through Council, which campaign of the Jim of the puts it Elswick comThe - 31 machine tools in Brighton, to fibre glass submersibles on the true in North Yorkshire Moors) would combine able to build a strong combine sation.
Why on earth should they want to meet; they've nothing would soonisucated dingly.
The began in the early 70s provide organi- problem tions) have in common.
management committee has gradually bleat uncomprehen- times PARSONS demonstration against redundancies on Tyneside in 1977, supported by Vickers workers rationalisations which 1 - 01 which Scotswood is the latest -the delegate. ans wet, which in Vickers (as in other corporaAnd since 1974 a combine the last lap - at precariously been spreading its grip on Vickers term of the WILL management. Its organisation is still very uneven, but nearly every meeting includes a new In more ways than one, then, Vickers is on the run.
But don't Vickers have a resource which will win them - the power to offer high redundancy money?
This argument has worked in the past because workers have seen no future in their job.
At Scotswood the campaign is showing clearly that there is a future, if Vickers are forced to invest: a short term future with existing products, and a longer OLIC alternative, socially necessary products.
Another reason why trade unionists often end up selling jobs is because there is not the pressure reminding them of the cheets or the joo loss on tne rest the working class community and its future.
But in the case of Scotswood the wide industrial and political commitment which is growing around the campaign IS, in elect. saving "these 750 jobs concern us all, these are not your jobs to sell".
But there is a final problem:
role of the official negotiators, the Confed. (Confederation of Shipbuilding Engineering Unions).
After all, it was deals and delays. coming this direction which boxed in the workers at Speke, making the redundancy money seem to be the only way to make the best of a bad situation.
At Scotswood, however, the stewards have not waited for the officials. The shopfloor and office Call Darli committee have so far set the pace, pulling the Confed. behind them.
At CA Parsons on Tyneside, and now at Lucas Aerospace this is proving the only way to If the Scotswood campaign committee, backed by the combine, can keep the initiatve, then there is a rea possibilit of victory.
All possible messages of support will help. Send to: Save Scotswood Campaign, 12 St Albans •Terrace Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Full details about Vickers workers' struggle against it will be found in the forthcoming Workrs Report on Vickers, by Hw Beynon and Hilary Wainwright in associa tion with the Vickers combine committee, to be published soon by Pluto Press.
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I STEAM BOILERMAKER POWER
LAPPRAMER- WANT A FUTURE