ON 29 November 1978, the day when the lock-out at Thomson newspapers began, William Rees-Mogg, editor of The Times, wrote on its last editorial page: "Truth in words can never be justified unless it also meets the test of truth in action.
This piety was intended to justify was be longest-running British labour history.
Management made its demands -which included cutting its workforce by 10 per cent, the direct input of copy dy Journalists and cierical stari, and the effective transfer of power from the print union management and the union head offices - and then threw most of its employees out the door.
Now that the papers will shortly be landing on the establishment's breakfast table again, Geoffrey Sheridan asked BRADY, father of the NATSOPA machine room chapel at the Sunday Times, about the "truth in action'.
It was this chapel, whose members run the printing machines, management blamed for a series stoppages prior to the lock-out, and it is Reg Brady whom much of the press identifiedasthe key trade union figure involved.
In terms of management's achievements, the certainly wasn't à victory for them. They lost million amounting to £30m, together with the good faith of their employees. It will lake inem. years to overcome cne resentment that's built up against them.
Much of what Thomson management tried to do was based on the experience of the United States, where the print unions were slaughtered.
They had Canadian lawyers word all the documentation which meant, for example, that the workforce was the of the downs? chapels Thomson newsREG technically "suspended", meant which unemployment of security.
self-respect.
Fleet Street.
lock-out national copies, Now we'ye caught up.
their chest.
men wno Times.
natural wastage.
The late Lord Thomson in the Sunday Times machine room in 1961 Have you ever wished you were better informed?
THE TIMES DICK BUSTING JIMMY RACIS KILL! snA