Lee Jeans: the days of

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Lorraine Mooney (left) and Cathy Robertson occupation: some beautiful jumpers have been knitted!

interviews Cathy Robertson (20) and Lorraine Mooney of the Lee Jeans occupation stewards committee.

How long have you at the factory?

Lorraine: Four years. It was my third job.

Cathy: 3½ years. It was my first job. Being my first, it took me long enough to learn the skill of it and I want to keep it.

What were the wages and conditions like?

Lorraine: The basic wage was £49-anything else you had to get by bonus.

Cathy: Before they made us redundant they offered us 7.4%-which would have given us a basic of £55. As it was the first since 1979 we weren't too happy about that. We rejected it three times.

What action did you We had planned a one-day strike every single week till they'd give in. They wanted us to work and were giving us loads of overtime, of course we now know why. What happened when you heard about the closure? Cathy: When it came to our break at 3 pm we were told there was a meeting we should all be at, at 4 o'clock in the canteen. We usually finish at 4.30 and we were told management were refusing to pay the half hout.

When it came to 4 o'clock our district officer of the NUTGW, John Howard, came in and told uS:

"I've got a bit of bad news for you"

Then in comes the company head man from Ireland Robert Charters. He says we would like to wish you a happy New Year-but we're sorry lassies it's not going to be a very good one for you.

The company's had a 25% cut in orders, then there's the problem with exports because of the strong pound, plus all the government grants are up in Greenock so we're closing this place down and moving the work from Greenock. Lorraine: That's why they'd given us so much bloody overtime so we'd get all the stock completed before the closure and they could clear the factory!

What happened then? Cathy: wel the union official went back in after we'd heard the good newsand put every kind of proposition to the management. He begged them: he said we'd all go on a shorter week, even a one-day week and take the other four off the dole-but the company wouldn't listen.

No, it's got to be closed' was all they'd say.

Management said they wanted ten minutes alone without the union.

Instead they took two hours-they hadn't realised that after their ten minutes were up we decided to barricade them in!

We then all got into groups and blocked every emergency exit to the factory.

They'd left the keys lying around while they were talking, including the one front door key. So somebody jumped out the window with it, drove down and got a duplicate cut and replaced the original. It staggered them when we could get in and out with keys Earlier on in the afternoon we had discussed an occupation if it came to closure-we sorted ourselves into three shifts. The first shift would work from 8 at night to 8 in the morning and so on. You see we knew we'd have to be in there 24 side the Lee Jeans hours.

Everyone agreed and a solid vote.

Did the union offi SUgg est any of this?

Did he heck!

Why did you get such united response on occupation?

Lorraine: There's nothing else in Greenock to turn tounemployment is 16%.

We all felt we'd got a job here, so what do we want to sell it for?

The days of selling jobs are over!

Cathy: There's no way me and my kid sister can i lose our jobs there. My father's unemployed, he's sick as well, paying £4 every time he needs his tablets.

My mother works, but she only gets £ 18 a week and the rent alone is £13.80. If we lost our jobs we'd get damn all.

Most of the women's husbands in the factory are unemployed. They back them all the way -they want the women to get in and fight.

There's no way we'd take money for our jobs.

You cannot sell your job in Greenock-nor anywhere -not if they offered us thousands instead of the £60 they have offered in redundancy money for four years. Lorraine: In the ninth week of the occupation they offered an extra £100.

We said stuff it-next time you come to talk to us you talk jobs and don't mention your money.

Duncal What are you getting now from the union?

Cathy: £5 a week strike pay -that's generous of them isn't it, considering we all pay out 48p a week union dues?

What's the other support like?

Lorraine: Brilliant-right trom 1 the start. The first night we were in the factory for 32 hours. We had fantastic support.

The men came straight away from the shipyardsthe stewards-and organised to get us beds in.

Cathy: Beds and food came from everywhere-the boys jumped to it and ordered fish suppers.

240 fish suppers had to come over the factory roof and in the back door-there wasn't enough left in the canteen to feed us all.

Now we've got it organised.

Lorraine: Yes the fruit and veg shop sends in stuff every day for free. He was the factory's daily delivery-the company told him he'd never get a contract again for helping us.

He said he didn't care -these girls were showing everyone up in Greenock for the magnificent fight.

The shipyard workers have each put a £1 a week levy for us-the miners as well have a weekly levy.

The Scottish TUC have promised to back us to the hilt.

The day it was supposed to close on 30 April we had a meeting outside the management's office-it was great-with the miners, dockers, workers from all over Greenock-they all came to picket in case they put us out.

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