Ed:lon8101-3598180 9. concluded between the public sector workers.
pulsory redundancies, speed-up and demanning.
Balance sheats of nationalised indusines holder. There companies.
theold private owners. back when these industries genuinely do make a loss. industries are politically inspired. The information sensitive is this area of Government policy making.
FIGHT BACK
that the workers movement can adopt to conspiracy against them in Government Information of nationalised industries fight-back.
he had handed over the correspondence, like Derek Robinson (see page 2).
the SInC BONERS the way a workers solution to nationalised industries can start to be thrashed out.
ADDRESS Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1.
Advertising 01-3598371.
CONSPIRACY Is the name of the game in Britain's nationalised industries. The rules are simple. A pact is Labour Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Liberals. Wages are to be held down below 10 per cent for Britain's six million When these workers fight back (or even if they don't) the trump card is brought out. The nationalised industries are bankrupt. Youmust take a wage cut, you must accept comappear to confirm the argument. But closer examination reveale a different story. There are several reagons why nationalised In a private sector company, two different groups of capitalists get a rake-off: the shareholder and the loan stock Their capital all comes from loans. Share holders are paid dividends from after-tax profits, Interest on loans la caiculated on pretax protits. A large part of these loans result from compensation that the government paid to Inaddition the nationalised industries, particularly power industries, make losses so that private industry can benefit. Several nationalised industries also calculate the cost of boreden o capa, a costo production, on ine basis or the cost of replacing capital equipment rather than on the current value of their asseta. This is not to say that workers nationalised industries for on that basis they should hold No, the argument is that all decisions on nationalised government can veto all proposals which put the responsibility for the capitalist crisis on the backs of workera in these industries, This Is why nationalised industries are so chary about releasing and themselves and the Goverment. Even MPs who wanted better to make Villiers even declared himself ready to go to the Tower of London, so there is a loss orman our muen more erective ponc and Industrial пота срел e соскавно гео зне сотідел will start to give a political basis to the fight-back against redundancies in the the Labour Government is the most deadly enemy in such a Who would start such an investigation? Well, It won't be the union leaders. in the row over the Villiers/ Varley corsespondence, Iron and Steels Confederation secretary Bill Sirs . we would have been on his back. "Nor did press leaks of Michael Edwardes plans for Leyland seem much of a surprise to union leaders Union leaders are up to their necks in collaboration with committees, accountable to the rank and file to start the investigation, are the crisis of Britain's WANT TO KNOW MORE? If yei agres with these principies and wantfo be Immelped In acovies by Sociallet Challenge sup portersia your stes, fufle the forta belge sad send is Held like additions tarrere and endole so quit.
Solihull plant.
12,000 jobs will go in 1978 aione, according outlined by Whitaker at asi Thursday's meeting of the Cars Council, The top worker participation body in Leyland. The proposals were in line with the new year revelations Michael Edwardes that 30,000 jobs will go by 1980, SACKINGS Edwardes is not one to do tbings by half. The cut of ten per cent in the workforce this year will be accompanied by an mercase in producton rom 780,000 cars last year 825,000 cars in 1978. theme is reduced manning levels plus higher productivity.
ParIs OF officially unveiled wardes last Monday, were revealed to trade union leaders rematioed siest.
LOCICE believe that the senior stewards to tell their members that nothing of the plan till they tead the papers.
PARTY Even s0 response of Derek Robinson, senior steward at Leyland's Longbridge plant, splutter about the lack condemn the will have tation' in plenty.
After Thursday's meeting the Edwardes plan taken to a full participation conference in February. mispose of the excruise is to involve the union leaders achieving the objectives with the minimum of disruption.
But Edwardes has already made it clear that the role of participation comittees is to Thousands of Leyland workers facing the sack this year will be pleased to know that the wife of Cars managing director, Derek Whittaker, is 'not worried about money because of her husband's decision to Few car workers can afford to be so complacent, writes PAT HICKEY, steward at Leyland's Rover discuss implementation. to plans contempE lackeys, Party member CITESSESS "cannot be prolonged"
in the The INVESTIGATION - full plan. by Edthe "Icaks" to tbe work offered.
knew the central an cod ta participation. the immediate those was to of rather than by elected committees. i have come Now CONFERENCE The new worker; The top in ment.
OUR POLICIES palive shoald he lowd un the for his union like Communist that these discussions with representatives The real decisions will be made in collaboration with the National Enterprise Board and Industry Minister Eric Varley.
So much for the view expressed Communist Party pamphlet on Leyland tbat participation gives 'a say in future decisions on investment and location of work which helps to ensure joh security' Perhaps Derek Robinson would now care to justify the Communist Party claim that: Leyland steward:
question of redundancies has arseil. the prepare unions are receiving long term warning of this and alternative pation and clect In fact participation is being decent used to prevent opposition to the company's plans. So one of demands for launching a fight back must be кревс прall forms of plants where participation schemes operate militants must demand withdrawal from these bodies. All scandal security o Plans threaten the every Leytand white collar, skilled and unskilled. They come or Cover now iner of the new wages and Incentive scheme which will continue to hold wages down Leyland. and put future negotiations in the hands of the union leaders already up to their necks in collaboration with manageDur socalem will be infinindy mun up arms against the soduler stale. The stalisist natibnal conference of to unity tee work a necessari and the tight back conterence must end particiLa leadership committed to hebring Tor s TOT all of Leyland's workers and to opposing redundancies and It should also call for an investigation into the com pany's books by committee to establish the real -Tor example estimating the amount finance houses in interest.
of the millions pounds allocated to the shush fund', it would also need to enquire into the books of tbe component suppliers to disdouble and treble their profits in servicing a bankrupt' COMMUNIST The Communist Party will argue that the newly revived are in orch.
Cars Group Combine meeting on 21 January will plan and like this in the past.
unaccomtable lo the rank and file, have never been more than TOT the senior stewards And they really scrape the barrel when they say that then are too many Leyland steward for a full cobference. We need them all. can hire the Albert Hall if necessary FIGHT BACK Sociulist Challenge supporters throughout Leyland will he stewards committees calling prepare toe highback: 10l prepare the tiehtback plant based struggles such a that at the speke niart or Merseyside must receive the малітшо supporl come their present isolation.
If we do not stand together. we will hang separately - with Edwardes tightening the noose and participation committees releasing the trap door. the Canimans communis or the pro Moses more fave urable than aser the precedie three
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 19 January 1978 page 3
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information on the steel industry, proposala for slashing Sif Charles Villers.
happened to nationalisation?