SOUTH WALES drove the out of their holes last week. One Cardiff shop-keeper had his shop wrecked local community for ing 75p for 50p pieces for the electricity meter.
Time will tell whether steel workers will respond as firmly to the threats of British Steel boss MacGregor to shut because of alleged £100m aamage, and the threat of con trols on imported European steel into the United States Marlene and Roger both work at the Llanwern plant Newport. Iron Trades Confederation blizzards profiteering rats Challenge:
the chargechoed this sentiment:
more plants impose all tne snow has one strip MacGregor's Tovey the cold plant closure and Steel nis mind.
(ISTC) member Marlene, told Socialist 'We're all disgusted MacGregor's statement asking what's behind it. He's using the weather as an exuse to cut le ov jobs wolch he announced last year.' National Union of Blastfurnacemen (NUB) member Roger, 'My opicapitalists in Europe and Britain are trying to cuts Steel. No-one is left under any illusion that they believe that BSC mill too many.
Statement about proves that another never far from He will use any straw that public opinion will grasp Nothing has really altered since end year. threatened American block JIDOTES will have a limited im pact as British Steel only exports around 350,000 tonnes anyway. 1980, Mac Gregor hasmade clear appointment his intention to make the British Steel industry 'lean fitable' through plant closures, rationalisations and hive-offs to rivate firms. This policy mear hat by July 1982 a mere 97,00 workers will be employed BSC - a loss of 89,000 jobs since January MacGregor warned that 19.000 more redundancies woula be ad ded. This is now looking real as MacGregor known that he is The closing a whole plant to accomon modate a 14.4m to 12.6m tonnes per year. This plan has only one aim: to force the workforce to carry the cost of a gargantuan productivity leap. John Foley, officer of the ISTC pointed out pro that Recent productivity figures Llanwern everyone s thought that both here and Port Talbot achieved productivity in by creases approaching 30 per cent last year.
In recognition MacGregor there will be no wage increase at more all nationally for the second year it be running. He has also postponed By Celia Pugh considering production cut trom ISTC nationally 7th. us, 'the the NUB , South Wales have game. If workers then hell wagon.
After MacGregor of this, insisted that