ONE of the worst aspects of the steel strike has been the role played by the manacement and unions a Hadfields, the private steel firm employing 2,500 workers in Sheffield.
With the return to work arter the mas:
the atmosphere inside the plant is that no one should speak Outs tue Although there sympathy on the shopfloor for the strike - many of the workers' have relatives who work for the Steel Corporation — the leadership of the joint shop stewards committees has fully 00declace wild manatener keep the plant working.
Prompted Right at the beginning of the strike when Hadfields was picketed, the shop • stewards organisea counter-pickets at the expenst of management. And threats of closure because La mane ds management was able prompt a number of publicity suns. such as melanovoi Arthur Scargill by women workers after the mass- pickel which resulted in the vote to join the strike The closure threats should not be taken all that seriously Hadfields is owned by has good links with the Tory government. Discussions have taker takeover of parts of BSC.
Private This poirits to the failure of the steel union leadership They have auntie any strateg which •could unk ine private anc public sectors Coint detence o either the the private stor SaNx in the position of only section on strike on th engineers into the struggk they are through steel shortages would be one of the best ways of winning over the private steel Hadfields management has sort pd do sock pile steel produced. plant. they are doing otherwise I wIce the bosses the sites il Put uly strikers will leaflets explaining the need for solidarity.
Backs Steelworkers Secretary, Joint Staffs Committee, GEC Preston STEELWORKERS from have been touring plants in Preston, raising cash for