Iain Dalton, Usdaw Broad Left
At the end of January, members of Usdaw union at car products company Tetrosyl in Rochdale took their sixth day of strike action.
Lively picket lines, with vuvuzelas blaring, were joined by other Usdaw members and trade unionists. It was a firm rebuff to the draconian pay cuts imposed by bosses, which run to £4,000-7,000 a year. The company paid out £2 million in dividends last year.
That pinch is now being felt as pay deductions – a result of the new contracts they felt they had no choice but to sign – have come into effect. One worker told me his pay packet was down by £500 for last month!
Usdaw needs to urgently look into establishing a hardship fund to support the strikers, and not allow Tetrosyl bosses to starve the workers into submission.
Other strikers commented that their family members were on strike during the 2022-23 strike wave and received more publicity than they feel they are getting. While Usdaw HQ has upped its game, promoting the strike on social media, it is vital to raise the profile of the dispute.
Tetrosyl’s head office is in Rochdale. A weekend rally outside, inviting other trade unions to join them, or even a march on a strike day from the distribution centre to the head office, could help build the pressure and wider publicity.
Usdaw is applying to the Central Arbitration Committee for statutory recognition, with over 50% of the workforce reported to have joined the union.
A continued programme of sustainable industrial action will help ensure that the company is forced to negotiate, and that they feel under pressure to address the pay catastrophe they have inflicted.
