Vital Signs comrades took part in the protest against a far-right anti-migration march in Bristol today. It was good to see that our counter-protest carried a message for working class unity. Although the numbers of the far-right increased compared to previous protests, we physically outnumbered them by roughly 400 to 80. The far-right demo managed to leave the rallying point under police protection, but we were able to corner them on College Green through a bit of mass force. During the rally a Vital Signs comrade gave a short speech on the conditions at Southmead hospital and the BRI regarding anti-migration measures.
Good to see you all,
I work as a health care assistant and porter at Southmead hospital. The anti-migration policies impact on our working conditions directly. On the background of protests of far-right nutters like those over there, the Labour government has introduced more restrictive migration policies, which make it more difficult to get work visas or indefinite leave to remain. The police conducted more anti-migration raids against low paid workers under Labour, compared to the Tory government.
Many colleagues at Southmead hospital are scared, as Band 3 workers might not meet the required threshold of annual income anymore and might lose their work visa or because it becomes much harder to get a more secure residential status. Our hospital management pays lip service to inclusivity and anti-racism, but at the same time excludes low paid bank workers from the national pay increase – and most of these workers are women and people of colour.
The UK needs migration, so these measures are not there to curb it, but to put pressure on the lowest paid workers. We are supposed to be grateful that we can do low paid jobs in this country and shut up about our wages and conditions. If parts of the class are in fear and accept worse conditions, the whole class loses out. We have to protest against these far-right dickheads, but we also have to defend ourselves and our colleagues against the migration regime of the state.
