[In at Chix: Ker to picketine but not…]

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In at Chix: Ker to picketine but not on strike com ise a file on you?

In fact the document hypo- George Brown was then a lead- army in Ireland, the secret the apparatus 'that threatens critically refers to the fact that: ing right wing member of the police, army strikebreakers in Last October Mrs. Brar, a worker at the Chix sweet factory brought in GMWU membership forms. Over a hundred fellow workers joined the union to organise against poor work conditions and appalling wages.

The women, who were mainly Asian and couldn't speak English, were particularly exploited.

They were paid 95p an hour, the men were paid £1.26.

The management refused to recognise the union despite appeals from officials and so the GMWU members (90% of the workforce) in the factory took the decision for strike action.

So far the strike has been on for 18 weeks. Strikers receive £10.50 from the GMWU and therefore are in dire need of what contributions they can get to supplement this from other unions.

"Welcome"

The strike committee however, consists of District GMWU Official Gerry McMullan, Mohammed Yasin (shop steward and worker at Chix) and Anwar, a shop steward, but not previously a worker at Chix.

Gerry McMullen was at pains to point out that there should be seven on the strike committee and that the women the majority or strikers) were welcome on it.

But they cannot speak any English, however, and haven't turned up at committee meetings.

Mohammed Yasin said that the women strikers had family support for their picketing activities.

He said it was difficult to establish just, how many scabs were working. When they arrived the hired van had its curtains drawn.

Further proof

The van picks every scab up from her house, often with a child, who is then looked after in a factory creche.

This is of course yet further proof that employers will only agree to workplace nurseries when they need a woman workforce and it works to their advantage.

A fair degree of blacking has is concern for "democracy" while concern for "democracy" while the apparatus 'that. threatens workers' rights remains intact.

Indeed the document goes on to endorse Lord Denning's definition of a "subversive" as a person who "would contemplate the overthrow of a government by unlawful means" "That," declares the Labour Party, *is a fairly clear definition."

"Unlawful"

But we have recently seen that Denning regards all kinds of things-from solidarity blacking to solidarity strikes-as "unlawful". Can it be imagined that the capitalist class would ever regard a General Strike, for instance, as "inlawful"?

If this formula remains unchallenged, then plainly the Labour leaders will continue, as they did when in government, to lend their full support to the harassment, surveillance and disruption not only of the revolutionary left but also of wider layers of trade union and Labour militants. been organiser The Job Centi to advertise Ch Strikers hi the source of s ular sugar and!

Workers in Corporation hi as have BSC'S A Another vi glucose, broug from Tunnel position of tt dirvers is that a picket line picket line is they will delive Glucose has chance being i night to Chix.

Obviously through the : must put the s on the TGWU 1 to black Chix i hour picket mi sary.

The GMWL steps to impos ing at sourceitself is mainly GMWU.

It is necessa PHOTO: Charlie Augusto. IFL 1 by the GMWU. re has agreed not lix job vacancies. ave worked out ¡upplies -in particglucose the British Sugar ave blacked Chix, orry drivers. ital ingredient is iht in by tankers refinery. The re TGWU tanker they won't cross '-but when the not there then Is been spotted by delivered at midthe -GMWU SE Region TUC strongest pressure to instruct drivers completely. A 24 ay-also be neces› must also take e effective black-Tunnel refinery organised by the Mary to cut off one In fact the documenț hypocritically refers to the fact that:

"Between August 1961 and January 1962 15 Labour MPs were investigated by MIS at George Brown's request."

Yet it does not say that Thatcher "0 the our by one all the available sources of supplies and utilities of suppliers.

Gerry McMullen, addressing the mass picket last Wednesday. declared that:

"We've been out here 18 weeks fighting. The GMWU are determined to take this strike as far as it will go to represent the interests of exploited minorities and women workers"

Tony O'Brien, speaking from the GMWU National Executive said:

"We will inspire Our members to identify with this struggle. If it is lost it will inflict a blow on the whole of the trade union movement"

Discrepancy

Introducing a speaker. from the Meccano occupation, O'Brien said that:

"Their struggle is our struggle, and we must unite in the fight against all attacks on the working class whether it is on jobs, pay or union rights."

There was, however, definite discrepancy between George Brown was then a leading right wing member of the Labour Party! And why doesn't the document look at the record of Wilson and Callaghan governments in their dealings with the secret police?

And why does the panel that drew up the document omit former Home Secrétary Merlyn Rees, who could presumably testify at first hand as to how many left wingers' telephones ne authorised to be tappea, and. tell the working class just what steps-if any-he took to curb the activities of the Special Branch against the labour movement?

campaign is a completely dishonest cover-up for a continuous record of squalid "anti-working class activity by successive Labour governments in collaboration with the most reactionary elements of the capitalist state machine-the what the officials were declaring over the loudspeaker mounted on an extremely plush new cream Cortina and 'what they were prepared to commit themselves to in an interview.

* Gerry: McMullan was asked by Socialist Press what steps the union was taking to ensure the Chix struggle didn't meet the same fate as Grunwick and He answered that they were in a stronger position than Grunwick: they had 90% out on strike as opposed to 30% at At Grunwick the workers were sacked; at Chix they remained still employed.

On the other fand, he said, at Grunwick post was the only key supply going in and out, while at Chix there were several sources of raw materials and storage.

It was then pointed out that the key supply i was water and electricity: supplied to Chix through GMWU members in the Flectricity and Water Boards.

Surely if Gerry McMullan was serious about the intention Britain, and of course the murderous SPG anti-picket squads at Grunwick, Southall and elsewhere.

Rather than asking Tory Prime Minister Thätcher what steps she is taking "to restore full political control over the Secret Services" socialists should be mobilising the labour movement in mass. struggles"unlawful": or not-to oust Thatcher and establish a workers government, with the forces and police, and dismantling the other paraphernalia of the capitalist state.

But if you fight for this line in the Labour Party you could quickly find that "Big Brother" Jim and his right wing cronies decide to compile a file on you! of the GMWU to take the strike "as far as it could go" then they would instruct their members to cut off supplies-utilising the real strengths of the trade union movement.

Injunctions

"No". came the reply, "that's out of the question after the experience at Grunwicks. The trouble is it causes injunetions from the courts, and you see there's a legal obligation to provide water and electricity." • It became clear that there wasn't much hope for the Chix strikers if the proposed Employment • Bill goes - through (changing the law on secondary picketing) if' this remains the GMWU line.

Anyway Bro. McMullan went on, even if we got the members to turn the water supply off-the water board would just sack them and bring in . contractors to turn the supply back on.

Wouldn't you then organise defensive strike action in the GMWU Water and Electricity sections.

No; replied Bro. McMullan we wouldn't get the members to do it-we've got to be realistic, there's no need for extreme measures.

We haven't approached the utilities and I don't think we will-the waterworkers have got enough problems on their plate at the moment.

Anyway, concluded Bro McMullan,, were using ACAS and the community relations commission.

'We trý them all the time but so far the employer isn't responding!"

Several arrests

By now, at the back of the factory the police were doubling their numbers in anticipation of the arrival of the van full of scabs.

There had already been severai arrests, including Mrs. Brar and the District Official.

The District Official was acquitted; Mrs. Brar was fined £10 for shouting "abusive language" and insulting. behaviour towards a police officer-a verdict that was quite surprising since she speaks no English!

While a handful of pickets waited for the van at the back of the factory the mass picket was stationed at the front entrance.

Bro. Anwar was asked whether the mass pickets shouldn't be moved around the back to stop the scabs.

"No" , replied Anwar, (caretully avoiding a puddle with his : immaculately polished Italian-styled shoes).

"We'll keep the mass picket around the front of the building: we've got to stay where all the press and TV cameras are!"

Further mass pickets will take place every Wednesday. A national mass picket is planned WOMAN WORKER 5 A paper of the Workers Socialist League Available, price 18p (incl postage) from WSL, BM Box 5277, London WC1V 6XX

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Collaboration The fact is that this latest

task of smashing the Secret Services, disbanding the armed

in a month's time. More information from, and messages and donations to: M. Anwar, 271, Good- man Park, Slough.