[KING'S CROSS was stopped by a 24 hour…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-02-17Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 14 →
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KING'S CROSS was stopped by a 24 hour strike last Friday. It was a protest against increased management harassment and disciplinary pressure over recent months.
In the last two weeks the aituation had become even more acute with the sacking of a driver and a foreman, and a spate of disciplinary actions involving quite trivial offences.
The strike is seen as the opening shot in a battle to defend strong trade union.. ism at King's Cross. On Sou day, at a lunchtime meeting of striking drivers, it was decided to withdraw all cooperation with management and to implement a policy of work-to-rule.
Many militants see the Area Manager's personal. ity as the root of the prob. lem. But this is a consciously worked out attack on local conditions and union organisation, sanctioned by higher management.
Last year when Steve Forey, a local union rep, as suspended, it was an ill. conceived action taken by the same Area Manager in a fit of anger. Divisional management intervened to discipline the Area Manager and have Steve Forey reinstated.
This time, however, divisional management have sided 100% with the Area Manager, and he is clearly doing the job of reasserting the control of management over the running of the job.
No better example of how conscious this disciplinary offensive has been can be pointed to than the sacking of one of the foremen. As soon as the sacking took place, all the foremen felt intimidated and began to crack down on the drivers and guards.
BL management's offensive on union organisation in the company also started with the sacking and disciplining of foremen.
Workers at King's Cross are up against a sustained attack by management and it will require determination and further industrial action to beat it back.
The attack on union organisaton in BR lags behind that in BSC and BL, but BR now have the national agreements they want, and they will try to put teeth into them locally.
Speaking to the Chartered Institute of Transport last Wednesday, 9th, British Rail chairman Peter Parker declared his intention to change existing procedures because they are 'too damned slow' Norman Tebbit has stated that he intends to make the railway a public showcase for is attack on the closed shop. Local struggles such as the one at King's Cross have a lot more at stake than a straight-forward battle against management intransigence.