Tyneside Jobs Blackhai
Socialist Press1977 1977-11-30Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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While the press last week exulted at the capture of a £100 million order for ships for the Polish Government, workers were not so enthusiatic.
It appears there is a snag in the deal. The 'socialists' of the Polish government say they won't sign any firm orders unless * the workers who are going ; to produce the ships give a firm committment not to take industrial action which might hold up their delivery.
During the week therefore, the Government has faced the workers in Clydeside and Tyneside shipyards with the following choice: agree not to strike and to increase productivity, or else no orders and (by implication) no jobs.
These terms have already been accepted by shop stewards at Govan shipbuilders who pressed acceptance of the terms through a mass meeting.
At Swan Hunters on the Tyne however, the government and union bureaucracy has not had such an easy ride. 1700 outfitters have refused to call off an overtime ban in support of a parity wage demand.
The calling off of the ban has been made a condition of the yard getting the order. The main agent of the employers in there 'negotiations' is a member of the board of the newly nationalised British Shipbuilders, Mr. John Chalmers.
Mr. John Chalmers, the management negotiator is none other than 'Brother' John Chalmers the general secretary of the Boilermakers Union!
In similar ways in different industries the international crisis of capitalism is forcing reformist and Stalinst leaders to come out openly as agents of management and defenders of capitalist 'viability'.
Construction
The problems now facing workers can only be resolved through the construction of a new leadership prepared to struggle on a principled programme in defence of jobs and wages.