A FUNNY THING happened on the way to the 'son of the £6 limit'. The seamen didn't get their £6. According to the Low Pay Unit, nor did 625,000 low-paid workers covered Wages Councils. Furthermore, 300,000 low-paid shop and clothing workers covered by private agreements also got increases well below the £6.
A large proportion of those 300,000 are members of the shop-workers' union, USDAW. No doubt the USDAW Executive has its membership in mind when it glowingly recognises 'the sacrifice and restraint shown by all workers during the economic crisis of the Last year the NHS claimed that 'the cuts in spending are only a postponement of our plans.' Now no-one believes that. Least of all the staff at the Middlesex Central Hospital Park hoyal, London.
Last week the hospital bosses tried to shunt out six nurses. This let all hell WOrKerS 700-bed hospital went on the rampage.
Fighting to defend jobs, determined to maintain decent standards for patients, the staff lost their patience.
Grabbing hold of trays, snatching letters to this effect have been sent out by the union.
strikers have received, attempts to involve the local trades councis of Hounslow, Brent Ealing and Hammersmith more fully would allow the strikers themselves to devote more ume to me actuar runnine or me disoure. ut same purpose would be served by a unionorganised crecie tor the women workers Of course, the most effective solidarity acion of all would be for the AUEW tO organise a one-day strike of all their members in the district, but in the meantime a second BRIGHTON ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST THE CUTS Public Meeting Speakers:
ALAN FISHER General Secretary, National Union of Public Employees ERNIE ROBERTS Assistant General Secretary, AUEW JOHN DEASON Secretary, Right to Work Campaign 7.00p.m., Union Hall, Air Street, Brighton.
THURSDAY 9 SEPTEMBER last 18 months' in its motion on collective bargaining to the TUC Congress.
The seamen are not so enthralled "sacrifice. The ship-owners have just declared their fattest ever profits recent years. un response double "no' of the TUC and the Labour Government, the NUS is now balloting its members to decide whether to accept the employers offer or support whatever form of industrial action is decided on by the NUS Executive.
In a vain effort to affect the result of the ballot, a report was rapidly prooffice files, the workers chanted: "out, Out.' The developments administrator, Alan Davison, took a quick look and flew out of the building.
This shows the way to fight. No cooperation with management. No sitting down to discuss how to close a ward. The only way forward is to fight for the workers to A cam. paign to build the NCC lobby and picket of the Labour Party Conference can give action like that at the Middlesex TOCUS. They are defending the health and care of all of the working class.
large demonstration would show the rico management and for Industrial Tribunal that the Trico workers duced and approved by the General Council of the TUC which enabled Len Murray to announce with some relief that the seamen's claim was outside the 4½ per cent limit. "There are no special cases under the pay policy, said Murray-echoing his master's voice Denis Healey.
Callaghan is using Murray as the hammer of the seamen. In their turn the Government are being used as a front by the ship-owners, gratified by the whole-hearted support they. have received from Labour and the TUC.
Doubtless, if the seamen decide to take action in support of their claim, TWO HUNDRED mainly Asian they will hear again the words they heard ten years ago from Callaghan: "Get back to work and help in the task of getting exports moving again.' The same witch-hunting ploys will be dusted off again to level against the seamen's leadership. Already the press has started the stampede with stories of the possible expulsion of the NUS from the TUC if they persist in their claim.
All the talk of a 'planned return to free collective bargaining' will soon evaporate in denunciations of the seamen if the ballot returns indicate the strength of feeling among the rank RACIAL immediately, and attempts to black goods and file.
The effects of the 4½ per cent limit itself will be swept under the carpet, including the conclusion of the Low Pay Unit that "employers will have an incentive to lay off (or not recruit) extra staff, finding that they can get overtime worked by the exis ting staff at a cheaper rate.
The struggle for the reduction of week with no loss of pay, combined with automatic compensation for the effects of inflation, is the only policy which can rescue low-paid workers from the nightmare of the poverty trap and increased redundancies which the Government has sharpened through its 'protection of lower paid workers. The seamen, if they can overcome the formidable obstacle course which the Government and TUC are preparing for them, can strike the first blow in that fight. ERIC TOMLINSON protesting from the gallery at last vear's conference about the TUC's failure to act to free Des.
At last year's TUC, Des Warren was in jail. The TUC protested but did nothing. This year the threat of jail hangs over 43 marchers of the Right to Work Campaign. The TUC may or may not protest; certainly they will do nothing.
Des Warren's 'crime' was fighting for unionisation and a living wage. The 43's 'crime' is fighting unemployment. Des Warren is now out of jail and has given his support to the 43. Join him in saying: 'No More Shrewsburys - Defend the 43.
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• WEWANT A UNION
DISCRIM- NATION