The first fact which the capitalist press never mentions is that no simple comparison can be made between seamen's average earnings and those of other workers. When at sea, under the discipline of the ship's master, the seamen have to work far more than a 40 hour week - the average seaman will work 28 hours overtime a week when at sea! In addition they have to work hours involving loss of sleep, handling of cargo, and can be away from their home and family for weeks at a time. Decades Over the decades the seamen have fought to get these factors taken into account in their wage packet, and they now account for nearly 50 percent of average earnings. That is why the carnings of an Able Seaman have increased by such a large amount over the last 14 months — yet the basic pay has only increased by around f9, as the accompanying table (taken from the September 1975 issue of Labour Research) shows. the time of the 1966 strike British seamen were the lowest paid of all the Western European fleets - and they are still at the bottom of the league today. The Lloyds list of 16 August reports the findings of Unitas' that where the operating costs for crew are 100 units in Finland, for West Germany they are 117 units, for Sweden they are 123 units, whilst for Britain they are only 93 units.
Far from representing greediness on the part of the seamen, the claim for a further 66 wage supplement which is now being denied by the TUC and the Government is just one more step in the seamen's fight to improve their pay and conditions.
Where, then, does the pay limit come in? When the NUS accepted the last pay award, they also accepted the arbitration tribunal's recommendation that the increase should be staggered so that the shipowners could find the money. As the table shows, increase accepted by the NUS was to be paid in three batches - in July 1975, January 1976 and July 1976.
But the £6 limit of the Government and the TUC was then introduced in August of 1975, and the Government now says that since the last major increase was actually made in January 1976, the seamen will have to wait until January 1977 for a further increase.
Now, with the introduction of the 4½ per cent limit, the seamen will not even be entitled in 1977 to the f6 they are claiming, according to the Government.
The NUS argue, however, that the only reason that the pay award was staggered was to help the employers, the TUC halted its strike breaking and performed its proper task of supporting its members, the union would remain strong. Wreck It was the TUC who were preparing to wreck the NUS, not the seamen. As for destroying the industry, the employers have depressed British seamen's wages to the second lowest in Europe, and are still in the top three as lar as profits were concerned. If wrecking was being talked about, higher wages would not be the cause of As for the Labour Government, they are destroying themselves through attacks on the class that put them in power. Only the mobilisation of the working class can push forward alternative leaders and policies to replace the rotten crew in the Government.
TUC leaders like Scanion screamed at the seamen that his members had accepted the rough end of the social contract. Their demand that the NUS leaders should do likewise attempts to hide their complicity with the ruling class through support of the social con-trick. Theirs is the guilt, not the seamen's.
But NUS legder Jim Slater nlaved and that therefore they should be entitled to the f6 increase from July of this year — especially since the shipowners are reported as being quite prepared to pay the increase.
Far from the NUS leadership being politically motivated to break the pay limit, they are in fact doing everything in their power to avoid a confrontation with the TUC and the Government. Jim Slater is now caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Pete Coltman, of the Civil and Public Services Association hands Jim Slater the signatures of 324 TUC delegates pledging 'unrese coltman said, 'There have been to many official statements coming out decrying the seamen. We felt it was time for the ordinary d of the policy at the NUS conference. He disarmed the seamen by not standing up to the TUC bully boys.
A firm stand could have achieved support, shown Dy the pennon sponsored by a left-wing member of the CPSA Executive. Signed by 324 delegates and visitors, this expressed the sentiment of rank and file delegates at the TUC of full support for the NUS action.
Some workers reacted immediately. Last weekend, the Scottish District Council of NALGO, voted complete soldarity with the seamen with only one, vote against. Also in Scotland, Stirling and Paisley Trades Councils pressed the Scottish TUC to support Having argued and won acceptan for the social contract at the last NU conference, he now has to reconc this with the legitimate demands of th NUS membership for the f6 increa -and their willingness to fight for i as shown in the ballot. Faced with th ballot result he voted with the rest the executive for a strike, and has sinc been trying to prevent that strike fro becoming a strike against the policy. those who, for whatever reason, op pose it. It could provide the basis for : national movement against the col laboration of the TUC fat-cats.
That is why there is a continuin need for resolutions of support for th seamen right up to the time their clain is met. Resolutions of support to loca branches can give the rank-and-fil seamen the confidence to see that i they fight they will not be defeate through isolation from at least the rank-and-file of the trade unions and Labour Party. They can also give central focus for all those fighting against the betrayals of the Labou