Last Wednesday, the Transport and General Workers' Union Docks! District broke with all its traditions by convening a completely open meeting to which all dockers, including NASD members (and nons!) were invited. It was a well attended and deeply serious meeting. A mild outburst of heckling = demanding that Blue Union Officials should be allowed to service their own members on the docks, = was quickly quelled from the floor itself, by appeals from some of the Blue wion members, The TGWU docks! officer was at pains to acknowledge the past weaknesses of his own organisation, and to accept the critical comments from NASD members presente
The inter-union problems remain very acute, and in fact exacerbated by the divisions between the Northern Blue union members and their General Secretary in London, over his agreement to accept TGWU servicing of his members in the Northern ports, and a stop to further recrutiment there. This agreement effectively deprives the Northern sections of the Blue union and their officers, of any role whatever, and does not seem a constructive way of ending hostilities, An agreement on recognition of cards, and a role for the NASD committee and officials would have surely brought better results in unity.
That problem apart, the feelings of the meeting on the Devlin question were very clear, Many speakers pointed out that all the "concessions® to dockers offered by Devlin - welfare facilities, revised wage structure, higher pay for higher production, a sick pay scheme, regular employment, preservation of the 'spirit' of the Dock Labour Scheme <= were all rights which dockers should have now, Devlin regards them as things to be offered in exchange for the dockers trading in their protective practices, and endorsing the growth of monopoly amongst the employers. There was considerable scepticism about the no redundnecy promise in the Report. How could we believe this, they asked, when the report speaks of huge productivity increases and massive mergers amongst the employers?
Applause greeted the many speakers who - from White and Blue alike - urged nationalisation of the industry. This was no ritual appeal to an old instinct, but a hard, immediately practical alternative to Devlin, in the mind of the meeting. The TGWU docks! officer accepted it as such, and pointed to the union's official declaration of support for public ownership. Here surely, is the basis for dockerst unity - not based upon the suppression of one union, or a scramble for members by both, but on the common response of dockers to the Devlin cul-de-sac,
Nationalisation - with workers! control of the Register retained and developed = is a dockers! policy. If the TGWU can shift its emphasis on nationalisation from a worthy taside' to a bannér headline, the basis of a united front is present. The signs from Hull's meeting are that this will happen in a short time, ADVERTISEMENT: Nottingham I.V.S. Autumn Programme;
13th. October, Room 6, Albert Hall Institute. 7230 PeMe
I.V.S. launch fund raising appeal, Recorded talk by
Qsneral Secretary.
Saturday 23rd. October/ Sunday 24th October = A.G.M. in London
1LOth November, 7230 peme Albert Hall Institute,
The future programme of the Nottingham I.V.S. Illustrated
talks on local projects. For further details of the I.V.S.
contact: P. van Spall, 29, Highfield Rd., West Bridgford,