SCANLON MAKES MORE LEFT NOISES

HUGH SCANLON yesterday co before the Tories when he hinter procedures to settle disputes.

In his presidential address Union of Engineering Workers' Hastings, Scanlon disguised an overture ment behind a barrage of militant After a lengthy attack on the TUC's decision to abandon the policy of non-co-operation with the Industrial Relations Act, he offered an olive branch to the Tories.

The government, he said, was now advocating the virtues of counciliation machinery to resolve industrial disputes.

'Certainly this is infinitely preferable to their previous policies, he added.

But if the new methods were to succeed, they would have to be independent of government, not binding unless both sides agreed nor backed by the Industrial Relations Court.

'It is a contradiction for the government to advocate conciliation and at the same time to operate a legal bludgeon,' he said.

With this overture Scanlon follows TUC general secretary /ictor Feather, who became an advocate of Tory policy. last weekend when he praised the government's decision to give cash to industry.

Scanlon has his 'left-wing' reputation to guard and is therefore more subtle. But a careful examination of his condemnation of TUC policy reveals it as a phoney.

He charged the General Council with an 'undignified retreat' before the Court and with breaking Congress policy laid down last September.

In veiled attack on the T&GWU, he spoke of 'pressure from certain affiliated unions faced with injunctions and fines, who were not prepared to make a stand but decided to conduct themselves within the guidelines set by the Act.

But he made no call for an emergency Congress to stop ntinued the retreat of the trade union I at a possible deal with the government Amalgamated annual 'conference in this stage we would hope that a remedy will be forthcoming for what we believe to be a wrong decision taken by the General Council in recent months.' What is stopping Scanlon? Why wait three months to overturn an unconstitutional decision of the General Council which allowed co-operation with At the May 4 General Council that made this fatal move the unions who voted for an immediate re-call were in a 228,603 majority. And the delegates who voted against a special congress were mostly-as Scanlon noted in yesterday's speech - rightwingers who had made little secret of their desire to register under the Act.

Since then the AUEW engineering section, the vehicle builders and a host of smaller unions have gone on record demanding a re-call.

Shop stewards' meetings all over the country have also demanded that the majority exercise their democratic right and stop the abysmal compromisers from wrecking the moveBeneath the tough 'left' phrases, Scanlon advocates a wait-and-see attitude which gives the Tories three more months to attack the trade union movement. Meanwhile he spreads the chatter of voluntary conciliation through the movement.

Tory soft-soap about voluntary conciliation coupled with the big legal club is no contradiction Mr Scanlon-it is intended to bring trade union leaders like you to your knees. And on yesterday's performance, the strategy seems to be working.

Leadership over new CONTAINERS ROW Court order against London dockers blacking container depot see p. 12. TILBURY dockers yesterday Friday's planned national docks Harry Sage said the Liverpool voted overwhelmingly to stage a strike. one-day strike on Wednesday to coincide with the docks delegate non and Tandon have decided militancy in London in ODDOSİmeeting.

The docks delegates meet tomorrow and Thursday decide whether to go ahead with Tilbury one-day strike as dock delegates meet dockers Already dockers at Hull, Liver- critical of the lack of policy or to lobby the docks delegates sure urging all-out strike action.

At yesterday's meeting at Tilbury Green, shop steward NOW OPEN Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri hurs 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m.

Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. shop stewards had been strongly tion to the large number of men being returned to the unattached register.

He said the Liverpool men also attacked the decision by docks delegates to postpone the