INTRODUCTION On Sth July 1971 the management ar Storey's of Lancaster dismissed the convenor of the engineering trade union allegedly for "arbitrarily" Blacking a production line, The Sine was blacked, with the agreement of all the shop stewards concemed, after the management ignored demarcation fines. The convenor handled the affair in much the same way as shop stewards in most industries would handie it, but the incident provided the management with ar excuse to launch an attack on the growing strength and unity of the shop floar in the factory, The time was favourable for them-they had fow arder books and large stockpiles, In adition, the usemplayment rate in Lancaster is one of the highest in the Morth West. It has become increasing/y clear that this is going to be a long strike.
Starey's, the oidest firm in Lancaster, and one of the largest employers, has a long history of patemalism, apart from being a major influence in the life of the town. The strike could therefore aid in the developent of trade unionism in this arsu, which has no tradition of trade union or political militancy. The ALEW was the oniy union to strike against the IR8 on March 18th-except for a small group of militants in Lansil's factory and in otter factories the ADEW did not respond to their Wational Executive's -call for a one-day strike.
Since they lack a militate base, and are not kept alive by an interested and active membership, the traditional working class bocfies are, for the most part, inactive. They are run by a handful of bureaucrats interested orfy in furthering their oum careers These bodies have been undermined nationally by the long period in which isolated shop floar activity paid off. They appeaned to have little relevance to industrial struggles, and so declined. In Lancaster the tendencies which undermized these bodles nationally were compounded by the lack of shop floor militancy. Thus while workers beneficed from the nationel wrend of rising wages, they did so more slowly and fess than others. Of course an important factor in the militancy of this period was the scarcity of Jabour, while in Lancaster, as in other depresed aroas, there was e surplus of labour.
After a strike at a local factory-Lansils-the TUDC was set up by some IMG comrades and militants from Lansils and other factories. The TUDC's main base in Lancaster is still Lansils, and despite the leadership given by it in the struggle ageinst the iR8?, it has had difficuity in broadening its base. Its role in this strike has, however, brought it to the attention of many workers and it is likely to be in a Botter position to fight the implementationt of the Båt.
For all these reasons, this strike is of major importance. Since it raises the question of shop floor power, and the rights of shop stewards, the sacking of the convenior is seen by many of the workers in the context of the general artack on the working class. The /R8 has assumed a much greater signi/ficance, and the ineffectiveress of the trade union burcascracies has been exposed.
The following is an interview given by four of the strikers: ,Mike Lewtwaite (the convenor who was secked). Frark Martindale and Keith Theobald (both from the electricians" union/ and Jack Peel (Heating & Domestic):
-In this strike there are eight unions involved, and thay have shown a remarkable degree of unity. Have they always M.L. No. The unity has bean established in the last two years. Previous to that the management followed a policy of divide and rule, and the unions did not cooperate very well with eech other. About four years ago the electricians were on strike for nine weeks, and the lack of support from other unions wes an important reason for the strike lasting F.M. There was support in the beginning but it dropped away after a fortnight. Some workers scabbed, and these people were promoted to foreman afterwards. They are now scabbing in this dispute. Wihen challenged by the pickets, one of them replied thet he was "trying to keep his job". It was the experience gained in struggles like this that made us aware of the importance of unity.
-You say that the management followed a policy of divide and rule. Could you explain that?
M.T. There were eight unions in Storeys, and every grade was on a different rate. As a result there was a lot of competition batween the different trades, and a good deal of amphasis on differentials. This helped to keep the men competing with each other and reduced cooperation.
K.T. It was one of the reasons why the electricians did not get support from the others-people thought, "Why should T help them to fight a claim which will put them ahead of me?" The company paid a good deal of lip-service to achieving parity between trades, but in practice they refused to carry it out. They were well sware of the benefits to them of having the unions divided.
-How did you go about, building up unity?
F.M. Well, as l'vo said, the electricians" dispute made us months before the strike all trades had acted together to prevent the implementation of an AIC report which invoived the use of time-sheets. This action was successtul. At first we held meetings on an informal basis outside working hours, at which we discussed the problems we met in the different departments. The process workars participated in these sarly meetings, but they dropped out later. M.L. Just over two years ago we decided to formally establish a joint shop stewards committee, and because of the harmful effects of the wage diferentials, we decided that our first step would be to eliminate these differences. We therefore put in for a wage rise and parity betwsen trades. After a work-to-rule we won the fight, and this acton consolidated the relations between the unions. Unfortunately the T&GWU decided not to join the other unions in the joint committee, and have excluded us from their meetings. The T&G secretary has refused offers of help from us, even in cases of mass sackings such as the Rondex dispute, when 160 men were sacked. —What has the management's reaction to these developments been?
M.L. They have been vary worried by it all, Lancaster is a small town, with high unemployment. The firms have been in the town for generations, and have a very paternalistic attitude to "their" workers.
J.P. On one occasions when we were on strike they sent a letter to our wives and mothers telling them what naughty boys we were being! The organisation of the unions has improved considerably since we set up the joint committee. and the strength we have gained has buen reflected in the confidence with which stewards have acced. If one of the unions put a department in dispute none of the others will work in it, and stewards know that they have the backing of their workmates.
M.L. Recently, we started a factory bulletin, and we think this is one of the reasons for the management's attempt to break the shoo floor organisation in Storey's. Since we set up the joint committee we have been trying to find ways of keeping members fully informed about events. We were unable to get a bulletin going because we lacked the facilities; the TUDC has now let us have the use of a duplicator, and have assisted us in the production of the bulletin. On the day the strike began we put out a leaflet announcing the launching of the bulletin, and we have produced the first two issues whilst on strike.
F.M. Initially, we were going to cooperate with the stewards from another factory in the town, Nicholsons, to set up a single bulletin for the tive factories, but they decided to abandon the effort at the last minute, and instead are considering a management offer to produce a joint bulletin, using management facilities. We believe this makes nonsense of the idea of an independent trade union voice and think that Nicholsons management are concerned lest their workers build up the type of unity we have at Storeys. -How helpful have union officers and official union bodies been?
M.L. I think that one of the men put it very well when he said that this was "an official strike which no official wants to know about". The district officials have had to be pushed into doing things: they have taken almost no initiative in the situation. The officials from different unions are all afraid of stepping on euch other's toes, and there has been no coopera tion at official level between the unions, The formal procedures hamstring us; the union leeders complain about unwieldy procedures in industry, but their own are as bad. Similarly with the Trades Council, it is smothered in rules and regulations and is incapable of acting promptly. K.T. There is a great deat of buck-passing; for exampla, when we tried to get some T&G members who were working in Storeys to black the job, we got in touch with their district secretary in Manchester, who passed it to the T&G in Preston: they passed it to another official and he did nothing.
J.P. Within the unions there neods to be much more puwer placed in the hands of the shop floor. In my unian, the H&D, the shop floor can make a strike official. None of the other unions made it official as quickly as ours. F.M. That is the way it should be in all the unions. The district officials should be subject to elections every two years.
K.T. And to instant recall! It is wrong for them to be aopointed by other officials. The members are the best judges of full-time officials; they not only pay their salaries, but suffer most when they do not do their jobs properly. F.M. We know that the situation is fairly common, but in areas like Lancaster it is particularly bad. There is no tradition of militant action; Laricaster's tradition is one of pater: nalistic firms and high unemployment. Because of this, the present strike is very important for trade unionism in the «Nehas io-bare ava batichinn and if wawvin il will ho a M.L. The TUDC has been a big help in this strike. It acted very promptly to offer us facilities for the production of leaflets, atc. and it has put us in touch with local militants who have organised moral and financial support. It has helped us to break out fo the strait-jacket of officiaidom. K.T. A good example of this was the way in which it put us in touch with the Preston Commercial branch of the T&G, to black tanker deliveries to Storeys. It has been able to get advice and help from militants in other areas. J.P. The leafleting campaign has been very important in countering management propaganda, and in keeping members informed. The management has been alarmed by the way in which their letters to the workers have been dealt. with, and have resorted to the old scare tactics of talking about "extreme left wing influences", The secretary of the TUDC has been attacked by name in one of their letters to workers. They have not sucoseded in dividing the men, and people are becoring avare of the important part that can be played by bodies that have no red tape, and can act quickly and effectively.
M.L. They are particularly important now because of the attacks on trade unions and workers generally. At national level there is the anti-trade union legislation, and locally employers are trying to break the power of the shop floor. This is the reason for the high unempfoyment, the "unoffi. cial" incomes policy, the cuts in the welfare services, and such measures as refusing social security to strikers' families. There is a need for bodies which can bring workers from different factorles and different unions together, to discuss problems and to promote solidarity.
F.M. We are going to need effective organisation when the IRB becomes law, and they try to put it into effect. The trade unions need to be reformed from Branch level up. The only way to stop them destroying the trade union movement is for all trade unionists to act together. M.L. Bodies like the TUDC could play a big part here, because they are not restricted by bureaucratic procedures. We are going to need more than skiffle groups and recordings of Vic Feathert4 Interviewers: -Pat Hickey -Peter Ageros NOTES 1 Lancaster & Marecombe Trade Union Defenice Comitien 2 Industria Helations Bell SAhmol buniness consumants ino carry buc work sudy-in Lencaster they have carried out a number of studies for private LARILURADO AUTORIHI AROL DUR SUROOAIO SUIOEOUC SWIL to Iengrhen the dale queue. 4. A referencn to the TUC's pathetic publicity campaign against PLUTEO DOSe0 voi0 Dut onom BuM HuI aul skiffie group on one side, and a speech by Vic Frither on the other IRELAND IRELAND IRELAND IRELAND Red Mole FORUM on The Current Situation in Ireland Friends Meeting House, 7th September: 7.30 p.m.
SPEAKERS: Bob Purdle, Gery Lawless, Provisional and Official FRA spokeNmen SPARTACUS LEAGUE YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE Joint Meeting on "UCS AND THE FIGHT AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT"
FRIDAY 3rd September, 7.30 p.m.
NUFTO Hall, Jockeys Fields All welcome