War on Jobs

Scan page 1

In a move aimed at destroying trade union organisation in the shipyards, British Shipbuilders management last week withdrew work on an er yaru on Tyneskie, with the expected loss of at least 800 jobs.

The orders were withdrawn because workers refused to give an assurance that they would take no industrial action during the contract, which is for the Polish government.

Closure threat

With the Lib-Lab coalition government's decision to reallocate a further order-for a Navy cruiser-the Swan Hunter yard now faces the clear threat of closure.

This situation is a symptom of a new stage in the government's drive to restore the profitability of British capitalism-a drive that is leading to a wholesale massacre of jobs in the nationalised and state-owned industries.

The world-wide capitalist crisis and the slump in world trade is having a particular effect in heavy industries such as steel and shipbuilding which produce investment goods.

Full brunt

And the coalition government is determined that the full brunt of this crisis should be born by the working class.

Plans have already been announced to axe 25,000 jobs in the steel industry, and the rationalisation of British Leyland is expected to destroy another 12,000.

The carmelonan 1 ne suu snipyara workers under threat of redundancy at Swan Hunter are among the 50,000 shipyard workers scheduled for sacking throughout the EEC if the Euro peàn bosses' latest plans are put into effect.

And while a special Commission proposes closing 46% of EEC shipbuilding capacity, Japanese shipbuilders, who produce half the world's AR LIE COPY PA