BL victory

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Published by the Socialist Organiser Alliance, 28 Middle Lane, London N8, and printed by Fast End Offset (TI). Registered as a newspaper at the GPO. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the SUA. hand, has announced that he is opposed to strike action by nurses, opposed to action before it is decided by the whole of the TUC Health Services Committee, and in favour of arbitration - which he hopes might produce a face-saving extra percentage point or two.

Instead of action, NUPS has called a ballot of its branches on the offer, to be completed only this week.

ASTMS and other unions are also holding fire, arguing that they will only take action jointly with all the Spread We're offering bundles of five each week for £1 post free, and bundles of 10 for £.1.75 post free.

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Post to: Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8 John O'Mahony 18,000 dockworkers are set to go on indefinite official strike from May 10 -unless the Tory government changes course on its policies in the ports.

Dockers are insisting that the Tory government carry out the commitment made to them by the Labour government in 1976 as part of the Social Contrac Pam Organiser FUND • issues of Socialist Organiser, I enclose deal then made with union leader Jack Jones.

The 1976 agreement was embodied in the Dock Work Regulation Act. Under this the government must act to protect dockers' jobs either by extending the areas around the ports within which registered dockers do all jobs packing and unpacking containers, or by bringing ports like Felixstowe and Dover, which have been rapidly expanded to allow National Dock Labour Board ports to be bypassed, into the National Dock i Labour Scheme. One quarter of all traffic now passes through non-NDLB ports.

An emergency delegate conference of the TGWU docks group on April 21 voted for strike action from the 10th unless the government agrees to bring additional ports under the NDLB.

Basically the dockers are driven by the growth of unemployment in the ports. The bosses are offering £22,000 a head to cut the workforce by 2000. They are determined to resist any extension of the National Dock Labour Scheme.

The dockers' demand that the 1976 agreement be activated now was triggered as part of the response to the caployers' recent attempite replace the attempt te replace the existing local Dock Labour Boards with a much smaller number of regional boards, and transfer some of their present respr'sibilities to the employers.

They were forced to retreat on this by a one day protest strike and the threat of all out national strike action. Reportedly the employers are demanding that . the government stand firm, refusing to strei gthen the NDLS.

Meetings between the union and Tebbit's minisiry are taking place as we go to press.

BL VICTORY

WORKERS ON the Rover Ambassador assembly track al the BL Cowley Assembly plant scored an important After a two-day strike by both shifts, a letter threatening workers with disciplinary action for lateness and absentecism was completely withdrawn.

Absenteeism in the plant has risen because of the hard conditions on the track and constant pressure by management. The letter, which was in breach of the established disciplinary procedures in the plant, was designed to solve the problem by intimidation.

BILL, PESHERD BILL PETERS points for trade unionists at activities.

Let us

planned.

see page 2. know what your group has

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FIGHTING FOR ITS LIFE! all for lobour movement solidarity —p.3 sell!

victory against BL's hard-line management style this week.