["Non-political" and rank-and-file groups of this kind are…]
Socialist Press1976 1976-07-28Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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"Non-political" and rank-and-file groups of this kind are complete distraction for NALGO members The central fight must be for the training of new leadership in the fight for local and national industrial action to stop the cuts and force a sliding scale of public sector spending to defend against inflation.
700 workers face the sack at the giant I.C.L. factory in Winsford, Cheshire - out of a workforce of 2,000. This will put unemployment up to Northern Ireland proportions, with nearly 20% of the working population without jobs.
The ghost of the 1930s has become a living reality for this town once a booming overspill area for Liverpool's younger families. - L.C.L. workers (mainly ETU, AUEW and staff unions) were not surprised, it has been well noted that meetings at national level between employers and national officials have been taking place over a period of six months, detaiis of which were never made public.
Recently I.C.L.'s unions condemned this secret cabal. The struggle for democracy within the unions is of first importance with such conspiracies afoot.
Local district officials are making the nitual statements of horror (Granada TV reports them as saying they would contest the numbers involved) but all the signs point to them simply wanting a quiet and dignified funeral.
Mass meetings held last Thursday unanimously rejected the redundancy threat - Jimmy Young ETU Steward told Socialist Press:
"All unions involved should fight together, I will be fighting for an occupation of the factory linked industry managed by the unions."
Attempts to coordinate the activities of the nine unions involved will be made early next week. If they are to be of value they must combine the fight for occupation with demands that ICL open their books to elected trade union committees.
The starting point for this investigation must be ICL's links with the giant Plessey corporation, which owns nearly 25% of ICL and which has just reported profits of over £10 million.
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