To all other working people - in every factory, office and shop: you can help! The pickets are on duty between 7.30 a.m. and 9 p.m. - Saturdays too. Spare half an hour to pop down and give them a wor€ of encouragement. Secondly, CASH IS URGENTLY NEEDED! The locked-out 17 (and families) are living on next to nothing. IN EVERY WORKPLACE AND FIRM - PLEASE ORGANISE.A COLLECTION TO RAISE MONEY. AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE! All cash will be passed to Nat. Union of Hosiery Workers. Donations urgently needed: send to - Denis Hill, Trades Council, 65 Stanford Hoad, Brighton. The firm was started as a family concern ten years ago and went public last year, It is not a member of any emphoyer's organisation, so national agreements do not apply. Given the super-exploitative conditions and the common use of substandard yarn the firm is able to undercut other firms (mainly in Leicester). In fact the other firms have themselves indicated to the Union that they wished the Union would do something about this
rogue firm! Apart from the diabolical hours the job itself is much more exhausting than it ought to be becaust the sub-standard yarn causes the machines to stop frequently - sometimes as often as every two or three minutes. With several machines to look after, and faults in the knit to look out for, the operatives are subject to continued pressure by management to keep the machines running at all costs or out you go. Most recruits crack up after a week or a month, so that the turnover rate is astronomical - making it difficult to organise for better conditions. The Union complains that what has always been regarded as skilled work is treated by this firm as semi-skilled casual work. Given the pressure on operatives and the use of substandard yarn it cannot but be the case that the product is substandard. It would be interesting to know how the firm manages to market it. The Union first approached this firm in 1964 to ask about eddressing the work-force but allowed itself to be continually fobbed off with weak excuses. Eventually one of the employees approached the Union and organiscd the firm - leading to the lock-out. The management refuses to discuss re-instatement and say it is "war", It has taken huge half-page ads, costing £600-£700, in the press advertising the locked-out men's jobs (‘High wages' but not 72 hours mentioned). About 70 people have applied and in spite of the efforts of pickets 12 scabs have been recruited. This is probably more than the management can cope with given the lack of experienced men to train them. Mike Taylor, of the strike committee, says that he expects most of the scabs will pack in the job in a month as the strain tells. Some, but not all, lorry-drivers have turned back when told of the dispute. Besides Union recognition the locked out 17 want conditions at least as good as those in the Leicester firms. The local Trades Council is actively supporting the strike and it was a big issue on the May Day March. The men want the T.U.C. to take up the issue and it is to be hoped the labour movement will do all it can for them. P.S. 7.30 a.m. Saturday May 6, 60 Labour Y.S5. and T.U. members demonstrated outside the Mill in solidarity. Only 3 scabs went on the day-shift.
Meaker's branches continued from page 13/
RUISLIP: 136, High Streets; SOUTHAMPTON: 95, Above Bars SOUTHEND: 164, High Street; ST, ALBANS: 23, St.Peter's St; STRATFORD: 374, High Street, E.13; STREATHAM: 174, High Road, S.W.16; SUTTON: 118, High Street; SOUTHGATE: 76, Chase Side, N.14; TOOTING: 53, High Street, S.W.173 TORQUAY: 134, Union Street; WALTHAMSTOW: 244, Hoe Street, E.17; WATFORD: 4la, High Street; WEMBLEY: High Roads; WEST EALING: 90, The Broadway, W.13; WIMBLEDON: 1, Hill Road, S.W.19; WOOD GREEN: 14, High Road, N.223; WORTHING: 31, Chapel Road.