Closed Shop again ?
The dispute between Durham County Council and the pro- fessions over the principle of the closed shop was, it was hoped, settled once and for all as a result of a decision in favour of the professions given by a neutral tribunal whose judgement both sides had agreed in advance to accept as binding. But the policy of the closed shop is something holy to the stern, unbending Socialists, and the professions would be optimistic indeed if they thought they had heard the last of it—anywhere and in any shape. The latest manifestation, of the doctrine comes from Coventry. There a cost-of-living award was suc- cessfully negotiated by the National Association of Local Government Officers, which provided an increase of 10s. a week for men and 7s. 6d. a week for women employees earn- ing less than £700 a year. A clause in the award said that to receive it officials should belong to a trade union or an appro- priate organisation approved by the T.U.C. This strange condition was, not surprisingly, accepted by the Socialist- controlled Council, which has as a result excepted more than 800 officials from the wage increases. Conservative members on the Council have questioned whether the award in its present form is consistent with the terms of the Local Govern- ment Act of 1933, but their protests have so far been ineffective. The arguments for and against the closed shop have been heard so often recently that there is nothing fresh to add to them. It is, however, important that those who believe that the enforcement of the closed shop on the professions is incompatible with professional freedom should fight strenuously all attempts by Local Authorities to insert the thin end of the closed shop wedge.
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