Threat By Trade Union

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32298, 16 May 1970, Page 11

Threat By Trade Union

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, May 15. The powerful Post Office Engineering Union has threatened a complete radio and television black-out of the South Africans’ cricket matches in England. The threat came in the form of an ultimatum by the union’s executive to the General Post Office, warning it not to force any ■ technicians to do work connected with the tour, and not to take action against anyone who refuses'to do so. The executive decreed that work connected with the tour was a matter for each memhpr’s rnnsrip.nr.p.

The union would not give a clear-cut instruction, it said, but if any member felt that the tour was repugnant to him, the Post Office should not insist that he must do any work connected with it

If any member was faced with disciplinary action, the executive would throw the full weight of the union, which has 110,000 members, behind him, and the result would be a complete blackout of radio and television communications.

The executive, which urged all members not to attend the tour games, and registered

strong condemnation of the policy of apartheid perpetuated by the South African Government; will send letters opposing the tour to the Marylebone Cricket Club, the Labour Party and the Trades Union Congress. The Civil and Public Services Association’s annual conference at Margate broke into an uproar yesterday over a telegram from within the ranks supporting the tour. The conference had earlier sent a telegram to the English Cricket Council, deploring apartheid and opposing the tour Most of the 1000 delegates shouted their disapproval when a telegram was read out from rebels claiming that the message to the Cricket Council did not truly represent the opinion of the vast number of members. One of the rebels, Mr Glyn Phillips, said: “We made the protest because the conference decision to send the telegram interfered with the freedom of delegates to take individual decisions. “This sort of political issue has nothing to do with the Civil Service’s trade union movement As a cricket lover, 1 will help, if necessary, to protect any wicket from vandalism.”

The association’s general secretary (Mr William Kendall) received a standing ovation when he told the con-

ference that the issue was quite clear. “The resolution deplores apartheid and its implication, and this was the policy view of the 181,000 members of this association,” he declared.