Too Civil Servants in pay battle

Scan page 11

"workers' cooperative" •. the chapels should have been demanding immediate nationalisation of both papers The Institution of Professional Civil Servants-which organises Government scientists and technologists in areas such as Air Traffic Control, nuclear reactors and safety in mines establishmentsstaged a one-day strike on Friday in pursuit of their pay claim.

The strike was significant as it was the first time the NEC had issued an overall instruction to strike.

Reluctance

The previous reluctance to take industrial action had caused much ill-feeling between IPCS and the other Civil Service Unions over the one-day strikes during this year's long and bitter pay negotiations.

Possibly as a result of their reluctance to act on that occasion, the Government is now attempting to sell its scientists and technologists short by paying them less in comparison with other Civil Servants as Workers at West London's Hammersmith Hospital have been called on to stage a token strike on Friday June 29 in support of victimised NUPE chairman Bill Geddes.

Geddes was. sacked by Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow Area Health Authority only days after hitting the headlines by his speech at the NUPE conference where he successfully moved a call for a ampaign to drive private patients out of NHS hospitals.

Workers at Renolds Chains in Didsbury, Manchester have been occupying the works since Thursday after management attempted to lock them out.

The thousand strong workforce, in the AUEW, GWU and TGWU, had turned down a pay well as their counterparts in the private sector.

'The NEC's decision to instruct its members to strike was thoroughly vindicated as there was practically total support for the action and well-supported picket lines at most workplaces.

Most IPCS grades still do not know what their final pay instalment to be paid in January will be-and the pay review was due last April!

IPCS must now join the efforts of the other Civil Service Unions to break from the archaic and pernicious system of pay negotiations which sets union against union and lower paid against higher paid.

Price index

Flat rate increases, protected against inflation through cost-of-living clauses based on a working class price index will ensure a better deal for the low paid and end the divisiveness and bitterness that has characterised • this year's struggle for fair pay for government workers.

An official NUPE circular calls on local Health Service branches to send delegations to support . the Hammersmith action, which will include a picket and demonstration outside the AHA meeting.

But there is little doubt that one-day and token actions will be insufficient to change the AHA's decision: Goddes' reinstatement must be fought for through all-out strike action, stressing the obvious link between his victimisation and the stepped up Tory cuts in the NHS and public sector as a whole. offer consisting of about £2.50 on basic, with an additional £2.50 bonus in return for shedding some jobs.

In support of an improved offer they had banned overtime and bonus working.

Shop stewards at the works told Socialist Press that current pay is £37-£38 for unskilled grades and that the previous bonus scheme had delivered only 38p in the first month of operation and nothing for months subsequently.

Now, with the workers rejecting the company's offer, management removed the clock cards at lunchtime on Thursday and refused to pay for work done in the afternoon.

In addition they have threatened 107 redundancies on 14 September.

The occupation, involving all the workforce and run in shifts is preventing movement of supplies into the plant and removal of chains from the storage warehouse, though management and the clerical grades are still being allowed in.

Workers at the multinational firm's other British plant, in Coventry, have pledged support but as yet no approach has been made to Renolds factories worldwide.

The question of dispute pay from the unions and the establishment of a dispute fund also remains to be.. settled.

----- pull-quotes -----

occupy up

workers plant