action in their history.
STEVE strong POEU, together with a claim by Ford workers which puts equal emphasis on pay and a reduction in the worki for week, Congress in September may be forced to turn pious resolurions into mass action against unceployment.
The Government bas alrendy engineers" action.
Minister Eric announced a under Lord McCarthy to look into the POEU's seven-ycarleft who are old claim. untoes action will continue Irrespective of this, along tbe lines of a radical propramme produced by its 'moderate exccutive.
Since oguipment has been hanned, and the programme calls for SUPPOIL ITONE COACE WIDES LU extend the han to all sectors of the Past Once means PROPOSALS POEU branches have heen invited to proposals for include overtime bause regional and wark targets could be the Stock Exchange, airports, and television. the A weekly levy of 25p from each member will help those the suffering any suspension as a result of the Socialist action There was massave enthusidelepates to conference. Most had expected the executive to continue its week voted to begin the most militant programme of Their aim is the 35-hour week, to beat the threat of massive job loss in the telecommunications indusiry.
POTTER reports The decision of the 125,000| Nocking of a militan: cam Tendership. means that the TUe Dismay The WHEECE headait Varley Industey has DOCILE spocial revLeW Before the October, new docility in message.
their future, submit further Strawger exchanges action, which to rule. clectro magnetic Potential Hardship Increasingis DIETNUTH week's neers with provide Blackpool. Michael pan burme pressure proveu too much for even the most die-hard right wingers on the at the mood of action by militancy was only too plainly witten on the faces of Post Office management observing TCH SCOREE scotanianisni campaign action started last soar, Gerald Kaahuan, Minister of State ar The Depactment of Industry, referred to Post Office statfar: "The most orderly, one migh: abso say docile workforces in There was no sign of that Blackpool The SPLIT mrough to every seepate that had clearly the new technological revolution in tele-conmanications meant the gravest threat to The major feature of that modernisation is the phasing exeputive our of the electro-mechanica the introduction of TXE 2 and 4 switching This is only the start of the process. Computer technoiog Will be the main feature of a ratically new system, known For Post Office engineers, this is as sinister as it sounds changes 1s will be made nstructions from a compute the eritinal instead of b engisoldering iroes.
Only one worker out of six 1 our decisions to the memberprecauty employed would sur viveto work on this new system The PO has already refused to guarantees of jobs beyond the next five years, and the Government has appointed William Barlos the MP.
Edwardes COT IDE electrical copincering industry to bead the Past Office The employers are gearing themseives up Some delegates considered that suspending thou provoking national strike action by the One of the chief weaknesses of the POEU leaderstip is it towards the 195,000 members of the Union of Past Office Workers. These and workers are also tbreatened by the new technologs, because the more information that can be transcutted in prioted form through phone lines the less will ce the acco for the be transported by mail workers.
Yet the exccutive success fully motivated a proposal li split the Post Office into two seperare corporations, a policy which one delegate described at gift wrapping the PO for having off by the Tories. The argued that the corporation could not afford 35-hoor week for boch engineers and postal workers.
This identification berwoen the interests of the bosses and the workers is further reflected in the neck deep commitment of the NEC ID Bullock-type participation in the industry.
Arthur Simper, trade union member of the board, who is on the POEU executive. lias explained: "We recognise that we must be directors with samie responsibilities existing directors. We must carry the can and we mus seil The engineers will also run ino the firm opposition of the union inembers lobbiod John Guidine, a POE-sponsore:
their claim, he that the 35-hour week would Increase The pice Di COll and cause Further unemployment as Brian's comperty position declined on the world SAVED Ofcourse, the unpact on unemployibent DC tER opposite. Hundrods of thousands of jobs would he created saved thraugh the shortened working week without loss or pas Whet woud be hit is the profits of the employers, wic will wage a sigantic struggle susiest the measlite with th Government their side.
Dinosime the 35-hour wock Boods the mobilisation of the whole lahour movemet caployed and memplayed in nass action, This mus b the policy keynote al the Septeinber Congress, together with the rejection o Phase Four But a further step needs to be taken. What is posed in the Post Office, as in the steel indusity, that 35 hour week can pely be the fiest step towards wark-sharing without La measure which will entail a shorter working week than 35 hours if all jobs are to be maintained.
-Post Office workers fighting in the largest and onc of the most ruthless employers in the countr They are in the vanguard of real action against unemploy ment. They must campaign Jor, and the labour movemen must respond with, the most practical support.
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UNANIMOUSLY, delegates at the Post Office Engineering Union's conference in Blackpool last