Toy plant walk out

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SCOTTISH NUM. CONFERENCE? MAHEYS A COMMUNIST(LOOK MICK-WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING OUR SCOTTISH CONFERENCE? IVE HAD TO THREATEN NOT section has been a long-standing In the aftermath of the Garners Strike, another dispute over trade union recognition started on May 29 at the luxurious Grosvenor House Hotel in London-part of the Trust Houses Forte empire.

The strike started when 28 chambermaids took action in support of their shop steward who was being victimised for refusing to change her duties.

As always in the catering industry, the wages are very low-f34 per week nett. But a room for the night in the hotel costs an average of £65!

14 of the chambermaids were living in-and moved out of their accomodation on the advice of their trade union official and a solicitor. They accepted the payment of £70 as wages.

Official

The chambermaids are in the Furniture, Timber and Allied Trade Union (FTAT), which they joined because they were disgusted by the behaviour of the GMWU of which they were members before.

The strike has been made official and FTAT has called members in the hotel out in support. But only a handful have come out.

Still working are members of the GMWU and EETPU maintenance staff.

These two sections came out for one day-only to hear GMWU official Tilston tell his members that now they had "shown their strength" they should go back to work.

The EETPU followed suit. Last week both groups voted to continue working. But one EETPU member has correctly defied the vote and joined the picket line.

The biggest boost to the strike came when 70 UCATT members working in the hotel preparing for the Antiques Fair refused to cross the picket line.

This has meant the cancellation of the Fair-due to be held this week-at a cost of some £14 million of business.

This shows the lengths to which THF boss Sir Charles Forte is prepared to go to smash any form of militant unionisation inside his hotels.

But no such determination is being shown by FTAT officials —who have called no mass meetings and set a course towards inviting ACAS intervention.

The officials' limited call fór blacking has so far received a response only from taxi and coach drivers.

It is now urgent that the strikers call a mass meeting, assess the struggle of the last two weeks and elect a strike committee to take forward demands for:

*Full blacking of THF. *Mobilise union support on the picket line.

*No more talks with THF bosses without strikers' representatives present!

Donations to E. Gallagher, c/o FTAT, 'Fairfield' , Roe Green, Kingsbury, London N19. The strike against the victimisation of five TGWU members at Selected Toys STL), Didcot has come under frontal attack from union officials within its first 2½ days.

District Official Phil Eynanwho has yet to appear on the picket line-called a meeting last Friday evening at which he argued strongly for those of the 20 strikers who have not been sacked to return to work on Monday and carry on working while the victimised 5 continue to picket the gates!

This, he argued, would "negotiations" to go on.

Hard to believe

Though many strikers found it hard to believe their ears and others argued against Eynan's miserable capitulation, his legalistic jargon and pretence of experience conned a majority into voting to return to work.

But as strikers began to realise they had been tricked, a better attended meeting was convened on Sunday evening and a vote taken to continue the strike for union recognition and reinstatement of the five.

Donations to Brian Grimes, 97, Wessex Rd., Didcot, Oxon.

WHADDYA MEAN THERE'S NOT MUCH GOINGON AT THE AHE MUST BE SAYING SOMETHING EDITOR DALLY PROFIT ¡TO RETIRE AGAIN!!!

NUM

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SOCIALIST SSE in which Peach was murdered that five SPG members have since been transferred to other duties.

And the ritualistic pretence of a police "inquiry" into the

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UNION DUES strike.

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