The Park Royal workers' story

Scan page 15

AFTER Maxwell took over at Park Royal in 1981, some 25% of the workforce were cut. The seven machines were reduced to four, then five.

An 18 month wage freeze was imposed. A £7.50 wage increase Would become due in November 1982.

The April 1983 dispute arose as a direct result of Maxwell failing to honour this agreement and pay the £7.50. Another factor in the dispute was new machines.

In June-July 1981 it had been agreed to look into the photogravure or web-offset printing technology available with a view to introducing new plant.

This never took place.

The agreement to settle the April 1983 dispute was far from satisfactory to the London Chapels and Branches, since it involved taking out printing presses, leaving only two at Park Royal, temporarily transferring the bulk of printing to East Kilbride and Leeds, and worsening conditions at Park Royal, all in exchange for a dubious promise to bring in two new web-offset presses.

As deadline after deadline went by, it became clear that Maxwell had no intention of keeping Park Royal as a printing plant, but merely a typesetting and distribution centre.

Negotiations broke down and some Chapels took action to tiating table. Then on Friday November 11, Maxwell sacked most of the SOGAT Chapels.

On the Sunday we found that Maxwell had brought in a gang with 14 lb sledgehammers to smash up the printing presses. The SOGAT Chapels began an occupation that evening to prevent further vandalism and to campaign for Park Royal to be maintained as a printing plant.

Along with our electricians' Chapel, we also occupied the electricity sub-station to prevent any typesetting being done and to force Maxwell back to the negotiating table.

The occupation continues, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

DURING November the London branches began 'blacking' of all Maxwell/BPCC publications, including magazines and colour supplements of national newspapers, to force Maxwell back to the negotiating table.

When the National Executive Committee made the dispute official nationwide, the London Central Branch (at Bill Keys' request) called off the 'blacking' except on the Radio Times and Listener.

Then, some two weeks later, Bill Keys called a special NEC meeting and changed the policy.

The dispute would now be confined to London. The 'blacking' of the Radio Times and the Listener would continue in the Greater London area, and other plants would not print extra copies, but that was all.

We understand that there were some pressures on the NEC from some members in other Maxwell/BPCC plants. Whilst we understand the fears of fellow members in highunemployment areas like Glasgow and Leeds, we are convinced that they were being given false information as to what the dispute in London was about.

We are equally convinced that a victory for SOGAT at Park Royal can only be to the longterm advantage of our fellow members throughout BPCC and the industry in general.

The London Branches and Chapels were angry at the NEC change of line. A special meeting of all London Branches, including the electricians, was held on Wednesday December 14, attended by over 2,000 members and decided to work to persuade the NEC and our fellow members of the need to fully support us and step up the action against Maxwell/BPCC.

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