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1993 Dundee Timex Strike: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox civil conflict
{{Infobox civil conflict
| title = Timex strike
| title = Timex strike
| partof =
| partof =
| image =
| image =
| caption =
| caption =
| date = 29 January – 28 August 1993
| date = 29 January – 28 August 1993
| place = [[Dundee]], [[Scotland]]
| place = [[Dundee]], [[Scotland]]
| coordinates =
| coordinates =
| causes = *Cut in pay
| causes = *Cut in pay
*Layoffs of some workers
* Layoffs of some workers
| goals = *Prevent workers from being laid off
| goals = *Prevent workers from being laid off
*Demands for better pay
* Demands for better pay
| methods = *Strike action
| methods = *Strike action
*Mass picketing
* Mass picketing
| status =
| status =
| result = *Peter Hall's resignation as company president
| result = *Peter Hall's resignation as company president
*Closure of Timex factory in Dundee after 47 years
* Closure of Timex factory in Dundee after 47 years
*Workers of Timex factory made unemployed
* Workers of Timex factory made unemployed
| side1 = *[[Timex Corporation]]
| side1 = *[[Timex Corporation]]
| side2 = *Striking workers
| side2 = *Striking workers
*[[Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union]]
* [[Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union]]
*[[Scottish Trade Union Congress]]
* [[Scottish Trade Union Congress]]
*Other protestors
* Other protestors
| side3 =
| side3 =
| leadfigures1 = *Peter Hall
| leadfigures1 = *Peter Hall
* John Dryfe
*Mohammed Saleh
* Mohammed Saleh
| leadfigures2 = *Jimmy Airlie
| leadfigures2 = *Gavin Laird
*Harry McLevy
* Jimmy Airlie
*Charlie Malone
* Harry McLevy
*John Kydd
* Charlie Malone
| leadfigures3 =
* John Kydd
| howmany1 =
| leadfigures3 =
| howmany2 = 3,000+ protesters<br>
| howmany1 =
<small>(not all involved in violence)</small>
| howmany2 = *~340 sacked striking workers
| howmany3 =
* ~3,000 protesters
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| howmany3 =
| casualties3 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| casualties3 =
| fatalities = None
| fatalities = None
| injuries = Various
| injuries = Various
| arrests = 38
| arrests = 38
| detentions =
| detentions =
| charged =
| charged =
| fined =
| fined =
| casualties_label =
| casualties_label =
| notes =
| notes =
}}
}}


The '''1993 Dundee''' '''Timex strike''' was a major industrial dispute which took place in [[Dundee]], Scotland, in 1993. The dispute, which was notable for its level of picket-line violence and the involvement of women, ended with the closure of the [[Timex Group USA|Timex]] plant in the city after 47 years. It's considered by historians to be the last of the large industrial disputes of late 20th century Britain.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Nicholson |first=Susan |date=2023-01-26 |title='Pushed aside as our jobs were taken' - 30 years since Timex strike |url=https://news.stv.tv/north/scotland-tonight-timex-dundee-strike-recalled-by-sacked-workers-30-years-on |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=STV News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Catalogue">{{cite web |title=MS 272 Timex (George Mason) Collection |url=https://archives.dundee.ac.uk/ms-272 |work=Archive Services Online Catalogue |publisher=[[University of Dundee]] |accessdate=15 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=Independent>{{cite news|title=Timex closes Dundee factory: Company leaves city after bitter dispute|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-closes-dundee-factory-company-leaves-city-after-bitter-dispute-1464205.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-closes-dundee-factory-company-leaves-city-after-bitter-dispute-1464205.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=6 April 2012|newspaper=The Independent|date=30 August 1993}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Valerie |last2=Phillips |first2=Jim |last3=Tomlinson |first3=Jim |date=2021-04-01 |title=Defending the right to work: the 1983 Timex workers' occupation in Dundee |url=https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/240865/ |journal=Labour History Review |language=en |volume=86 |issue=1 |pages=63–90 |doi=10.3828/lhr.2021.4 |s2cid=234811788 |issn=0961-5652}}</ref>
The '''1993 Dundee''' '''Timex strike''' was a major industrial dispute which took place in [[Dundee]], Scotland, in 1993. The dispute, which was notable for its level of picket-line violence and the involvement of women, ended with the closure of the [[Timex Group USA|Timex]] plant in the city after 47 years. It is considered by historians to be the last of the large industrial disputes of late 20th century Britain.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Nicholson |first=Susan |date=2023-01-26 |title='Pushed aside as our jobs were taken' - 30 years since Timex strike |url=https://news.stv.tv/north/scotland-tonight-timex-dundee-strike-recalled-by-sacked-workers-30-years-on |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=STV News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Catalogue">{{cite web |title=MS 272 Timex (George Mason) Collection |url=https://archives.dundee.ac.uk/ms-272 |work=Archive Services Online Catalogue |publisher=[[University of Dundee]] |access-date=15 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=Independent>{{cite news|title=Timex closes Dundee factory: Company leaves city after bitter dispute|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-closes-dundee-factory-company-leaves-city-after-bitter-dispute-1464205.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-closes-dundee-factory-company-leaves-city-after-bitter-dispute-1464205.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=6 April 2012|newspaper=The Independent|date=30 August 1993}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Valerie |last2=Phillips |first2=Jim |last3=Tomlinson |first3=Jim |date=2021-04-01 |title=Defending the right to work: the 1983 Timex workers' occupation in Dundee |url=https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/240865/ |journal=Labour History Review |language=en |volume=86 |issue=1 |pages=63–90 |doi=10.3828/lhr.2021.4 |s2cid=234811788 |issn=0961-5652}}</ref><ref name=":3" />


==Background==
==Background==
The [[Timex Corporation]] established itself as a major employer in Dundee after [[World War II]] due to generous incentives by local government.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=BBC Scotland - The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009dnw |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> It set up at two campuses in the city: one at Milton and another at [[Camperdown, Dundee|Camperdown]]. These two facilities were divided along gender lines and specialty. The Milton plant was 60 per cent male and predominantly produced tools and components. Camperdown however was 80 per cent female and did the assembly work.<ref name=":0" /> In 1966, Timex was the third largest single employer in Dundee, and the single largest employer of women.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Tomlinson |first1=Jim |last2=Phillips |first2=Jim |last3=Wright |first3=Valerie |date=2022 |title=De-industrialization: a case study of Dundee, 1951-2001, and its broad implications |url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/198886/ |journal=Business History |language=en |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=28–54 |doi=10.1080/00076791.2019.1676235 |s2cid=211341101 |issn=0007-6791}}</ref> It peaked at 6,000 total workers in 1974,<ref name=":2" /> which made it one of the city's largest employers and gave it a unique place in the culture of Dundee.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Remembering the Timex factory dispute |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/remembering-timex-factory-dispute-2470079 |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=19 January 2013 |language=en}}</ref>
The [[Timex Corporation]] established itself as a major employer in Dundee after [[World War II]] due to generous incentives by Dundee City Council, including the sale of publicly owned land to the corporation a plot of land for £57,000.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=BBC Scotland - The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009dnw |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> It set up at two campuses in the city: one at Milton and another at [[Camperdown, Dundee|Camperdown]]. These two facilities were divided along gender lines and specialty. The Milton plant was 60 per cent male and predominantly produced tools and components. Camperdown however was 80 per cent female and did the assembly work.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


In 1966, Timex was the third largest single employer in Dundee, and the single largest employer of women.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Tomlinson |first1=Jim |last2=Phillips |first2=Jim |last3=Wright |first3=Valerie |date=2022 |title=De-industrialization: a case study of Dundee, 1951-2001, and its broad implications |url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/198886/ |journal=Business History |language=en |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=28–54 |doi=10.1080/00076791.2019.1676235 |s2cid=211341101 |issn=0007-6791}}</ref> It peaked at 6,000 total workers in 1974,<ref name=":2" /> which made it one of the city's largest employers and gave it a unique place in the culture of Dundee.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Remembering the Timex factory dispute |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/remembering-timex-factory-dispute-2470079 |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=19 January 2013 |language=en}}</ref> In 1982, the Camperdown factory manufactured a record number of watches, totaling 2.5 million units.<ref name=":1" />
Dundee's other large employer of women in the mid to late 20th century was the [[jute industry]].<ref name=":2" /> However, Timex's assembly line paid significantly better, making it a more attractive option for many young women.<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, as jute manufacturing contracted in the city in the 1950s and 1960s, Timex absorbed much of the skilled workforce. These jobs offered better pay and conditions; for the men they doubled their earnings.<ref name=":2" />

Dundee's other large employer of women in the mid to late 20th century was the [[jute industry]].<ref name=":2" /> However, Timex's assembly line paid significantly better, making it a more attractive option for many young women.<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, as jute manufacturing contracted in the city in the 1950s and 1960s, Timex absorbed much of the skilled workforce. These jobs offered better pay and conditions (for the men they doubled their earnings).<ref name=":2" />


=== 1983 Strike and Milton Closure ===
=== 1983 Strike and Milton Closure ===
With the introduction of the [[digital watch]], demand for [[Mechanical watch|mechanical watches]] like the ones produced at Timex in Dundee collapsed.<ref name=":2" /> Timex management took the decision to diversify their manufacturing in Dundee, beginning in the early 1970s with contracts to produce [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]] and [[Nimslo|Nimslo 3-D]] cameras.<ref name=":0" /> These contracts primarily relied on the female assembly worker who could pivot easily from assembling delicate mechanical components to delicate electronic components.<ref name=":1" /> Initially, the mostly male workers at Milton were in support of the new shift towards electronics as it was done in consultation with the [[Amalgamated Engineering Union|AEU]]. The manufacture of the Nimslo 3-D was developed using [[public–private partnership]] money and the skills of the union engineers at Timex Dundee.<ref name=":0" /> By 1982, the workforce had reduced to 4,200, mostly through normal wastage and staff turnover.<ref name=":0" />
With the introduction of the [[digital watch]], demand for [[mechanical watch]]es like the ones produced at Timex in Dundee collapsed.<ref name=":2" /> Timex management took the decision to diversify their manufacturing in Dundee, beginning in the early 1970s with contracts to produce [[Polaroid Corporation|Polaroid]] and [[Nimslo|Nimslo 3-D]] cameras.<ref name=":0" /> These contracts primarily relied on the female assembly worker who could pivot easily from assembling delicate mechanical components to delicate electronic components.<ref name=":1" /> Initially, the mostly male workers at Milton were in support of the new shift towards electronics as it was done in consultation with the [[Amalgamated Engineering Union]] (AEU). The manufacture of the Nimslo 3-D was developed using [[public–private partnership]] money and the skills of the union engineers at Timex Dundee.<ref name=":0" /> By 1982, the workforce had reduced to 4,200, mostly through normal wastage and staff turnover.<ref name=":0" />


However, in 1981 or 1982 a new director of manufacturing who had previously managed electronics factories in [[Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990)|Pinochet's Chile]], changed the relationship between the unionised workforce and management.<ref name=":0" />
However, in 1981 or 1982 a new director of manufacturing who had previously managed electronics factories in [[Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990)|Pinochet's Chile]], changed the relationship between the unionised workforce and management.<ref name=":0" />


The mostly male workers at the Milton plant became superfluous to this type of manufacture in Dundee as they produced watch components to be assembled at Camperdown.<ref name=":0" />
The mostly male workers at the Milton plant became superfluous to this type of manufacture in Dundee as they produced watch components to be assembled at Camperdown.<ref name=":0" />


The facility had enjoyed a temporary reprieve in the early part of the decade due to Timex's contract with [[Sinclair Research]] to manufacture its personal computer products (principally the [[ZX81]] and [[ZX Spectrum]]), which sold in huge numbers. However, Sinclair's computer business was bought out in 1986 by [[Amstrad]], who ended the lucrative contract, and once again the factory fell upon bad times. This ultimately led to attempts to reduce wages and cut the size of the workforce. These attempts were resisted by the workers and their trade union.<ref name="Catalogue" />
The facility had enjoyed a temporary reprieve in the early part of the decade due to Timex's contract with [[Sinclair Research]] to manufacture its personal computer products (principally the [[ZX81]] and [[ZX Spectrum]]), which sold in huge numbers. However, Sinclair's computer business was bought out in 1986 by [[Amstrad]], who ended the lucrative contract, and once again the factory fell upon bad times. This ultimately led to attempts to reduce wages and cut the size of the workforce. These attempts were resisted by the workers and their trade union.<ref name="Catalogue" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Valerie |last2=Philips |first2=Jim |last3=Tomlinson |first3=Jim |date=2021-01-04 |title=Defending the Right to Work: The 1983 Timex Workers' Occupation in Dundee |url=http://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/lhr.2021.4 |journal=Labour History Review |language=en |volume=86 |issue=1 |pages=63–90 |doi=10.3828/lhr.2021.4 |s2cid=234811788 |issn=0961-5652 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>


== Sequence of events==
==Sequence of events==


=== Lay-offs ===
=== Lay-offs ===
On [[Christmas Eve]] 1992,<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-03-27 |title=Timex president's firms went bust owing pounds 718,000: Company chief |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-president-s-firms-went-bust-owing-pounds-718-000-company-chief-who-locked-out-workers-was-barred-from-own-factory-1500072.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Timex workers were informed by company management of plans to temporarily lay-off 150 employees, around half the workforce at the time,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=McFarlane |first=Jim |date=2023-01-29 |title=Timex 30th anniversary: When workers fought the bosses to a standstill |url=https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2023/01/29/timex-30th-anniversary-when-workers-fought-the-bosses-to-a-standstill/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Socialist Party Scotland |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=1993-02-19 |title=The Jobless Crisis: Sacked staff in protest at Timex plant |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-jobless-crisis-sacked-staff-in-protest-at-timex-plant-1473826.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> due to poor business performance.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=1993-07-19 |title=Despite Closure Threat, Timex Dispute Keeps On Ticking |url=https://apnews.com/article/1fa886962a158fc9f42dac63c41ba117 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> The [[Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union]] (AEEU), acknowledged the business case for making lay-offs, but argued that the impact could be spread more equitably amongst the workforce.<ref name=":7" /> The AEEU suggested that the lay-offs should be distributed in such a way that affected workers could work a rota of alternating weeks so that no worker lost all of their income, whilst also reducing labour costs for the business.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> Timex management, lead by Peter Hall, rejected these proposals and refused to negotiate.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" /> Some [[Union representative|shop stewards]] from the AEEU alleged that the lay-offs were targeted towards workers who were affiliated with the AEEU.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" />
On [[Christmas Eve]] 1992,<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-03-27 |title=Timex president's firms went bust owing pounds 718,000: Company chief |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/timex-president-s-firms-went-bust-owing-pounds-718-000-company-chief-who-locked-out-workers-was-barred-from-own-factory-1500072.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Timex workers were informed by company management of plans to temporarily lay-off 150 employees, around half the workforce at the time,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=McFarlane |first=Jim |date=2023-01-29 |title=Timex 30th anniversary: When workers fought the bosses to a standstill |url=https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2023/01/29/timex-30th-anniversary-when-workers-fought-the-bosses-to-a-standstill/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Socialist Party Scotland |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=1993-02-19 |title=The Jobless Crisis: Sacked staff in protest at Timex plant |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-jobless-crisis-sacked-staff-in-protest-at-timex-plant-1473826.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> due to poor business performance.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=1993-07-19 |title=Despite Closure Threat, Timex Dispute Keeps On Ticking |url=https://apnews.com/article/1fa886962a158fc9f42dac63c41ba117 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> The [[Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union]] (AEEU), acknowledged the business case for making lay-offs, but argued that the impact could be spread more equitably amongst the workforce.<ref name=":7" /> The AEEU suggested that the lay-offs should be distributed in such a way that affected workers could work a rota of alternating weeks so that no worker lost all of their income, whilst also reducing labour costs for the business.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> Timex management, led by Peter Hall, rejected these proposals and refused to negotiate.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" /> Some [[Union representative|shop stewards]] from the AEEU alleged that the lay-offs were targeted towards workers who were affiliated with the AEEU.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" />


=== The strike ===
=== Strike action ===
On the recommendation of the shop stewards, a vote for strike action by a raise of hands,<ref name=":1" /> was held in the staff canteen<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Philip |date=2018-04-19 |title=History of Timex |url=https://www.insider.co.uk/special-reports/history-of-timex-12391810 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=businessInsider |language=en}}</ref> resulting in 92% of votes cast in favour<ref name=":5" />. On 29 January the strike began, lasting 3 weeks. Workers offered to return to work on 17 February; however Timex said that they would need to accept decreased pay and conditions, including a 10% pay cut<ref name=":7" />, cuts to pension contributions and company savings schemes, reduced canteen subsidies and changes to working patterns.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> When the workers refused to accept those terms, they were locked out of the factory and effectively sacked.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-04-13 |title=Thousands back sacked Timex workers |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12573243.thousands-back-sacked-timex-workers/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> Officers from [[Tayside Police]] were stationed outside the factory gates and refused to let the workers who had gone on strike into the workplace.<ref name=":4" />
On the recommendation of the shop stewards, a vote for strike action by a raise of hands,<ref name=":1" /> was held in the staff canteen<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Philip |date=2018-04-19 |title=History of Timex |url=https://www.insider.co.uk/special-reports/history-of-timex-12391810 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=businessInsider |language=en}}</ref> resulting in 92% of votes cast in favour.<ref name=":5" /> On 29 January the strike began, lasting 3 weeks. Timex immediately went to the [[Court of Session]] and had an interdict issued to the AEEU picketers forbidding anymore than 6 striking workers on the picket line, however AEEU organisers subverted this interdict by calling daily "mass meetings" outside the factory.<ref name=":1" />


On 5 February, Timex issued letters to all striking employees informing them of changes to the terms and conditions the company was prepared to offer employees and stated that unless they contacted the company to accept these terms and return to work their employment would be terminated.<ref name=":1" /> These changes agreed to earlier AEEU proposals for an alternating rota of lay-offs but now included a 10% pay cut, cuts to pension contributions and savings schemes, reduced canteen subsidies and changes to working patterns.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" />
=== Attempts to break the strike ===

Replacement workers were brought in daily on Moffat and Williamson buses to break the [[Picketing|picket line]] and replace the striking workers<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/archive/foot-paul/1993/06/timex.htm Seize the time]</ref> which was a major cause of anger and lead to several confrontations between sacked workers and [[Strikebreaker|strikebreakers]] protected by police officers.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-02-02 |title=Timex: Remembering historic factory strike 25 years on |url=https://archive.news.stv.tv/archive/1407522-timex-remembering-historic-factory-strike-25-years-on.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=STV News |language=en}}</ref> These replacement workers were often recruited from the unemployed population at job centres,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moncur |first=James |date=2013-02-02 |title=Bosses broke the strike but they couldn't break the spirit of Timex women.. Their fight remains an inspiration to this day |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-record/20130202/282406986731579 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.pressreader.com |publisher=Daily Record}}</ref> and adverts in local newspapers.
==== Factory lock-out ====
On the 17 February, striking employees offered to return to work with the hopes of re-commencing negotiations with company management, however as the striking workers and the AEEU had refused to accept the terms of the letter, the company decided to sack them. When the workers showed up to commence their shift they discovered they had been locked out of the factory.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-04-13 |title=Thousands back sacked Timex workers |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12573243.thousands-back-sacked-timex-workers/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> Officers from [[Tayside Police]] were stationed outside the factory gates and refused to let the workers who had gone on strike into the workplace.<ref name=":4" /> When police officers forcibly pushed the sacked workers away from the factory gates many resisted leading to the first of a series of violent confrontations between those on the picket line and the police force.<ref name=":1" />

==== Use of strikebreakers ====
Replacement workers were brought in daily on Moffat and Williamson buses to break the [[Picketing|picket line]] and replace the striking workers<ref>{{Cite web|title=Paul Foot: Seize the time (1993)|url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/foot-paul/1993/06/timex.htm|access-date=2023-02-06|website=www.marxists.org}}</ref> which was a major cause of anger and led to several confrontations between sacked workers and [[strikebreaker]]s protected by police officers.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-02-02 |title=Timex: Remembering historic factory strike 25 years on |url=https://archive.news.stv.tv/archive/1407522-timex-remembering-historic-factory-strike-25-years-on.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=STV News |language=en}}</ref> Picketers tried to stop the buses making their way up the hill, known locally as "Timex Brae",<ref name=":3" /> by lying across the road or clinging on to the buses themselves, but were forcibly removed by police officers.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> These replacement workers were often recruited from the unemployed population at job centres<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moncur |first=James |date=2013-02-02 |title=Bosses broke the strike but they couldn't break the spirit of Timex women.. Their fight remains an inspiration to this day |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-record/20130202/282406986731579 |access-date=2023-02-05 |via=PressReader |publisher=Daily Record}}</ref> and adverts in local newspapers and were paid less than the sacked workers they replaced.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> Strikebreakers tried to hide their identity from the picketers and media by covering their faces, and received threats of violence, verbal abuse and were pejoratively referred to as "scabs".<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> Those who were identified were subject to intimidation, vandalism, and social ostracisation, in some cases this continued for decades after the dispute.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />

On the 31 March, senior Timex executives, John Dryfe and Mohammed Saleh, visited the Camperdown factory to assess the ability of replacement workers to keep up with production quotas.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=1993-04-01 |title=Mass sacking firm in talks: Timex executives visit besieged plant |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/mass-sacking-firm-in-talks-timex-executives-visit-besieged-plant-1452765.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> The day before, they had attended a private meeting in a London hotel with Peter Hall, the [[Lord provost|Lord Provost]] of Dundee, the convenor of [[Tayside|Tayside Regional Council]], and the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] for [[Dundee West (UK Parliament constituency)|Dundee West]]. [[Fredrik Olsen|Fred Olsen]], the Norwegian business owner did not attend.<ref name=":10" /> Although none of the attendees would say what was discussed during the meeting, there is speculation that they considered softening their anti-union stance after initially attempting to bring practices in-line with Timex's [[Labor relations|labour relations]] policy in the [[United States]].<ref name=":10" /> Despite these speculations, no attempt to end the practice of strikebreaking was ever adopted by the corporation.

==== Support for the strike grows ====
Support for the strike grew throughout Dundee and across [[Scotland]] and the [[United Kingdom]], with organisations like the Timex Support Group was established to provide financial, moral and organisational support to the sacked workers. They were responsible for raising funds through donations to support those who had lost their income because of the dispute.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" />

Sacked Timex workers spoke at [[International Workers' Day|May Day]] marches and rallies across Scotland that year to raise awareness and funds for striking sacked workers.<ref name=":8" />


=== Peter Hall resigns ===
=== Peter Hall resigns ===
In June 1993, John Dryfe, US-based president of the [[Holding company|parent company]], the [[Timex Group]], announced that Timex president, Peter Hall, had resigned.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=1993-06-15 |title=Union fears Timex fate sealed: Dundee factory chief's resignation fails to settle the dispute |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12743670.union-fears-timex-fate-sealed-dundee-factory-chiefs-resignation-fails-to-settle-the-dispute/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> The resignation was initially met with celebration from the striking workers as it was one of their key demands to ending their dispute.<ref name=":9" /> Despite this, the AEEU said they were not confident that Hall's resignation would secure the future of the factory or it's Dundee workforce.<ref name=":9" /> Hall maintained that he made the decision to resign, but there was widespread speculation that he was pushed from his role by senior management, and possibly used as a scapegoat for company mismanagement, although Hall refused to comment on this.<ref name=":9" />
In June 1993, John Dryfe, US-based president of the [[Holding company|parent company]], the [[Timex Group USA|Timex Group]], announced that Timex president, Peter Hall, had resigned.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=1993-06-15 |title=Union fears Timex fate sealed: Dundee factory chief's resignation fails to settle the dispute |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12743670.union-fears-timex-fate-sealed-dundee-factory-chiefs-resignation-fails-to-settle-the-dispute/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> The resignation was initially met with celebration from the striking workers as it was one of their key demands to ending their dispute.<ref name=":9" /> Despite this, the AEEU said they were not confident that Hall's resignation would secure the future of the factory or its Dundee workforce.<ref name=":9" /> Hall maintained that he made the decision to resign, but there was widespread speculation that he was pushed from his role by senior management and possibly used as a scapegoat for company mismanagement, although Hall refused to comment on this.<ref name=":9" />


=== Factory closure ===
=== Factory closure ===
On the evening of the 14 June 1993 AEEU negotiators revealed that they believed Timex were committed to closing the Camperdown factory by [[Christmas]] 1993.<ref name=":9" /> This was later confirmed by Timex vice-president Mohammed Saleh shortly after a "final offer" was rejected by AEEU negotiators, who said the company's proposals would mean a 27% pay cut and a two-year wage freeze without a guarantee for a secure future for the factory.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |date=1993-06-15 |title=Timex closes Dundee plant |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/timex-closes-dundee-plant-1491861.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> The [[Scottish Trades Union Congress|Scottish Trade Union Congress]], [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] criticised the company's inflexibility in negotiations.<ref name=":9" /> On the 13 July an [[early day motion]] was submitted to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] with the support 55 Labour MPs and 1 SNP MP which condemned the Timex Corporation and supported a world-wide boycott of its products.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1993-07-13 |title=EDM 2310: BOYCOTT OF TIMEX PRODUCTS |url=https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/5338/boycott-of-timex-products |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=UK Parliament |language=en-UK}}</ref>
On 28 August 1993, the factory shut, following six months of industrial unrest.<ref name=":8" />

After removing all contents from the factory sooner than expected, the factory shut at 6pm on 28 August 1993 following six months of industrial unrest.<ref name=":8" /> Timex offered to bring in the [[Acas|Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service]] (Acas) to discuss the possibility of compensation for sacked employees.<ref name=":11" /> The General Secretary of the AEEU described the factory closure as: "a great tragedy for Dundee and for Scotland, and indeed for the UK".<ref name=":11" />


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==
In 1971, 42 per cent of people in employment in Dundee where employed in manufacturing. By 2001, that number was 15.2 per cent.<ref name=":2" /> The manufacturing sector in Dundee never recovered from the loss of the jobs at Milton and then the jobs at Camperdown.<ref name=":0" /> Many people involved with the 1993 strike struggled to find work afterwards.<ref name=":3" /> Although the 1983 strike and subsequent job losses had a bigger impact on employment in the city, the 1993 strike is the one that has entered popular memory.<ref name=":0" />
In 1971, 42 per cent of people in employment in Dundee were employed in manufacturing. By 2001, that number was 15.2 per cent.<ref name=":2" /> The manufacturing sector in Dundee never recovered from the loss of the jobs at Milton and then the jobs at Camperdown.<ref name=":0" /> Many people involved with the 1993 strike struggled to find work afterwards.<ref name=":3" /> Although the 1983 strike and subsequent job losses had a bigger impact on employment in the city, the 1993 strike is the one that has entered popular memory.<ref name=":0" />


The strike has been the subject of a play<ref>[Theatre to perform Timex strike play {{cite web |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/08/25/newsstory10183829t0.asp |title=The Courier: Taking you to the heart of Tayside and Fife |accessdate=2007-09-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185532/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/08/25/newsstory10183829t0.asp |archivedate=27 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}]</ref> and an exhibition at the [[University of Dundee]].<ref>[http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2006/prmar06/timex.html Timex: History of Struggle]</ref> A collection of records relating to the strike is held by the university's Archive Services.<ref name="Catalogue"/>
The strike has been the subject of a play<ref>[Theatre to perform Timex strike play {{cite web |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/08/25/newsstory10183829t0.asp |title=The Courier: Taking you to the heart of Tayside and Fife |access-date=2007-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185532/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/08/25/newsstory10183829t0.asp |archive-date=27 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}]</ref> and an exhibition at the [[University of Dundee]].<ref>{{Cite press release|title="Timex: History of Struggle" - exhibition opening|url=http://app.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2006/prmar06/timex.html|access-date=2023-02-06|website=app.dundee.ac.uk|date=8 March 2006|publisher=University of Dundee}}</ref> A collection of records relating to the strike is held by the university's Archive Services.<ref name="Catalogue"/>

An multimedia project called ''Generation ZX(X)'' was organised by [[Abertay University]] to mark the 25th anniversary of the strike.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-18 |title=Art tribute to workers 25 years after Timex strikes |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/16172003.art-tribute-workers-25-years-timex-strikes/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-04 |title=Paint It Loud and Clear: Sign Making Workshop |url=https://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/event/25176 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=www.leisureandculturedundee.com |language=English}}</ref>


A documentary titled ''The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee'', directed by Andy Twaddle,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Andrew Male and Trevor |date=2019-10-26 |title=The best TV and films on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and other on‑demand services, October 27 |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-best-tv-and-films-on-netflix-amazon-prime-bbc-iplayer-and-other-on-demand-services-october-27-dtdrhmv0k |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-02-04 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> aired on [[BBC Scotland (TV channel)|BBC Scotland]] on 15 October 2019, as part of their ''People Power'' short series.<ref name=":1" />
A documentary titled ''The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee'', directed by Andy Twaddle,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Andrew Male and Trevor |date=2019-10-26 |title=The best TV and films on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and other on‑demand services, October 27 |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-best-tv-and-films-on-netflix-amazon-prime-bbc-iplayer-and-other-on-demand-services-october-27-dtdrhmv0k |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-02-04 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> aired on [[BBC Scotland (TV channel)|BBC Scotland]] on 15 October 2019, as part of their ''People Power'' short series.<ref name=":1" />

The steep road the climbs from [[Camperdown Country Park|Camperdown Park]] along Faraday Street and Harrison Road to the site of the former Timex factory is still known colloquially as "Timex Brae" by many Dundonians.<ref name=":3" />


It is possible to draw a through line from the presence of Timex in the city, especially its manufacture of early personal computers, to modern Dundee's [[video game industry]], which has produced games such as [[Lemmings (video game)|Lemmings]] and [[Grand Theft Auto]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-12 |title=The Making of Lemmings |url=https://readonlymemory.vg/the-making-of-lemmings/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=Read-Only Memory |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lukowski |first=Andrzej |date=2022-02-17 |title='The sprites clearly do not look like actual lemmings': the inside story of an iconic video game |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/17/the-sprites-clearly-do-not-look-like-actual-lemmings-the-inside-story-of-an-iconic-video-game |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
It is possible to draw a through line from the presence of Timex in the city, especially its manufacture of early personal computers, to modern Dundee's [[video game industry]], which has produced games such as [[Lemmings (video game)|Lemmings]] and [[Grand Theft Auto]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-12 |title=The Making of Lemmings |url=https://readonlymemory.vg/the-making-of-lemmings/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=Read-Only Memory |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lukowski |first=Andrzej |date=2022-02-17 |title='The sprites clearly do not look like actual lemmings': the inside story of an iconic video game |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/17/the-sprites-clearly-do-not-look-like-actual-lemmings-the-inside-story-of-an-iconic-video-game |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last1=Knox |first1=Bill |url=https://academic.oup.com/edinburgh-scholarship-online/book/22002/chapter-abstract/182063093?redirectedFrom=fulltext |title=Jute No More: Transforming Dundee |last2=McKinlay |first2=Alan |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |year=2011 |isbn=9781474406031 |editor-last=Tomlinson |editor-first=Jim |language=en-UK |chapter=The Union Makes us Strong? Work and Trade Unionism in Timex, 1946‒83 |editor-last2=Whatley |editor-first2=Christopher A.}}


{{Dundee}}
{{Dundee}}
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[[Category:Labour disputes in Scotland]]
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[[Category:Economy of Dundee]]
[[Category:Economy of Dundee]]
[[Category:Manufacturing industry strikes]]
[[Category:Manufacturing industry strikes]]
[[Category:20th century in Dundee]]
[[Category:1990s in Dundee]]
[[Category:Women in Scotland]]
[[Category:Women in Scotland]]


{{Scotland-hist-stub}}
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Latest revision as of 17:52, 29 July 2024

Timex strike
Date29 January – 28 August 1993
Location
Caused by
  • Cut in pay
  • Layoffs of some workers
Goals
  • Prevent workers from being laid off
  • Demands for better pay
Methods
  • Strike action
  • Mass picketing
Resulted in
  • Peter Hall's resignation as company president
  • Closure of Timex factory in Dundee after 47 years
  • Workers of Timex factory made unemployed
Parties
Lead figures
  • Peter Hall
  • John Dryfe
  • Mohammed Saleh
  • Gavin Laird
  • Jimmy Airlie
  • Harry McLevy
  • Charlie Malone
  • John Kydd
Number
  • ~340 sacked striking workers
  • ~3,000 protesters
Casualties
Death(s)None
InjuriesVarious
Arrested38

The 1993 Dundee Timex strike was a major industrial dispute which took place in Dundee, Scotland, in 1993. The dispute, which was notable for its level of picket-line violence and the involvement of women, ended with the closure of the Timex plant in the city after 47 years. It is considered by historians to be the last of the large industrial disputes of late 20th century Britain.[1][2][3][4][5]

Background

[edit]

The Timex Corporation established itself as a major employer in Dundee after World War II due to generous incentives by Dundee City Council, including the sale of publicly owned land to the corporation a plot of land for £57,000.[6] It set up at two campuses in the city: one at Milton and another at Camperdown. These two facilities were divided along gender lines and specialty. The Milton plant was 60 per cent male and predominantly produced tools and components. Camperdown however was 80 per cent female and did the assembly work.[4][6]

In 1966, Timex was the third largest single employer in Dundee, and the single largest employer of women.[7] It peaked at 6,000 total workers in 1974,[7] which made it one of the city's largest employers and gave it a unique place in the culture of Dundee.[5] In 1982, the Camperdown factory manufactured a record number of watches, totaling 2.5 million units.[6]

Dundee's other large employer of women in the mid to late 20th century was the jute industry.[7] However, Timex's assembly line paid significantly better, making it a more attractive option for many young women.[6] Additionally, as jute manufacturing contracted in the city in the 1950s and 1960s, Timex absorbed much of the skilled workforce. These jobs offered better pay and conditions (for the men they doubled their earnings).[7]

1983 Strike and Milton Closure

[edit]

With the introduction of the digital watch, demand for mechanical watches like the ones produced at Timex in Dundee collapsed.[7] Timex management took the decision to diversify their manufacturing in Dundee, beginning in the early 1970s with contracts to produce Polaroid and Nimslo 3-D cameras.[4] These contracts primarily relied on the female assembly worker who could pivot easily from assembling delicate mechanical components to delicate electronic components.[6] Initially, the mostly male workers at Milton were in support of the new shift towards electronics as it was done in consultation with the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). The manufacture of the Nimslo 3-D was developed using public–private partnership money and the skills of the union engineers at Timex Dundee.[4] By 1982, the workforce had reduced to 4,200, mostly through normal wastage and staff turnover.[4]

However, in 1981 or 1982 a new director of manufacturing who had previously managed electronics factories in Pinochet's Chile, changed the relationship between the unionised workforce and management.[4]

The mostly male workers at the Milton plant became superfluous to this type of manufacture in Dundee as they produced watch components to be assembled at Camperdown.[4]

The facility had enjoyed a temporary reprieve in the early part of the decade due to Timex's contract with Sinclair Research to manufacture its personal computer products (principally the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum), which sold in huge numbers. However, Sinclair's computer business was bought out in 1986 by Amstrad, who ended the lucrative contract, and once again the factory fell upon bad times. This ultimately led to attempts to reduce wages and cut the size of the workforce. These attempts were resisted by the workers and their trade union.[2][8]

Sequence of events

[edit]

Lay-offs

[edit]

On Christmas Eve 1992,[6][9] Timex workers were informed by company management of plans to temporarily lay-off 150 employees, around half the workforce at the time,[10][11] due to poor business performance.[12] The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), acknowledged the business case for making lay-offs, but argued that the impact could be spread more equitably amongst the workforce.[12] The AEEU suggested that the lay-offs should be distributed in such a way that affected workers could work a rota of alternating weeks so that no worker lost all of their income, whilst also reducing labour costs for the business.[6][11] Timex management, led by Peter Hall, rejected these proposals and refused to negotiate.[10][6][12] Some shop stewards from the AEEU alleged that the lay-offs were targeted towards workers who were affiliated with the AEEU.[10][6]

Strike action

[edit]

On the recommendation of the shop stewards, a vote for strike action by a raise of hands,[6] was held in the staff canteen[13] resulting in 92% of votes cast in favour.[10] On 29 January the strike began, lasting 3 weeks. Timex immediately went to the Court of Session and had an interdict issued to the AEEU picketers forbidding anymore than 6 striking workers on the picket line, however AEEU organisers subverted this interdict by calling daily "mass meetings" outside the factory.[6]

On 5 February, Timex issued letters to all striking employees informing them of changes to the terms and conditions the company was prepared to offer employees and stated that unless they contacted the company to accept these terms and return to work their employment would be terminated.[6] These changes agreed to earlier AEEU proposals for an alternating rota of lay-offs but now included a 10% pay cut, cuts to pension contributions and savings schemes, reduced canteen subsidies and changes to working patterns.[10][11][12]

Factory lock-out

[edit]

On the 17 February, striking employees offered to return to work with the hopes of re-commencing negotiations with company management, however as the striking workers and the AEEU had refused to accept the terms of the letter, the company decided to sack them. When the workers showed up to commence their shift they discovered they had been locked out of the factory.[1][6][14] Officers from Tayside Police were stationed outside the factory gates and refused to let the workers who had gone on strike into the workplace.[1] When police officers forcibly pushed the sacked workers away from the factory gates many resisted leading to the first of a series of violent confrontations between those on the picket line and the police force.[6]

Use of strikebreakers

[edit]

Replacement workers were brought in daily on Moffat and Williamson buses to break the picket line and replace the striking workers[15] which was a major cause of anger and led to several confrontations between sacked workers and strikebreakers protected by police officers.[6][1][16] Picketers tried to stop the buses making their way up the hill, known locally as "Timex Brae",[5] by lying across the road or clinging on to the buses themselves, but were forcibly removed by police officers.[5][6] These replacement workers were often recruited from the unemployed population at job centres[17] and adverts in local newspapers and were paid less than the sacked workers they replaced.[5][6] Strikebreakers tried to hide their identity from the picketers and media by covering their faces, and received threats of violence, verbal abuse and were pejoratively referred to as "scabs".[5][6] Those who were identified were subject to intimidation, vandalism, and social ostracisation, in some cases this continued for decades after the dispute.[5][6]

On the 31 March, senior Timex executives, John Dryfe and Mohammed Saleh, visited the Camperdown factory to assess the ability of replacement workers to keep up with production quotas.[18] The day before, they had attended a private meeting in a London hotel with Peter Hall, the Lord Provost of Dundee, the convenor of Tayside Regional Council, and the Labour MP for Dundee West. Fred Olsen, the Norwegian business owner did not attend.[18] Although none of the attendees would say what was discussed during the meeting, there is speculation that they considered softening their anti-union stance after initially attempting to bring practices in-line with Timex's labour relations policy in the United States.[18] Despite these speculations, no attempt to end the practice of strikebreaking was ever adopted by the corporation.

Support for the strike grows

[edit]

Support for the strike grew throughout Dundee and across Scotland and the United Kingdom, with organisations like the Timex Support Group was established to provide financial, moral and organisational support to the sacked workers. They were responsible for raising funds through donations to support those who had lost their income because of the dispute.[1][5]

Sacked Timex workers spoke at May Day marches and rallies across Scotland that year to raise awareness and funds for striking sacked workers.[13]

Peter Hall resigns

[edit]

In June 1993, John Dryfe, US-based president of the parent company, the Timex Group, announced that Timex president, Peter Hall, had resigned.[19] The resignation was initially met with celebration from the striking workers as it was one of their key demands to ending their dispute.[19] Despite this, the AEEU said they were not confident that Hall's resignation would secure the future of the factory or its Dundee workforce.[19] Hall maintained that he made the decision to resign, but there was widespread speculation that he was pushed from his role by senior management and possibly used as a scapegoat for company mismanagement, although Hall refused to comment on this.[19]

Factory closure

[edit]

On the evening of the 14 June 1993 AEEU negotiators revealed that they believed Timex were committed to closing the Camperdown factory by Christmas 1993.[19] This was later confirmed by Timex vice-president Mohammed Saleh shortly after a "final offer" was rejected by AEEU negotiators, who said the company's proposals would mean a 27% pay cut and a two-year wage freeze without a guarantee for a secure future for the factory.[19][20] The Scottish Trade Union Congress, Scottish National Party (SNP) and Labour Party criticised the company's inflexibility in negotiations.[19] On the 13 July an early day motion was submitted to the House of Commons with the support 55 Labour MPs and 1 SNP MP which condemned the Timex Corporation and supported a world-wide boycott of its products.[21]

After removing all contents from the factory sooner than expected, the factory shut at 6pm on 28 August 1993 following six months of industrial unrest.[13] Timex offered to bring in the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to discuss the possibility of compensation for sacked employees.[20] The General Secretary of the AEEU described the factory closure as: "a great tragedy for Dundee and for Scotland, and indeed for the UK".[20]

Legacy

[edit]

In 1971, 42 per cent of people in employment in Dundee were employed in manufacturing. By 2001, that number was 15.2 per cent.[7] The manufacturing sector in Dundee never recovered from the loss of the jobs at Milton and then the jobs at Camperdown.[4] Many people involved with the 1993 strike struggled to find work afterwards.[5] Although the 1983 strike and subsequent job losses had a bigger impact on employment in the city, the 1993 strike is the one that has entered popular memory.[4]

The strike has been the subject of a play[22] and an exhibition at the University of Dundee.[23] A collection of records relating to the strike is held by the university's Archive Services.[2]

An multimedia project called Generation ZX(X) was organised by Abertay University to mark the 25th anniversary of the strike.[24][25]

A documentary titled The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee, directed by Andy Twaddle,[26] aired on BBC Scotland on 15 October 2019, as part of their People Power short series.[6]

The steep road the climbs from Camperdown Park along Faraday Street and Harrison Road to the site of the former Timex factory is still known colloquially as "Timex Brae" by many Dundonians.[5]

It is possible to draw a through line from the presence of Timex in the city, especially its manufacture of early personal computers, to modern Dundee's video game industry, which has produced games such as Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto.[27][28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Nicholson, Susan (26 January 2023). "'Pushed aside as our jobs were taken' - 30 years since Timex strike". STV News. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "MS 272 Timex (George Mason) Collection". Archive Services Online Catalogue. University of Dundee. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Timex closes Dundee factory: Company leaves city after bitter dispute". The Independent. 30 August 1993. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wright, Valerie; Phillips, Jim; Tomlinson, Jim (1 April 2021). "Defending the right to work: the 1983 Timex workers' occupation in Dundee". Labour History Review. 86 (1): 63–90. doi:10.3828/lhr.2021.4. ISSN 0961-5652. S2CID 234811788.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Remembering the Timex factory dispute". www.scotsman.com. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "BBC Scotland - The Rise and Fall of Timex Dundee". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Tomlinson, Jim; Phillips, Jim; Wright, Valerie (2022). "De-industrialization: a case study of Dundee, 1951-2001, and its broad implications". Business History. 64 (1): 28–54. doi:10.1080/00076791.2019.1676235. ISSN 0007-6791. S2CID 211341101.
  8. ^ Wright, Valerie; Philips, Jim; Tomlinson, Jim (4 January 2021). "Defending the Right to Work: The 1983 Timex Workers' Occupation in Dundee". Labour History Review. 86 (1): 63–90. doi:10.3828/lhr.2021.4. ISSN 0961-5652. S2CID 234811788.
  9. ^ "Timex president's firms went bust owing pounds 718,000: Company chief". The Independent. 27 March 1993. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
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Further reading

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