BLACK THE SWAN HUNTER SHIPS Stalinists scab

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Gr A Private Members Bill ising out of the Grunick dispute, which seeks inject some life into e Government's badly leased 'conciliation' vice, was accorded a cond reading last iday 20 January.

Introduced by old-time It' Ted Fletcher (Lab rington) with the blessing the Employment Departnt and the full backing the TUC, the Bill is igned to help ACAS conit its investigations withI hindrance from stubborn ployers, court decisions or lelpful delays.

documents in the ession of "Socialist Henge', paper of the Inter›nal Marxist Group, id prove to be genuine, they would seem to ide new evidence of Grantham The sponsor of the motion von't be a new name to eaders of Socialist Press..

Only last week we reported that it was in his constituency that journalists on the Northern Echo were driven back to work after the longest strike in the history of the NUJ.

The strike over basic trade union rights was only defeated by the combined onslaught of employers, trade union bureaucrats, ACAS and last but not least, Ted Fletcher himself.

Hypocritical

In a speech which must rank as one of the most hypocritical and obscure ever to get an airing in the Commons gallery, Fletcher told his audience how his Bill would be a positive reponse to 'those millions of trade unionists appalled with what has gone on at Grunwick backed by the NAFF'.

Barbara Castle, former Labour employment Secretary also chipped in to say that she hoped the Bill would deal with the 'other mini Grunwicks cropping up in my constituency'.

For APEX leader Grantham and his followers on Brent Trades Council, its purpose is clear. ..As it gets dragged through the maze of parliamentary debating chambers, the strikers are left waiting still longer for action to achieve the demands for which they have been on strike now for over eighteen months.

Hunter yard on Tyneside.

Govan stewards first nailed their yellow colours to the mast in December when they voted not to black work that had been diverted from Tyneside as a result of a continuing overtime ban by 1,700 outfitters at the Swan Hunter yard.

Instead they called outfitters to end their 3-month struggle.

And Stalinist convenor Jimmy Airlie declared that Govan would accept as many ships as the employers offered in order to "prove that the British • shipbuilder is second to none"

Even this strikebreaking SHENBASE, Mass meeting at Swan Hunters The right wing leadership of the National Union of Railwaymen that has tamely sat back by the Govan stewards-indicating that a Stalinist blackleg is second to none-failed to crack the determination of the outfitters in pursuing parity claim. It was only ended when a £5.40 pay increase was awarded.

But boilermakers at the yard, in a bid to reestablish their differentials, voted immediately after this to end more flexible working allangements, and insist on one-man one-job working.

British shipbuilders management-the board of which contains 'Brother' John Chalmers, General Secretary of the Boilermakers unionwithdrew the order, awarding most of it to the bootlicking Govan Stalinists, and one extra ship order to Smith's Docks on Teeside.

If this move is allowed to proceed it will mean rapid steps by Swan Hunter management to impose 800 redundancies, including many boilermakers.

Occupation

There must be no acceptance of such sackings. Boilermakers and outfitters, whatever their teelings on wages, must unite in defence of all jobs at the Swan Hunter yard, and the first attempts at layoffs must be met by occupation of the yard, demanding work sharing on full pay for the whole workforce.

They must fight tenaciously for the blacking of all work diverted from Tyneside to defeat management's blackmailing tactics on pay.

"Nationalised"

But above all they must ensure that their unions, at present tied hand and foot to management through the collaboration of leaders such as Chalmers, break from their efforts to help the old bosses manage the "nationalised" corporation, and start fighting for the interests of their members.

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live bribery and corrup- • Report PHOTO: John Sturrock