UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Thursday 1 December 2011

BBC must sack Clarkson for his #n30 anti union hate crime

Jeremy Clarkson is well known for discriminatory and xenophobic utterances, notably his offensive comments in 2009 about the then Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown. And it was no surprise back in August that the mass murderer of 69 Norwegian young  socialists quoted approvingly Clarkson's right wing nationalist views. However his comments yesterday on prime time TV about 2 million striking  trade unionists - that he 'would take them outside and execute them in front of their families' is tantamount to a hate crime against trade unionists:
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2544

No such comments would be tolerated if directed towards the Judiciary or MP's. It is bad enough taste in the UK where many trade unionists are subjected to regular violence in the course of their duties. But considering the reality worldwide when over 90 trade unionists were murdered in 2010 it is entirely unacceptable: http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-19640-f0.cfm

Clarkson must be sacked immediately. Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left the BBC for gratuitously offensive comments. And the defence of it being 'a joke' is not acceptable. That defence held no water during the summer riots for the 20 year old jailed for 4 years for inciting violence against property on facebook. Clarkson's comments, inciting violence against people, were heard by over 4 million BBC viewers. Make your views known to the BBC:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

Alternatively, to complain by phone to the BBC contact: 03700 100 222 press for option 1 when prompted then 3