next two weeks crucial THE LAST recorded balance sheet of Grunwick Film Processing, for 1973-1974, *showed a profit before tax of £126,719. Yet they pay skilled process workers £28 for a forty hour week, and office staff £25 for a thirty-five hour week. It's no wonder they refuse to discuss with the clerical workers' union APEX, let alone recognise it.
It is nearly four weeks now since workers from Grunwick's factories in Willesden walked out, demanding the right to be organised in a union. In that short space of ume, tne suikers nave gone trom ocng totally inexperienced about trade unionism - they weren't even members when they walked out - to running a strike and very quickly grasping a number of important tessons.
They are now all in the union and have recruited some of the workers who are still inside and whom they are trying to persuade to come out as well. They have a functioning stike commnee, mass mecungs every day, tours of the factories organising blacking, members responsible for socia security, and an awareness of some of the problems of the women strikers represent about half the strikers (and are equally represented in all activities).
Rasina for Strikers were sacked last week (totall illegal, of course) the strike has been boosted in other ways: it received publicity at the TUC Congress, where Tom Jackson, general secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers, pledged the full support of his union.
The Transport & General Workers Union has endersed the strike at national level and the strikers have been receiving support locally. the trico strikers nave sent a message of support. Last Friday the strikers organised a demonstration and meeting in ine area at lunchtime which was well attended and very lively.
Despite the obvious enthusiasm of the strikers, as well as their ability to learn very quickly, there are still a number of probTenTs TURWICKS work is very much seasonal, and people's happy holiday snaps are fast coming to an end. It appears that the management is prepared to try to hold out for the next week or two, which is why it becomes imperative to get everybody oul now - otherwise they will just be laid off Secondly, although Brent Trades Council has put a lot of effort into this strike and has certainly been responsible for getting considerable support in ine arca, strike's importance makes it essential for the Trades Counci to set up a suppor It cannot be stressed enough how impor tant this strike is: there are a whole number of employers like Grunwick who deliberately set out to recruit Asian and West nalan workers women ane omer super exploited sections of the work force and then make them work for the most appalling wages in disgusting conditions. At Grunwick's there have been seven attempts in lu vears to torm a uon. avery one nas been smashed - and the most who came out in the past were 24.
Sacked Now over zou workers are out, man have been sacked, but they are determined to win tais bimc. And a victory for the runwick sirikers wil De a red VICtory Iol all those workers working in the same type of conditions.
It is in these sweat shops that the employers will divide us - black against wnie, men agamst women, cre - Where we have no organisation. For the labour movement as a whole not to take up this struggle will mean accepting what is ultimately scab labour, and thus the weakening or tne workers organisatons FUND RAISING DISCO for Grunwick
RED WEEKLY 16 Sectember inadequate. But in an election on the
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