CALLAGHAN and Healey's argument that cuts in public spendina are necessary to boost investment for private industry has reeived yet another kick in the pants. Hawker Siddeley have anounced 450 redundancies at their Brough plant - North Humberlide's biggest single private employer.
Two years ago militant Brough workers occupied the factory in opposition to the rovernmenEs refusal to grant £40 million covcoD ine civi no 4o snorttake off and landing airbus. This was an advanced model with no neal and represented an undeconce area into wnca an exoan ding industry could have inserted tself. Healey said No.
At present overtime has been bannea on ine hawk — a mulu role jet trainer replacement for the Provost waich was usec with sucI devastating effect by British mercenaries In tne war.
RHETORIC For Brough workers, however, Ene meek acceptance or 1o0 curs as has happened at Hawker's other planis — woula be tne tnin ena or to the wedge for further attacks later. According to Walt Joester (re gional secretary of the Amalgamaica omon Workers) the redundancies are to oe rougns ney win Keeo running down industry in this area unLH worKeIs do somcune more than pass resolutions and delegations to Ministers. If there's going to be any action, it must come rrom mre men mense ves.
But this left retoric and buck passing has a familiar ring for Hull Oman/Dhofar militants. Last year Joester vehement v retused to launch a rea fight or ocupation of the Drypool Shipyard to save jobs. The ensuing demoralisation were sent to the dole queue like lambs to the slaughter.
According to a Red Weekly supporter who played a key role in the ocupation at Brough two years ago, the redundancies were СПºIncCre on the cards as soon as the HS146 project was shelved:
*This aircraft could have provided employment in the area for the colle see nevone mneir noses.
fiscated the whole industry 'Dole' for British workers inter-plant here be resolved at the plant level try duction industries.
CUCEOn WaS though, Social Contrick mob. competon on world markets DOLE send the under-capitalised British dustry. Hence, political Lockheed-Tanaka tion meant the America.
nationals.
dole.
NOEL HIBBERT workers realise the problem can't THIS FRIDAY, •What's needed is for the shop stewards from all the plants to get together and draw up an action programme to save the jobs. That LOUS means fighting for a massive cash The motion necuon to renosl ne cvi oro duction side. This must be linked to the nationalisation of the indus.
under workers control. The high level of technology and jigg ing equipment would make the changeover to socially useful pro- ously follow for need instead profit — much easier than in other and the rest.
'One only has to look at the speed with which consumer pro- reso unor Tered transformed into military production in the USA in the Second World War to see tha the same process in reverse could be done quite quickly. To achieve the first step for militant workers would be to wage a struggle against Joester and his This contraction of the British aircraft industry is a product not just of the generalised recession of the world economy but also of the recognition by the American giants Lockheed and McDonnell of the necessity to restructure the indusWest. No longer shall BAC and Hawker Siddeley be al lowed the status of an 'autonoMous Susn arc ar mausuy la produces designs and models for Already plans are afoot to reduce Britain to a sub-contractor of the US monopolies. The drive for the concentration and centralisation of capital is just too much for rather than take risks on a world market in which muscle (note in Japan) counts for more than the viability of the product, the UK aircraft industry prefers to func as a junior partner of Unfortunately the British workers will not find it so comfortable under the wing of the US multiProfitability is highest criterion for these giants of the industry. So, as at Brough, the design teams will be thrown on the Officers Association, Britain's largest public sector union, meet in a special conference to discuss cuts in public services and their impact on pronosed to the conference by NALGO's National Executive Council will do nothing to halt the tide of cuts spilling from class. nancelor neaevs axe aesDIt the solemn NALGO declarations which tediOI OpposITon to cuts each of Healey's budgets, mini-budgets, "packages' As we reported last week, most of the 64 amendments to the NEC But USCuC al Lic leadership's weak position on the GLYN PHILLIPS senior NEC member of NALGO. His policy in South Wales of "low profile' against the cuts is now meeting opposition from so me branches in the area. cuts. Many branches attempt SUDDOr tighten up the NEC's policy subsuuung sucn words as urges and 'advises" in the resolution with the more derinis ve StUCs But it is the NEC's policy as a whole which is at fault. Their resolution embodies a clear aim. It is to ensure that no significant or effective action against the cuts can be launched by the branches of NALGO without the blessing of the NEC's right-wing dominated Emergency Committee.
NALGO's leaders are opposed to any national campaign of real action against the cuts because in cuts. practice it would mean an end to • For details of the Conterence for Overseas Student Activists (12 WHITC Middlese; DruGents SOTTOr Enfield, Middlesex 10p NUS Services & Grash S/0 P30 delegates of the National and Local Government NALGO's support for the Social Contract and its attacks on the living standards of the working 1 na1 19 why effective opposition right wing must focus on the need to end NALGO's support for the current "strategy' of the Labour - a point recognised by about 20 branches are pressing for rejection of the Social Contract.
NALGO members need more than a verbal withdrawal of for the Government's policies. Escalation of national action against the cuts is the only remedy for the attacks on services and jobs, and it is the only policy which can hope to attract backing from members of other public sector unions.
That is why Red Weekly supporters have been arguing Thursday's meeting of left-wing conference delegates organised by the Scottish District of NALGO shoue concenrale on cusurn! that a composite amendment contains both opposition to the Social Contract and a proposal for escalaung nanona acton against tn The best way to initiate such action would be for NALGO to name the day • IOr a one-day national stoppage, calling on the other public SCCLUL unions which supported the 17 November de-monstration to join in. Such a call for action would also have scope for attracting support from workers in the nationalised industries who are also feeling the sharp edge Government's cuts, from others in the labour move ment who depend on the public services.
CONFERENCE But as well as calling for action, the ett in NAu desperatev needs to organise itself nationally as a clear challenge to tne leadel ship's policy of betrayal. At present ne es nebeessiv avecu.
with the Scottish District, the MeTroDOTaT DISEEICE ana ue NALGO Action Group all aspiring to give a national ieda to tre icre The route out of this swamp of ineffective disunity is for left delegates to jointly sponsor an Open Conference for all NALGO members who oppose the cuts and the Social Contract. Such a national conference would allow a real debate to open up on the left on the nature of NALGO as a union, on the state of NALGO's left wing, and on the forthcoming "orderly return to free collective bargaining'. which in reality promises a
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