Changes are proposed to historic fish market Photo: www.seafoodtraining.org/
Hundreds of fish porters from Billingsgate fish market held a march in protest at proposed changes to Tower Hamlet’s historic market.
They will hand in a petition with over 20,000 signatures to the Mayor of London. The petition opposes plans by the City of London Corporation, which owns the market, to revoke bye-laws surrounding the site in order to offer more freedom to employers.
The workers and their union Unite say the changes will “destroy centuries of heritage” and have no support from people on the ground. London regional secretary for Unite, Steve Hart, said: “It is now time for the City of London Corporation to come to its senses and abandon the pointless changes being planned for Billingsgate Market…Today the Billingsgate fish porters will hand in to the Mayor of London the thousands of signatures they have collected in support of their campaign, as well as letters from Londoners calling for the unique heritage of the market not to be threatened in this way. The Corporation should now scrap the plan and let Billingsgate get on with its job”.
Unite will also hand in the formal response to the City of London Corporation consultation on the eradication of the bye-laws.
The City of London has said it is confident that the market can “adapt to changing circumstances”. The bye-law it wants to revoke dates back to 1876, permitting the Superintendent to licence anyone of ‘good character and fitness’ to be a porter”. In a statement, the Corporation continues: “The licence is, therefore, a permit to work but does not guarantee employment, nor does it guarantee standards, which are a matter for employers.” They stress that “The future of the market is not in any way jeopardised by revoking the byelaw and removing the licensing requirement.”
Their backers say the porters are highly trained and know how to ensure the smooth running of the market. The fish porters, who will march dressed in their white uniforms and carrying placards, have the support of Labour contender for London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp and London Assembly member John Biggs.
Billingsgate is the United Kingdom’s largest inland fish market and one of the oldest, formally established by Act of Parliament on its original Billingsgate Wharf site in 1699. An average of 25,000 tonnes of fish and fish products are sold through its merchants each year.
Yet another of this countries greatest traditions that the establishment want to eradicate into the history books. Methinks that there is more to this than meets the eye, for instance a prime site for another Natwest type tower, do some investigative journalism, did deep enough and I’m sure there are a few skeletons amongst councillors and market traders who will make a lot of money out of this.
Billingsgate is not the great market it once was. The traders who used to be solely trade sellers are now in the main retailers. I remember at the old market that retail sales were strictly forbidden “Trade Only” was the order of the day.
By turning the new market into nothing more than a very busy early morning market for retail and trade, this led to many old fishmongers in London losing business – many high street fishmongers have gone out of business over the past 30 years. No one at the market gave a damn about this and so if new working practices mean that it makes the market more competitive then so be it. Should there really be “closed” shops today in 21st century Britain? Me thinks not and nor does the Corporation of London.
If truth be known the porters know that if the flood gates are open for traders to employ anyone then they will have the choice from the millions of immigrant labour workers seeking a better life in Britain who will be prepared to work harder for less money. This is the FREE market and so if it is allowed in other industries then it should also apply here too.
Not sure I understand why any heritage associated with the market would be lost by encouraging traders to be able to source labour more cheaply.
Porters = stop moaning, work hard and concentrate on making your position in the market stronger than ever so as to make it difficult for any traders to replace you. Remember as well, the next time a local fishmonger goes bust think about getting a petition together for them too!