Last-minute peace move fails to fix ‘Times’ row

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 8

Last-minute peace move fails to fix ‘Times’ row

NZPA London Suspension of all Times Newspapers, Ltd’s, publications after tomorrow’s edition of “The Times” remains set to go ahead in spite of an attempted peace move on Tuesday. One of the main printing unions made the move, but the management made it clear that it would not avert a temporary shut-down. The executive of the National Society of Operative Printers Graphical and Media Personnel (Natsopa) formally decided to recommend to members a new disputes procedure aimed at curbing unofficial stoppages — providing the management lifted, or at least postponed, its suspension threat.

Provisional agreement was reached last week on the new procedures between the company and the general secretaries of all the unions involved except the National Graphical Association, which has withdrawn from all talks, including those on the key question of the new technology. The general secretary of

Natsopa (Mr Owen O’Brien), who represents the biggest single group of employees at the company, said after a union rally at Central Hall, Westminster, that the management’s biggest complaint had been that of instant stoppages. He believed the new procedure, would resolve that, and added: “I believe we would be successful in recommending it to our branches and chapels, but the quid pro quo is that the papers should not be suspended on Thursday.” If the suspension went ahead, the executive would have to consider on Monday whether to pursue negotiations on the over-all agreements at local level, which continued on Tuesday. The Prime Minister (Mr James Callaghan) has been asking his colleagues for suggestions of what he might do to help but has so far drawn a blank, “The Times” political editor, Fred Emery, wrote.

“He can see no point in a straight appeal to management and unions unless there is some hope of agree-

ment,” Emery wrote.

The editor of the newspaper (Mr William ReesMogg) wrote in a special article yesterday that it was the first duty of an editor of “The Times” not to be the last one. “If 1 believed that the (management) policy was not in the best interest of ‘The Times’ I would have opposed myself.

“I am in fact convinced that the policy is right and necessary 7 .” Mr Rees-Mogg concluded: “The Times” is a serious instrument of truth, trying to inform the British nation about the truth of the world and about their place in it, and trying to inform the world about Britain. “Truth does not exclude : humour — indeed humour lies in the perception of it — but it does aiso require seriousness.

“If ‘The Times’ is serious about the truth, how can ‘The Times’ not face the truth about itself? “Truth in words can never be justified unless it also meets the test of truth in action.”