Official Strike

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dispute. Most seriously, and pay - £1.40 an hour when the bosses started legal the redundancies and the action with a High Court in- denial of union recognition. drawal of redundancy notices and the recognition of their union, the TGWU.

The struggle really began in May, when the 30 Birmingham S&K workers struck against appalling wages and working conditions, and against the victimisation of union militants. When pickets were sent from Birmingham it inspired confidence among the Coventry S&K workers, who began to organise a union for themselves.

Victimised Two Coventry workers were then given redundancy notices, the management claiming that declining business made the sackings necessary. However, the real reason was the bosses' intention to victimise those active in the union.

Union members immediately decided to resist. After negotiations between the shop steward, Manjit Singh, the local TGWU official, Dennis Adler, and the S&K management had failed to gain any of the workers' demands, the union members decided to come out on strike.

As the strike has continued and as the picket has beTHE landiord at the centre of the Oxford attack on claimants has appeared in court at last - but not in the dock.

Jeremiah Cronin, the 50year old owner of four Iffley Road houses which are packed with up to 75 homeless men a night, appeared as chief prosecution witness for Thames Valley police.

Or Bureaucrats However, all along the S&K workers have not only come up against the bosses, but the local T&G bureaucrats as well.

The Birmingham S&K strike four months ago was undermined by the denial of strike pay, even though the militancy of the workers had forced the TGWU to make the strike official. Consequently, when union recognition was gained, the recommendation of TGWU district official John Partridge for a return to work was accepted, without the reinstatement of two union activists.

Also, when two Coventry S&K workers were victimised for union activity in May, local T&G official Dennis Adler did nothing to help them, simply saying that the management had every right to sack them.

The Coventry workers refused to accept Adler's compromise scheme of arranging with the management to delay the redundancies for a further six weeks. They had already seen the S&K management break the pay agreements After two days in the witness box, his public credibility and that of the police who called him, was in tatters. The first four cases in which he gave evidence all ended in acquittal.

Cronin was supposed to prove that claimants had not been staying at his bed and breakfast lodgings. Under sharp cross-examination his made in June to end the Birmingham strike.

Adler refused to support the workers' decision strike, and subsequent discussions about official backing have failed to achieve anything.

The management have been able to cite the official's views as justification for a sackings. The officials have refused to endorse the action on the spurious grounds that not everyone at S&K is in the union.

'This retusal to make the strike official has delayed solidarity strike action from testimony collapsed pack of cards.

His guest house register often referred to, was never produced in court, and eventually he admitted that it would not show who was staying at the house.

His receipt system was a sham and he admitted that he could not say who had stayed and who had paid. the officials, with more than a hint of racism, showed either indifference or hostility to those who sought advice.

The strikers, faced with possible imprisonment, decided to call off their picket for a day on Monday 27th while the case was heard, and to go to the Coventry Tel nffires to nraceurice the • dON VIVVO LU PIVODULION LIN officials for official backing for their strike demands and fa lanal dofanno and nrote Asked by one defence lawyer to say how many people exactly stayed on any one night, Cronin was lost and a long and stunning silence developed in court.

He revealed that he had never been asked either by Oxford City Council or by the fire service, to give accommodation figures.

Two more cases have now been withdrawn by the prosecution, rather than watch Cronin take another hammering in court.

The landlord even had his expenses claim for £18 Sak pickets during the last strike The appalling conditions WALAGULY have aroused the anger of local militants, who are raising the issue in the labour movement.

Against the background of the Tebbit Bill, it is essential that the legal actions against the S&K strike are resisted by al workers and that the picketing continues, to force union recognition and the witharawal of the redundancies.

Messages/money to: S&K Strike Committee, 88 King PanamA A min the police refuse to comment upon allegations. Where a complaint has been lodged, the police then refuse to comment until it has passed through the labyrinthian corridors of their internal white-wash procedure.

, Cleared If the cloud of sub judice hangs over such allegations, it has obviously vanished from over the heads of Cronin and the other major landlord whose to attend the funeral. Now the campaign to reverse the Home Office's intention to deport her back to Bangla Desh, to isolation from her family, is gathering momentum.

The campaign, ASIAN workers at fields, Slough, have dispute since July.

After a go-slow in pursuit of wage demands, 21 workers, members of th GMWU, were sacked on July 15. On July 26, all the other GMWU members in the factory were called out in support. They have now been sacked, too.

The (Asian) union mempaying the money must have been led to do so because they believed the truth of the statement made to them.

Since counter clerks in this case had already been told they were part of a mass arrest system and that the majority of claims were false, it followed that the reasons for handing over the money were not because they believed the claim.

It was one of those nice legal points that leave most people scratching their heads but had the police sweating. If it worked in one case it initiated Heathbeen in meeting to co-ordinate local support.

Your help is still needed! Please contact Sue Carlyle, 36 Bradmore House, Jamaica Street., London (tel: 01790 4937) for details of petitions, resolutions, etc. bers have been replaced (white) agency labour.

The GMWU are calling for blacking of Heathfields, assistance on the picket line, and contributions.

Messages/money *to: Heathfield Dispute Committee, c/o GMWU, 105 Greenford Ave., Hanwell, London W7. Details of mass pickets from 01-567 8462.

Contact the Claimants Defence Committee 'B' Block 44b Princes Oxford.

DHSS staff at Marston Road finally had enough of conditions they were facing as a

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ers, and so undermined the junction against the strikers,