Thorn strikers meet today

Workers Press no. 241, 28 August 1970 · scan page 5

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posT Letter from STRIKERS at Thorn Electrical's Team Valley plant in the North-East meet today over the management's proposals for ending the dispute.

The firm has proposed the redundancies of . 20 semi-skilled men and eight skilled. 70 sheet-metal workers were sacked last week.

Many Thorn's workers feel that acceptance of any sackings would solve nothing and open the way for further attacks on wages and speed-up. Sovex ized factories seemed to have escaped the signatories to that disastrous agreement. Trade unions should organize and unite workers to defeat employers, not split and divide us.

We defeated the local employers' federation.

Their intention to fight against 'no strings' wage settlements met with the sternest resistance, forcing Vickers-Armstrong, one their most prominent members, and known • for hardline tactics, to settle with their own workers before being confronted by a strike such as our own.

The lesson was learnt: we could only win with the kind of support and determination that we enjoyed.

We defeated the employer because the whole of our strategy was based on socialist principles. Unity and participation, as well as a basic understanding of the issués involved, were essential.

A daily workers' paper is vital in broadening the unity and participation of workers, and illustrates to the lessorganized sections exactly what is to bé gained from struggle with the employer when these principles are understood.

Our struggle was one many, and not only did it indicate the existence of reawakened forces in the working class, but also the effect on the employing class when they are united in a principled way and used against them.

The more often the employers dip the ladle into our pot the better for us. Unity of the working class is poison to them and the more they taste it the greater is our progress and their retreat.

We aré the workers and we need a daily paper to accelerate our progress.

Thanks again, Workers Press.

R. Pert (AEF)

R. Seffens (T&GWU)

J. Stapley (ASB)