Wafer-thin wages Support strikers

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Stan SINCE Monday, 25th July, workers at the Carousel Wafers factory in the East End of Glasgow have been on strike for union recognition.

Carousel makes ice cream waters, cones, cartons, etc. Working conditions at Carousel are appalling.

For a 40 hour week, take home pay is £37.00. Those under 18 take home just £32.00. There is a 10 minute tea break in the morning, a half four for lunch, and no break at all in the afternoon.

As far as Alexandro Sacomando, the factory's owner, is concerned, the Health and Safety Acts may as well not exist: in winter the temperature in the factory is below the legal minimum and in summer above the maximum.

Machinery is run without machine , guards, causing a series of accidents. Atter one YOPer got caught up in a machine and another lost the ends of her fingers, even the MSC decided that things were getting out of hand and stopped sending YOP trainees to Carousel last year.

In winter the toilets freeze up and the workers are given a "bucket and a bottle of Dettol. The toilets don't get fixed - you just wait till they defrost.

To achieve better working conditions, the nine shopfloor workers joined a union, the TGWU, at the beginning of the year. Sacomando refused to recognise the union. , So last Monday, the workers, all of them youths, walked out on strike to win union recognition. 'We want a union in - TGWU - If you stand with us, you're okay - But le you don't you're a blackoutside of the factory gates.

Some of the part-timers have also struck in support. The delivery drivers struck on the Monday but returned to work the next day.

The strikers received the traditional threatening letters from their employer, saying that they would all be sacked for breach of contract if they did not return to work by the Wednesday (27th July). None of them did so. The next day they were sent their P45s.

Sacomando has been interviewing replacements to scab on the strikers. Although the scabs can be quickly given the basic training, they will need a long time before mastering the knack of running the machines at the speed demanded and still having ten fingers left at the end of the Sacomando is in no mood for compromises. He has told the strikers that he would rather see the factory burnt down than re-employ them.

The TGWU has declared the dispute offical.

One of the local full-time officials is against organising mass pickets as it would be in breach of Tebbit's anti-union legislation. But the second full timer has declared himself in favour of it.

It is vital that this dispute does not end up like a similar one at Glencroft Knitwear in Glasgow the year before last. There, the women on strike for union recognition were left isolated on the picket lines for three months whilst nothing was done about organising effective picketing and blacking.

To avoid the stalemate and defeat suffered by the Glencroft strikers, active support needs to be built in the broader labour and trade union movement, irrespective of what Tebbit's anti-union laws allow or don't allow. Ges Interview with Joe O'Rourk: worker at Scott Lithgow 'MANAGEMENT are looking ::: 709 volunteers for redundan:! =:

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