The first statement the Northern Ireland Committee of the ICTU issued on the strike was with the Contederation British Industry. Its grounds for opposing the strike was that it damaged 'progress towards But no condemnation of the strike's aim was forthcoming from the : Northern Ireland Indeed although mentioned in the bulletin Carlin went on during CHEt strike and Paisley's demand for greater "security'.
held an 'unauthorised meeting.
Lyn told Socialist Challenge: "Although Donald and I have been singled for Vul action really amounts to an attack on the whole branch. In the past we have Lyn supported the Anti Nazi League and the held collections for struggle. 'But what annoys Scottish Gas the most is that in 1978 we went on strike in defence of 14 of our members who had been sacked. reinstated and ever since that victory our bosses have been watching for an organisation.' Lyn also noted some particularly sinister aspects of the affair: Many of the people who attended the meeting have been grilled as actually said during it. Management appear to know so much about its political content that I suspect they were either briefed by Kranch or have beer For their part For have sought porterners trom souterners.
Protestants from Catholics.
double schism, should be impotent.' of available this isn't backed Belfast 10. Add 15p for p&p.
union room.
the situation punishment, this workers out of its room. got thiem Weaker branch 'troops out'.
silence on the Special the trade union officials have been content not to shatter this fragile state of affairs. They have remained inactive, compromises Their non-sectarianism is passive, not the result of concerned action against sectarianism'.
Even on the bread and butter issues' the trade unions have a poor record, with wages Such failures cannot simply be explained as the result of 'sell-outs' by the trade union bureaucrats. They are inherent in the context in which the unions work. The conclusion offered by the Workers Research Unit insists: "The partition of Ireland divided not only the country, but also the workers of the country, 'The continuation of that partition leads not only to repression and sectarianism, but to the further division of workers in the North, Given that, it snoutu moe be surprising tial le trade union movement in the North, working within that The full argument which leads to this conclusion cannot be detailed here. But not for the first time the Workers Research Unit has produced a bulletin which is both informative and very good value. It is the best introduction to trade unionism in the North of Ireland *Belfast Workers Research Unit. Bulletin No 7: Trade Unions in Northern Ireland. Price 60p. Available from WRU, c/o 52 Broadway, Donald Mackenzie explained how devel obed immediately put out a special edition of the branch news-sheet. This seems I• nave rallied management a bit They have withdrawn their threat of instant dismissal. Instead both Lyn and myself have been issued with final written warnings.' But the union branch is still locked The obvious lesson is • that it is a terrible mistake to séparate 'economic' struggles in the workplace from more "political' campaigns like Those who want to attack trade union rights share the aims and values of those who strive to the British presence in result of the victimisation of Lyn and Duncan is that many workers at Scottish Gas now realise the connection detweet Ireland and trade union rights.