300 strike at Fludes in Hinckley

OVER 300 women workers at Fludes warehouse yesterday came out on unofficial strike over the refusal of the management to discuss with them a decision to cut a quarter of an hour off every day to bring the hours worked per week down from 41¼ to 40 hours.

The majority of the employees were in favour of having the surplus 1¼ hours taken off on Friday afternoon and a petition to this effect was sent to the management, but it is said they refused to alter their decision.

The four female shop stewards say they attempted to negotiate with the manager, Mr Wheatley, but he would not talk to them and yesterday morning the girls walked out. A meeting between two of the shop stewards and Mr Keith Lockton, a representative of the Hinckley and District Warehousemen Section of the National Union of Hosiery Workers Association, was held yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon when The Hinckley Times sought the view of the firm we were told that there was no-one available to discuss the matter.