Militants suspicious of Clyde sack -and - hire plan

takeover.

The T way it AUEW 1972. The inconsistent Conway UPPER CLYDE shipyard workers may be asked to accept redundancy notices in lieu of employment at the two new firms who want to take over shipbuilding at the former UCS yards.

This will enable them to receive redundancy payment before getting employment at Govan Shipbuilders or Marathon Manufacturing, the Texan oil-rig builders who are planning to take over the Clydebank yard.

Workers at the yards held departmental meetings yesterday to hear a progress report on the Marathon and Govan Shipbuilders The prospect of redundancy payment is at first attractive. But as some yard workers 'During the past month we have seen the true nature of the Tory Industrial Relations Act. The verbal camouflage around the Act has been stripped away to reveal a naked plece of repressive anti-union legislation. It Is our whole system of Industrial relations which Is being destroyed'.

Co pontorial tl on ay TRADE UNIONISTS deprived of their legal right to strike may have to, take 'alternative courses' ', says Jim Conway, general secretary of the Amalgamated. Union of Engineering Workers.

But, writing in the latest issue of the 'AUEW Journal', he nowhere specifies what courses he means.

And while pinning the blame on the Tory government he never ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE MEETINGS SLOUGH: Thursday May 11, 8 p.m. Slough Community Centre, Farnam Rd. Speakers, Frank ex-convenor Omes Faulkner. Tomany, Brian Balley, AUEW (in a personal capacity). The Industrial Relations . Recall the TUC Expel the traitors Make the Tories resign SW LONDON: Tuesday May 9, 8 p.m. Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor St, SW4. N KENT: Tuesday May SOGAT House, Essex Ra, Dartford.

DAGENHAM: Tuesday May p.m. Co-op Hall, Fanshawe Ave, Barking.

CROYDON: Thursday May 1 p.m. Ruskin House, Coombe Rd. LUTON: Thursday May 11, 8 St John's Ambulance Hall, Lea Rd.

N LONDON: Thursday May 11, 8 p.m. Bricklayers Arms, Tottenham High Rd (nr White Hart Lane).

SE LONDON: Thursday May 11, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club, New Cross Rd (opp New Cross station). Advice on Tory union law changes again dancies. once calls for action force it out of office.

'During the past month', Conway writes, 'we have seen the true nature of the Tory Industrial Relations Act.' It is 'a naked piece of epressive, 'anti-union legislation • The Tories had previously claimed that workers retained the right to strike, but the Employment • Secretary was now in a position to declare any sort of industrial action against LONDON overseas telegraphists have overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning the decision of the TUC General Council to co-operate with the National Industrial Relations Court. The emergency resolution, to be forwarded to the Union of Post Office Workers' annual conference, called for the reconvening of the Trades Union Congress to reaffirm its policy of non-co-operation with the It stated: "This conference condemns the decision of the TUC General Council to co-operate with the point out, once the labour force has accepted these, the new companies are in a stronger position than now to re-employ who they like and this may mean permanent redunMarathon and Govan Shipbuilders employ between them an estimated that 1s a force that is 500 Jess present work at the yards.

'shape' of the labour force. Marathon will want fewer fitting-out trade workers than a normal shipbuilding operation and I underTelegraphists condemn STEPHEN JOHNS CLYDESIDE In addition there is the problem of the INDUSTRIAL the national interest.

"The legal weapons set up • were bound eventually to be used. It is no good putting bullets up a gun and then being surprised if someone gets hurt.' How different is the Conway today compared with the Conway of two months ago who urged his members to 'ignore' But far from describing the great perils which face the trade union movement as the stand that there are proposals for allowing deal. Apparently the Texan company wanted an American-style contract with no-strike clauses. They also wanted to pay bonus on mean that a man would have to maintain a consistently high output each week to TUC co-operation plan to 6,300 than at ever, that they want payment to be on a week-by-week basis. A mass meeting of workers is expected sometime towards the end of next week when the Marathon and Govan proposals will be put to the labour Act is mercilessly wielded, Conway says it is a sign of the Tory government losing its grip'.

Many engineers will correctly understand that the person losing nis grip is none other than Jim Conway.

He is at present facing a vital ballot for the general secretaryship of the union. His, strongest challenge assistant general secretary, Ernie Roberts, who has broad left support.

Industrial Relations Act as a collapse before the Tory govern'This decision violates the policy of non-co-operation agreed at last September's Blackpool TUC conference.

'By capitulating to the National Industrial Relations Court, the TUC léaders have handed our unions over to the lory state, given away our basir • rights and become Tory law- enforcement officers.

'We therefore call re-training to increase craft mobility. Rumours also abound about the Marathon This would break British practice and Shop, stewards have told Marathon how•We must regard the Act as a piece of short-term legislation which will prove to be yet one more Irritant in the relationship between unions and employers. Wherever possible we must encourage employers to ignore the Act and treat the whole thing as one party political Irrelevancy. Best advice — know about the Act, but Ignore It and continue to operate trade union activities as before.' The Thoughts of Jim • Conway as of February 28, 1972 in a special circular to all nembers of the engineers' union.

Roberts' have had a pointing out sistencies in statements.

In particular they have drawn attention to Conway's close connections with the proCommon Market campaign and his friendship with Roy, Jenkins, leader of the right-wing faction which betrayed Labour Party policy and voted with the Tories last October 28. convening of the Blackpool TUC conference to reaffirm its policy of non-co-operation and calling for a campaign to remove this Tory government and replace it with a Labour government pledged to repeal the Industrial Relations Act and to carry out socialist policies.' The London Head Office Overseas Operators branch also condemned UPW general secretary Tom Jackson for his intention to appear before the NIRC. a half yearly or yearly basis.

collect the bonus over the period.

supporters field day the inconConway's