Civil Service Special

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BEFORE the 1979 general election, top Tories drew up a secret 'hit list' of relatively weak and poorly-organised workers to be taken on and defeated. Four groups were singled out: steelworkers, British Leyland, the rail unions and the civil servants.

The idea, of course, was to move on to the big battalions - miners, dockers and so forth -on the basis of victories over these weaker groups.

Setback

The militancy of rank and file steelworkers took Thatcher by surprise. But in BL things have gone very much according to plan so far - and employers everywhere have begun copying Michael Edwardes' anti-union Forget the white collar, bowler hat image. They are as dedicated trade unionists anybody...

'Do not be

P.CS TISH iate which was set up 25 years ago. The Government has not only taken that off them but also right to Sp if sold separately 15 per cent increase (with a minimum of £10) - hardly enough to keep up with inflation. The Tories, after unilaterally tearing up the civil servants' pay comparability agreement and refusing even to release the results of the official comparability study, have offered seven per cent.

The average civil service pension - contrary to popular myth - is only £29 a week. And 37,000 civil service jobs have been slashed since May 1979 - with another 65,000 scheduled for the chop if the Tories have their way.

And as for their right to be considered 'real' trade unionists - 45,000 CPSA members voted for an indefinite strike (with no strike pay), as did 20,000 in the other civil service unions. .

Despite the cowardice and incompetence of the leadership, there is no doubt about the guts and determination of the rank and file.

The civil service strike is the central anti-Tory fight taking place at the moment. A victory for the civil service workers would be a massive blow to the whole anti-working class strategy of this Pictures is page and page 4 • HOWLAND (IFL) page 16, ANDREV WIARD (REPORT