Last December it was announced tet Harold Wilson was to present this year's Silver Cod award, made by the trawler owners to the skippex who returns the biggest catch during the year. The announcement - together with the publication of Humberside Voice's pamphlet It's Men's Lives*, the growth of union militancy and leadership in the industry, and the campaigns against accidents and dangerous practices which was sparked off by the loss of the St. Finbarr - has triggered off an amazing flood of publicity, in the press and on television. A nation-wide petition demanding that Wilson should withdraw from the owners! ceremony was circulated by seven sea-going fishermen last month, and received wide publicity in the Hull labour movement. The T.G.W.U.'s executive secretary, Jack Jones, whilst not commenting on the Silver Cod, expressed sharp views last month on the safety aspect of the industry, and promised that the union was going to kick up "one hell of a fuss" until conditions were improved. The union is demanding that the Merchant Shipping Act amendments, promised by the Government, should give the fishermen shipboard powers to check, the arbitrary decisions of competitive minded skippers who fish in dangerous weather conditions. With 800 signatures so far received for the petition, including ones from Devon, from London busmen, Hull's trades council and labour party delegates, and with £20 contributed towards the cost of publishing the petition, the Trawler Owners announced this week that Wilson had cancelled his engagement to present the tro just over three weeks before the evente He explained that he woul ommitments that day in connection with the Common Market negotiations. But the fishermen's spokesmen claim that the feeling in the industry has forced Wilson to withdraw from his shameful association with a bunch of employers who, in the words of the petition, "have shown...an indifference to human suffering which is only comparable to the coal-owners of the last century." As Mick Neve, one of the union's fishing officers in Hull, pointed out to the local press, "he could still attend the function despite going to Luxemburg the same day. In these days of jet aircraft it would be possible." Brother Neve also warned that fishermen would still protest if the Prime Minister's replacement at the ceremony was a member of the Government or of the labour movement. From this great symbolic victory, the fishermen are now mobilising in angry mood against last week's decision of the industrial court to reject their claim for a 48-hour week (the present basic is 56 hours, but fishing ground work means anything up to 80) and for 8 hours overtime on Sunday at 6/- an hour. The court concurred with the owners' argument that such a settlement would be contrary to the Prices and Incomes Act!! Jack Jones publicly warned that the decision could turn the fishing industry into a storm centre. Last week, the Hull branch of the fishermen's section resolved that “our executive officers at national level take whatever action is necessary to pursue our legitimate claim to a successful conclusion. We assure our officers that they have our 100% backing in any action they might consider necessary to achieve success." Jack Ashwell, one of the union officers in Hull, has said that "if the union is going to call a national strike, the men are prepared to back it to the hilt." * Available from Janet Blackman, 42, Pearson Park, Hulls; price 2/- post paid. Bulk supplies rates available on request.
Somehow, we doubt if any member of the labour movement who has any knowledge of working class feelings about-scabs, will want to step into Wilson's shoes on the vacant rostrum at the Fishmonger'' Hall on March 8th. If they do, they will be endorsing not only the exploitation of courage and self-sacrifice which is symbolised by the hateful trophy, but also the disgraceful association between the government's wage freeze, the trawler owners! rejection of the wages and hours claim, and the use made of the industrial court to support both government and owners. POSTSCRIPT: Since writing the above, we have learnt that Mr. Fred Peart, Minister of Agriculture and Fisherieis, has agreed to take Wilson's place at the ceremony, and that therefore the petition is going forward