TGWU Accepts Amendments to Dock Labour Scheme

EMPLOYERS' proposals to drastically amend the Dock Labour Scheme have been accepted by the National Joint Industrial Council. The acceptace of the amendments by the trade union side of the NJIC has angered dockers. Portworkers want to know who gave Tim O'Leary, national docks secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, authority to accept an increase in the suspension period from the present maximum of 7 days to a new one of 28 days.

Mick Byrne, secretary of the Scottish TGWU, and Bill Lindley, the Lightermen's secretary, will also have to answer that question to their members.

The increase in the suspension period is made more serious by an amendment to clause 5 of the Scheme. This gives local Boards the authority to delegate their full powers to sub-committees or to the National Board Officers. Such committees and individuals will be empowered to administer discpline for alleged breaches of the Scheme. Although not able to impose the new maximum suspension period of 28 days, they can levy suspensions of up to 14 days.

Employers call for unregistered labour

The employers are now pressing three further amandments. Submitted by the London Chamber of Commerce these call for: 'the use of unregistered labour in the event of an unofficial strike'; its use in 'sympathetic strikes of any kind' whether 'official or unofficial' where there is a 'danger of perishable goods going bad.'

The Ministry of Labour, through his secretary C. A. Larsen, has written to the docks' union confirming that he 'has been moved to consider the possibility of making such amendments.'

There is no doubt that if the Tories return to office, the Minister will rapidly submit these strike-breaking proposals to the House of Commons. (All amendments to the Dock Labour Scheme require parliamentary approval).

The National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers, 'blue' union, has circularized both the accepted proposals and the London Chamber of Commerce proposals to its branches. All the branches which have discussed them have voted for their rejection. A number of dockers' branches are now demanding action to resist any attempt by the employers and the NDLB to implement the amendments. To date, the members of the TGWU have not been officially informed of the proposed changes.

During last year's Tooley Street strikes the employers wanted to change the Scheme to permit them to use 'black' labour to shift perishable cargo. Although this proposal received the blessing of O'Leary, TGWU branches voted overwhelmingly for its rejection. Neither on the use of unregistered labour nor on the increase of suspension periods can the TGWU leaders claim to be unaware of its members' feelings. Their failure to take these amendments back to the membership can only mean they are determined to co-operate with the employers.

The rank and file must now act. Committees must be set up in every control, dock and port. The 'blue' union should collaborate, as it did in the 1954 'overtime' strike, with the rank and file of the TGWU.

Dock gate meetings must be held and leaflets produced explaining the intentions of the employers and the Tories.

In this way a united front can be built up of 'blue' and 'white' dockers which can resist this flagrant attempt to smash the Dock Labour Scheme.