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keeping the ship in dock in chant Shipping Act. Under After receiving written years' jail or a £1000 fine guarantees of no victimisa- for taking industrial action tion, they agreed to sail the while at sea. The convenor, ship home. The day after Musa Nogan, rejects this as leaving port, after an att- a crude attempt to divide the empt to discipline the con- seventeen. nvertime han which rontin. L---L--a JOHN HARRIS quick, it was a political struggle to change the government (counterposed to any action on the pay dispute).

national steering committee was formed with delegates from each area. If this is built up it could become a pole of attraction for NHS stewards which the TUC will be unable simply to ignore.

NUPE and CoHSE members at Cardiff Royal Infirmary last week took solidarity strike action in support of 17 victimised seamen from the scientific research ship Discovery.

CRI struck for 24 hours on Friday October 29, while University Hospital NUPE branch came out on the previous Monday.

On both days Barry docks were successfully picketed by seamen and heaith workers.

The 17 were told they 'would not be re-employed' on the ship's next voyage because of the action they had taken in solidarity with the health workers. During the August week of action, the crew struck for five days, Newfoundland, Canada. venor, the crew began an LUS. ued until the ship docked in this country.

The ban meant that officers had to wash their own dishes and make their own bunks.

The owners, the National Environmental Research Department, claim the men have been disciplined not because of the five day solidarity strike but because their overtime ban contravened Article 30 of the 1970 Merthis law, crew can get two He believes that they nave oeen victimisea tor the solidarity action, and the decision to do this has probably come from quite a high level.

Offers

Musa spoke to NUPE and CoHSE meetings at the Infirmary last week, and there was unanimous support for solidarity action.

Since then offers of support have started to come Wing committees.

A resolution from the Greater Manchester stewards' committee called for a lobby of the CoHSE national executive meeting on November 3, to demand that the executive calls for a vote for all out action and urgently convenes a delegate conference to decide.

in thick and fast. NUPE branches in hospitals at Llwynypia, Aberdare and Bridgend, have pledged support. as has the NUM Mardy lodge.

The sister ship of the Discovery, the Challenger, has been blacked and is trapped in dock in Ardrossan, Scotland.

The NUS Cardiff branch has called on their own executive to call a national strike over the victimisations. Health workers in port towns should make a special effort to contact NUS branches to offer support for the Barry 17.

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the Full Claim: c/o 78 High St, Atherton, Lancashire.

Martin Barclay