THE 1983-1984 PAY round has started with a Treasury announcement of a three per cent limit in the public sector. But as inflation starts to rise again there is evidence of discontent with low tements. Shop 14,000 manual workers rejected the company's offer and miners are calling for a 24 per cent rise.
full square behind the fight of those like the public sector and Vauxhall's workers, but also reject the notion of incomes policy disastrous for the Labo health service the establishment of the pay for the nurses. abolition of the council system and the introduction of widespread of ancillary undermine organisation.
In the water industry the winding up of the National Water Council as the chief negotiating body and its replacement by a new body has been accompanied by an attempt by the water authorities aim15% OR WE NOSI wage setstewards representing Vauxhall's The Labour Party should not only place itself whose results were so covering industry's In the of the health the of the defeat by the health after of the port to ing the strength won the AILB NEWEL MORKERS FAIR PAY JUSTISE FOR workers a famous victory in last years pay round.
What is at stake in the 1983/84 pay therefore not only a fight to defend living standards, but also to confront the multi-faceted . threat trade union organisation posed by revision of bargaining procedures privatisation and threat of the Employment Act.
Even small settled Stockport tional the Tebbit's law.
ine between importance of by the BATU FOR WATER Younis trade union movement as a result of the defeats suffered by the health workers, the train drivers, the miners workers.
Unequivocal support the Labour both nationally and locally can contribute to the confidence of workers preparIllg Lake employers and the Tories.
It was remarkable that the Tory government came the side the employers immediately in the five week washing up strike at Cowley before the general election while the Labour Party never took a national stand in support of the unions. the demand for the hour week, would be of great significance - if the AUEW leaders had the of signtest MaterLon fighting for it.
But the shift to right in the TUC, not only towards an accomodation with Tebbit political understanding of the possibility of SDP/Labour coalitionism, but also towards American-type business Lauc unlouisill. micalls that the possibility of any serious campaign being waged by the right wing union leaders is negligible.
This particularly plies to the skilled workers among whom Labour did so badly in the last election, suffering a 9 per cent drop in their proportion of the vote. Neither is Nurses confront Murray during last year's NHS dispute the reason for this fall in support difficult to pin down.
Among this group of workers indeed among employed workers as a whole) real wages have consistently risen since Thatcher arrived in office. Under the Labour government, particularly years 1976 and 1978, real WaLc dropped more rapidly (by 12.5 per cent) than at any other time in this century. Result This result of Social Contract has not been lost on these workers. If Labour is to rebuild its base in the industrial working class the solution is not the shift to right advocated by the leaders of by renewing strike action bonus saiments pursuit of improved Within a week both unions made the clerica workers' dispute official round-the-clock picketing of the plant has been organised As the action began to bite Massey Ferguson responded last Thursday serving them High Court injunctions • to named pickets forcing them to take down barricades and picket outside the plant. such unions as the AUEW and EEPTU, but a fight against the Tories' policies of mass unemployment and cuts Labour must also reject those policies of Labour's right wing which hold down working class living standards, particularly incomes policy.
In the coming wage round Labour will • face a double test. Firstly, whether it will take the side of workers in struggle a promptly and energetically as the Tories take the side of the employers. Second ly, to reject incomes policy itself.
Whatever the result of Ine conference the rank and file of the party must strengthen their links with the trade union movement on this basis.
Masses Ferguson's use of the courts came as no surorise to the work force who in ino mood back dowr now. They are actively for support can alill the local movement and workers other Massey Ferguson plants • Collection sheets are available Dave Davies ACTES/APE On Voint Joint Committee, C/0 Transport House, Coventry.
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WATTS MORIEN