Scottish campaign to defend picketing rights

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THIS WEEK sees the launching of the Campaign in Defence of the Right to Picket' ', in connection with the coming trial of esHunterston shop steward Abie Courtney.

Abie Courtney, a member of the boilermakers' society (ASOB) was one of the 48 pickets arrested and charged during the dispute in September of last year at the Hunterston oil rig yard.

On 10 September the police launched a militarystyle operation against the picket lines, arresting over 70 and later charging 48 ot them with charges such as obstruction, breach of the peace, damage to property, etc. The first eight of the pickets to be tried were found guilty, but appealed to the High Court in Edinburgh. The High Court confirmed the verdict, whilst reducing the tines imposed on each of them to £50.

Political

Pressure was then exerted by their lawyers upon the other 40 pickets to plead guilty when their trial came up in October. The lawyers (who had been supplied by the Scottish Council for Civil Liberties!) stated that they would not represent anyone who pleaded not guilty. and &that it anyone did plead not guilty it was simply because they wanted to make political capital out of the case.

Bui Abie Courtney, one the leading miltants at the yard, refused to be intimidated. At the trials in October he pleaded not guilty and must now appear for the final hearing on February 19 in Kilmarnock.

Local trade unionists and Labour Party members have set up the "Campaign In Defence of the Right to Picket" (CDRP) in order to build support for Abie, who is fighting his case on the basis of the right of trade unionists to carry out effective picketing without facing attack from the police and the courts (and also your own trade union officials).

Abie's union branch, Glasgow 11 branch of the ASOB. has already passed the following motion in his detence:

'Glasgow the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers condemns the recent judgements and fines imposed on 45 trade unionists for the 'crime' of picketing the Hunterston yard in September of last year as straightforward examples of the capitalist courts penalising trade unionists for carrying out legitimate trade union activities.

'We further condemn the role of the lawyers in these trials ‹who pressurised many of the accused into pleading guilty) and the concerned union officials who failed to back their members both in the dispute itselt and in the ensuing trials).

'We pledge our tull support for our member. refused to be criminalised by the capitalist courts, and is carrying on a fight not just in his own defence, but in defence of the rights of the labour movement as a whole.

"Recognising that the victimisation, sacking, and subsequent blacklisting of the militant trade unionists at the yard, and the use of the courts against 48 of them is part and parcel of the bosses' overall offensive against the working class, in which unemployment plays a central role, we therefore urge the rest of the labour movement to back our brother's stand."

And the CDRP is doing a mailing to December branch meetings, calling for:

*donations to help (cheques payable to Campaign in Defence of the Right to Picket');

*support or sponsorship for the campaign and for a meeting to be held in Glasgow in the New Year;

*active support for the picket being organised for Abie's trial in February;

*letters to the Procurator Fiscal demanding" the dropping of the charges, *invitations for Abie to speak;

*motions condemning the arrests and the role of union i officials in the dispute.

The Campaign in Defence of the Right to Picket can be contacted c/o Abie Courtney, 72 Tallant Road, Drumchapel, Glasgow. Bathgate (Scotland), 7. Guy Motors, Wolverhap and 140 at the Albion 1 in Glasgow.

This represents a cu in the workforce of 20%. The unions' react only just beginning emerge.

At Leyland worke angry about the redu cies. Over the past two at Leyland alone, redu cies including those an ced on Friday amou 4500.

At Bathgate the i dancies will also be opi Over the past three Bathgate has suffered reduction in manning.

This factory will b the centre for dras reduced Leyland engin duction and is likely t in the long-term.

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Socialist Organiser, Thursday November 26, 1981 Page 15