Garners profit hit as blacking

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Notable new support has been building up on the picket lines in the nineteenth week of the strike at Garners Steak Houses from trade union branches, trades councils and anti-racist committees.

Many workers' organisPHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report SLEPORT STENGTH Demonstrators on Socialist unspoken coalition arrangement.

socialist planned economy.

national and sexual oppression.

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Address Union/Occupation London NW5 1HR ations have committed themselves to covering one evening a week and this has increased the hysteria of the managers and other scabs.

Despite signs posted on restaurants such as:

"We are working, not communists, you are welcome"

which appeared recently at the Haymarket branch, potential customers are in almost every case refusing to enter.

Those inside have reported the rows created when the managers try to ON STNIKI. / Garners day of solidarity.

The Workers send them outside to procure custom.

And Cyril Margolis himself (the owner of the chain) harangued the managers last Wednesday on their lack of loyalty to him in his hour of need.

Policeman

One night recently the only customers in one branch were a plain clothes policeman and Geoffrey Margolis, the owners' son!

Clearly the strike is hitting Margolis extremely hard and rumours abound such as the Oxford Street branch will be closed part of this week and that he is about to go bankrupt.

The morale of the strikers is, on the other hand, very high and they feel themselves close to victory.

The question remains why the strike has had to go on now for 20 weeks? The TGWU is well-placed to win such a strike in five minutes.

Blacking of the meat supplies has been successful from Smithfield and the management has had to scour the country and get supplies out in the middle of the night.

Postmen

Steps still have to be taken to get the Panificio Bread Company blacked and the vegetable supplies stopped.

The postmen have promised not to cross picket lines and TGWU drivers similarly.

However the following up of this blacking work has not been fought for by the TGWU leadership but dealt with by a sub-committee set up by the strike committee 186.

There for the books of mittee! to help with this work.

The absence of TGWU Executive member Brian Nicholson who was said at one time to be about to devote attention to the strike at the Garner's conference is noteworthy.

No money Likewise the availability of George Abrahams to carry out the wishes of the strikers leaves much to be desired.

The Region 1 Committee refuses to pay the strikers the £36 a week living wage they have asked for.

They did give the strike committee £600 two months ago but put out an appeal to the branches in the region to recoup this amount.

Many TGWU branches who have sent money in to support the strikers have received a receipt from Westbrook, treasurer of the Regional Committee and the strike committee has not seen the money.

Open books

is, it seems, a case opening of the the Regional ComThe main focus of the strike now must be the fight for the recall conference to be held on Thursday 22 June at Transport House, Smith Square, London at 7.30 p.m.

Sponsored by the SE Region TUC, the Greater London Association of Trades Councils and the TGWU Region 1 Committee, the conference will discuss supporting action for the recognition struggle.

Call

Each labour movement organisation is invited to send three delegates.

We call on TGWU branches to pass the following resolution:

"This branch supports the strike of the Garners workers for union recognition and resolves to:

1) Send three delegates to the recall conference.

2) Send delegations to the picket line one night every week.

3) Call on the Region 1 Committee to pay the strikers £36, to be raised by a levy or any other suitable means.

4) Send a donation to the strike fund."

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London PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report