PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT PETE GREGSON AT HIS APPEAL HEARING
Come to the rally at the GMB offices at 10.30am on Tues 5th March to support Pete Gregson, GMB shop steward, at risk of expulsion for criticising Israel. GMB Euston offices are at 22 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD (5 mins walk from Euston tube). There will be a picket all day, supported by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (The Revolutionary Communist Group).
Read the GMB’s case for his expulsion here and the full case with the GMB evidence here and read Pete’s written appeal here. The basis for expulsion will be for breach of Rule 5 (Membership), Section 4 as can be found in the GMB Rulebook here.
[The “young female employee” referred to in the GMB’s case is.. Rhea Wolfson, who, as confidential GMB sources revealed to Pete, had lodged the complaint against him on 28th Sept. She is staunch supporter of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM). The JLM features in “The Lobby“, a documentary which shows how it works with the Israeli Embassy to take down British politicians. Pete complained about the JLM to Labour’s NEC when he submitted this complaint on 28th Sept. He did not realise at the time, that one of the NEC members he had copied the complaint to was.. Rhea Wolfson.. who is employed as a GMB Glasgow organiser. Pete has repeatedly asked the GMB to put Wolfson in the witness box at his hearing to be qizzed as to whether this is a politically motivated witch-hunt, but they will not. (Pete reckons she is working with Jon Lansman on this; Jon hates Pete because of his post “Letter from Lansman to Little me“.) More info on Wolfson here ]
There will be a picket present throughout the day, until the hearing concludes. Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) (The Revolutionary Communist Group) will support an all-day picket. Labour Against the Witchhunt will have a stall. Rabbi Cohen and Tony Greenstein will attend as witnesses for Pete at the hearing. Pete will be outside the venue from 10am, but must go inside when the hearing commences at 11am. Thereafter Will from FRFI will deal with enquiries outside the building until the hearing concludes, probably around 3-4pm.
In the evening Pete will be giving a talk at MAP Studio Café in Kentish Town on his experiences – please come if you can. Entry is £5 to cover venue hire. Come from 7:00 – 10:00 pm (Talk: 7:30; Cafe will be open beforehand)
The British film director, Ken Loach, said of the video Pete made about his GMB expulsion at www.tinyurl.com/gmbihra “Your case is made very clearly and is unanswerable. Pete, your position is justified and has to be defended.”
Pete wants the recommendation of the GMB Scotland Committee to cancel his membership to be rejected, so that he can return to being the only GMB shop steward at NHS Lothian
As well as Rabbi Ahron Cohen (see the video of him at tinyurl.com/gmbihra ), Pete is supported in his appeal by:
Labour Against the Witch-hunt (LAW)
Free Speech on Israel who say, on their website, “FSOI protests against abusive use of IHRA definition by GMB”
Scottish Jews against Zionism, by Sarah Glynn, – statement here
Tony Greenstein of LAW – statement here
Scottish Friends of Palestine, by Hugh Humphries – statement here
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! posting here
Contact Pete at postmaster@roseburn32.plus.com
For lots more about the IHRA, see Pete’s webpage www.tinyurl.com/labourihra