I would like to suggest to your readers that they go to Willesden Green Library, Willesden, London NW10 where there is an exhibition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the heroic struggle led by Mrs Jayaben Desai with her ‘white’ and ‘non white’ work colleagues against the atrocities by the employers of Grunwick photograph processing factory in Dollis Hill, London NW10.
Mrs Jayaben Desai is the only heroine of Indian origin I know of who fought against her powerful white employers at Grunwick who underestimated the might of meek looking Indians whom they sought to exploit by poor working conditions which included compulsory overtime, and requirement to ask permission to go to toilet!
The strike went to many other workers and at the height of the strike 20,000 people came out.
It was the first time traditionally white male trade unions such as the National Union of Mine Workers had shown real solidarity with non white female workers who in the past had been seen as threat to jos and pay by rather than fellow workers.
This strike was ultimately unsuccessful but achieved big improvements in the status of non-white workers within the trade union movement and helped to challenge the widely accepted cliché that Asian women were meek and passive" observed actress Meera Sayal who spoke at the exhibition.
Gulab Mistry
By email
