Twenty four building workers, members of UCATT and the TGWULare in danger of being jailed under the 1875 Conspiracy and Protectian of Property Act. The men face a total of 210 charges, all arising from their picketing activities in Shrewsbury during the building strike last year.
Haunted by the spectre of the Penton ville Five, the Government knows that it dare not use the Industrial Relations Act against these workers. Hence the use of the 'conspiracy" charges. There is no doubt that vast sums ot money are being spent by the state to make these charges stick. And that is not too difficult. The 1875 law means the defendants can be jailed without providing any proof that they actually committed any of the so-called offences. All they have to do is prove that they "conspired to do so'. As far as the working class movement is concerned whether they did commit the offences or not is irrelevant. These workers must be defended because what they did during the building strike was done on behalf of all workers. They were right to take any action they thought necessary against scabs and to take all steps which would make it possible to win the strike. When workers are engaged in decisive struggles with the employen they will inevitably come into collision with the law; after all, that lawis there to protect the interests of private property. What's more, if there is no suitable law in current use, the state will either dig one up from the archives, or promulgate a new one. Trade unionists rally near court during first hearing FRAME-UP out stoppage."
Shrewsbury is a frame-up. The men are charged under an act specifically designed to which is pursuing the case with some enthus last, the Icaders of the TGWU and UCATT remain silent. They bave not organised one mass picket, called any strikes, or raised any funda. In fact they have not taken one serious step to defend these men Fortunately at rank-and-file level there has been a response. The London Joint Sites Committee are organising buses for a mass lobhy of the court on 25 May, which is the new date set for the case. Meetings bave been hold in Sheffield and Coventry and are planned fog other areas such as Leeds, London, Oxford, etc. The Sheffield meeting called on the ACEW district committee to raise support, and stated*.., in the event of the jailing of any of the building workers there should he an allThe defence of the Shrewsbury workers involves two things. First, a fight agrinst a sinister piece of legislation which loads the law exen mote in favour of the employers and their state Second, the need to defend all actions taken by militants in the war against the ruling class. li these men are sent down then it con make other workers less confident and mote inhibited in that struggle. The release of these men will encourage other mulitants to lake up the fight even more viporously. Janues King
----- pull-quotes -----
DECASUALISE SUILDING INDUSTRY