RAILWORKERS are facing a major attack Management is threatening to shut down British collection and delivery parcels section volves thousands workers.
It want to rationalise the marshalling yards, close stations, and cut back passenger services. Productivity measures such as one-person train operators are also on the cards.
All of this will result in massive job loss, and the National Union of Railwaymen's pay claim obligingly binas wade rises to conditions and work practices.
Gcorr HENSBY. • Decretary the NUR's Paddington No 1 Branch, told Brian Grogan how he sees the fightback developing in the union.
'The miners could make Thatcher turn because they took an intransigent attitude.
Hensby considers. 'They.
secretary, Sidney the union's take a lead from the miners?' Instead, as Geoff explains, the executive nas not line against British Rail.
'It has closure of collection and delivery (C&D) might be acceptable if certain matters which relate to pay culmination of the march Liverpool to London.
As a national focus for the growing anger in the labour movement against the Tories, and a growing mood! expressed strikes and occupations for a fightback to kick out Thatcher comes not a moment too soon.
The latest unemploythe same time as the plans LUI demonstration were announced on Tuesday.
There are now over 2,484,000 registered unemployed in Britain, rise of 21,000 from last month's total. These are the worst March figures since the war, in a month when traditionally the figures take a steep dive. Knees The civil service unions and bankworkers are taking achion now tor a lving wage. The response to the demonstrations against unemployLiverpool and Glasgow was tremendous.
miners brought Thatcher her knees.
Now is the time to mobilise against the Tories.
However, the march organisers are more Colcerned mobilising support from the clergy, community and welfare organisations, and even employers' organisation the CBI.
'The strength of the Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 and conditions are fulfilled. of maniac citell las La loss of 6,000 jobs.
jobs will be closure.
Geoff were employers. general jobs, as Geoff explains: Weighell, and are openly executive retirement. filled. They've sold their jobs. taken a hard that the will be the for jobs from march will be its broad base', was how Pete Carter the West Midlands TUC and West Midlands region building workers' UCATT, Harking back to the dark days of defeat in the '30s, Colin Barnett, TUC North-west Regional Council secretary, said:
'Liverpool, like Jarrow, will become a symbol of the nation's rejection of policies that deliberately create unemployment and the desire of the British people for a return to full He rightly pointed out the dangers of the growth Tascismn, especially among the youth who face The solution, he said was to will tie nearts and minds of people to an intellectual and practical alternative. In every town on lne route inere will be official meetings putting Lie i TUC's alternative economic strategy.
Controls This alternative will be of the week of alation culminating in textile workers demonstration Bradford on Saturday !! April which will be calling for import controls.
Yet Made that the closure of C&D will mean This is a conservative estimate in Geoff's opinion, because other affected by the The NUR has a no compulsory redundancy agreement with the But this isn't saving 'Workers asked TO take settlement (redundancy) or early But their jobs aren't 'Our union leadership has been able to turn our gain of no com. pulsory redundancies against us.' wages Weighell is full of talk about using the 'full industrial power of Nowhere in the official leaflets for this week of acion is there even a mention OI shortening the working week or fighting ban overtime alone a call for a 35-hour week with no loss of which Das been policy since 1972!
A 35-hour week would effectively wipe out unemployment. The TUC's own figures show that an end to overtime would create 700,000 jobs immediately.
At the time of the Jarrow march in the '30s, the movement had suffered the defeat of the General Strike accade ol mass unemployment.
Today the miners have shown that the situation is the union. and the executive is meant to be ooposed the to the closure of C&D. 'Yet representatives have the go-ahead to discuss with management about closure Geoff Hensby says.
The collection and delivery section is in dire financial straits because there has been no investment over the years.
Geoff is adamant that it is a political decision not to invest 'to allow the friends of the Tories virus ike Securicor to take over this area of business. They're all hovering around like vultures.' Weighell's attempt to relate benefits management. 'We need a straight across-the-board crease for 35 HOUR VEARS Of very different. It was their decision inCustod Thatcher running scared.
That's the message that come out march for jobs.
Five thousand workers struck in Liverpool on Wednesday of last week over cuts. The Scottish TUC and the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Unions al c calling two-hour geenral strike Fories on e aainst the This is the direction the supporters oI the march take. Otherwise the bells that are going to be rung in the churches on the route could well be for the funeral of the movement rather than victory, over the government.
OF believes. can only afford 6 per cent -union increased productivity. been to say that railworkers will not pay tor a wage increase by accepting the loss of jobs.
The waymen has formed an alliance with the steelworkers union and the miners — the triple alliance.
Geoff thinks this is very important, but 'Weighell, Sirs see the alliance as a respectheir knees in front of eating or table forum for iointlv 'They don't intend to mobilise the membership. What we need is an alliance starting at grass roots level', he adds. tively challenge Thatcher and her Geoff agents in British Rail. By bringing ERS 'Management says We have The National Union of Raillevel. and Gormley and plains.
'We have to effecand LIVERPOOL TO LONDON 1-31 MAY Paddington No1 Branch NUR Public Meeting Defend our Railways:
Build the Triple Alliance Wednesday 8 April, 7.30pm.
Speakers: J Cogger, NUR executive (London region); Nei Miligan (Se regional organise ASLEF); Speakers from NUN and ISTC invited.
people together who are facing similar problems can WOrK towards joint industrial action to defend our living standards.
NUR Paddington No branch is holding a public meeting to torge une alliance dl grass fool.
Speakers from the miners stee workers Unions nave been invited, as well as from the NUR and other rail unions 'Thatcher is trying to buy off the miners with huge redundancy Geoff Hensby plains She's threatened the steelworkers into submission and : to get her hands on the railworkers.
"Through OUr local meeting Scam alon we intend to do our bit to upset her plans.
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A NATIONAL mass demonstration and rally on Sunday 31 May