STUC supports "magnificent struggle" of workers in Prisme Dundee occupation

(Friday 24 April 2009)

by Malcolm Burns in Perth

The final act of the 2009 STUC Congress in Perth was to pledge support for the workers who have occupied the Prisme packaging premises in Dundee over the last 7 weeks.

Mike Arnott of Dundee TUC said: "When we were told about the Prisme sit-in, our first reaction was to have a whip-round. This is the first factory occupation for 13 years and the first in Dundee since Timex in 1993."

Arnott said the management had told the workforce with no notice that the company was bust, there was no money for redundancy and they were all dismissed.

"Faced with this," he said "the decision of the workers was a spontaneous and courageous act worthy of support, which is why we support them, even though they were not members of a union. Most workers in Britain aren't. It's not a perfect world yet."

Arnott said that the strikers have received support and donations from trade union branches. "These workers are much closer to the trade union movement and its ethos of solidarity now.

They still have not received their redundancy payment but all donations are going into a fund to start a new company named Discovery, after Dundee's iconic ship.

"Today the workers have been involved in talks to save their company but finance is still needed - please send donations," Mr Arnott appealed. "Cheques payable to TUC Lobby Fund, c/o Dundee TUC, 141 Yarrow Terrace, DD2 4DY."

Calum Murray of UCU said that the Prisme workers occupation was "really quite outstanding and inspirational" and had touched a spark with people in Dundee.

"Occupation is the new fashion," he said. "Here is small non-unionised factory, there is a group of parents in Glasgow, sparks are beginning to spread round the labour movement. When people facing redundancy or closures fight back, suddenly we find levels of support amongst the wider community. We all know that when we ballot for strike we get flooded with membership applications. When we fight back, people flock to us. That's why we should flock to them when they fight back."

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