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BIRMINGHAM. Sturday a Augus Ice in Solidarity win the Palerinian LEF building and erupted, ( what really happened at Laurence Scott. With the and bitter AUEW leader, Terry Duffy, had a convethe alen scapezual form of an anonymous Mr who he claims misled the workers, whereas John Tocher, Manchester blamed secreta Duffy quite rightly, accusmilitant with the workers, being more the was employers.
At year's conference Scotts was a big the 650 workers of the Manchester engineering firm were then occupying their against closure. It was a fight to save jobs that took place against the background of the miners successful * resistance to threatened pit and the victory Coses of the Gardners' workers. also in Manchester, who had fought back compulsory i redundancies. Scotts had lifted the banner on behalf of all those who wanted to fight for their jobs.
The struggle of the workers came up, against obstacle that the employers and the union bureaucracy could devise Scott's boss, Snipe, by payıng out redundancy money, had hoped to divide the workers. The strikers ask ed should they cash their redundancy not? Back came the reply from the union who said their legal advisors had Police break picket lines Unions (CSEU) as the union leaders argued about struggle over, the confirmed cashing the cheques would not prejudice fight. Anne sallie time they should carry on fighting for their jobs.
Nobody questioned this until the strikers' determination, particularly their use of the flying picket at his parent in Doncaster, dragged Snipe the negotiating table. Duffy who had been taken aback by the determination the strikers, suddenly saw a way oul. workforce, he Ignoring the Hauc his own agreement Snipe.
Snipe offered
guaranteed three months' work, with a guaranteed two-day week. Before the months' work, with a five day week before the final closure. surprisingly the workers tossed out Snipe's offer, and rejected the AUEW directive return to work The AUEW circulated branches saying that Snipe had insisted on return of the redundancy money and that Turner prugress would be made on saving jobs once this Wal cracy done. claimed The tha bureau- the workers had turned the redundancy pay into matter of principle. The workers retorted by pointing out, "The crucial issue stake was linked to that protecting the union organisation (November ' 81 issue of the strike bulletin). They also pointed out: "The redundancy pay issue was of no consequence, this later provea when Snipe made a further offer which conceded this.
In an attempt to brainwash the CSEU delegates, and wipe out the betrayals of the bureaucracy Duffy 'discovered the mysterious Mr X who had told the strikers to cash their money. John Tocher angrily replied: You Vil ed the rug away should never reach agree you should pu forward formula and listen to what the lads and lasses have to say Duffy and the bureaucracy do operate like that. Scotts had been a nightmare to Ine union leaders. Even when the strike was made unofficial the workers had displayed actermination. initiative and ingenuity, that had confounded both the employers and the right-wing union leaders.
Strike delegations toured the major committee shared Dial forms Benn and Scargill Almost half of the AUEW branches pro.
tested to the unlol ecutive about their conduct strike. The workers showed it was possible to LaKe on the employers and fight back against the betrayals of the union leaders.
Laurence Scott workers showed organisations like ine CP-dominated Broad Left how fight the Laurence Scott militants fought both bosses and bureaucracy bureaucracy, which continually drew back from giving a lead in the union bureaucrats handling of the dispute.
The strike was finally February. nroket Over 500 police mounted a strike-breaking operation and escorted scabs into the factory to take away the machinery. Convenis, said works convenor, this final blow was only made possible the assistance of Duffy and the other union leaders. Duffy will never forget Scotts. He knows the etfect the right-wing domination of the union. the small group of Scott's workers had. Scotts for the bureaucracy could be an harbinger of things to CONC Unfortunately others did not want to learn the lesson of Scotts. Writing in Marxism Today, John Michroy. workers were claimer 'fatally the weakened by the lack of support workers' and the 'strike Socialist Challenge leaders were inexperienced every, day compromise... According to Mollroy and the Communist Party, it all boiled down to the strike leaders being active in the Broad Left.
This is just a cop out. The CP explains its scandalous lack of support in the fight against the right wing, by blaming it all or the workers. they can learn nothing Lee Jeans as li dies Jeans and Gardners which have generally been led by workers outside the claim, or the CP may write the lessons of Scott will with many militants stay and many more workers wil use the lessons of Scotts in their fight agains the Duffys of thi Scotts showed workers need a leadership which rejects alliances The employers and which is consistently anti-bureaucratic and thoroughly democratic.
16 July 1962 page 13
ly/August 198 Volume 7 No4
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FIGHT THE INTE
THEY thought that they had buried the strug- gle of the Laurence Scott workers, when sud- denly the uneventful proceedings of the na- tional conference of the Confederation of Ship-
bureaucracy was anxious to lay the blame for their sell-outs at other doors.
occupation they had been offered a guaranteed three
across the country, a strike bulletin was distributed, speakers from the strike
influence of the CP Duffy may