Thousands back sacked Timex workers

strength which even surprised union officials.

About 1000 demonstrated at the factory gates shortly before 8am when

newly-hired workers were taken in busses to work under police escort.

There were three arrests, and police said later that reports would be

submitted to the regional procurator-fiscal. A spokesman for the Tayside

force said the majority of the demonstrators were noisy but well

behaved.

By lunchtime about 6000 men, women, and children marched past the

plant to a rally organised by the STUC at Camperdown Park, within

earshot of the premises.

Speakers included Mr William Derby, leader of Tayside Regional

Council, Mr John McLean, of the SNP trade union group, Glasgow Maryhill

MP Maria Fyfe, Scottish NUM president George Bolton, representing the

STUC, and the vice-convener of shop stewards at Timex, Mr William

Lesslie.

He earned the loudest applause when he said Timex would have to sit

down with the union (the AEEU) to negotiate a settlement and honour

agreements.

The workers were sacked in February after a 20-day strike, and the

dispute is now in its 11th week.

Mr Lesslie said that it had to be understood that the union had never

broken any agreement with the company, and he welcomed the opportunity

to appear before the House of Commons Employment Select Committee at the

end of the month, where details of how the union had assisted the

company over the past 10 years would be given.

Mrs Fyfe praised the women of Timex, stating that they had a right to

fight and a right to work, with a decent pay. ''You are not going to be

done out of it by others who ought to know better, who have earned your

rightful scorn and anger for going through those gates, taking your

jobs,'' she said.