OUR FIGHT is your fight! That is the message that striking printers involved in the News International dispute took to their colleagues at the Observer last week. A few days earlier the Observer management London. Hardly had the new attack in the Observer sunk in on Fleet Street then Robert Maxwell was in dispute with the unions over conditions for his new evening paper.
Seeing the example of Wapping, and Murdoch's Dustillg other Fleet Street proPres da cab to jump onto the bandwagon. The stakes becoming still clearer for printworkers either ditions fought for and won Wlally yeals The forefront of the battle remains at Every mass demonstrations continue to snow une dele! mination of the sacked workers tight DACK Time and time again they nave their ingness to defy the courts by blocking the Highway, the main road outside ForThis despite the fact that the national leadership of SOGAT issued an instruction that the court order to cease blockıng the road, and to restrict the mass demonstration to a small square opposite the plant should be obeved.
Included in the court order were new restrictions on the right to picket for example, the six 'legal' nickers were Tastructed that they were allowed to give mortalion , Dullol allowed to ask the scabs not to go to work!
Members of SOGAT showed what they thought of this in the recent elections to the SOGAT NEC where candidates identified with the strike won a sweeping victory in the London region. picket line.
with the situation SOGAT, the strikers are the the strine labour the rest ol movement, and in . particular other printers faced with the same attack their rights. the leaflet the Times Clerical Chapel CATe vene it serier lobby the Observer 'we do feel strongly that now is the time for Sacked SOGAT printworkers hold a tea party for Wapping children behind the you to act together...and bring the boycott InLO Fleet Street itself.
'In doing this you will show not only Murdoch but your own companies that there will be no going back on the stand that we have all taken the preservation of our, rights and the retention of our But if the struggle is to full support of the rest of the labour movement. Until now the role of the TUC has been disgraceful. Faced with the scabbing role of the EEPTU, the TUC has tried to evade its responsibilities with fake attempts to get negotiations going (involving the EEPTU!) every time looks like the strikers could take the offensive.
The talks for this week specifically designed head off any fight at the monitoring is underway.
every LDC (shop stewards details of the agreement on DOO. A national meeting of LDCs would help preilala cal taking outrageous liberties with little resistance. Stand But secondly, the union must give every ento workers who are able to take a stand a local level. Where it is possible to take some form of action, links with other grades depots, and beyond the industry, will be vital However workers will never have the confidence to act unless they see that monteroers are sendusty campaigning today in defence of jobs.
There are a number of concrete steps that would won't have a resolution, The TUC but support can still be mobilised in defence of guards sas equally dards on trains. TUC conference over the role of the EEPTU the basis that it could endanger a settlement! But in reality only by settling acwith the electricians leaders. and puttin the full weight of the TUC print unions, can the strikers get the upper hand, and a real settlemen oe anieved one based on the sacked YELLY LICIOD back and full union rights being gained.* The NGA motion to the TUC conference, calling for the rejection of the General Council's decision not demand that the EETPU instructs its members to stop scabbing needs the full support of the whole movement The has to mobilise support for the picket at support the printers in their defiance of the court restrictions on picketing. With the support of the rest of the labour move.
the strikers defeat Murdoch and the tide of defeats in Flee Street reversed. That vital to defend every union and job in the country.
with the Con. Terence. sponsored all for guards sure will be ting the But will serious monitoring; holding where the for right simply as build up their own ing more rail workers to the that not but it should of an overall, jobs.
tics may be a small 'back street' factory but in many ways it is typical of the struggles in the 1980s witl fear, divisions, widespread disorganisation, self-employed agency lorry drivers who will cross any picket line, etc.
This must not be allow ed overcome the solidarity of working peoTGUW member said No employer Hounslow should be allowed to get away with treating ing people like this. We owe it to ourselves to help LUCI WI Donations, messages of support either:
Workers SupRoad, Fund, 18 Staines Hounslow, Middlesex.
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had announced the closure of the present building, and the transferring of printing to other sites outside