"WORKERS CONTROL' AT THE DAILY TELEGRAPH by a special correspondent
A unique form of ‘workers control' manifested itself at The Daily Telegraph printing works on Sunday the 20th of September. Three nights = the previous week, because of » spasmodic campaign of "non co-operation' the paper was unable to print its full quote of copies, being some 110,000 or 83% of its circulation short. The men of the machine shop charged that an article by the editor in chief of the group, Mr. Michael Berry, was onesided in explaining the dispute to its readers, The men's union, NATSOPA, say that the men were persuaded by one of its officials to continue working. However, afterwerds there were repeated breaks in the run of newsprint over the presses. The dispute is over the management's decision to print the new Daily Tekeraph weekly colour supplement in Western Germany. NATSOPA has neither supported the men nor opposed them. It is widely rumoured that their ambiguous attitude arises out of a fear gr for the men being construed as 2 threat of industrial action which ay its officials open to a writ for damages a la Rookes versus Barnard. However, they did give a warning a month ago that because this £1 million a year contract had gone to Western Germany the union could not expect its members at the Daily Telegraph to co-operate with the management.
The reason given for placing the contract in Western Germany is that the only printer in Britsin with the machinery to produce as many colours as the Telegraph wants, BE. Bemrose of Liverpool, have not enough trained craftsmen to take on the job. The craftsmen's union, the Society of Lithographers, Artists, Designers and Engravers (SLADE), exercises control over the intake of apprentices snd other trainees into photogravure. This has led to a position where the printing companies bid against each other for photogravure workers. Members of SLADE are amongst the highest peid in the printing industry. Bemrose want another 80 workers but the union has offered to allow a smaller number of its members to be transferred from other photogravure firms. Bemrose have rejected this because they cl@im it would transgress a 'no poaching' understanding among employers in the industry.
NATSOPA members at the Daily Telegraph have two main criticisms of Mr. Berry's article. Firstly, they say he did not give due weight to the technical as opposed to manpower difficulties, and secondly, they are angry because he did not mention the possibility of Odhams of Watford being able to produce a colour supplement (although not of the same size).
The affair would seem to be a ‘dress rehearsal! for future struggles. The press barons are under powerful competitive pressures to all get into the colour supplement line - with bigger, better and more colourful supplements, This naturally brings them into conflict with the unions whose structure - and monopoly frip in some cases = corresponds to present day techniques, Here, there is a real argument for restmcturing the unions. Not in the interests of the 'nation's welfare,’ etc., but in the interests of keeping the unions as fighting instruments. POSTSCRII'T: As we go to press we learn that the dispute mentioned in this article has been settled. The Daily Telegraph has given an assurance that as soon as Bemrose's is able to undertake the work, the supplement will be transferred to them, and SLADE have agreed "to provide the necessary labour as soon as possible" from other sections of its membership.