Sirs still ready to auction jobs

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So Bill Sirs, under the watchful eye of a huge negoțiating team which BSC management likened to "four rugby teams", has rejected the 137 pay offer. But what kind of settlement are the ISTC leaders looking for?

Are they really prepared to lake a stand against the insistence by both BSC and the Tory government that the steel industry must be made "viable" at the expense of steelworkers?

It is increasingly clear that they are not. Sirs, for instance, now claims that he was *misled". : He was apparently under the impression that a 4i payment, to be paid subject to local productivity deals, would be paid at once, and thus part of a 13% offer. SNODGRASS, MOMENT E IS...

Tilliers But Sirs has never challenged the fact that the bulk of the initial offer -some Zi-is conditioned on prior ISTO agreement to new "etficiency" measures and manning reductions.

Nor has he dwelt on the fact that the other 2' -the initial "pay offer" -is only in fact the outcome of consolidating existing pay supplements into basic rates.

No increase #tectively . steel workers have still not been offered any pay increase at all-except through selling jobs and working conditions!

But the ISTC's own draft agreement drawn up for negotiations (revealed in outline by this weck's Obserrer) contains wholesale concessions to BSC management's call to cút overtime and absentecism, and to impose "international manning standards"

And it starts from BSC's own premic that "significant pay rises will be financed through improved pertormance"

Sufficient price

The fact is that Bill Sirs and i cornered ISTC burcaucracy have been forced into a strike by the mood of their rank and file-and have from the beginning sought not to defend jobs and working conditions but to sell both, provided only that a sutticiently high price can be obtained.

Hence Sirs' glectul predictions of an impending settlement last week and his crestfallen indignation at the ropetition of the old 13' offer on Friday afternoon.

Having experienced the humiliation of shelling out €10,000 in rail fares and hotel bills for the privilege of being exposed as an idiot in front of a 70-strong rank and file negotiating team, he cannot now atford to call-at least for a few weeks-for acceptance of the ...AND IF IT ISN'T AT E TEMPERATURE, OUR WHC BUT I MEANT THE WINE!

OH YES.

Sirs offer swallowed union Icaders.

*20% without strings!

*Defend all jobs!

*Demand the TUC General Strike!

*Bring down KACTLY THE RIGHT LE PAY OFFER " MAY BE UTTERLY SCUPPERED...

AH, HERE HE IS !

KNOCK KNOCK by cratt Badges Even as Sirs affixes badges saying "20,; -no strings" to his plush lapels, stcel workers must beware. Given the slightest lecway, ho will be auctioning off their jobs and bard won working conditions.

The struggle to extend the strike to other sections of workers-strengthened. by last weck's decisions by drivers in the West Midlands and by the TGWU Northern Region for lorries not to cross steciworkers' picket lines-must press ahead.

Steelworkers participating in the February 18 protest against the cuts in Yorkshire must take up the tight. for Yorkshire miners and other unions to join in the struggle for General Strike action to defeat the steel closures and bring down the reactionary Tory government That now threatens the whole working class.

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