MacGregor puts the boot in! 20,000 може sackings
Socialist Press1980 1980-12-17Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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La l new round of struggles in week pay strike-and an which once again their own eventual 14% settlement. limitations are exposed.
MacGregor's tactics have This year the new steel boss been correctly likened by Ian MacGregor feels confident AUEW bureaucrat Gavin Laird enough of the spinelessness of as a parallel to those of Michael union leaders arrogantly to announce not only 20,000 more redundancies but also a total pay freeze for steel workers at least until July. The problem faced by steelIn other words with inflation workers is that the tactics of running now at 15%, steel workers are being called upon to their union leaders are also the same as those of the union accept a 15% cut in their living leaders in British Leylandstandards in order to bail BSC empty protests followed by out of its colossal economic abject surrender.
ISTC leaders console themselves with statements that for the Tories to close down BSC altogether and put 390,000 onto the dole would bring down Of course it: is obvious to anyone that even if the entire the Thatcher government.
Our task is not to speculate BSC workforce worked the next twelve months for nothing at what might topple the Tories. all, the money saved would it is to mobilise all-out action that will bring them down. scarcely make a dent in the £10 Steelworkers March 9 Steelworkers, public sector million a week losses run up by the corporation in the midst of workers and others must unite in this struggle-before still Thatcher's slump.
The argument that "sacri- further setbacks take place. fice" by workers will "save the *Detend all jobs. Occupaindustry" is a transparent fraud. tions and supporting strikes to Major factors in BSC's crisis prevent plant closures and are the soaring interest pay*No to the pay freeze! ments siphoned off by the Demand wage increases to probankers, the sky-rocketing cost tect against inflation, with a of energy imposed by Tory policies, and plummeting cost of living clause to keep Space with rising prices. demand for steel as factories *Unite public sector workers close and whole industries grind against the Tories' offensive! to record low leveis of output. Build councils of action!
But steel union leaders, petrified by the independent strength and tenacity shown by their members in the 1980* strike, have no plan to fight either 'the new redundancies or MacGregor's pay freeze.
ISTC suggestion According to the Guardian ISTC leaders had themselves actually planned to suggest a pay freeze-in return for a 12month moratorium on redun20 December Edwardes.
Surrender EEI crisis.
million a redundancies!