demanding the sit in should end.
workforce had continued the occupation in defiance of the earlier court order and last Friday 141 of them were called to court to answer why they had done so. They could have been jailed for this action but they argued that the occupation of the factory was 1 leaa terms of section 13 1974 Trade and Labour RelaAc This states that an act done in contempla tion of the furtherance of a BISBUTO should be subject to court action on the grounds only that it interfered with the trade business person judge was undecided as to whether this section of the act legalised sit ins, but felt he could not rule. Success surprisingly the march held the following day in Bathgate had an air celebration following the court decision Over 1500 trade unionists mainMesser from Scotland but also workers Beeston marched through the town to a rally at the factory gate Ellen Monaghan from Lee Jeans that they ad danced when they heard of the Plessey workers' victory the courts. Both workforces determined to save IMPE jobs and had begun their sit ins with this aim in mind, not knowing their support would come from. But in the course of the struggle they found that the labour movement and fellow workers rallied to their fight Many of the speakers pointed out that the court decision was a historical AUEW fulltimer, Tom Dougan, pointed out that the industrial climate local SDP council.
Since the SDP took ContrOl OT their first corough detections of through defections 'machineponticians they have been hell-bent on taking local authority unions.
First, they refused to transfer Rob Webb from his temporary job to the post which he had been ap pointed. After fruitless negotiations Rob was suspended by the management when he moved to take up the job on 11 January on the created by the DIESETTE had couraged employers use the courts in order to fight a battle against the workers.
Plessey is one of 25 major companies who are arging Thatcher to eflat the economy: it is also fully behind the Teb bit Bill. Much of the company's £ 100m profit comes the war drive.
Plessey makes telephones designed for use after a nuclear war but as George Wilson, Tass convenor at 3M COOKSON (Socialist challenge)
fares in their area advice of the union.
This prompted a walk out first his department. and then the whole union branch on 18 February.
When the disciplinary hearing against Rob found him not guilty the Council denDerately provoked the continuation of the dispute by announcing closure children's union mass meeting the following voted overwhelmingly to continue the all-out strike. which nas been official NALGO national INE exthe plant commented they have not yet worked out how anyone is going to be alive to use them. George also pointed en- out that the workers had won the court decision on a technicality there was always the possibility that it could be overturned by another court ruling. It was essential therefore to build support among workers in order to have the strength beat Plessey, the Tebbit and the Tories Send donations messages of support to Mary Murphy. Main Fauldhouse, West Lothian ecutive.
Finally, when a solution was put forward by the negotiators of both sides conjunction ACAS.
SOP councillors threw it out on Monday 1 March. union mass meeting the following morning overwhelmingly to continue the strike.
If ever there was any doubt about the real union-bashing nature of the SDP. the provocations of Isiinaton Council be a lesson to us all. You can help expose them by suppor with resolutions of sup- Islington NALGO port, donations and so NLF students LadBroke House, Highbury Barn, London N5. FOR A WOMAN'S RIGHT to WORK
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SDP union-bashers MEMBERS of Islington NALGO, the largest union branch in the borough, have entered their second week of all-out strike against the
The Plessey occupation lives! Last Friday, Lord Kincraig lifted his previous order granted to Plessey management three weeks previously
South Yorkshire bus workers lobbied parliament on Monday to protest the threatened rise of
ALSO Strike HO Send to: Islington