AS WE GO to press, the result of the ballot on Murdoch's latest final offer' isn't known. The offer is little different than the one already rejected. But after over nine months of struggle and with the national leadership of SOGAT recommending acceptance, militants are facing an uphill task to secure a 'No' vote. struggle.
The printworkers have had face the vicious tactics. The 5,500 printers WELC summarily sacked in January after Murdoch had secretly transferred his operations Fleet street. in canools witn ine leadership of the electriclans unlon, ne sel up silop with brand workforce. Murdoch fortified his premises with razor wire, high fences and electronic surveillance. by-pass solidarity railworkers, he bought up road transport fleet to distribute his papers.
The courts weighed in on une sae or Murdoch sequestrating SOGAT's Ic-lsiallle them on terms designed to defend Murdoch from effective action.
Saturation policing 1,000 were permanently deployed, or six strikers. In the miners strike, the average was one to every 22 strikers. In the first seven months of the dispute 1,139 were arrested, one per six strikers.
compares witn 10,337 arrested the toners sunke - an average of one per 100.
Won The strike quickly won solidarity from the rest of the Women Against Pit Closures, miners others swelled the mass pickets. bul as lne stake. of the dispute rose the national leadership SOGAT backed off. The TUC, rather than deepening the support isted, worked the with the SOGAT leadership Murdoch to concoct a sell-out deal.
Other Heel oureel employers moved in wake ot Murdoch's oftensive to impose their own swinging attacks In the first weeks of the dispute, Mirror group workers, particularScotland, came out against Robert Maxwell's major redundancy package. Forging a united fightback was real possibilly print union leaders have signed olic sell-oul deal another.
At the time of Murthe Daily Telegraph came torward with the devastating package so far. It demandea stati cuts ot 60 per cent, a no-strike deal, and agreement to lay off without if inpay NALGO pay vote ALTHOUGH local government 'white collar' staff have voted not to take industrial action over their 1986 pay claim, the vote of 45 per cent for action, 55 per cent against has startled negotiators on both sides. The employers hoping for a BRIAN GROGAN looks at nine months of dustrial action leads to loss of any papers.
Far using the Telegraph's attack mobilise the two workforces in a joint fight, SOGAT'82 not only signed the deal, but welcomed it as a lanamark agreement and SOGAT's Bill Miles who has responsibility for the dispute castigated Murdoch for 'not having the patience to get a similar deal without the present strife. Blocked The SOGAT leaders also blocked off support from the wider movement. Hiding behind the condiDONS laid Dy the courts lifting the sethey snubbed offers of support from the miners, 'not wanting to be associated' with Scargill's tactics the only ones will a crance of winning.
Brenda Dean and other SOGAT leaders counterposed the campaign to persuade consumers to boycott International titles. Concentrating on consumers is to chose the weakest ground. The only pressure Murdoch will listen to is at the point of production and on the Tony Dubbins addresses Tribune rally at Labour step up the picketing to appeal for the first time for support to the rest ol the trade union movement.
But the Morning Star squandered fruits of the 'No vote The concessions made the Dean leadership to win the conference votes woulc have been more than justified on one condition that the decision to escalate the struggle were acted upon with vigour. But the London leadership accepted Dean's strictures that the dispute remain within the framework of the anti-union laws and under the control of the nationa leadership. The conference resolutions became just pieces of paper.
At its conference, the TUC admitted their own inactivity. Norman Willis blamed 'the limits of trade sent constances present circumstances'. Wapping dispute provideo the TUC : with a major opanother, this could mean indefinitely.
The NUT leaders who have agreed the deal have argued that it is necessary to reach agreement with Labour-led authorities, rather than have a deal imposed by the Tories. This all to be reviewed in 1990. They propose putting off struggle ceremo education today to the possible Kinnock-led government tomorrow.
This conception of strategy is nonsense it onlv because there is no guarantee that there will De Dol governmen in 1990. Moreover it was the pa dispute which brought educational policy to the fore and teachers in strug gle were beginning to build some of the important alliances, particularly with летело state education from Tory atLacKs. portunity to decisively widen such 'limits'. . But its refusal confront the electricians narrowed the limits even further.
Similarly the Kinnoc. leadership of the Labour Party has failed to lift a finger. They have in no way used Murdoch's vicious tactics challenge the monopoly control of the press. Insteda lney chose a the conterence to attack foreign owners. It appears OK to attack Fleet Street printers so long as it's British prodoing the dirty business!
If, despite all the odds, the sacked printers vote "Nơ' complete break with the SOGAT national leadership's tactics needs to be made. A plan oi ac tion would centre on:
Campaign • A campaign for solidarity from the rest of Fleet Street. This would in. cinden rejection all deals in contradiction to lie sunke alms or toe wap ping printers for no job anc full recognition independence. • Full mobilisation of the sacked printworkers independent of anti laws. peals for solidarity action from the rest of the labour movement. The formation of a democratically-elected strike committee.
O A campaign towards the TUC to imple conference decision to back the printers and instruct the EEPTU tr wilnuaw campaign for the Labour Party • lo duoDi phallenge the press barons for the press which in their monopoly control; and to give active solidarity to the printers.
Such a perspective not only necessary but possible. During the strike a new laver of leaders ha emerged - leaders who can begin to give a much• needed new direction