Setback to T&G witch-hunters

Scan page 11

No consciol Cowley meant tl CIES..

The new charges against nine TGWU convenors and shop stewards from Leyland's Cowley Assembly Plant threatened with victimisation from their own union have floundered.

At the reconvened Regional Inquiry, held on Tuesday April 18, at West Bromwich the hearing had to be called off after 1½ hours because the status of the evidence was called into question.

The charges under consideration centred on the alleged behaviour of delegates from the 5/293 Branch at the Oxford Trades Council.

But Regional Officials were reluctantly forced to accept the point made repeatedly by the Cowley 9 themselves-that the only evidence presented to this official TGWU Inquiry was the individual opinions of one individ. ual member of another unionASTMS!

The six pages of charges signed by Oxford Trades Council secretary Keith Dancey had never been placed before the Trades Council, discussed or voted on!

Although Regional Secretary Brian Mathers and Regional Chairman Arthur Davies pressed gamely ahead with the hearing for 1½ hours, it appears to have gradually dawned on them that they were getting into deeper, murkier and very difficult water.

The hearing was adipurned without date whilst the status of Dancey's evidence is investigated.

A new date for the hearing will then be notified.

Success doubt Mathers was is that the success of the 9 Defence Campaign lat bureaucratic abuses on IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE TAKE THE WHOLE 13,000KEEP ON 5,000: CUT THE HOURS OF ALL THOSE REMAINING BY THIS PERCENTAGE, DIVIDE UP THE LOST MONEY...

NOW ACT REASONABLY BROTHERS...

LET'S NOT HAVE ANY TALK OF OCCUPATION.

IT'S ONLY 6,000 JOBS AFTER ALLA SPLENDID VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE!

this level can no longer be kept secret and would be brought at once to the attention of a broad layer of branches and stewards' committees throughout the union.

John Power, President of the Oxtord Trades Council, who has fully supported Dancey's charges, was not in attendance at the hearing.

The Cowley 9 Defence Campaign has issued a statement to supporters urging that the campaign is stepped up.

They point out that although the TGWU bureaucracy has hit a setback with last week's abortive inquiry, the Regional Committee still has before it the findings of the previous inquiry in February and may well act on that.

Affiliate

It goes on to call for the campaign to be stepped up now to deal a death blow to these proceedings:

"1. Got your branch or stewards' committee to affiliate to the campaign.

2. Send resolutions calling for the dropping of the charges, and the recognition of Alan Thornett as deputy convenor; to the Number 5 Regional Committee, the General Secretary and the General Executive Council. (Copies to the organising committee).

3. Personal cash donations from supporters of the campaign are urgently nooded.

4. Invite one of the nine to speak at your branch or stewards' committee.

All correspondence, requests for speakers and donations to be sent to the organising committee, care of Perry Cullen, 23, Overmead Green, Blackbird Lays,.

forced to make a number of moves to meet the pledges they made.

Catering officer George Abrahams issued a letter during the week calling a conference of all TGWU shop stewards to discuss increased support for the strike.

And last Wednesday the union's Drink and Tobacco subcommittee met with strikers.

After this meeting a letter was circulated to branch secretaries "asking for maximum pressure to black deliveries to tho:.. companies that continue to trade with These moves vindicare the fight by the strikers whe have demanded secondary blacking and mass picketing in opposition to Abraham's policies, which have effectively isolated the strikę from the strength of the ToWU.

But there must be no complacency, or illusions that Region 1 officials can be left to run this strike, as can be seen from events at the Talk of the Town night club.

Since their successful recognition strike in 1975, the Talk of the Town has been quoted as TGWU officials. the model of organisation by But after complaints by TGWU officials leading steward George Kyriakides was sacked three months ago. Since then two more stewards have been sacked and two resigned under management pressure.

But officials have diverted action into industrial tribunals which have destroyed the chance of strike action to defend these stewards.

Garners strikers beware! Your struggle must be won in spite of the efforts of these officials! Press ahead with the fight for blacking, mass pickets and a Regional levy to finance this crucial strike.

AND THEN RE EMPLOY ANOTHER 2 THOUSAND AND SHARE THE HOURS OUT OF COURSE, WE COULD COMPREHENSIVELY RESTRUCTURE WITH, SAY, 1,500 MANAGERS-WHADDYA SAY?

OF COURSE!)

NOW THERE'S AN INTELLIGENT FELLOW...I KNEW YOU'D SEE SENSE!

WELL AT LEAST ½ A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE!

Scan page 12

SOCIALIST PRESS