After only a few weeks in office the Tories are confronted by a national dock strike-the first since 1926. Ironically enough, the strike decision came a day or two after the annoucement of the worst trade figures since February of last year. The Tories' reaction to all this was typical: they have let it be known that they are considering declaring a state of emergency and the use of troops to break the strike. While it seems very unlikely that the Tories decided in advance to make this a decisive struggle (they would at this stage prefer a weaker section of the working class to smash) it would be foolish to think that they will be hesitant or indecisive in this battle.
The militancy of the dockers defeated a last-minute attempt by Jack Jones to sabotage the strike decision-but the confusion his behaviour caused is shown by the close vote at the recall conference. The enthusiastic reception given by dockers to reaffirmation of the strike decision contrasts sharply with Jack Jones' talk of a "very serious situation" (It seems that he has an instinctive dislike of dockers' rank and file struggle; witness his actions in the 1967 Merseyside dockers strike).
Thus we see on the side of the employers and the Government determination and a will to win but on the dockers' side a vacillating leadership pushed into action only by the combativity of the rank and file.
TOUGH, BUT ILL-PREPARED STRUGGLE The stike will be a tough struggle but it has been ill-prepared. What is more, the trade union heirarchy, from Jack Jones downwards, shows no decisiveness nor will to fight. THEIR instinctive reaction is to try to compromise.
The Government and the employers have at their disposal the press, the radio and television and the whole apparatus of the state (we must expect the pulpit any moment to swing into action). They will use them effectively and decisively. They will seek to justify their strikebreaking actions by trying to convince the mass-of the people that the over-paid, lazy dockers are holding the country to ransom". They will systematically lie and distort; they will play upon the worst fears and prejudices of the middle class, backward workers and others. They will use the "trump cards" of witch-hunting Can you tell us why it was necessary for dockers (how long will it be before they, just like Wilson in 1966, discover a plot) and Powellism (his role being to mobilise radical right wing forces to put "pressure on the Government;" in reality he will fly their kites).
WHAT A DEFEAT FOR THE DOCKERS WOULD MEAN The dockers have a great fighting tradition and tremendous solidarity. They are confident in the knowledge that they alone know how to run the docks and that the threat of the use of troops is bluff, designed to intimidate them and push their trade union leaders into a panicky compromise. They will struggle with great determination and give the rest of us lessons in militancy Whilst we have every confidence in the fighting spirit of the dockers it would be irresponsible not to face the facts: a defeat in this struggle would be a terrible blow to the whole working class, it would encourage every section of the employers to hold firm against demands and it would demoralise the militants in other industries. It would be followed very quickly by the Tories pushing through their anti-trade union measures. A victory, especially a decisive one, would have enormous political significance. It would encourage combativity and demonstrate the complete incapacity of the Tories to solve the problem of British capitalism. This is why the outcome of this struggle is of vital concern to all on the left and, indeed, to the whole labour and socialist movement.
The left must mobilise to counter the filthy anti-working class propaganda of the press and mass media; it must engage in every kind of solidarity action possible: collection of monies for strike funds, mass meetings for the dockers to state their case and agitation for solidarity strike actions in other industries. A mass demonstration in support of the dockers could be a very effective focus for this activity. But the revolutionary left has a much more vital task: it needs to help in the working out of a strategy for victory.
The main danger of defeat or of a demoralising compromise comes from the faltering, incompetent, indecisive and unimaginative "leadership" given by the top trade union bure acrats. What confidence can one have in a "general" who tries to call off the battle on the to what we were claiming. They decided to remain eve of "D-Day "That is not the way wars are won. On the contrary-the general who wins wars is the general who goes into a battle with determination to win based upon a strategy of mobilising his entire strength in one quick decisive offensive.
If the might of the Transport and General Workers Union was mobilised for a quick decisive struggle the battle would be short and completely victorious. There will be neither justice nor logic if the dockers are left to struggle alone on their E5 a week strike pay whilst the tens of thousands of TGWU members driving lorries continue working. A dock strike will tie up most imports and exports but an increasing proportion of trade is being done by airfreight-can trade union members (especially members of the TGWU) be expected to scab on their docker brothers by continuing to handle this freight?The dockers and all TGWU members should reject talk of a long strike by the dockers alone and counterpose a total transport strike. They should demand of their officials a clear unambiguous call for all transport to stop until the dockers have won. It will be criminal if the dockers are left to fight alone-unofficial action by airfreight workers and lorry drivers will be entirely justifiable and commendable if this call is not made.
THE NEED FOR SOLIDARITY Every trade union member, every socialist, every member of the Communist Party (they have an special responsibility to prevent their leaders from supporting any compromise because of the latter's relations with the TWU leadership), every member of the Labour Party, whilst themselves carrying out maximum solidarity action, should demand of their organisations: full support for the dockers, no retreat or scabbing, full mobilisation until victory. If the Government and the employers threaten to mobilise their full resources there is only one answer: the labour movement must and will mobilise its full resources.
Let no one fob off militants with collections and resolution of support (as valuable as they are) if these are substitutes for full mobilisation of the labour movement's resources.
To achieve this mobilisation solidarity committees should set up to organise this action and, more important, organise a political fight to ensure this mobilisation.
WHERE DO THE LABOUR MP'S STAND?
Every trade union leader, Labour P official and MP must be asked whe stand-for national interest (i.e. fo employers, for the smashing of the which case they should be treated a or for the complete victory of the c (in which case their deeds will have their words) But militancy is not en This struggle must be used to inflict defeat upon the employers and the must be used to smash the Tories' a union plans before they have chance going. All this means having a politi gramme. The essence of this progran be that it has been demonstrated in that the employers are completely of running the docks. They can cont so only on the basis of increasing the exploitation of dockers (when real v further and further behind productiv security is sacrificed to "increasing e Docks nationalisation is obviously order of the day; but not nationalisa one type of employer is replaced by crippling rates of compensation are e is shy the key slogan must be for 100 nationalisation under workers contro During the course of the struggle 1 for control will be put into practice b creation of rank and file strike comm These committees should be deepene strengthened so that they have compl control over every aspect of the runn strike and they alone have the right t strike. They should link up and have liaison with the committees of solidar FOR FULL VICTORY ON THE DO SMASH THE TORY ANTI-TRADE PLANS!
FOR A COMPLETE TRANSPORT UNTIL VICTORY!
FOR DOCKS NATIONALISATION WORKERS CONTROL!