NORMA COCKSEY has Laurence Scott Electromotors in Manchester for one year. She has stuck with the dispute through thick and thin. fellow periences as a woman striker and a woman worker.
stator winder, is married with three grown up daughters and is a member of the engineering union, the AUEW.
youl perience at work before Le SLnKer We nad some hassle over us getting less money than the men tor doing the same job. When they brought in the Equal Pay Act we all got the same basic rate and the same bonus rate.
Then two of the men winders decided they wanted to be reclassed to get more money. They weren't skilled, only semi-skilled so they decided that werc coine neavier jobs than us.
un maternat we were doing very small jobs that they couldn't do.
So what happened? Did they get a bigger bonus rate?
been on strike at PHIL PENNING, striker spoke to her about her exNorma worked at LSE for eight years as a No, we took drop. Union agreed to us taking a arop How did the women react to this?
They had no choice. They were told by the union, you see,, that this was what they had to do, so they did enough women were willing to get involvPhoto:
In fight especially those in the rest of the factory who weren't affected.
Some peoole sav that women go out to work tor oin monty....
I go to work to get a decent standard living l've always gone to work.
From the kids being a Women and men on the march for Laurence Scott few weeks old l've done evening somewhere that I could take school holidays.
This is the longest l've ever been out of work. I've taken a massive drop in living standards.
I'm about 60 quid week light, in my hand that.
Which way did you vote on the dispute? When 1 first went into that mecling went wiln ine lof voting against.
But distening Tocher (AUEW divisional organiser) and the rest them talking about the things the boss, Snipe, got away with, how he'd never ed, lowest paying industries, occupations and grades Employers have craftily argued that working Dare ser amatend difference barring women This may be changed by a but 442223 Concentration of women workers by manufacturing industry (November 1981)
Industry Food, drink & tobacco Clothing & footwea Electrical engineering Textiles rapel, prinung & publishing been fought and how we were fighting for the next generation's jobs, I decid ed that we must pur up c fight and each meeting ! voted for it.
What do you think of Tne _role COT the union during the dispute?
Rubbish. I would point the finger at both the local officials and national. But without any doubt Duffy. Boyd and Ken Cure are the main reasons for not winning our jobs back.
Was there any time when you felt like walking away?
Yes, sometimes I felt that it was just a waste of time but would never have walked away. It felt like a waste of time because we were fighting everybody the government, ponce, the union. only support other workers inal kept us go ing.
Did you have any problems with the men ir the the should be paid what a man would get if he were doing the job.
This would only apply who wall claim pay male predecessor or comwho has left the firm The concept of equal 4288882 Women as No of 1% non- % total women workers manual)* workforce 240,700 (23)
(10) 208,300 (31) 133./0 (44) point of view of being a woman?
No, I don't think we had Scotts but wen ou conecune dad tory gates some men look. ed at vou as though vou were only working for pin money so it wasn't important But I do think that men s wavs or looking al women changed during the dispute - they began to look at us more like equals.
You have talked about Discrimination Act. Do you think they have been successful?
No. because there are far ting equal pay and the men don't seem to want to sun port any fight for us.
ht we re to change this situation women have got involved in union work The Labour Party should bring in a law that will make sure women get an equal chance.
We'll only will Soclas gel solidarity of all workers blems laced with the existing law.
necessary change casting lan such changes only scratch the policy guaranteed minimum wage backed bv the TIC would probably be more effective in this instance.
Flat rate increases and inflation proofing should be fought for to raise basic levels..
The failure of the legislation of the '70s has shown the tate of women cannot and will not be decided by debares among friends in the EEC or by government commit-
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AVEN A.UE