Dockers waiting for strike call: Todd dithers as docks burn
Labour Briefing1980sTranscribed by hand from the printed page.
TGWU lawyers won the day in the High Court at the beginning of June, blocking moves by port employers to have the dockers' strike ruled illegal.
The High Court refused to declare the strike ballot illegal — either on the basis of its wording or on the basis that any such strike would not be a legitimate trade dispute.
Yet, despite this victory, the dockers' magnificent three-to-one strike vote has yet to be implemented.
Instead of seeing the court decision as a signal for action, Ron Todd promptly sent a letter to all dockers urging them to withold strike action until after the result of the Appeal hearing granted to the employers.
That hearing began on Thursday, June 1st.
The employers are arguing that the dockers have no right to strike under the terms of employment as set out in the Dock Labour Scheme. They claim that they can only strike legally if they resign from their jobs first.
The whole appeal procedure is, of course, a cynical attempt to play for time in the hope that the dockers' will to strike will fade.
If the employers lose in the Court of Appeal they will seek leave to bring their case to the House of Lords. To do this they will need to raise a point of law, but the Court of Appeal may give them one.
What will Ron Todd do then? Send out another letter urging dockers to stay at work while the weeks and months fly by?
Todd has assured the TGWU National Docks Committee that in the event of the employers losing the appeal, the result of which is expected any day now, he will immediately call an all-out strike in the registered ports, using powers he has already been given by the Executive.
But this is not the first time Todd has made these noises. Everything he has done up till now suggests it is unlikely he will call a strike in the next few days.
Even if the employers are refused right to appeal to the Lords, Todd could still find ways of delaying a strike call.
He could call meetings of the NEC or a national committee or a delegate conference. He could even call for more talks with the employers — although for their part they have made it clear that negotiations are at an end.
If a strike is not called soon, the dockers' unity will be in serious danger. The 28 days of the strike ballot run out on June 16th. It will then take a month to rerun the ballot. By that time the scheme will have been abolished.
It will then be up to the National Port Stewards Committee to take the initiative, give the necessary leadership, and organise an all-out unofficial strike.