Mersey dockers protest at

CLOTHING workers have just been awarded meagre pay increase of twopence an hour for women and twopence threefarthings for men.

Whilst clothing workers welcomed the reduction of the working week from 42 hours to 41 hours they recognise that the pay for a straight 41-hour week is inadequate and that overtime nas to ne worked so mær coev can take a reasonable wage nome.

This time the pattern of the wage increase has changed. the past the executive board have called district meetinos of the members so that the memhers can auscuss Teconmended increase and then vote tor or against the acceptance of the increase.

LOUS time the meeting in Leeds was called, after some members were told bey ming delay, ane al begning charman lal execuuve board representative would make a statement and then there would be questions and discussion but that no vote would take place.

The excuse given was that the executive board had already members' behalf. accentee unt lucrease onl LOe unIs. the meeting was told, was done in order to save time.

OPPOSED

During the discussion speaker after speaker opposed ine recommended increase. Many Donted ouT nan ONC again less had been accepted for the women than for the men. This they said was against union principles.

The chairman accepted resolution from the floor thai depricated the action of the execuuve board in accepung Ine increase over the heads of the memoers.

It insisted that in the future such decisions shold ne taker by the members.

It was pointed out that ine executive board's excuse of time saving was rubbish.

Later in the meeting supporters oi the execuuve starter to boo and catcall at a speake who was supporting the resolution.

The chairman, instead of calling them eeting to order, used ine disturbance as an excuse forc losing the meeting even nouon demands inat fne vote be taken were made. join a demonstration of protest whilst an appeal against the suspension of 12 men was being heard.

The gang of 12 were given seven days' suspension some weeks ago after refusing to accept Saturday overtime.

They have appealed against the suspension which amounts to a fine of over f20 or more.

A resolution was passed by 3,000 dockers calling for a demonstration to be held on the day of the appeal and calling for a campaign to get the support of every docker on the Merseyside.

The resolution warned the employers that if the suspension continued, a call would be made for a complete ban on week-end working.

This fight against compulsory overtime is not a new one for the dockers. Over ten years ago they fought a national strike for one month over the question.

Part of the recommendation then agreed upon betore the men resumed work was: 'that should any docker be penalised for refusing to work overtime, then further national action would be taken ...

Since 1954 no London dockers have been suspended but in Liverpool dockers are still fighting over this issue.

Agreement

On Merseyside there is an agreement that dockers under the threat of suspension should work two hours' overtime from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday inclusive.

They are allowed to knock off at 5 p.m. on Friday.

If the ship on which the dockers are working is due to sail, then they are forced to work on after the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. period—if necessary until 11 p.m. not only Monday to Thursday but Friday as well.

Under this agreement dockers can work as many as 60 hours a week-there is no 40-hour week for them.

Last August at the national ports liaison committee held in Hull, London dockers are reported to have expressed surprise at the fact that northern dockers are still suspended for refusing overtime.

At that time it is claimed that they declared that the whole of London would take action if any docker was suspended for such a reason.

In such struggles the northern dockers are well aware that they will not be left on their own to fight on this issue.

It could well be that if the present attack by the employers on the northern doekers continues, what has already been fought for and established in London might have to be fought for again bosses like the foreign girls because they work so much harder.

in the out-of-London ports.

When some of the so-called 'dockers' saviours' visit Liverpool with their frequent speeches they should be asked: 'Why is it that such agreements are not national? Why is it they seek to carve up the dockers with the present employers' plans for decasualisation? Why cannot there be a national applied scheme with national rates of pay?' Dockers throughout the country must unite on these issues.