The Middlebrook Mushroom dispute is over. Meeting on Thursday 24 February the majority of sacked women workers voted to accept the offer of a total of £50,000 'compensation' from Booker pic, the parent company of Middlebrooks.
It is a tragic and entirely avoidable end to a bitter dispute that was fought bravely by the 89 sacked mushroom pickers from Whitely Bridge, near Selby. The dispute joins the list of struggles, such as Burnsalls and Timex, that have been lost when they could have been won.
The women have waged a vigorous campaign throughout the labour movement to mobilise support.
Pickets have been organised, demonstrations held, thousands of workers have heard the sacked pickers put the case for their reinstatement by the giant Booker empire. The women have waged an energetic campaign that gained respect from all who met them.
What was lacking however was a fighting and therefore potentially winning strategy from the leadership of the Transport and General Workers Union.
In the summer of 1993, serious attempts were made to prevent the scab coach from entering on saturday mornings. Pickets of up to 3 - 400 fought with the police to stop the scabs. However brave the women and other pickets were, the required numbers were never really there. This was due to the total failing of the TGWU to mobilise for the mass pickets.
Socialist Outlook is in favour of open defiance of the anti-union laws and believes that the TGWU should have called for mass mobilisations. But the mobilisations were left to the women, various left wing trades councils and union branches plus members of different far left groups.
Mass pickets
The issue of mass pickets was very important in this dispute. The geographical location of the farm - down a narrow country lane - meant that a thousand strong picket would have been able to block the scabs and bring victory.
The lessons of the defeat are clear but unfortunately not new. The anti-union laws will be used against workers in dispute, they need to be defied by mass mobilisations.
A dispute such as Middlebrooks shows the urgent need for a rank and file organisation within the Transport and O General Workers Union. There was no national open left organisation that the women could turn to when they needed to go bevond the official line.
Finally, we have seen once again the tremendous capacity of 'ordinary' women trade union SUPPORT members to mobilise in defence of their interests.