Dockers, unite against the Tories: TGWU must defy the law!
Labour Briefing1980sTranscribed by hand from the printed page.
The dockers are poised to lead a historic battle with the government over the abolition of the National Dock Labour Scheme. And they can win if they get the backing they deserve from the TGWU leadership.
Registered dockers handle 70% of cargo, much of which cannot be switched to non-scheme ports. A Department of Trade and Industry circular admits: "sectors heavily dependent on imports of raw materials or components could face problems quite quickly. Steel, vehicles, chemicals, news print and textiles could all be hit."
The key problem for the dockers is the attitude of TGWU leaders to the courts. Ron Todd says any strike "must be within the law". But can the strike be contained within the law and if not will Todd support it?
Todd's attempt to negotiate with the Port Employers was a tacit acceptance that a strike against a decision of Parliament would be illegal. Such a ruling by the courts — by no means certain — would be the most far reaching use of the law against the unions since Thatcher came to power.
It would make strikes against other Government measures such as the Baker Bill and the NHS white paper illegal as well. Were the courts to take such a step, they would not be influenced by whether or not the T&G had met the Port Employers.
The announcement by the TGWU leaders that they are trying to comply with the law is an open invitation to the courts to take the harshest decision in support of the employers!
The Port Employers have treated Todd's demands for negotiation with complete arrogance. They see the chance completely to reorganise the docks industry following the abolition of the Scheme — and even used the talks to announce the ending of the industry's national negotiating machinery, a separate matter from the Scheme.
Ron Todd is worried about the funds of the union, but those funds are worthless unless they can be used to defend jobs and conditions of the membership.
A united struggle by all dockers is entirely possible. Several of the non-Scheme ports have already pledged support in the knowledge that their wages and conditions are underpinned by conditions in the Scheme ports.
But if unregistered ports join the strike it will automatically be declared unlawful secondary action. Striking dockers picketing any unregistered ports which continue to work will also be guilty of illegal secondary action.
Previous anti-union legislation was destroyed because it was defied. In 1972 the dockers dealt the decisive blow to the Industrial Relations Act with their defiance of the National Industrial Relations Court over the Pentonville Five.
Since the NUM defied the law during the miners strike and was left isolated, the unwillingness of the union leaders to defy the law has led to the defeat of the print unions at Wapping and the seafarers at Dover.
A national dock strike could be the cornerstone of a fight-back against Thatcherism. NUR workers on London Underground have voted 7-1 for strike action. Strikes are starting in the BBC. A strike ballot is being prepared on British Rail. The AEU National Committee has proposed a series of strikes for a shorter working week and 70,000 power workers are being balloted for action. But to win, the dockers must be prepared to defy the law.
The TGWU, and the rest of the labour movement, must support them.