Four hundred immigrant workers employed by the London Eating Houses chain returned to work on Wednesday after winning major concessions during their weeklong strike, The workers, mainly organised by the Turkish Worken Commitee of the incerne tionar branc of the T&GWU, walkod aut on 24 October after three of their number were sacked. Although manage. ment immediately issued discissa notices to all or them, and tried to bring in occasional labour, 60 The strike by 656 Glasgow firemen has had the effect of drawing lines sharply and vividly within the working class movement. Against the firemen stand the Tory Government and its Pay Laws, which prevent the firemen's claim for a £5 Glasgow allowance being met. Alongside the Tories stand Len Murray of the TUC and the Secretary of the Scottish TUC, James Jack. Murray appealed to the men not to strike, on behalf of all trade unionists, and James Jack ordered all trade union bodies in Scotland not to take any action which would represent upproval of the strike"
DECISIVE LEADERSHIP With our good brothers Murray and Jack stands Terry Purry, leader of the 30,000 strong Fire Brigades Union. His leadership has certainly proved to be of a decisive type. When the leaders of the Glasgow firemen announced their Intention to strike, he withdrew their credentials. He then marched his full 14 man executive up to Glasgow to wait for the strike leaders to beg forgiveness, call off the strike, and receive ARR.
Wimpy Bars, Texas Pancake Houses and Aberdeen Steak Houses belonging to the chain were severely Because of the effectiveness of the strike, manage.
mant was soon forced to negotiate on the workers' LOSTIC AHEAD HIT 20 MINUTE SAURIO all the strikers reinstatement of the three wor ken previously sacked, massive improvements in vages, hours and conditions; and full tride union rights, their credentials back.
While they were there, FBU officials met with the Scottish Secretary of State to offer him advice on how soldiers, sailors and airmen could most efficiently be used to replace striking firemen, Then on Monday they convinced a special conference in London to condemn the Glasgow strikes, (Glasgow firemen are considering calling for a TUC enquiry into the conference procedures.)
This is the first serike in the unson's history, Opposition to strikes is established policy of the FBU, grounded in the belief that because the fire brigades ure a public service, the capitalis state must compensate firemen accordingly. But capitalisin is not based on charity, and like other public service worken, firemen receive very low pay for the hard and dangerous work which they do, Aller a settlement in October, which was within Phase - guidelines, a fireman receives £26.76 for a basic 40 hour week rising to £28.20 if be manages to survive 15 year without death or serious injury. They must work sixteen hours a week compulsory overtime owing to the gencrat lack Ar a marathon session on Tuesday, management were forced to give way on everything, Although the negotiations wire conducted by a T&G official, the workers themselves elected two of their number to represented. Together they reported beck to a mass meeting of the workers at 10 pm on Tuesday, who after four hours of tharaughgoing discussion voted to accept the terms negotiated -of staff, and get no extras for shill or weekend working. At present, FBU branches are considering action in support of national demands for a shorter working wook and job re-evaluation, and London firemen have already begun a work-to-rule.
SLANDERS All the more disgusting then are the editorialists of the press, who have launched a campaign to brand the firemen as potential murderers for taking strike action. But it is the low pay in the public sector which the state has been able to pot away with procisely by directing slanders against public sector militants in the past, which is responsible for the undermanning of the fire service and thereby many deaths The Glasgow fire service is 200 firemen short. Between 1969 and 1972, 10 firemen have died In Glasgow fires. This yeur alone 70 have left the service, Fireman in Glasgow still have bitter memories of the whisky bond fire in 1960 when 14 firemen and five salvuge men were killed Yet the Fire Service does not even have a compensation scheme!
The Labour Party likes to tell us that it stands up for the weak and the dispossessed. Yet the Glasgow Corporation, run by a Labour Council, has treated the firemen with contempt by offering them an additional L2.48, E2 of which would be a "transport allowance', Glasgow's Labour Councillors had a choice: either they broke the Tory Government's Pay Laws and attracted more men to the service, thus saving more firemen's lives in the future or they saved their own miserable skins from Goverament prosecution, Despite previous "brave" murmurs about defying the Housing Finance Act, their behaviour hus made it perioctly clear on which side of the class barricades they stand. This larest strike against the Pay Laws should gel the active support of all firemen, whose national daim may be vetoed by the Pay Laws Ali public service workers should back the firemen, for they are standing up for all thosc groups of workers, nurses, leachers, hospital workers ete whose devotion capitalism has boon able to take for granted too often, TROOPS The use of troops in the Glasgre daputes an ominous note for the working dam move ment. Of one thing we can have no doubt: the Tories concern is with breaking strikes, not saving lives. The Government has long awaited an opportunity to use the militury in a strike situation. If this tactic succeeds in Glasgow we can expect to see a massive use of 'strikebreakers in uniform' this spring.
Those who collaborate with troops are making the job of the Government easier. The assistan co rendered by the FBU executive was outright treachery, and the 60 members of the Fire Officers" Union who are working with the troops should withdraw their services and join the struggle.
The working class movement nust reply to the Tories action with a massive display of support for the firemen and warn the Governest that the use of troops in industrial disputes will only serve to muitiply working class solidarity tenfold.
Steps must be taken to show that the Glasgow working class need not rely on these scabe ir unitor" to protect their families: fire prevention instruction should he organised by the strikers on all housing estates, and training given to special volunteer units to deal with
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Mass meeting in Glasgow last week AN END TO 100 hr = £25 SLAVERY TAGWU
TRAN SACKINGS LEVERS WORK PLACE