[industry was technologically outdated and very much overmanned…]

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industry was technologically outdated and very much overmanned, suggesting that the number of plants be drastically reduced and become much larger in size--thus affording economies of scale.

Reduced It also recommended that the labour force be reduced from over 300,000 to less than 200,000.

This employers' report then became the basis of Labour's nationalisation plans, since it was thought PAAr that the private steelowners could not implement its proposals.

The capitalists' strategy therefore became to use the vast economic resources of the state along with the 'participation' of the trade union bureaucracy through the TUC Steel Advisory Committee to force through these attacks on steelworkers.

The obvious resemblance to the more recent Social Contract, or the Ryder Proposals for Leyland is by no means accidental.

These attacks have met with almost complete success to date with the state-appointed 'old school tie' B.S.C. Board doing the government's dirty work almost to the letter.

Trade union involvement in this-notably tiat of the I.S.T.C. has been deepened right down to shop floor level with the setting up of 'works councils' at plant level to draw unwary stewards right into the web of collaboration.

Works Councils At works councils, management s pretend take the stewards into their confidence, explaining the plight of the firm and the need for 'rationalisation' Within a short space of time, stewards are converted into seeing themselves as part of management, putting company interest first.

Add to this system the constant reminders from the press of the need to be "competitive" and keep wages under control, and it is not surprising that workers find themselves starved of principled leadership or perspective when they face the threat of redundancy.

The Redundancy Payments Act which makes it easier for union bureaucrats to sell their members' jobs, 'voluntary' redundancies, natural wastage, and the notorious Green Book have all contributed towards easing the burden of management in creating redundancies.

The payment of sums 25% above those laid down in the Act to men over 63, together with the seniority system which allows younger men to move into jobs, 'voluntary' redundancies, natural wastage, and the notorious Green Book have all contributed towards easing the burden of manageme creating redundancies.

The payment of sums 25% above those laid down in the Act to men over 63, together with the seniority system which allows younger men to move into higher paid jobs are also used to whittle down workers' resistance .

The Green Book introduced work-study, method study, and job evaluation in return for a guaranteed week (nonproductiion shifts being paid at 80% normal wage), and better holiday agreements.

The guaranteed 5 day week may look attractive at first sight. But in reality the working week has been reduced to 15 shifts, shedding labour rather than work 21 or 18 shifts at 80%.

Indeed, men have been sacked like this and overtime introduced a few weeks later, in most cases PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report ISTC General Secretary, turnover.

Prosperity

This testifies to their relative prosperity compared with B.S.C. and therefore the reason for continued private ownership.

These companies predominate mainly in the specialized finishing and foundry sections of the industry in the Midlands although they also have important interests in the production of alloy, stainless, high speed tool and magnet steels with some interests in forging also.

However, in spite of their cushioned position, the private • companies are beginning to suffer badly under the effects of capitalism's international Abroad, companies in Italy, France and the United States lost even more in relation to their size than B.S.C.'s £500m deficit last year.

In fact over recent years the privately owned U.S. Company Bethlehem Steel has lost more than virtually any other capitalist enterprise in spite of trimming its workforce by 35,000!

Astronomic losses by French steelmakers have now led to crisis measures and government intervention.

Back at home F.H. Lloyds, a large Midland foundry, Firth Brown's, Dunford Hadfields (owned by Lonrho), and Edgar Allen foundries in Sheffield as well as almost the entire foundries division of the Weir/Westringhouse corporation are either working short . time or declaring redundancies.

It is clear from this that the solution to these problems does not lie with private enterprise.

Instead it lies with the nationalisation of these specialised steel firms together with their hefty financial reserves in the banks and industrial trusts 60% of the steel workforce.

The leaders of the steel unions, particularly the I.S.T.C. have always been proud of their history.

Their unions were unaffected by the rise of the shop stewards movement during the first world war and after and the Minority Movement was almost totally devoid of steelworkers.

The reason for this was the leadership's open class collaboration, pointing with pride to the method of settling disputes in steel, the 'independent' conciliation and arbitration machinery which has operated for nearly a century in the industry-the grandfather of workers' participation.

It has been held up by governments and employers as an excellent example of 'good' industrial relations. 'Good' industrial relations, of course, means no strikes.

Inter union

Indeed the only major strike in steel occurred as far back as 1909 and this was an inter-union dispute over negotiating rights!

There have, however, been 'disturbances' since then, in the generalised struggles after the First World War and more recently at Shotton, River Don Sheffield and on several occasions at Port Talbot, where dissenting I.S.T.C. branches were threatened with expulsion and other unions involved lacked the experience to develop any fight in their defence.

The last official strike involving the I.S.T.C. was the 1926 General Strikeand then only reluctantly.

The crucial factor lacking has remained the construction, of the experienced leadership necessary to take on the bureaucrats, fight for a break from the class collaboration of 'participation' and assert the independent class interests of steelworkers.

Continued next week

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