restrictions. 'We want a voluntary approach,' he concluded.
The voluntary approach envisaged by the union leaders is summed up in their so-called Concordat with the last government, and in the picketing code drawn up by Moss Evans during the lorry drivers' strike at the beginning of the year. At the centre of tais approach is a frenzied opposition to both mass picketing.
Weknow why the employers and the Tories don't like it. Effective picketing is one of the most powertul tools in our industrial grmoury. It was mass, flying 'secondary' pickets which played a crucial part in the miners' victory over Heath's 7 per cent norm in 1972. Vital role Secondary picketing played a vital role in the lorry drivers' victory. By effective picketing of firms not 'immediately' dispute, the drivers forced the bosses to accede to their demands. Prior and Thatcher want to mass and because they know that these can win.
Of course, the TUC leaders don't openly say this. They could never hope to gain the support of their members for propõsals which were explicitly designed to weaken the unions' capacity to defend their members' working conditions and living standards. position. The union leaders are committed to operating within the system; to fighting for retorms throuch nepotiation ano colaboration with the democratically-elected government of the day.
For the union leaders, industrial action and mass mobilisation of workers are the last resort to secure a better deal around the negotiating table. Union bureaucrats measures which directly threaten capitalism COUL cil to nhase out its direct and 'secondary' involved in the "secondary' picketing • is their fundamental the about are opposed to because after all, 'the gaffer would never agree to them'. The same democratic political institutions, like ParliaBut, say the Tories, we want to curb union power precisely because it leads to mob rule, to violence, and to weakening the authority of To this argument, leaders have no answer pecause..
That's why at Grunwick, the APEX leaders and the TUC General Council chose the option of negotiating the Scarman established by Parliament against building the mass picket.
This approach is riddled with flaws, and The first thing that needs to be said is that strike was defeated, despite legislation which supposedly guaranteed the right of workers to join trade unions. George Ward and the High Court were less concerned the authority this parliamentary legislation than were the trade union leaders.
In fact, this is always true. The employers will use the authority of Parliament so long as it suits them. Once it threatens their interests they will defy it like the steel bosses did when the camAS a goes for the system's established to the bosses the union™ Parliament itself.
they agree.
tribunal collaborating to failure.
successtur.
nothing pickets, lor listance basis of workers' piece of anarchy comes Irom admit that on into action when pickets| are actually under attack.' Among the pickets were a number of UCATT members who were. disgusted with the antics of in their general secretary, Les Woods.
Despite formal backing for the members both the union's regional council and its national executive, Woods retreated in the wake of the court decision, instructing UCATT members not to join the picket line.
The UCATT convenor of the local Fairweather's site, Dave Williams, decidedly angry about the CACCuLIve Labour government tried to nationalise the steel industry in 1951: the bosses simply broke and boycotted open their books and carry through the nationalisation. If the going really gets tough — as it did in Chile in 1973 - then are prepared . 10 For the ruling class, Parliament is there to serve its interests and provide the 'democratic' channels to secure the support of the majority of the population for this. A strategy based on acknowledging parliamentary sovereignty and the employers government within this framework is doomed Only a strategy based on struggling against them for the interests of workers The idea that this is anarchy, mob rule, or a policy of violence is quite false.
mob-like about the lorry orderly. They decided what could and what could not go through the picket lines on the needs. as opposed to the which prevails over production and distribution determined by profit.
As for violence, anyone who has attended a mass picket knows full well where the violence the police. The police openly 7 November 1977 the Special La fight within the union to | bigger Turnifi implement official policy.' John Barlow is himself a victim of the offensive works building trade, having been locked out by Wimpey. really Ruthless victim was also on the picket line. Ray Mills, sacked convenor of the Kambala Road site, says: "It is not coincidental that I was sacked and then two weeks later Lou Lewis was taken to court. "The council is ruthlessly attacking all those, like myself, who have been active in defence of direct works.
Wandsworth council
appears to be intent on going through with plans. Rumours in the columns of the local press suggest that the council is considering taking out a second injunction, this time against officers of the trades council.
Upper Boycott tube).
With the Croudace site not working because of a boycott on cement by Transport Union drivers, port, council IS putting LUCAS LIC Turriff's to get a move on with the contract. 'Flying pickets to other | 9577.
which people with broken bones overthrow miners in 1972. could take that on. and collaborationist strategy can be class struggle There was tomorrow.
drivers' extremely immunity over lorry drivers who for damages.
of these commitments.' sites are | being considered to step up our pressure,' says direct acting convenor Frank Sheridan He dismisses the offer made by the council or redundancies. 'You can't call it an offer,' Frank Sheridan explains.
"There's to be no change in the redundancy plans, just a 50p per weel fall-back bonus for thos no work, a £10 attendance allowance you've been especially good and the "privilege" of getting paid for having to work the whole of your notice if you accept redundancy!
need as much support as we can get if we're to turn around the attacks from the Tories', he adds.
Attend the picket, daily at 7.30 a.m. Bellamy House, Garratt Road (Tooting Broadway tube), and at the Croudace site, Tooting Park (Tooting Bee or Balham *Messages of SUL finance, details:
Battersea and Wands. worth Trades Council, 19 Croxteth House Union Road, sw8. Tel 01-720 Patrol Group violently smashed up a picket line still nengine about after infamous bus had taken the scabs to work through another entrance. The pickets didn't know this, the cops did. The result was 30 What the bosses and the union bureaucrat. will not admit is that the larger the picket, the tess likelihood there is of violence. There was no violence at Saltley when 10,000 engineers struck and marched to the picket line in support of the The cops didn't think they That sort of solidarity is directly threatened by the Prior proposals, which must be fought tooth and nail. But they can't be fought by the of the trade union leaders. Exercising our rights today through methods is the only way of defence of those rights *Will the courts now remove trade union 'secondary" picketing? Four pickelet a larke North Yorkshire factory during the strike in January, forcing it to close for four days, are being sued The personnel manager of the York Trailer company says: "The firm lost production which will run into many thousand of pounds. shall be looking for compensation for the loss Code of Practice leaflets available from Rank and File Centre, 265a, Seven Sisters Road, London N4 75p per hundred Socialist Challenge 30 August 1979 page 5
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Photo: BOB MURPHY Up the injunction!
nothing exposes them better than the Grunwick Suits them