Picketing of ports stepped up

accept pay deal say angry builders ONE THOUSAND building workers from all over Britain lobbied pay talks yesterday demanding 'no sell-out' on their claim for £30 and a 35hour week.

Union leaders had misinformed the men, the press and police as to the location of the meeting.

In the end the lobby had to march from New Cavendish Street-London headquarters of the National Joint Council for the industry-to Bedford Square, the building employers' HQ a mile away where the talks were taking place.

They broke down after two hours with no agreement reached.

Speakers at the lobby said that men were walking out on sites all over the country in defiance of the union's selective strike policy.

Others demanded the resignation of the union leaders if they accept the latest offer. This was greeted by cheers.

The employers have offered a two-year, two-stage deal. This would give craftsmen £23 immediately and £26 next May. Labourers would get £19.60 and £22.20. next year.

No concessions have been offered on hours and the deal is only a little better than the offer made when the strike began.

Alan Brown, shop steward on the strike-bound Queen Elizabeth Was hospital site, Birmingham, said:

"This is a back-handed deal.

'We want £30 for a 35-hour week now not in a one or two years' time. And we won't go back until we get it.

'The union leadership have to sort themselves out. Or we will put new people in their place."

He told me that the strike would be extended to building workers who line foundries with bricks in the Birmingham area. They were also seeking support from railwaymen and other trade unionists.

Dennis Johnson, chairman of the Bristol strike committee, told 11IC• 'The offer definitely unacceptable. We have not come all the wav here to be sold We are determined to go it alone if the union leaders settle.' Forty-two sites are shut in Bristol, involving the entire central area.

'This deal is no good to us, sala Alex Lee, strike committee member at the McAlpine hotel site, Gloucester Rd, , London. said.

'Every single building worker says he won't accept it. We have been out now for six weeks and we can stay out for six months if necessary.

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NEWS DESK 01-720 2000 CIRCULATION 01-622 7029 Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Published by Workers Press, 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London, SW4 70G. day. DOCKS shop stewards yesterday put their case Jones-Aldington committee, which is trying to formula for ending the national strike.

The meeting was attended by one representative from each of the • sever ports associated with stewards national port shop committee.

At its meeting Saturday the committee agreed to press for two stewards from each port to sit on the committee, but this turned down. working dockers from London sit leaders committee and port employers.

Heavyby, picketing was tained dockers around the seal off all mered neye supplies, or those agreed unions on humanitarian grounds. mated that they stew a total iabout 300 pickets out.

Yesterdaas, mear Coichestes, Hythe Quay, near nester. but dockers were also on duty at Folkestone, Whistable Harrich, and Midland Cold Storage thes was no let-up, either, in spokesman emphasized that the picketing of all the London docks themselves.

In Liverpool, about 3,000 dockers Were urged at a mass meeting to stage mass pickets of several small unregistered ports, such as Heysham and Glasson Dock, near ancaster These ere working "flat out', steward rewards told the meeting the ad agreed to allow a 40-stron shore gang to break the strike and handle a children's educational cruise liner, the 'Uganda', due to dock today. schoolchildren emill and abomboo The Ship another 60 for her next cruise. The dockers have agreed to load od and stores for the trip, s at she can sail on Frida ships asteadoresugh let a mate 16 stevedores who handle ing of Hull dockers yesterday to make application join the ransport and General Worke Union as regular stopped a timber ship 109 The has losed the quays. drivers demonstrated a per she does a mee hall where the dockers held their met iniea, stand tomatoes to be Channel Island tomatoes to recimAr Tiltner Gown Southampton by dockers' delegates yesterday.

Atterwaros. one of the Channel islands' delegates. Maurice Le Main, from Jersey, said: 'We were not really disappointed because we annreciate the nosition. the British dockers are in, fightAbout dockers. Manchester's 1,100 mATi yesterday. After hearing reports from delegates they decided to hold turther meeting the day after the next national delegate meetinfix was estimated that between 500 and 600 vessels were still stopped around Britain yesterCOLD STORAGE LIMITED find a Some of the 300 pickets out in different areas of London yesterday seen outside the Midland Cold Storage container base yesterday