FOUR hundred steelworkers packed the local AUEW Hall in that the workforce is committed to an all-out fight against the Tory Warrington last week to hear Bill Sirs, national secretary of the closure plans. He added that the private sector Skinningrove 8. the Warrington plant.
ing the national strike. Then a united effort by rank and file steelworkers made it difficult for Sirs to bring the strike to the speedy end (and sell-out) that he wanted from day strike.
Rotherham steel joint unions have votea to give • Warrington 100 per cent backing and today refuse to accept any orders. But Scunthorpe presents a different picture. The convenor plant, connivance with the full-time official for the area, has opposed a delegation from Warrington to address the Scunthorpe Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, local trade union officials, and Labour MPs pledge support for the fight against the closure of agreed not to take Warrington orders. Local convenor Colin Herd, chairing the meeting, announced BSC unions.
workers.
There is a crazy belief that if Warrington closes, jobs in Scunthorpe will be safe. tions are that closes, not only will Scunthorpe be next on the list, but it is more likely to be shut.
Warrington
'new town development' area. It is the centre of the wire drawing industry, and even the local football team Wires'. Closure of the bigges stee works wil mean the death of the town.
A recent Manpower Services Commission that there unemployed in the town. In the All indica- last six months, 480 local firms Warrington announced redundancies and 180 closed large wire-drawing Rylands Whitecross, so-called declared 200 redundancies in the near future.
The effect of the Road closure won't be confined the to 685 jobs in steel. businesses will be affected. rington steelworkers can't wait until the closure date and then say it's too late to do anything. plant, and the Rotherham British Steel Corporation unions have Bill Sirs undertook to seek similar support from Scunthorpe report indicated were 49,000 but doesn't.
altogether. The factory, has Jur bie slee litesi.
isation Bewsey Government.
Steel Many local working WarLovelo them.
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Bill Sirs may like that to happen, throughout the 10. country need to make sure jobs.
Firm action is needed now to 11. save jobs, and part and parcel of the fight must be a national plan This will involve fighting for full national- 12.
under a future Labour and imposing on management weed union leaders block the fight to save jobs, the rank and file will Fact independently of policies and the steps needed to campaign for united industrial action to save jobs.
Hopes are high that the current modest acthrities of the committee will gather support and lay the basis for a firm opposition to any attempts to close the Llanwern or Port Talbol Eleven thousand jobs have been carved up by the present slimline agreement, and the closure of one of the plants could mean a further loss of between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs. Steelworkers Charter The following demands reflect the deeply held convictions of the steelworkers in South Wales area. We ask for the support of all organisations in the labour movement for these demands with a united approach to the task of changing the macabre destruction of the industry by the BSC.
The British steelworkers demand that the government of the day takes the interests of workers into consideration when plan. ning the future of the steel industry.
The British steelworkers demand a market for all steel which can be produced by existing plant.
We will not accept plant closure and refute absolutely any redundancy.
We demand full implementation of a guaranteed 35-hour working week and worksharing with no loss of earnings. We demand a ban on overtime.
We demand the option of retirement at 55 years for men and women with at least 80 per cent of current earnings to maintain spending power.
We demand that the government of the day fund pensions until state retirement age is attained.
We demand that the government of the day makes available all financial aid that the EEC funds provide for an investment programme with no job loss.
We demand that nationalised industries receive interest concessions in line with other EEC countries with a view to the ending of interest payments completely.
We demand that Government subsidies be made available to the British Steel industry, in line with other EEC countries. We demand opposition to changes in working practices which involve a deterioration in conditions, safety, and the number of We demand an end to hiving off of steel production to private industry and the complete nationalisation of steel producers, processors, and stockholders.
We support steps towards the creation of one union inside the steel industry. As a first step, we demand a common pay claim for all steelworkers.
The twelve points in this Charter are a realistic and attainable ser of aspirations. Adoption of these demands will give workers a real voice in control of the industry and protect it from decimation. We pledge our support for the maintenance of a strong industry whose wealth-creating potential must be realised without unemploymen! and used for the welfare of the people of this country. Socialist Challenge 26 June 1980 Page 9
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