Wade cuts out NGA pay claim pay
Socialist Press1978 1978-02-22Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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Printers have not suffered the usual fate of a sell out halfway through wage negotiations-they have been sold out before the negotiations began!
NGA General Secretary, Joe Wade, has withdrawn the union's claim which would have put it outside the 10% Journalists on provincial papers are paying the penalty of the absence of an adequate struggle over limit-under the flimsy of 'unity' with other unions.
The original claim for the provincial newspaper and printshop typesetters had been small enough-10%, a 35 hour week, retoration of differentials, consolidation of Phases 1 and 2, and improved bonus and a national sick pay scheme.
But Wade had no intention allowing members to fight cover print on wages, despite the union's stance against wage controls and the 12 month rule.
First the Excutive Committee decided to seek a joint approach with SOGAT, NATSOPA and SLADE.
Now all members have been told that 'enough common ground was established' for a joint claim10% plus nothing.
In a letter to members Wade wrote:
"The claim was put forward on the understanding that, as part of the settlement a programme of meetings will be set up to negotiate during the life of the agreement a number of other claims ..
'The NGA's negotiations also made the point that we would expect to have, during the life of the agreement, constructive discussions about finding a comprehensive and permanent solution to the problem of our lower paid members and co-operation from the British Printing Industries Federation and Newspaper Society in encouraging the introduction of self financing productivity schemes'.
'Negotiations' on other aspects of the original claim are therefore being postponed until after the 10% deal is introduced in April.
Wade has given up without shot being fired and SOGAT, NATSOPA and SLADE have followed suit.
• One of the reasons Wade gave for ordering NGA members back at Darlington to scab on the journalists' strike for a closed shop last year, was that the NGA needed to husband resources for the forthcoming wages strike!
PLUS 10% OF COURSE, LET'S SEE, THAT'S...
NOW PLEASE DON'T BE HASTY, SIR... IMM SURE I CAN PRESSURE THE BASTARDS TO GO HOME QUIETLY WITH, LET'S SAY, $1,800? ... 21,600 DONE!!
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EACH-) 2,500 WORKERS $6,000