[TWENTY-FOUR Transport and General Workers Union members are…]

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TWENTY-FOUR Transport and General Workers Union members are now in their eigth week of strike action against wage cuts at Hodkin & Jones Concrete Works at Darnall, Shettield; part of the Monks Building Supplies Group.

On March 1, management brought in new piece work rates amounting to an overall 20% wage cut. Management said that this was necessary to be able to compete for orders. It was also probably necessary to pay for the new Rolls, BMW and Porsche cars they'd just bought.

The concrete works is also the only fully-unionised plant in the Monks group.

Immediately the 32 workers worked to rule, protesting that they had pointed out several other ways of saving money, which management had ignored.

Threats and disciplinary notices were issued, until finally 12 concrete casters were sacked on Friday, March 18, and the rest walked out with them.

By that evening, management had started interviewing new people sent from the job centre.

There aré now 18 scabs working in the plant, 2 of them strikers who have gone back. They have been provided with a bus to get through the 24 hour picket lines.

The most effective picketing has been at Monks Building Supplies Shop across the other side of Sheffield, on Queen's Road. Here, Blue Circle Cement have been turned away, and (after crossing a few times) British Rail lorries.

A large part, however, is cariied by cowboy firms who believe self'employment means that they are immune.

Because it's been effective, management took them to court. A summons was issued in the name of one of the strikers (not a steward) 'and others' for the crime of secondary picketing.

Four went to Leeds High Court last Friday, May 6, and were told outside the court that the law was quite straightforward, they had broken it, and so they could save themselves 'thousands of pounds in costs' if they just agreed to stop doing it.

Isolated, with virtually no union support, they felt they had to agree.

And so Len Murray can feel pleased that his £1 million Fight Tebbit Fund' remains safe in the bank.

The workers have been active in seeking support. With the arrival of the Peoples' March for Jobs in Sheffield last Friday, they met it on the outskirts of Sheffield, and marched with it to the City Hall, handing out leaflets. On Monday they joined up with members of Shallow Labour Party outside Monks on Queen's Road, and joined it as it passed.