Don't Save Jobs

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Over O workers, the 8C majority them Turkish, of have been made redundant through the closure of a large restaurant chain, London Eating Houses. The workers, all members of the International branch of the Transport & General Workers Union, were earning wages as a result of unionisation considerably higher than non-unionised catering workers.

It therefore remains to be seen whether the alleged "bankruptcy" of London Eating Houses is a deliberate attempt on the part of the employers to smash the development of elementary trade jobs can only lead to demoralisation of immigrant workers who find themselves: in vulnerable positions under the reactionary Immigration Act. These sackings come at the same time as the arrest and intended deportation under the Immigration Act of another Turkish worker, Sabri Genk, and possibly others whose names are unknown.

Under the Immigration Act, work permits for immigrant workers are renewable only with the consent of the employer. This makes the struggle for basic trade union rights by immigrant workers at the outset a conflict with the state, and also makes the position of unemployed immigrant workers extremely vulnerable.

Therefore, the struggle for jobs, Unemployment in Britain is still rising rapidly towards the 1½ million mark. The cutbacks in steel production and rail services, the closure of three GEC factories with five thousand redundancies, and the intention to close sixteen power stations in the North of England are the latest manifestations of this trend.

At the same time, the retail price index continues to surge ahead at 25% per annum. The 20% gas and electricity price increases, the proposed increase of 20 to 30% in telephone and postal charges over the next three months guarantees further continued massive increases in the cost of living.

Meanwhile, as real wages are falling, Wilson openly admits his intentions - "rough justice", as he calls it. According to the Economist indicators average earnings have risen over the last three months at only half the rate of increases in prices.

The increase in unemployment at the same time as a fall in real wages gives the lie to the campaign waged by the Labour and trade union leadership to persuade us that wage cuts by reducing industrial costs will protect jobs.

DEMAND is obvious that à wage cut also leads to a fall in demand, further collapse of production and more redundancies. That is not to say that jobs will be produced by an increase in wages: a completely reformist position peddled by the The point is that wage cuts are only one factor in restoring profitability for capitalist industries. The key factor is the increase in the productivity of labour which can only be achieved by reducin the number of men per machin through speed up, closing ineffli ient plants and sackings.

Wage cuts and unemploymen are not alternatives - they are boi necessary to capitalism to restor profitability.

For this reason also, the schem put out by Jones at the TUI conference as an attempt to suga the pill of the f6 wage limit b calling for £500 million investmen to protect jobs is so much hogwas!

State finance investments i slump conditions merely adds i already excess capacity in industr! It does not restore the rate : protit; in fact it will drive it dow further. The rate of profit w only be restored by productivit increases which must invol redundancies.

That is why the demand for programme of public works : defend jobs poses immediately th necessity of developing a worker economic plan and the ending : the capitalist system of productio for profit.

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