CONFIDENTIAL
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MENTARY
1. The Cabinet were informed of the business to be taken in the House of Commons in the following week.
ONFIDEN
HOME AFF
Abolition or
the Dock Labour Scheme
Previous Reference CC(89) 23.2
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EMPLOYMENT said that the Dock Work Bill had received Royal Assent on the previous Monday, ich was two weeks earlier than had originally been thought possible. The Bill had completed its
passage through ament, without amendment, in only three months and he to record his thanks to the Business Managers on this suxesful outcome. The result of the second ballot of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) dockworker members was likely to be announced on the following day and it was almost certain that there would be a majority for strike action. Strike action was likely to start almost immediately in the former Someports: this might well crumble quite quickly in some of ther ports, but it could be expected to be fairly prolonged in others, for example at Tilbury and Liverpool. The fact that of strike action had been delayed until after the Dock Labour see had been abolished meant that it would be taking place ag the background that dockworkers who took strike action could be treated like other employees in a similar situation and replace other workers and that there had been ample time for contgently arrangements to be made by traders and others against the ability of a strike in former Scheme ports. He would be cinntag briefing material to colleagues
later that day for use 1 the event of the ballot of TGWU
dockworker members producif Certain employers in the for
majority for strike action.
Scheme ports had already
declared some redundancies, though mostly of a voluntary nature.
THE PRIME MINISTER said that Business Managers in both Houses the passage of the Dock Work Bill
The Cabinet
1.
Cabinet congratulated the their success in securing weeks ahead of schedule.
Congratulated the Business Managers the successful passage of the Dock Work
both Houses on
Industrial Action in the Transport
and Other Sectors
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT said that or
previous
day there had been a one-day strike by members of the tional Union of Railwaymen (NUR) on British Rail (BR) and
stoppage by members of the NUR and the Amalgamated Societ
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CONFIDENTIAL