Learning From Our History, Looking To Our Future

April 23 2017

The need for us to learn from and control our own history was the subject of an inspiring Education & Training fringe meeting at CWU Annual Conference.

The focus for the event was the story of the REM 11 and we were very lucky to have one of the eleven, Ray Crouch, to speak to us, along with Assistant Secretary C&CS, Andy Furey, CWU Historian and activist, Norman Candy, and North West Regional Chair, Dan Lewis.

Chair of the event, CWU Head Of Education & Training, Trish Lavelle, welcomed everyone to the event and explained that through the View From The Floor section of CWU Left Click, the CWU had been working to archive the CWU’s rich history to ensure that future activists had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of earlier activists. We are currently recording the history of the REM 11.

Norman Candy recalled how when he first joined the UPW they used to provide a little red book of their history but what had inspired him to write his history of London Postal Workers was that despite academic reports being full of useful information, the writers had not been there and did not have the first-hand experience that CWU reps had. He reminded us that during the Grunwick dispute, despite many in the labour movement joining the picket lines, it was only postal workers who put their livelihoods on the line by going out on strike. He said that the REM 11 campaign was another example of CWU solidarity in action.

Andy Furey described how the Remittance Offices had been at the centre of the pay campaign the previous year and that subsequently Post Office management had targeted the group with what were later proved to be “punishment sackings” on trumped up charges – but they picked on the wrong people. The REM 11 were determined to fight and backed by the collective might of the union – and particularly their Branch Secretary Moss Haley who refused to let the injustice stand. Eventually the eleven were all offered the choice of reinstatement or compensation.

Ray Crouch emphasised how important this support had been, “We were warned it would be a long haul but we never thought it would be two years!” There were collections around the country to support the sacked members and their families – there was even a pig race! After a 12 day tribunal hearing the eleven were eventually reinstated and Ray said that was a lesson in what we can do when we stick together.

For Dan Lewis, the message was, “Who owns the story? Who owns OUR history?” He compared this with the role of the media in shaping our view of history and current affairs, such as in the US Civil Rights movement, “Did we see pictures of peaceful marchers – or did we see pictures of angry and scared faces once the police had set the dogs on them?” Dan highlighted the importance of democratising access to education.

The meeting encouraged a good debate with South East London P&C branch offering access to their records of the event and other branches similarly discussing what they could add to a digital archive of resources and suggestions of organising similar events for youth activists.