Islington stoppage

Press, 18 November 1982, Page 20

Islington stoppage

Sir,—The play is written, the stage is set and the Islington freezing workers are preparing to go on. Due to the incompetence of their so-called “betters”, the workers are getting the “golden handshake” in ever-increasing numbers while others suffer a gradual erosion of all conditions they have striven to achieve. Workers are becoming casualties of a system which has wrung every drop of blood out of them, then tossed them on a scrap-heap. The'time has come for all the ostriches to get their heads out of the sand and take a stand. The workers at Islington have done just that; they have refused to take a cut in pay and suffer a loss of conditions which had taken years to get. Instead of denigrating them the public should given them the moral support which in this day and age it is every worker’s right to expect — Yours, etc., J. W. MacTAGGART. Islington freezing worker. November 16, 1982.

Sir,-It is always interesting to observe the reactions of individuals when a trade union becomes involved in a strike in this country; I refer, of course, to the present disruption at the Islington freezing works. Whenever a trade union here takes a stand on an issue, out come the elitists of this society, throwing catch phrases into the air in an attempt to colour the issues concerned. However, as history shows, when an industry is in a period of transition, as the freezing industry is, it is the workers, the ordinary people, that are most affected, yet doubtless the shareholders and the directors- will continue in their present path, causing fewer job opportunities though higher throughputs, but with a social cost.that this society is now having to meet, that of rising unemployment. It is a sad situation indeed when this society, once proud, puts profits before people.—Yours, etc.

PETER W. KENNEDY. November 16, 1982.