change the bonus system operating in the factory. The reasons for the decision to occupy were two-fold, firstly, the influence of the other occupations around the pay claim, noticeably in Manchester, and secondly, because of the experience of a previous strike in November-December 1971. During this strike the workers had picketed the factory but the management had continued production with non-union labour. The failure of this strike had led the wor kers to consider other means of struggle, which in this case resulted in the occupation.
The first response of the management was to sack one of the workers for hitting a foreman who had been sent into the workshop to cause trouble. The workers replied by refusing to negotiate on their grievances until the man had been reinstated and then occupying the factory when the management refused to reinstate the man. The management then sent for the police in an effort to intimidate the workers, who are 80 percent black, into leaving. But faced with the prospect of removing all the workers by force the police decided just to caution the occupiers that they were technically trespassing and then left. All production of carburettor parts at the Stanmore factory had now stopped and this combined with the pressure of the parent company, Zenith Carburettors Ltd., for the return of the aluminium dies and the fulfilment of their contracts, forced the management to seek the intervention of the State in 1 June 12ed co tre injunctions quickly. On June were issued by the High Court of Justice against the Stanmore occupiers on the grounds of trespass, possible damage to the premises and loss of earnings to the company. The injunctions were delivered, by the Court Bailiffs, at 6.00 am on June 23rd and with the aid of the police the workers were evicted. By an odd coincidence the local AUEW officials also arrived on that Friday morning to pay the workers their first strike pay (although the occupation had already lasted for over six weeks).
workers. Supposing however, that the charges