With the struggle now into its third month, it is vital to prevent the isolation of the strikers. One way of doing this would be for the AUEW to organise a one day strike in the area, and use this as the basis for a national support campaign.
The women have also had a hard time with the Social Security, which has refused them payment. Sally Groves, a member of the strike committee, explained to Hammersmith WWCC: 'We're learning all the time. The Social Security turned small groups away. At Ealing we hassled them into paying us. We forced the manager to meet us all in one of the offices. He got into such a state that he gave us f7.50 hardship Hounslow was more difficult to crack. We had a meeting in the office — they got very upset because -they couldn't control it. We were dragged out forcibly. Now Baling are not paying because Hounslow have managed to fend us off.' Of course, if women did work for pin money there would be little problem, but myths do not pay the rent. union, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. Unless you are a member for three months you can't draw strike pay, so that 96 women who had only just joined when the strike broke out were not eligible for money.
Other women workers realised that this was totally inadequate. We said, we're all one - we can't pick up money and them none', says Betty Humphreys. To avoid this, when three weeks strike pay came through 'we only took one week to allow the others to have money. This has put us back some...' This problem has now been Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report overcome and all the strikers get strike pay. However, this mistake — which has now been recognised by the union - should be completely set right by giving back pay to compensate for the extra unnecessary hardship that was caused. Difficulties The need for this type of action was clearly demonstrated when women at SEI in Manchester — AUEW members — were out on strike in autumn 1974 for 14 weeks. During that time no solidarity or action was organised, they were totally isolated, and subsequently lost the struggle. The establishment of a support committee could help in this respect.
Labour MPs such as Syd Bidwell and Jo Richardson should not only be asked to raise the problems of Trico workers in the House. They should call on the NEC to give a bulk sum of money, as the struggle is an important test for the Labour Party's equal pay promises - which the women have been forced to take into their own hands, thereby losing 10 weeks pay and suffering appalling family tensions.
One thing that has to be done immediately is to organise creche facilities to enable all the women to participate in the struggle. This is particularly important now that the school holidays are starting the union should organise and pay for this, as well as play facilities and trips for the kids, etc. With growing family problems arising out of the strike, a meeting should be organised where people can discuss these difficulties openly with everybody concerned in the family as well.