Communications International appeals for Solidarity Action

Communications International appeals for Solidarity Action
Support the Critchley 31

Philip Bowyer (pictured right on a Critchley solidarity march), General Secretary of the Communications International has urged affiliated trade unions to commence a week of solidarity protest on 2 February 1998.

The original text appears in the Communications International Solidarity pages at http://www.ptti.ch/critchle.htm.

CIRCULAR LETTER 2/98

14 January 1998

Dear Colleagues,

CRITCHLEY LABELS, UK

UNION RECOGNITION DISPUTE - Workers on strike for 1 year

APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY

Critchley Labels is a small factory in South Wales, United Kingdom which was formerly owned by British Telecom. The factory was sold by BT following privatisation. A succession of owners continued to recognise the Communications Workers Union, CWU as representing employees.

However in May 1996, 10 individuals, including CWU branch officials, were made compulsorily redundant. The ten who were sacked included an employee with disabilities who had worked at the factory for 17 years.

Throughout that summer the CWU attempted to negotiate with Critchley. Critchley refused to reinstate the members, or improve the redundancy payments, or even to maintain their agreement with the CWU to consult, in the future, on staffing matters. Following a successful ballot CWU members commenced an overtime ban from Tuesday, 1 October 1996.

John White - the Critchley Managing Director at Croespenmaen - responded to the overtime ban by banning the CWU from talks with the company, and ripped up the union recognition agreement, stating: "I haven’t got time to talk to a union". As a consequence the CWU felt they had no choice but to hold a further strike ballot on the issue of derecognition.

Two one day strikes were held in January 1997. Critchley management threatened CWU members with dismissal if they participated in any further action. A week’s strike action commenced on Monday, 3 February 1997 and management proceeded to dismiss all 31 CWU members on Thursday 6 February.

Every effort by the union to resolve the issues has been rebuffed by the management.

One year later the workers are still on strike.

All affiliates are requested to express their solidarity with the Critchley strikers. In the week beginning 2^nd February 1998 you are asked to send protests (model attached).

Please send copies to CI Headquarters.
Yours sincerely,


PHILIP BOWYER
General Secretary

Draft model letter:

Critchley Group

2^nd February 1998

Dear Critchley Group,

On behalf of (name of union and country) we are writing to protest about the dismissal of 31 Communication Workers Union members from your South Wales plant, in Great Britain.

We are shocked that any employer can act in this way. In any fair and democratic society a good employer will recognise the wishes of their workers to be represented by their trade union. We are calling on Critchley to reinstate those members and recognise the Communication Workers Union.

Our Union and the Communication Workers Union of Great Britain are members of the Communications International, representing workers in 120 countries and we stand in solidarity with the CWU members in their dispute with you.
Yours faithfully,

(Name of Union)

LIST OF ADDRESSES

Critchley Group Headquarters
Monmouth House, 26-28 Thomas Street
Cirencester
GB-Gloucestershire GL7 2BD
Telephone: (0044) 1285 64 11 87
Fax: (0044) 1285 64 12 13

Cable Identification Products and Accessories Division

Critchley Ltd., Wellington House, Bath Road Woodchester GB-Gloucestershire GL5 5EY
Telephone: (0044) 1453 83 68 36 Fax: (0044) 1453 83 70 00

Critchley Inc.,
6146 South 350 West
Suite A
Salt Lake City
Utah 84107
USA
Telephone: (001) 801 288 0730 Fax: (001) 801 288 9333
Critchley SME SA
2 avenue Charles de Gaulle
78150 Le Chesnay
PARIS
France
Telephone: (0033) 1 39 54 34 26 Fax: (0033)1 39 54 41 36

Critchley Electrical Products Pty Ltd.,
138 Adderley Street
Auburn
NSW 2144
Australia
Tel.: (0061) 2 648 5033 Fax: (0061) 2 647 1652
Idento GmbH
Paul-Ehrlick-Strasse 23
D-63322 Rödermark
Germany
Tel.: (0049) 6074 89 08 0 Fax: (0049) 6074 9 58 43

Electronic Components Division

Critchley Components Ltd.,
PO Box 246
Queens Drive Industrial Estate
GB-NOTTINGHAM NG2 1NQ

Tel.: (0044) 115 986 1126
Fax: (0044) 115 986 0563
E-mail: critchleycomponents@dial.pipex.com

Critchley Label Technology Ltd., Unit
3 Oakwood Close
Pen-Y-Fan
Industrial Estate
GB-Crumlin NP1 4HY

Tel: (0044) 1495 244000
Fax: (0044) 1495 244736

West Hyde Enclosures Ltd.,
Armstrong House, Bath Road
Woodchester
GB-Gloucestershire GL5 5HJ

Tel.: (0044) 1453 836789
Fax: (0044) 1453 836444

North America

Critchley’s website in North America is at : http://www.critchley.com

Main Office:
Salt Lake City
UTAH
Toll free phone 800-748-4255 Tel.: (001) 801 255 33 65 Fax: (001) 801 255-6024 General E-mail: karens@critchley.com Technical support: steves@critchley.com Business office E-mail: scots@critchley.com

NorthEast U.S.

Sherborn, MA
Tel: (001) 508 650-3977
Fax: (001) 508 655 7624
E-mail: lornc@critchley.com

SouthCentral U.S.

Dallas, TX
Tel: (001) 214 732-7328
Fax: (001) 214 732-7647
E-mail: tonys@critchley.com

MidAtlantic U.S.
Wall, NJ
Tel: (001) 908 714-1375
Fax: (001) 908 714-1380
E-mail: stank@critchley.com

Virginia
Williamsburg, VA
Tel: (001) 757 229-3508
Fax: (001) 757 229-3965
E-mail: gordonr@critchley.com

SouthEast U.S.
Charlotte, NC
Tel: (001) 704 364-9033
Fax: (001) 704 364-0051
E-mail: robh@critchley.com

SouthWest U.S.
Scottsdale, AZ
Tel: (001) 602 948 0303
Fax: (001) 602 948 2590
E-mail: deang@critchley.com

Western U.S.
Valencia, CA
Tel: (001) 805 295 3010
Fax: (001) 805 295 3015
E-mail: stephenm@critchley.com

CANADA

Ontario
toll free 800-361-3383
Tel: (001) 905 949 6730
Fax: (001) 905 949 6736
E-mail: peterb@critchley.com

The Critchley strikers were sacked for the right to have their union recognised.

For further information contact Grace Mitchell, Communication Workers Union, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RX
Telephone: 0181 971 7200

The Critchley 31 and the Communication Workers Union ask for your help and support.

Messages of support should be sent to

Tony Young
Joint General Secretary
Communication Workers Union
Greystoke House
150 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London SW19 1RX
UK

Tel: +44 (0)181 971 7200
Fax: +44 (0)181 971 7300

or, E-mailed to the CWU at 101354.1171@compuserve.com.

E-Mail your protests to the Critchley management at critchleycomponents@dial.pipex.com or leave a message on the Critchley web site at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/hj72/index.htm for the UK, Europe and Asia.

Critchley's Website in the USA is at http://www.critchley.com.

Any donations would be welcome and should be made out to "CWU - Critchley Fighting Fund" and sent to the Union headquarters, address as above.

For other material relating this dispute and the CWU, please click on to:

Communications International calls for week of Solidarity Protest
Flood Critchley with protests week commencing 2 February 1998. Model protest letter and Critchley addresses, e-mail and fax details are included.

Photographs from the Critchley Labels Dispute - with thumbnails for fast download

Photographs from the Critchley Labels Dispute - same photographs but no thumbnails - slow

The Critchley Solidarity Page

Cardiff March and Rally - 1 November 1997

Critchley Strikers - Register Your Support via Critchley's E-Mail and Fax

Critchley Group on the Slide by Alan Harley, May 1997

Support the Critchley 31 - background briefing by the CWU

Critchley Strikers Need Your Support - March and Rally in Nottingham, 14 May 1997

Cheers and Tears for the Critchley Strikers by Eddie Barrett, April 1997

Internet Support for Critchley Strikers, April, 1997

Striking Critchley Workers Sacked!2 March, 1997

Strike at Critchley as Union is Banned
CWU Home Page

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Their fight is ours, their victory will be yours.

Uploaded 17 January 1998