Following four two-day strikes, the workers stepped up their campaign, striking for a full week September 28 to October 5 in an effort to get the bosses to negotiate with the union. On September 19, BBC Scotland said that the company’s managing director Jan Zadruzynski stated that “Soapworks believes this dispute should be resolved through negotiation.”

White told this Militant reporter on October 4, however, that the only meetings so far have been at the initiative of the union, with nothing favorable offered by the company. At a mass meeting toward the end of the week-long strike, workers decided to push ahead, approving another two-day strike for October 13-14.

In 1999 workers, many of whom have worked at the plant for 13 years plus, agreed to a five-year wage freeze to avoid threatened redundancies (layoffs). The company’s refusal to apply a 3 percent wage increase offer to shift allowances triggered the strike decision by the 62 union members.

There are 64 production workers. The company operates a pattern of two or three shifts and shift allowances (additional wages for afternoon or night shifts) are a significant part of the pay packet—between 12 percent and 18 percent higher wages. The current hourly rate is £6.20p ($10.23).

“Now we are only asking what is our due,” said White.

More than two-thirds of the strikers have staffed the picket lines regardless of weather, organized in shifts. Teams of strikers have been going into the center of Glasgow to leaflet the Body Shop outlet on Sauchiehall Street to get out word of the strike and put pressure on the company. Soapworks is owned by the Body Shop, which makes marketing capital out of selling “ethical beauty products.”

The workers report a positive response to their leafleting, showing a hand pump soap and calling on Soapworks, supplier to the Body Shop, to “Stop squeezing your workers.” One woman said she would “e-mail Anita Roddick immediately to say how disgusted she was about how she treated her workers.” Roddick is a Green Party campaigner and founder, director, and major share holder of the Body Shop.

On the day this reporter visited the picket line, some strikers were visiting other factories in the neighborhood to tell the workers about the strike and ask them to display the union leaflet.

Many lorry (truck) drivers are respecting the picket line, although pickets reported that not many were turning up during the week-long strike. Contributions to the strike fund have been received from local authority refuse workers and the Fire Brigades Union, among others, amounting to about £3,000.

The company is offering 3 percent on the hourly rate this year and 2.5 percent for each of the next two years. They have also offered an extra 1.5 percent in the next two years if workers agree to unspecified production targets. Workers on the picket line explained the work pace is already hectic and they don’t see how increased targets could be met.

Soapworks was opened in 1988 to make soap for the Body Shop. Its website boasts, “We pride ourselves on treating our employees fairly as they are an integral part of the business… Soapworks operate a relaxed but efficient atmosphere, ensuring that our staff are happy in their job and are being looked after is an important issue to the management.”

Workers say that until the late 1990s, wages and conditions compared favorably with others in the area. At this time, the Body Shop lost ground to competitors and “caring capitalism” was no longer on the agenda. The company sold factories, cut jobs, and froze wages at Soapworks.

The Body Shop now owns about 500 stores in 50 countries, and also runs a network of international franchised outlets. In May, the company posted a 40 percent jump in profits and announced a £100 million ($165 million) expansion plan. Profits for 2003 were £29 million ($48 million).

Workers said that messages of support with their strike can be sent to tgwu@tgwu.org.uk—and should be marked “Soapworks dispute.”

Caroline Bellamy contributed to this article.  
 
 
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