Backed by the local radio and encouraged by the national and local press, a number of Cowley wives are heing whipped up to smash the strike against the victimisstion of Alan Thornett, Cowley.
Thornett, deputy senior steward at BLMC, was refused steward's facilities after the defeat of the recent Marina strike, Management him.
His department - Internal Transof the Marine dispute, against the company 's breach of the lay-off agreement. The workers are now prepared to return to work during negotiations, but the management retuses to meet any delegation including Thornett. The drivers insist on their right to elect their own stewards Over 12,000 workers are laid off without pay due to this strike. Since me purce-day wock, produrtion at Cowley has been repeatedly interrupted as workers have fought agrinst management attacks on agreements. Families are now feeling the pinch. Many have big mortgage debts or large rent arrears.
The astute timing of the victimisaDon lets the company make out that The Executive of the National And Thornett is personally responsible for the workers loss of earnings This Be has been hammered home in an orches walca campaip uy toe local radio and press, Frustrated at the tiny trickle of money coming into the house, the wives of laid-off workers have been encouraged by the witch-hunt to turn on Thornett When a few women suggested a waves' demonstration to demand that the company sack thomett, the local radio gave has trumped up several charges against Marscted access to their campaign some non-wung stewards saw their chance. сикс 0ю management, bavo wanted port -went on strike before the end won support within the unions The wives canspaln can be wod as a front. These men endorsed the women's Call but stayed in the background. They hope to ride to power if the strike is lost.
FRIENDLY DIRECTOR Some 250 women and children, with factory pates. The Plant Director effiasively greeted the demonstration, invitine a aliceacon in lor tea and a chat He uosun.: ed them he was 1100 per cent behind the demonstration and suggested that they "go on protesting.
The women now plan a meetine un the Town Hall. They hope to perilade nght-wing she wards to call an unofficial mass meeting to organise scabbing These events offer a terrible lesson to the workers' movement. If measures are not taken to win the support of workers" families for trade union struggles, hardship can leave the waves prey to right-wing or even fascist demagogues, ters, One is the selfstyled National didate in Newcastle.
employers and unions. Its intervention for years to aust Thomett, but have never it to be a front for the employers. bandwagon of reaction unleashed by the ers is their monopoly of the mass modis.
But the boycott of the media by the hands. a few men, marched on Wednesday to the all available channels, to convince the need to defend Thomett, His victimisation threatens effective trade unionism at Cowley. Such a disaster would bring much worse hardship than they will ever suffer fighting employers attacks. side. The recunt successfal sit-in of women sewing machinists in the Mand wives mobilised to support the miners" strikes is an excellent example of how to develop solidarity in struggle.
National negotiations have broken SINISTER ALLIES Support for the Cowley wives has appeared from a number of dubious quar Housewives Association", an outfit set up by a woman who later tan as a Tory canThey conned housewives into joining by talking of opposing rising prices, The Association claims to be neutral between exposes that phoney neutrality, and shows Trade unionists must cut across the witch-hunt. A big weapon for the employunion leaders is playing into the employers A campaigs must be launched, asing laid-off workers and their families of the Women in Cowley can be won to our trim-shop shows that. The way that miners Fard factories. The use of the Cowley wives as strike-breakers is one of the most sinister and dangerous acts against the trade unions since wives were used against picket lines in the 1972 docks' strike.
There must be a massive mobilisation against this strike breaking. Militant women trade unionists must produce leaflets explaining why working class women must support their own class against the employers. Counter demonstrations must be organised against any attempt to scab.
On a national scale women trade unionists, supported by men trade unionists, should organise squads of pickets to go to Ox ford. These pickets should visit the homes of women affected by the dispute and win their support for the strike. Pickets should be thrown up around Radio Oxford to demand radio time to put the trade unionists' case Organisations such as the Communist Party, the Workers Revolutionary Party, International Socialism, the IMG, and women's groups should mobilise on a national scale to fight this attempt to divide the working class along sex lines. A failure to defeat this latest piece of scabbing will give the ruling class a new weapon in its attempt to smash living standards.
down The company refuses to talk it Thornett is in the union delegation. The Oxford district committeu of the TGWL automotive group has now offered the management a nutually agrood loquiry into the charges against Thorett, conditional on BLMC reversing their action. On Wednesday the regional com mattee will decide whetbor to make the strike official If this formula is rejected.
Other car workers are giving support.
The BEMC shop stewards combine conmittee tus hacked Thomett, and donated E500 to the strikers. Collections are heing organised throughout the pombine.
Delegations have also been sent to the JEFF KING slams teachers Using the platform of the National Union of Teachers conference last week, the Labour Government served notice on the whole working class that behind its 'social contract" is a new incomes policy.
Reg Prentice, Secretary for Education, told the 1750 delegates at Eastbourne that teachers would continue