[COHSE almost every other group of workers. The…]

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COHSE almost every other group of workers.

Poverty

The figures also distort the fact that thousands of hospital ancillary workers are women working part-time. And the ad also failed to make any mention of the poverty-line basic wage, which is currently a paltry £59.05 for the lowest grade.

6% would make it £62.59, which is only just above the legal minimum in almost all industries AUEW members at Glendale Engineering, North-West London, are in the 7th week of a strike to secure union recognition.

On an average take-home pay of £60 a week, and working in what they considered to be unsafe, unhealthy, and degrading conditions, they sought recognition in order to get changes. The response of the employer, George Banborough, was to threaten the shop steward with the sack.

The rest came out on strike, and were all sacked.

Success

Since then they have picketed the factory. Despite their success in turning away trade union AFTER STICKING out for 24 weeks, the Rulecan women have ended their dispute. But they can claim a partial victory. The firm is now closed.

Two weeks ago it was announced on the picket line that the firm had gone bust - and not a tear was shed!

When Rulecan boss Rattles took over the firm last year, his sole intention was to pay starvation wages uction via cowboy delivery firms and scab labour recruited through local Job Centres.

The response of most of the labour movement has been good. Trade union branches, Labour Parties, and Trades Councils have sent collections and donations to the strike fund.

Drop However, the North London district committee of the AUEW, dominated by the Communist Party, is looking for ways to drop the strike. Although it has been made official by the national executive, the strikers have yet to receive any strike to the women, and break any union organisation. But he came unstuck - he didn't reckon with the militancy of the women working there.

For all Rattles threat of using the law against the pickets and standing by his scabs, the strikers were not broken. The tragedy was the lack of support they got from their union leadership and from the rest of the labour movement.

Successful, large, pickets have been held on . Monday mornings, and they have obviously shaken management, scabs, ane police. Un Monday 9th two scabs turned back.

Blacking

The important issue at the moment is blacking of Glendale products. Post. dust, and deliveries are being blacked already.

Today, August 10, there was an ACAS hearing George Banborough obvious. ly believed that ACAS was some sort of court of law. since he produced a docu ment listing what he consid. ered to be the pickets' crimes, such as persuading people not to go into worx. He had no intention of taking , the strikers back or recognising the union.

The strikers intend to stay put, and build on the support they are receiving They need help on the picket line between 7am and Spm, Monday to Friday -particularly 7am to 8am on Monday mornings, at 19 Hythe Road, London NW10 - and financial support (to Glendale Strike Committee. c/o Mick Woods, 76 Austen House, Cam bridge Road. London NW6).

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