Thorn defend militant

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About • 1300 workers from the Thorns Southbury Road site in Enfield came out on strike last Friday in defence off a victimised steward. Managem militacked U Green, TGWU steward, for being 16 minutes late between 18 October and 18 November!

They maintain that his timekeeping record comes within the maximum, limit in one calendar month.

But it is clear that this sacking is an attack on the union organisation in the company.

It comes a week before. a reply was to be given to the union's 15% wage claim.

A member of management also recently said that they wanted to "get rid of half a dozen stewards".

What has surprised Thorns management has been the response of the workforce.

The morning shift voted by 3 to 1 for an immediate walkout.

The • other unions have pledged their support and the UNION DUES Lincoln Road site is having a mass meeting to take a vote on strike action.

The Enfield and Edmonton Trades Council Executive has already agreed to support the strike and to put out a pross statement.

It wil also support the picket line, especially on Tuesday when government ministers are visiting the factory.

The stewards are asking for local trade unionists to. give their support.

Already pickets from the nearby Fords plant have donated coal, wood for a shelter and refreshments.

A 24-hour picket is being maintained to prevent the removal of work to Thorns' Gosport factory.

This management attack in Enfield follows on the recent closure of the Bradford plant with the loss of over 2,000 jobs.

The lack of a fight by the rotten leadership there, has whetted the bosses' appetite for. more attacks against their workers.

They have received a shock at the response to provocations.

AT THE are kicked out of their cosy jobs.

Finance and messages of support should be sent to: Bro. Jimmy Burton, UsherWalker Strike Committee, c/o NELP Students Union, Livingstone House, Livingstone Rd., London E15. threatened with run-down and closure by the mid1980's.

The stewards from the hospitai who have done most to establish the campaign through their work in the local District Joint Shop Stewards Committee played a major role in the meeting, showing clearly their and pledged their active support to the campaign.

Despite this obvious willingness to fight in the local community there were obvious signs of a lack of leadership from the official representatives of the labour movement who were present, including the President of Westminster Trades Council A deliberate attempt to disrupt the meeting was made by a consultant surgeon from St. Mary's Praed . Street, Mr. Nigel Harris.

Accompanied by a small but continuously screeching band of admirers and watched very closely by a reporter from the capitalist press" (probably the Maill, Harris repeatedly harped