1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
NIRC told of blacking and losses
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The National Industrial Relations Court was on Wednesday asked to hear in private some of the evidence in the latest East London picketing dispute.
"The situation is such that it is extremely difficult to call evidence before this court on account of the intimidation," said Mr Alan Campbell, appearing for Midland Cold Storage Ltd, a warehousing company whose premises are being picketed by dockers as part of their fight to take over what they regard as dock work.
Temporary orders are sought against seven named dockers — including Mr Bernie Steer and Mr Vic Turner, two of the three dockers whose committal to prison by the NIRC in the Chobham Farm dispute last month was stopped at the last minute by the Appeal Court. None of the seven appeared at court on Wednesday.
The orders are also sought against the joint shop stewards' committee of the Port of London workers. Three unions have also been named parties although no orders are sought against them. They are the Union of Shop, Distributors and Allied Workers to which the company's employees belong and the two dockers' unions, the TGWU and National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers. None was represented although a solicitor said that he had a "watching brief" for USDAW.
The official solicitor, Mr Norman Turner, is represented by counsel who will give the court an impartial view of the law on picketing.
Mr Campbell said the seven named dockers were either officers, members or agents of the shop stewards' committee.
The dockers' activities were costing the company up to £2000 a week. If they continued the company would be compelled to close down within weeks and dismiss their employees. Mr Campbell said he was not asking for an order to stop the picketing. "All I am asking for is an order to stop the continuance of the threats of blacking and their implementation", he said. Counsel said that if the court made an order and was not obeyed it was not his intention to apply immediately for committal orders.
Proceedings were also being taken in the Chancery Division of the High Court for a parallel order and only if neither order was obeyed would application be made for committal orders.
USDAW's solicitor, Mr J. Wintzenfeld, said the union had approached Mr Vic Feather and Mr Jack Jones and it had been suggested that if the Midland Cold Storage withdrew their application, a meeting of all the parties could be arranged.
Mr Campbell said he had had a message sent to Mr Feather saying that the company must go ahead unless undertakings were given to the court.
Sir John Donaldson, president, said he could see difficulties in the way of the TGWU in the undertakings about the picketing activities because there was no suggestion that the union was responsible.
The hearing was expected to continue for a further two days.