Bitter return in PA strike

Press

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HIIIII! BY STEPHEN JOHNS CLERICAL STAFF and copytakers at the Press Association news agency returned to work on Fleet Street yesterday in a mood of bitterness and despondency, convinced management have successfully victimized • their militant leader John Lawrence.

Mr Lawrence (57), the father of the NATSOPA chapel at PA, was left standing in the street after the strikers voted 40 to 20 to return to work.

Their decision was taken under a management threat to sack them if they did not immediately report for normal duty.

'There is nothing I can do. What is there to say about a strike when it's been defeated,' said Mr Lawrence.

As they went back to work each of the strikers shook hands with Mr Lawrence who was fired on the second day of the strike which was over pay. Negotiations on the pay claim began yesterday.

There is also great anger over the role of the full-time union officials, led by branch secretary John Lewis. The union sent out a communiqué urging other Fleet Street workers to give the strikers neither moral nor financial assistance.

This effectively blocked the considerable sympathetic action which was building up in the early stages of the dispute.

The NATSOPA leadership also failed to challenge PA's threat to fire the strikers and they have insisted that Lawrence's case is not one of victimization.

I understand the PA chapel will be organizing a delegation of protests to demand action over his case.

Trouble began at PA after journalists agreed British European, Airways and with plans for big increases in applied to the Civil Aviation averaging between 10 and 15 p Lord Boyd-Carpenter, rightwing Tory chairman of the CAA, made great play of adjourning the hearing for an hour after urging delegates to give 'very great weight' to the proposed 5-per-cent government price ceiling.

But James Scarlett, commercial relations manager of state-owned BEA, told the authority: "The BEA and the British Airways Board regard it as BEA's duty to ask for the fares which it believes to be in its own commercial interest. 'My instructions are to go ahead with the proposals as put in without any amendment' Scarlett's boss, BEA chairman Keith Granville is a Tory and merchant banker.

FORMER Labour Party chairman Anthony Wedgwood Benn warns that simultaneously with their talks with the TUC the Tories were 'preparing the ground for a further assault on the unions'.

Writing in today's issue of 'Labour Weekly, he says that if the talks policy breaks down it could give way to 'Who governs Britain?' campaign in which the unions would be blamed 'for every failure such as unemployment, inflation and an alleged breakdown in law and order'. Non-political trade unionism could not succeed against such a political campaign, Benn says.

CHRYSLER of Coventry

1,400 production workers day because of a strike workers at the Ryton or more car assembly pla miles away. The strike manning proposals. to a pay deal which offer minimum increases of £4. The only management offer to the NAISOP A members was £1.50 and on October 17 they decided unanimously to strike.

But the battle soon became one over alleged victimization when PA management moved in and fired Mr Lawrence on October 19.

They claimed he had 'wilfully' ceased to do the work for which he had been employed. 10-15 per cent fares riseBEA claim laid off yesterby 129 Dunsat five is over John Lawrence: Left standing outside The crunch point came on Wednesday when the strikers received a letter from management giving them 48 hours to report for work or get the sack.

Militants on Fleet Street consider that an important battle on principle has been lost at PA. The role of VATSOPA has caused shock and anger.

All the evidence suggests that Mr Lawrence was sacked for leading a strike. Now he has lost the right to work. other airlines are to go ahead domestic air fares. The airlines Authority yesterday for rises er cent from November 1.

This would leave 300 workers without a job. These would be placed on what the stewards describe as 'extended lay-oil, paid an average £23.50 a week for up to 12 months and put first in the queue if any new employer opens up on the site.

If there was still no work for them at the end of 12 months 'that would be a matter separate negotiation', Mr Colpitts said yesterday. He thought the stewards would demand a lump sum payment.

The 300 workers would have to collect their money from the factory each week 'so we would not lose contact with them'.

Mr Colpitts said yesterday that the plan was 'not what we would have liked to have seen' but made clear that he and his