THE PRINT STRIKE COULD HAVE BEEN WON Lesson number one is need to prepare

From Our Midlands Correspondent FaILurE of the Amalgamated Engineering Union leaders to support the strikers at Morris Motors, Oxford, in their fight for the reinstatement of shop steward Frank Horsman, was directly responsible for the defeat.

Feeling is high among a large section of the Morris workers that the AEU executive let them down—as it let down the Handley Page strikers last April. Frank Horsman is a member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, but ten other unions at Morris Motors came out in support of the TGWU struggle to protect a steward.

Only the AEU leaders—against the wishes of many of their own members at the factory—broke the front.

Been trying for years ‘A striké ‘comiittéé ‘riember who is in the National Union of Vehicle Builders told me:

‘Our members came out in support of the TGWU lads on a principle. It does not matter what union a shop steward belongs to.’

Although Bro. Horsman gets a job at Pressed Steel—at least for the time being—and it is open to the unions to take the question of his dismissal through the industry’s procedure or to accept some other form of adjudication, the fact remains that Morris Motors have succeeded in their objective: getting rid of a shop steward.

According to Bro. Tony Bradley, secretary of Morris Motors branch: of the TGWU and member of the strike committee, they have dents os get rid of him for years.

hiett tbetep.and bottom of the whole issue,’ declared -, ——— eee with The Newsletter.

dorsman for an alleged stoppage of id. “Then they shifted their ground and_ said it was due to his ‘insolence” and “insubordination” over.a long period.

‘The management violated all procedure agreement. While Bro. Horsman was negotiating with them on an overtime issue, the supervisor was going around individual men trying to make them work the very overtime that was in dispute. ditions which are a poor reward for their sacrifice.

The strike began over the principle of the 40-hour week. It was the spearhead of a struggle which sooner or later will face the most important unions in the country.

Behind the printing trade employers stood the Tory government and the whole employing class, who are détermined that under no circumstances will they concede the 40-hour week, and who can be forced to do so only by resolute working-class Who now supposes that the trade unions can win the 40-hour week by negotiations alone and without a struggle?

Myths have been exploded . And since the Right-wing trade union leaders have no desire to struggle, since they are opposed to strike action, the demand for the 40-hour week will be frustrated if it is left in these gentlemen’s hands.

As The Newsletter consistently pointed out during the print dispute, as well as during earlier disputes, only the rank andfile, organized at the base of the trade union movement, car succeed in winning victories in the teeth of the employers”

offensive.

Another myth which the print dispute has exploded is that “.

of the craft union leaders’ so-called ‘militancy’. At the Albert Hall meeting at the beginning of the prifit. wy strike, one trade union leader talked about the closing dowrf of the Stationery Office—but throughout the strike the Stationery Office merrily worked a 434-hour week.

Another union leader talked about closing down Fleet Street. He said he ‘feared’ it might come to this. Not long afterwards this same leader was engaged in negotiations with Lord Birkett —who considers that strikes are ‘disruptive-—and the employers, and the rousing speeches made at the Albert Hall were forgotten.

Fleet Street hopelessly divided ‘Left’ words from the craft union leaders mean exactly nothing, because they are not matched by determination to wage a fight against the employers and, in doing so, to rally the rest of the working class behind the struggle.

These: leaders carry out no preparation whatever.

The print strike could have been won without any hardship to the public or the men concerned. Fleet Street was hope(Continued on page 223)