own what was message.
Government Britain's down.
and employers By leader, so-called policy.
policy TOP TRADE UNION leaders broke the mandate of every labour movement conference unions, the Conference — in their attempt last week to patch up a new pay deal with the Government.
While Len Murray and friends were silent about said, the Denis Healey, who led the side in the talk. with the TUC, gave his message to the bankers at their dinner at Mansion House last Thursday.
first task, DaTE explained, was to get inflation 'That is why we have sought will continue ask and trade unions alike to work with us to achieve TCOOIS DI pay negotiations, Healey declared odd "responsibility was the word used by the Transport Unior Moss Evans, alternative the Government's 5 per cent pay The Chancellor's view straightforward: 'responsible collective bargaining involves abiding by the Government's Failure to do so would be met by the use of fiscal' and "monetary' measures. In plain English this means cuts in social services and higher unemployJim Callaghan has spelt out what a hard line would mean. He says that the Government is determined to stand by WTES offer policy even if it means a long, hard winter of strikes Meanwhile, Secretary Albert Booth has delivered the Government's massage to the low paid.
Rejecting a union request The intervene in Council settlements which minimum pay rates below the low-pay threshold stipulated in Phase Four, Booth explainec that only if the settlements were above tae t44.o0 reterred to ur the White Paper would he step the The Empleyment Secretary pointed out that he had taken action along inese unes wner fixed minimum rates above Phase Three's 10 per cent.
Callaghan and Booth have clearly set their cent.
on the WaLt claim covering one million public sector manual workers, which to 1s includes the demand for a £60 The employers are due to reply to the claim next Monday With claims of 40 per cent by per cent by workers a Levane aneune and the nurses' demand for 15 per cent all on Government is anxious to isolate une pubno manual workers. defeating them, the Government hopes to retrieve what it's lost through Ford and - those of their TUC, and the Labour Party Government trumpeted its British Oxygen overshooting the 5 per cent limit.
The public sector manual workers nave to de isolated to prevent them from becoming generalisce action against the pay policy.
The leaders have shown their complicity in the Government's schemes They scrambled to the Treasury for three hours secret talks on Tuesday of last week, letting whispers about - bogus price controls as ine ont CLOSE Government's plans is Ford and Vauxhall At Ford, Reg Birch, the chief negotiator for the Engineering Union, sent letter to management appealing for talks to get them out of their 'ghastly mess' As une rinancial times nas acknowledged, a shutdown at Vauxhall would greatly crease trade union pressure against the government's heavily attacked Phase Four'.
Yet, in response to a derisor offer there, the union leaders set a date for strike action a fortnight away. That falls on 1 November, two days after the the public sector manual workers is to be made.
Ine vauxnail claim Is io "substantial' rises, a phased cannon to a зo-nour week and consolidation of various Dachs He baserates The company's offe of increases of between 4.2 and 4.8 per cent on basic rates could not be sold to the membership How much will they now need to come up with to avoid a strike?
Jack McGowan, secretary to trade union side has indicated that it will need to be nearer the 8.5 per cent offered by Ford Chairperson Cliff Keech said that the union side favoured a productivity deal.
Also due on 1 November is a new offer from British Oxygen to the union's claim for 20 per There the Transport Union's national officer has said that 14 CCH would b acceptable since the company is likely to agree to the demand for a future change in the date of pay negotiations.
All these wait-and-see manoeuvres will doubtles. wring the odd percent from individual companies But in the context of the national talks over pay policy, dallying plays into the Government's hands nere is a ciear arternanve Break the talks and prepare pay acon now.
Socialist Challenge 26 October 1978 page 3