(Report) Expulsion from the TUC is no stranger to the National Union of Seamen. Scabbing on the General Strike in 1926 CHRIS DAVIES was one reason. Collaboration with the Tories' Industrial Relations Act was another. But last week, for daring to carry out the democratic mandate of its members for action to protect their wages from cuts, the NUS found itself again threatened with the order of the boot.
But it was not just -the TUC. The whole of bourgeois society leapt to assault the seamen after the strike announcement on Wednesday. It is testimony to the fragile nature of British capitalism's recovery' that a threat by one small section of the working class to strike for wages is enought to throw the whole of the ruling class and their lackies into a prolonged fit. back The Government passed the word and the Bank of England let the pound collapse, after carefully building up its strength for months by regular doses of cuts and incomes policy and massive loans.
The press leapt to its duty, the Sun comparing the NUS Hitler. Callaghan's foreman-in-chief, TUC Economic Committee, ordered the seamen's leadership to appear before them.
*By God, we'll make sure that no union supports you. We'll cripple you.' That was the message of class solidarity [with the ruling class, of course] that Len Murray gave Jack Jones was more subtle. He put the burden of destruction on seamen, not the TUC: Do you want to destroy your union, your industry and the Labour Government? The seamen's leaders could have replied that if the seamen. Monday saw delegates from pits all over Scotland backing the NUS Elementary Other trade union leaders, like those of the locomen's ASLEF, accepting the pay policy themselves, did have the elementary principles of trade union solidarity left to pledge their support.
acarening silence from 'lefts' of the Labour Party should not surprise anyone in the least. For or goninet the cogmen is the hasic line Solid Kush resolunions of support to loca branches of the National Union of Seamen MANCHESTER - J. Nelson, 94 Smiti Street, Salford, Lanes.
MIDDLESBROUGH - 7, North Stree Middlesbrough.
SOUTHAMPTON - Havelock Chambers Oueens Terrace Southampton SUNDERLAND - C.J. Devine, Borough Road, Sunderland, Co. Durham ABERDEEN Commerce Stree
Average earnings basic Tate Certificate pay Average efficient service pay (ESP)
Overtime (27-9 hours)
Loss of sleep 1-4 hours Cargo handling (2 hrs O/T)
Leave pay @ 61 days pa served Leave food allowance @ 60p utive voted unanimously for that could win the claim.
Old rate 25-44½ 0-24½ 1•27½ 26•96½ 19-53 0-98 1•40½ 4•52 0-70 54-10½ Labour Research September 1975 for industrial action, the NUS execnational strike action as the only form of action Even national strike would not really begin to hit the economy for three or four weeks (though the effects after the strike would be much more long term).
July 1975 Jan 1976 July 1976 32:00 34-00 34-00 1•00 1•00 1-00 2•05½ •111 35-05½ 9.111 25•11 26.64½ 29.71½ 1-26 1-33½ 1.49 -80 1-91 2-13 7•51 7-97½ 7-97½ 0-70½ 0-70½ 0-70½ 71•44 77-68½ 81•13 Whilst the rank and file of the union were preparing themselves for a strike, with the Felixstowe seamen lobbying the NUS leadership and striking, with the Hull seamen already beginning to organise a local strike committee, and other ships striking so as to be in port when the national strike came into effect, the NUS leadership did nothing