CAB129-45 — Page 422

SECRET

Page 422

C.F.(51) 124

21ST MAY, 1951

CABINET

COPY NO. 1

MANCHESTER DOCK STRIKE: UNLOADING

OF RAW MATERIALS

Memorandum by the Home Secretary

For the past four weeks the Manchester dockers have been on unofficial strike over a question of discipline. The National Docks Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union has made efforts to persuade the men to return, so far without success. At a meeting called by the unofficial Strike Committee yesterday it was decided to stay out for a further week. The Ministry of Labour have been following the course of the strike but have so far not intervened in order not to weaken the authority of the Union.

2.

At present there are some 37 ocean-going ships held up in Manchester Docks waiting to be unloaded. Some of them contain raw materials of strategic importance to this country, including cotton, copper, zinc, sulphur and carbon black, No steps have so far been taken by the Govern- ment to unload these ships or to have them transferred to other ports, partly because such action might spread the strike: but mainly because, in the view of the departments concerned, the delay in unloading was having no serious effect on production, fed as it is from working stocks already available.

3.

Last week Sir Ralph Glyn, M. P., conveyed privately to the Minister of Defence some information given him by the United States Embassy about certain vessels in American ownership which were, or might become, involved. The details are given in the Annex to this memorandum. It will be seen that one vessel, the 'CHARLES LYKES", is now held up in Manchester, and that another, the "JOHN LYKES", having failed to get copper and carbon black unloaded at Manchester, took her cargo to Belfast where it was unloaded and awaits shipment back to England.

4.

The situation was today considered by the Ministerial Committee on Emergencies. Discussion centred mainly on the "CHARLES LYKES" and the other vessels belonging to the same owners. As will be seen from the Annex, the owners are becoming restive at the delay imposed by the strike and, in order to free the "CHARLES LYKES" for further work, would like to remove her from Manchester for unloading elsewhere. They have mentioned the possibility of taking the cargo back to the United States but this is probably not to be taken seriously. It seems more likely that, left to themselves, the owners would send the 'CHARLES LYKES" to Antwerp for unloading. Because continuing delay in unloading in this country or diversion to Antwerp would not have any immediate effect on production, the Minister of Supply has no departmental reasons for objecting to any action which the owners might take. Further there is no danger of the cargoes being ultimately lost to this country. He shares, however, the general feeling of the Committee that there might be embarrassing political repercussions, both in this country and in the United States, if it became widely known that strategic raw materials shipped to this country from the United States were either not being unlpaded 92 we58 being diverted (however temporarily) to a foreign port. Moreover, failure to secure quick turn-round of ships is bad in itself.

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5.

PageRé¤e and to several members of the get2ittek 5that in order to meet these political considerations there was need for some positive demonstration of the Government's desire to overcome the difficulties imposed by the Manchester dock strike. Unloading at Manchester by military labour would be undesirable, as also would be diverting the ship to another commercial port in this country. The only possibilities therefore seem to be to attempt to persuade the owners (they cannot be compelled) to transfer the ship either to Belfast or to Cairnryan, a military port on the west coast of Scotland, where she could be discharged by military labour.

6.

The detailed considerations affecting the choice between these two alternatives are as follows:-

7.

Belfast

Unlike many ports, Belfast has the special facilities required for unloading carbon black. When the "JOHN LYKES" wa's unloaded there, there was no sign of objection by the dockers: it is not possible to say how they would react if another ship were sent there. The port authorities, when approached by the owners some days ago, were reluctant to accept the "CHARLES LYKES" on the ground that the docks were already congested.

Cairnryan

There would be no labour trouble at this port, though the transference of the ship there might cause labour trouble at other commercial ports. Unloading could take place only at the rate of 500 tons a day, and would have to be direct into railway trucks or overside into coasters. Moreover, there are other ships affected by the strike and, if the "CHARLES LYKES" were diverted to Cairnryan, there might well arise a demand for the Government to take action to unload other ships, particularly if they were laden with foodstuffs or raw materials for the rearmament programme.

In

Although the Ministerial Committee on Emergencies were generally in agreement with the view that some positive action was necessary, I did not find sufficient unanimity of view about either of the possible alternatives. these circumstances, I felt that the only course open to me was, after ascertaining certain further facts, to submit the matter to the Cabinet.

(a)

(b)

I therefore ask my colleagues

to decide whether His Majesty's Government should attempt to

influence the owners of the "CHARLES LYKES" against diverting that vessel to Antwerp; and if so,

4

whether the "CHARLES LYKES" should be diverted to Belfast or to

Cairnryan.

Home Office, S. W. 1.,

21ST MAY, 1951.

J.C.E.