[On May 16, 150 electricians working on the…]

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On May 16, 150 electricians working on the Metro Cammell site in Birmingham, went out on strike for a 20% wage rise, an improved redundancy scheme and lay off scheme.

Management refused to make any agreement unless the electricians were prepared to give up their current bonus scheme. This would have led to 25% redundancies and lower wages in the future.

Following the strike, the production workers-who make the trains which the electricians work on, were laid off.

On June 16, the Joint Shop Stewards Committee for the production workers issued a statement that management should reopen the plant and that they would be prepared to co-operate in any way with management to get the trains out.

The clear implication was that they, were prepared to work with scab labour.

On June 24 11 of the striking electricians returned to work, breaking the solidarity of the strikers up to that point.

The following mass meeting of the strikers voted that they would return to work on management's terms, provided that they were all taken back. Management's response was to issue a list of 10 names of striking electricians they were not prepared to take back on.

The list of names was made up of the shop committee plus several other leading strikers. GEC management are clearly determined not only to break the bonus scheme and get management agree everyone.

Throughout the dispute and even with this victimisation of union members, the EETPU official Bob Wright has refused to support the strike and to get official recognition for it though the ten EETPU branches in the Birmingham area have declared support for the struggle some censuring Wright and calling for his removal.

Meanwhile management's sacking letter to the strikers declares that:

«We have been authorised by the Area Secretary of the EETPU to inform you that he recommended that his members accepted the Company's final offer, and the strike continued against that advice"

The strike is now for reinstatement of all the electricians and, to win it, they need support through blacking of all Metro Cammell trains produced since May 16 and through financial donations to continue the picketing and blacking campaign.

Please send all messages of support and donations to Dennis_Squelch, 33 Hereford EETPU leader Chapple NATIONAL ITTEE SUMMER SCHOOL The way that racism is used to divide and weaken workers' organisations was made abundantly clear with the police raid on 21 June at Mains Gas, Edmonton, North London, where management are preparing major redundancies.

With the prior knowledge of at least the senior personnel officer, 40. police officers and 15 immigration officials picked out 40 mainly West African workers but also some Asian workers under the immigration Arrested 31 were arrested and taken to Pentonville or Ashford detention centre.

Five were later released and some of the rest have appeared at Tottenham Magistrates Court.

All are members of the National Union of Domestic Appliance and General Metal Workers.

The affair was clearly carried out with the connivance of the management who gave files to the police of past workers whose homes were also raided in this round-up.

Labour MP Ted Graham has taken up to case and is seeing the Home Secretary to protest.

At a lively discussion held at the local Enfield and Edmonton Trades Council, Steve King, secretary of the Campaign for Racial Harmony, gave a stirring account of his discussions with the relatives, two of whom had to rush to Heathrow with meagre belongings in suitcases before they were summarily deported.

Inquiry

The Trades Council secretary reported her discussion with the union branch secretary whose opinion was that it was not

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Drive, Franckley, Birmingham. PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report

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