from a Hull reader
Of all the backward, cut-throat, industries of Britain, deep-sea trawler fishing must surely take the biscuit. Working conditions, and the status of trawler crews, must be amongst the lowest to be found anywhere, Conditions for the fish dockers and workers in ancillary trades are equally primitive. Foreign competition, and the encroachment of the big guns of the fish-processing firms into the capital structure of the industry, are producing major technical upheavals which threaten what little security the fishermen and dockers have had, In the rationalisation process which is sweeping the industry, the protective and traditional role of the unions is being undermined, as elsewhere in British industry.
Humberside Voice has in recent months, focussed the growing concern of workers in the industry at these developments, Its campaign has concentrated on the expression of fishermen's own experiences and the fish dockers' ow views. Combined with a growing militancy and effectiv eness amongst the trade unions involved both on the docks and among the trawler crews, it has found a serious response in the fishing community. This response has now been given political expression by the West Hull Labour Party, which has roots in the industry, and whose delegates - predominantly working class, including wives and mothers of the industry's workers = KNOW the industry. At this month's GMC meeting, the following resolution was carried unanimously, by a very representative meeting:
"The West Hull Constituency Labour Party, being miiful of the great economic crisis inherited from the ineffectual Tory Government, and greatly appreciative of the legislation enacted in the first nine months of Labour administration, calls upon the National Executive Committee to instruct the Parliamentary Labour Party to set up a Working Committee to prepare a report on the future nationalisation of the British Distant Water Fishing Fleet and ancillary shore distributing and processing businesses under full workers! control.
"The West Hull Constituency Labout Hels that on humanitarian as well as economic grounds the British fishing industry should be governed by the work people for the work people,"
This arrives too late for this year's Party conference, But Labour W?s from fishing ports must take this seriously, The resolution can be the beginnings of a major campaign. Though it calls for action from the Parliamentary Labour Party we can be sure that this resolution can only be made effective if it is backed by an agitation and sustained by propaganda, in the fishing communities themselvese Humberside Voice is planning to produce a pamphlet to develop and deepen the campaign. We should be deligh-= ted to hear from socialists, trade unionists, Labour Parties, and MPs who are interested in working with us on this. We don't have all the answers at this stage: we would welcome in particular offers to contribute articles on conditions and opinions from other ports.
Please send all contributions and comments to: Norman Godman,
13, St. George's Rde,
Anlaby Rd.,
Hull,