Was This Bob Crow's Grandfather?

A guest post from Edward Spalton


Acting as executor in tidying up a house, I came across a copy of the Daily Sketch of May 4 1945. Among the news of collapsing German armies and imminent victory was this item.

TUBES MAY JOIN STRIKE TODAY

There is a possibility that by the end of today London's Underground services will be involved in the unofficial strike of 6.750 trolley bus and tramway workers. Meetings are being held today by the Underground drivers to decide whether they shall come out in sympathy with the others.

Mr Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour, is keeping a close watch on developments. It is possible that he may intervene if there is a risk of all of London being brought to a standstill. A great many workers yesterday had to thumb lifts to work and home - or walk.

All day negotiations took place between the men's selected strike representatives and officials of the Transport and General Workers' Union but by evening little progress had been made.

The official view is that little can be done, except to withdraw the summer schedules, the cause of the strike, and then, when the men have returned to work, to review the whole question whether the schedule shall be operated.

Tramwaymen last night passed a resolution stating: " This joint Divisional Committee, being of the opinion that the dispute cannot be settled until there is a resumption of work, recommends those in the dispute to resume work immediately, in order that negotiations with the Board may be resumed".

This recommendation will be taken back to the branches for decision. It is unlikely that a full resumption of work would be arranged before tomorrow morning. Representatives of the Central Bus Committee attended several meetings of the busmen last night and urged them to return to work but the busmen declined to go back until the tramworkers returned.


Amazing to think that this sort of throttling of economic activity with its stately dance of "unofficial" strike committees acting "in sympathy" with each other and the intervention of "official" trade union representatives with government ministers dancing attendance was allowed to continue to hold the public to ransom from 1945  until Mrs. Thatcher did something about it. The accumulation of destroyed jobs and economic prospects over thirty five years must have been colossal, accounting for a great deal of national decline over that period.

I was at a meeting of independently minded peers and MPs the other day when it was mentioned that the transport workers' leader Bob Crow would be a speaker on a cross-party platform at a rally for a referendum on EU membership in October. "But he's the most hated man in London" said one noble lord. "At least the tube will run on that day" said another.

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Do Unions Need the Likes of Bob Crow?

courtesy of Reuters

Bob Crow claims to be the leader of the fastest growing union in Britain. Yesterday he was calling for general and co-ordinated strike action across the public and private sectors to stop the coalition's "savage assault on jobs, living standards and public services".

Other unions have promised to fight government plans to freeze public sector pay and curb pension benefits in what could be a tense autumn.

However, this morning on Radio5Live, Mr Crow seemed in a much more conciliatory mood. "We need to debate the effect this will have on public sector workers. The unions should work together on this".

Why the overnight drop in his usual militant manner? He's at a conference in Aberdeen. Did some people have a quiet word with him last night telling him his constant militant attitude turns the public away or was it the sea air?

I have little time for the modern unions as I think the majority of the bosses are bully-boys who are far more concerned with their own personal power than protecting their members. Almost immediately any change in the public services is muted, these loud-mouths are on the media insisting their members will vote to strike. We need unions but those which protect and assist their membership. There are some around today which are not militant and are listened to far more closely for that reason.

If Bob Crow and his ilk are prepared to talk reasonably with government I'm all for that. If all they do is turn up in radio and television studios day after day, shouting 'strike' at every turn, then they will never gain the trust or empathy of the general public. Has anyone ever heard Willie Walsh deride the union reps he has been dealing with during the months of the BA turmoil? He has kept his dignity and been courteous at all times to those involved in the negotiations. Maybe Bob Crow, the Unite leaders and others could take a leaf out of his book.

Note: That's not to say I agree with Willie Walsh's policies.

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