By our Labour Staff The pre-enristmas settlement between the BBC and ASSOCIaTIOn Broadcasting Staffs was the sort of Xmas gift Mr Callaghan could well have done without.
averaging around 13 especially significant in that it cent, was the first wage increase in the public sector which was a long way past the five per cent barrier.
he outcome of the BBC strike can only have added to the determination of unions who organise manual public calling a day of action on 22 SCIVICC workers. They are January in pursuit of a claim 35-hour week and a hall million workers are affected, and the National Union Public Employees has stated that a failure of the employers recognise ine Justice or our demands' will produce a series collection, water supply, sewerage and hospital services.
The Government's strategy unions involved — chiefly NUPE and the General and Municipal Workers' Union involve attempting to split off The l WILl industrial muscle by offering them a settlement above the rest.
Thus the offer to the water and sewerage workers which will be made public January is expected to be in excess of five per cent by means Our Court Correspondent The decision of Mr Hugh Scanlon, the former leader of the Union, accept a life peerage has come as no surprise to those who have followed his career of late.
In his years as President the Union, Scanlon soon discarded his militant views and embraced the prevalling pontical ortno doxies of the TUC General Photo: JOHN STURROCK (Report)
COUnCH He went on to become one of the staunchest supporters of Mi Callaghan's economic social policies. His defence of restraint played part in preventing major trade union opposition to the Labour Government.
The peerage designed as reward responsibattone accepta Scanlon's acceptance stands in contrast to Mr Jack Jones's refusal to enter the House of Lords. Mr described the members of the House of Lords as 'robbers and parasites.
Mr Scanion refused to grant our correspondent an interview Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 4 Season of industrial ill-will looms In an interview on BBC Radio's "The World This that for the success of his Government's pay policy, 'we rely on people's acquiescence' industrial action by lorry drivers and public sector employees give the new year prospects for such 'acquiescence' a decidedly gloomy tinge.
of "re-grading"
The union leaderships are, in pay some ways, adding ConTUSIOn. demonstraton and lobby of Parliament are planned for the 'day of action' on 22 January, but unions have not specifically called for strike action of all those involved on was malady.
It seems obvious that only militant action by involved TOrCO employers and the Government to concede the 40 per cent claim of these low-paid workers.
The suspicion is that already the union leaders are preparing for a compromise and the are expected to meet Government ministers next week.
By then the Government may for a E60 minimum wage and a be facing a more immediate problem.
Haulage drivers in Scotland, and Mersevside have voted to start strike action this week in pursuit of claims which in some instances are as high as 50 per cent Lorry drivers in other parts of the country are meeting this week positions. A national stoppage drivers industry to a virtual halt within a couple of weeks as most of industry relies on deliveries for their supplies.
But to be successful a strike by haulage drivers would need BUIC accomoanica determined picketing Strikers would be faced with potential large scale scabbing and there would be a definite prospect of the Government moving in the Army to smash such a strike, as it has already and clearly for and declined our offer of free space to explain his views.
Jones Mr Ronald
long-standing militant in field, told "Our Times': "As far as we're concerned Scanion died some years back. If they proposals. prepared to do threatened action of the petrol tanker drivers.
To add to the Government's year National Union workers WIll be negotiations with the National Coal Board later this month. The NUM is claiming a 40 cene macrease all those workers and a £110 a week the basic wage.
Despite these problems, it would be wrong to assume that ne rovernments day Doncy now in ruins. In his World interview Mini er Seiem its 90 Par of settlements reached are guidelines Although this may be an exaggeration, there is no doubt that ine type of mintant acaor neces by the Frederker is e necessary INSTCOCHE various claims now on the table are to be successiul The Government is assisted the continuing silence iror the leaders LICH Although committed by the could bring votes at the last opposing the ›ay poncy, une icaders or ulc ÚC are doing nothing to assist daily ineir millions of members now preparing to go into action.
Demands from every level of the trade union and movement for the TUC leaders to actively assist and coordinate the various struggles now on successful tactic overwhelming and final defeat of the pay policy. want to bury him in the House Lords then Thompson, DUSIneSS the Union in ShelScanion is considering the title of Lord Tolpuddle, but this has yet to be confirmed. Threatened over - the probiems.
of MineFrom Kathy Lowe determination by for face provincial journalists to WETA increase, the National •Weeken the Prime of managements within the pay ine sirikers strike union's history — solid.
print unions'.
-consess lo Government's Certainly, pickets freezing reminiscent labour around the country.
could prove the newsprint. bonuses, and even forfeited sack for refusing breakers.
leaders are anes special leaflet for spelling out the need for the will come journalists for help.
Meanware association, table their thing.
per cent guidelne, equally adamant renorted that MI NUJ North London Branch In the face of renewed local and con- graduates tinue their strike for a f20 a across-the-board of the employers are radicalism. of Journalists reports that scores nave nOW industry offered to do local deals with man. like the Birmingham 'Post and Mail', offering to meet the claim annual Although they receive no strike pay, NUJ members are refusing to be bought off and of 9,000 the journalists - the largest in the COnICICHEC has stayed A major problem, however, is what an NUJ spokesperson described as a very disappoint ing lack of solidarity from the union.
coping wealTe heavy treatment from police, the bakers' strike, have dealt a serious blow to the Christmas profits of their bosses by stopping 120 papers Help has come from the beginning from the Transport picket lines Union, whose members have been instructed not to deliver Magnificent support has alsc the pickets come from NGA, SOGAT anc NATSOPA members in some parts of the country, who have Christmas faced the TOUCI produced by strike But at many other printing plants, strikers nave come up against an absolute absence of trade unionism', says the NUJ.
Printers with police escorts and with approval from their crossing picket as at London's "Barnet Press', , they witnessed the arrest of eight pickets just before Christmas.
Deeply concerned about the situation, the NUJ is preparing rank and file members of print unions journalists case and pointing out that the solidarity is not a introduction of new technology hanging over the entire printing industry, the NUJ believes that the printers employers the Newspaper Society, has graciously offered return to the negotiating providing journalists call off their strike first.
Thestrikers aredoing no such since thrown out the Government's 5 they are about not appee local and praliase.
local and provincial journalists have become in- OTOS earlier creasingly militant in the 1970s.
With fewer jobs available in Fleet Street, the incentive to 'get on' has been weakened, and une growing numoc! of who have been recruited have brought in some spirit of student Take home pay as low as £45 a week for senior journalists -in a sector of the newspaper which highly profitable — is reason enough for the present picket lines Year after year at the NUJ's conference, the union said leadership has been condemned for settling with the Newspaper Society employers well below demands set by the The determination of members to prevent these behindthe-scene deals nas brought about more democratic forms or orcansalon within the The £20 claim was decided on broametin local sensane local newspaper that journalist chapels, and this same broad body will have to decide on any offer Four weeks on strike have tion. made us even more anxious to win our demands.
But we need your help, on the and financially.
There is a local paper near you, so why not pop along to see what assistance you can give to And while you're there, cash donation would be highly appreciated. With no official strike pay, donations can make or break the strikers' unity.
OTTO DIX's 'Portrait of the journalist Sylvia von Harden', 1926, showing in the excellent exhibition 'Neue Sachlichkeit and German Realism of the Twenties'. The exhibition, at the Hayward Gallery in London, ends on 14 January Many of Sylvia's present-day counterparts on The Times' woul be more likely to be found on a picket line than at the House of By Geoffrey Sheridan Legal Correspondent The victory of the Daily in winning from the Appeal Court legal protection against trade union solidarity editorial emSILS ployees will have important repercussions for all workers.
The decision, which came on December, confirmed an High instructing the National Union of Journalists to lift the boycott of Press Association copy being operated at the 'Daily Express'.
Lord Justices Denning Lawton, and Brandon unanimously decided DOYCOLL in support of the provincial journalists strike was not justified by any of the Trade Union Acts.
Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls, who presided, said the boycott was too remote from the strike. It is not sufficient for a trade union leader to want to advance a dispute,' he said Denis MacShane, the NUJ president, described the deci the biggest lega interference in an industria dispute since the Taff Vale ruling in 1901.
*It means trade unions can't help each other, Mr MacShane So far the TUC has offered to do no more than finance an appeal to the House of Lord:
Yet only four weeks ago it tir ultion a leaders accusine union accusing judges away workers rights.
Citing cases such as that of Gouriet v the Postal Workers which put paid to the boycott of South African mail, the TUC document nevertheless warns unions snoBie emphasise the positive aspects of the legislation passed under the present Labour administraThose that remain, that is Since the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act of the present Government has been a central plank of its pact with the unions, the union leaders clearly feel unhappy about th judges remova of the immunities it offered Their recourse, however, is not to me own memoCr whose collective defiance of the Law Lords' decisions would render them unenforceable.
----- pull-quotes -----
Mr Scanlon declines offer to explain why he joined band of 'robbers and parasites' Mr
Local journalists hold out for f20 claim
solidarity outlawed by judges