ACTiON THE ROAD to disaster started when the NGA National Council ended the mass picket at Warrington and called only a one day national strike.
A one day national NGA strike was never going to win the dispute with Shah. Nor were a series of one day strikes.
The NGA was up against the entire ruling class. Not just against a small newspaper owner in a north country town.
day actions by themselves were seen as threatening another large chunk of the NUA'S LIu million funds without the Newspaper Publishers Association, Newspaper Society ine reacraton ol Master Printers were bleed the iven the light NGA dry. That just WIldl they threatened to (Birmingham NGA)
A one day strike also gave an acai opening 1o1 the TUC right wing sabotage the action Joe Wade rightly said in his statement on Saturday that 'We I cousise and acceot that we cannot win this dispute on our own, but we have now got to demonstrate to the rest of the trade union movecou the lunatic fringe ment that we are prepared to take this kind of action' But Ine TUC. more importantly the rank movement, was only going JELO fully backing the NGA if the union took the kind of actiọn that could actually Will.
Elements of the TUC leadership like Terry Duf fy and Len Murray were never going to get to grips with a principled dispute over six workers. They sell out thousands every day.
An indefinite stoppage the NGA members employed by the Newspapel Publishers Association, the Newspaper Society the Federation of Master Printers was the only way to win.
cut off 'And to ensure a balanced and impartial discussion of the latest government measures | have with me a government spokesman and a wild-eyed Trot from munications. The only way to fight to get gas, electricity water workers to cut off Shah's supplies. The only way to get mass pickets organised at the stores that advertise in Shah's papers.
Only an all out strike coula nave oulica In all lie unions that supported the NGA at the TUC on Mon day. Only an all out strike could have won over the rank and file of the other unions.
The National Council in not calling an all out strike thought it was stepping away from total conTrollation. But the courts confronted the NGA anyway.
Next time the lessons have got to be learned. The offensive against the print smash the Preparation:
busting the NGA in the local newspaper industry started immediatel following the 1980 prin ting strike. Then the NGA Villait man oral vincial newspapers out on strike for two weeks. Only around 80 of the 1100 local newspapers were able to print.
Since then the Newspaper Society which employs around 11,000 NGA members has been running Project Breakthrough This con sists of employers install ing and training staff for the new direct-input com puter technology.
The wolverhampton Express and Star and Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers are among the actively considering lockUnited action could have won the dispute unions is going to go or meet it with an all out strike sooner or later.
legal. without it the union will be crushed That's the lesson that's got to be drawn from the dreadful events of Monday and Tuesday. going ahead with introduc EY -The Newspaper Socie claims that the would be able ts NGA Barrons which publishes 10 dailies. 40 weeklies, and 30 weekly boasted. On the basis of publish of newspapers. I think it is there should be a major effort to do 50. More than local newspapers were announced on Monday to be preparing despite the call The other weapon being used is simply to cop Shah and smash the NGA through a whole series of court writs, •Norman Walker, the head of austral canon Newspaper Society put it, coverale our member. would clearly consider courts in the event of industrial action.
The Newspaper Socie ty on Monday decided to encourage newspaper members take out writs against the NGA. They were and arc determined to destroy the national strike, the TUCs botage of the NGA, BOT threatens every union in
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which are believed to be local
Smas the Tor JWS
publishers and the courts
to press