The dockers intend to move against the Government's /2month rule. The National Ports Shop Stewards Committee has announced plans for indefinite action in pursuit of a 20 percent pay increase. Last week, Southampton dockers mer and agreed to settle under Phase 2, but dockers in other ports are awaiting the call for action.
The docks are currently a smouiderine cauldron of dissension over job cuts and wage restraint. Hull docks share the problems of every other port. Containerisation and mechanisation have vastI reduced the numbers of dockers employed, have re-routed work to unregistered ports - often far inland where part-time labour works for half the dockers pay.
In Hull, the tonnage handled at the docks fell from 9.4m in 1963 10 6.3 m in 1971, accompanied by major Ciosures in ren vours the number of dockers nationwide has dropped Bosses 60,000 to KIRKBY, vice chairperson of Hull Ports Shop Stewards Committee, Told Challenge why dockers are derermined to claim.
file bocause me trade officials won't do it, then got to do it ourselves. 226,000 ALAN ployment has gone up Socialist win their union is the Transport registered dock There's been a 'We are ready to sit it out for a bough 20 per cent wage increase or E100 everywhere port cant ear leaders. we've Unem contrary to what we were promised with the Social Contract It's alright pulling together if these sacrifices benefit the unem effective. ployed, but the numbers kee the National Association of Sic vedares and Dockers. The white Fores bus and went stopping, - like Scarboraugh. Ever lay there were a thoesaod police on the Trent. We were the first It was an ollicial strike. We bar fiying pickets because af the mushrooming of other ports in unfair competition.
From as The were fit a miners learnt it SO SUCH every day. When we went lo where dockers working up the Trent for hall the all the police were waiting for us. We marched through Hid town in columns ol four and closed the berths down. We gat a bit of abuse bur a lot of 'On the Trent we had 60 dockers arrested and each fined ESO in a kangaroo court. The palice were very frightened. We sending 700-1200 men = cars and bill-hooks. Those are tools of our trade. They called them "offensWomen and wives worked hehind the scenes. We in the hlue union got no strike pay. got threatening and abusive phone cas the third week which worried me greatly - threws ta my wife and family. My wile got nich to tide us over. The wome weren't hostile. My wite had a typewriter here and did all tbe THE STRONG whiff of a sell NTS TIE BET 10LBEE cars from the attempts of th leaderships of the print unions to SERIE North or Foeland Newspapers s end their dared monts strike The employers' claim that the journalists" demand for a post entry closed shop in a threat t has always en barrassed the point unions. Now then one Nationed trying to Journalists into accepting immediate rerurn to work and "mediation al Darlington The demand came during a meeting last Thuesday the cincin industries committee of he TLI when PRICE OL rim unions NATSOPA, NO nd SOGAT told NUJ reps sentatives that if they dicn't set their members back to work to cross the picket line.
NUl executive memher Aidan White who attended the meeting says: "A comprehensive sell-out is heing organised by the print unions! The NUT chape)
Papis to lackmail them it ending the strike. Mike Dussen, the strikers father of the chapel told Socialist Chaliense: We ar willing to accepe a sediator in principle, bur we are not pre pared to go back to work in thi meantime, point out that recommendation ДІале-03 amediator are Do hinding.
As we go to press, die NUJ consider ib attitude to the wtibarum of the print unions. Only a strong rank and file campaign among journ alists and printworkers to build solidarily with the Darlington journalists can guarantee succes for this important dispote. 1h NUJ rank and file group Journalists Charter is busy trying to ge