LETTER TO THE GMB

Chit Chong,


9 April 2008
Ed Blissett,
GMB London,
Thorne House,
152 Brent Street,
Hendon, London
NW4 2DP

Dear Mr Blissett,
When I joined the GMB, I did not expect a lot from it as far as addressing environmental and climate change issues were concerned, however I am greatly concerned by the GMB’s continued support for the expansion of Heathrow. This was demonstrated in a report on a meeting between the GMB and the Green Party Trade Union Group, see http://gptublog.blogspot.com/2008/02/meeting-with-mick-rix-gmb.html.

It is now difficult to reconcile my membership of the GMB with my personal beliefs as an environmentalist, and speaking personally, as a London Assembly candidate for the Green Party. I am therefore writing to you to ask you for the GMB's position on climate change, what it is doing and how it reconciles its support of Heathrow expansion with any policy it has on climate change. In doing so, I would be grateful if you could expand on the answers given by Mick Rix about the use of bio-fuels and increase in both air freight and road freight can be reconciled with reducing climate change.

More generally, I am increasingly of the view that Unions and workers must take more responsibility for their role in causing climate change. It is no longer a tenable excuse to say that employers are responsible for emissions and the work people do at the car factory, logistics company, air line or airport are emission free. We are jointly responsible for the emissions from our jobs along with our employers, suppliers and consumers of out products and services.

I look forward to receiving your reply either to my address above or by email to chit.chong@dsl.pipex.com.

Yours sincerely.



Chit Chong