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Docks 'blacking' ban made permanent
Page 30
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UNION BOYCOTTS NIRC BUT HEATONS OFFER OLIVE BRANCH
• A permanent ban on the "blacking" by Liverpool dock workers of container lorries of two haulage companies was imposed by the National Industrial Relations Court in London on Wednesday.
The orders were made at a brief public hearing of applications by the companies — Heatons Transport (St Helens) Ltd, and Bishops Wharf Ltd.
Once again the Transport and General Workers' Union, whose members have been operating the "blacking", boycotted the Court proceedings.
The £5000 fine imposed on the union two weeks ago for contempt of court in continuing the "blacking" in defiance of a temporary order granted to Heatons became effective on Wednesday.
The Court had suspended the fine for 14 days to give the union time to come forward with an explanation of the breach, which they did not do.
The Court's president, Sir John Donaldson, said then that if the union offered some explanation the Court might reconsider the fine.
In another three weeks an order for seizure of assets of the union will take effect if the fine has still not been paid.
On Wednesday Mr Richard Yorke, for the two companies, said that nothing had been heard from the Union and the situation was unchanged.
In each case he asked for a declaration that the action complained of was an unfair industrial practice and sought a permanent injunction against "blacking".
Mr Yorke said Bishops Wharf was abandoning its claim for compensation — one of the remedies provided by the Industrial Relations Act in unfair industrial practice cases.
Heatons' compensation claim was deferred until an unspecified future date. It was a comparatively small matter: "the company is keeping it as low as possible," said Mr Yorke.
No one could predict what might happen in the future and the companies hoped to reach accord with the union. He therefore asked for liberty to all parties to apply to modify or discharge the injunctions. Later an olive branch was held out to the dockers by Mr J. S. Lawton, solicitor for Heatons.
At a hastily convened press conference he read a statement in which the company declared that it "appreciates and sympathizes with the dockers over the problems they feel confront them".
The company was anxious that the opportunity to negotiate should not seem to be finished by the making of Wednesdays orders. "Accordingly, and as an indication of its good faith, no further action will be taken by the company this week so that the dockers and their union can consider the situation created by the orders."
Mr Lawton understood that the "action" referred to included court action and the sending of lorries to test the "blacking" at the docks.
He said Heatons would be happy to continue talks for a reasonable settlement and suggested that the "blacking" be lifted until agreement was reached. Talks would be resumed on the following day, probably with Mr Douglas Farrer, Lancashire regional secretary of the TGWU. He anticipated that they would also involve the Liverpool dock workers themselves. Mr Lawton, who also represented Bishops Wharf, said that that company wished to make no comment at this stage.
Two days of talks in Liverpool in a bid to end the Mersey dockers "blacking" of vehicles had ended in deadlock on Tuesday evening.
The last-ditch effort began on Monday when officials of the St Helens branch of the TGWU met the Mersey dockers' shop stewards' committee to try to persuade them to end their action.
During Monday's talks Mr Robert Heaton Jnr, joint managing director of Heatons Transport (St Helens) Ltd, was called in. When the meeting broke up late on Monday night all parties said there was "a gleam of hope of a settlement".
At Tuesday's eight-hour meeting the mood changed.
After five hours of talks Mr Heaton and his father stormed out saying: "We have not signed any agreement."
Mr Heaton Jnr, said the dockers were demanding that the company should sign an agreement not to pack or unpack containers, and a wage agreement based on the Liverpool rate.
He said the dispute revolved around their warehousing business — a small part of their whole business, If people asked them to put things in a hand cart or boxes of any size they had to do it. "We are in the middle of this row and in a very tricky and embarrassinE situation," he said.
Mr Heaton said he did not see the dis. pute being resolved. "It will not be resolve( by us and only the union, with representa tions to the Government about the clod labour situation, can possible solve it," hi said.
The application by Craddock Bros, o Slade Heath Garage, Old Stafford Road Wolverhampton, for a temporary orde stopping the Liverpool dockers "blacking' its lorries, was adjourned indefinitely wit' no order made.
Mr Andrew Abdela, for the compan3 told the court: "There are criminal prc ceedings pending in this case and they at so intricately involved with the issues on th complaint that it would be right for a court to grant a short adjournment unt they are resolved," Sir John Donaldson said the compar could restore its application at any time.
The company is concerned in a case I alleged blackmail involving three Liverpo officials of the TGWU. The three men Anthony John Rafferty, Harold Low Verinder and Peter McKeown — a alleged to have made an unwarranli demand for £200 from a haulage fir representative. They appeared in court Bootle, Lanes, magistrates' court lx Friday and were remanded on £25 bail un April 28.
Fodens fit R-R engines
• Rolls-Royce engines, starling with I 220 bhp unit, are to be available in Fod vehicles, it was announced this week. 1 new models will complement the existi Gardner, Cummins and Leyland-engir types.
The first of 16 newly appointed Fo( distributors began trading this we Fairwood Garages Ltd, of Swansea, apex a new 9000 sq ft building in Gower It( and became the official distributor South Wales and Herefordshire. Until n Fodens Ltd has marketed its vehii direct. The other 15 distributors will named shortly.