THE NCU STRIKE was solid this week as the union staged the first indefinite national strike in its history.
In Manchester, no local exchange working properly Bank's links with the City of London have been hit. Six exchanges are regularly going down in the north east. In Cardiff police transmitters went off the air and a number of local exchanges are down.
exchange down for a day in Swindon. London 50 exchanges are affected, with four down altogether. Heathrow was seriously hit aHOOTL weekend.
complete solidarity smashed the first calculation management - that a union with a right wing history and leadership wouldn't see its members show total solidarity in an all-out strike.
central London, is working under capacity.
Barclays fortnight have evaporated individual return to work.
their supervisors went In over the the engineers strike, has recruit scab labour of seriously, they with the NCU leadership.
British Telecom's strike-breaking HQ, set up in Camelford House in greatly Boasts by BT that they would break the action in a as no response has come to a series of letters sent to BT workers calling for an BT have hastily signed a deal with union, and have sought to head off strike action by 1986 their 34,000 clerical staff fighting over their own claim, to try to isolate the NCU engineers. Having failed to dent are now concentrating on trying to among management and outside firms. Most are also involved in negotiations held behind closed doors NCU general Golding has been reported national press as favouring a two-yea deal on wages with separate talks on conditions, as of the coming year's negotiations. This is part Golding's long-term strategy selling jobs return for increases.
Golding has made an offer to the company that if they sign a strings' deal to settle the outstanding claim he will put a deal or broductivity to a ballot vote of th membership for 1987, with recommendation LO would allow BT to get away with the 'strings' simply a year later than they'd intended Given that BT wants to cut at least a further 30,000 jobs by 1990, this line is a disaster. Golding's supporters have been arguing that the strike is Fight Racism.
Campaign Forum Rally John simply to get negotiating table. But feeling in the union has hardened against such a deal.
The strike started as retaliation of against victimisations of union's overtime bad. But action is wage now firmly directed against any strKings and for a decent, 10 per cent rise. NCU organised. At key buildings, pickets - essential to combat BT's plans for a scab workforce - are being set up. out of their This organising strike headquarters. This rank and file involvement is the way both to defeat BT management and block Golding's manoeuvres The NCU other workers.
Standard Telephone and Cable which installs some BT equipment to proDefend Labour Councils!
Speakers include: Linda Bellos, Tony Benn, Bernie Grant, Arthur Scargill, Dennis Skinner Lambeth Town Hall, Monday 16 February, 7.30pm NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS BT to return to the during the al C getting 24-hour Union branches, locked offices by BT, the employers.
is getting solidarity Overtures (LO vide maintenance in BT buildings during the strike have been rebuffed by STC workers. Sacked printers at Wapping have joined picket lines.
Labour parliamentary candidates Diane Abbott, Sharon Atkin and Alan Simpson have been at picket lines and NCU mass meetings. London NCU branches have called a mass demonstration on 4 February.
These beginnings of support must be turned into a massive movement of solidarity by the labour movement, to ensure the NCU wins. A victory fol the NCU would be a major blow to all It would damage their plans for other Ila tionalised industries.
A victory for the NCU would strengthen the labour movement as a whole. It is a strike the whole labour movement must support.
Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987 Action Socialist