Flyer, handbill

This flyer refers to workers’ strikes at the Grunwick factory and Garners Steak House chain that dominated industrial relations in London during the 1970s. The event announced on the flyer was organised by the Socialist Workers Party on behalf of the largely migrant workforce of the Garners Steak houses in dispute with their employer over pay, conditions and the right to join a Trade Union.
Industrial action by the Garners workers began on 26th January 1978 when management of the restaurant chain refused to allow recognition of their membership of the Transport and General Works Union. The subsequent strike by 84 workers led to their instant dismissal. The action taken by the workers at Garners and was directly inspired by the industrial action taken by the workers at the Grunwick film processing factory in Willesden between 1976 and 1977. The origins of the Grunwick dispute were similar to those faced by the migrant Garners workers but also caused by the atmosphere of fear and control by the factory managers who required the largely female South Asian workforce to ask permission to go to the toilet and imposed forced overtime at short notice. The ‘walkout’ of 137 workers at Grunwick in August 1976 was led by Jayaben Desai who like most of her factory colleagues had moved to London from East Africa in the late 1960s-early 1970s. Following several months of picketing outside the factory the Grunwick strikers joined the union APEX and their cause was taken up by the wider trade union movement and socialist organisations including the SWP. A call for action by these wider groups often attracted up to 20,000 protestors who packed themselves the narrow lanes near Dollis Hill tube station, at times leading to confrontation with the police. During the strike around 550 strikers and supporters were arrested, at that time the highest number detained in an industrial dispute since the 1926 general strike.
As the dispute continued APEX and the TUC began to withdraw their support as referenced on the flyer. When a hunger strike outside TUC headquarters led by Jayaben Desai failed to change their minds the battle was over. After two long years of struggle, the Grunwick dispute ended in defeat for the strikers.
As indicated by the flyer THE STRIKE for union recognition at Garners steak houses in central London attracted similar support from socialist organisations to the Grunwick dispute.
Workers picketing outside the Garners restaurants resulted in a reduction of 80% of customers but sustained picketing from Garner’s workers and sympathetic trade unionists and socialist organisations became more challenging as the dispute continued without progress. The SWP led the call for party members and unionists to join the Garners workforce on the picket line belieivng mass pickets outside the West End Garners restaurants, particularly on Saturday nights would transform the strike by destroying the restaurants trade.
Similarly to Grunwick the Garners strike was ultimately unsuccessful and ended in June 1979. Both strike, however, represented a new era of migrant workers uniting to fight for their rights and better pay and conditions. But despite inspirational leadership by women such as Jayaben Desai the disputes also revealed that the success of sustained strikes continued to depend on the support of a largely white male dominated Trade Union leadership.