[TRANSPORT AND GENERALS WORKERS UNION Tolunteers are reqpested…]

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TRANSPORT AND GENERALS WORKERS UNION Tolunteers are reqpested to attead these meetlags and asy maders uso are interested ahould contaet the Docka Officer It most be clearly understood that the ex Shop Stewarda and sex saxbers of the Hegotiating Coseittee are not eligible to It no volisteers are forthoaring then the acatinza will bo attended ty officiain of the Union und full written reporte la bored, hoveras, that enough rolusteers will be forthos dels future emplogent mbich is all tied up vith the futur parating of Hall sad Busber Cargo Handling Company Limited, As previously reported in 'Socialist Press' the T&GWU No. 10 Regional Committee has removed the shop stewards credentials from all 16 T&GWU stewards in the port of Hull.

The stewards affected include the convener, Walter Cunningham, tony ree who is the chaurman of the Regional Committee and Walt PLEASE ONOTE aVNI.

:: A Dex abers Deployed by Hull end bet Cargo Habi y Compery Limited and Limitede Does, Sirs and Brotbers, operation of the Coopray.

Zeit Beria House as soon as possible.

attend these meetlags.

silt be Eiren by way of sevaletsere.

La mr mubara iran those dockworicora who tre Yesua патей.

* at tolerate often, e letter barring the elected stewards fro BEVIN HOUSE.

HULL HUI 308 bypassing the docks.

D e CARNS MEGIOH No. 10 GEORGE STREET, 527082 Greendale who sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the T&GWU 1 General Executive The excuse for this bureaucratic action was given as the refusal of the dockers to lift their blacking of the BACAT system - a catamaran type ship which releases barges direct into the waterways, thus Since removing the credentials and June, 1976 the Regiona. Committee nas been attempting to reorganise the dock.

First they attempted to hold new elections for stewards, but were unable to obtain any nominations.

They then turned to the port amployers - successfully persuading them to refuse to recognise or negotiate with the disciplined stewards - a step which the employers had previously avoided, fearing retaliation throughout the port.

Regional Secretary Cairns then circulated a letter to all T&GWU dockers explaining that it was necessary for the officials to meet the employers and inviting any members to attend as a representative - with the exception of the disciplined stewards.

Because this is such an open and blatant attack on democratic rights Cairns will not get any volunteers, but this will not concern him.

TACTIC

His tactic is that by making the offer he clears the way for the (non-elected) officials to represent the port themselves. (This means that the next thing the Hull dockers will have to face will be the deals the officials do with the port employers).

This is what the officials want. The BACAT system was not the issue. Traditionally the port has been controlled by the unofficial stewards committee - with a high degree of independence.

The Region 10 Committee, Line with the actions nationally the T&GWU bureaucracy, want stamp out that independence.

In addition to this they want to isolate the militant minority of stewards of the Blue union who have retained an influence in the port through the unofficial committee.

CONTRADICTION

In other words the issue for T&GWU is bureaucratic control.

There is a contradiction in the situation. The unofficial commi Iee has virtually unanimous support in the port. Yet the bureaucracy has been allowed to get away with these attacks.

The problem is the unofficial leadership on the dock. Sections of the leadership refuse to move because they see it as a Hull issue and refuse to draw the connections with the actions of the bureaucracy of the T&GWU nationally.

CLIQUE

Other sections, such as Greendale (who voted in favour of the 42% TUC pay cut on the T&GWU Executive after he was disciplined) are closely tied in with the Jones clique.

The present inaction is dangerous. It is not enough to have the support of the men if that strength is not used.

If the Hull stewards are defeated it would be a defeat for the whole working class.

The demand must be placed on the Regional Committee to reverse its decision - and this must be backed up with action.

At the forthcoming Nation Dock Stewards meeting to be held in Hull the struggle must be extended to every port in Britain if the T&GWU bureaucracy refuse to restore the credentials.

FOOTNOTE.

Known as the "blue" union (because its union cards are blue as opposed to the white T&GWU cards) the National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers was formed in 1927 from the National Amalgamated Stevedores. Lightermen, Fatermen and Dockers Union.

This itself came out of the Stevedores Protection Society, • long standire union which did not join the amalgam ation which formed the T&GWU in 1922 along with other docks unions.

In the mid-50's atter sell outs by the T&GWU bureaucracy Norher Ports of of dockers in the Liverpool, Birkenhead Manchester and Hul transfered to the "blue". The central issue was trade union democracy and the election of officials.

In the spring of 1955, 20,000 blue union memben struck for sir weeks demanding recognition and were Since then, with the backing of the port employen through the Dock Labour Scheme the membersip of the blue union bas been whittled down to a traction of its former size.

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