Dockers Never Learn
The public's reaction to the strike of the London stevedores and lightermen has been one of deep disgust. The more closely the strike is examined the more irresponsible and dangerous it appears. The men out are the members of the National Amalgamated Stevedores' and Dockers' Union and the Lightermen's Union. At the height of the strike they numbered 9,40o, as against 14,000 from the Transport and General Workers' Union who were either working or willing to work ; but the strikers perform specialised functions, and the effect of their actico, on the number of ships held up was more than propor- tionate to their numbers. Their overt excuse was that they were supporting the Glasgow dockers, who have now been out for some seven weeks because 500 redundant men have been given notice. A covert reason was that the stevedores and lightermen, together with the members of the Scottish Transport and General Workers' Union are dissatisfied with the central negotiating machinery provided by the National Joint Council for the port industry. Both contentions denote ignorance of the national economic need, indifference to the claims of the consumer, and a certain attitude , of suspicion and hostility to the world in general. If the transport workers are dis- satisfied with the negotiating machinery of the industry, they had better put it right without bringing the long-suffering consumers into it. As to the case for the Glasgow dockers, it is the merest tissue of ignorance and special pleading. The nation is short of labour. To resist the decision to dismiss Soo men who could be more usefully employed elsewhere is to resist the solution to our economic difficulties. To say that more traffic should be diverted to Glasgow to employ these men is to ignore the fact that the traffic can be better handled elsewhere. Where is the light in all this? Will the dockers never learn their responsibility until they find themselves once again ragged and idle and hungry at the dock gates?
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