Ine workers occupying Personna Kazor Blades at Hillington, near Glasgow, are preparing to consolidate the occupation and build solidarity for a long struggle through the winter. On Tuesday 2 December the latest manoeuvre of the Personna manacement was mrmy rejected by the Negotiating Committee at an arbitration meeting.
The moguls of Philip Morris Inc.
apparently had second thoughts about implemenue mass raanuancies our ing the season of goodwill. Their minions in the Personna management informed the Conciliation and Arbitration services that tney could not bear to see the Personna workers spend Christmas without wages. They proposed a return to work over Christmas and New year ane a ceav in the in plementation of redundancies till mid-January.
Temptation Portie workers or resona m their eleventh week of strike and occupation, on £6.25 a week strike pay.
the temptation of such an offer could have been very great. They could have brought some desperately needed cash home over Christmas and then attempted to resume their low. struggle afterwards.
Had the management's offer been taken up, however, the workers would have returned to the struggle with a crucial weapon lost. The return period proposed would have given Personna ust chourn ume to meet me nure back log of orders which has accumulated in une unree monens or strike and occupation, using the stocks of blades presently held by the occupying workers. The stewards therefore turned the 'offer down flat, and the Personna workers are turning their energies towards building for victory in the New Year.
implement blacking against all products or Philp Morris subsidiaries has been an important boost for the occupation. Personna shop stewards now hope to extend the blacking to docks throughout Britain. Already arrangements have been made for representatives of the occupa tion to address workers in Manchester docks.
The meeting was organised as a result of action taken by trade unionists in Manchester IMG on the 26 November jobs demonstration. A collection of 220 was taken for the Personna occupation on the Manchester train and approaches were made to trade union delegations about the possibility of a tour for Personna shop stewards.
STOP PRESS work. At the time of going to press, the details or the settiement reman carry a full report.
address factory, site, dock and trade union meetings in the Manchester area during the week of 16-20 December Included in the tour are a number of Hawker Scaee Dants. Tre Gocks and Pochin's building sites; and supporels aso be ne sournt trom te 1oca trades council, the AUEW District Committee, and the printing union SOGAT.
Vital task ings in other areas, readers of Red Weekly can take up the vital task of mobilising the workers' movement in solidarity with the Personna occupation. The Glasgow IMG has prepared a brochure containing the blacking list of Philip Morris subsidiaries prepared by Red Weekly, the briefings discovered in the factory which expose the management's plans for mass redundancies and closure, and an appeal from Personna shop stewards for use in building trade union support.
son, 18 Carrington St. Glasgow, G4 (041-332-8728). Junds for the occupation should be rushed to: Ruby Duncan, 27 Bonfield Cres, Penilec, Glasgow By organising similar tours and meetCopies are available from: A. JamieRed Weekly 11 December 1975 Health Service Cuts 3