New threat from Tebbit
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-08-19Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 12 →
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ACCORDING to the Financial Times (Monday 16th), TUC officials reckon that a House of Lords amendment to the Tebbit law will have devastating effects.
The amendment removes a clause saying that workers taking industrial action cannot be sued for damages simply on the grounds that the action "interferes' with someone's business. The exact effect is dubious, but, depending on judges' interpretations, it could take us back to virtually strike.
before 1906 and abolish the right to The Department of Employment told the Financial Times that this was "a complete misinterpretation" and the amendment concerned only "a dusty corner of the law" • The problem is that all sorts of things have been dragged out of "dusty corners of the law" by judges at one time or another to hit the unions.
The TUC assessment is in a confidential paper apparently leaked to the Financial Times. Trade unionists will have several questions to ask:
1. Why is the paper 'confidential'? If the threat is so serious, then it should be publicised widely.
2. Why is the TUC still doing nothing about the Tebbit law except making speeches?
3. Why did the TUC do nothing to support Sean Geraghty? We know about the TUC right wing, but what happened to all the left trade union leaders who had been making big speeches about how they would call strike action if a single trade unionist were jailed?
4. Why doesn't the TUC break off links with the Tories and the bosses?
5. Why doesn't the TUC call a one-day general strike against the Tebbit law, as the first step towards the all-out action necessary to defeat it?
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