After accepting 'voluntary redundancies and acmonstraung tel complete inability to fight the Britisn steel corporation s ranionansation plans, the leadership of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation came up last week with an even quainter idea on how to defend steel workers interests.
In Corby, a town heavily dependent on steel for jobs, the BSC wants to reduce its workforce by 1,200 to 11,000 - sooner rather than later, even according to ISTC officials. The response of John Cowling, ISTC executive member, was not that these redundancies snowa be resistea. un no, ns members will simply refuse to cover the work of those that leave -unless they get extra pay.
But Mr Cowling does not stop at encouraging his members to act like Judas. If such an increase runs counter to the Government's present £6 limit policy, then he would settle for a promise of a productivity award under the next stage of the policy. The thirty pieces of silver would be on tick.
Rationalisation Thus the ISTC executive has not only accepted the BS's rationalisation policy in general, it will actually fight for the implementanon or producuvity schemes something which must bring tears to the eyes of Harold Wilson, fresh from denouncing car workers for not working hard enough because they are allegedly being featherbedded' by Government money.
The steel unions acceptance of voluntary redundancies nas lert local local plants isolated to face BSC's national onslaught. ROY MORGAN convenor of the EEPTU (electricians' union) at BS's Whiteheads plant in Newport, described to Red Weekly the steps being taken to try and build a united response in the South Wales area.
This is an urgent task for steel workers throughout the country if isolation and defeat is to be avoided. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake. To defend them, action committees are needed in every plant to link craft and production workers ***× • How will BSC's proposals affect the Newport area?
As tar as redundancies are concerneo. tnere are two aspects. recessional over manning and in bullt overmanning. ine first involves redundancies to meet present needs, the second is the ten year strategy. In the Newport area immed iately there will be roughly 100 redundancies at Panteg works, about 2,000 at Llanwern, and 250 at Whiteheads.
The real problem is that Sirs and Co. have handed over on a silver platter what was asked for on the night of the lond vigil'. The differences are only cosmetic. Redundancies are still there The Corporation's idea is that the mannine wiDe recuccoarters weeks ov compulsory redundancies • What do you think of the accept ance of voluntary redundancies by the union leadership? ine policy or my union leadersnio is to reduce the manning to the levels required - hence voluntary redundancies, a sell-out. We must oppose all redundancies as a matter of policy. What is difficult is getting it over to a lad with a huge cheque in his nanos unar voluntary recuncancies nean a job gone and everyone eise working TWICe as TasT • How do you see the fight back developing after recent events? The BSC are very clever. Instead of having a national struggle on their hands, they nave channelled the discontent to the local plant. BSC management are united organised and have a line - it's in the and plant with plant, and so overcome the splitting role of their own union leaderships. On that basis a fight can be launched for the extension of the guaranteed working week to give 100 per cent protection to jobs and living standards, and for the opening of BSC's books to prepare a workers plan which defCHes oos Benson Report and other recent documents. They know where they want to go. But the union leadership don't have any idea of fighting. So the danger is demoralisation and isolduon What's more, the issues are confused on the local level. Some plants see week end working as being the main issue, others the guaranteed week, and others. redundancies. The union officials' cavein is responsible for this situation, thereTore the night back and the clearing up o this mess lies with the rank and file.
The problem is to forge the unity of all the workers around certain demands. The need for unity has always been there - the BSC management has been united for years! The IMG pamphlet written in 1972 shows this • What steps have been taken locally to get this unity?
Well, the Whiteheads workers don't know what's happening at Llanwern. But work. ers are beginning to see the need tor unity in the South Wales region. There have been moves by the AEU at Llanwern to establish regional committees of the stewards. These should be extended to include other unions. The need has never been greater or more urgent.
Steelworkers are fighting for the right to work of all workers. For a start, prod uctivity schemes and demanning are be ing discussed and implemented in the Post Office, cars, railways and so on. They have picked on us first. We are the first on the chopping block, but it will be the turn of other workers tomorrow. The need for a united fight back should be