Mick Rix, trade unionist and former General Secretary of ASLEF, has resigned from the Stop the War Coalition steering committee.
He says:
“I do not agree with assertions made over the conduct of union delegations at the Labour party in the recent statement, and indeed the attacks made on Abdullah [Muhsin, the UK representative of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions]. I think in these difficult times, the recent outbursts that have been made, and the personalisation have vastly reduced our influence and support in the movement. I thought it would have been better and more democratic, before these statements were made, they should have been discussed, and wider views sought. There is nothing wrong with criticism, and people from time to time will have and hold different views, but there are better ways of making this criticism, and there were better ways of inviting views on this criticism, before it was published.
“I wish you all future success, but I believe at the moment damage has been done that is long lasting, I also feel that Abdullah should receive an apology for some of the stupid and wild accusations made about him. I also believe that the vast majority of union delegates at the labour party who hold strong views on the war, and the vast majority are anti war, should also receive an apology for the vitriol that has been whipped up against them. At least they debated and discussed the position before doing what they did, likewise the statements that have been made, by representatives and close associates of STW, have not been debated prior to their publication, nor were their views sought as well.”