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Marshall Aerospace workers on strike

Nick Savage | 15.03.2005 08:39 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Cambridge

Today 180 aircraft fitters are on strike at Marshall aerospace for a new grading structure. Pickets will be out all day.

workers outside marshalls
workers outside marshalls

pickets stop cars as they go in to work
pickets stop cars as they go in to work

even fat cats are on the picket line!
even fat cats are on the picket line!


This dispute has been going on for 4 years now without any progress. Last year's pay deal was accepted on the basis that a new grading structure would be introduced but management have now gone back on their promise. Members of the Amicus trade union have been balloted over industrial action and voted 96 % in favour. The current gap between the highest grade for skilled aircraft fitters and the next grade up is seven thousand pounds.

Picket lines will be outside Marshall's on Newmarket Road all dayso why not go downa nd offer your support?

Nick Savage
- e-mail: nick@nicksavage.freeserve.co.uk

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Don't just strike, Give it up!

16.03.2005 12:12

In an ideal world, they would see the error of their ways, give up their jobs entirely, and stop supporting the military industrial murdering machine that makes this planet so insufferable for so many human beings.

Auntie War

This is not an ideal world

17.03.2005 08:14

In an ideal world none of society's resurces would be wasted on war machines anyway. The question is how do we go from here to there? I firmly believe that we cannot afford to simply dismiss workers in these industries. Rather we should be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in this campaign and simultaneously discussing Imperialism. One of the best examples of how this can pay off is from the 1970s. The Lucas plan was an alternative plan to turn production from miltary production to more useful things. See:

 http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/ws88_89/ws29_lucas_struggle.html

Unite against the bosses, discuss fraternally together.

Nick Savage

Yep...

17.03.2005 17:25

I'm broadly in agreement with Nick. We have to avoid being to dogmatic in our approach. Making links with workers who are standing up for themselves and taking strike action is really important. If they're getting politicised around issues very close to home, it's not such a great leap for them to be politicised around broader issues.

If someone wants to organise an anti arms trade picket of Marshalls, that'd be great...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't support a trade union strike and picket on issues of workers rights.

Poon