S4C’s new award-winning 44min documentary “Y Lein” about the Friction Dynamics strike (2001-2003) is available until August 2024 on BBC iplayer with English subtitles available.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0hm4qr9/y-lein-streic-friction-dynamics
TGWU Friction Dynamics strikers Gerald Parry and John Davis who are featured in the well-made documentary came from Caernarfon to Wolverhampton to speak at our trades council in February 2002 about their 10 month old dispute. We put them up in the Wheatsheaf. They maintained their picket line on shifts 24 hours a day for 2 years 8 months. Several of our delegates visited their picket line a number of times and we had regular updates on the ddispute. We also marched in Caernarfon twice with our banner and alongside Wolverhampton NASUWT on the mass march referred to in the documentary. Support came from all over Britain and the world and our promotion of the dispute led to several other sizeable donations from Wolverhampton union branches.
The strike at Caernarfon-based car parts manufacturer Friction Dynamics, started in April 2001 when TGWU workers voted 91% for a week’s strike over proposed removal of statutory health & safety rights, cuts to holidays, ending of shift payments and a 15% pay cut.
After the strike there was a lock-out and untrained scabs were brought in to work with the asbestos used in manufacture and a pay cut proposed.
In June 2001 they were sacked after voting to continue strike action. They were sacked under Labour’s new employment legislation, which was meant to give workers 8 weeks of protection while in dispute.
The strike received tremendous support from people and even businesses in the area. The picket outside the factory had an almost constant stream of cars and lorries going past honking their horns.
from Sept 2002 Wolverhampton TUC’s Secretary’s report, five years into a labour government. “Despite improvements to the trade union laws by the government, much is still to be done. There is a need to repeal all these laws and replace them with a Workers’ Charter that would fall into line with international law and guarantee the right to strike in Britain. This is exemplified by the struggle of the 87 Friction Dynamics workers in Caernarfon. These TGWU members were sacked after their Victorian employer locked them out for seven weeks following a week’s strike over health and safety. He then sacked them in line, he believed with Labour’s new laws. They are still fighting for their jobs 14 months later.”
After 18 months, represented by John Hendy, they won their Employment Tribunals for unfair dismissal.
Dubbed Britain’s worst employer, American, Craig Smith called in receivers and closed the factory after losing the tribunals for unfair dismissal then re-opened a couple of weeks later with the name reversed and in the ownership of his children, but with the site leased to them from him for £25k/month and materials supplied by his company. This loophole let him avoid any redundancy payments and tribunal compensation. He had already pocketed millions in grants from the Welsh Assembly Government and was being sued for millions for fraudulent activity in America http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1649389.stm
Ten months later in December 2003 the TGWU called off the picket. In 2008 the factory closed.
They never got their compensation.
This demonstrated that the British legal system is completely biased in favour of business and against workers and demonstrates the need still for a New Deal for workers’ rights.
History of strike https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-44258579 and https://www.friction-dynamics.com/