workers in the civil service have had their pay adjusted on the basis of 'fair comparisons" with workers doing similar jobs in private industry.
Data are put together by the pay research unit and then used by the two sides as a basis for negotiation.
Quite apart from the fact that comparisons are often made with low paid clerical and non-unionised office workers, this system denies the right of union members to draw up their own wage claim.
Instead of basing a claim or the cost of living, it uses the criterion of how others have fared.
This pay research system was abruptly stopped in April 1975, when it was about to carry civil servants through the limit of that year's wage policy.
Although the system has now been re-introduced, the government has not undertaken to accept the pay research findings for this year. The reason: these findings suggest a pay increase of around 35 per cent.
Approximately 1,300 civil servants, mainly computer operators, are now on strike in pursuit of their claim.
Premier Callaghan has called the action 'unnecessary and unjustified", while Foreign Secretary Owen was among those who happily crossed picket lines on the one-day PUBLIC sector workers do not have to look very far to see what the offer of 'comparability" between their The industrial action now being staged by civil servants centres on the whole comparability issue. all-out strike on 23 February.
The government has complained that the strike action is 'unjustified' because negotiations are not completed.
But in delaying the negotiations, and in refusing to accept pay research bility findings, it government which is defying the traditional arbitration procedures.
While the current level of inadegerve pay inadequacy relying comparability promises, immediate aim of a united fight by civil service workers is to win the full increases recommended by pay research The strategy adopted by the leaders of the unions involved seems unlikely to achieve this.
Alistair Graham, general secretary of the CPSA, has argued for selective action by saying that it 'shows a more compassionate approach disrupting community life than has recently been seen on our television screen'.
This thinly disguised attack on the public sector workers is hardly likely to win support for the civil servants from other workers.
Nor does it make a great deal of tactical sense, common identity between the civil servants and the public sector workers would help both groups.
Civil servants are obviously right to worry about alienating other workers; they concerned with the provision of Members of the Association emergency cover for the sick or as sector workers.
But as the public sector struggle has also shown, it full involvement membership in strike action which is the best recipe for victory.
"comparait the shows the on GIVE US SEI the WAGI deputy are public As soon of the appeared last month, Haringey reply.
The journalists statement letter the editor's article.
school workers take. that their support for the public sector workers" "damaging' pay amazed when claim could cost them many votes in the General Election. meant as the story WOLKCD trade friends contacted National Union of dournalsts memoers on the Journal, told them they were throughout the labour movement to defend the Camden councillors who had agreed to pay the claim.
and Paddington By Denny Fitzpatrick NUT, Paddington school OVER two hundred students at Paddington school in West London have signed a petition declaring their refusal to cross NUPE picket lines.
In the petition - the text of which has been sent to the national and local press - the students SLaLE their support for the public sector claim and for any action these One student said: 'We were discovered that the original 5 per cent offer only 60р to these •Many of us have parents or directly involved in the fight. completely behind them.?
NUPE area officer council has called for the sacking of Fisher his assistant, Bernard Dix. Similar calls have come from Camden general branch, St Nicholas hospital branch Newcastle, the ILEA LaSEC commuce.
The proposal will be taken to the union's national delegate conference May. The Campaign for Action in NUPE is to make the demand for the of full-time officials and for the right to their immediate recall a central Cabam.
London By Peter Cooper Battersea South CLP THE LONDON Labour Party conference held last weekend stopped short of confrontation with the government.
While CHOSI speakers resolutions on such issues as health, housing and ducation
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wages and those of other workers means. For 20 years some $00,000