The call by the CPSA for a recall The Inland Revenue to preventing covering for staff shortrupt the implementation of Healey's solution.
This must go hand in hand with dancies, no covering for absent staff, The fight of the working class against unemployment also your employer, there is only one ers was held. rapid return to work.
Photo: JOHN SURROCK (Report) The strike by 600 workers at Commonwealth Smelting in Avonmouth against redundancies and wage cuts is entering its thirteenth week with no immediate signs of a Management had been hoping for the men's morale to weaken in face of une narasmip imposed on them and tem families by the length of the strike. And indeed, some of the strikers have already had to appear in court for defaulting on hire purchase commitments, while others are being treatenca with naving taen electricity cut off. But on Monday of last week a mass meeting voted by a margin ot four to one to stay out, and or the next day a successful mass picket of the factory bv 150 strikers and support this nagnung spint nowced the man agement to call a special meeting with and full-time Transport & General Workers Union officials), which was widely But the talks collapsed when the management firstly refused to give a quarantee or no lav-ous lor me aura tion of the projected 10 weeks of negotiations on manning levels, and second ly went back on their undertaking to allow all men made redundant, whether compulsorily or voluntarily, to return to work under the same conditions (i.e. entner to vay back reaunaancy Day ment. and return to their former positions, or else keep the money but start work as new recruits — they were no longer willing to allow the volunteers back unless they repaid the money).
Right-wing bureaucrat Ron Nethercott, T&G regional secretary and leader of the strikers negotiating team, commented after leading his side out of the talks: In 25 years of negotiations I have never been so angry and frustrated. Tam normally a peaceful man, bringing trated by the management. They are incompetent negotiators.
It is much more likely, in fact, that the management manoeuvres stem from the ruthless determination of the multi national owners, Rio Tinto Zinc, to break the union in the best organised plant of the huge Avonmouth chemicals complex but one mina is dear are stakers wil not be able to force a return to work on their terms - nor, more imporantly, to create a favourable relation of forces to win adequate manning levels and stave off redundancies in the future - unless they can win mass support from the rest or me workers movement by cumme their struggle into the focus of an areaFor some weeks, leading stewards nave been talking about selung up a support committee based on the union branches and stewards committees that have made collections, invited speakers etc. But this was continually put off because of their belief in an imminent successful end to the strike. Now, with a long and bitter light in the offing the stewards committee has at last decid ed to call a meeting for next week to set up a support committee.
If this committee gets off the ground and extends its basis to ensure the maximum participation of all those prepared to take up te ngut agamst unempioy ment, then the CSL strikers will not only have created the best conditions for a suc cessful outcome to their own struggle. but will also have boosted the fight for Bristol IMG
4 Cuts/Abortion Red Weekly 5 February 1976