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For six weeks 450 workers mainly women, were on strike for equal pay at the Laird Portch clothing factory at East Kilbride. They decided to take industrial action after 18 months of negotiation had achieved nothing. Since December 1975, management had refused to do anything about the shop stewards claim that the wage structure was discrimantory. Unskilled men in the work force were earning nearly £20 a week more than the rest of the skilled workforce, who
The women did not have any claim under the Equal Pay Act, because a job evaluation scheme had not been carried out in the factory (which clearly show the limitations of the equal pay legislation). Management had promised to carry out a job evaluation, then refused. They were aware of the implications of awarding equal pay in one lactory the clothing industry was traditionally had an appalling record of low wages and bad conditions, for a predominantly female work force. So they used various excuses. They claimed that they could not afford to give equal pay: and anyway as stated in a letter sent to the strikers on 18th May, "It would be impossible to give equal pay increases to hundreds of women simply by comparing their jobs with one or two individual men."
The firm which "cannot afford" to give its female workforce an adequate living wage is the multi-national Coats Paton. This Group owns and controls large sections of the British garment industry including brand name like Jaeger, Ladybird and Chilprufe. They have investments in South Africa, Asia and North and South America. Last year profits more than doubled, increasing from £33 million to £78 million. They recently applied for exemption from the government dividend controls - but are still prepared to use government wage controls, the Social Contract, as an excuse to refuse equal pay.
The strikers received absolutely no support from their union, the National Union of Tailor and Garment Workers (NUTGW) in their fight against management. The union rule book states a commitment to fight for equal pay for women. But they refused to recognise the strike, because another section of the rule book states that before a strike can be official a secret ballot must be carried out at the workplace with a two thirds majority supporting the strike call. This would have given management time to remove the valuable stocks of cloth from the factory. The NUTGW has consistently failed to do anything to improve womens conditions in the clothing industry, and the women at Laird Portch had no illusions about the role that the union would play.
They knew they would have to rely on their own strength.
From the beginning of the strike the women organised themselves - no union officials came near the picket line. Despite a lack of experience of industrial action the women, organising through a strike committee and mass meetings, ran a 24 hour picket line, and began to take their demands and campaign into the trade union movement. At first, only the stewards were prepared to speak publicly but soon other women were prepared to do the same, and they became more militant. Many of the women had serious financial problems, and collection of money became a priority.
Support grew very rapidly - trade union branches, trades councils, the women's movement, the Socialist Worker's Party and the Scottish Socialist League helped : financially and practically. The strikers realised how their struggle was related to other sections of the working class, who have suffered a severe decline in living standards under the social contract - sections which are now beginning to fight back, as at Heathrow and Port Talbot. Workers at the Kilmarnock Coates Paton factory and the Alloa Jaeger warehouses also took strike action, and other factories took blacking action.
On Friday June 3rd, a settlement was
reached between NUTGW officials and the management nationally; without any consultation at all with the strikers and their shop stewards. However, on the recommendation of the shop stewards committee the women voted to return to work. They had achieved a partial victory - management had agreed to carry out a job grading at a national level. In future the shop stewards will attend all negotiations and ensure full report back to the workforce. The Laird Portéh shop stewards have also issued a call for a national meeting of all Jaeger/Coates Paton shop stewards.
The strike was only a beginning. Ellen Nicklin the strike convenor and a shop steward stressed the importance of building on the strength developed during the strike. More of the workforce are prepared to fight. The final mass meeting voted to take strike action when required in the future. Within the factory a strike levy will be set up — and other plants will be encouraged to do the same. Pressure will be put on the union, to make it take up women's rights.
The workers have also realised the necessity of support and solidarity with other sections fighting for equal pay, and against low pay and further wage restraint. The women at Laird Portch have agreed to take part in the Scottish CDLM conference on "Wage Control and Labour Movement Democracy".
ANN HENDERSON