There will be a big majority at support of any action to defend jobs. We've been prepared by the action we took during the miners' strike, and some members who chair Coalville LDC weren't hot on solidarity action last year are right behind the fight for their own jobs today.
We've had to start from scratch in putting the case for the defence of our jobs. Our depot is entirely freight. Most of the arguments put out by the union centre on the need to retain passenger guards But the case for maintaining guards on freight trains is just as strong, anc needs more publicity Potental alsasters van on CUT if there are serious derailments freight trains which drivers on their would find it hard to cope with. And on the freight -side, there during the strike won't even be the help of other railway personnel travelling as passengers on the train.
But taking guards off freight • trains will also Roy Butlin receiving a commemorative miners lamp for the magnificent support from the Coalville railworkers cause enormous delays to the entire system. The BR Board's own survey says that a full 93 per "stop and examine' train incidents are resolved by a member of the train crew, usually the guard. . If the guard disappears then the driver would have to ask for help from the nearest depot, causing serious disruption. On thei own drivers would be unable to out even the most basic checks. For instance testing the brakes takes two people: someone on the engine and someone at the back of the train.
So. BR says it needs to cut back thousands of jobs efficient LU LUIC system. But this just shows that inefficiency will result if the guard goes, because there will be enormous and costly delays.
The Midlands vote doesn't look promising, but the question will be whethel or not the voters will go to work. BR La divided ted scab ser vice in the idlands would be very use al to manage ment, They've learned from the miners' strike But so have we And we Know WE depend on the •Dirty 30', Leicester shire's striking miners, for full support.