Solidarity with migrant workers

No Sweat, paperback, 24 pages, £1.50

The union-backed No Sweat campaign has produced a first class booklet outlining what unions are doing to support, protect and organise migrant workers in the UK.

The booklet explains the extreme exploitation and racism faced by migrant workers and the effects of government crackdowns. It tackles the myths propagated by Migration Watch, the Daily Mail and other reactionaries. The voices of migrant workers are heard throughout, with moving stories of flower workers and cleaners.

The most useful sections deal with efforts to organise migrant workers. The book explains how Eastern European strawberry pickers in the Midlands were recruited to the T&G (now Unite) through collective action and consistent campaigning. And Alan Fraser explains how the GMB migrant workers' branch in Southampton has attracted new members to the union and won rights to training, safety equipment and Polish-language materials. With examples like these the booklet serves as a really practical guide.