Strike Sold Out

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compensation under workers management. *FOR A PROGRAMME OF PUBLIC WORKS!

Labour movement inquiries including housewives must draw up plans for necessary local services and housing to create new jobs for the unemployed. *KICK OUT CALLAGHAN!

Unemployed women should join the Labour Party as part of the struggle for these socialist policies. Kick out the right wing leaders who launched the cuts and now oppose the fight to bring down the Tories. Build a revolutionary leadership! *AGAINST THE ISOLATION OF THE HOME!

Women must organise in tenants and other associations and join the struggle to force the Thatcher government out of office. on strike only three weeks after joining the Transport and General Workers Union.

On 13 June three women over 60 were given half an hour's notice. Their service at the factory ranged from ten to fifteen years and one was on holiday!

The shop steward and another young woman were given a week's notice. The sackings were due, according to management, to world recession in trade, but two men over 60 who were not in the union were not made redundant and other women employed after the shop steward and her friendincluding the foreman's daughter-were not dismissed.

The women came out n strike and began picketing. The following day a strike committee was elected and demanded reinstatement of the victimised five, recognition of the union, decent wages and better working conditions, (average wages were 35p an hour).

However, 2½ days after the start of their action a meeting was called with the union official Phil Eynon. He argued strongly for those who had come out in support to return to work on the Monday while the victimised five carried on picketing!

Eynon's failure to force the strikers back to work brought out his arrogance towards women and he complained that "men would understand his tactical approach" and moaned that the female strikers had not enough union experience to see his point of view. A sell out smells the same to all trade unionists, be they men, women or raw recruits to the union.

A week later, Eynon had a two hour meeting with Young (the Managing Director) and an ACAS representative. Demands from the strikers that one of them should be at the meeting were brushed aside by Eynon who reported that Young was planning a 50% cut in the workforce from 32 to 16! He eventually persuaded the strikers to go back to work, leaving those sacked on the picket line.

When the strikers did attempt to go back they got their answer-they were locked out!

Young informed the shop steward that the day before he had gone into voluntary liquidation. Voluntary liquidation does not necessarily mean the firm is bankrupt, in fact it was a ploy that Ward of Grunwicks tried the early that strike.

Two weeks after Young's statement his accountants stated in the local paper that Young had declared only "his intention of going into liquidation", and they had not been appointed as yet.

The strikers continued their picket during this period.

On 26 July management again announced their intention of liquidating the firm, and the following week carried out the charade in front of the strikers.

The strikers felt it was pointless to picket a factory that was apparently closed down, but the answer was behind them-to occupy the factory.

If, as is quite probable, Young were to reopen the factory under another name, TGWU District Official Eynon should be held responsible for future generations of Didcot youth and women being exploited by this employer once more.

Women should not, however, be discouraged by such tactics from union officials. Instead they should campaign strongly for a change in the leadership of their union-a leadership that will stand on principle and fight for the interests of their members.

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Women working at Selected Toys in Didcot, Oxfordshire, found themselves out