| Description | Press cuttings containing articles from local and national newspapers about racism and discrimination in the West Midlands, including the operation of 'colour bars' and discrimination against black and Asian employees working in businesses and factories. There are also a number of articles on industrial disputes at factories in the West Midlands and elsewhere, including coverage of the strike at Woolf's Rubber Co in Southall and at the Lucas factory in Sparkhill; the strike at the British Leyland factory at Adderley Park in 1968 over the promotion of immigrants who were apparently not members of the National Union of Vehicle Builders; the strike at the Smethwick plant of Midland Motor Cylinder Co Ltd 1968 and at Simplex Electric Co Ltd in Oldbury;Commission of Industrial Relations report 1974 into difficulties faced by Asian workers and mention of Imperial Typewriters strike in Leicester; the strike at Robinson and Peel in Bradford; the dispute at Seely's Road factory of Serck Radiators Ltd, Greet due to racial tension.
The file also contains a copy of 'Foundry Mirror', published by the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers, and featuring a profile of Avtar Jouhl, aged 29 at the time, and working at the Midland Motor Cylinder company at Smethwick.
Other articles consist of: report on the recruitment of the first black policemen and women in Coventry; investigations into 'colour prejudice' in businesses and factories; focus on the number of Jamaican nurses working in UK and the shortage of nurses in Jamaica; prejudice against immigrants, who are accused of 'taking jobs' from white employees; black and Asian employees at the Cadbury factory in Bournville; several articles about the operation of a 'colour bar' in factories, and the employment of skilled immigrants in unskilled posts; the activities of race relations groups in Birmingham and elsewhere; the appointment of the first black Cub leader; immigrant doctors in Britain facing racial prejudice and doing menial jobs; poor working conditions and pay for immigrants; cases of discrimination brought to the Race Relations board; the involvement and boycott of trade unions in conference on race relations held in the context of the Political and Economic Planning [PEP] report on racial discrimination 1967; employers reactions to discrimination legislation; the contributions made by immigrant workers; views on immigration restriction in Birmingham 1962; reactions to Enoch Powell's speech 1968; the job prospects for immigrant school leavers; Sikh protests for the right to wear turbans at work on Wolverhampton and Manchester public transport; an Asian factory employer encourages Asian employees to wear skirts instead of trousers to work; report that the employment of immigrants is seen as biggest challenge to integration; report on a speech given by Shirley Joshi at a race relations lecture at West Ham College of Technology; copy of 'Peace News' 1964, containing several articles about the operation of a 'colour bar' in places of employment.
The file also contains a small amount of other material, consisting of a circular letter issued by Birmingham Trades Council for a conference entitled 'Action for Unity' to combat racism 1977; a letter of invitation to Jagmohan Joshi from the Birmingham liaison committee for Commonwealth Immigrants giving details about a Summer University to be held in Handsworth. The letter explains that an organisational meeting will be held at Winterbourne,Extramural studies, to discuss whether the plan would work 1968. |