over 2000 workers. insurance stamp.
THOMPSON and THERESE SAYID about their struggle. Following the two day strike at the loaver workers on the picket lines.
When 150 skilled toolroom men at Hoover Motors in Perivale in West London came out on strike recently, the management used this as a pretext to lay off Management have claimed that the lay-offs need never have taken place if the toolroom men had been more 'reasonable" and accepted the offer made to them. Despite these attempts to divide the workforce, the Hoover workers remain united-the laid-off workers stand on the picket line with the toolroom About half the workforce are women, many of whom face great hardship ar they cannot obtain unamploymant benefit because they do not pay the full Last week the Brent Conference on the Working Women's Charter pledged its practical support to all women's struggles. In response to a call by Margaret Thompson, a Hoover worker who spoke at the Conference, forcas were mobilised last Friday for the picket line at the factory gate where Ingrid Falconer from the Brent Working Women's Charter Campaign spoke to MARGARET -How did the dispute happen any. way?
Margaret: Well, during the wage frocze last yoar the management promised that when the freeze was lifled the toolcoom men would hove parity with the better ever, they backed down on this saying they couldn't afford it.
to build a posh suite on the factory promises to entertain ViPs-cost a bomb it S EDDE PHO HSCSCHE BEE BRC ECCOEL profits, about Iwo million pounds. They are just conning us-they must think we ate dalt -And you say the toolroom men have the support of the workforce? Margaret: Oh yes, the union is well organised bere we stand by the toolroom in this dispute. They have supported us in equal pay fights in the past and would do B0 aisin We were guing to occupy the factory actualty -in fact we got stocks of food and paid factories in the area. Afterwards, how IH BRCN Woll, what a cheek!-they can afford did, imported doors from Holland at 1600 warehouse.
When the management tinst locked us out we foreed our way into the work manager's office demanding the right to work, gosng on womens wages.
DSOOL STUEU clothing set up in our lockers for this We desperately noed support in this strugple aguinst the lock-out, especially from other local factories. This is going to be even more important, because we have heard that the strikers at the Hoower plant in Cambuslang in Scotland ate poThis could sean that attempts could be lade to romove stocks that are hert and take them up to Scotland, If that hap pens we could be out for weeks yet. That's wely we have got a 24 hour picket at the -I see there's a very significant number of womes on the picket line.
Therese: That's right-many of us are bav ing a real strugge to make ends meet since this lockout It makes nue mad when peopJe say women ony work for pin-money. That's just rubbish. Most families really need two wiger these days-and that's for necessities, not lor luxuries.
Women depend very much on their own wages, Besides there are plenty of single women, widoos, unsupported mothors nere they have got to keep a nome Workers on the picket during the last STC Mrike. The racist leadership of thet strike divided the work-force, and has contributed to the weakness of the worken in the isaie.
We could do with lots more people on the picket line-you see many people who mighr othereise be here, were forced to go and look for other jobs ospecially where a man and wife wore beth laid off, There's one p'onsut heic whise bustand has bec unemployed for ages, and now she's laid off witbout unemploymeot benctlt as she's nat heen paying the full stamp. I don't think many women roalise the implications of paying only the married woihện's stamp. -How have you mannged with your kids while you've been on the picket? Therese: Will cy husband's looking after them today, bat last week 1 had no altern ative but to take them on the picker tine with me, Many families are suffering huge domestie upbesvals hecnuse of this lockout We really nood a mursery in this factory bocause of the lack of munsery faciitics around here, I have had to pay ES a week to a private baby-minder. Even if you can get your kids into a nursery, most only open nine to four. Well that's no good for is - we start work at 7.30 here. That's ahy it would bo uselu if we had a mursery at the workplace, as long as thie womea con troi the running of it.
-What about equal opportunitie for women at this factory? Margaret: The union have roally worked on this, but there is still a long way to go. There's lots of jobs which ate men-only jobs. For example in quality control it's all men I wouldn't mind a joh in lisere. we wouldn't ger callouses on our hands like we da now from working on the assembly line.
You'll find it's always the women who have to put up with the most boring DOS-TUL WEY SELJEL iea IL LOGH room or drive a truck? The trouble is that there aru no women as apprentices NTE S WE TECE ANVE SCIE-HIR steins fram the whole lack of education al opportunities for women for training for skilled johs.
Speakers from the Hooser FacTory will he touring local workplaces to dircuse the dispute and get support This às being done through the aurpicer ofthe Brent Working Women's Charter Campaign and Brent Trades Counelt.
Support for the Hoover workers' picket-daily from 7.30 am at the Bedford Lane entrance of the Hoor er factory off Western Avenue, PerAll donations and messages of support 10 - E. Jones, 48 Bastcote Road, Sourh farrow, Middlesex.