New court attack on NUJ spells out Tory

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NUJ pickets outside Press Association during strike and make your rules clear" 1979 annual conference This monstrous attack on told the executive to accept the union must be resisted. no limitations on the right through the courtshave launched a new series of major attacks.

Two Court rulings have hit at the right of unions to strike, picket and carry out their own discipline against scabs.

The Appeal Court-under the guidance of Lord Denning-on July' 19 declared the seven week pay strike by the National Union of Journalists unconstitutional, and ordered the union to cease action against members who scabbed on the strike and to reinstate those members who had been expelled.

The strike had been called after an exhaustive series of democratic meetings of chapel representatives and of mandatory chapel meetings.

Majority

NUJ rules say a ballot for a l strike has to be called where the decision affects a majority of the membership.

The provincial strike called out fewer than 9,000 out of the 29,000 members.

But because all members had been instructed not to scab on the strike by supplying copy to provincial papers the Court declared the clear meaning of the rule null and void.

Lord Denning said: "My colleagues say-and we all Wlard, Report PHOTO: Andrew agree-alter your rule book ON A 20 STRI A clear motion to the forced to act on it.

The union conference must be recalled in emergency session to reject this ruling.

Likewise in Wandsworth, building workers have been barred by a court ruling from picketing a site in protest against cuts in the direct labour force.

Since last year UCATT members have been picketing two sites of Turriffs and Goudace contracting firms -one of which has been shut down.

Pickets banned

The High Court issued a temporary injunction banning picketing until a full court hearing.

The council claimed that in defending the direct labour department the UCATT regional organiser, Stalinist Lou Lewis, was acting politically, and not in pursuit of a trade dispute.

The battle over direct labour departments is of course political -but so are all industrial disputes.

In neither cases have the unions stood up to the court's blatant attempts to smash their action.

The judge, Mr. Justice Park told the union they should settle, even thougn he admitted 'it was not his funtion to even contemplate such a possibility."

UCATT immediately ordered Lewis to call off the pickets pending the full

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Wednesday