show the TGWU leadership and management that our support is solid. We were proved right! GV: The biggest obstacle for the dockers has been the Tory anti-trade union laws. How do you think the trade unions can defeat the laws? JN: They were introduced to strangle the unions and stop workers taking solidarity action. If Tony Blair gets elected 1 cannot see him scrapping them. The only way they can be de fcated is by the working class itself smashing them. Workers will oppose the strength of the bosses when there is no other way out. Workers must - combat the laws through building a mass grass roots movement based on a national shop stewards organisation whilst trying to force the trade union leadership to break them. GV: Internationally the Liverpool dockers have gained tremendous support. What has happened? TT: We first of all visited the dockers in Bilbao, Spain as many of the con300 members of the RMT union have voted overwhelmingly for strike action against the Wightlink ferry company which operates out of Portsmouth and Lymington.
Wightlink run 75 per cent of ferry services to the island and would be seriously hit by such action. Post office workers and other lorry drivers who use the service have threatened to boycott Wightlink. TSSA scaff are also balloting for action.
This comes after moves to bring in personal contracts and de-recognise collective arrangements. Casualisation is taking place with holidays and lunch breaks cut and pensions threatened. Wightlink already pays considerably less than other companies. New staffing proposals have also raised serious concerns over safety.
Jonathan Joseph
Socialist Outlook 99 • March 16, 1996.