Violence erupts on picket lines

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 6

Violence erupts on picket lines

NZPA-Reuter London The British police, acting on Government guidelines, yesterday moved firmly to stem violence on picket lines as the seven-week steelworkers’ strike grew more heated. There were clashes at three steelyards and the police arrested 39 pickets, the highest total since the 100,000 workers employed by the State-owned British Steel Corporation began the strike. In the southern English town of Sheerness there were fierce scuffles as more than 1000 “flying pickets'” from all over Britain tried to stop production at one of the few private plants still open. Ten pickets were arrested and four people injured. In Scotland there was trouble at two sites and 29 arrests. At one point pickets lay down in the road to stop trucks entering a steelyard. Five Scottish policemen were injured in the clashes, and later a strike leader, Pat Shevlin, accused the police of brutality. “We will hit back. There are not enough jails to hold our men,” he told reporters. Earlier the Government strongly condemned the strike violence. The Attor-ney-General (Sir Michael Havers) read a statement to

Parliament which warned that the law gave the police the authority to take pickets to court if they committed violence or acts of in* timidation. One picket leader af Sheerness, Alan Cook,, claimed the statement had had the effect of “egging the police on . . . They behaved . like animals,” he added. A police spokesman de-/ nied the brutality allegations and said a small number of" troublemakers had been in-, citing violence. The Canadian-owned; Sheerness plant has becomea flashpoint in the dispute - because its 800 workers", have refused their tradeunion’s instructions to strike ■ in sympathy with the 8.5. C.” men. Yesterday the workers reported to their jobs two", hours early before the pickets arrived. ; In London, police chiefs discussed the strike violencewith the Home Secretary, (Mr William Whitelaw).-' They said later they could cope with present industrial disputes without extra, powers. The Government has' urged the Trades Union Con-., gress to discipline picketsand also proposes legislation" which will limit the unions’, powers to -take industrial action against firms not direct*,' ly involved in disputes.