Jayaben Desai
| Jayaben Desai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
April 2, 1933 Gujarat, India |
| Died | December 23, 2010 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | trade unionism |
Jayaben Desai (2 April 1933 – 23 December 2010) was a prominent leader of the strikers in the Grunwick dispute in London in 1976.[1]
Born in Gujarat, India, Desai moved to Tanzania in 1965, but was then expelled and arrived in Britain, where she took up low-paid work, first as a sewing machinist, then processing film in the Grunwick factory.[1] She resigned after being ordered to work overtime, and instigated a strike among the mainly Asian and female workforce. The strikers protested about working conditions, pay inequality and institutionalised racism within the company.[2]
Desai led the strikers in their epic two-year picket from 1976 to 1978. She had a colourful way with words, for example her parting shot to the boss when she led the walkout: "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." [3]
Mrs Desai (as she was always referred to) recorded her thoughts for the Brent Museum and archives. In an interview by Hannah Phung of Brent Museum she said: "It was amazing, let me tell you, it was amazing.[…] tears were in my eyes to see these people […] they were hurting themselves and the police were charging them with horses and everything and still they were standing strong."
References
- 1 2 Dromey, Jack (28 December 2010). "Jayaben Desai obituary". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ↑ http://www.movinghere.org.uk/galleries/histories/asian/politics/grunwick.htm Jeyaben Desai part in the Grunwick Dispute
- ↑ "Jayaben Desai Biography at The Institute of Race Relations".
Sources and further reading
- Wilmer, Val, The first preference is pride [interview with Jayaben Desai], Time Out (magazine), 15-21 September 1978, pp.14-15
External links
- Dromey, Jack (28 December 2010). "Jayaben Desai obituary | Politics | The Guardian". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- Pattinson, Terry (21 February 2011). "Jayaben Desai: Trade unionist who shot to national prominence during the bitter Grunwick dispute of 1976-77 - Obituaries - News - The Independent". The Independent. London: INM. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Retrieved 8 August 2012.