IMGpapers 1976–79

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1976–79

Striking along the Mersey

Socialist Challenge No. 75, 7 December 1978 · p. 5 of the scan · 431 words

The scan: sc-n75-dec-7-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-6 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 5 of the scan

the militant determination increasing use of the police to smash picket lines.

and how it is being successfully resisted.

Two hundred bakers at the Long Lane Mother's Pride factory in Aintree have been out from the beginning. They have won support from the drivers. members of the United Road Transport Union, who have agreed not to cross the picket line.

management 03s encouraged scabbing by offerpay if the drivers take out just [wotravs daily.

The bread has been baked by management themselves, and so far they've managed to get two van loads out courtesy of a massive police escort. bigger the picket laid on, the bigger the escort.

EXAGGERATE But management have tried to exaggerate the impact of the scabbing. Along with sunbiest, they have been transporting bread Scotland considerable expense.

They hope bread appearing in the shops wrappers will demoralise the THETWO chief characteristics of the bakers' strike are of the workers TONY MEEHAN reports from Merseyside, which offers one of the best examples of police intimidation They haven't succeeded. At the Scott's Sunblest-producing bakery in Netherton, the 600 strikers are completely solid. Regular mass meetings have volvee une WOrKerS running of the strike. As one Dicket putit: "Scott's has alwavs been 100 per cent solid but the way the strike's been made it 101 per cent solid!"

OPPORTUNITY

The mass meetings provided the opportunity for TeDOrS Dack ontne developments. Collections have been taken to help finance flying The pickets.

Merseyside bakers have been aarrington, far afield as Colwyn Manchester, and even Cardiff. The support from the local labour Dockers started to boycott grain and flour lorries.

Transport & General Workers Union flour lorrv drivers have to leave the depots to avoid being sacked, refusing to cross picket lines. They've also received support and run has have latest Chester, DEVI WOl from the General & Municipal NaVE Workers, the Food Union, workers" union, mass meeting of striking social workers last collection for the bakers. alC Liverpool Trades Council has distributed collection sheets, PICKETS at the Scott's Sunblest bakery in Netherton have faced policy harassment.

mass picketing. shopUSDAW. said, "SO Mersevside up Friday took but hasn't yet mobilised for This is going to DIVISIVE have to change. as one picket can sew The strength of militancy has mcant mar local mandecen have tried to divide off the most OUL. militant strikers by settling their for union.

claim locally or firm by firm. since.

This has already happened at Rathbone's in Wigan. Here the icaaersap followed the old adage of 'one union permission for a return to work.

take

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