Remembering the Lee Jeans factory workers
An iconic protest by a group of textile workers to save their Greenock workplace from closure and ultimately their jobs is to be marked 40 years on from their famous victory.
Inverclyde Council is planning a special reception to honour the anniversary of the Lee Jeans sit-in, which took place four decades ago.
A group of workers barricaded themselves inside the Greenock textiles factory where they worked for seven months in a desperate bid to stave off closure and protect their livelihoods.
Remarkably, they won their fight when in August 1981 the Larkfield facility was taken over and their jobs saved.
Inverclyde Council is now planning, coronavirus restrictions permitting, a special reception in August to mark the fortieth anniversary of their achievement hosted by Provost Martin Brennan.
Mr Brennan said: “Forty years on and the Lee Jeans sit-in is still spoken about around the world. It is the stuff of legends and it’s no wonder why.
“These workers, mostly women, bravely stood up to their powerful employers and refused to allow them to put profit over people.
“For seven, long months they endured and in the end they won.
“Their determination and resolve to fight for the livelihoods of hundreds of local people deserves recognition and hopefully, pandemic-permitting, we can do that in August to coincide with the anniversary of their legendary win.”
The 240-strong workforce, predominantly women, were told on 5 February 1981 that despite healthy order books, the factory would be closing and they would lose their jobs.
They were faced with two options: accept redundancy or sit in and occupy the factory.
The workforce unanimously chose to ‘sit in’.
In August 1981, after almost seven months, a management buy-out saved the Lee Jeans factory and the jobs of 140 workers still occupying the building.
Unfortunately their win was short-lived as the business, under its new owners, called in receivers in June 1983.
Nevertheless, the events of 1981 are firmly etched in the history books.
The iconic Lee Jeans sit-in will be honoured later this year in similar fashion to how it was marked 40 years ago, with a special reception led by the Provost of Inverclyde.
The commemoration is subject to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions but could take place in August to mark when the sit-in ended.
Further details will be announced at a later date but members of the workforce and their families are being encouraged to contact the council to ensure they are invited to the occasion.
Former factory workers or family members can contact the council’s communications service by email on events@inverclyde.gov.uk to ensure invitations are issued to all who can attend.