FOURTEEN HUNDRED striking steel workers voted last Friday to end the longest dispute in the steel industry main issue in the 16-week strike was the right to centralised union representation for 700 workers on the Forgemaster's Atlas site.
Management had 'reorganised' the site into five separate companies ana - announced lilal joint shop stewards comMULLCe was uniccessaly They declared the full time convenor's post abolished and moved to break up existing anicaic negotiating structures including the joint health and safety committee.
Management's own centralised structures were to be maintained. The five s batate Condulics would still have one personnel officer.
Workers saw management s orlensive as all altempt to destroy the union as an effective force in Forgemasters.
Photo: JOHN SMITH (IFL)
March 1984: picket of Agecroft pit THE Mail on Sunday on 2 February revealed that government ministers Coal Board officials were predicting 'the breakway UDM could be dead by the end of next month.' decision of Leicestershire miners to remain in the NUM the Mail on Sunday presicted that UDM members 'will be lured back into the NUM be new moves to welcome their return on 'no hard feelings' basis On the same day the Mail on Sunday carried this report Arthur Scargill addressed a rally of more than Lancasure miners organised by NUM members Agecroft branch. Scargill since the 1980 national strike. The The escalated dramatically in the new year when dismissal nouces were issuea lo al strikers. In reponse workers at the neighbouring River Don formally part of the British Steel Corporation but now ovæec voro oàc VOLed Joll brie strike.
Under the settlement accented on rridav there will continue to be a joint committee, sub stewalus meeting in working hours and now extended to cover both plants. Instead of a convenor, the committee's chairperson and secretary Scargill speaks at Agecroft listed of the cent in that we ve 'When the per NUM.
better better union itself the got difwill have facilities and time off work to perform their union duties. And of courine dismissal notices have been withdrawn.
This agreement represents a victory on the centra issue at stake - effective recognition. Forgemasters workers now well placed to fight off future attacks.
Two factors were crucial in the victory. One was the determination and organisation of the strikers themselves: 92 per cent of strikers were activély volved either Ill picket duties runa-raising Negotiations were kept tindel control of elected shop stewards, themselves accountable to mass meetings.
This high level of involvement was Iss o ficials test when officials oraerea Inell zuv memoels back to work - but were forced to back down when their members stayed solid.
A second factor was solidarity. Street. and facAS:85 collections were organised on a scale second only to that which took place during the miners strike. Labour Party branches organised collections in shopping centres and outside football grounds. The tremendou support received was vita in helping the strikers hol out to victory.