factories. For a whole variety of reusons, includ. ance, that it was a disused farmhouse (as we did). very notion of a trade union. So when the union A recently concluded strike of 60 women workers at Reinforced Shuttlecocks Ltd. (Sandwich] illustrates a phenomenon which, although not exclusive to E. Kent, is typical of the area. This is the problem of a non-unionised labour force (and the general level of consciousness which this implies). Industry in E. Kent. apurt from the Medway wrea and the coalfields, is typically situated in small labour-intensive ing the agricultural history of the area and the consequent lack of a trade union tradition; the continuing importance of this type of work. albeit seasonal, which leads to a situation of underemployment; the large number of women in the labour force, especially part-time: for all these reasons, many of these factorics are non-unionised. Thus we see a strike at this factory continuing for eight full weeks. not directly for of the women stay there. Most otber factories wages but for union recognition.
It is not difficult to find the underlying reason for such a long fight over this question. The wage rates at this firm are abysmally low.
The basic rate of pay is between 15p and 20p an hour, with the majority of women receiving only 15p. A bonus scheme operutes, but on un extremely low level. Thus after one month's training period, the basic wage drops from t8 to £6 and the bonus scheme comes into operation. such thut a typical take home pay for a 40-hour week for someone who had been at the firm for 12 years was f9.50 p.w. Of course, such a regime. young girls receive moch less than this. The management itself is quite embarrassed by this low level of pay, so much so that in its efforts to recruit blackleg labour, it had to quote take- ward union as the GMWU is involved. What the Incidentally, the major result of this propaganda was to make the women aware of exactly whose side the local press was on and the nature of its "objective" reporting. (Only nine bincklegs were recruited to replace the 60 women on strike, and some of these left after the tirst day.) will, as it did recently, and that it avoids SET Not only is there bud pay. bowever, but the factory is in such a had state of repair that one would be forgiven for assuming, from its uppearThe roof in one of the rooms leaks and, come rain, the room is flooded out-and this with electrically-run machinery about. In fact, there is a general lack of safety standards, with accidents going unreported and where, until the women started orgunising, the first-aid facilities amounted to a wooden first-aid bow.
Given all this, it is rather surprising that any in the area do have better conditions and rates of pay. And so apart from the factor of misguided loyalty which some of the women feel and the close ties which the women leave forged with each other over the years, the main reason for their staying appears to be the extremely (by capitalist standards) lax discipline. Asuny working woman with young children knows, it is very important to be able to arrive an hour or two late or have the odd day off when the children's welfare demands it -not that other people wouldn't appreciate Even so, the women have every reason to want a trade union and the management to fear one, even in this case, when such a backbeing quoted in any accessible place. If one takes into account that this is a subsidiary of an American firm which has a world-wide monopoly on this type of (feathered) shuttlecock, that it is thus able to raise its prices at by being an exporting firm, one can imagine what these profits must be. It is not difficult to understand their bitter opposition to the approached the management after 50% of thie women had joined it, it received no uncertain rebuff and the management remained adamant even after a recommendation from the DEP. Eventually, with 83 members out of a workforce of 120 (which included 15 men and boys), the management sacked the organiser, a supervisor, for recruiting during working hours. The morning after, 60 women came out for the two demands of reinstatement and union recognition und stuck it out for eight weeks, no douht helped hy the strike pay. which at to plus El from collections was for many of them little less than their wages.
The present situation is, however, not too good. The women have agreed to go back after a management offer to open negotiations with the union and to come to a decision wilbin one month; the question of the sacked supervisor is also left in abeyance. We can expect that the mangement will attempt an ideological offensive over the next month on the question of trade unions, but it is unlikely that after eight weeks of struggle the management will be successful in this.
they are told that a double-shift system with be imposed then. Since 40% of the manual workers are in the Boilermakers Union and this body have resisted such moves in shift working previously, it is quite clear that some sort of struggle is going to erupt very soon in The yard at Clydebank has got into trouble basically because of the lack of re investment since the Second Worid War. To modernise the yard suitably would cost 25 million. With the general position of British shipbuiiding being in disastrous state; the Geddes Report shows a steady decline in the U.K. share of world tonnage from 43% in 1950 to to-days 6.5%, there will be no sympathy shown for "lame duck" John With the rate of unemployment in the town of Clydebank at 10% amongst the male populace and, with hundreds of workers under phased redundaricies at the giant Singer's factory in the past two years with more to come, the working class in this area are very angry. Not for nothing do the peopie in this area always return Labour and in certain wards the Commurist Party candidates are returned faithfully, although they are elected on very petty and parochis! issues So to a certain extent the tradition of In the present contex the possibilities for mobilising the Labour Movement in Clydebank are tremendous It has been reckoned that if anadequate number of orders are not received by September of this year, the close-down of Jobn Brown's wilf take place There are absolutely no possibilities of alternative employment in the area. The formation of action committees in the town which could meet the problems confronting the workers in the shipbuilding industry together with the question of unemployment are an absolute