Shrewsbury pickets’ win appeal – success for the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign

Head Office Circular: NP/91/21
23 March 2021

To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague

Shrewsbury pickets’ win appeal – success for the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign

During the 1972 national building workers strike, 24 North Wales building workers were prosecuted for picketing, six of whom received prison sentences and sixteen received suspended prison sentences. The lead picket, Des Warren was sent to prison for three years and blacklisted upon his release. As a result, he never worked again and died prematurely in 2004, aged 67.

The pickets have always maintained their innocence of all charges, and the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign has long fought to have these miscarriages of justice overturned.

In 2017, the Criminal Cases Review Commission rejected an application to review the convictions. This was successfully challenged by the Campaign via a judicial review in April 2019, and the convictions were then referred to the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal has today quashed the convictions of the North Wales building workers, overturning this miscarriage of justice. This result represents a massive victory for the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign and the trade union movement. The Campaign has offered its thanks to RMT for its support and affiliation to the campaign.

An update from the Campaign is attached and you can read the Campaign’s press release here – https://www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk/2021/03/shrewsbury-pickets-win-appeal-success-for-the-shrewsbury-24-campaign/

Please share details of this victory with your members.


Yours sincerely

Mick Cash
General Secretary