Her. Published by Cardinal Enterprises for Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1. Printed by East End Offset Ltd (TU), London E2 JIM Prior's revelation of Tory plans for the unemployed give an insight into the way in which they intend to use unemployment as a weapon.
Prior proposed in a speech last week that the unemployed should do 'voluntary. work in return for the dole. His remarks caused & massive storm, but while he was busy covering his tracks Earl Gowrie, State for Employment, added fuel to the fire by suggesting unemployed people who refused to participate in 'voluntary' should have their dole cut! Benefit 'It's perfectly reasonable to say that if you draw benefit and there are schemes whereby you can make a contribution, then you unreasonably refuse to do so, ' he said The statements of Prior Gowrie are hardly an accident; they are obviously the product of discussions in the lory Tory government is a government of deliberate unemployment.
Wages Keith Joseph's speech two weeks ago suggesting that workers could find jobs by accepting lower wages shows the object of this policy to weaken the power and economic strength of the working class. Now they force workers to participate in comDUSUry dole.
Their plans to use the unemployed as cheap labour in hospitals'and other government services would have the Adventure Playground last week. Registered with the Post Office as a n Minister of that work 8i21 Calderell shouldn't public sector workers.
leadership. This UCUS technology they realise fighting want to Insight exchange for the of capitalism.
WORK FOR YOUR -DOLE "YOUR CORVAN YES, I'M AN UNEMPLOMED effect of weakening the trade union organisation and living standards of Prior's proposals are a sign of the them. times. The goverument obviously exunemploy. ment. But they want to disipline the unemployed. As the effects of the new combine with the crisis, that millions of many of them youth, will be an explosive and a voltile social force. So the Tory 'think tank' wants to keen the unemploved oc. cupied, as well as making money from Prior and Gowrie unwittingly.give a graphic insight into the irrationality 1,650,000 people are unemployed — but not because there is no work for them to do — quite the HER LE EAST Demonstrators protest against Thatcher's hypocrisy, after she had opened the Attlee Memorial Foundation OF HOSPITAL WORK? opposite. They : are because the capitalist system can't employ them and make a profit out If the capitalists can't make a profit, then factories close and millions are thrown out of work. Productive capacity goes to waste and lives are ruined. Nothing better demonstrates the need for socialist measures — based on need and not on profit - including a programme of useful public works. Talent Obviously it is wasteful that the unemployed are idle, that their immense collective talent and ability is unused. Obviously they should be given productive work — but at trade union the normal job security. And to do so means an economy that breaks with the logic of profit. James Prior the jobs holocaust.
ment Act.
beat the employers from South Wales.
ment.
Britain; Abroad:
Name Address ACTION STARTS ON JOBS THE SHOCKWAVES of unemployment are bringing a response from the labour movement. Calls have been made for protest action at the TUC Congress and the Tory Party conference, and the Labour Party is considering proposals for a national rally against CALL NUMBER ONE comes from the Mobilising Committee against Unemployment for a fight by the TUC. The Committee is calling for a lobby of the TUC Congress on 1 September; they will join the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions who are calling for total resistance by the TUC to the implementation of Prior's EmployWorksharing without loss of pay will be the most prominent of the demands which the lobbyers will ask the TUC to promote as a policy to CALL NUMBER TWO comes from the LCDTU and the Defend Our Unions Committee. Both are calling for a mass turn out on Friday 10 October on the last day of the Tory Party conference in Brighton. They will be protesting against the mass unemployment policies of the Tories. Joining them will be members of the 17 day long Right to Work March CALL NUMBER THREE will be considered by Labour Party leaders this month. A proposal will come forward for a mass rally against unemployment in Liverpool — one of the cities hardest hit by unemploy.
* LOBBY THE TUC. 'Share the work without loss of pay!' Mon day 1 September, noon, Conference Centre, Brighton.
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