Danger of Nuj Sell-out

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As we go to press, NUJ members on strike are due to gather in London faced with the real threat that their leadership is beginning to crumble.

A meeting of FoCs has been called by the union leadership after a week of wavering statements about the future of the strike.

While chapels up and down the country expressed their willingness to fight on over wages, the Provincial Journalists Industrial Council has been offering the employers a reduction of all pickets to token level, if they would agree to talk.

This climb-down-which would be seen by members and management alike as a prelude to calling off the strike-was taken without any consultation with the membership.

Bosses rejected

It was only not put into effect because the Newspaper Society (the employers' organisation) rejected it.

The NUJ leadership opposed the strike in the first place, then wildly declared that it would be "short and sharp"

They have been looking ever since for a concession from management to allow them to end it.

In the month that the journalists have been out, not a single chapel has gone back to work-except where individual improved offers have been made.

But the latest circular from Kenneth Ashton, NUJ General Secretary, to the employers, did not even mention the £20 claim Smaller settlements Instead it pointed to much smaller settlements made at the BBC and in Scotland and Some chapels were preparing for the meeting by proposing strong opposition line.

The employers have been badly shaken by the strike. Sales and advertising have been hit and in some cases complete issues have been lost.

At the same time arrests have been made on many picket lines and the determination of NUJ members to win their rise has increased.

At the very point where strong and vigorous leadership was required, the NUJ leadership was once again found wanting.

A call for a campaign to reverse the political ruling against blacking by the Court of Appeal, has been launched by the Oxford Mail and Times chapel.

The chapel has called on the NUJ, the TUC and the Lat Party to fight to reverse the decision -which could outlav " all blacking.

The strike must strengthened.

Renewed appeals for supporting action from the NGA and SOGAT should be launched and the limited support already received built on.

The full claim itself is no long term answer for the NUJ membership.

But they must ensure that the leadership is not allowed to sabotage the first all out strike of provincial journalists in the history of the union.