IMGpapers 1980–83

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1980–83

Unity needed to fight rail closures

· Socialist Challenge No. 244, 6 May 1982 · p. 14 of the scan · 392 words

The scan: sc-no244.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
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page 14 of the scan

down its workshops and bring in private contractors, it will be railworkers.

The 5,000 STORY demonstration at Shildon, closure of the local works, around Collmunity is based is an inof railworkers to fight for Closure of the workshops just. aspect this government's overall plan to shed over 40,000 rail jobs by 1985.

This attempt by the union's leadership tọ regain crediblity it had before the rail drivers' cartel year only days on flexible rostering: The Wore stal will be coming up a comgeneral secretary Weighell's face That is, to say 'no' to flexible rostering for drivers, to withdraw the 39 hour week and most important to offer local the Tebbit Bill on 29 April. IF British Rail succeeds with its plan to close major blow to all negotiations for those who wish to opt for flexible rostering.

Therefore, if the national strike call is actually made, the leaderSnip will presumably DC looking for a muted and that it can shift responsibility trom shoulders onto the rank and file.

It's not that we don't lead, but you don't follow' a familiar refrain many NUR branch rooms.

However, there are many dangers. The militant response of the NUR membership in opposition to flexible rostering in support of ASLEF took the union leadership oy sur prise.

growing productivity fou the example or on example the ASLEF strike and the victory that they won will not be easily wiped out trom Workers from the Raleigh plant among 1000 lobbying MPs against the minds and memories of the NUR membership.

A national rail strike over workshop could easily develop into a major dispute over all rail that Weighell and the NEC - and this is the risk must base ourselves on the ASLEF victory, actively campaign for the workshops and demand that the NEC makes its threat a reality.

Sir Peter Parker, British Rail chairperson, said that tiexible rostering was 'the first hurdle in the National of Change' AŠLEF made sure that the . government British Rail Board fell at the first hurdle. It is up to us to make sure that tne do so again at Beechers Brook.

• Drivers at Old Oak Com.

ended work to rule this week in prolest Ove spare turns. Following inel victory the drivers went on to s a resolution opposing the

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Star Photo: Morning

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