Dock Strike
Socialist Press1977 1977-05-25Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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Members of ACTSS (T&G clerical section) in Merseyside Docks are still on strike after more than a week over a claim for an award to. deal with salvage cargo in the port.
The men on strike (foremen, checkers and timekeepers) have been negotiating for some time for 100% of the award already paid to the dockers-which is assessed for each cargo on the basis of arbitration between dockers delegates and management.
The ACTSS members have recently been paid around 25% of such awards but the dispute arose when 12 men were offered a lower percentage for a salvage cargo.
As a result they blacked the ship concerned. Management reacted with a lockout. The ACTSS branch came out in support of the twelve.
The offer by a negotiating committee led by their delegate Jimmy Symes, to forget the original claim did not satisfy management who seem to be on the offensive.
They refused to consider paying the twelve men and threatened disciplinary action against them. In addition they demanded that after a return to work the backlog must be covered with no extra pay;
In these conditions Symes and the stewards had no alternative but to put to a mass meeting of the branch on 18 May a motion that the strike should continue until a "satisfactory offer was made. The vote was carried overwhelmingly with only three out of around 300 ratiar arginet dockers' stewards' meeting the previous Friday had called for ACTSS to return to work at once. This lack of support for the dockers is a critical factor. in determining the continuation of the strike.
In particular in docks outside the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Co. dockers have been continuing to work with scabs doing the work of ACTSS members.
The dispute itself is clearly a provocation by mangement. Stewards feel a possible motive mav be an attemot by the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Co. to wear down militancy in advance of the pay claim which now comes in August.
TOOLMAKERS at Lesney's School cleaners, supervisors and kitchen assistants employed by Warwickshire County Council have reaffirmed their determination to fight the council's spending cuts.
At a stormy meeting last Tursday workers expressed contempt for the efforts of the full-time officials.
One was heard to say "It's about time they decided who they work for, the members or the County "They should do what we tell them not as they please"