Mike Abbot, founder of the Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets Campaign dies – Obituary
11/03/2014 by socialistfight
Mike Abbot, founder of the Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets Campaign dies – Obituary
It is with great sadness that I report the death of Mike Abbot who died last week. Mike was a building worker , Unite member and founder member of the Justice for Shrewsbury campaign. Mike with Mike Farley and others set up the Wigan Building workers action committee to campaign for the release of Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson who were jailed after the 1972 National Building workers strike.
Mike Abbot led the massive Wigan to London March calling for a General strike and for the release of Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson in 1975. Mike was a member of the Workers Revolutionary party, a fighter for justice for those building workers jailed and persecuted by the state as a result of the Strike. Mike remained Des Warren’s friend and comrade up to his death in 2004. Mike was one of the Pall bearers at Des Warren’s funeral.
In 2006 with Ritchie Hunter and Harry Chadwick , Steve Ballard , Peter Farrell and other re founded the Justice for Shrewsbury campaign to continue the campaign for justice for those building workers who fought for decent rights , conditions which would not have been achieved without the struggle of Des warren , Mike abbot and others.
I strongly recommend Des Warren’s book ‘the Key to my cell’ which shows the fight that he and other workers led in that period. Mike must be remembered as a tireless fighter in the Shrewsbury campaign and never gave up the struggle that Des Warren and others started in 1972.
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