LUNCHTIME Thursday. Kings Cross and ine over... till Sunday anyway. JON MARKS from Local Department Committee (LDC) of the Kings Cross National Union OI Railwaymen, talking about announcement that members of his union who are train drivers will be offered the 3 per cent pay increase which has been withheld the train drivers union, ASLEF.
I'd have thought the Rail Board would have duopicu lal stralegy before now. I'm surprised it's taken them as long as it despite is at mpt hat despite alicullyi drive a wedge between the two unions, , the guards fuly support the driver They're taking actio per cent, and against variable rostering wilch is wial we also opJose, Jon explains. Weighell, generai secretary, is not putting the union's position when he says ASLEF's to blame for this dispute.' Record Jon is anxious to set the record straight. 'Our executive committee has a •position that the 3 per cent claim is separate from productivity and that the wrong withhold payment.
He pulls out the circular from his union which this clear 'NUR drivers have been instructed officially IO work,' he adds to stress the official the picket lines sitting in pub in strike is 'What we want is an all out indetinite strike forthwith. There can be no This offer to the NUR drivers shows there is more at stake than flexible rostering. deliberate attack by the BRB and the Tories smash ASLEF.
'You can't divorce what's happening from the general allack on trade unionists Tebbit's LIla nues Rank Steve COl tinues. and file members of ASLEF are now not prepared to accept productivity Progressive elements in the NUR are Jolling TORCeS bloody good which is a development.
So what do the two of them think of the 'federation' between their unions? Steve quite clear: 'I was a delegate to comererce any rank and file member knew about this federation was when it was presented to us on a plate.
"It's not been created by pressure from the branChes. Lever redivid tended to develop the uniwe do need at grass roots level.' Jon Marks disagrees. "The federation was in fact 'towards unity. You can't up such body on SCL rank and file basis. created the framework so we can establish the links we're talking about.' denies that this was actualNUR's position.
ferent tack, 'the Federation facilitates VUl al' tempts get two councils together.
'Circumstances are changing for ASLEF, you 'can't afford to be independent as you have been in the past The first argument that comes up, you expect the NUR to accept ve, but 1 don't. savs Steve, do expect them to go along with their members' interests. It's a very crucial issue. Every quate ve spoken to is against flexible rostering. Guards On this there Is no disagreement. in tact ai Kings Cross, the guards have been actively organising support the drivers.
'We're planning on a two day strike in the near future ' explains Jon. took 70 guards up to Unity House NUR Headquarters, week want hour off the working week without strings.
'We're seeing management on Monday; if they don't accept our demands then they'll get 24 hours notice. Although the principle for flexible rostering's been accepted by the NUR, a lot of the guards are against it.' Steve adds that the drivers want one rest day every egal week. achieve their 39 hour week would have to be done of ficially through the unions at Kings Cross.
This proposal for suptUVI Kings Cross drivers picket their union headquarters.
Peter Parker, chairperson of Rail, can lock us all out.
Nothing is going to stop CENTENARY YEAR 1980 GRESS ASLEF members very determined.' But the key winning picketing.
'It's not a traditior. ¿ the railway Steve poin 'Members cra unions are used to sitir
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JOIN THE FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM
suburban and inter-city lines. response has been to close ranks. NUR
Region and some depots are refusing to negotiate at all on productivity.
better for socialists to drive into the NUR and turn back