me manual workers in April 1977 ay Survey for ancillary staff e manual workers in local authorities is ana services uthorities ales .00 .06 ne Index of Average Earnings vernment pay policies have depressed ers, and widened the gap in cash terms nd the average pay packets of manual rike, was there a reduction in the cash and average earnings for men.
e and female earnings Local -manual authority manual 1.7 £20.4 £25.3 £10.2 £8.0 5.7 £3.2 £11.6 59.11 59.10 75.60 74.20 71.50 Females —£1. -EO.
£O.
-£1. ALAN FISHER, General Secretary NUPE THE FEROCITY of the press response to the lorry drivers' strike is extremely instructive. "Miles of Misery', 'Britain Siege, "Enough', headlines pages of the popular press.
The aim of the press was clear: the strikers were responsible for the crisis. The TV news added a new twist. It virtually implied that the strikers were responsible conditions. It encouraged hysteria and panic buying.
And indeed there reminiscent of Weimar Germany in some of London's suburbs as people Josted and pusned to make sure una they had bought the last packet of frozen Brussels sprouts. Manchester was worst affected and some rather took supermarkets.
The demands of the drivers are eminently reasonable.
Transport Union leader, Moss Evans, stated that they had a watertight case. The haulage firms involved have stated that it is Government policy which is preventing them from settling.
So here we have yet another example of firms using the excuse of the Labour Government's policies to prevent free wage bargaining from taking place. That is why we say that all talk of a state of emergency is merely an indication that Labour has reached an impasse.
But that is not all. It is obvious that the ruling class is seriously worried at DOSSEDHE, shutdown. It is determined to avoid a clash. Both polinical competing with each other to show how tough they can be.
A constipated-looking Merlyn Rees, putting on his best Irish troubles' look, talks on TV about a state of emergency. Margaret Thatcher talks about banning strikes in the public sector; not paying social security to strikers where there All this talk were the adorned the front weather were scenes The trade place outside Even the a good one.
and economics.
All DUDIC public SCLEUE parties are turn. has been no secret ballot; and taxing social security payments.
will be multiplied a hundredfold if there is a public sector strike. What should trade THOUSA EU in the face of such an offensive?
Their traditional response has been to argue that they are simply fighting living standards of their members. But this is no longer a simple thing. It involves a political clash with the Government. Therefore a political alternative needs to be mapped out.
To take one example. When troops are used to maintain 'essential services' it is workers and their representatives who must insist on deciding what is essential or inessential. This has already been done by the Texaco drivers. The have already determined to supply oi to hospitals, but not to industry.
are in the best position to organise these actions. First locally and then nationally.
The public sector workers should be prepared to fight for the right to decide these questions so that there can be no excuse left to bring in the troops. In that sense, the example of Moss Evans is not Evans position seeks to institutionalise the traditional social-democratic division between politics just carrying through the decisions of the labour movement. It's Callaghan's job to run the economy.' But if the running of a capitalist economy is awkward because of the wage claims. Ihen one becomes al ostrich, according to Moss Evans.
should carefully observe the current political and ideological offensive being waged against the lorry drivers. For they will be its next victim. And if that is the case then surely something more needs to be done than wait passively till it's their They should seriously breaking the isolation of the lorry drivers by joining in the struggle. That would strengthen both groups of workers and defeat Callaghan's salami tactics: isolate and get them one by one.
Socialist Challenge 11 January 1979 page 9