Two more print unions in the firing lin SAY: SCAB OR ELSE

Scan page 1

TWO unions in the printing industry could come into sharp collision with the Tory anti-union laws again this week.

SOGAT 82's leaders buckled under pressure before Christmas, and capitulated to a court injunction obtained by the union-busting 'socialist' millionaire Robert Maxwell. This week they have declared their refusal to comply with a further, more draconian, court ruling, which came into force last Wednesday, 11th.

Judges instructed SOGAT members in other plants of Maxwell's company BPCC to do the work of their striking colleagues at the Park Royal plant, by printing an extended run of the Radio Times. They also reiterated the previous injunction against the trade union boycott of Radio Times distribution in London, since in fact it had never been lifted.

SOGAT 82 has received a court order instructing them to scab on members in dispute at Robert Maxwell's BPCC print works at Park Royal, London.

The union has refused to scab. It has refused to withdraw its instruction to members not to print copies of the Radio Times normally produced at Park Royal.

But the Tory law is: Scab or else. So if the SOGAT leaders stand firm. they will be hauled up within the next few days for "contempt of court' Before Christmas they buckled under pressure and capitulated to another court injunction connected to the same dispute. But this week they have declared their refusal to comply with the further, more draconian. court ruling obtained by union-busting socialist' millionaire Robert Maxwell, which came into force last Wednesday, 11th.

The judges also reiterated the previous injunction against the trade union boycott of Radio Times distribution in London, since in fact the London members of SOGAT have never lifted it.

The next legal stage is punitive fines or damages, like against the NGA. And the next stage in the struggle is an escalation. if SOGAT takes steps to defend itself against Maxwell and the courts by boycotting the printing and distribution of other publications from BPCC.

Meanwhile, on Saturday 21st. a Special Delegate Meeting of the National Union of Journalists will vote on whether to flout an injunction and reinstate the union's principled stand of defying the anti-union legislation. The vote will be on whether to reimpose an official instruction for strike action against Dimbleby Newspapers in Richmond The union's six-person Emergency Committee intervened in the dispute on December 15 by voting four to two to reverse an unanimous decision taken a few days earlier by the full National Executive, and to withdraw official support for the Dimbleby chapel members. pending a ruling by the High Court on the union's appeal against an injunction.

This switch of line, which not climbed down to the courts but also stripped the Richmond strikers of €1000 per week in strike benefit and other support, provoked anger among many NUI activists. And it caughi the union's right wing unawares.

At the National Executive Committee meetings, right wingers - supported by a number on the Left - had carried a proposal for a Special Delegate Meeting. Some evidently hoped that this might offer an escape route from further confrontation with the courts.

But then the emergency committee called off the official strike. The right wing immediately recognised that the SDM could now provide the basis for the rank and file membership to reinstate the action, and began to campaign for the SDM to be called off.

Last Wednesday, 11th, a recalled NEC meeting voted by a majority of one to proceed with the SDM. There is a good chance that the union policy will at the weekend revert once again to defiance and confrontation.

At the centre of the agenda for the SDM is a declaration of principles tabled by the NEC when it was unanimously for defiance: this policy statement will now certainly be opposed by a number of NEC members who originally voted for it.

Amendments range from right wing appeals to remain 'within the law' through to attempts to toughen up the statement, speci fying the need to prepare industrial action by the NUJ and other unions in the event of further legal attacks or sequestration of funds, and condemning the TUC's betrayal of the NGA.

Oxford branch has tabled an amendment which calls on 'the full TUC - or those TUC unions prepared to stand in defence of union rights - to lend the NUJ and NGA unqualified political. financial and industrial support in defence of basic union rights' Also from Oxford comes turther resolution, committing the NUJ to campaign for a recall TUC congress, to reverse the General Council's decision on the NGA.

A number of branches, together with the Provincial Newspapers Industrial Council, condemn the lifting of the strike instruction at Richmond, and urge that the NEC should give 'full official support and strike pay to our members on Dimbleby Newspapers immediately following the House of Lords decision, irrespective of what that decision may be' Despite the confusion created by the right wing manoeuvres. in the last month, the NUJ's conference of rank and file delegates gives the best chance of reversing a damaging decision, and re-launching the struggle against the Tebbit Act which the TUC General Council did its best to scuttle last month.

For SOGAT members, the fate of the battle against Maxwell is in the much less safe hands of general secretary Bill Keys.

There is no doubt, however, that if SOGAT does stand its ground and fight back against this attack, it is in a vastly more powerful position to win than was the NGA against Eddie Shah's largely non-union operation in Warrington. Full-scale SOGAT boycotts of Maxwell's publications, and of any alternative printer to Radio Times, could be a powerful lever to force Maxwell to reopen the Park Royal plant and abandon the use of Thatcher's laws.

Keys sat on the fence throughout the NGA struggle at Warrington, and mobilised no significant solidarity action, thus weakening SOGAT's case for industrial support from other unions now.

But it's not too late for Keys to come out publicly campaigning against the Tebbit Act, and to withdraw from the backroom talks in which he and Len Murray are engaged with the Tory unionbuster Tom King.

The NGA leaders may be quietly moving to ditch their dispute with Eddie Shah: but this is not an issue which can be gracefully dropped.

The courts and injunctionwielding employers are coming after the unions more aggressively than ever. The Tory laws will shred union strength unless they are stopped soon.

By this weekend we will know whether SOGAT and the NUJ will take up the Tory gauntlet and fight back.

The fight can and must be resumed to reverse the General Council's decision to scab on the NGA, and for those unions who voted against capitulation to pledge full industrial and political support to SOGAT and the NUJ in any stand they may take against the courts.

Scan page 2

EDITORIAL Socialist Organiser no.162 Page