Steel: new threat of sackings

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AGAINST 2,500 teachers earlier this month at an all-London conference Commons last week as Industry Secretary Eric Varley outlined a new round of cutbacks and speed-up in the steel £l billion is to be cut from the British Steel Corporation's investment programme, cancelling a number of planned projects, combined with a drive to cut back manning by another 38,000 over the next five years.

The announcement produced support from the Tory benches, and mixed reaction PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report Kinnock from Labour back benchers, some of whom still appear not to have grasped the role of the Lib-Lab coalition government in carrying through attacks on the working class.

David Lambie, Labour MP for Central Ayrshire pointed out that unemployment in his area was already 35% -and would be worsened by the steel cuts.

"How can he justify that from a Labour government?" he asked in confusion.

Caught in middle

Meanwhile the Labour *left' found itself divided between the willing collaborators and the verbal protestors.

Caught in the middle was Tribunite Neil K innock, who had been a part of the recent Select Committee that recommended steel cutbacks, but Fred Jarvis, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, resorted to cheap rhetoric to try and hide the wage cut which he helped negotiate for his members when he addressed the NUT conference last Saturday.

Despite his assertion that the NUT refused to accept government wages policy as it was not agreed to by the TUC he nevertheless urged the acceptance of 10% on delegates.

Mr. J. O'Murphy of the Executive even claimed that a great victory had been won.

Delegates opposing acceptance called for a fight for the full 124 claim and for action to be stepped up to achieve this.

The inadequacy of the original claim clearly weakened the arguments of the opposition, although they failed to make this point or to challenge the Executive on their refusal to put forward a claim which would begin to restore living standards to 1975 levels.

Jarvis turned the fire away from himself by his popular demagogic attacks on the press for their coverage of the recent sanctions adopted by teachers.

WHY,LOCK-IT'S THAT ALWAYS IN THE FRONT) CHARMING MR OFISHALL AGAIN LOYAL SUBJECT! RANK-A MOST In 0000° HE GIVES UP HOURS OF HIS TIME TO BE HERE...

WHAT COOPERATION!

TV who posed last week as an opponent of Varley's latest cuts.

This point was picked up by fellow 'left' Denis Skinner who pointed out that :

"It is the height of hypocrisy for members of the committee who voted for closures to come here now in synthetic indignation"

But it is also the height of hypocrisy for 'left' talkers like Skinner to mouth opposition to the policies of the Lib-Lab coalition and the right wing Labour leaders while refusing to lead any campaign in the Labour Party to break the deal or oust Callaghan-Healey.

Meanwhiie, as ever, steel union leaders remain locked in abject collaboration with BSC management, dedicated against racism and fascism The Sun in particular received the brunt of his attack.

In his Secretary's address on Monday Jarvis turned this time to lambast politicians for their hypocrisy and for to the "viability"

Corporation.

Steel workers must reject this standpoint. They must fight instead for the opening of the books of BSC and of the private steel producers to elected union committees. This would open up discussion of such questions as why government and EEC cash is being used by privately-owned CK N to build new steel plants even while BSC is being cut back. would expose the way the whole "nationalised" sector is being plundered for profit by private suppliers, hauliers, manufacturers, bankers and distributors, and the need for these sectors to be nationalised under workers management. the way they played on racial prejudices.

However his own honesty was called into question on the subject of the Executive proposals on salaries. and education standards.

A GOOD SENSIBLE SORT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT U'D DO WITHOUT HIM...

HE SEES THE OTHER SIDE'S )

POINT OF VIEW EVEN BEFORE THEY DO! RISO the dispute was Jes of NEVER NE AGAIN! AG NAZI STOP THE H Many Cl shed but r posed to problems.

NOR ME, JIM— A MOST REALISTIC AND MODERATE CHAP, 1 ONLY WISH MY 'FISHALLL- YOU'RE BACK! WHAT THAT LOT? TELL : GARNERS STRIKERS THE BASTARDS TO SOD IE BEEN PHONING FOR * OFFA AYS WANTING HELP... Renort Skinner And it would strengthen the case for an immediate policy of dividing the reduced amount of available work in the industry among the whole workforce, at no loss of pay, while steps are taken to provide for a planned expansion of the steel industry as part of a planned socialist economy.

ocodile tears ere o action was deal with the Waffle The salary policy for the Burnham Report 1979-80 contained the same stale formulae as last year and was fuli of meaningless waffle.

For example, the executive proposed as point 1 "'an increase in salary for all teachers to improve their real standards of living"

An amendment calling for an increase of not less than £1,000 for all teachers and inflation proofing was ridiculed by Max Morris and thrown out on the recommendation of the Executive.

No cover Similarly, an amendment putting forward some policies to fight the cuts, for example no cover for absences of more than one day and the establishment in each locality of joint committees of action with other trade unionists affected by the cuts was also A substantial vote was gained for an Oxfordshire Division amendment which would have meant the end of covering for absences, a form of unpaid overtime, from 1 September 1979.

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PHOTO: Mark Rusher, IFL IFL

EMPLOYEES WERE LIKE HIM! =57