importance for the whole of the immigrant community in Britain.
The Daily Jang is owned by business magnate Mir Khalilur Rahman, the Lord Thomson' of Pakistan, and is one of a chain of Pakistant newspapers, As the only Urdu daily in Britain, the Jang has a circulation of 35,000. The workers came out on 23 July demanding basic union rates for a 40-hour, five day week. Al me moment wages die well below union rates and the staff work a 4o-nour, six day week When management refused to concede the workers demands, a unanimous decision was taken to occupy the works to force managements hand and prevent any moves to close the paper down - a suspic ion fully justified by the subsequent serving of dismissal notices on the The occupving workers nave all been members of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades for three months, and the owner sees this as an opportunity to break tre umonsa tion of the workers. Because of racist employment policies, immigrant workers are otten forced to work In sweat-shop conditions in their own communities. Breaking this vicious circle is part of the fight to unite black and white workers against racism and capitalist exploitation. SOGAT officials is that this strike is black workers that trade unions wil defend their interests. The sentiment is worthy enough, but it is the black workers themselves through their The main concern expressed by a test case to build confidence amongst militant action who have shown the best way to defend their interests.
Their strike and occupation itself demonstrates the increasing militancy and confidence that has been developing in the Asian community in response to recent racist attacks and the are determined to see their struggle through to the end. But although sup port has been forthcoming from the local labour movement, including Hackney Trades Council, they remain isolated and feel the need for active support in the occupation. Since the occupation started, the actual press has only been taken over once to produce a special strike edition of the •Paper With mass support outside, a full occupation of the press would become a possibility, allowing the strikers to produce a regular strike bulletin which could use its existing distribution outlets to extend the struggle into the whole Asian community and beoome a weapon in the hands of Asian workers in the fight against racism.
One opportunity to spread the struggle will come on 5 September when a number of far left organisations in East London are building a large public meeting in preparation for the demonstration in Blackburn or 11 September. The participation of the Jang workers in the build-up to Blackbur would show that it is through struggle that immigrants can win their rights, and it is through struggle that black and white workers can be united in the fight against TaCISHE Mike. Colley
Red Weekly 19 August 1976 Seamen/Steelworkers/WRP 3