TUC SPLIT PLEASES TORIES

THE Tories are hellbent down with the trade unions-even at the risk of provoking a national docks strike or a General Strike. It is known that preparations have been made in Whitehall for handling such a national emergency.

Since the miners' strike Tory ministers have determination to prosecute the fight against the unions can be seen in two incidents over the past couple of days. YESTERDAY. in the National Industrial Relations Court, Sir John Donaldson, the court president, said that applicants must report if the orders of the court are broken. "They have a duty to do so.' This means there can be no "soft-peddling' of court injunctions; every blacking incident or 'unfair industrial practice' must be reported to the Court. As we've said on many occasions, there is no compromise with a court of law • •. and Donaldson intends to ensure that this is faithfully adhered to. (See full court story on page 3.) A FURTHER example can be seen in the exchange of letters between Employment Secretary Maurice Macmillan and Jack Jones of the Transport and General Workers' Union.

Faced with the rising tide of militancy among his docks members, Jones wrote to Macmillan last Friday asking for 'immediate' talks on the containerization issue which is threatening thousands of docks jobs.

Late on Monday-after the National Industrial Relations Court agreed to adjourn another contempt charge against the union-Macmillan replied with complete Tory arrogance.

Agreeing with Jones that talks were necessary, he pointed out, however, that he would have some suggestions of his own to mones immediately, he said. But he would not see He was refusing the meeting because he wanted to see what happened in the court Wednesday (today) when Jones is due to appear to answer the latest contempt charges.

In other words Macmillan has adopted an openly menacing position; he is saying to Jones: 'Turn up at Court today or nc talks.' Wanted to pay fines Not, however, that much in the way of menacing is needed to frighten Jones these days.

During the private meetings at Transport House and Congress House in the past week, Jones has been among those who want to go to Court and who want to pay the fines.

In recommending these policies of collaboration with the Industrial Relations Act the TUC and the T&GWU are both split down the middle.

Naturally the Tories and their backers in Fleet St are rubbing hands with glee as the powerful absolute trade union mor ing 10 million disarray.

But not quarter million is within joining distance!

IRONICALLY only three months ago T&GWU secretary Jack Jones was celebrating his union's strength and saying the anti-union poison should not be taken. Now he is co-operating I with Sir John Donaldson's High Court which seriously weakens the protection of his 1.5 million members.

Cement, representworkers, is in The Tories have divided the Parliamentary Labour Party on the question of the Common Market, now they've divided the unions on the Act.

The man bearing most responsibility for this split in the unions is Victor Feather. In arguing for co-operation with the Tory National Industrial Relations Court Feather has violated . the decision of boycott reached at last September's Blackpool conference.

When the conference overwhelmingly decided to boycott the Act every working man and woman in the country legitimately expected the IUC to carry through such a policy to the end.

Feather has abandoned the Blackpool policy and opened the door for member unions as well as individual trade unionists to be subjected to the vicious attacks of Sir John Donaldson's Hight Court.

Jones's response to the crisis in the union ranks has been to threaten not to pay his union's affiliation dues to the TUC.

He argues that he was fined the £55,000 because he was following TUC boycott policy therefore the TUC must foot the bill.

the T&GWU's policy is only disruptive but The rank forward to gauntlet.

positively dangerous; it can only help to create deeper divisions in the trade union novement, which in turn plays nto the Tories' hands.

Jones is playing lip-service to the demand for a recall of the TUC. So is Scanlon and so is Daly.

If the reformist leaders • are willing to lie down in front of the lory oftensive, then the rank and file isn't. Only yesterday docks shop stewards at Hull rejected official T&GWU advice to stop blacking container lorries.

determination This decision by the Hull is but a microcosm of the ‹ letermination of millions of wo rkers to fight the Tories.

and file must come take up the The call must go out for an immediate recall of the TUC so that last September's policy can be reaffirmed. The conference must also establish policy to resist the Tory provocateurs and create the political and industrial conditions to remove the Tories from office.

defended e is is the call of he hour. CHAIRMAN :

NOT TO BE TAKEN League ALL OUT DEMONSTRATE ON