THE FIGHT for jobs in the South Yorkshire steel industry is continuing. strong meeting of British Steel Corporation craft workers in Rotherham voted overwhelmingly to continue their strike action against management' so-called 'survival plan'.
This decision came as the national executive of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation was meeting to order a return to work for production workers. Despite BSC threats close the plant, craft workers mounted a picket which was respected by ISTC production workers.
NOLLY, Rotherham crafts convenor, plains what is at stake.
The ISTC met with management secretly behind the backs •I all concerned, even their own members. five point 'deal' was reached яссерting position that everybody prior to coming out on The only concession, if you could call it that, was that the workers who had been sent home as redundant would be given a further two weeks in whịch to decide whether to accept •redeployment or redundancy.
the meantime, the LICW shift patterns would be operated as 'decreed' by management and there would be 'discussions' on the 'survival plan' would be implemented. Overturn As I explained at the BSC management are trying to overturn long standing agreements negotiating procedures and replace them with dietatorship.
Bound The 'survival plan' is designed to prepare the for the privatisation BSC Special Steels, delivering the trade unions bound hand and foot, SO unal une privalcers of the private sector can launch attacks their drive for profits.
What we are fighting union recognition. BSC is trying the same sort of tactics as Edwardes Fords and that we've seen at Tebbit would like for the public sector.
If we don't fight these attacks the country is in danger of becoming one big Grunwicks.
As the first works since to challenge on trade union rights in the steel industry we are calling on all sections of the trade union movement for support.
We've prevented one sell out by the ISTC leadership so far, and if we don't suffer another, we'll have struck a blow against the looting of nationalised industry. • Financial support is urgently organise the dispute Donations to: SM Wood Teasurer, Rotherham Works Joint Craft Com: mittee, Francis Drive Rotherham, South Yorkshire.