Rr Pay Defeat Spurs Call for New Leaders

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Rolls Royce strikers picketing the Motorfair early during their dispute a letter to the Oxford Mail on 3 August 1977,, our dispute is concerned with the lowering of staffing levels in the schools and consequently about the quality of the education service to the pupils.

He correctly éxplained that while the Union's actions up to August had won important concessions on redundancies, the Council remained intransigent on its intentions to reduce the teaching force to 4389. At this time, Stedman calculated that 4733 teachers were needed to maintain ratiostaking into account falling rolls.

Intransigent

The Council has remained intransigent on the teaching force-in November we were told by the Union in Campaign Circular 8 that the Council still intends reducing the numbers to 4345-so the sanctions must remain.

Now we are being recommended by the Union's local action committee which is comprised of local Association Secretaries and the officers of the Divisional Committee to accept the Council's offer of-4345 OTORTYLER PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report AROLES ROYCE NUT VARDS After 17 gruelling weeks on a picket line, the 600 strikers at the Mulliner Park Ward Rolls Royce plant in North London decided to accept tne management's offer and return to work.

The men came out last September in support of a demand for a 17% across the board increase as well as much improved sick and holiday pay.

From the very beginning, the ranks were solidly behind the strike, and rebuffed time and again management manoeuvres aimed at dividing the strikers.

Thus when the management last November tried to ballot the strikers and to secure acceptance for their paltry offer, the workers scotched this move by a near DIVISION SHORISTE, ARDS COMPET DREA STRIKE HOLD LAN PUT MEN BISOURIS unanimous decision to l ind over all the ballot paper to the strike committee for destruction.

Protracted

The strike committee itself remained solid throughout; indeed as late as mid-December the strike committee had unanimously rejected management offer of 10% plus a £50 "gratuity".

But the protracted nature of the stoppage and the donothing attitude of local union officials who sat on their hands right throughout the strike combined to wear the men down.

Faced with the prospect of an unhappy Christmas and a not very prosperous New Year on the picket line, the men decided on Decemher 23 *44.+4 to call it a day and accept the offer of 10% plus improved sick and holiday pay.

Yet even if the men go MOTORTAIN back sadder, they also go back wiser, for-like the workers at the other North London plants of Grunwicks and Desoutters-they have seen for themselves the real face of trade union officialdom.

The key figures in securing acceptance of the 10% deal were the regional TGWU official, Len Cowlard, and the Sheet Metal Workers Union official Joe Parker.

Collusion

The degree of collusion between these pillars of wage control and Rolls Royce management was evidenced when notice of the last mass meeting was given; Cowland's letter was written on Rolls Royce notepaper, sent in Rolls Royce envelopes and franked on the Rolls Royce stamper!

The strikers at Mulliners though are determined that these lackeys will not get away with such open flaunting of the wishes of the members.

Replace leaders The stewards have indicated that their key objective now is the replacement of these mis-leaders with representatives who will fight for the workers' interests, not those of mangement.

And as long as the working class feels like that there can be no doubt that future battles and confrontations with management and officials will recur.

The Mulliners strikers may have gone down, but other sections now are queuing to take their place. strike action will stop cuts. Sanctions only serve to isolate and confuse, and break up the unity both within the Union and the unity of teachers with parents.

The Workers Socialist League urges NUT members to examine very closely the record of its leadership.

All Associations hold their AGM's in the coming period, and the Divisional Officers are re-elected later this spring.

Participate in these elections and throw out this leadership which has betrayed us and the pupils we teach!"

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SORORS TOILDNDON -BURK WARD ALLNER