This is the story of the Grunwick strike (1976-1978), and inspirational strike-leader Jayaben Desai – who you can meet on the galleries at People’s History Museum.
Grunwick wasn’t a strike about wages – it was about dignity. For the small band of Asian women strikers, who day after day braved sun, rain, and snow on the picket lines, rights in the workplace were more important than any amount of money.
They had been employed by Grunwick, a photographic processing factory in London, in the belief that they would be easy to handle, to browbeat and to exploit. Yet, they found their voice.
Jayaben Desai’s (1933-2010) words were powerful. She told her managers: ‘What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo there are many types of animals. Some are monkeys who dance on your fingertips, others are lions who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr. Manager!’
Grunwick was the biggest mobilisation in labour movement history for a local dispute, with 20,000 descending on the factory in a remarkable and unforgettable act of solidarity.
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‘The story of Jayaben Desai… makes you laugh, feel and think… a powerful story, powerfully told.’
Clare Brennan. The Guardian
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“Magnificent Play”
Peter Frost. The Morning Star
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