Laurence Scott: Dougie Daniels' Dilemma

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members has been a model of unity in the print -before the national unions belatedly discovered the importance of such cooperation in the face of technological development, inter-union rivalry, and mass job loss.

Widely read

Furthermore, the Time Out chapel has spent a decade acquiring substantial written and de facto rights over both the magazine's purse strings and its editorial policies.

With a circulation of 83,000 (twice that of the New Statesman, for instance), the magazine has been the most widely read political publication in Britain.

But despite considerable profits, owner Tony Eliott and his management are determined to remould the publication and its industrial relations in a fashion more suited to their new-found allegiance to the Social-Democratic Party.

For merely defending our current agreement, staff have been sacked, evicted, and taken to court three times.

Lawsuits

DOUGIE Daniels dilemma.

The AUEW Manchester North district secretary has strenuously supported the Laurence Scott workers in their 13 week struggle to keep the factory open.

As a supporter of the Broad Left, Dougie, whatever his defects, has honestly opposed the sellout of the Laurence Scotts workers, cobbled together in closed-door negotiations at the Confed conference in Ayr by Duffy, executive member Ken Cure, and Laurence Scotts gaffer Arthur Snipe.

But now it's High Noon for Dougie. He's under orders.

The AUEW executive has withdrawn official status from the dispute because of the workers' realistic refusal to accept the sell-out, and instructed the divisional organiser and the district secretary to withold their services from the strikers.

At first, Dougie said, 'I'll have to go along with this. What else can I do?"

But he is directly elected by the members and feels a great deal of identification with them, given his record of struggle as convenor at Chloride.

He therefore thinks, •If I support Dutty: what will the lads say! and 'no more votes from Scotts when I come up for re-election"

On the other hand, Broad Leftist Dougie has got a job to keep when all around are losing theirs.

He is still dithering.

But on Tuesday 27th July the District Committee voted unanimously to reject the Executive's position and support the continuation of the dispute.

Mock wedding

Down on the ground, spirits remain high, and have been boosted by this decision.

On July 29th the Laurence Scotts workers held a mock wedding party, with one of the stewards playing the role of Terry Duffy (who had the brass neck to attend the real thing) as a royal flunkey.

Total disgust sums up their reaction to the behaviour of their so-called leadership. They remain defiant and determined to For some days now, the workers have been awaiting the arrival of court officials to serve the writ granted to Snipe on July 23rd for repossession of the premises with costs granted against the stewards.

The intention at the moment is not to confront the police but to hold a mass demonstration involving workers from other factories and to maintain external picketing.

* Messages/money to JSSC, c/o George Fryer, 20 Round Crost, Romilly, Cheshire SK6 4LL.