Strikers in saris

In 1977, workers at Grunwick photo-processing factory in Willesden, London, went on strike. The workforce was predominantly Asian and female, and was led by Jayaben Desai Photograph: Peter Johns/Guardian Photograph: Peter Johns/guardian.co.uk Three days after Jayaben Desai walked out, workers at the Grunwick plant went on strike over the right to be represented by a trade union Photograph: Rex Features Photograph: guardian.co.uk Pickets outside the plant, July 1977 Photograph: Graham Morris/Hulton Archive Photograph: Graham Morris/guardian.co.uk Workers on the picket line holding posters of people they claim are still working, 14 June 1977 Photograph: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive Photograph: Evening Standard/guardian.co.uk A protester being dragged away Photograph: Aubrey Hart/Getty Images Photograph: Aubrey Hart/guardian.co.uk Grunwick marked the first time that south Asian women challenged the stereotype of being silent and subservient. They were known as the 'strikers in saris' Photograph: Peter Johns/Guardian Photograph: Peter Johns/guardian.co.uk National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill joined demonstrators picketing the Grunwick film processing factory Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images Photograph: guardian.co.uk Conservative MP John Gorst and George Ward, managing director of Grunwick photo-processing laboratory Ltd at a press conference in London during the industrial dispute, 1 September 1977 Photograph: Peter Cade/Getty Images Photograph: Peter Cade/guardian.co.uk Arthur Scargill leading a 'day of solidarity' march Photograph: PA Photograph: guardian.co.uk Some 40 weeks in to the strike, three government ministers joined the picket line - sport minister Denis Howell, education secretary Shirley Williams and defence secretary Fred Mulley Photograph: PA Archive/Press Association Ima Photograph: guardian.co.uk 23 August 1977. Mrs Jayaben Desai has been picketing for a year Photograph: Graham Wood/Getty Images Photograph: Graham Wood/guardian.co.uk 21 November 1977. Ms Y Patel, Mrs Desai and Johnny Patel stage a hunger strike picket. In 1978, the strike fizzled out without achieveing its objective of management recognition of trade unions Photograph: David Ashdown/Getty Images Photograph: David Ashdown/guardian.co.uk Jayaben Desai today, with her friend Laxmiben. 'I am proud of what I did,' says Desai. 'They wanted to break us down, but we did not break.' Photograph: Sarfraz Manzoor/Guardian Photograph: Sarfraz Manzoor/guardian.co.uk