[had been granted three weeks before, but the…]

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had been granted three weeks before, but the police and bailiffs had delayed.

CAROL HOBBS sent in this report shortly before the bailiffs swooped.

ONE OF the central concerns of the workforce is still the raising of finance to keep the sit-in going. The two mass pickets of Mining Supplies in Doncaster alone cost £1000 in coach fares.

While the AUEW Executive is refusing even to consider rescinding their previous decision to withdraw official status from the strike, the Manchester North District Committee, under the leadership of Duggie Daniels, has circulated local branches requesting them to continue to keep sending money and support to the Scotts workers.

Importantly this has placed the AUEW District at loggerheads with Boyd and Duffy at Peckham - Road, and rumours abound that the latter are formulating disciplinary measures against, in particular, Secretary Daniels.

However, the stewards committee have moved into full swing with a national 'unofficial' campaign throughout the AUEW, both to commit branches to send resolutions to the EC calling for 're-officialising' the struggle and to continue the fund raising for maintaining the sit-in.

On Monday 10 August 1 a. 350-strong meeting of the workforce again ratified • the stewards' unofficial campaign and endorsed a series of proposals for keeping the issue in the national limelight.

Firstly it was accepted that if the police to ernel the occupiers in a dawn raid, then the workers would put up passive resistance and measures have been taken to make it as difficult as possible for the police to gain entry.

Secondly, it was agreed to continue the struggle from outside on the pavement. The stewards have prepared a fallback HQ in a vacant factory near Scotts from which to continue the picketing from the outside if the police eject them from the plant.

JSSC chairperson Peter Rowan says:

«The irony of the situation is that we've no other jobs to go to after Scotts, but there are loads of empty factories which we can take over and use as a base for continuing the picketing of Scotts.

Interestingly. the workers have received letters of support from fifteen Labour MPs who have said they back the struggle against closure -and giving implicit support to the "unofficial" action. A press conference of MPs and stewards is being prepared for the near future whereby the issue will be brought to the national arena more clearly.

Peter Rowan, chair of the JSSC, explained: "We hope that by launching a press conference with the MPs we can embarrass Duffy and the EC into reversing their previous decision.

"It will also make it easier for us to approach other workers for support. We've circulated 400 AUEW branches with a specific resolution asking them to pass it -and pressurise the EC.

'We are also contacting local celebrities, from majority of local Confed officials just don't want to know.

"One TASS official said recently that we'd passed into the camp of the far left and that there was now no hope for us.

"Initially the MPs weren't all that interested in Scotts. Charles Morris (MP for Openshaw) asked a question in the House about Snipe fiddling the government compensation scheme and that was about it. But all of a sudden they've started taking an interest, so we are lining some projects up for them"

While the support of the MPs should be welcomed and they should be pressurised to take initiatives in the workers' interests, the real problem will arise when John Boyd and Co get wind of their union sponsored MPs backing a force that threatens the interests of Peckham Road Gerry AFTER A 80-strong picket at its last meeting, the Manchester North AUEW District Committee has fully endorsed the continuation of the Laurence Scotts occupation. Peter Rowan, chair of the Joint Let members saw we outnumbered them four or five to one at the meeting, a few minds were quickly clarified. They are now backing us once again"

And the Scotts workers have launched a campaign to repeal the withdrawal of official status.

The following resolution has been passed by both the Joint Shop Stewards Committee and the District Committee:

•We call upon the Executive Council to abide by the derision of the AUEW National Committee meeting in Eastbourne which pledged full support to the workers at Laurence Scott in their fight against closure.

'We remind Executive Council of Rule 29 [para 9] referring to dispute benefit which states, 'In all cases where a claim for such benefit has been approved, nothing in these rules shall be construed. as giving power to any Council, Committee or Branch to stop 'payment of this benefit until the member again becomes employed, provided the member concerned acts in accordance with the requirements of the rules and that in no case shall benefit be paid for more than 52 weeks" • 'We further point to Rule 15 [para 16, line 7] which states: The Executive Council, or anyone acting on their behalf, shall not

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Shop Stewards' Commit- tee, said: "Once the DC