absolutely vital in terms of Labourist politics.
state and the government in office.
syndicalism is, on its own, insufficient.
implement workers' control. THE DEMANDS of the public sector unions have been building up for some time and the negotiations now taking place are of great political importance. While defeat or victory at Ford could only marginally affect Labour's electoral prospects, the public sector is Callaghan and Healey are perfectly aware of the political impact of a strike by refuse collectors, sewage workers, hospital porters, and so on. Public sector workers from the very start confront the The state's posturing as an 'impartial mediator' is virtually excluded. The enemy is the government of the day. Thus traditional The struggle waged by the unions in question has to develop political perspectives and For instance, it is perfectly possible for hospital workers or elected committees to determine who is admitted and who is not. It is quite feasible for the refuse collectors to keep certain areas clean.
no more than call the day of action.
No trains have been booked to bring workers to London. There have been no tours of the branches building for divide their members.
Government can Election and its outcome.
on 22 January.
would not be suitable for NUPE, many of whose members are in traditionally low-paid work both within and outside the public sector.
At the same time as taking up this apparently more militant demand for approximately £80 a week, Fisher has been talking about such an agreement being phased in over two or three years.
Certainly without an all-out national strike, which Fisher building for, there is no way that the In other words, the function of striking under workers' control has the objective of uniting all sections of workers behind the strike.
At the same time, the Government knows that to send in the troops to operate the sewers or clear the rubbish will appeal to the City of London but could lead to a crushing electoral defeat because of abstentions or even temporary switching of votes. Thus Callaghan will go all out to try and avoid a strike.
The union leaders are not keen on a strike either. They would prefer concessions which they can sell to their membership or use to The question is whether afford any real concessions without totally damaging its credibility on the wage restraint front.
Thus the threat posed by the public sector becomes crucial for Labour. It could affect both the choice of date for the General PATRICK SIKORSKI looks at the build up for the day of action for such an standards.
backroom talks with such an service. An has been that such an the This Such an could be seen as "vital"
TONY BENN tries to pull his socks up. But as the picture reveals, they're too the Labour would want certain guarantees in return agreement virtual promises not to strike or take other forms of disruptive industrial action in defence of jobs, conditions, or living Union leaders are already engaged in ministers over agreement TOT the outright attack on fundamental trade union rights is being dressed up as a 'Code of Practice' to 'vital" services are The stated aims which Fisher concurs with are to prevent hospital stoppages which 'pose threats to life' and 'put the unions in a bad light with the public.
agreement would set precedent for the whole public sector; nearly every service that it provides workers are Water Year April 1970 April 1971 April 1972 April 1973 April 1974 April 1975 April 1976 April 1977 April 1978 workers. MOSS EVANS, General Secretary TG Average weekly earnings of male full NHS ancillary staff Local authorities, England and Wales Local authorities, Scotland All manufacturing industries All industris and services Sources: New Earnings Survey and DHSS Gap in average earnings between full-ti andinal indus Earnings gap, loca Source: New Earnings Survey, updated b The table shows that since 1970 successive the earnings of local authority manual wo between the contents of their pay packets Only in 1971, following the 'dirty jobs difference between local authority earnin Difference between n All manual workers Total difference £31.3 Total due to differential hours £10.99 differential grades £16.3