Online exhibition about Wapping

[hitmouse]

From Mayday Rooms, see here:

Print Subversion in the Wapping Dispute

exhibitions.maydayrooms.org

 

[andysays]

From Mayday Rooms, see here:

Print Subversion in the Wapping Dispute

exhibitions.maydayrooms.org

My Dad was one of the refusenik journalists who refused to go along with the changes and was dismissed (I think he eventually got some sort of redundancy payment, although many didn't). I think he was also involved in the production of the Wapping Post, the strikers' paper

I was a student at the time, and living not far away in Mile End, so used to go on the picket lines quite often, especially on a Saturday night when they were trying to get the NotW out. It was the London version of the Miners' Strike.

 

[TopCat]

My Dad was one of the refusenik journalists who refused to go along with the changes and was dismissed (I think he eventually got some sort of redundancy payment, although many didn't). I think he was also involved in the production of the Wapping Post, the strikers' paper

I was a student at the time, and living not far away in Mile End, so used to go on the picket lines quite often, especially on a Saturday night when they were trying to get the NotW out. It was the London version of the Miners' Strike.

I lived in Clapton with all the first wave of class war. It was easier transport wise than the miners strike cos of the 253 bus.

I went most weeks and on surprise pickets as well. There was a lot of tracking of the blue paper lorries and full on repeated attempts to disable them away from the plant. Plus some uglier attacks on the scab coaches when they were picking scabs up.

I got nicked once and avoided prison as the local bastard magistrate had a heart attack the night before my trial and was replaced by a dimwit.

The one year anniversary picket was probably the hardest and longest scrap I have been involved in.

 

[TopCat]

andysays
Good on your dad. Is he still with us may I ask? I hope so. Tell him big respect from me.

 

[andysays]

andysays
Good on your dad. Is he still with us may I ask? I hope so. Tell him big respect from me.

He is.

He worked as a casual for some years after that, then eventually got a staff job on the Guardian, which suited him far better than the Sun, TBH.

He retired a little over ten years ago, by which time he was Head of Chapel of the G's NUJ branch.

We don't entirely agree politically, but big respect to him for Wapping.

You and I were probably on pickets lines together back then by the sound of it.

 

[Nigel]

I lived in Clapton with all the first wave of class war. It was easier transport wise than the miners strike cos of the 253 bus.

I went most weeks and on surprise pickets as well. There was a lot of tracking of the blue paper lorries and full on repeated attempts to disable them away from the plant. Plus some uglier attacks on the scab coaches when they were picking scabs up.

I got nicked once and avoided prison as the local bastard magistrate had a heart attack the night before my trial and was replaced by a dimwit.

The one year anniversary picket was probably the hardest and longest scrap I have been involved in.

Got nicked twice at Wapping, first time when I was 15yrs old; 'allegedly' threw a coke bottle at rolls royce and ran into pub where the pianist was playing, only Indian/Asian kid in there so easy for pigs to pull me out.
Lol
Next time was Mayday when they sprayed their 'invisible ink' & dragged me away later; went to Highbury Magistrates court; there were a load of 'aggressive looking' hard black dudes there, felt a bit worried that if I got sent to DC I would end up with them, although did talk to them later; seemed alright. Fortunately police messed up evidence they'd concocted so got away with public order offence.
CLASS WAR around Wapping had some famous footballers relation with molotov cocktail and article, 'bring back the hit squads' didn't it?

 

[Serge Forward]

I avoided getting nicked there though I did get injured on the last night when the cops went fucking mental and battered everyone.

 

[Sue]

When I was a union rep for the GPMU (mid/late 90s), we used to make bets on how long it would take the conversation to turn to Wapping when two full-time officials were in the same room at the same time.

There was still a lot of bitterness from some of the low paid clerical/admin folk in our branch who'd gone out in support of the printers, got sacked and ended up on the dole while the (much better paid) printers were ultimately a lot less replaceable once it was all over. Not sure how true some of the stories were but the resentment was very real.

 

[TopCat]

When I was a union rep for the GPMU (mid/late 90s), we used to make bets on how long it would take the conversation to turn to Wapping when two full-time officials were in the same room at the same time.

There was still a lot of bitterness from some of the low paid clerical/admin folk in our branch who'd gone out in support of the printers, got sacked and ended up on the dole while the (much better paid) printers were ultimately a lot less replaceable once it was all over. Not sure how true some of the stories were but the resentment was very real.

Sogat members were often less skilled and got shafted. I knew a lot of Millwall who worked in the print and they never got re employed after the strike.