most 75,000. On 11 November, the BSC bosses met to review their Corporate Plan to achieve this target by carving 20,000 jobs from the present 94,000 workforce.
Death notices were instantly served on 427 jobs Craigneuk Lanarkshire, adding redundancies апnounced carlier this year; on 1,286 jobs BSC Round Oak Dudley, which will close Christmas. and on Corby tube jobs, adding to thousands of Corby workers made redundant by previous closures.
was the option of total closure of the Ravenscraig in Motherwell scotland, with the loss of 4,400 steel jobs.
Response to this proposal was swift. The "Save Scottish Steel Calla was launched, involving the local labour movement, church political and business figures. Even the leader of the Scottish Tory Party e signed up campaign points out that 20,000 additional jobs could go in industries that service Ravenscraig, Last month every steel plant Britain wa. brought to a halt by a national OLIC day strike against The government is now clearly nervous about major resistence if they try to shut Ravenscraig.
They may try to deflect this by spreading the redundancy load across Teeside, major pose, Teeside, Scotland and South Wales. This could involve partial closure of the rolling mill or steel production side Ravenscraig. But have seen down proposals Starvation and partial closure and then to find strangulation.
Ravenscraig convenor Tommy Brennan explained week, *Partial closure is tantamount to total closure. We feel there is a set up here and we've got to be wary of that'. His misgivings were confirmed within days, When TIe m dustry ministers of the Marker COLE tries met in Denmark on 18 further package of Previous which have guided British Steel boss McGregor, aimed for a 16 million tonne cut in steel-making capaci ty by 1985. The Commis sion meeting increased this cut to 30 or 35 million tonnes, with 20 maior rationalisations* resulting.
tion cost was set at E10 have had much luck. The HHE July "83 as the job-cutting target care and nas made u clear that sanctions will he ment's whose aid is marched bv capacity shedding rationalisations But undoubtedly he will tri some manoevre to stave off this closure for a short period for electoral reasons. But this will not save Ravenscraig.
So.
ACC WORKETSATE hard times unless they lay HELONE resistance. The one day strike last month WES start and Scunthorpe, River Don and Round Oak workers have pledged a fight.
Sadly the leadership of the main steel union the ISTC has learned few lessons for, the 'Save Our Steel' protest campaign that failed to save majo steel plants like Corby and Shotton. ped from 21.5 million tonnes to 12 million tonnes, and productivity shot up as more was squeezed out of fewer workers. In this time, imports increased by only stimated 4,4 million tor 0.6 CICCIEE an nes, which can ard the 100.000 losses over three years.
Steel union leaders are of the 110,0h0 get that, the fact that, through Common Market rationalisation in the last these have been in Britain. 100,000 Perhaps it has something to do with these leaders failure to lay serious plans to small chose pine vent small isolated and for policies for a labour government to secure investment and markets for steel based on social need and not profit.
-ontrast the patheti leatings of Bill Sirs to th no-nonsense actions of Lorraine SLIMLINE OR STARVATION?
U.K Belg / Lux.
U.S.A.
Germany Japan Italy Western 2001978 MANPOWER EMPLOYED (1974-1981)
- 50% -/:% U.K. WEEKLY STEEL PRODUCTION (tonnes)
TORIES ELECTED 1979 1980 -25% +25% (1974 1981 Socialist Challenge 26 November 1982 page!
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IN 1972 the British Steel Corporation employed over 200,000 workers. By next year, a decade long jobs massacre will have reduced this to at