DENBY STRIKE NOV IN 5th MONTH by G. Brown
I have interviewed ono of the strikers and have gone into the background of the dispute. I+t began on Octobor 30th, it is now in its 19th week. William Denby & Sons Ltd., of Tong Park aro a public Company who have operated a closed shop sinco war timo. Thore was a striko in 1937 that was unsuccessful, but when this firm went into the employers! Federation one of the conditions was that they should accept unionism and that has ruled ever since. There had been uneasiness in the shop before Octobor, 1963, duc to an uneven flow of work between the main 3 departments — the Grey Room, handling undyed cloth, the Dyeing Section, and the Finishing Room, A Works Council was suggested 18 months ago, and was not evon considored.
A week bofore the walk-out, there was a mocting in the Trades Hall, Shipley, to discuss the friction, and the issue was about short time, and why it should not apply to foreman. It is a reasonably busy shop and there has not been more than occasional short time. The Trade Union Secretary was going to sce the managemont. It was at this stage the foreman and under—foreman of the Finishing Department decided to operate a blowing machine during a mid-morning break, The shop stewards protes~ ted and were brushed aside by the Management, which .said any protest meeting should be held in the yard.
Tho walk~out started in the Finishing Room, the Dyeing Room finishod its particular work in hand and then struck, and the Grey Room followed. The oporatives got their metice the very first moment thereafter, dated October 30th, saying ture it was to be an open shop. It added that the omployors were prepared to allow mombors to join the Union adding that it would "no longer be under Union domination." There were roughly 300 employces, the majority being in the Finishing Room and approximately 250 of these were operatives as distinet from senior staff.
One of the directors admitted thoy would probably sack one or two, and the remainder could come back, Christmas came and offers of £15 extra wore made, and only 3 operatives returned under thiS offer. In all only 15 men have returned to work, although 20 have sought work elsewhere. Approximatoly 60 black-legs, who are non-Union. have en. ered and are working with the few local people. In January the General Secretary of the men's Union, the National Union of Dyers, Bleachers, and Textile Workers, after mocting the Doard, recommonded that of the 60 black-logs, 20 be sacked and 40 of the loyal membors be reinstated. There was a secret ballot and only one vote ‘cast for these proposals. It was felt that the Union should not have necded to consult members about such terms.
The firm is now “blacked", Tho Trade Union insists that all members who are working inside now shall be expelled from the Union. Thore have been sundry -incidents; pickets arc present daily. There has been some violence, though not much apart from Now Year's Hvo, when people from neighbouring localities camo, There have bcen three court prosecutions with 2 acquittals, and in the early days of the strike the fact that the wifc of one omployee, who was employed by one of the Board as a domestic, was also dismissed, attracted considerablo attention. Bde Notes Vo have recoived a lot of material on this struggle. We shall pullish more in our noxt issuo including up-to-date information.