U.K. unions react with anger to Tory scheme

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 8

U.K. unions react with anger to Tory scheme

NZPA-Reuter London Mrs Margaret Thatcher’s conservative Government has published details of its plans to curb the power of labour unions, and the first reaction from labour leaders has been hostile. The Government, fulfilling a campaign pledge tt't brought Mrs Tf *cher to power in the May General Election, has said it will: —Limit the number of pickets outside a factory. —Outlaw “secondary picketing” of firms not directly involved in a strike. —Make it more difficult to establish closed shops. —Provide State funds to finance secret ballots before a strike, instead of the usual show of hands at mass meetings. —■Give more rights to thos - who are not member' of unions. The proposals were pub-

lished in what the Employment Secretary (Mr James Prior) called “working papers.”

Mr Prior said he would consult union leaders and industry bosses in the next two to three months before drawing up final legislation. Mr Alan Fisher, leader of one of the public-ser-vice unions that closed schools and left rubbish uncollected in a long strike last winter, reacted angrily: “We are absolutely determined to oppose the Government’s interference with tradeunion affairs.”

Picketing would be limited to those involved in a particular dispute, and to picketing at their own place of work, according to the proposals.

This would stop the sort of disruption which occurred last winter when striking lorry drivers pick-

eted supply depots, and would have prevented an earlier cause celebre when thousands of Left-wing militants from all over Britain picketed the Grunwick film-processing factory in north London in a labour dispute.