TNT seeks injunction to end depot violence
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• TNT has applied for a High Court injunction to stop outbreaks of picket violence at its premises. Following the five recent attacks on its depots, it applied this week for an injunction to prevent members of the print union Sogat '82 from visiting 25 of them.
TNT described the matter as one of "extreme urgency" and Justice Walton agreed and ordered that the case must be heard on the first available date after August 1.
TNT's lawyer John MacDonald said that TNT was concerned "to stop these unlawful attacks as soon as possible and wished to ensure the safety of its employees".
The action was also brought by Terence Scott, an employee of TNT's Newsfast division, which is distributing News International's four
newspaper titles — the Sun, Times, Sunday Times and News of the World — out of its Wapping, east London and Glasgow print works.
Scott brought the action on behalf of himself and other employees, who he claims are threatened by the violence.
If TNT is successful in its application, and Sogat ignores the injunction, it could lead to sequestration of the union's. assets.
In a separate case, News International is applying for an injunction to stop Sogat, and the other print union, the NGA, from organising or financing protests at Wapping, except for a picket of six.
At this case, NGA lawyers have submitted a TNT document, which shows that TNT was ready to distribute the four titles on October 11985.
In fact, the distribution operation started in January this year, when News International moved to Wapping.
News International's lawyers are arguing that TNT's plan represented a "contingency plan" in the event of a strike by the printers.