A strike at Imperial Typewritens in Leloester which began on May Day with a walkout by Asians Has now been joined by over a thousand workers, including those from the firm's auto plant, which is over 75 percent. white.
Imperial Typewriters is awaed by the US-based Litton Industries. and discontent has been smouldering for years at the company's policies of low wages, speed up, and racial discrimination, all aided by union collaboration with the management.
It was 27 Asian women and 13 men who walked out at the Copdale Road plant on I May, and marched By noon 500 workers were out. They held a meeting and elected a strike committee. The management has since written to each striker. threatening dismissal.
The workers are demanding that a 25 per cont increase in the guaranteed bonus be backdated to January 1973, and that the guarantee should be raised to 40 per cent above the flat rate from 1 May.
They also complain that in a factory out of a total Labour force of 1,600, all. lex scenon leaders are wuric, an Eno management usts racism to dride the shopfloor.
They are angry that the shop stewants the mannot, ano toll thoms a only dected and is unknown to the workers The factory convenor. Ree Weaver JP, to the main factory in East Park Road. has denconced the striken as a disruptive dement. and in statements to the peess he has falsified the roasons for the strike.
The pay-packets ol male workers at Imperial Typewriters rarely rise above ELS. and women doine ine same Job Tom Bradley, local Labour MP. talking to the strike lenders or Imperici Typewriters He was called in by the management to help get them back to work, before discussions of the claim. Quite comet his Seshbing boposals were rejected 100% by the striking workers With friends like this...
And it is equally certain that the police will not refuse their unpaid services to protect the Front if they can only L19. Linder a Measured Day Work scheme aceopted by Weaver and his cronies in the Transport and Genetal Workers' Union, operatives have tu process as typewellers an hoar. Since cacl unde is timed at 2.5 minnics, they have 60 minutes to complete 62.5 minutes woek!
The Asian strikers have been joined by a number of white worken whe recognise the need for a struggle against low pus, and that the union has permitted redundancies in the past. action by the TAGWU to make the stoke orelal, and cler out the theat af mactionaries who lead" Die sopriaor at Imperis Typewriters showid be sent to: mperia Typewriters Strike Actor ommittee, 42 Hunter Road Leicester:
struggle of the Young Socialist Revolutionary Party to Foems a new leadership in the working week's Red Weekly.
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