Defend All Humber Jobs

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With local unemployment now running at 16,000, further massive redundancies At Hawker Siddley Brough layoffs of 450 were announced last month, followed rapidly by 350 at Needlers in Hull and an expected 700 sackings through Council cutbacks.

This comes on top of closures at Imperial Typewriters, Drypool shipyards and Thorn Electrics, plus massive layoffs at Ideal Standard, Rosedown and in the fishing industry, not to mention the major cut-backs in all the public services.

In the face of these closures, the local trade union leadership offer nothing.

MOBILISATION

The only defence of these and other jobs lies in a rejection of the employers plan for rationalisation and the mobilisation of the working class in defence of jobs and wages.

The following resolution was passed at the l Hul AUEW 13 Branch:

This Branch places on record its disgust at the impending redundancies forecast at the Hawker Siddley Aviation plant. Branch recalls the TUC guide lines upon which the 5% social contract was negotiated in order to redress the balance (ie, the fall in living standards of the Trade Union membership).

The points agreed upon were:

1. A gradual lowering of unemployment levels.

2. Holding down of prices.

3. Less cuts in Social Services.

4. Reduction of the present inflation rate and the increase of housing to solve the unemployment in the building trades.

In breaking those points, Branch records that this contract now exists as nothing less than an illegal document of betrayal in which the rank and file had very little to say.

MARO shock and anger. chank and angar The cuts are so bad that some headmasters are refusing to carry out the sackings themselves. Yet what does Mr. Stedman say as his dream world collapses around him?

"It would appear the government circulars have been misleading us all by stating that staffing levels in schools had been provided for in the rate support grant. I feel teachers have been badly let down. We have had assurances over and over again which now prove to be worthless."

Meanwhile in neighbouring Buckinghamshire, the axe will fall just as sharply. The council there is considering closing every single one of the county's nursery schools, making 350 teachers redundant.

The Buckinghamshire Division of the NUT has called for a half day strike on the day the Policy and Resources Committee meets next month. They will get a massive response in Buckinghamshire just as thev did in Oxfordshire With local unemployment figures at 16,000 and still rising, plus the fact of this Labour government's refusal to grant area development status, forecasts a bleak future for all unemployed and their families, and therefore Branch calls upon District Committee to implement a programme based on the following perspectives and to put an end to the complacency which has permeated this area for so long:

a. A fight to reject all redundancies (even voluntary if possible) at Hawker Siddley Aviation, and a demand for work sharing on full pay by division of total hours among the whole workforce.

b. Any rejection of this demand, then the Company should open the books to a elected Trade Union Committee involved, to prove the case for nationalisation of the aircraft industry, with no compensation for the old owners (Workers' Management Control).

c. Provision for Civilian aircraft contracts and a programme of useful public works in the form of hospital and medical needs (ie. cardiac, radiology and lung machines, and also the production of cars for disabled persons should not be ruled out, especially where the skills of the membership cannot and must not be allowed to stagnate in unemployed decay.

d. Failure to meet these demands must be met by the mobilisation of all local AUEW membership in order to protect the jobs of all concerned, including factory occupations led by the respective leadership of the unions involved, in support of Unity of Purpose.

Branch requests that copies of this resolution • be forwarded to District Committee for Divisional attention and national support and also copies to Hull and District Trades Council and for Branch representatives to request Council support by contacting the Joint Shop Stewards Committee from Hawker Siddley to discuss all points concerning job protection.

EDUCATION Oxford teachers demonstrate against cuts Oxforă teachers demonstrate against ci But what will the teachers be D.i .L.t :l ila tranhru. told? That a Tory council is overreacting to government circulars? Will a panel of national speakers from the public sector unions boast as they did in Oxfordshire of their close contact with government officials and how Shirley Williams will stamp on the Tory plans?

"NO COVER"

The betrayal by the union leaders goes as deep as that by the Labour government. Teachers adopting a 'no cover' policy must of course be supported. But that will not prevent the cuts going through.

The evidence is that teachers and parents alike would support massive industrial action by the teachers to fight these cuts in the only possible way - by all out strike action.

Teachers in Buckinghamshire beware. Look across the border to your neighbouring county and see there what the policies of the NUT leaders realiv mean

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are planned for workers in North Humberside.

=LESS CU TEA POORER FUTURE. SUFFER.