[AT the start of this week, one union…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-12-08Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 1 →
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AT the start of this week, one union stood stripped of its funds, and two unions within days of suffering the same. These measures by the courts were more far-reaching than any for decades. even under the Industrial Relations Act of 1972. They called for a response on The huge mass picket ac Warrington on Tuesday night, 29th, and the two-day Fleet Street strike on November 25 and 26, showed the will and the power of the working class to fight back.
Yet the union leaders are trying - successfully, so far, this week - to take the issue oft the streets and into the negotiating chamber.
It is the same principle, on a different scale, as the attempts of the Social-Democratic union leaders in Germany to negotiate some compromise with Hitler during the few months between the Nazis coming to power and their move to crush the unions.
A worse example of negotiating from weakness than the NA's current position is difficult to imagine. All its funds have been seized, and yet it has agreed to call off all effective action as a precondition for the talks.
Last Friday, 25th, it agreed to suspend the picket of Selim Shah's non-union printworks in Warrington for seven days, and talks are now in progress at the government conciliation service ACAS over union rights at Warrington and reinstatement of the six NGA members sacked by Shah from his Stockport office.
Despite a contrary recommendation from its London machine branch, SOGAT 82 on Tuesday 6th decided to obey a court injunction requiring it to halt action at the East Kilbride, Bristol and Leeds printworks of Robert Maxwell's BPCC. The action was in support of SOGAT 82 members locked out at Maxwell's Park Royal, London, plant over a wages and conditions dispute.
The third union under threat from the Tory anti-union laws is the NUJ. Last Friday, 2nd, David Dimbleby got an injunction ordering the NUJ to stop its strike action against his newspapers being printed at a non-union firm in Nottingham, TBF Printers.' The NUJ is refusing to obey the injunction. Dimbleby only has to go back to court and report this, and he can get the NUJ fined for contempt of court. If the NU! retuses to pay the fine, then it gets its assets seized, though widesame scale.
By Colin common front with the NGA.
*Inside the NGA, fight for an all-out strike against the seizure of the union's funds, and for a common front with the NUJ.
*Inside every other union, fight for pledges of supporting strike action if the NGA or the NUJ strikes.
The Kings Cross ASLEF branch has sent a resolution along these lines to the ASLEF executive. At Cammell Lairds shipyard, Merseyside, the Confed shop stewards' committee has passed a resolution for a half-day strike in the yard - though putting that resolution into practice, scheduled for Friday 2nd, has now been postponed.
*Demand that the TUC calls a one-day general strike and prepares for an all-out general strike if the government does not back down.
*Inside the Labour Party, fight for support. Get local Labour Parties to leaflet workplaces and mobilise for the picketing. Demand the Labour leaders come out in support of the NGA and NUJ. ay