Arnott victory!

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ATTEMPTS by Arnotts to sack its cleaning staff and replace them by contract cleaners bit the dust last Tuesday (22nd November), when management was forced to withdraw the dismissal notices. Arnotts is the second biggest store in Glasgow and part of the House of Frazer empire.

Cleaners at the store, along with other trade unionists and Labour Party members, had begun picketing the store on the previous Friday.

There was a good response from passing shoppers. 6,000 signatures opposing the sackings were collected in thrae cisaners Col ral ticallcls stopped to explain the slavelabour conditions operated by private cleaning firms.

But the local Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) officials were clearly dragging their feet and were not prepared to respond to the cleaners' demands for official all-out strike action.

This became particularly clear at a lunchtime meeting between the cleaners and USDAW officials on 22 November, where the cleaners were told that immediate strike action was not on because "these things take time" • and that leaflets which they had had printed calling for a boycott of Arnotts could not be distributed since they had not teen individually stamped with the union stamp.

After lunchtime the cleaners, angered by the union officials' attitude, decided to take matters into their own hands by agreeing to begin a strike on Friday, 25 November, and informing the union officials of their decision at a second meeting with them.

Just two hours later, another meeting, the third that day, was held, attended by cleaners, union officials, and management repres entatives. It was at this meeting that management announced the withdrawal of the dismissal notices.

Two things in particular stand out about the dispute. Firstly, the conservative role played by union officials, who, with gritted teeth, could Just about tolerate the cleaners picketing and petitioning after their working hours, but did not want any escalation of the action.

Secondly, that the determined opposition displayed by the cleaners succeeded in maintaining their jobs and keeping out private cleaners.

But the situation at Arnotts itself is far from settled. The attempted sackings have also raised other issuęs, such as Christmas holiday working, low wages and under-staffing.

And whilst management was defeated this time round, it will certainly soon be attempting, both in Arnotts and other shops, to replace their own cleaners with contract cleaners. A RISE in workplace deaths and accidents is shown in figures to be published next year by the Health and Safety Executive -the first official rise after years of steadily falling numbers of fatalities.

In the 'core' industries of factory and construction work, figures show that for 1981, 127 deaths occurred in factories, rising to more than 140 for 1982, and (it is anticipated) even more this year; and in construction there were 98 deaths in 1981, rising to 102 in 1982. Fatalities for this year are already known to be worse.

The TUC say much of the blame for these increases must lie with the Government, who since taking office in 1979 have cut back on HSE staffing levels by 15%, with further cuts foreshadowed in the Chancellor's autumn statement.

LAST Friday, about 30 London building workers went to the Cuban Embassy to extend their condolences and solidarity with the Cuban building workers killed by Reagan's marines in the US invasion of Grenada.

The delegation organised by the London Joint Sites heard speeches from a number of leading activists and from the Embassy's First Secretary who made a very moving speech about the need for international solidarity