READERS in the South may have Beckett Tougn Inat une dark satanic mills had long since disappeared. But for Asian workers in Oldham, 12-hour shifts with no breaks, they still loom large.
Their union connives and schemes with the mill owners against them •union whose secretary there is enough of money invested in Courtaulds (the main employer) to carry on paying its staff if all its members were to expelled.
It is a union that does not allow the all-black shifts.
Last week, in a grey schoolroom — community centre of sociat securiti leaflets, carptets, and a typewriter — Asian workers met to organise. the First six, then eight, twelve, Brent fianlly over discuss a series of demands that could be used to change their union and stand up to the employers.
must overtime?' without warning?' 'Why are so many men constantly off sick?' sub-continent.
shape. working The textile Courtaulds in boasts that his members' membership. Ine aim denies the of black rebresentatives for control only by the advice was threatened and The workers arrived to against we be forced to work Provincial Allied District Association Punjabi and other languages of the Questions were asked, grievances aired. A programme began to take decided to organise a mass meeting of all Asian workers employed by Oldham order to launch a campaign to democratise the union and make it responsible to the campaign which confronts racism by making the union affairs accessible to the workers, and hire and fire at will 'It is the union that can make us strong, but first of all have to corkers in Oldham have taken a fist union. Black step in gaining that strength.
The defence of Abdul Azad, whe deportatien, started in Oldham and has shown what can be done through resisting.
next plast of struggle involves black workers fighting back which lurks in the unions and management The battle begins with the Öldham Union of Textile Workers, and ta Oldham Weavers and Winders