TGWU stands by Law
Page 19
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
JACK JONES CALLS MP'S ONSLAUGHT 'BLACKGUARDLY AND DESPICABLE'
from our political correspondent • Demands for a top-level independent inquiry have followed the airing in the Commons debate of allegations about the methods used by Mr. Alan Law, the Transport and General Workers' Union official, in his dealings with Midlands road haulage firms.
Mr. Harold Gurden, the Conservative MP who initiated the discussion, said later that nothing less than a judicial inquiry would be of any use.
The Conservative front bench threw its weight behind the demand at the weekend when Mr. Robert Carr, the industrial affairs spokesman, said: "It is absolutely vital in the public interest that these charges should be inquired into and the truth established'.
A sharp attack was also made on Mr. Law by Mr. Ronald Butt, a Birmingham haulier and chairman of the industry's national labour relations committee. He said there had been "countless cases" where a haulage operator received a telephone call at home on a Saturday afternoon saying that all his vehicles--loaded ready to go out to customers on Monday—would be at a standstill with pickets on the gates.
No reasons were given. The operator was simply told when he got to the depot on Monday to phone Mr. Law. "That is how industrial blackmail is being applied," said Mr. Butt. "It is being done deliberately".
Further support for an inquiry came in a first leader in The Times, on Saturday, headed
-Let's get at the truth". It declared that the various complaints outstanding against Mr. Law since 1966 "call for nothing less than a thoroughly independent review".
Meanwhile, Mr. Gurden's attack on Mr. Law, whom he accused of "industrial sabotage and blackmail", brought violent reaction at the TGWU conference in the Isle of Man. Mr. Jack Jones, the new general secretary, described Mr. Gurden's onslaught as "blackguardly and despicable".
He called Mr. Gurden "a representative of backwoodsmen Tories" who spoke for "the cockroach capitalists operating the road haulage business who have done our people down for years and operated illegally in many instances at the expense of working men in the industry".
Mr. Frank Cousins, the retiring general secretary supported the union's rejection of the
charges against .Mr. Law. Mr. Law's own reaction was derisive rather than angry. He dismissed the allegations as "a load of tripe",
declared that the MP had "got his facts wrong" and challenged him to a public debate. In response Mr. Gurden said he did not think a public confrontation would serve the purpose that he had in mind, which was to get a full inquiry.
In various national Press interviews, Mr. Law said that if Mr. Gurden refused the challenge to come and prove his allegations "I shall jest ignore the matter." He considered the charges "are so pathetic they are not worth serious comment-, and added "It's my intention to carry on with my negotiations in the same way as I have always done."
(In a comment on Mr. Carr's inquiry call Mr. Law said: "i do not for a moment consider that an inquiry is necessary. I and the people close to me know there is nothing wrong. If there are specific allegations I shall be glad to answer them").
Following the Commons debate Mr. Law was asked about the Stephenson Clarke In dustrial Services case which has led to the spate of publicity about his activities, a Commons motion signed by six Midlands Tory MPs and a number of Parliamentary questions.
He admitted that he had been given a £5,000 cheque by the company in settlement of a strike by nine lorry drivers.
He explained: "The firm offered us the money. They made the cheque out to our convalescent home in order to save face —they knew very well where the money was going."
The cheque had been paid in and the men were to get their money as compensation for loss of earnings during the strike.
Mr. Law also denied any suggestion that he had been poaching members from the rival United Road Transport Union. He said the men had come over to the TGWU entirely of their own accord.
The strike by the nine Stephenson Clarke drivers began because of a dispute between the TGWU and the company over the rights of the URTU. The TGWU wanted the rival union to be excluded. As a result of the settlement between the firm and the TGWU, the URTU now has sole negotiating rights with Stephenson Clarke, The TUC inquiry going on arises from an approach made by the URTU for help in sorting out spheres between itself and the TGWU in the area for which Mr. Law is responsible. Following the Commons debate the TUC was making it clear that it was not investigating the allegations against Mr. Law.
The Times leader recalled that in January 1966 Mr. Law's failure to make clear to management which union officer they should deal with was criticized by Mr. Jack Scamp in the course of an inquiry into strikes among car delivery workers.
And in December 1968 a Prices and Incomes Board report on four wage agreements negotiated by Mr. Law with Midlands hauliers spoke of "shotgun" agreements concluded under threat of strike action.
Referring to this -sad history", The Times says that public disquiet about these methods has existed since 1966, but there has been no official inquiry devoted to them until the TUC recently heeded the URTU complaint, although the conviction with which Mr. Jack Jones has spoken suggests that the TGWU has conducted a private investigation to its own satisfaction.
The question, The limes goes on, is "whether the public will be satisfied by these so to speak incestuous deliberations within the trade union movement-. Complaints by a trade Linionist should not he the onlv ()nos to be subjected to independent outside investigation. 1 he abuses of power which might equally be involved in certain methods of bargaining should also be the subject of outside scrutiny.
After the Commons debate and the reactions to it, Mr. Gurden said the Press, Employers and employees had fed him with information "for a very long time, several years." They had felt that they could not do anything for several reasons. The employers and employees had occasion to fear Mr. Law and what he was going to do.
"They do not do very much about him and the Press have always been in difficulty about libel", he said. "This is the only reason I have done it, and that is the reason why I said it was my duty to do it-.
Mr. Victor Feather, TGWU acting general secretary, said on Sunday that Mr. Gurden's allegations seemed a "most infamous use of Parliamentary privilege".
On Monday The Financial Times frontpaged an account of "celebrations" when Mr. Law presented eight lorry drivers with their shares of the Stephenson Clarke £5,000 cheque. A shop steward received £1,100 and seven drivers each got £400. A second shop steward, holidaying in Italy, was also due for £1,100.
Tuesday's Daily Express reported that the Inland Revenue is considering whether the payments rank for income tax. Express reporter Mr. David Jack commented: "If the money was found to he taxahle it would come as a bitter blow to the men.