(THIS DOCUMENT .IS THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY *S GOVERNMENT)
S E C R E T
- C * P e ( 4 9 ) 88
COPY
N0.5j
12TH APRIL, 191+9 CABINET THE LONDON DOCK STRIKE
Memorandum b y t h e Horns S e c r e t a r y
The E m e r g e n c i e s C o m m i t t e e m e t t h i s a f t e r n o o n t o
c o n s i d e r t h e s i t u a t i o n a r i s i n g o u t o f t h e s t r i k e of some
7,000 members of t h e N a t i o n a l Amalgamated S t e v e d o r e s and
D o c k e r s , w h i c h h a s b e e n j o i n e d b y some 6 , 0 0 0 members o f t h e
Transport and General Workers Union.
I was i n v i t e d , as
C h a i r m a n of t h e C o m m i t t e e , t o r e p o r t t h e i r r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s t o
the C a b i n e t .
The M i n i s t e r o f L a b o u r a n d N a t i o n a l S e r v i c e
w i l l be f u r n i s h i n g t h e C a b i n e t v/ith a s t a t e m e n t of t h e
p o s i t i o n from t h e i n d u s t r i a l p o i n t o f v i e w a n d w i l l b e
i n d i c a t i n g t h e m e a s u r e s w h i c h he i s t a k i n g i n a n e n d e a v o u r
to b r i n g about a s e t t l e m e n t .
T h i s memorandum d e a l s w i t h t h e
measures which w i l l be r e q u i r e d i f t h e s t r i k e c o n t i n u e s .
The M i n i s t e r of L a b o u r h a s a l r e a d y
2.
Executive Measures.
a n n o u n c e d t o d a y i n t h e H o u s e of Commons t h a t t h e G o v e r n m e n t
are determined to take a l l the steps necessary to maintain the
l i f e of t h e c o u n t r y .
The n a t u r e o f t h e s t r i k e i s s u c h a s t o
make a f i r m s t a n d b y t h e G o v e r n m e n t p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r o p r i a t e .
We t h e r e f o r e recommend t h a t t h e G o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d f o r t h w i t h
announce i t s i n t e n t i o n , u n l e s s t h e s t r i k e r s r e t u r n t o work
w i t h i n a v e r y s h o r t p e r i o d , o f e m p l o y i n g m e m b e r s o f t h e Armed
F o r c e s f o r t h e p u r p o s e of k e e p i n g t h e p o r t of London g o i n g .
3.
So f a r a s c o n c e r n s f o o d i n p a r t i c u l a r , i t w o u l d b e
p o s s i b l e , d e s p i t e t h e s t r i k e , t o c a r r y on w i t h o u t f u r t h e r
u n l o a d i n g s of n o n - p e r i s h a b l e g o o d s t o t h e e n d o f t h e m o n t h ,
and of p e r i s h a b l e goods t i l l 2 3 r d A p r i l ,
T h i s i s on t h e
assumption t h a t the s t r i k e does n o t s p r e a d meantime t o o t h e r
p o r t s or t o o t h e r g r o u p s of w o r k e r s s u c h a s c o l d s t o r a g e m e n .
T h e r e c a n , h o w e v e r , b e n o q u e s t i o n of r e l a t i n g a n y G o v e r n m e n t
a c t i o n t o f o o d a l o n e . P o o d may b e s t o w e d b e l o w o t h e r f o r m s
of c a r g o w h i c h m u s t b e r e m o v e d f i r s t .
I n any case o t h e r forms
of c a r g o , a n d t h e t u r n - r o u n d o f s h i p s , u r e v i t a l t o t h e n a t i o n a l
'well-being.
k*
Men a n d t r a n s p o r t f r o m t h e S e r v i c e s c o u l d move i n t o
T h i s -would, h o w e v e r ,
the docks b e f o r e t h e E a s t e r h o l i d a y s .
and, even i f t h e r e had been
mean c a n c e l l i n g E a s t e r l e a v e j
no s t r i k e , l i t t l e w o r k w o u l d i n f a c t h a v e b e e n d o n e a t t h e
docks.
I n p a r t i c u l a r , i f t h e t r o o p s were s e n t i n d u r i n g t h e
h o l i d a y s , t h e cold s t o r a g e p l a n t s would n o t be able t o receive
We t h e r e f o r e
any p e r i s h a b l e goods which t h e y might u n l o a d .
c o n c l u d e t h a t t h e S e r v i c e s s h o u l d go i n t o b e g i n v/ork t h e
f i r s t t h i n g on W e d n e s d a y , 20th A p r i l ' . E a s t e r l e a v e v / o u l d make
The M i n i s t e r
i t i m p o s s i b l e f o r t h e m t o do s o on t h e T u e s d a y .
of D e f e n c e a n d t h e S e r v i c e M i n i s t e r s h a v e a g r e e d i n t h e m e a n ­
t i m e t o m a k e a l l n e c e s s a r y p r e p a r a t i o n s on t h e a s s u m p t i o n
t h a t t h i s move w i l l t a k e p l a c e .
5-
On b e h a l f
of t h e Committee I ask the C a b i n e t
­
( 1 )
To a u t h o r i s e t h e E m e r g e n c i e s C o m m i t t e e t o
a r r a n g e f o r S e r v i c e men a n d t r a n s p o r t t o
b e g i n w o r k a t t h e P o r t ' o f L o n d o n on t h e '
m o r n i n g o f Wednesday^, 2 0 t h A p r i l , u n l e s s
tfte s t r i k e h a s m e a n t i m e b e e n s e t t l e d *
( 2 )
To a g r e e t h a t a G o v e r n m e n t a n n o u n c e m e n t
t h e s e l i n e s s h o u l d b e made f o r t h w i t h .
on
6.
Legal S t e p s .
This s t r i k e c r e a t e s a precedent i n the
p o s t war p e r i o d I t i s o f f i c i a l i n t h a t i t has been c a l l e d
b y t h e E x e c u t i v e of t h e N a t i o n a l Amalgamated S t e v e d o r e s
a n d L o c k e r s , w h i c h we a r e i n f o r m e d i s C o m m u n i s t c o n t r o l l e d .
S i n c e t h e p r o c e d u r e l a i d down i n t h e C o n d i t i o n s o f E m p l o y m e n t
and N a t i o n a l A r b i t r a t i o n Order has n o t been f o l l o w e d i t i s
illegal.
We w e r e i n f o r m e d t h a t t h i s i s t h e f i r s t s t r i k e
s i n c e t h e making of t h e Order which i s b o t h o f f i c i a l and
illegal.
There might be a c a s e for i n s t i t u t i n g c r i m i n a l
p r o c e e d i n g s i n r e s p e c t of b r e a c h of t h e O r d e r , b u t t h e Committee
do n o t c o n s i d e r s u c h a s t e p w o u l d b e a d v i s a b l e , a t a n y r a t e a t
the present stage.
There may, however, be good g r o u n d s f o r
c i v i l p r o c e e d i n g s b e i n g b r o u g h t by t h e N a t i o n a l Lock Labour
B o a r d a s t h e e m p l o y e r s o f t h e men c o n c e r n e d .
These p r o c e e d i n g s
would t a k e t h e form of s e e k i n g an i n j u n c t i o n r e q u i r i n g t h e
l e a d e r s o f t h e s t r i k e t o r e f r a i n f r o m i n c i t i n g t h e men t o
b r e a k t h e i r c o n t r a c t of s e r v i c e b y f a i l i n g t o r e p o r t t h e m s e l v e s
as a v a i l a b l e f o r work.
We h a v e a s k e d t h e A t t o r n e y - G e n e r a l
t o examine t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of such c i v i l p r o c e e d i n g s and t o
a d v i s e t h e C a b i n e t on t h e m a t t e r tomorrows
7*
Long-Term C o n s i d e r a t i o n s .
The f r e q u e n t r e c r u d e s c e n c e
o f t h i s " "form o f t r o u b l e a t t t i e d o c k s c a l l s , i n t h e C o m m i t t e e ^
opinion, for a thorough investigation into the underlying
c a u s e s and t h e d e v i s i n g of means t o a v o i d i t s r e c u r r e n c e .
J.C.E.
Home O f f i c e ,
12th A p r i l ,
S.W.I.,
19*1-91