have come out in favour of the strikers at Grunwick. They are recommending recognition of the union [APEX] and have also stated that those in dispute are employees on strike, despite management's attempt to sack them.
The dispute was referred to ACAS during the strike, which has been going on for 25 weeks. The demands of the strikers are primarily for union recognition and for improved working concions (1.c basic wage of E25 and E28, over ime.
The struggle poses key questions for the whole of the labour movement in that the strike at Grunwick could and can challenge the Labour Government's adherence to anti-working class law.
UPROAR It isthislaw that caused the uproar when the Union of Post Office Workers wanted to stop all communications to and from South Africa for one week. The 1953 Post Office Act was invoked trends or solin Atric ana Grunwick manavenent as the National Association For Freedom (NAFF) and the Hion Cours upes nad canvassco yeorousy lor DrOsC perore ine debacle, the UPW had blacked the mail to Grunwicks and, since the firm is a mail-order film-processing business. this wascrucial forthesuccess of the strike The NAFF took out a High Court injunction against the UPW. whose General Secretary. using the fact that ACAS had been called in as an excuse, backed down. This retreat was against the wishes of its members at the local sorting depot in Willesden. was at the beginning of November. In January ACAS delayed their findings (which are only recommendations and carry no weight in law) for one month. This is hardly an academic point when you've been on the picket lines in freezing conditions for over 20 weeksalready.
The ACAS findings, favourable though they are, are no substitute for working class action. The Grunwick strikers union, the Association of Protessional, Executive and Clerical Workers (APEX), are now rushing off to have talks with the employers. But there is no guarantee that Grunwicks will abide by the recommenCaLIOnS Forthe bosses ACAS has been just another attempt to dissipate the strike's militancy. The Grunwick strikers do not have any illusion in government bodies like ACAS but because of hesitancy on the part of some of the union leaders they have had to wait until ACAS reported.
LEADERSHIP In particular, the central responsibility for the prolongation of the strike lies on the shoulders of the APEX leadership. Following setbacks they have no longer relied on the strength of the strikers and working class action to bring about a decisive defeat for Grunwick bosses. Now they are happy to play along with arbitration procedures as a substitute. They have given our good strike pay and vans for travening round Ene -country but they are not prepared to challenge the law, or even to pur pressure on cuner rom Jackson or tre TUC to fight against it.
The responsibility for stopping the work still going or at Grunwicks lies squarely on the shoulders of APEX. They must act to stop the mail going in. In addition, the fact that ACAS received a petition from employees still working inside the factory saying they supported the union, despite management duress, shows that what is effectively scabbing can be halted. To do either of these g things depends on APEX organising and involving the whole of the labour movement, both locally nationally. As the Strike Committee says: Instead of talking with the Tory backers of Grunwick and the NAre ine enders or our movement soura comome to stop the company's mail order and all otherservices.
corinis suike naus me ne mar black workers are no!
prepared to Shrewsbury and recently Trico, the question is asked as to whose side the law is on.
nave nad to ment right they have.
challenge anti-working class Act and no compulsory necessary.
the commitment of our (For donations etc. against them after such Tom Jackson, Photo• ANDREW 3031 contingent of 30 strikers WICK WOrKerS As with the Pentonville 5, would leave him unable under union sometimes bloodily - for every Now a small group of ultra-right wingers are limiting those rights (the strikers are picketing chemist shops on Saturdays and NAFF have found a law that makes that illegal!). It is vital to law, and ine LADOUI government in particular, to demand that the government changes the law and repeals the 1953 Post Office she most erective wav orensuring unarme govern ment takes up this demand is to show through strong solid working class acnon tnat ine labour movement is prepared to fight this reactionary law by any means For, again in the words of the Strike Committee: If movement to the end of exploitation and the fight against racialism means anything, we cannot be allowed to be isolated and defeated, a defeat which would be a severe set-back for the whole movement and for the confidence of black workers in it.* - contact secretary Committee, Mahmood Ahmad, c/o Brent Trades and Labour Hall, 375 High Road, London NW 10.)
ABOVE: Grunwick women strikers in discussion. A meeting last week, organised by the Grunwick Strike Committee, Brent Trades Council, and the local Working Women's Charter Group decided to support the Rally on Women's Rights. They will jointly organise a stall, and send i BELOW: Grosvenor House Hotel workers on the march in Sheffield last Saturday. Like the Grun supporting the 26 February Rally on Women's Rights. Find out why on page 4. they APEX Granunch StriKe Comm Down With Arıstocracy up With WorKers face a NAFF-backed management. Like the Grunwick workers, they are IN on the left of the labour movement.
Tribune has defended right wing. Its editor. current issue witch-hunts and the rest of that nonsense is not on.
head-on. Because the only Richard Clements himself refers to: '..
its way towards a radical change in our society.
course be decided on.
organisational quick to contempt in which cemoclacy ces roved.
the rules and constitution of the Labour Party?"
It does not take Clements to ask undemocratic Party Constitution, Rather than line up alongside these elements.
proscriptions!
WEEKLY THE WITCH-HUNT launched by the right-wing Labou bureaucrats in collaboration with theirallies in the capitalis press has put to the test all those who consider themselves Andy Bevan, and the right o mandatory reselection of MPs - the two bug-bears of the Richard Clements, writes in the 'One thing is certain: expulsions But Tribune has not been able to answer the politica offensive of the right wing against the 'Trots'. That paper and the left MPs who support it have failed to confront the righ answer to the charge infiltration is to defend the right of all working class tendencies and organisations to affiliate to the Labour Party.It is a denial of democracy that socialists should b forced to hide their political colours in the Labour Party.
the inevitable differences which occur in a party which is seeking to argue But he fails to draw the obvious conclusion that only by allowing people to organise around their political position: within the Labour Party and ensuring democratic debate ca different strategies get an adequate hearing, and the correc This failure to defend the democratic organisation of th left opens the door to Labour's right wing, who have bee against opponents. Shirley Williams has tried to equate the Stalinis suppression of democratic rights in the Soviet Union wit Trotskyism allegedly hold But it is Williams and her right-wing co-thinkers wh share with the Soviet bureaucracy the method of slander ar witch-hunt when unable to answer their opponents' politics But Tribune, by failing to defend democratic organisatic in the Labour Party, cannot confront this argument. In fa of Richard Clements has fuelled its fire: there are two questions to be asked. First, do the Trotsky organisations which are in the Labour Party — if they are i - still adhere to the basic Trotskyist theo that parties similar in nature to the Labour Party should b Secondly, if they do not, do they still use "discipline" against their followers which is over and abo such questions.
Shirley Williams Harold Wilson and many others have already done -nOu should rather unconditionally proclaim: end all bans ar But there is a far more important reason why Tribune ben unable to answer the right wing. It is because Tribu and the left MPs share and have always shared with the rig wing the notion that Parliament is the institution throug which democratic rights can be protected and the princip
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