S E C R E T
C*P*(U9)
89
COPY NO
.31
12TH APRIL, 19U9
CABINET
THE LONDON DOCK STRIKE
Memorandum b y t h e M i n i s t e r
of Labour and N a t i o n a l
Service
The r e l e v a n t f a c t s of t h i s d i s p u t e . a r e s e t o u t i n t h e
a t t a c h e d s t a t e m e n t w h i c h I made i n t h e H o u s e of Commons t o - d a y ,
I do n o t t h i n k i t i s n e c e s s a r y t o a d d t o t h a t s t a t e m e n t e x c e p t
t o s a y t h a t l a t e r i n t h e a f t e r n o o n i t was l e a r n e d t h a t t h e
Tooley S t r e e t Wharves had stopped; l e a v i n g " o n l y T i l b u r y and
t h e p e r m a n e n t w e e k l y men a t worka
W h i l s t t h e o s t e n s i b l e o b j e c t of t h e s t r i k e i s t o
p r e v e n t t h e d i s m i s s a l s of t h e 32 m e n , t h e r e a l p u r p o s e i s t o
e n s u r e t h a t r e m o v a l s from t h e R e g i s t e r s h o u l d o n l y t a k e p l a c e
t h r o u g h normal w a s t a g e .
The c l a s s of men a b o u t whom t h e d i s p u t e
h a s a r i s e n a r e C a t e g o r y ' C m e n , t h a t i s , men who b y r e a s o n
o f a g e o r i n f i r m i t y , a r e r e q u i r e d t o a t t e n d one c a l l a d a y
only.
T h e i r r e w a r d i f t h e y g e t no w o r k i s a t t e n d a n c e money a t
t h e r a t e of 5 / - p e r d a y .
I t i s contended t h a t so long as
t h e s e men s a t i s f y t h e r e q u i r e m e n t o f a t t e n d i n g o n e c a l l a
d a y and do n o t i n f r i n g e a n y of t h e r u l e s of t h e Scheme, t h e y
s h o u l d be r e t a i n e d on t h e R e g i s t e r i n d e f i n i t e l y .
Discussions
a r e a t p r e s e n t p r o c e e d i n g on t h e q u e s t i o n of a P e n s i o n s Scheme
a n d i t may b e t h a t i f a m u t u a l l y s a t i s f a c t o r y a g r e e m e n t w e r e
r e a c h e d , t h e c a u s e o f t h e p r e s e n t a g i t a t i o n w o u l d be r e m o v e d .
H o w e v e r ' t h a t may b e , i t i s c l e a r t h a t a n y c o n c e s s i o n a l o n g
t h e l i n e s demanded would be' u n j u s t i f i e d .
No o t h e r i n d u s t r y
c o u l d s u s t a i n s u c h a b u r d e n a n d i t v/ould p r o v e i n t o l e r a b l e
t o t h e Dock I n d u s t r y .
5
The T r a n s p o r t a n d G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n a n d t h e
N a t i o n a l U n i o n of G e n e r a l a n d M u n i c i p a l W o r k e r s f u l l y a c c e p t
ineff ectives".
The N a t i o n a l
t h e ' n e e d f o r a c o m b - o u t of t h e s e
A m a l g a m a t e d S t e v e d o r e s a n d D o c k e r s now o f f i c i a l l y o p p o s e
t h i s measure a l t h o u g h i t f o l l o w s a n a g r e e d d e c i s i o n of the
N a t i o n a l Dock L a b o u r B o a r d s
1 !
I n my v i e w ,
t h e r e i s n o room f o r
t h i s s t r i k e must be f i r m l y
c o n c e s s i o n s of any k i n d .
resisted
and
An o f f i c e r of my D e p a r t m e n t t h i s m o r n i n g a t t e n d e d a
m e e t i n g o f t h e N a t i o n a l Dock L a b o u r B o a r d , w h i c h w a s s i t t i n g
i n f u l l s e s s i o n , w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n of Mr* B a r r e t t , t h e
G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y 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 , who h o d l e f t t h e m e e t i n g , .
The B o a r d s t a t e d t h e i r
v i e w m o s t s t r o n g l y t h a t n o c o n c e s s i o n s h o u l d b e made a n d t h e y
a d v o c a t e d t h a t t h e Government s h o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y t a k e
e m e r g e n c y p o w e r s a s was d o n e on t h e o c c a s i o n of t h e s t r i k e i n
June l a s t .
Close touch has been m a i n t a i n e d w i t h t h e T r a n s p o r t
a n d G e n e r a l w o r k e r s U n i o n , who t o - d a y i s s u e d a f u l l p r i n t e d
s t a t e m e n t t o e v e r y m e m b e r , s e t t i n g o u t t h e f a c t s of t h e c a s e s
involved and c o n c l u d i n g with t h e f o l l o w i n g p o i n t s : - ­
"(1)
The p o l i c y of t h i s U n i o n i s t h a t we m u s t a b i d e b y
the machinery t h a t has been e s t a b l i s h e d between
' t h e N a t i o n a l Dock L a b o u r B o a r d a n d o u r s e l v e s
u n d e r t h e Dock L a b o u r R e g u l a t i o n S c h e m e .
1
( 2 )
E v e r y one of o u r m e m b e r s h a s h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y
of p r e s e n t i n g h i s c a s e and a l s o has t h e r i g h t
of b e i n g r e p r e s e n t e d a t h i s a p p e a l by a n o f f i c i a l
of h i s Union.
( 3 )
I n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s wc s a y t o o u r m e m b e r s t h a t
strike is unwarranted.
The f a c t s o f e a c h
p a r t i c u l a r c a s e a r e known.
( k )
Of t h e t o t a l e m p l o y e d i n t h e P o r t o f L o n d o n ,
w h i c h i s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 7 , 0 0 0 , t h e number
i n v o l v e d i s as s t a t e d above.
( 5 )
I t cannot be s a i d t h a t t h e r e has b e e n any
d e s i r e or a t t e m p t t o deal with any q u e s t i o n
of redundancy.
The i s s u e i s a s t o w h e t h e r
a man i s a n e f f e c t i v e P o r t W o r k e r o r n o t .
the
w
I t s e e m s t o me c l e a r t h a t t h e T r a n s p o r t a n d
G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n c a n b e f u l l y r e l i e d on t o make
utmost e f f o r t s to secure a resumption.
the
The p o s i t i o n h a s a l s o b e e n d i o c u s s e d f u l l y w i t h t h e
Port Employers.
T h e y o r i g i n a l l y t o o k t h e view t h a t t h e
Scheme s h o u l d b e s u s p e n d e d i n L o n d o n s o a s t 0 r e s t o r e t o t h e m
f u l l f r e e d o m o f a c t i o n t o e n g a g e a n y o n e who w i s h e d t o v o l u n t e e r .
A f t e r d i s c u s s i o n , however, t h e y no l o n g e r p r e s s t h i s s u g g e s t i o n
b u t t h e y h a v e s t a t e d t h e i r c o n v i c t i o n t h a t i f t h e members
o f t h e T r a n s p o r t a n d G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n now o n s t r i k e
c a n b e r e l e a s e d from t h e e f f e c t of t h e C o n t i n u i t y R u l e
w h i c h t i e s t h e men t o t h e g a n g s e x i s t i n g - p r i o r t o t h e s t r i k e ,
t h e men w o u l d r e s u m e on f r e s h e n g a g e m e n t s w h i c h w o u l d e n a b l e
f r e s h gangs t o be b u i l t u p .
I am t a k i n g t h i s p o i n t u p w i t h t h e
T r a n s p o r t and G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n t o s e e w h e t h e r t h e r e i s
a n y p o s s i b i l i t y o f s e c u r i n g t h e U n i o n ' s c o - o p e r a t i o n on
these l i n e s .
As r e g a r d s t h e N a t i o n a l A m a l g a m a t e d S t e v e d o r e s a n d .
D o c k e r s , I had an i n v i t a t i o n i s s u e d t o t h e E x e c u t i v e t h i s
m o r n i n g , t o a t t e n d a t t h e M i n i s t r y t o g i v e a n e x p l a n a t i o n of
t h e i r a c t i o n i n l e n d i n g o f f i c i a l support t o an i l l e g a l s t r i k e .
As t h e r e was a g o o d d e a l of r e s i s t a n c e t o t h i s i n v i t a t i o n a
l e t t e r , a s a p p e n d e d , was s e n t b y h a n d .
L a t e r i n the afternoon,
t h e y i n t i m a t e d by t e l e p h o n e t h a t t h e y were u n a b l e t o r e s p o n d
t o t h e i n v i t a t i o n t o - d a y b u t w o u l d a t t e n d t o m o r r o w ("Wednesday)
afternoon.
They announced t h e i r i n t e n t i o n , h o w e v e r , t o b r i n g
t h e E x e c u t i v e of t h e L i g h t e r m e n ' s U n i o n a s w e l l who, t h e y
d e c l a r e d , w e r e s o l i d w i t h t h e m a n d who w o u l d t o n i g h t a l s o
declare an official s t r i k e .
I h a v e now r e c e i v e d i n f o r m a t i o n
t h a t a t t h e m a s s m e e t i n g ' of t h e L i g h t e r m e n t h i s e v e n i n g t h e r e
was a c o m f o r t a b l e m a j o r i t y a g a i n s t s t r i k e a c t i o n .
I have
a l l o w e d i n f o r m a t i o n to be g i v e n t o the P r e s s a b o u t the
i n s i s t e n c e of t h e s t e v e d o r e s t h a t t h e y w o u l d b r i n g t h e
L i g h t e r m e n ' s Executive t o the meeting tomorrow as I t h i n k the
L i g h t e r m e n ' s d e c i s i o n i s a most s i g n i f i c a n t development.
I am m o s t h o p e f u l t h a t i t i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e s t r i k e d o e s n o t
command t h e s u p p o r t w h i c h i t was p l a n n e d t o r e c e i v e .
I t h a s b e e n s u g g e s t e d t o me t h a t I s h o u l d b r o a d c a s t
tomorrow n i g h t .
S u b j e c t t o any d e v e l o p m e n t s tomorrow, I f e e l
t h a t t h i s might have v a l u a b l e r e s u l t s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i f the
T r a n s p o r t a n d G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n c a n s e e t h e i r way t o
permit- t h e i r members t o a c c e p t f r e s h e n g a g e m e n t s .
I have
not y e t . a t t e m p t e d t o d r a f t a b r o a d c a s t t a l k as i t s c o n t e n t
w i l l depend g r e a t l y on t h e e v e n t s of t o m o r r o w .
Mass m e e t i n g s of t h e S t e v e d o r e s a n d D o c k e r s S e c t i o n s
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 a r e b e i n g
h e l d tomorrow and i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o a s s e s s t h e p o s i t i o n u n t i l
t h e r e s u l t s of t h o s e m e e t i n g s a r e known b u t I f e e l t h a t , i n
v i e w of t h e L i g h t e r m e n s d e c i s i o n , we s h o u l d n o t a s s u m e t h a t
t h e s t r i k e w i l l s p r e a d t o o t h e r p o r t s , a l t h o u g h I am i n f o r m e d
t h a t t h a t w i l l .be a t t e m p t e d .
1
G.A.I.
M i n i s t r y of L a b o u r a n d N a t i o n a l
12th April,
1949.
Service,
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OP LABOUR AND
NATIONAL SERVICE IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS,
12TH APRIL lqgq.
f
P r i v a t e N o t i c e Q u e s t i o n by Mr. E d e n :
MR. EDEN ( b y P r i v a t e N o t i c e Q u e s t i o n )
the M i n i s t e r i f
at
he w o u l d make a s t a t e m e n t o n t h e
asked
strike
t h e London D o c k s .
MR. ISAACS: Y e s , S i r .
I n d i s c h a r g e of t h e i r
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y u n d e r t h e Scheme, t h e N a t i o n a l Dock LabourB o a r d on 2 6 t h N o v e m b e r l a s t i s s u e d a d i r e c t i v e t o t h e L o c a l
B o a r d s , i n s t r u c t i n g them t o r e m o v e f r o m t h e R e g i s t e r men
w h o , by r e a s o n of f a i l i n g h e a l t h o r o t h e r p h y s i c a l i n c a p a c i t y
w h i c h a p p e a r e d t o be of a p e r m a n e n t n a t u r e , w e r e u n a b l e t o '
m e e t t h e minimum r e q u i r e m e n t s of t h e S c h e m e , or. men who f o r
any o t h e r r e a s o n were not c a r r y i n g out t o the f u l l
their
o b l i g a t i o n s u n d e r t h e Scheme, w h e t h e r i n t h e r e s e r v e p o o l o r
m employment.
T h e N a t i o n a l Dock L a b o u r B o a r d i n c l u d e s f o u r
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of e m p l o y e r s and f o u r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s - o f
w o r k e r s , t h e w o r k e r s ' r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s b e i n g drawn from the
T r a n s p o r t and G-eneral W o r k e r s ' U n i o n , t h e N a t i o n a l U n i o n o f
G - e n e r a l and M u n i c i p a l W o r k e r s , and t h e N a t i o n a l A m a l g a m a t e d
- S t e v e d o r e s and. D o c k e r s , end I am i n f o r m e d .by t h e B o a r d t h a t
t h e d i r e c t i v e w a s i s s u e d a f t e r f u l l d i s c u s s i o n and a s a
r e s u l t of a u n a n i m o u s d e c i s i o n .
This d i r e c t i v e has been
i m p l e m e n t e d i n v a r i o u s p o r t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y and i n
L o n d o n on 1 0 t h J a n u a r y t h e L o c a l B o a r d a p p o i n t e d a S u b C o m m i t t e e , c o n s i s t i n g of two e m p l o y e r s and two t r a d e u n i o n
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s to deal with the m a t t e r .
F i n a l l y , as a
r e s u l t - t h i r t y - t h r e e men w e r e g i v e n n o t i c e o f t e r m i n a t i o n , t o
t a k e e f f e c t on 9th A p r i l .
T h e men c o n c e r n e d had a r i g h t of
a p p e a l t o t r i b u n a l s s e l e c t e d b y t h e two s i d e s of t h e i n d u s t r y ,
and t w e n t y - o n e a p p e a l s w e r e l o d g e d . One was a l l o w e d , l e a v i n g
a t o t a l of t h i r t y - t w o men w h o s e n o t i c e s t o o k e f f e c t .
Alt-hough 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 a r e r e p r e s e n t e d , b o t h o n t h e N a t i o n a l B o a r d and t h e
L o n d o n B o a r d , m e m b e r s of t h i s U n i o n d e c i d e d o n S u n d a y l a s t
t o s t o p w o r k on Monday i n p r o t e s t . a g a i n s t t h e d i s m i s s a l s .
T h e s t r i k e h a s s p r e a d and I am i n f o r m e d by t h e B o a r d t h a t
t h e r e a r e now a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 3 , 0 0 0 men on s t r i k e , i n c l u d i n g
m e m b e r s o f t h e T r a n s p o r t and G e n e r a l W o r k e r s ' U n i o n , w h i c h
U n i o n , however, condemns the s t r i k e a s b e i n g u n w a r r a n t e d .
This i s a s t r i k e a g a i n s t t h e p r o v i s i o n s of a scheme
w h i c h was a d o p t e d by a N a t i o n a l C o n f e r e n c e of t h e w o r k e r s .
If
a n y m o d i f i c a t i o n o r v a r i a t i o n of t h e Scheme i s d e s i r e d , t h e
N a t i o n a l J o i n t I n d u s t r i a l Council for the i n d u s t r y provides the
m e a n s by w h i c h it- c a n b e d i s c u s s e d a n d i f a g r e e d b r o u g h t t o
my n o t i c e .
T h i s s t o p p a g e of w o r k , o f f e c t i n g - a s i t d o e s t h e
w h o l e t r a f f i c , o f t h e P o r t of L o n d o n , c o n s t i t u t e s a c h a l l e n g e
to a u t h o r i t y .
T h e r e c a n be no d o u b t i t - i s i n s p i r e d by m o t i v e s
h o s t i l e t o t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f t h e d o c k e r s a s a w h o l e and
the p u b l i c .
I m p o r t a n t i s s u e s a r e i n v o l v e d and I would a s k t o
e x c u s e d from making any f u r t h e r s t a t e m e n t . a t p r e s e n t .
be
APPENDIX
LETTER FROM THE MINISTRY' OF LABOUR TO THE
GENERAL SECRETARY, NATIONAL iJlALGAivlATED
STEVEDORES AND DOCKERS
1 2 t h A p r i l , 19*1.9*
Dear Mr.
Barrett,
I refer
t o our t e l e p h o n e
y o u i n f o r m e d me t h a t
received the o f f i c i a l
The M i n i s t e r
the merits
he f e e l s
the
conversation
strike
support
t h e L o n d o n Docks
into
any d i s c u s s i o n
dispute but,
c l e a r l y an i l l e g a l
official
on
of t h e a c t i o n
s u p p o r t t o what
of
is
strike.
I am a c c o r d i n g l y t o i n v i t e y o u r E x e c u t i v e
here to-day for
has
as I informed you,
he s h o u l d h a v e some e x p l a n a t i o n
your E x e c u t i v e i n l e n d i n g
when
of your E x e c u t i v e .
cannot e n t e r
of t h e p r e s e n t
at
to-day,
that
purpose.
Yours
(Sgd)
sincerely,
R.M. GOULD
R. B a r r e t t , E s q . , 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 , 653, Commercial Road, L o n d o n , E*!*(-. t o m e e t me
APPENDIX
LETTER'FRCH THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO THE GggiRAL SEGREg.-:RY ^ViTIONi^".iJAi\LaUiilTBD ;
12th April,
Dear Mr.
I
Barrett,
refer
to
our t e l e p h o n e
y c u i n f o r m e d me t h a t
received
the
official
The M i n i s t e r
the merits
he f e e l s
of
I
here
the
support
cannot
he s h o u l d have
that
into
has
Executive.
any d i s c u s s i o n
as
some e x p l a n a t i o n
on
I informed
of
support
the
you,
action
t o what
to
invite
your Executive
purpose.
Your s s i n c e r e l y ,
(Sgd)
Ro B a r r e t t , E s q . ,
n a t i o n a l Amalgamated S t e v e d o r e s
o53 C o u i f f l e r c i a l R o a d ,
L o n d o n , EolM-.
s
when
t h e London Docks
dispute but,
official
to-day,
of
is
strike.
am a c c o r d i n g l y
to-day for
at
of y o u r
enter
in lending
an i l l e g a l
conversation
strike
the present
your E x e c u t i v e
clearly
19^-9*
R . M . GOULD
and
Dockers,
t o m e e t me