09.11.1995

Bitter dispute flares in North London

Workers locked out, attacked by thugs

THE locked-out workers of JJ Fast Food are in a very important, very bitter industrial dispute.

Despite the threat of instant dismissal, 45 of the 70 plus workers had secretly joined a union, the TGWU. Their conditions were appalling. They worked 60-70 hours a week for a pittance; their wages had been frozen for over a year; they were not entitled to sick or holiday pay.

The dispute began when the factory owner, Mustapha Kaimil, moved to crush the growing unionisation amongst his workers. On October 28, he summarily sacked the union shop steward. 

The rest of the unionised men soon followed him. A few days later, after an official visit from the union to protest against the sacking, he stormed onto the factory floor and manhandled the rest of the organised workers out of the door.

The locked out workers are Turkish, Kurdish, Turkish Cypriot and some from the Turkic Republics of the ex-USSR. Unsurprisingly, the boss has tried to stoke up inter-ethnic hostility. It has not worked. The workers are standing firm and united.

They are united amongst themselves, but like many migrant workers in this country they are not truly united with the working class movement of Britain. This weakens both sides.

For workers like those of JJ Fast Foods, their marginalisation means they are prey to super-exploitation by gangster bosses like Kaimil. On the other side, the combative and revolutionary traditions of these workers could be a jolt of electricity through the sleepy reformist structures of the British trade union and political movement.

The strikers have been attacked by hired thugs and the police. They need the physical support of every trade unionist. A victory in JJ’s could be a blow struck on behalf of every low paid, non-unionised worker - and thus for all of us.

Boycot JJ’s products! Contact the strike centre for a full list of outlets.

Kemal Osman