B'ham AEU blacks firm after sackings
1965The Newsletter Read the scan at ETOL (PDF) →Title, extent and credit checked against the scan (17 October 2026, from the scan: page 4, 'B'ham AEU blacks firm after sackings', 'By a Newsletter Correspondent'). The text is machine-read and not corrected: for anything you quote, read the scan.
AUNANIMOUS decision was taken by the Birmingham East District Committee of the Amalgamated Engineering Union last week to call for the total blacking of the Birmingham Engineering Company. This decision is being sent to the AEU Executive Council.
Birmingham Engineering Company gave one week's notice to 19 toolmakers who staged a sit-down strike when their Is. 6d. per hour wage claim had been flatly turned down (see last week's Newsletter).
In spite of the fact that the union official accompanied a delegation to the owner and manager demanding that the notices be withdrawn, the firm refused to rescind them.
Offer rejected
Instead, they said that if each worker applied individually for his job, they would take 90 per cent back.
The other 10 per cent would be refused. This would almost certainly mean that militants would lose their jobs and was rejected out of hand.
The 19 toolmakers decided after the meeting to leavenot one asking for his job back; The firm has not a single toolmaker (vital for its press work) left on the grounds.
A delegation from the members addressed the District Committee on their struggle. The blacking decision of the Committee, if ratified by the Executive Council, will mean that no union toolmaker can go to this firm.
If the firm obtains non-union toolmakers, all finished press components will be blacked if sent to any union firm. This could close this small firm down.