25% Photo: PETE GRANT (Sociallst Challenge) SWEETS FOR CHILDREN/ SUBSIDISED CAMTEEN FREE CHERALLS NO NIGHT SHUFT NEED RO HELP US NAKE women workers at the Chix bubble-gum factory in Slough heard last Friday that their strike had been called off.
This decisior which eaves most or ine strikers ou the cold, was taken by officials of the General and Workers wincine Union after consultation with only a few of those involved.
Before the walk-out of 96 Chix workers began in October, they were paid 95p hour and treated like The fight against intolerable sull has brought the dispute much within the labour movement, but there has been only paichy support on tne picket line and in supporting a boycott.
Yet the determination of the strikers succeeded in getting supplies shut off, and on occasiona days or acron u people joined the picket line.
Chix boss Denis Rose was forced to the negotiating table earlier this month The agreement reached with the GMWU means that although the company has given way on the principle of union recognition, •The majority of the remaining strikers part-time WOrKCIS are to receive redundancy pay as a result of "lost contracts'.
But this apparent shortage of work does not affect the scabs who have been recruited Chix SuCC •OIC AFTER just over seven months of picketing, Asian keeping their jobs.
started. The returning stukers • WIll Row • OU numbered by scabs.
arguments the GMWU employs to justify this agreement, its failure to most certainly cannot justified. The only people consulted. were the 19 dav shift workers who will be Throughout the strike, the Chix women have been patronised by white men who were their supporters.
The fact that they have not even been consulted over the ente or me sanke is amar ther insult to Asian women whose militancy and deter•showo nave been taken as an example to the whole trade union movement.
une ser-oll wow save been more difficult if the strike had been run bi an elected strike committee Telegrams of congratulaBrar, now to be made redundant and CP member Mohammed Anwar, the local GMWU branch secretary, showing that many in . the lavoul movement have the impression that a victory was won.
There is a possibility that the Chix women may continue their strike, which with rapid labour movement backing — would oblige the union to renegotiate the setAlternative Economic Strategy, which will now be the union's divisions. with only one vot against, delegates supported a resolution calling for a fight for full equality for gays.
A resolution totally opthe use of nuclear power for whatever purpose. was carried against desperate NICOS 101 caution trom the platform.
A solid minority emerged to support a resolution proposed by Ray Varnes, ILEA district delegate, calling for mass action to get rid of the Tories. Support for this posias conference split on the wages debate.
However, a motion calling for an f85 minimum wage and a recal conference to any settlement tell with 5.000 votes against and 3,500 for.
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