Support spreads for Daleside picket "t Sol

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TOr NHS workers were defeated after a disgraceful manoeuvre by the conference chair, who refused to acknowledge calls for a card vote.

A call for Labour councils to defend the working class by fighting the cuts and not introducing rent or rate rises was heavily defeated, 927,000 to 132,000.

The women's debate produced an interesting contortion by the right wing and supporters of Militant on the question of action to overcome women's oppression. Resolutions calling for abortion on demand, child care facilities, communal laundries, etc., and for special ears to make the labour =ement habitable for = -e= were defeated, with Virs coroners voting - 20222carried with Militant supporters voting against.

Important composites in favour of unilateral British nuclear disarmament were carried. Socialist Organiser supporter Lol Duffy from Wallasey CLP explained that the present NEC won't carry our Labour Party policy unless they are forced to do so. He also emphasised the need for the labour movement to develop plans for alternative employment for workers in the arms industry Dixon TEXTILE workers locked out of Daleside Hadden Ltd, Nottingham, remain solid and determined in the sixth week of the dispute.

On January 26 boss Keith Fry called a mass meeting of workers and management to discuss, or rather dictate, a new "continental' shift system - for £4 a week more!

At the meeting one worker told Fry that he wouldn't work the new shifts at any price. Fry said there were three million unemployed who might. Did Fry mean that they'd be sacked if they didn't accept the new shifts? Yes As some morkers started waiking out, Fry sacked them all on the spot. Out of the 110 workers at the firm, only 30 have gone back on their knees to Fry and accepted his conditions.

Offers from the workers to return to work on the basis of the pre-lockout status quo and begin negotiations about new shifts. have been flung back by management.

Daleside workers have had no wage increase for four years. Workers have been constantly threatened with the sack if they refused overtime. A typical conversation between Fry and a worker would go something like this:

'Are you coming in Sunday night?' (to do overtime)

'No, I'm going out' 'Would you be going out if you were on the dole?' Fry also had 16 year olds working 40 hours for f30!

During the lockout he tried to get three old-age pensioners who did cleaning at the factory to work the machines. When they refused he sacked them on the spot. Throughout the lockout workers have maintained a 24 hour picket, though police have had a constant presence, stepping in when it looked like scabs might be stopped going in.

Two workers have been arrested on trumped-up charges of stealing chemicals and throwing stones at scabs.

One of these workers had been told by Fry on a Friday morning that he would get him off the picket line; by Sunday he had been arrested and had a court order slapped on him preventing him being on the line.

However, Fry is being hit hard by the picketing and blacking action. No Transport and General drivers are crossing the line. Workers at Meridian, Daleside's biggest customer, have been blacking its products for four to five weeks, and blacking is in effect at the vast majority of Daleside Hadden customers. Despite Fry's bold claims in the scab local paper, The Evening Post (notorious in Nottingham for its sacking of NUJ journalists for responding to a national strike call), that the factory was on 'full production' , convenor Frank Day estimates that it is no more than 30% of the prelock-out level. Other workers have pointed out that machines are rarely running. Blacking action is clearly hurting Fry. He whined in the Evening Post about a union 'hit list' to black his goods.

Fry has taken on some temporary workers in a bid to boost production. Their reward is rumoured to be a wage f25 per week less than the one before the strike!

The lockout has had a big impact on the workers' movement in Nottingham. Most unions have had banners or members on the picket line at one time or another. As picket Brian Shaw /pointed out, "We're not just fighting for ourselves, we're fighting for the rights of every trade unionist in the country":

Mass pickets are on Mondays and Thursdays, but Frank Day stressed the importance of a strong picket seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to stop vital supplies such as oil.

Donations/messages to: Daleside Hadden Strike Committee, Martin Lawson, 1. Eugene Gardens, The Meadows, Nottingham.