours.

Finally, can as many people as possible forward this to
international comrades. It seems that Hackney's purpose is to prevent anyone from speaking out about its appalling
record of racism. In response, let us ensure that we let the whole world know.


Messages of support for the local branch can be sent to
Brian Debus/Will Leng/John Page

 hackney.unison@unisonfree.net Or Fax 0208 985 6749

Messages of support to the Unison regional office can be sent toEddy Coulson

 e.coulson@unison.co.uk or fax 0207 535 2105

Messages of protest can be sent to

Clare Lloyd-Jones Hackney's Director of Law and Probity
 claer.lloyd-jones@hackney.gov.uk

copied to Pam Case Head of Human Resources
 pcase@gw.hackney.gov.uk

and Jules Pipe (Hackney's directly elected Mayor)
 mayor@hackney.gov.uk
or fax 0208 356 3657

Messages of concern can also be sent to
Paul Riddell
Commission for Racial Equality
email  info@cre.gov.uk
or fax 020 7939 0001