1984 1984 and all strikes 'designed to coerce the government', introduced a 'contracting-in' system for the payment of the political levy to the Labour Party and forbad civil servants from joining unions af Industrial Relations Act: established special National Industrial Relations Court with jurisdiction in industrial disputes with power to impose strike ballots, 'cooling-off' periods fines upon unions undertaking "unfair industrial practices. The pre-entry closed shop declared illegal.
Pentonville Five: the NIRC under • Lord Donaldson imprisoned five dockers, 'The Penton ville Five', for contempt of court in 1972 for refusing to stop boycotting a vehicle depot. Donaldson orders the sequestration of the assets of the AUEW for refusing to stop picketing a Woking firm which would not allow its workers to join a trade union. Three building pickets jailed by the Shrewsbury courts on frame-up conspiracy charges.
Employment Act: ('Prior's Law') outlawed secondary picketing and restricted number of pickets allowed in a lawful industrial action to just six Employment Act: ('Tebbit's Law') effectively made all sympathy strikes illegal and made trade union funds liable to claim for damages as a result of 'unlawful' industrial action.
Sequestration of the funds of the NGA Employment Act: ('King's Law') makes ballots compulsory for strikes and cuts off trade union funds for the Labour Party unless reaffirmed every 10 years by ballot.
Receiver appointed for the NUM, TGWU fined £200,000
Socialist Action 7 December 1984 288*