Strike Mon

Socialist Press no. 132, 10 January 1979 · scan pp. 11–12 · about 265 words

Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →

Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.

Scan page 11

pushed to call strike action re-open negotiations without preconditions; the failure to react positively to the NUJ suggestion that picketing be reduced as a gesture to allow negotiations to resume, or to consider a third party to assist in reopening negotiations."

The £20 claim is not mentioned. Instead the resolution refers only to 'decent pay "levels'. , leaving the way open for a settlement of anywhere down to half of the claim.

This wording • was no accident. The Provincial Newspapers Industrial Council spent several hours labouring to give birth to its five paragraph mouse.

"Respectable offer"

Don Sutton, chairman of the Provincial Newspapers Industrial Council, said his aim was to wring "a respectable offer" from the employers.

The General Secretary, Ken Ashton, sounded as uncomfortable as he looked, as he heaped the responsibility for winning the strike squarely onto the backs of the membership.

But the really conscious element among the leadershipMcShane-exemplified the duplicity of the platform speeches.

Incredibly he told delegates that "even if you go back tomorrow" there would have been a victory because the NUJ would have proved it could maintain a strike!

The reality is that it would have jeopardised another strike (HELLO?.. HOW'$ IT GOING ALEX -KEEPING THOSE SOOTTISH DRIVERS IN ORDER?..

BUT WHY ARE YOU IN A PHONE BOX ANYWAY? DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE PICKETING!!!

antone O1! COME ON PRATE HEY!

WELL ACTUALLY-ER-THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF A LOCK-OUT DOWN HERE PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL FINE THANKS ALAN. HOWS) LIFE IN BIRMINGHAM? ACTUALLY WE DID HAVE A WEE SPOT OF BOTHER.

JAN T23 78.9 1314,

Scan page 12

SOCIALIST