HULL DOCKERS END ONE-DAY STRIKES FITTERS LOCKED

engineering firm of Milispaugh Ltd. The management said that there was no case of victimisation but that there had been a slackening of orders.

Only three weeks ago (see shop steward Frank Levick was sacked allegedly for making a telephone call.

As we said at the time, the fight of the Millspaugh workers was considerably weakened by the decision of the AEU district committee to send the men back to negotiate Levick's re-instatement.

The action of the Millspaugh management shows Clearly their attitude to the organisations of the working class and the shop stewards' movement.

They will be strengthened by the government's Bill on Prices and Incomes. The Newsletter calls on the Millspaugh workers the anti-trade mpion legislationt Students back April 27 action On Monday, March 14, Sheffield University Labour Society voted unanimously to elect a delegation to the lobby of parliament to oppose legislation against the trade unions called for April 27 by the Lambeth Trades Council.

More Delegates The Crossgates Tenants' Association, Leeds, decided this week to send three delegates to the Morecambe Conference of the Young Socialists on April 2 and 3.

Atter the meeting the tollowing statement was issued:

6 That this committee recomAmends a suspension of the token days' stoppage for one week, in order to allow the unions and stevedores to negotiate on the fall back pay. The ban on nightwork and weekend working remains.

It is recognised that the local officers of the Transport and General Workers' Union have admitted that there is good reason for the dissatisfaction on Hull Docks with regard to piece work rates. The Hull port employers also recognise the need for review of piecework rates.

Owing to the vast number of commodity piece-work rates that need revising and the slow method of negotiation it is felt that the granting of the tall back rate would bring peace to dockland.

We, the dockers, realise that continued strike action is harmful to the nation, the port, the employers and ourselves, but recent events have demonstrated that the strength of our case alone was not enough, facts had to be supported by action until they were understood.

Let there now be speedy and sincere negotiations in order to keep the port working normally. 9 The dockers have insisted all along that they would resume work pending negotiations on piece rates if the employers would grant the 4s per working hour fall-back rate.

A minority of dockers voted against the suspension of the strikes because they felt that it was a mistake to do so without any tangible offer from the em'tipped off' were buzzing around Mr. Arthur Timering Union shop steward works about *M6 'Mr. X' the press.

But distortions Oxford Mail statements the quoted Mr. Bell, one that the tional press about threats, abuse and personally have been jeered way! ar. Charles Hopkins also tol e newspaper:

liner meeting and and they ployers. There are already clear signs that the employers are beginning to weaken and divisions are arising amongst them.

Mr. Tom Cronin, a national negotiating oflicer of the Transport and General Workers' Union, is in Hull at present and I understand that he met the Portworkers' Committee and asked for a two week's suspension of the strikes in order that he could get some concessions from the employers. The committee agreed, however, to only one week.

PROMISES

Hull dockers are aware that national officers of the Transport and General Workers' Union have been . to Hull before and have promised all kinds of gains in return for calling off their independent actions. Once the actions have ceased, the promised gains have rarely materialised.

There is no doubt that it is only the determination of the dockers over the past 10 weeks that has made the employers and the T&GWU leaders realise that some concessions are going to have to be made.

They will, however, try to get away with the smallest possible concessions, and some employers will definitely interpret the suspension as a sign of weakness on the part of the dockers.

The Newsletter feels that those dockers who opposed suspending the strikes were correct. The mass meeting, however, was adamant that they were in tact giving the employer only one chance and that if the 4s fall back was not granted by the end ot the week, not only would the one-day strikes be resumed, but stronger action would have to be considered.

attended by students who have been fined by the university authorities.

Mr. Reginald Paget, who was Labour MP for Northampton in the last government, also wrote to the Attorney General-with more examples of courts.

His letter quoted these three:

'1. The stewards of the Jockey Club and National Hunt Committee who habitually set up courts for the purpose (among other things) of maintaining a monopoly and enforcing restrictive practices, which pass sentences involving heavy fines.

'2. The Committee of the Stock Exchange, who_set up courts to enforce sex-discriminatory and monopolistic restrictive practices.

'3. The self-appointed counts known as "libraries' at Eton College, who enforce rules of their own making, often of tyrannical and frivolous descriptions by sentences of flogging which they themselves execute.' Put in place That puts many of those indignant MPS, who attended the famous public school, in their places.

And the press? Well, they didn't have to spend the newspaper proprietors' expenses by travelling to Oxford to find a workers' court.

They are sitting on one of the biggest and strictest courts which has been in operation almost since Caxton invented his first machine.

But to carry out their real task, of bolstering capitalism through a daily barrage of print and paper, it was very necessary: and still Is, tor them to find something on which Mr. Heath or Mr. Wilson can pin their anti-union legislation after March 31.

And so the Party leaders took their opportunity.

Harold Wilson waited for a television appearance before saying the 'workers' court' was 'utterly disgraceful'.

'But,' he added, , 'the Minister of Labour jumped in hard. I think Ministers should be prepared to go in and deal very roughly with those respon sible...?

The Right Honourable Minister, Ray Gunter, told a Transport House press conference on Monday:

"Trade unions were created at a period when they were hostile to society and society modern world it is. in this was hostile to necessary Manns (Engineering) Ltd., Leeds. Newsletter Correspondent