Astms Strike Sold Out
Socialist Press1977 1977-04-13Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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! The strike of ASTMS technicians at Birmingham Univeraty ended last week.
The technicians voted to return after a recommendation from their *egotiating committee that they accept one extra day's holiday and lurther discussions at a mediation meeting in six weeks time.
This falls far short of the demand for an extra week and despite the claims of the ASTMS cadership to the contrary, it is peen by most of the technicians as • defeat.
UNDERMINED
It was surprising that the settlement came shortly after the lecision of the Vice Chancellors rationally to withdraw support From Birmingham.
This had undermined the position of the university adminstration.
Concerted action by ASTMS Fainst other universities would rittour doubt have brought raffcient pressure to crack the irzingham administration.
BX: S1-7 months of struggle mittea eitective support had Fred the morale of some of the triters This was not caused by hardship (the strikers were on full pay from the union) but by the lack of any perspective for winning the dispute.
Continual threats by the computer section that they would Jenkıns return to work convinced the negotiating committee that . a speedy settlement was essential.
The result is a setback for organisation throughout the university. This is shown clearly by the vicious action of the administration in sacking a young library assistant whose proposals to support the ASTMS dispute had brought library workers out on a one day strike on February 24.
NALGO took the case to a tribunal which found "no evidence of victimisation" in spite of evidence from immediate superiors that the accusations of poor work were a complete lie.
The ad minstration even attempted to prevent the evidence from being given by refusing staff permission to attend the tribunal.
SETBACK
leading member of the ASTMS branch committee has also been removed from her job and put on lower grade work.
The setback in Birmingham is a stark warning of the impact that bureaucratic control and compiete isolation can have on even the most determined workforce.
The blame must be lodged fairly and squarely on the 'left' ASTMS
Scan page 11
SOCIALIST PRESS, Weinesday 13 March, 197; PRAT