Fisons fightback By lan Parker and Simon Hampton WORKERS al ine Sons Terilizer niani Catrenown Plymouth, have halted the movement of lorbid 120 workers were orven 9u-00vs notice redundancy plant's economic viability. iney are baraculary aner at having put in long hours Xmas stockpile Redundancies have already boosted Plymouth's unemoroyment rate per cent. Hopefully the resistance Fison's workers will help to turn the tide. By Celia Pugh in Cardiff OVER a hundred ships are now out of action as a result of the industrial action being taken by the National Union Seamen.
The union is demanding a 25.7 per cent wage rise and in. creased overtime This week, however, the NUS executive decided escalating the action to a twoady all-out strike The union's Cardiff branch was the first to begin industrial action when it refused to allow the Texaco Gloucester and more ships over the New Year period.
The militancy of the South Wales seafarers was evident at the first mass meeting of the Cardiff branch on Tuesday of last week.
Full-time area official Tommy Hanley told members: government Inev want shipowners follow others like Michael Edwardes ana vorce us onto our knees. But we'll win by sticking togetner.
of payments against sail four 'The this to unanineusly The explained:
calo pose ships the ward to victory!' competition liberation of political and philosophical Not lett Jim Slater at NUS Executive meeting last week ficials fell for the propaganda provide of politicians and academics by bulletin, accepting demanning and proto rescind these "General PurInterdepartmental TGWU, will give us a chance to keep jobs, cut our hours and employ ecutive demanding such action COUNTRY Denmark USA strength and resolve to go for- Norway W Germany To demonstrate this point, a Japan Holland Liberia meeting, which also agreed to Britain Greece weekly mass meetings and to Philippines UNDER the banner of Wycombe Students and CND Your a hole pres outside the gates of an American Airforce base just before Xmas The base is to be the site for the back-up regular information through a disputes committee The Welsh Seaman Successes already notched up by the disputes committee include solidarity and financial pledges from the Welsh TUC NUR, NUM and local trades councils.
Seafarers' pay in the West $ PER MONTH 1139 system for Cruise missiles.
of the demonstrators Lorraine Edwardes, said We were amazed with une support we got. were loaned aulu given tents heaters, hot water WULLICO food and drink. Loads of people stopped they were so glad that someone was pro. testing' Support also Callie black Gis in the base. Nuclear free zone on By Phil Dexter West Newcastle CND ment.
80,000 leaflets Sunderland.
want unilateral disarmament.
such as South Yorks in declaring bomb group has been formed. save newspaper JOURNALISTS fighting save the Camden Journal from closure had their first taste of victory week when print union support prevented publication the Hornsey Jourand Islington Gazette. The papers are within the same North London group.
The solidarity Calle the London Central committee or ine distaoudancies and a month-long pay freeze ding backing that he has claimed Almost half the employees plan or abstained. plan, many were plastics and engineering tional leadership, against MacGregor. been left to local areas, over the details of the plan. THURSDAY night is normally tranquil in Newcastle. This was not the case last week when 2,500 took to the streets behind the banner of Tyneside for Nuciear DisarmaThe torchlight procession was part of an ac. tion week which included the distribution of 3,000 and march in At a packed rally after Thursday's demo, the message was: We don't want Cruise, and we do Tyne and Wear county council has joined areas itself as nuclear-tree zone. We now want the counci to refuse to take part in so-called civil defence exer. cises and close down the bunker in Sunderland.
The weakness of the Newcastle demo was that there were no trade union or Labour Party banners, which is why a labour movement antiPrintworkers back fight to tion union SOGAT. But the the • decided to lake no supporlive achon The striking journalists continue to local sold 200 Camden people involved in distributing it : was held outside the Camden Journal ornice. vesterday •ane local demonstration is planned for in opposition to cut. and , as wel as lie newspaber closure 'THE ballot of fear' was how the union leaders christened the British Steel Corportation's ballot on a package of 22,000 redunSteelworkers had received three letters from BSC boss lan MacGregor, which said that there unless they accepted the plan. This blackmail was also illustrated by a video film and glossy leaflets.
National leaders of the craft unions and the National Union of Blastfurnacemen caved in from the start, informing their members that acceptance of rationalisation now could save jobs in the future. Although the main steel union ISTC called for a rejection of the plan, it failed to specify any Not surprising, MacGregor has secured a Yes vote from BSC workers but without the resoun • voted against the Of the 63,237 voting for the non-BSC subsidiaries in ISTC's own ballot of its members showed that despite the corporation's threats and the puny nalarge of prepared up MacGregor. A total of 18,392 steelworkers voted Opposition to closures has , with the national leaders rejecting strike action in favour of negotiating
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spite of evidence
Anti-nukes demo at airforce base
Steel union leaders back MacGregor's plan
Trades Councils Conference on BUILDING WORKING