Pergamon: 6 months out for union riahts
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-08-06Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 15 →
Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Scan page 15
SUBSCRIBE! Special C weekly:! months, Name...
Address Send to: Lane Lc list by an NUJ correspondent AS Pergamon Press strikers start the sixth month of their bitter fight against victimisation, by "socialist" millionaire, Robert Maxwell, their union has taken a major step towards stepping up the dispute.
The National Union of Journalists is to tell Maxwell it will consider calling out members of other Maxwellowned companies, including BPC, unless he reinstates the sacked editorial staff at Oxford and makes a serious offer on their claim.
It has been revealed that Maxwell has been approaching Labour MPs, including the Shadow spokesman Eric Varley with what he terms a "peace package"
Maxwell is floating the idea of selective reinstatement of some Pergamon strikers in return for enforced 100% membership of the NUJ. In other words he is proposing compulsory union membership for scabs and compulsory unemployment for union members.
No public statement on any offer has been made to the strikers (they would certainly reject it out of hand) but it is clear that some leading figures in the Labour Party have at least been prepared to silently acquiesce in secret wheelings and dealings.
Pergamon strikers ¡ut-price offer fol £3.50 for six mor £11 for a year Socialist Organ ndon N8. Cheq Oxford and the BPC NUJ Chapel in London have both found that the only u lions Maxwell will tolerate are those subservient to his dictat.
Oxford
Any step theretore towards linking the battle of both workforces in united action can only be a strong one. This move is long overdue.
NGA members at Pergamon who 'have consistently crossed the picket lines are also coming under pressure. Their arrogant, pro-Maxwell ex-leader, Ken Hall, lost his battle to be elected as new full-time secretary of the Oxon and Berks Branch of the NGA.
Now the Branch Committee have called on the NGA National Council to support NUJ members at Pergamon, and have guaranteed support to any individual member at Pergamon who refuses to cross the picket.
A major effort must be made to build the mass demonstration on Monday outside the gates in Oxford. With a united and determined approach. Maxwell can be defeated. This will represent a marked change from the do-nothing promises which are all that have come so far from the NGA leaders.