fascist regime in Britain 'Inflationary' IS INSECINCELLEU last November's bi-annual conterence wis not unrea cd to the fact that 50,000 power were Dressine Joi wage-deal well above the Government's 10 per And despite aborted work-to-rule just The working class could apparently bring about a by asking wage-claims! This is the gospel according to Tom Breakwell, an executive member of the Electricians' Union, reports RICH PALSER.
workers are stil in a militant OCOTCATES the Negotiations by four unions - the EETPU.
Untion, Engineering Union and cent the General and Workers 90,000 workers in the power indastry are due to be settled in for March.
The negotiators meet the employers again on 2 February to get their reaction to a claim whieb includes the consolidation of bonus earnings in the basic rate, reduction of the working week to 35 hours, an increase in holidays, increases 141778 Transport 'substantial Increase"
Kings.
Municipal The last point in the claim is discontinuation of clause 202 in the agreement, which ment's pay poly, ment.
EETPU, Frank Chapple, backed the in carbians"
ical warning bargaining was needed. effectively wreck the Governand will almost certainly be thrown our by the power-indusiry manage- ically So how is it that the led by right-winger who bas Government's 'battle against inflarion' thr- bis control. ough wage limits for the last years, is taking such STRATEGY stand? The answer lies in the substantial shift in the balance of forces inside the ElectricUnion, and the risin apposition from the rank and This 'left turn' was rocently followed by an BETPU Tole in the firefighters al the TUC General Council.
But in spite of this change of heart', Chapple enthusiastjolned the press witch-hunt of those power workers who took unofficial action Just before Amas He wants any action on the claim to be kept firmly under Chapple's "strategy' is pressure the Government into accepting a compromise wage deal which be can then sell to his members - but which will per cent limit.
Power workers should bave no part in this special pleading. Industrial action by power workers could casily win the full claims. Lolike the miners — whose strikes cake six weeks to result in power cuts — even a work-to-rule by power workers causes power cut: immediately, as they recently demonstrated.
Unlike le hot even he ess troops could not even effoctively break a power workers" strike. If the power workers want to ensure that they win their claim, they should not rely on the leader of the four unions involved: