IMGpapers 1980–83

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1980–83

Locked out for fighting fare rises

· Socialist Challenge No. 185, 19 February 1981 · p. 15 of the scan · 816 words

The scan: sc-n185-feb-19-1981.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
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page 15 of the scan

Breweries demanded Ansells, waich i owns. out strike al hon orced ine company lu abide by the decision of independent enquiry which eventually recommended nine reaundance Management wasn'i For salishica Willl the acknal 'onlv' 25 i0b: had been lost by the end of last year. So it lore up exagreements staffing levels and pras January workers took me oil up tion left open 1o thein and walked out.

Management responded negotiate until the worker Then renruary a the closere or announced the closure Ansells.

officials walle hilitt air Derick noiachBrown, vice-chairperson of said the ecision is 'irrevocable Given the present depres sed state of the brewed a 3.8 per cent fall in pro industry. which record this state men needs De kell and confronted.

Certainly Allied is not a facing disaster lis pre-lax profit for the vear ending i March 1980 was £133. 1m. of which the beer division tributed just under half 1o 13 Secies ver 1 per a tur : September recorded by this division.

Negotiations between Allied the and General Workers Union have now laken place. bu the results are unclear and sacked workers need all he financial asvistance the!

call Denations und messase 0 40001 . The strike Aldridge Perry Bar.

Birmingham.

sabotaged no matter wnal that mical».

wnai that means' became all loo TGWU 3/111 branch Bristol reads: because we refuse to rob the public'.

The message displayed at our picket line, and it sums up the struggle Bas Bristol's buses off the road.

The reason there are no buses, and the reason busworkers nave Deen locked out is because we refuse to implement new fare rises and to accept cuts in Jobs head on Sundav. February when Bristol Omnibus company issued new fare books. I nese sougnt to put into effect the third fare rise in a year.

Journey They would have meant, for example, that four-mile journey 50p.

The bus company Tried new fares despite knowing inat the bus branch the Transport and General Workers Union had voted not to implement the rises.

4am on the 8 Al their pickets or lose their credentials. THE SIGN at Winterstoke bus garage in are locked out February started to suspend all those workers who refused to accept the new fare books. By that nine had been sacked and as many as 300 suspendeveryone who had ec — turned up for work.

The next day management told union branch secretary Mike Hall that the busworkers would only be allowed to return to work if they implemented the new tares.

Depots When Mike said the union members would work on condition that the suspensions were lifted, that those sacked were reinstated, and that The REVOLUTION is now!

deadly policies the Thes age more.

Get your the new fares would not be introduced, he too was suspended.

By mid-day the entire passenger transport workforce been locked out. All bus depots were immediately picketed.

Two days later, on Wednesday 11 February, TGWU national passenger trade group secre tary, Bill Morris chipped advice 'Unite' and save jobs he issue of out For all youth fighting the of the Tory government, there are articles on building Youth CND, the special revolutions in El Salvador and Nicaragua, of consent, violence against women, Ireland, fascism, and lots copies (10p each, 25p each including p&p) and more details about Revo from PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. said - by implementing tne rare rises Mood The 800-strong mass meeting shouted him down. The mood was clear that we refused up and that this would be to allow the fares to the best way of stopping plans managements 500 busworkers ir May and cut the city serhave received overwne ning public support for our struggle Labour councillor backing us blamed the Tories for not providing sufficient money for the bus service But four years ago the then Labour-controlled Bristol council sold its half share in Bristol Omnibus against union advice to instead the half the Take novel council didn't own Camden Town tube.

The struggle over fare rises wasn't unexpected I ne unlon branch had taken its non-implementOCCS Uli that time ris had supported thi policy. But did For to fight for such a tactic na tionally.

Nevertheless an

tion committee port the busworkers fight has been in existence tor weeks The major focus for the struggle will be • on 21 February wher Tony Benn, local MP will be one of the Bristol's Corn Exchange.

All the many local protests against cuts and will unemployment raised at the rally and, it hoped. brought together in a united campaign.

Support, including money, for the busworkers should be sent to Brothe Action Commit- TGWL 3/11 Action Victoria Street, Bristole Transport House,

----- pull-quotes -----

vices by 50 per cent. 10p

REVOLUTION FOR A UNITED REVOLUTIONARY YOUTH ORGANISATION Socialist Challenge 19 February 1981

Tauw official Bill Mor Photo Socialist Worker

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