unionists the There are still 230 workers supporting the dispute, all of whom must be offered jobs.
The vast majority attended the mass picket from 6am onwards. supported by workers from Chloride; Salford and depots; SEI:
GEC; Gardners: four Ferranti factories; the direct works department; Francis Shaw's.
Gate Only one worker who had Snipes cape onened Snipe's presented himself at the gate for work. He didn't get any further.
One of the LSE strikers at the CND march where By Patrick Sikorski IN THE face of the rock-hard determination of the workers, now in the 27th week of their OVER 400 Laurence Scott workers and other trade Manchester area successfully prevented Arthur Snipe of Mining Supplies, caster, from re-opening the Openshawe factory on Monday on terms which would have meant none of the strike leadership being among the 150 offered jobs.
Police arrested one picket, Chris Murray, Moston factory and a Socialist Challenge supporter, charge of obstruction. The arresting officer intendant Rutledge who was in charge the police operation management and scabs to enter the factory.
For a time it looked as if the police going Chris pay the price of their defeat. He was detained for over three hours, told that he wowa not be anowed Dall and would be kept in the cells over night. demonstrators dropped almost E1000 into the buckets.
Laurence Scott A flying picker of three car loads of Scott's workers imstation in Grey Mare Lane DonFurious the pickets with immediate arrest and kept them continually on the move, but within half an hour Chris was make a phone call.
AUEW Scott workers stood £50 bail Ferranti's and he was released.
-on Disgrace SliDer- As Joe Hobson said, They always try it on and if you let allow them get away with it you'll get your nose rubbed in it. Their Den31101 this disgraceful.
After make picket line, feelings against the managers who arrived to set up an employment bureau, boiled over. The police still insisted on trying force through the picket lines and the superintendent had even lent their factory in Manchester open, the national officials of their union, and the boss. Snipe are being forced into more manoeuvres to break the strike. picketed the police police threatened allowed to morning was months on the management drive to the factory. their way been turned AUEW Boyd unilaterally opposition from normal rules of strike to win.
in their favour.
censure ecutive While ding sideration available union picket line The Arthur This own car to as a result.
This scotched any remaining ideas of police impartiality.
Police, management and the If during the last week the heat has off Snipe. the must be laid once again at the door of president, Terry Duffy and general secretary John Boyd.
Earlier in the dispute Duffy and withdrew backing from the LSE workers despite Manchester District Committee and despite the procedure. backing is vital to the ability of the The LSE workers took their case against Duffy and Boyd to the AUEW Final Appeals Court where it was confidently expected the ruling would go On the contrary, Duffy and Boyd refused to hand over correspondence and the court has gone as far as it can at the moment in passing a motion of against the national the shop stewards were fighting the Boyd/Duffy manoeuvres. Snipe went onto the offensive, senout invitations to all 650 'exemployees' offering them first confor the 150-175 from Monday when the factory would re-open for "reduced production'.
The shop stewards declared that there would only be a return to work when the 230 still on the picket line are offered jobs and immediately called a mass picket from 6.30am on Monday.
Two management teams turned up on Thursday and Friday to 'employment bureau were given short shrift by pickets The LSE workers are unanimously supported by the Manchester (No 29) Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions District Committee which last Thursday called on all members not to cross Confed District Secretary. John Tocher, who is also the AUEW divisional organiser. addressing the strikers last Thursday, made it clear that the offer of 150 jobs was an attempt to split the strikers and was proof positive of collusion between Snipe and national AUEW officials.
It is also clear that neither Boyd, Folice seize striker Phil Penning but later drop him and arrest Chris Murray superintendent's car suffered Finally the local SPG (Tactical Aid Group) was called in blame back in official North Official produced exthey're officially court's decision.
three weeks if he wants to.
thing will be jobs matter workers.
campaign who the the union.
Roundcraft.
Barry from the factory entrance and free the personnel manager, lan Lees, who had been trapped in the factory for two hours.
Duffy or Snipe want the factory to reopen with the strike leadership going Snipe would face a triumphant workforce and the national AUEW officials would face a bastion of opposition to their undemocratic regime.
The arrogance of Boyd and Duffy toward the democratic rights of the AUEW membership was shown when they refused to hand over the relevant correspondence to the Appeal Court.
The court said it was their right to sit indefinitely until the evidence was Boyd replied that they could sit as long as they wanted.
The court unanimously censured the executive but although the Manchester North District Committee has been allowed to recall the Final Appeal Court if they're not satisfied with the situation, this can't be done until notified of the Who's job is it to inform them? Sir John Boyd! and he can take up to It's safe to assume that the whole delayed several more weeks and in the meantime any ruling about the national officials will be a of history and have no favourable outcome for the LSE Every branch and district in the AUEW is being mailed this week with a letter explaining Duffy and Boyd's latest manoevre and calling for a of resolutions censuring the executive and recalling the National Committee immediately.
Motions of censure have already gone forward from Manchester Nor th, Manchester South, Sheffield and North London District Committees.
This will be the third time that the Scott's fight against Duffy and Boyd has been carried to every branch of Scotts workers confidently expect a big response and a new flood of financial help to add to the figure of almost £1,000 collected at last Saturday's giant CND demonstration.
Rush messages of support and donations to 20 Romiley, Cheshire And get delegated to the solidarity conference Socialist Challenge 29 October 1981 Page 7
EVEN THE POLICE said there were 150,000 there. The real figure was more like 250,000 But whatever the precise number, last Satur day's CND demonstration showed that the second generation of anti-nuclear campaigners has arrived with a bang. The campaign to get rid of nuclear E.P. Thompson weapons and nuclear bases from British soil speaks at rally is larger than it has ever been - and last Saturday's demonstration was bigger than any that CND mounted in the late fifties and early sixties.
Spurred on by Reagan's statement that a 'theatre' nuclear war in Europe was quite conceivable, and the massive demonstration in Bonn the weekend before, nearly a thousand coaches and 30 trains poured into London.
It was a massive political victory for CND, and a slap in the face for Thatcher and the Tories.
The vast majority of the marchers were youth. Overwhelmingly they came with CND and Youth CND local groups, with students unions, and a small but significant minority with the Labour Party Young Socialists The youthful character of the demonstra fion was an indication that this second wave of CND will not be easily co-opted or dispersed There were two things in an overwhelmingly positive day which were not so good. First, although there was a good turnout of Labour Party branches, the response from the unions was not so good. The TUC has adopted a position in favour of unilateral disarmament at its last congress. The REA mobilisation of its forces would massively DO add to the weight of the movement. Second, Michael Foot's speech was CONS OL characteristically ambiguous and once again hedged on the question of unilateral disarmament. He said that a future Labour government would translate these measures of nuclear disarmament into practical action The fight over the policy of a future Labour government is crucial. This year's Labour Party congress just failed to pass the two-thirds majority to ensure that unilaterat disarmament is automatically put into the next election manifesto and it was some of the unions, in particular the AUEW, that provided the decisive votes against Tg take the campaign forward we have to Try it further into the unions and accept n compromises, no half-hearted formulas from Michael Foot and the Labour leadership. We want unilateral nuclear disarmament. Last Satürday's demonstration shows that this time we can win.
Socialist Challenge 29 October 1981. Page 8
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Union leaders attack strike and turn heat off the boss
FIGHT OR 650 JOBS fight to keep