NUJ backs down

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ANOTHER union tore up its policy commitment last week and refused to support a crucial strike in defiance of the anti-union laws.

The National Union of Journalists Executive voted 11-6 not to make a five month old strike by journalists on the Richmond and Twickenham Times official.

To do so the Executive not only ignored long-established union policy but also overrode the outcome of a Special Delegate Conference which reaffirmed support for defying the law recently as January.

Executive members who then had personally pledged they would reaffirm support for the strike, after a House of Lords ruling reneged on their promise.

The strike started when the owner of the papers, broadcaster David Dimbleby, sacked NGA members and transferred the contract for printing to T. Bailey union-busting firm which sacked all its NUJ journalists in 1979.

NUJ members at Richmond struck alongside -the NGA and were joined by some non-union editorial staff, confident they could force Dimbleby to back down.

Last week the House of Lords confirmed that the NUJ strike was unlawful and secondary. To do so, they confirmed that companies which divide themselves into separate legal entities. can stop lawful strikes spreading from one element to another.

The House of Lords ruled that the NUJ had a lawtul dispute with T: Bailey Forman publishers, but an unlawful dispute with TBF (Printers) - despite the firms Sharing the same neaa ottice, phone number, writing paper and a substantial number of shareholders.

The collapse of the NUJ Executive was covered over by a resolution which instructed officers to examine the possibility of moving the union headquarters to another European capital - presumably on the theory that if you don't stand and fight it is better to run away.

The Executive also noted that the Richmond chapel still had the right to continue its strike - bitter words for the Mother of Chapel Joanna Davies to swallow as she heard the news outside the meeting.

The chapel, however, has resolved to fight on, "with or without the support of our union" and money is still being collected through unofficial channels.

This week on Wednesday evening) BBC Lime Grove TV chapel was being instructed by the NUJ to black Dimbleby on his budget day programme. The TUC and Labour Party have already pledged not to take part in that, or any other programme hosted by Dimbleby.

A demonstration through Richmond on Tuesday drew more than 600 NGA and NUJ members, ending in a rally at the riverside.

NGA General Secretary elect, Tony Dubbins, called on the TUC to break all links with the Tories - saying that the GCHQ ban showed that those who rolled over to have their tummies tickled by Thatcher get their faces stamped on.

The NUJ Executive is likely to get its comuppance at the Annual Conference. If a new Executive is atterwards to get the chance to make the Richmond strike official again, the strike must be supported unofficially at present to allow it to continue.

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