Members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), they are demanding a weekly pay increase of £50 over five years (£1=$1.83). Their wages have been frozen for the last five years. The workers won union recognition at the factory in 2003 after a successful work stoppage to reinstate two sacked workers.

Most of the 100 workers at the plant are from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh and have worked there for a number of years. Ambala Foods makes Indian sweets and savouries for restaurants and shops across the United Kingdom. The owners also have an outlet in Chicago.

Cheers greeted a large flour truck May 20 as its drivers refused to cross the picket line. Earlier, an elevator engineer refused to cross on a strike day. Union steward Lokon Miah said the TGWU is receiving invitations for speaking engagements on the struggle and TGWU members are distributing an information card about the strike outside Ambala shops. A TGWU shop steward from the local bus depot visited the strikers May 13.

“The cost of living is high in London,” Miah told the Militant. “That’s why we need a living wage, not just a minimum wage. Our ballot vote for strike action was 93 percent and we’ve increased union membership from 60 to 90 since the strike began, including joining up some night-shift workers who are not on strike.” One night worker said some of his shift would consider joining the strike if the boss didn’t raise their pay.

“This boss is a liar,” said picket organizer Mohammad Shabbir. “We can’t trust his negotiations. That’s why we’ve stepped up the action.”

After week three, the boss, Shoukat Ali, made a verbal pay offer to raise pre-tax wages by £26 to £40 a week, workers said. Basic pre-tax wages at the plant range from £194 to £260 a week. When TGWU officials put the new wages in writing in the talks, Ali claimed he had never made the offer. He insisted negotiations would only proceed if the picket ended. During the dispute Ali has cut all overtime for the striking workers.

“The bosses try to break us up,” said Mohammad Zahid Khan. Khan received hospital attention after an Ambala delivery van drove at the picket line, trapping his leg under the bumper. This is the second company-inspired attack. Shoukat Ali drove at the first picket line, injuring Shiraz Ali, who has worked at the factory for many years.

On several occasions the boss has called the cops who demand that the 40 picketers stand a distance from the factory gate, leaving only six at the entrance. Police arrived May 13 after the strikers blocked the car park gate for the hour before the shift, preventing access for a dozen managers, technicians, and nonunion workers. After threatening arrests, the cops pushed workers back to the pavement.

Despite this intimidation, Miah said, “We are very solid and determined.”

Unionists said messages of support should be sent to the Transport and General Workers Union at tgould@tgwu.org.uk.

Jim Spaul, James Haywood, and Katan Alder contributed to this article.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home