bosses&breaks/organising agency workers redux

We had an interesting day at the temporary placement I got through an agency recently.

Basically, some of the temp staff were freely taking fag breaks without penalties, so a few of us asked if everyone else could take them too. Our manager was adamant that we couldn't, that smokers can because "life's not fair", and that if we didnt like it we could find another placement. We were also told other staff didn't like us because they are paid less than us, which I doubt, and when pressed on how they could be paid less than our crap wages we were fobbed off - it was clearly bullshit. I wonder whether it was to stop us seeking out the local union rep in the workplace. After about 15 minutes of heated discussion, during which we put across a knowledge of legal working practices which I don't think management were expecting, our boss disappeared and returned with the news of when our breaks were to be starting from that day. Pretty sweet, given how defeated we felt. I think putting up a combative front and behaving knowledgeably put the frighteners on them.

One important thing is that I already knew some of the people I'm working with, meaning we had a level of trust which you rarely have the time to build in temporary positions like this.

Hardly a great day in the history of the class struggle, but interesting when related to some recent discussions here.