print workers now going into the third week of their strike against News International. deflect oficial opposition from the unions. saying please, I'm instructing,' secretary Ron Todd, calling on transport workers to respect the picket lines. legal consequences which might come.
While the TGWU instruction has had no effect yet TNT workers who deliver the scab papers across the country the transport workers' message could still disrupt the supply materials such as paper, ink, and petrol, said to be running low at Wapping.
beginning of this week Murdoch claimed that over lour and a half million copies of the were spewing ou:
Glasgow, 20,000 higher than the previous record.
ast Sunday almost 500,000 of Monday's Times had been turned only 35,000 short of requirements. The same day, copies of the education and literary appeared, late, after being bovcotted NGA workers in Northampton.
But they didn't 'I am not ' said TGWU general He pledged to take all the vot Manchester was the Terusd print workers to produce scab copies of the News of the Muraoch injunctions bans the union from this action next week; and a further legal suit is being prepared Callie SOGAT for loss of pro- damages duction.
But the lead given by the print unions, NUJ so far is simply not enough. Nor is it clear how far the unions prepared to go in confronting the law or how much backing other unions will give them. So long as scab electricians and journalists continue to work at Wapping, however, business as "respect pickets' calls from union leaderships fall far tion cians must be taken, the NUJ should expel all scab reporters working on the four Murdoch titles.
But neither bureaucratic fight enough by itself. Hammond is increasingıy Isolated within the trade union movement as a result of his actions at That advantage will be driven home only by action from the trade union leaders backed by the Labour Party leader ship. That means concrete steps make any disciplinary threat against une EETPU the TUC this Wednesday bite.
Suspension by itself is not enough. Putting hundreds of thousands of electricians outside the move. ment would nave lo be ducompanied by moves from the TUC to regroup them into an alternative organisation within the ambit of the trades union movement Last Tuesday the Morning reported that Hammond's 'evidence' to TUC quiry will try to shift the unions. The EETPU docu- blame other print ment claims that the TUC cians outside the congress move is to put the electri'for political reasons' cannot instruct those presently employed there to stop work without putting the union's funds in jeopardy,' it claims.
The general council's case against the EETPU leadership is in fact based on the most elementary principles of trade union solidarity. Action by the TUC against the electricians. however, will only hold if it is predicated on an explanation of why the EETPU's road means an attack on the ullILy strength of the whole Wapping has brought that out into the open. The TUC must keep it there b: driving home the full meaning of Hammond's actions.
it is uo to the whole union movement, the TUC, organise the massive industrial solidarity needed for Internationa strikers to win against Murdoch his anti-union friends in the Tory support committee network. Already the springing into action.
have some public meetings in tne pipenie.
SOGAT London machine branch is currently discussing printing an alternative London Post to put the union and the strikers' case. The name is a nice irony: the same as Murdoch's own new title plannea to come out thi March. Labour movement organisations invited make donations send messages of support.
• A . joint coordination office has been ise sirike. In coordinate Information, donations, hearts of support, and requests for speakers, contact them on:
01-2534 0261.
• The SOGAT London machine branch can be contacted at 84 Blackfriars Road, London SEI (phone: 01-928 5144).