Metal Box strike solid | Socialist Action 1983

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intimidation. The ters for ed on HIUEC already overcrowded On (WOTKC for dar fice. withdraw suspenSITIN. torward to and shelve shorter beLIUub.

Dunne to 'We've HC UCIS conditions. We've gone atthe thought would escalate.

win olner tackle word reports by Thursday before SIULC.

the before uay. Transport: entering third the MP's the Ernie Roberts Hackney North Brian Sedgemore for of out Then they moved Transport General shift day between £22 have two which Then we round of redundancies with the in the plant.

the Transport -LA -stead of mobilising the membership to fight redundancies everything was diverted into negotiaMetal Box pickets on the line tions. At the same time members with enhanced redundancy anted a figh back four le wh it very difficult But now the workforce have decided they are not going to take any Since the beginning 1101. of management has hardened the regime.

workers EN ed leave the lines at the old end. of their shift, supervisors tried to stop them by standing in front of the washroom doo This sort of thing has aused an. explosior willl the TGWI members. Management keep talking about •maximising flexibility'. On 18 May we met for negotiations on our demand for compensation for loss of shift premium All managemen talk about was flexibility.

When they offered us 10 weeks shift pay this was tied to giving up establish ed work practices and ac cepting flexibility. We said no, and the mass meeting the next day rejected this offer too. Management are not going to push us around.

approached local trade unions to support us, as well as the the Labour MPs. portant with the election. I don't think the election and our strike are counterposed. Decent members can use this strike in the election to campaign for a Labour government.

We've been getting good support, including a £50 donation the strikers the Hackney dole office.

People know now on we'll be up in fron defending the rights of al : the hace unousus lsu plant. We've learned if w stick they can't push us around.

• Help is needed with the - 24 hour picket. Send dona tions and messages to Jim Wills, TGWU strike com mittee, 22 Thomas House, Morning Lane, Hackney, London E9.