[THE three-month long strike by 60 women at…]

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THE three-month long strike by 60 women at the Runcorn clothing factory of Rulecan Ltd looks likely to end in a victory.

Following weeks of intense pressure, Rulecan have agreed to enter into a written agreement giving a date for reinstatement of the strikers on alternative premises in the town. The agreement also includes union recognition and a guaranteed wage.

The strikers see this as a breakthrough but are refusing to lift the picket of the factory until they are able to recommence work. They are also refusing to withdraw their applications to an industrial tribunal which are currently being considered.

A vital factor in forcing the company to retreat has been the picketing of C&A department stores who are major customers of Rulecan. Large-scale leafleting of C&As calling for a shoppers boycott brought Rulecan to the verge of losing their contract.

A socialist women's group who organised much of the leafleting, have been served with a High Court "It's not just about privatisation now. It's about sackings and a whole attack on trade unions" com Bill Peacock, Chair, Wandsworth Manual Workers Strike Committee.

Last Friday, Wandsworth Council started issuing letters to the dustmen and other manual workers on strike against plans to privatise whole areas of the Council's services.

The letters called for a injunction by Rulecan in an effort to end picketing.

Originally the leafleting had been started locally by the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers. But when Rulecan threatened an injunction over this and the union's successful appeal to USDAW members to black the company, the Garment Workers Executive called off all blacking and ordered an end to all C&A leafleting.

All the cowardly Executive has achieved is to stir up a protest movement within the Garment Workers Union. The strikers are now questioning the accountability of their Executive members.

While the strike has revealed the desire of the Executive to put a brake on events, the strikers have openly called for a confrontation with the law over blacking and picketing.

The strike, which is the longest in the history of the Garment Workers Union, next to the Lee Jeans sit-in, has raised many important issues. Besides the question of the Executive's role, the dispute is a significant return to work by Monday 24 May or they would be seeking authority at the Council meeting on Thursday 27th to sack the strikers.

A mass meeting on Monday with representatives from all the unions voted for all-out strike action if the council went ahead with its threat. By Tuesday some sections of the boilermen and estate caretakers (on the Battersea and Tooting JUI by V.

O'Brien one because of the lack of any tradition of militancy amongst clothing workers.

The question of women and low pay has also been highlighted by the strike which began when the company withdrew its guaranteed wage. Some women then stood to earn as little as £30 a week.

When the women called in their official to deal with the problem he was escorted off the premises by management who refused to negotiate.

This started the strike which has lasted over three months.

The women have nailed the lie that they just work for pin money. Throughout the dispute they have toured union branches, and collected money at factory gates. Workers at Ford Halewood have given over £500. A march through Runcorn was also organised.

Until they are fully reinstated, the women continue to be in dispute. They desperately need money. Send donations to: NUTGW, Local Fund, Imperial Chambers, 62 Dale St., Liverpool estates) had come out. The rest of the boilermen are due to come out to join the dustmen who have been out for six weeks now.

Complain

This will leave several estates without heating and hot water. Many tenants pay for their heating in with their rent and the union (GMWU) is publicising the telephone numbers at the Town Hall where they can complain and demand a Keys: his union says break links, his committee says keep them by Gerry Byrne have been taking out council dustcarts and using council pumps to fill up on diesel.

This, with the sackings, is seen as an open attack on the right to strike and an attempt to destroy the trade union organisation in the borough.

If the council don't withdraw their threats, and if the unions nationally stand by their mandate for industrial action, then the whole of the council's services should grind to a halt by next week.

by Wer Mustill THE Tebbit Bill received its Third Reading in the Commons on 19 May and now goes on to the House of Lords. It will probably become law either at the end of the present session or before the start of the next Parliamentary session, depending on the Falklands situation.

Meanwhile protests are growing v ith some union leaders • 'alling for strike action.

The Mobilising Committee for the Defence of Trade Union Rights is seeking sup ort for this statement from Labour councillors. Signatures to the Committee c/o 28 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL.

WE, the undersigned Labour councillors, view the Tories' 1982 Employment Bill as the greatest threat made in recent years to the trade union and labour movement. used in labour movement. Used in conjunction with the 1980 Employment Act it will:

*Outlaw virtually all forms of effective industrial action in the public sector taken to defend jobs and living standards, and to promote trade union membership;

*Undermine the closed shop by imposing disrupIsnw Bill Keys of SOGAT told the union's conference that the lUC should pull out of talks with the Government in the NEDC, and said that SOGAT members would be in breach of rules if they obeyed the new law, especially regarding closed shop ballots.

Keys is chairperson of the TUC's influential Employment Policy tive ballots and bribing anti-union workers to smash union membership agreements;

*Endanger the health and safety of thousands of people including council tenants and ratepayers by the use of scab and lump labour on council works. Only 100% trade unionism can ensure the implementation of building and other vital safety regulations;

*Outlaw traditional sympathy action to large sectors of poorly-organised exploited workers including women, blacks and overseas workers.

We therefore commit ourselves to fight the Employment Bill before and after it becomes law by:

*Publicising what the law will mean and organising together with our employees and constituents to fight the Bill, calling for under BREAK Committee which is coordinating the TUC's 'campaign' Tebbit.

Jim Slater of the Seamen's Union said last week that he was pushing for an all-out strike led by the transport workers, miners and seamen, either on the day the Bill became law or on the day before. He failed, however, to propose that the seamen should give a lead themselves. strike action on June 10 and on every • tuture day or action against the Bill;

*Refusing as employers to implement the Act, especially clauses relating to the use of non-union subcontract labour;

*Supporting totally action our employees against the new law;

*Fighting for the return of a socialist Labour government committed to repealing the 1980 and 1982 Acts and any future legislation the Tories may introduce to further impoverish the working class and smash its organisations.

Tebbit's law is part and parcel of the Tory onslaught against local and central public services which has led to massive cuts, job losses, reduced services, privatisation and increased state control of local council spending. It must be resisted at all costs.

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