suCt BT M Unions must fight for all workers, if conditions are not to be undercut The trade union movement must get to grips with this if they want to attract young people.
The first line of defence should be to trv to avoid agency labour being introduced, and fight for full-time jobs.
If agency working is introduced, as in Cowley, the unions must fight to limit the numbers so they can't have a negative effect on the core workforce, and so the company is forced to turn more into full-time contracts if they want to employ more workers.
Some trade unionists were scared of recruiting agency workers. But this is wrong: these are the young people. The lessons they learn fighting as agency workers will decide their attitude in later life.
Either they will turn towards individualism and simply looking after themselves, or, if the union offers a proper lead, they can begin to see themselves as part of the organised working class -and thus help neutralise this major weapon in the employers' offensive.