THATCHER couldn't the uwuy miners'strike, even while holiday in Switzerland. Members of the Swiss socialist youth the RSJ, oreanasanon. dumped 300 kilos of coal on the drive to her holiday home.
The supporters of the Fourth International, called for support Jor ine miners, and for Britain out of the north of Ireland. FOR THE tempts to break the miners' strike that triggered the dock dispute, but now, cool as a cucumber, the same Sirs is organising steel union members to break the dock strike.
overseeing the unloading of coal. This makes the steel union leadership the first to attempt to break both a miners' and a dockers' strike.
The dock strike itself was deliberately provoked ovariasa Port employers, probably with governmeo astris.
the coal costing in the region of £75 million a week, willel months looming, the government urgently needs an end to the miners' They calculated they could break the unity of the TGWU.
At Hunterston the difference between what the TGWU was prepared to unload (18,000 tons) and what BSC was demanding (21,000 tons). was relativeIv smali. The tact that BSO was not prepared to compromise, but insisted on its own figures, was not simpLU do with keeping Ravenscraig open. It had everything to do with provoking a confrontation in the docks. At Hunterston it is steel union officials who are but arter an inmual suci cess it now looks like an exuenevas‹v camoe lo the government. The of the TGWU leadership has reversed the no strike decision at imm. ingham and Grimsby. All the other main freight Sports are out, with Felixstowe the main exception. The most serious threat LO InC dispute nov the unofficial no movement Tilbury in London.
The first element in the bosses tactics is clear. The dockers must be divided, Hlan NOL tinghams should be created in the ports.
Events over the summer llave encouraged the view that this is possible.
Scotland faces test On Wednesday 9 May the Scottish TUC organisout the hope that it would doubtedly created difmenues Some of the problems Al Immingham officials have been dragging their ther breaches of agreements since the con clusion of the last dock strike in July. rellxstowe and Dover only grudgingly participated in the carlici Dover's capitulation from independent freight drivers forced its speedy CorCuson.
Clearly there is opposition to the strike among dockers, and the vote al lest. But the TGWU Tilbury will be major learn from the NUM in responding to this situation.
At the outset the miners' went far from smoothly. But when the NUM leadership turned full square into winning and began the organisation of massive nicketting in the working areas, was not long before Nottingham entirely isolated The same must be done in the dock strike. The success al Immingham and Grimsby must be followed up with a campaign to win action Tibury. one speaker criticised the calling of the demonstration on a Saturday as opposed to the day of action work time on There were also three demos ton over the weekend at Dalkeith near Bathgate West Lothian, , and Cumnock in Ayrshire. Speakers And then every port that fails to strike should feel the of llas. picketting to isolate the strike breakers and extend the action This is vital as the dock strike can be crucial to the whole development of the Up and down the coun try momer. their wives have taken new alu determinatior the dockers' sup defeat on ine docks would mean a huge escalation of the attempts to break the strike through bringing in foreign coal. Alongside this, demoralisation among the would give a new boost to the failed back-to-work campaign.
Groundswell For the dockers would dil blow. doubtless becoming a prelude to full-scale atlacks on the Dock Labour Scheme, which the Tories port employers have been threatening since last April.
Relaunching solidarity with the miners is the cen. tral task of the next weeks.
the ove low NUM has already announced it has to limit the alstributor trer literature as its funds have reacheu boLLon Money for the independent groups is being restricted. And in everv area there 1. deepening hardship limited sources of funds and donations Through the TUC and the Labour conferences the support work must be pushed forward keep the strike going But the key now is to ensure the victory of the docks strike.
Ostia's coal Hunterston to Ravenswe' ri seriously about winning the these meetings should have been used to popularise the call for the entire Scottish trade union movement coal began to move.
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Thatcher go home!
WHEN IT comes to strike-breaking the laurels must go to the super scab Bill Sirs. Not only was it his at-