will announce the plans for closing 20 more pits. At the same time the miners wage claim, due to be settled in October, is heading towards another possible confrontation.
So Thatcher is making the necessary preliminary moves to government against such a confrontation.
step to confronting a major section.
This year the first target is the rail workers, who are both in the front line of the struggle against the wave of redundancies sweeping through the nationalised industries heralded by the decision of the European shogo far the attacks on union organisation introduced by James received no trade union movement.
The Conference Blackpool on 7 September has to not only reject the new consultative' whether it is issued by Prior or Norman Tebbit, it then has to go on to plan the type of united action that can stop the Biffen strategy dead.
This means building on the Triple Alliance between the steel workers the miners and the railway workers to build fighting alliances of all those coming into conflict with the Tories this winter.
A call for such committees based on delegates from workplaces TUC Congress would prepare the labour movement for the sort of action that needs to be taken to stop Thatcher dead in her tracks. The absence of such call means that such tactics will have to be pursued through individual unions and a locales.
Socialist Challenge 20 August 1981 snore up the Court on the closed Prior have militant rebuff from the meeting in the will NUR.
STRIKE committees and picket rotas are be ing organised by branches of the National Union of Railwaymen and the Association of Locomotive Engineers preparation for the national stoppage called for 31 August.
'now or never' However the mood is cautious since the strike date has Deen set so anead. The possibility of a twelfth hour deal between the union leaders and the British Rail Board cannot be excluded.
Added to this was the NUR's response to BR R's recent letter threatening further 20,000 compuisory redundancies top the 38,000 already Russell Tuck, assistant generai secretary CUTTIE replied to this threat g saying; *The NUR's door always Talks General secretary, Sid Weighell, returns this week to Sweden and formal talks resume over the unions* demand that the findings of arbitration for an eight percent pay increase dated and Firemen in April and three percent payment from August b honoured by the BRB.
Bosses The BR bosses demanc that the extra 3 percent should be linked to proexercises cluding one person operation of the 8 hour day and the introduction oI Con tinental shifts that would result in mass redundancies and working conditions prevalent in the late nineteenth century It is this question of both productivity and pay Our summer schedule Socialist Challenge from isuseal to 12 fo WE have reduced the number of the three issues during August, in order to all our staff to take their holidays.
We'll he back in full form and force wit issue number 211 on 3 September in time for the Trade Union Congress. that will mobilise rail workers at the end of August, despite the ac tions of their leadership so far. Twice Nonetheless the fact remains that the NUR NEC has twice called for strike action unanimously in the last month — an unprecedenter occurence.
combined with increen NUR and ASCEP a rank and level through the Rail Union LEE HOOT and miners and steel workers through the Tripple Alliance, has given rail workers increased belief in their ability to win.
In the build up to the strike date this collaboration is essential. Even if the strike is called off continued of this sort will add immenserank and file of rail workers. Scabs on the platform if you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name..
Address.
Age.
Union/CLP (if any).........
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50 London N1 2XP.
----- pull-quotes -----
The object once again is to politically split the trade unions as a preliminary
The response to the strike call has been favourable and for NUR members, reeling from 'productivity' exercises, the attitude is
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM