For three weeks 600 clerical workers at Dunlop's Coventry factory have been on strike for more pay. The strikers. 400 ot whom are women, belong to the white-collar unions APEX and ACTS and are demanding a £10 rise across the board with no mention of equal pay. It is this strike which is bringing large sections of the car industry to a grinding halt due to shortages of wheel and suspension units Top grade clerical workers at Dunlop earn less than internal postmen who get £50 a week and sweepers-up who get £48. Even greater divisions exist in clerical grades between male and female rates. At present there are four grades for clerical staff. Male earnings rise from £33.43 a week, but women on the same grades are stuck between £30 and £35.
Last week British Leyland announced that it intended to re-import components sent to its Innocenti factory in Milan. Approaches have been made from Dunlop shop stewards to BL stewards as well as the docks and the airports to stop this aLemOL tO DreaK Ene strIKe But after initial promises of blacking, the Longbridge stewards are now saying that they can't black the products because they are British goods being re-imported! Meanwhile, despite the strike being official the strikers have received no strike pay sunce uncy stoopca work Dunlop is now offering up to £7.35 for men (an increase of 35p on their original offer) and £6.40 for women (20p on the original offer). This is conditional on a new grading structure wnien would scra! the existing system in favour of five tier structure with women on the lowest grade! squal pay on tnis basis would be a sick Local union officials have colluded with management all down the line in allowing ciencal workers wages to sup in value over the past five years. For the last two years no claim was submitted because of promises made of equal pay in 1975. The women are now discovering what a fraud this is-but it might be too late to change the course of this strike Maureen Smith