Laurence Scott workers up against the law: Duffy says he opposes Tebbit's proposal to use the law against AS THE FIGHT against Norman Tebbit's union Bill gets slowly into the Communist Party has gear. produced a new pamphlet on its strategy for defeating it.
Tebbit's Bill - • Kill It by Mick Costello, the CP's ndustrial Organiser, bians une new buicicarly how it will give a £20,000 and tree. riders to attack the closed shoo: render trade unions and trade unionists liable strike action; and make mne coscu snoo allust ill' possible to achieve.
DUllile VUL that a er legislation is po poslegislation is stop workers acting in defence their interests as class'. If the Bill is passed for example, will be unlawrur to reluse to nan dle machinery transferred TOSSLILY closure, and the 'Triple Alliance' will be unlawful.
The strong will be allowed to help the weak.
Grunwicks' solidarity • Blacking of Aero Engines for Chil • Most refusals to cross picket line. y lorry driver for Jobs' • Strikes against cuts - for example be fined up to f250,000 or jailed for similar action.
unions, but sells out workers fighting it now. • Walkouts to join the 'People's Marc this years' strikes in South Yorkshire If Tebbit's Bill becomes law you could This aspect of the Bill Is given a greal acal ot attention in the pamphlet. cae blue allack S brought home forcefully. vially aculull.
years by workers would be unlawful if Tebbit's Bill had been law,' explains Costello.
In the face of this attack the pamphlet calls for 'a programme of mounting industrial protest' and the "promouon demands for action of general strike proportions up through the grass roots of the trade union movement, to 'bring the trade General Council to throw their full weight into this struggle.' It calls on the trade union movement to: • Continue to conduct industrial disputes in the most effective way with no regard for anti-union laws; • All forms of solidarity to be afforded to workers WIlU arraigned: • UnioI members' money should be wasted on futile and ex. pensive legal fees but contributed special TUC fund for provasallud agitation and action; • No appearance before the courts judges will be implementing anti-union legislation; • The unions on an industry level, and the TUC nationally, should organise massive protests against the Bill. These should include meetings in working hours, demonstrations and lobbies to prepare the movement for stoppages of general strike proportions.
Bosses But while calling for rank and file pressure and for workplace organisation, the pamphlet does not deal with some of the most important obstacles to united campaign against Tebbit.
1 ne pamphlet points out that important aspect of the legislation is aimed getting union leaders to 'do the bosses' dirty work, to police the act' The liable if the rules exclude LuC or it the ecutive repudiates it. But it draws no conclusions from this on how some of the union leaders might act.
Union leaders like Chapple and Dully need little encouragement Virtually the whole 'Concordat' the Callaghar which aimed at outlawing unofficial strikes, mining the right to picket, and bargaining from rank and file colliul.
In the 1970s it took massive and determined rank and file pressure to force 'left' leaders like Hugh Scanion _IO fight. When the pamphlet says that 'compared to the last time such legislation was defeated the leaders of the Youth on February 24 lobby of Parliamen: trade union movement to day are more united seeking to kill the Bill, ' it : expressing fond hope The leaders oppos the Bill. But will the: smash it?
serious challengi would mean mass actio against it, defiance of th law. of all, struggles such as Lauren: Scott where the law is be ing used against trac unionists. The leadership' record doesn't sugge they will do this willingly Instead of discussin how the leaders may called to order and force Fact the pamphle directs attention toward getting support sports and cultural pe: sonalitics, re oresculalis.
all churches religions.'
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Tebbit's Bill would have made these illegal: