The management of Trico Folberth car components in West London, facing a determined equal pay strike since 24 May, have responded to a desperate situation by organising scab labour and taking their case to an industrial tribunal.
Thursday 1 July: Nine haulage trucks and a number of private cars with blackleg labour roll up after 2 a.m. Six are Turned away oy me pickets.
Friday night, 2 July: A white Peugeot car parks opposite the front gate. The driver has binoculars and a radio microphone. Following this the police and six unmarked lorries arrive, and are unloaded by non-Trico workers. One picket who follows the lorries is detained by the police for 50 minutes on the outskirts of LUTOn - TO GIVE SOWEY!
Saturday night, 10 July: Another convoy of lorries manned by scabs succeeds in getting past the picket line.
The other manoeuvre by management to beat the determination of the 400 women - who have been on strike for eight weeks to gain the £4.75 increase which would give them equal pay - has been to refer the claim to an industrial tribunal. The hearing is scheduled for Tribunals are pursued with confidence by employers. since incy nave ocenmn operation there have been numerous occasions when me rouna - wnich Is composea or unree members: a lawyer, a management nominee, and a trade umonist TWo aaainst one - has ut held loopholes in the Act exploited by management.
However the women's union, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, is pledged to continue industrial action for equal pay whatever the outcome or me unpunar Koser buuer secretary of the union's Southall district, puts it bluntly: We don't have any faith in the tribunals. The Engineering Union has an agreed standard of equal pay. and there is no point in having a union if we refer this to a supposedly impartial body. We would be letting everyone COWI IGNORE •We insist on the company negotiating with us, and you can get some idea of the impartiality of these tribunals from the fact that Trico is anxious to take its case there and we won't. we In sist on dealing with this issue collectively —nico management respondcu will an individual letter to every striker: "If the union decides to enore me mounar and the tribunal has ruled in favour of Ine company, it would no longer be a disagreement over equal pay.' They got the letters back in bulk, simply marked EQUAL PAY in big red letters.
or cuuar bay. ane is aiso ukciy to Drove one of the most significant. The producton or a regular strike bunetin nas greatly assisted in informing those involved of all developments and the need to maintain solidarity. Meetings of the strike committee are open to all strikers.
part. Comments Sally, a member of the strike committee: In the course of the strike the women have become aware of the kind of discrimination that exists against us. They have seen the solidarity shown by women's groups, the Working Women's Charter Campaign and women ards will take a mucn more leading part when we go back.
Help make fure this strike is won:
blacked in your factory.
ations (to Trico Strike Fund, AUEW House, 1 Woodlands Road, Southall. Middlesex).
picket rota on Friday nights. WEEKLY