Wapping Dispute.
January1986- Feburary1987

By the mid eighties profits in the London printing industry were declining and the introduction of new technology was being resisted by skilled and semi-skilled print workers. During 1985 Rupert Murdoch, owner of News International and proprieter of The Sun, News of the World, The Times and Sunday Times, began setting up a secret printing press in Wapping under the cover of producing a new London daily.
Utilising improved printing technology he began recruiting electricians to later scab on printers whilst guaranteeing their union (EETPU) that he was not intending to use them so. At the same time he switched distribution of his papers to TNT trucks (which he had part ownership of) to avoid interference from rail unions.
Once Wapping was ready to go Murdoch antagonised the printing unions (NGA and SOGAT) by presenting them with a list of non-negotiable demands. When the unions struck he used a legal technicality to sack around 6000 members of SOGAT, the NGA and the AEWU as well as some journalists. In doing so he aimed to rehire a minority of them under harsh no-strike contracts whilst avoiding redundancy payments for the rest. The Wapping bunker came on line overnight to cover for the lock outs at Murdoch's other factories around the country.

The battle lines were drawn and over the next year Wapping was continuously picketed with mass demonstrations called for the Wednesday and Saturday of every week. Since picketers attempted to shut down the print works and prevent the distribution of papers violent clashes with scabs and police became a recurrent feature of the dispute. Whilst most of the action was centred at Wapping other actions took place across London and the U.K. at Murdoch printing presses, distribution points and offices. Despite the union leadership shying away from action and playing up a failing boycott of Murdoch product the determination of thepicketers kept the struggle going for over a year.

Major pickets regularly disrupted Wapping whilst smaller hit squads took out trucks in the areas leading to the print works. Harrassment of individual scabs was widespread as was the lobbying of gutless union officials who refused to extend the strike or provide any real support. After a particularly violent picket on January 24th 1987 saw fighting extend to streets beyond the site the police and company handed the "leadership" the excuse it needed to wind down pickets by threatenng them with legal action. By late Feburary the dispute was over and printworker's wages and conditions destroyed.
For a short account from The Beano of an individual battle click here. For a view on "slow rioting" from a top cop click here. A broadsheet called Picket was produced by printworkers and their allies for the duration of the struggle. We will be making all 42 issues available in coming months.
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