Port Talbot Black Needed
Socialist Press1977 1977-05-25Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 4 →
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The first meeting in London to support the embattled Port Talbot electricians had a rather disappoinling tur out of just over 50.
The Communist Party, who mirated the meeting, sent only Electricians around their 'FlashEight paper, presumably on the grounds that this dispute. of central importance in the fight against Phase 2 was only a sectional matter.
The left groups with the excepLion of Militant and one representative of the SWP, were conspicuous by their absence. The IMG ladled to appear at all.
For the strikers, Wyn Bevan outbred the struggle for the fio across the board and their recar: unsatisfactory meetings with Charge. The strikers had made :heir willingness for negot*o take place but on the co-iiion that the strikers were present at the negotiations with a rat-king brief.
NO CONFIDENCE This had proved unacceptable to Bis: Steel. but with Chapple auFirting in private to the men that he codi not possibly support their claim Because it would knock a boie = the social contract through sit erery other member of his •o= would walk. the strikers are dear mise to place absolutely no coratese in their union officials Las Sation spoke of the intens: ei their struggle against He pointed that in their travels, they had discovered that the social contract had been broken at Shepcote Lane in Sheffield, but the EETPU bureaucracy are only concerned to defend the social contract and argue that now the Port Talbot strike is nationally known there is no way any under the table deal can be done. In fact Chapple told the strikers that he did not want to know about under the table deals. all he was interested in was mainfaining the social contract.
WSL members in the meeting spoke of the importance of the struggle for the fight to defeat the economic strategy of the government and raised various points about the need for blacking and supporting action.
The WL speakers proposed in particular that a lobby be arranged of the National Ports Shop Stewards Committee with a view to getting a complete black imposed on all steel in the ports.
Bevan said that they were interested in this suggestion and would take it back to the strike committee.
With BSC importing f40 million of steel a month to break the strike, the fight to win the support of the dockers for such blacking is clearly crucial to the victory of the strike.
*Donations and messages of support should be sent to Mr. B. Curtis, 23, Hawthorn Arenue. Baglan, Port Talbot. A strike bulletin is available from the strike headquarters. Labour Club. Surica Rd.. Port Talbor.