'WE ARE NOT going to win in the courts. This battle will be won at Wapping blocked,' explained Dennis Skinner at a rally in support of the print workers in the Conway Hall, London, recently. Events of the last week have made this clear. Murdoch has increased his use of the courts against both the NGA and SOGAT, but the mass pickets at Fortress PETE EVANS reports.
THE government has mobilised all its forces try break the resistance of print workers to the attacks on their unions. _courts lave been used, resulting in the sequestration of SOGAT's with similar 6,000 SACKED MURDOCH capers out, A MY issue carries messages from all three general member of the AUEW, Jack Whyman and Wapping can be Wapping plant have grown. threat against the NGA. police are being openly used breakers. like the miners strike, last week the police viciously attacked pickets using horses and full rot Anyone in their way stas was batonned. The The first issue of Wapping News, jointly published by SOGAT, NGA, AUEW and NUJ, is available now. Copies are available, for a donation, from: LMS, 8 Bradbury Street, London N16 8JN. This secretaries of the NGA, SOGAT and the NUJ, and from an executive council as well as lots of tith its on life at the Fortress. Ideal for raising support at your trade union and Labour Party meetings. day they claimed 'outside agitators' caused the trouThese tactics are an attempt to break the morale of the pickets. hasn't worked. Support is growing.
Last Saturday's 6000strong picket forced the police to hold back lorries tor Two nours. rel aralll papers were distributed late.
The print unions actively building solidarity for their struggle.
planned throughout the country to increase the support they have already received.
La delegation from the Fleet Street papers joins the picket. More more reinforcements coming outside London.
ILULI Miners from Kent, miners wives Yorkshire, electricians Southampton have all joined the Wapping picket in the last weeks. Further delegations promised including alt railworkers, Inem selves now threatened with ine sack Ior relusing l0 handle scab papers.
Usually different dele rations marci on the Wapping plant, a tremen dous boost to the the pickers alread there. banners flying, they sing songs and chant slogans adaptec the Only the accents are different.
Action As the evening draws on, the scab TNT lorries come into view inside the plant perimeter. The police begin to move into action, clearing way through the picket line. The pickets wait, anger rising, until the lorries carrytheir scab cargoes speed through. A bigger picket and perhaps Last week one of the TNT arivers rerused cross the picket line. He was later beaten up by the scab drivers, then sacked SACKEL RUPERTS REWARD The police who make arrests of pickets each night aren't interested in finding his assailants!
Saturday, the demonstration was organ ised by the AUEW chapel involved in the dispute. One hundred and ninety two engineers are among those sacked by Murdoch.
Fleet Street, the engineers were joined by other AUEW members from both the North and South London district committees, as well firefighters, teachers, civil servants, bus workers and other print workers. Delegations from distribution workers, SOGAT members, were there too.
At the end of January, five . AUEW employed Graphics Systems to work on Wapping machinery, JAN CHAND PROFITS OUR KI WAD BEFORE JOBSM MURDOUIRE walked out. Refusing to cross picket lines, they returned to their pany's Preston headqualies Murdoch was rumoured to be 'irate' A rally was organisec at Wapping by the AUEW last Saturday. All speakers called for a bigger picket. Jock McPherson-Quinn, president London South committee, explained that he was also a surcharged councillor from Lambeth.
struggles were against the same enemy he said. 'Let's have larger numbers here in the George Anthony from the London North district committee told the rally: 'We must double, treble and quadruple the picket. We must get our fellow unionists here order that this street can be THE Birmingham Trades Council is to hold a major meeting in support of the print unions this Thursday, 27 February.
Birmingham Speakers invited include Brenda Dean Dubbin general sheeties of 0d and NGA, AUEW ecutive member.
Meanwhile, 'local support group for the print unions has been set up and meets weekly: So far it has helped picket TNT distribution depots the Midlands wholesale distributors in Birmingham city centre.
A delegation of Fleet Street printers travelled to the littleworth arca of Cannock on Saturday 15 February join 120-strong picket of the TNT depot there. This was blocked' But it was one of the sacked Jim Bradshaw, AUEW FOC at The Times, best pointed the way forward The TUC and Labou The said, 'should organise a mass demonstration to join the picket. Afterwards he explained Socialist 'Instead of expelling peoLiverpool, the Labour Party should put their strength behind this struggle.' Such nationally organised demonstration would undoubtedly put stopping Wapping on the agenda The picket has to built throughout the labour movement. As Jack Kent U secretarv of the Kent said at the Conway Hall rally: 'If you fight you can win, if you do not fight you will not win. Let's get down to the largest picket held in the Midlands to date, was organised by South Staffs miners who received print union support during their own strike.
Print workers in Birm ingham face jobs losses il Murdoch succeeds The Birmvabulll, ingham Post and Evenin Mail plan to shed 250 jobs when Iney technology.
or speakers of picating movement meeting phon Birmingham NGA 2963 or SOGAT on 7.30pm, AUEW Holloway Circus. • The print workers sup• meets at the Hockley, at 6.30pm every • Send messages of sup donations striking AUEW members contact: Duncan Boyd Secretary, 97. Orpingion, ree Streel Pauls Kent.
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