It was a big step forward when the woman who was an operator applied to train as a setter, fook a test, and passed.
There is still hostility from some of the her he was well.
were, patronising. We'll train you, lus".
No other women had applied, It's so ingrained, the consciousness of women's traditional role. don't apply for skilled jobs.* Management's line is that they want people WTHE for a long time, and women aren't the sort of people you can depend on to do that are in effect cheap labour.
I camn E70 for a taking home 147, Toolmakers are on E86, then it gradually goo grading. Most of the women will be taking home 35-E40 a week. They te on plece rates, and with the drop in production waiting time has shot upTrico wase't well organised before the strike Union membersho was 7. per cent but there was no trade union conscicusness Obviously the union was strengthened After it there was a tendency to sit back; an attitude of That's over, all get back to normal: decisions made at the end of the strike - to bring out a factory bulletin, to hold monthly mass meetings. regular levy of 5p a week — the only one carried out was the levy.
EQUAL PAY The strike was over equal pay. Women machine operators being paid less than men doing the same: ob. The men had come onl night shifts to work on days and they were given a special allowance; that was the excuse for the pay differential DE BOOLZOA WEEK.
The strike began in May 75 and went on for 11 weeks.
One of the most important things to come out from it was the feeling that you could take on the management Before the strike it was unhelievable you couldn't argue management about anything.
The union was strengtened, with some departments achieving hundred per cent membership, with the feeling thar the union is us. That's a very positive step. There was a definite growth in confidence.
NUHIT WED!
WARRINGTON Soolalisi 061 - 235 2352 GREATER MANCHESTER Socialist get insaived PaiNs Plas a Tart hours mering. "No Fhase 4, now MANCHESTER group meets every erne Socialist Challege 24 August 1978 page 8 *Women will stay in the eic. Trainees 40-hour weck, during the strike meetings.
factory. attendance CInE asserted themselves , let's their families and so on.
the time of the meetings.
and a invited speakers at meetings:
workers at Trica.
routine.
with The Sittle different.
If something on cxample.
non-union body. kanonesier Socianel cribes. eich-ase 1952 or by writinp Centre, c/e 14 Picoseilly, Mane wale a ven lo laming a sailora 2630.
NORTH EAST BOCHIIST in them, phane Fate on 1832: DURHAM Socialist Challenge Surpur ters aroup Forcerall center 1 Began.
Saturdayn CASINOM 1305020831-3018219 A lot of organisation look place - the picketing. producing a bulletin, speaking at After the strike there was a regular meetings, with 30 or 40 going along.
That women couldn't go out at nights because of There weren't any moves to change We're in the Engineering Union's Brentferd No. 2 branch, which 15 predominantly Trice. One development of the strike is that we have the branch clected WOEE Germany, local anti-racist work, the Bur the attendance has fallen off to an average of'a dozen, There are 1,300 The branch leadership is, I guess. fairly typical. Older workers who are just going through the motions. Very Di's only since the strike that we've been able to get other issues discussed in the branch. In the past it was: •We don't talk politics here. In the shop stewards committee the formality is a for Hounslow Trades Council it will be discussed, but not if it comes from a When we were discusssing the annual wage claim on the stewards SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS LONDON Chilange HARROW Bocialist Challenge SOUTH WEST Landan discuss Soo alist siralegy in the Irate Chailange ChalSocinist claiat Challenga supporars committee, the convenor introduced it by attacking the Government's wages policy, then the Tories One of the stewards said: "1 thought we were discussing the wage claim.
This is political.
was not & problem until a few years ALOADE aDIg turnover at Trice, The union wasn't that well established.
But when jobs became scarce and people stayed on, the factory began to be more organised. The strike, of course, sped this long.
Immediately after the strike, all the departments in which women work shop stewards. Half the stewards now are women many women stewards than there were before the strike.
LACK OF WORK Left forces are very weak in the factory. There are two Communist Party members, who have decided not to bring our cach owe propaganda two Socialist Workers Party members and me in the International Markis!
1 big probler al the moment is the lack of wark in the factory. At first management said we'd be over it by last April, then it was September, then October, cow it might be carly next year. Aller the strike there was a false boom hecause they had to catch up on all the orders lot of overtime was they Supperars' -ants Pext 30 Aupast YORKSHIRE BUCER management cut back on production. Now we're running at around 30 per cent cupacity. His really bad.
Definitely we should be caking up demand for company's books, know the facts and the plans.
Jabout West Indian, numher of people who were hostile from the time of the strike.
In my shop there is one person who has heen there 30 years; he was one of the first union merbers. He refused TO TaLK ble. everythine else — because I'm black and left-wing Most of the West Indians at Trico - twice as are middle need A lot ol wine West Indians wouldn't work in a factory or They think Bolike them parents: they have more pride in themselves 1 had no alternative! All my family went back to Jamaica in 69 when 1 was 15, so 1 had to get a job to live. That was it.
In the canteen, the West Indians sit together, so do the Asians. Most of the West Indians are planning to go back; 1 doas well.
They're caught in a contradiction.
At home they wouldn't get a job hecause there's so much unemployment, but they preter the whole socia. atmosphere, as opposed to here.
Decing the strike, strikers went to speak at the on be senspice southall, the TWA raised money for 12-3 on Ihe Gamers picket a Greenuch and Lowisham supcerins SOCIALIST CHALLENGE MIDLANDS SOUTH WEST me mall 423243. Hase SOUTH EASI HUEDETEFIELD Socialist Challenge COLCHESTER Sala our ross Trai RESIG them.
rarciy happens sympathisers. anything the NEersare. opening SO THE BE CaT bulletin ELOUISERA except from a smal Committer, debate TAILS beneath them they consider cut the bulletin workers family.
(TUE yourself! 930-18 Vardrugs College SatuecarS 0°1.301.301 al Dores Stre For details of scismi suppo lers Itro-shout ine Side SOUTHAMPTON Socialet sales every Saturaly. com mercia Read Precinc Challenge there, and they are both apprentices who have only heen taken on in the past couple of years.
The more skilled the job, the fewer the mumber of black workers doing We don't have open racisn in the factory. An individual might say •Black bastard' to someone, but that I know in the toolroom there are al Jeast two or three NF members on but they don't sas There are others on the shopiloor. They don't openly come oul and say they are Front merbers. But they act in a very patronising way, especially tothe biace women They talk and joke with them — the usual talk you get in every factory. very sexist. And then these racists will We're not going to talk to you"!
We're bepinning to do some work on this, Jetting the women know who acem. There wis an article in th about the Anti-fascist stewards connette beenuse her didn't wan! that issue distributed because of the anti-racism article.
'NO RACISM' They were saying we've got 10 Tacism and if the article went out there would be a big stir in the factory, If people are not hochered about racism at work, ler's leave it ast 1.
The convenor was good on this. He The personally would give it out. All the stewards in the toolroom refused to handle it, and the convene went inta the toolroom and handed The workforce isn': openly racist, but if you come in and say this or that if racist, they say you re bringing politics in or trying to stir up the and we're all one big *This contribution by Bis taken from SHERIDAN. It is part of our serie conversation GEOFFREY in socialists (and others] ut work. I know sonacone - who would make u good subject, let us know.
CRAWLEY Sa: non Rand 1 Supremte; 1976 •BRIGHTON Socialist Challenge sals i Saturdays saw Marvel. Road, lo 1a SCOTLAND die, Pitar are Salutay alansen EDINBURGH Challengi DUNDEE intertation aboul Socielist Challenge schiv cies tromed Queens
the idea of a Workers Plan for the industry to meet the needs of Soviet packs, one cinema seal. We don't
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