Show your union card' scare
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WARNING of a union card leek led to fears of a new mpaign for all out closed ops in transport last week. The warning came from BP l's Isle of Grain refinery here Transport and General orkers' Union stewards cided on a card check on coming drivers.
BP then sent a letter to all ppliers warning that only tion drivers would be owed to deliver at the refin. Another similar letter was ;o sent out by Kontak Manxcturing of Grantham, but 2 company refused to disss the letter.
A BP spokesman told CM: . letter was sent to all supers in terms which did not reflect company policy. As soon as the error was realised a second letter was sent cancelling the first.
"BP Oil Ltd has no policy which excludes non-union personnel from other companies from entering its premises," said the spokesman.
Transport and General Workers' Union national organiser Mr Jack Ashwell denied that the letters were part of a new campaign to achieve a closed shop.
"Drivers showing their cards at a gate is part of a regular practice which we do sometimes at the request of another section of the union," he said.
Mr Ashwell told CM that there was no question of pressure being applied to drivers to join the union—even though union policy had always been to try and achieve a 100 per cent union membership — but not a closed shop.
"But there have always been people who don't join the union but are ready to hold their hands out for the benefits that the union negotiates for its members," he said.
He denied that the letters sent to suppliers were part of a concerted campaign to attract new members and he said that the union would welcome owner-drivers who wanted to join as well.
"Some people think that owner-drivers are employers and shouldn't join the union, but they sit at the same tables and drink the same tea — and they can join the same union," said Mr Ashwell.
A Freight Transport Association spokesman said it had had heard of no other instances of similar letters or checks. "These are just isolated instances as far as we know," he said.