Names British Reds Backing Dock Strike'

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1949, Page 5

Names British Reds Backing Dock Strike'

LONDON, Tue. (1 p.m.).—A Liberal member of Parliament (Mr Frank Byers) broadcasting in Britain’s radio service to Russia tonight, accused eight left-wing members of the British Parliament'of backing the dock strike because they wanted chaos in order to establish Cotnmunism.” „ . . Mr Byers named the Communists Mr William Gallacher and Mr Phil Piratin and “fellow traveller” Mr Zilliacus. “They know I his strike is going to reduce the standard ol living in Britain because we cannot export while the docks aie at a standsill and we cannot import food and raw materials while ships arc tied up,” Mr Byers said.

Britain's Dock Labour Board, representing employers and trade unions, today ordered London's 15,000 idle dockers back to work on Thursday. Failure to return to work, the board said, would jeopardise the very existence of tiie dock labour scheme “which former dock workers and many present -dock workers have struggled to achieve.”

The dockers lock-out committee in a statement today said that in view of Die inability of the people concerned to settle tiie dispute, it had taken the initiative to invite everyone concerned. including the Ministry of Labour, trade union officials and Canadian Seamen's Union, to put their views to a mass meeting at Victoria Park on Friday. In Israel today 1000 dockers went on strike at Tel Aviv and Jaffa and cabled encouragement to the dockers of London, pledging not to unload ships which were loaded at London. Israeli dock strikers and 3000 other Israeli workers struck in prole;*, against cuts m the cost of living allowance.

Tire dock labour scheme guarantees dockers a regular minipium wage, even if only engaged on casual work. The board's statement came as the latest union efforts to settle Hie threc-weeks'-oid dispute ended in failure while soldiers and air forcemcn continued unloading 70 vessels in the noD of London.