STL strike: new threat

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The strike by 20 workers at Selected Toys Ltd at Didcot took on a new dimension last week.

After Friday afternoon's meeting with STL boss Young and. ACAS, TGWU District official Phil Eynan decided not to hold a report-back maeting until Monday evening. He said that ho expected a call from Young on Monday.

But on Monday evening Eynan told the strikers more or less the same as a week previously. He urged the strikers to return to work.

One striker who challenged this said they had come out on principles but if Eynan had his way they would be returning for nothing.

Eynan declared it was "sometimes best to sacrifice principles" , and that if any were sacked Young could be taken to court for unfair dismissal!

It was best to "play Young at his own game" , he said.

Young's "game" is 18 years of vicious exploitation of youth, women and men workers.

Pushed for decision

The Branch Secretary then suggested the strikers make their decision on the picket line when all would be there..

But Eynan rejected this and pushed for a decision there and then.

After 1½ hours Eynan got his victory and reluctant hands went up for a return to work.

strikers queried what they should do if none of the strikers were sacked while the victimised five workers in whose support they had walked out remained Could the five continue picketing and asking other unions not to cross the picket line while their own members were crossing it?

The problem was answered at 9.30, when the strikers attempted to return to work.

Young would only let two in Leyland boss Edwardes There is little doubt that the outcome will be to put them into grade 3.

If this is the case the period following the summer holiday break is likely to open a period of sharp struggle in BL.

and informed them that at 12 noon on Monday the firm had gone into voluntary liquidation.

He advised them to look for other jobs.

The national press had appeared on the picket line that day and reports were given in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.

Slave wages The Daily Mail article was headlined Slave wages'. Young stated in his interview while sipping a glass of wine:

"I am past retiring age and I have enough to live comfort.

ably".

One of the workers dismissed was also past retiring age.

She received two weeks' holiday pay of £15, and one week's wages of £10-obviously not enough for her to retire comfortably.

Voluntary liquidation does not necessarily mean that the company is bankrupt.

In Wednesday's Oxford Mail Young stated:

"I am not insolvent as the rumour says. I have gone into voluntary liquidation. I can pay out £1 in the £ in full and i shall do so."

In fact voluntary liquidation is a ploy that Ward of Grunwick tried to use in the early days of that strike.

Young has merely handed his books to a firm of accountants (which can be his own) to look at his assets.

This could take several weeks by which time Young hopes the picket line will have gone.

Meanwhile orders and production are continuing although only 10 workers are still in the factory-some of whom are office staff and management.

Eynan finally appeared on the picket line on Friday-no doubt because the question of occupation had come to his ears and on Thursday the TGWU Regional Office in Southampton had been rung by one of the strikers demanding representation.

Eynan, like Young, is also encouraging the strikers to find other jobs.

He has promised the picket line will be kept up by supporters from Reading until the factory closes.

Strikers could soon be forced into looking for employment as since the dispute started they have not even received the TGWU's meagre £6 strike pay.

Occupying the plant and opening Young's books to the strikers is now necessary.

Meanwhile support of the picket line and their strike fund is essential.

Donations to the STL Strike Fund should be addressed to Brian Grimes, 97, Wessex Road, Didcot.

PVE BEEN SLAMMING INTO THAT 5 DODGEY- WHAT PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS! IF LABOUR GET BACK IN?

L HELP!

WHAT CAMPAIGN?!!

----- pull-quotes -----

On the picket line, on Tuesday morning, however,