Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

Amendments Tighten Scr

Socialist Organiser no. 82, 29 April 1982 · scan p. 16 · about 1,265 words

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AS THE TEBBIT Bill approaches its Third Reading in Parliament, the TUC has finally... authorised the printing of 100,000 leaflets.

It has also named a day of protest - June 10, to be called 'union day.

But the number of rank and file activists unwilling to wait for the TUC's 'too little, too late' is growing. The Mobilising Committee for the Defence of Trade Union Rights has been mailing out leaflets and factsheets, and has planned two TUESDAY MAY 11: 7.30 at the Mother Redcap, opposite Camden Town tube. Speakers: Reg Race MP, John Suddaby (chair, Camden NUPE), Alan Thornett (T&G deputy senior steward, BL Cowley), Wendy Mustill (Women's at Southwark Labour Party Rooms, Lansbury London SE5. Speakers: Peter Tatchell, Alan Also planned is a Women's Fightback meeting:

WOMEN AGAINST TEBBIT - Friday May 7, 48 William IV Street, London WC2.

Contact: Mobilising Committee for the Defence of Trade c/o 28 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL.

£1442.80 (represented by the red patch below) is now the total of our Special Fund, towards its £6000 Contributions over the last week include £150 from John Lister, £50 from Pete Radcliff, £25 from Stephen Corbishley, £20 Tony Cashman, and a series of smaller donations totalling £55.80 - altogether £300.803.

The Basingstoke group promises money next week from a local fundraising event. Let's hear from other groups, too, about jumble sales, booksales, or socials to help the fund, in addition to the individual donations.

Send to: .Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL. Union TEBBIT Rights TORY THREAM cred of minution. • The poes plane ator by Wendy Mustill ON 22 April the government announced that it is tightening up clause 7 of Tebbit's Employment Bill to make it easier for the bosses to sack selective groups of strikers.

The new amendments -brought in at the last-minute committee stage - are even mole divisive than the original proposals. They include:

*Instant dismissal for strikers, who will not be able to bring • unfair, dismissal cases. (Originally the employer was to be required to give 4 days' notice to return to work).

*Bosses can sack people taking any type of industrial action, not just strikes, e.g. work-to-rule.

*Selective dismissal. Whereas under the law now, all strikers must be treated the same, the new clause will mean that if some workers who don't return to work are sacked, and the ones who go back are kept on, there will be no case for unfair dismissal.

*Discrimination between plants. Under the original draft, strikers from all plants had to be treated the same. The new amendment means that strikers in one plant can be sacked, while others elsewhere in the company can be kept on.

The l implications are rlear Celertive "fair" diomin sal of those who stay out gives a clear go-ahead to employers wanting to get rid of militants. The threat of the sack without redress for taking any form of industrial action is geared to intimidating people into submission. By selective dismissal on a plant basis, the Tories aim to undermine solidarity strikes e.g. over plant closures (cf Leyland, British Steel), meetings in London.

Fightback).

THURSDAY MAY 13: 7.30 House, 41 Camberwell Grove, Thornett, Wendy Mustill.

For public sector workers, where selective industrial action in certain key areas is most effective (of civil and health service disputes), industrial action could be shackled. Your section or group may go on strike one day and be sacked, whereas those in another area taking action as part of the same campaign the next week may not be sacked.

target.

The new law will attempt to breed divisiveness, uncertainty and fear of stepping out of line. The Tories are trying to undermine the fundamental precepts that unity is strength and an injury to one is an injury to all. It is based on intimidation and wil! undoubtedly be used to try to victimise key groups of workers.

'These further new restrictions make it even 6.45pm at A Woman's Place, more vital to organise NOW against the Bill.

On Tuesday 27th, Paul Carr was found not guilty of the murder of Doctor Dharry in Coventry last June.

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court accepted a plea of manslaughter after being told by defence counsel that "not even the police believed that Carr was a 'terrified skinhead full of racial hatred'. They treated him and all he said as a joke".

If this report of the police attitude to a brutal, Following extensive racist and fascist activity in Coventry last year, Coventry Trades Council has organised a local labour movement conference against racism.

This will provide the Coventry area labour movement with a valuable opportunity to send delegates to discuss the programme and policies required to forge the unity in struggle necessary to smash racism and take on the economic and political structures responsible for it'.

The two central themes of the conference are racism in the workplace, and the unions counter-strategy to racism in the rest of society. THE response of the NUM to the Tebbit Bill as with the rest of the trade union movement, has been very slow.

Typical. of its attitude was the response of the Yorkshire NUM leadership at a recent emergency Area Council meeting which ruled that a resolution calling for strike action against Tebbit had to be remitted to the next Council meeting.

Owen Briscoe, the Yorkshire General Secretary, arguing for its remittance, came out with the amazing statement that the TUC Special Conference had come out with a much firmer line against Tebbit than had been expected, so cold-blooded racist stabbing is true, then all their fine talk about building good relations with the Asian population is what many have believed all along, cynical lies.

Carr got seven years for manslaughter, but many people are shocked and outraged by the case. Socialist Organiser will be carrying an article on the trial and local responses to its outcome.

Coventry labour movement anti-racist conference. Saturday May 8, 10.30 to 5pm at Lanchester Poly Delegates invited from TU organisations in the Coventry the resolution wasn't necessary.

The last NUMBranch meeting at Dinnington rejected these defeatist arguments and resolved to press ahead with the resolution at the next Council meeting.

The resolution reads: "This branch calls on the Yorkshire area to stage a one-day strike when the Tebbit anti-union Bill comes up for its third reading in parliament. This one day strike is to be the first stage in a series of industrial actions and campaigning to defeat this Bill. We also call on our NEC representatives to obtain full and active support from the union nationally for this and future action."

EAST END KILLING ON FEBRUARY 5, 1982, Shamsu Miah was working at a Bangladeshi takeaway restaurant at Bethnal Green, London E2. At about 11.45pm two white men entered the restaurant and were positively identified by the restaurant owner as customers who previously took away food without payment. A quarre started.

One white customer lost all control, broke away a piece of wood from the counter, and began to fight. Shamsu Miah was hit and died instantaneously.

Yet the Coroner has handed down an open verdict.

A protest demonstration has therefore been planned by all Bangladeshi and many other community organisations, to be held on Sunday May 9, 1982. The demonstration will start at 1lam from Shaheed Bhaban, 39 Fournier Street, London El.

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tem tide of worst violence BLOODY £6000 fund MURDER!

TO OURI UNIONSI

Break links with Tories! minims for

area. Contact: Coven- try TC, c/o The Tom Mann Club, 34 Stoke Green, Coventry

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