Secretary, NUPE Camden General Branch THE CLEGG Commis sion report on pay 1.4m poblic sector workers ought to surprise no one. Who waS any illusion that would concede the £60 minimum which we demanded?
does absolutely nothing to abolish lOT pay. The lower grades in the local authorities and the hospitals will still be on inder t50 a week, while differentials are widened. This does nothing to unite the workers involved. Impossible Before the strike, the difference between the lowest and highest grades 25.85. One Clegg's recommendations, it monte commission also The commission suggests to management that it should tighten up on over-time, bonus and Incentive schemes, which - in the context of the cuts is a green light management to reduce pay and increase workloads.
Alan Fisher, NUPE's general secretary, desthe LbUr Socialist Challenge 23 August 1979 Page 6 partial victory. He has little alternative.
Many of the union leaders in the public sector have argued that comparability is the way forward, because they эге prepared to lead mass struggle and because they intimidated b the COOLEL situation, which the Tories have linked pay rises with cuts. Timetable In Camden, where we won a £60 minimum wage after an all-out strike, me showed that the problem of low will not be solved in committee rooms but on the picket line.
It was Fisher who in the middle of the dispute last winter came gut with the proposal for comparability study of the kind that had been conducted into the fire fighters' pay. Strategy That was Fisher's strategy, although it was never that of the union officially. When Clegg was appointed to head the commission, NUPE exsatisfaction.
The effect of this union support for the commisALAN FISHER — the call for a comparability study was his brainwave HUGH CLEGG - handed out peanuts sion is to disarm union resistance.
Among public sector generally, the wages struggle last winter was seen as a defeat; the didn't anything, so there has been demoralisation. short term, we are unlikely • SEC response to Clegg. It will also affect how members respond to this year's claim. There probably won't be much enthusiasm for action. The leadership is anticipating this by remaining silent on the kind of claim that will be put, and doing nothing Dichotomy With the strict application of cash limits -begun by the Labour government — the union leaders will no doubt be very vocal about while keeping quiet on pay in case that brings more cuts.
It's a dichotomy the left has to avoid. united militancy on pay, which will also strengthen the union's ability to resist the cuts.
means unity stronger sections, not least within our own union, in which the water workers could spearhead the breakthrough on pay norms. The same goes foi cuts, if we are not to be paralysed these demand increases, which the Labour left is inclined to do.
Banks need broad strategy, with demands on refuse to implement cuts; a programme of direct works, take workers off the dole to build houses, hospitals, and the rest; and the nationalisation of the banks and finance institutions to fund these operations.
These are the traditional ALOWCO given by ists, and the time more than ripe for us to elaborate and fight for them in the labour movement. time round. Here's why THE BRITISH Oxygen Company is a Branches in more than So countries in multi-national company all five continents. Last year its profits topped f115m and its assets were great enough to allow it to fork out $250m for the take-over of an company, Airco.
Its main business is the manufacture and sale of industrial gases, medical gases and equipment, and products. These are essential for many industries and services in this country. Mining, steel production, shipbuilding and int health service are al dependent on BOC's products.
The company's size and importance to the economy attention of both the Commission Prices mission the DaSL International has proved to be too tough a customer for civil servants to deal with Yet in 1977 workers in BOC's gases division brought this giant to its kneees Their four-week strike increases of 20 per cent upwards, drove a tanker through the Labour government's 10 per cent pay norm Last year, the company gave in to a large wage demand without even the ceremony strike, making BOC workers pace-setters in the wages struggle and the fight against pay policy.
Socialist Challenge talked to the of BOC's Hackney depot, Coveral John Walsh, and deputy convenor Micky Boulter about this remarkable achievement. Had BOC always been so strong?
every year.
depot against depot American after year.
welding resulted ir which cost 800 jobs.
majority of have attracted the Monopolies ComBut BOC with a journalist from pay and fightback.
sale helped them to unofficial stewards organisation was never implemented.
stewards workers strike. John cor *Be the 'No, not at all, says Micky Boulter rig 'we used to be called "fifty bob BOC because they used to give us fifty bob . Our union officials were issI weak and the company used to play off bra and department sta against department. In this way they used to attack us day after day, year These attacks came to a head in 1971, when the labour force suffered a very nat serious defeat. Two work study reviews productivity agreements John Walsh explains: 'The company put in front of us f3 per person and the people accepted the £3 alw for a reduction in staff. As for myself, I 111c thr never agreed with it and never could.' off Neither could Micky, but both were very much in the minority. Together Red Mole (a predecessor of Socialist Challenge) they BO wrote a pamphlet explaining the effects of the productivity deal and stressing the need to organise nationally for a Iwa cor The discussion which followed its strengthen im] national shop stewards committee within BOC. Through the wo leadership shown by the committee, the im able to stiffen • rank and file Rel workers. A proposed third work study the In 1977, it was the national shop the committee which the less Walsh explains: "The second work study review was the worst Lal Ch Mi of! reg got E dor tha sol eng wh sup De wh Ra Patti org bro tak Ho
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BOS THIS YEAR's pay claim by British Oxygen workers is for a rise of £40, with an extra five days' holiday. Their track record over the past two years gives them confidence of winning this