BRISTOL d Wednesday in protest agains CROZIER reports.
91) leschers an moned to the dole queue am are has been a 40 per cent cut i agned by 20,000 people. 1 salame ton sestigare Sites Education Secretary Shirley cats and to press the government maintain its rale support organising committee of Avon Campaign Against Cats in Education — who organ snd the protest They were told would sabmit CHEONE sould even consider an enquiry. The demonstrators were rectived CAROL REGAN reports. with just as little encouragement when they met local MPs Ron Thomas Tony Benn, Arthur On the lobby were a contingent of mursery marses who are facing ME Proso a osne au 0E. These nurses have been particalarty active in the campuign, but they have not had the support they deserve from some sections of the local trade anion movewthetle shop steward • local Beneral Moriers Taien refused ranch Transport and back the nurses campaign because they were "naly women".
MIDDLESEX STUDENTS AT Brunel Uni. versety in Middleser Have been the administration ing for a week in opposition do racist fee incredses.
The occupation marks the firs step in building en all-London off the education authority's racist quota imposed on overseas siuThe students" union at City University is organising a con ference for London colleges on 9 November to fich the sociale a camSidents Alliance is colline for metropollian-wide co-ordination November.
LIVERPOOL A SPECIAL general meeting on 27 October the Liverpool branch of the Nationaland Local Government Officers" Association voted im favourof a eational wage cinim which would inclede a E15 a week Incressefrom 1 January 1978. The resolution which also week, is being campaigned for nationally by the NALGO Action group. It needed the support of 50 anches by 1 November for the NALGO executive to call a special conference on the claim.
NOTTINGHAM NOTTINGHAM Trades Council last week contributed £30 to the strike at Sandersoas (Forklifts) Lad., Skegness. The strike, BOW la its 25th week has ground similer to the Granwick The workers were sacked after a majority of the work force decided to join the Transport and General workers Union, und ACAS ha UNE TUNI la favour the Unlike Granwick the rural Lincolashire, which mabes practical solidarity with the strike more difficun. ewertheless the Sableros workers are cumsidering mounting a mass picket.
NEWTON AYCLIFFE THE MANAGEMENT of tbe US-owned Eatons Axies factory al Newton Aydiffe, County Durarak the back of union organi sation in the company's plants in Britain.
Lacy nave lockeo: ool the workers at their Ayeliffe factory Tor working to rule in pursuit of a wage demand. Similar disputes bave broken out af the comdecathis cuts in Bristol. GILE Manchester a warrington anc Last week, when management announced record profits, the Cette of tos Union refused dispute official. The bureaucrats compain waac une strisers clain is in breach of the 12-month rale.
Consequently the workers are ployment beverl"" Funds benefit burn Drive, Darlington.
WOMEN TEACHERS TEACHERS MEETING in Nottingham on 8 October volced strong opposition to their union's to take the fight for rights Since a memorandum on equal opportunities - matout to union taken by union leaders has been to withdraw from the This is u decidon which most delegates Militants-attended the conference from London. Thirty-five united In sinst women's oppression in th union will not remaia a dead issue. NUT spoke from the platform to encourage the formation of local WORES OUOSAEIORIOT policy. Brown explained that these groups are totally limited by the meetings to attract new members - but as delegates pointed out, even they are being blocked by the right-wing. Sheffield is a case in malve aguinsi borh the fees and point where teachers have been *Vanes sett h amie. form Dave Picton reinforces women's oppression Jean Farrell, the union's Womwith the rest of the platform in her rigorous defence of the union SEUEENT.
Despite her paltry justifiestlons, conference was united in submitted to the nest national NET conference.
•зос тоннишо шсось вегес ment with the TUCs Charter for Women, a document that takes a DUMEYE DOMEON OB EDODOn -the Issue which has sharply divided the NUT national conference in the past three years.
DARLINGTON THE ENORMITY for the National Union of Journalists of a Darlington has at last impressed isell on the whole executive of SHERIDAN. Only one member has voted against an escalation of shop, and the NUJ lendership meets agrin today to plan SURE Westminster Press newspaper But the journalists have hec left to fight virtually alone. The of the print unice Darlington members to scab, and while the NGA and Eine, neither union is expected to suppart the extension of tbe The Westminster Press bosses, backed by the financial resources which includes the Financial Times and Penguin Books, now mercastey connaco! retaining their right" to scab journalists. They have the support of the Finencial Times NUJ chapel, which has mously opposed strike action.
There has been an overwhelmin offer. Why is this?
Apart from assembly-line work angry about the deal, most of the rorkers had nothing substantia left to fight for asking for very little. Even The Economist called it unasually The unions were asking for 15 per cent Important teine benets Bat it plas a number per Cent -given all of it — would have been SCHUSSE our sccond wage cut in two vears Last year accept a Phase 2 deal of 415 pe cent under the Social Contract Inflation was running at 19 per cent. During the last 12 months prices have gone up another 1: per cent, so tbe unions weren't trying to make up what we'd lost Midiands So what was Ford's final offer?
Ford was very clever. delegates their Government guidelines Against the expectation of most of the workos. And the orter wa véry divisive: the top grades skilled workers and maintenance Her cut in everyone's standard of SDI shop stewards their secret ballot.
production workers which rejected tbe package averwhelmingly.
Manageront bad refused permission for a mass meeting on thermi cette mer mitig SOU BRAC without pressure say what they intended to do press and television who are blackmailine workers into acceptance b CHAISS if the accepted.
Transport and Genera Workers' Union convenor fo SLADE CANT DILS DES MESH of employ only one police oflicer was.
living. short of what tbe union You said that the deal That's true.
Ford. even if Ford's had ance or lay-off pay. we were forced to the shorter working woek. tany period With the did it without their steward, broke the co-ordinste between plants willing to go it alone.
....and Rover?
They called a N. They did nat calling fo deal is PAT HICKEY We want 1o press, the Fire Brigades Union was holding crucial talkg with representatives of local authoritles on ils claim for a 30 per Alleady members of the union in South Wales have voted for strike action if their claim is not met. Conditions in the fire service compar vory umavouraory win toue in tne police toroe — wnicr the Tories are insisting are a 'special case Uniike the police, fire brigade workers get na shift allowance; and while five members of the union were killed on duty last year, Oil meant that skilled sections mere only | per cen were 3 pr 4 per cent short.
many of the VENDETICIE lineworkers are mot happy with Dagealam There's a strong been treared worse than secondsecond louest cash offer: il per cent and nothing on line allowYet they're be Inid off without pay if there's -policy, L dispute. They also Jost out on Ford plants lineworkers are a minority. And retien. Many individul 1e3 ions, especially at Halewood and a walk out. At Halewood on did walk out. But the dropped.
And overall, the line stewards refused to take a lead, refused to another, or to co-ordinate action eeling among other worke ho had quite literally sothir Lean astice so mon baly strongl Harris refused vote in the hallor.
car shop stewards meeting ателоса by Why was the original clailm from The woons so small?
The brains" bebind the claim was Sid Harraway. denuty con plant ar -and a member of the Communist Parly, Way back I coray вou Marca when the claim was first discussed — it was already clear that a major wages The Ford claim was crucial. 1i the Government WIE COE USTE ATE! end of Phase 2 of the incomes Soit was to keep Labour in office that the Communist Part put its weight behind a very moderate claim, Sid Harraway put tt lo the Convenors Commit Wasn't it put to mass meetinge? of all Ford shop stewards. Bu the Standing Orders Committer The next hardie was mass maties in evers clant. With thi exception of Ford Langley, no mass meetings were held. And at the Solihull site, CP member Joe meetings to discuss the, issue. mined to secure a yes vote. Despite this, SDI stewards passed a resolution calling for a no The revalution aiso called for o delegate conference of Leyland and recommended a claim for 6/5 across the board, consolidation of suppie ments and inder inced wages This resolution was passed by the mass meeting with enly 20 or 30 8i a specialConteceranon which includes all the unions on the Solihull site 500 shop scewards, the SDI resolution was GAY WOMEN AND MEN COME TO Bihe on saturday 5th November Spm till midnight (ber extension 4 London Gay Surs in Sumerie Gay bows Ford Langley, a resolution from LEOD COR INTER SMERE the 3% hourweek was aimply ruled out of order.
How can all this be avoided nest Militames have to start organisine now — both on the shop floor and in the union branches - [O ty discussed al every level before It's agreed al a national level by We have to r start building a national organisation of social ists in Ford. And we have doing to strengthen dence, power and solidarity of the shop-Noor, and particularly of tbe lineworkers at Ford's Thar's the importance of the Ford Workers Group at Dagenham, the Ford Langic Action Committee and the Big Flam Groub a1 Palemond Dues the vote indicate that Ford markers are demoralised Nol ac Al. In the dast weel there have been important strug al Dagenham, Halewow: and Langley. At Dagenham As semhly Plant one section bas just won a major victory. A successfül strike has removed a bullying foreran. At Langley there bave boeb solbe ususually militant struggles over safety agnin passod. Chairman of the Confed., Joe Harris, who vored for the package -In LOndon attempled to block the resolutiche anored the TaC officials as saving the country does not need your'. If the money were invosted un petrochenucals returned ten fold. He assured the Confed that this was alse the opinion of the NEB and that he wanted a yes vote because he was.
ot prepared The tried to say that the details of the package were sill negotiable nod that nothing bad been agreed. IC tbe vole went in favour the trade union negariators would win a good deal from the company and might even put the tinal package to another ballor.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 3 November 1977
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at University of London Union, Malet St (hearest tubes: Warren St., Grooge St, Rassell Sg. Julie Bedfond Band + DISCO Admission E1.00 or 60p fenon-sarmers witk cards Organised by 02.01 Sayeec in coriumetion with Th