While the Broad Left inside the AUEW has been nelping to bring about its own defeat through bureaucratic manoeuvres, 450 workers on strike for over two months at Magnesium Elektron Limited, at Swinton near Manchester, have been proving the power of workers' democracy in action.
The workers struck on 24 April in pursuit of a demand for a 30 percent rise across the board and the right of plant bargaining. For two months now they have been in an occupation impressive for its democratic organisation and the resulting high level of involvement and morale among the strikers.
The four unions involved - the AUEW, the electricians' EEPTU, the General and Municipal Workers Union and the Boilermakers -have all declared the strike official. The AUEW has also declared a district levy. But the occupying workers have kept a firm hand on the running of the strike by electing a five person negotiating WORKERSIT DEMOCRACY This democratic body has increased the awareness and will to struggle of the strikers: on three occasions motions to return to work received precisely one, twenty six, and no votes.
The same spirit of total involvement has been demonstrated by the various sub-committees of the Joint Shop Stewards Committee. The women's sub-committee, which involves the 20 or so women employed in the plant together with the wives of other workers. has organised a demonstration through Swinton. The entertainment committee has arranged performances by two radical theatre groups. The security sub-committee operates a three-shift 24-hour system which fairly distributes the burdens of involvement and gives every one a role to play, In adornon a nre agrang team Is always on standby and constant maintenance of machinery and automatic equipment is organised.
The claim itself, by avoiding craft divisions, has helped guarantee the united response of the strikers. The 30 per cent figure is based hour to craftsmen and 12p per hour to process workers. Since this averages at 12 per cent no one was fooled. As Stan Walton, a GY U shop steward, told nea weenty we can want divisions •- we are fighting on one front.' teams ot occupying workers have been visiting local factories and this has produced good results - amongst others, workers at the Clifton Chloride Company have pledged £150 a week and miners at Agecroft colliery are taking weekly collections of around £50. The strikers will send speakers to any working class organisation and are particularly anxious to contact other plants in the Tube Investments Combine. Already the fall off in supplies has caused production to be cut by 50 per cent at the sister plant of MagnesSo far a support committee has not been formally established to help create a broader campaign. But a committee to which trade union bodies. Labour Party branches, student unions and pounca.
red weekly 19 june 1975 news