THE RESULT of the NGA and SOGAT ballots on News International is a massive vote by print workers in favour of industrial action to stop Rupert Murdoch's attempt to murder their unions. The AUEW will be balloting its members on strike action at the end of this week.
These votes are a sharp rebuff for Eric Hammond's plan to go along with Murdoch's demand for a legally binding no-strike agreement at the LONDON the TUC, une Talworker VATIONAL UNION Or MINEHORKERS new Wapping plant. Now it is up to backed by the miners and who dispute with the EETPU, to ensure that the full force of the trade union movement is brought to bear against Murdoch and the electricians leaders.
Signing the type of deal Murdoch demands would be the beginning of the end for the sort of trade unionism we have known in Britain for over 100 years. The experience of such contracts in other countries is vivid proof of how effectively the law would be Inga used to destroy the power strength of the trade union movement.
Signing a no-strike deal with Murdoch, even if it weren't legally binding, would be a toe in the door for every employer in this country and a tremendous blow to the print unions. Other print bosses would follow suit. And the rest of British industry would be hot on their heels.
NGA and SOGAT leaderships have moved towards accepting many of Murdoch's demands.
The EETPU has delivered no-strike agreements, with Eddie Shah and others. But accepting Murdoch's legally binding, no-strike, or sweetneart. acal is a quallalve step. It would herald open season for attacks on every single union, and be the beginning of the end for effective union organisation in the print. Already the with the breakaway UDM.
The softly-softly previously Hammond.
Roy ine rue on anis issue DISSUIC whole of the movement.
their fight with Murdoch.
print unions.
nga As we go to press, the TUC goes anto session wu une on unions and with the NUM and NUR. The print unions correctly argue that the EETPU's conduct over the Wapping deal breaks TUC rules: that it is fundamentally against the interests of the trade union movement. The National Union of Mineworkers is arguing a similar case about Hammond's links approach of Norman Willis and others to the announcement last year by the electricians and engineers that they would flaunt TUC policy on combatting Thatcher's anti-union laws laid the groundwork for this latest move by There Call be downplaying, and no soft-peddling, Every single union must maintain on the TUC and scotch Hammond's moves to scab on the British trade union The print workers must be given total trade union backing in • See page 10: 'The future of the treats it like. one. Its origins lie in successful African resistance to Dutch colonists last century. Its people secured a British mandate. It won independence from Bri tain in 1966. Shortly afterwards Jonathan, at that time backed by Pretoria, took power in a putsch after losing the Lesotho's formally counts for nothing in Botha's eyes. His government already sent hit-squads into Maseru Lesotho's capital, last year killing ordinary pursuit of 'ANC tel rorists.' The aim of the coup is clear. It is to cut off any potential base of support in Lesotho for the struggle rising against Africar regime. 'He's a (Botha) boy and he'll toe the line,' is how Brian Branch of the South African Institute of International affairs described the relation between Lesotho's new leader and the South African foreign minister.
Three days before the coup US secretary state Schulz publicly lambasted Europe for failing to support sanctions against Libyan "ter rorism and subversion.' One law for Gadaffi, one for Botha.
Socialist Action 24 January 1986