Cdlm Fights Hotels

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The Campaign for Demoacy in the Labour Moveent has come out in strong indemnation of the sell out * hotel workers in Birmingum and Oxford.

A statement carried by an emerncy meeting of the CDLM in ford at the weekend called for itional blacking to be imposed to ve the third Trust Houses Forta nike, at the Grosvenor House in leffield, from being given the ime treatment. fut also condemned the attempt I the District Official in Oxtord, off Hulett, to call oft the picket ie on the-night that the Self Help scists breached it with police pport, resulting in 38 arrests, and Iled on the TGWU to make itself sponsible for the payments of all Bal costs and fines.

Pat Lally, a TGWU member, id the main characteristics ot the rikes in Oxford and Sheffield had sen the necessity to confront the non leadership under conditions here workers had just joined the GWU.

*There is a tendency to say that ie officials are corrupt and the inon officials are going to sell us it and therefore let us get round rem. The response of the workers ¡ Oxford and Sheffield has been ifferent-constantly to direct back to the union structures.

ALL NIGHT VIGIL : Pursuing this policy had turned bem into the best travelled hotel forkers in the country as they ibbied every necessary committee nd undertook an all night vigil at ick Jones office in Transport louse to fight for blacking.

In Birmingham the domination I the strikers by Alan Law had not Howed this to happen. Well into ke strike it had come as a surprise b some of those involved that they lere even in a union branch.

At the time of the sell out Alan Law had begun to organise limited regional blacking despite the national leadership saying this was illegal.

"There was a difference of opinion among union officials as to how these hotel strikes should be won, or should be lost. Trust Houses Forte were without a doubt extremely knocked that supporting action was being taken because they had been assured many weeks ago that there would be no blacking"

THF response was to turn to the media with a massive campaign to show that they were not anti-union but that there was no support for the sirikes.

APPARATUS

Jones also recognised what was at stake in the blacking. It was his response to that which led to the sell out.

"It is not simply one individual official we're talking about herewe are talking about an apparatus that functions within the unions not confined to the TGWU.

Margaret Radbourne, shop steward of the Randolph chambermaids and a member of the District Committee of the TGWU recounted the way that the sell out was presented without a vote and without an alternative.

"If we'd had a little time to have a few meetings and talk to a few people we wouldn't have accepted it."

Martin Clayton one of the strikers at the Grosvenor House., Sheffield, said that their union district official had refused to meet them for two weeks. Each day his secretary made a fresh excuse. "Sometimes she says he'll be back at three so we go and wait for a couple of hours but we don't see him."

Now the strikers have been called together next Monday when they expect to hear a similar offer sell out threats.

each Jones Jackson for a accompanied by the A previous sum of same £350 was unanimously rejected.

Joseph Tosti, shop stewara at the Linton Lodge Hotel in Oxford, where the strike ended in victory, reported that since going back they had recruited three workers into the union.

He said that all support should now be mobilised for Grunwick. "If there is anything we can do to help them in their struggle then I would be the first to support."

Johnny Patel, a member of the strike committee at Grunwick, outlined the 40 week strike, the constant police harassment, indiscriminate arrests and the refusal of Tom Jackson to allow the UPw to take supporting action.

Alter an inquiry into arbitrary Hulett Grantham arrests by the police at Willesden Green the Chief Inspector was forced to retire four years early. The same Chief Inspector has now found himself a new job-personnel manager at Grunwick!

Len Murray had offered support -especially when there was photographer around. Verbal messages poured into their strike headquarters but effective blacking of the electricity, water and post was still denied.

The APEX General Secretary Roy Grantham, sent to demand blacking from the General Council asked instead for support, and more verbal support was exactly what he got. The only other action of the leadership was to impose a 24 hour picket which exhausted the strikers without increasing effectiveness.