Des Warren
| Des Warren link (Construction worker) | |
|---|---|
| File:Des Warren.jpg | |
| Born | 10 October 1937 |
| Died | 24 April 2004 |
Together with Ricky Tomlinson, Des Warren received the stiffest sentences of the Shrewsbury 24. | |
Des Warren, together with Ricky Tomlinson, received the longest sentences of the Shrewsbury 24 strikers. Together they were known as the "Shrewsbury Two".
Warren was regarded as an energetic strike leader. As well as his work setting up pickets and speaking at union rallies and conferences, he demanded a minimum wage (of £1 an hour) and campaigned to put an end to "the lump" — a practice prevalent on non-unionised building sites, whereby the employee surrendered their employment rights in return for a cash lump sum with no tax or insurance deducted.[1][2]
Blacklisting
He was sentenced for "conspiracy to intimidate" whilst picketing in Shropshire in 1972, imprisoned and blacklisted.
Publication
His autobiography, The Key To My Cell put forward his version of events, and what he considered "the real conspiracy" — that the arrests were part of a plan to intimidate the trade union movement.
Campaign
Ricky Tomlinson and others continue to campaign for the UK government to release documents on the event and to posthumously clear the name of Des Warren.
Death
His death in 2004 from Parkinson's Disease has been linked with the long-term effects of the treatment he received during his incarceration, in particular the "liquid cosh" – a cocktail of tranquillisers administered to inmates.[1][2]