The firefighters' strike is not the first occasion when a government has taken on public secior workers in order to enforce lts general economic policy. Nor is it the first time that this group of public sector workers has been very badly paid, and received massive public sympathy for their strike. One such case was the 44-day postal workers' strike of 1971. The similurities between the two struggles are in many ways striking, as RICH PALSER reports.
In October of 1970 the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) submitted a pay claim for E3 or s ber cent whschever.was the greater for each grade: and for an end to the pay for age increments. This was not at al a ce increase a poscal worker would take home, 45 hour week, less than t16. young woman telephonist, because of the age increments would take home just under ES a week. Many of the UPW rank and file saw a figure of a ts a week rise more in line with thei needs.
Tom Jackson and the exocutive of the UPW had no desire to lead tbeir members into a strike to win the claim Jackson's straregy for increas ing wages was summed up in a lecter he wrate to the Time newspaper in January 157 L;
FACEACHANGE He said: We are one of the rare examples of a union which is prepared to face a change.....
It is the policy of our union as fur is posts are concerned to seek a gradual reduction in the number of stall employed ou the basis that those lett in the service will be better paid as a result.
In return for chopping jobs and increasing workloads Jackson wanted increased wages from tbe post offioe Thus a claim for 13 rather than IS, as this was more in line with what he expected Lord Hall, post office boss at the time, to concede. But this was notto be 2350 A WEEK Lord Hall was ousted by the Tory government, and Ryland took over on a salary of 1350 a week. After an initial offer of T Further per percent and said if the Ryland offered union was worried abour the Jocrements system, could allocate the bulk of the 8 per cent to tbe lower pild.
On 19 January 1971, the UPW executive was forced ta call a strike. It was 96 per cent solid. INESSE sympathy for the 230,000 UPW members prevented the pross carrying out a hysterical campaign against them, as they Had apainst the power workers Just before that. Instead they concentrated on reporting the scabbing of or telephonists — very badly paid 3TOH38 women who were intimidated by the post office to returning to work Playing down the effectiveness of thestrike and playing up its weaknesses was the way in which the press attempred to Thar some telephonists were continuing to work was bardly surprising The union had Dever really taken uP members' interests, and they The janerests at workers and cophine strikers were receiving no strike pay: the union strike food had not been built up: it stood at a mere £330,000 on 16 January - 3 dnys before the strike Mose imporiant of all, no steps were taken by the swon leadership so turn the massive gumpathy for the strike thro active support. On the 21sr day or the strike the UPW sirike bulletin said: It would be very easy for you to get into the frame of mind that nothing is bappening. surface nothing seems to be happening. And that's just it -nothing seems to be happenin but it it. Under the surface this strike is biting, and it's biting deep. Taxes were not being collected, dividends were not being paid. All we need do is keep the strike solid, was the executive's advice.
LEFT TOIT leaders were leaving the UPW members to it. No boycort of the taiways or on road haulage instituted. The massive 140,000 strong demonstration against the Industrial Relations Act which took place during the strike was used to collect some TOM SO CHI T0I solidarity industrial action Even financial belp was limited, with Jack Jones and the TAGWU offering a mere £7,500 (enough to give I per cent of the strikers E3. 50 a woel for 2 weeks) on day 21 of the strike. Meanwbile the UPW failed to fight for active support. As one London UPW executive member pur it at the beginning of the strike, they did not want financial help on WANT TO KNOW MORE?
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Send to Socimlist Challenge. 328/329 Lipper Street London Nt. "principle" since: "We are going to light this strike on our own two feet to show that the postal workers can do i; if we win, it will be our victory — if we lose it will be our own look out Even the reguiar marches of the postal workers were not used lo bring other trade unionists on the streets in theit support, let strikes The executive furthe the strike by lowering the sights to a 13 per cent ratber chan 15 per oent increase as the strike 'PEACE PLAN' The outcome of this strategy for the strike was a beroic 44-day atrike by poorly paid LPW members, with no strike pay, and a pradual demoralisation within the strike. result of this, a deal to sell-our the strike was finally toroed on the membership. On 3 March the LiP presenced a plan including inquiry with an 'impartial' offer would come out of tbis in rationalisation. Meanwbile the strike was to be called off.
This deal was rapidly pushed through the branches, without adequate discussion and with maning what was happening. many members either or too demoralised to care. The postal workers suffered a defeat from which they bave not yet recovered, and Jackson was able to get back t 'business as usual 18 yura agree with these principles and want hi be ...
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