Pergamon strike at the sharp end

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Trade union support for the six week-old strike by NUJ members grow.

The nine NUJ members were sacked two days after walking out on official strike in pursuit of an improved house agreement.

24 NUJ branches and chapels have now provided financial support and donations have also come from TGWU branches. TGWU General Secretary Moss Evans has called on Midland branches to support the Pergamon strike and respect the picket line.

In London the Fleet Street branch of the AUEW has sent a donation and message of support. Donations have come from Fleet Street journalists in the Central London NUJ Branch, and the Times NUJ chapel has written a letter of protest to Pergamon's union-busting "socialist" owner Robert Maxwell-with copy to Labour Weekly.

Maxwell is-scandalously -a member of ASTMS. But last week his own union branch, the Oxford General branch of ASTMS voted to support the strike, following the earlier support voted by the Oxford Publishing and Oxford Health Service branches.

Repeated attempts within ASTMS to challenge the right of Maxwell, as a notorious anti-union employer, to remain in the union, have so far all been blocked by Assistant General Secretary Muriel Turner.

But it is plain that this fight must now be stepped up in order to isolate Maxwell from his influential cronies in the top layers of the trade union and Labour too, the moves to isolate Maxwell are making progress. Party leader Michael Foot has declared support for the strike and agreed to bring pressure to bear on Maxwell.

And even more embarrassingly for both Maxwell and his supporters in the Oxford City Labour Party, a meeting of the GC-of which Maxwell is a member -last Monday voted with none against to support the Pergamon strike-and to donate £20 to the strike fund!

But the major problem dispute remains the refusal of print union leaders to give official backing to this sti ike -which is fundamental io the long-term defence of jobs and union rights at Pergamon.

Even while the strike is on, new computerised equipment is being installed in the Headington offices that could potentially destroy jobs of NGA members at Pergamon.

One of the outstanding demands in the NUJ house agreement is a clause restricting the introduction of new technology.

Yet NGA officials have declared that they will give no support to the strike and have rejected appeals that their members should black work on the journals normally . produced by the victimised strikers.

This example of union leaders fiddling while their members jobs burn. is echoed by SOGAT. Oxfórd branch secretary Beal has refused to lift a finger to prevent SOGAT drivers from another Maxwell plantExpress Litho in Cowleycrossing NUJ picket lines to deliver scab supplies to the strike-bound Headington office.

Call the police

And when strikers asked for the opportunity to address a SOGAT committee meeting, Beal refused and threatened to call the police against any attempt to lobby the committa members!

Both SOGAT and NGA officials are plainly seeking to minimise the losses among their own membership in Maxwell's savage redundancy programme, involving the loss of 2,500 jobs in BPC.

They are obviously prepared to sacrifice nine NUJ members and the future of the 70-strong NGA chapel at Pergamon in the hopes of persuading Maxwell that they are "reliable" partners in his efforts to speed up and strip down the BPC workfoIce.

This cynical stitch-up must be exposed and fought. The scabbing between print unions must be brought to an end if the employers' offensive is to be driven back. The Pergamon strike emerges as crucial in this fight.

We urge readers to seek every means to mobilise concrete support -to approach militants in the print unions and find ways to force the NGA into active solidarity.

Cash is needed and messages of support should be sent to the strike committee, c/u 5 Union Street. Name .

Address 5277, THE JOIN

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occupiers to physically smash the growing left forces- in the NUT, who now present an alternative pole to the Executive's retreats on cuts and lursery 3D.

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at Pergamon Press, Oxford, has continued to

Progress Within the Labour Party: