'WE'RE going to stick out for the full 15 per cent on basic pay with no strings.' That was the message from John Tomlinson, General and Municipal Workers Union shop steward from the Oldham area, when he spoke to Socialist Challenge last week.
Rank and file unofficial action continued to spread in the North West CaSu Ince fiance of the union leaders' call to accent the National Water Council's latest offer.
Press reports have put the offer at 12.3 per cent. This is nonsense as John Tomlinson explained: 'All that's different from the previous offer is to consolidate the £5 atichuance subolement. There's no more money on table only worth 7.9 per cent on the basic.
'And do you know what basic pay is?' asked G&M member Beard. 'Il's £66 gross for Grade 1 and only t60.52 for Grade 4.
Our initial claim was for £20 the board.
We've alicauv compromise on the per cent. We don't want any more compromises.
The Oldham workers are justifiably negollatons nave aragged on for four months.
support to take industrial action for the full claim.
The employers Talesl olfer their third 'final' offer - came as industrial action was spreading.
Now the union leaders are back-tracking as last as possible *The miners gave us a big boost of confidence, young. We were recruited as school leavers.
Even who have kids take part in the added Oldham G&M strike committee member, Bob Lees. "Iney showed that the government could be beaten. Action The union leaders don't want to take on this Tory Both the miners and the water workers have shown that it is through rank and file action, often in the face of opposition from the union leaderships, that the Tories and the employers can be brought to their knees.
VF Corporation Sit-in Appeal about work-sharing broke down.
involved, name 'Lee' jeans tion in its Belgian and Irish factories.
occupation. They've usually had arunofficial action, like the water workers, is shortisolated. and without the same industrial muscle they would have national action, they are forced back to work.
But in these pockets ot resistance to the of ficials and executives of the unions, many important lessons are being learnt. 'We should be the ones in control,' argued James Cowan the Transport Union in Oldham. 'The officials have spent all their time trying to keep us in. There are 33,000 members and think, 19 officials. pay their wages. They Women workers in the occupied Greenock factory — 'The support has been fantastic This Thursday sees our sit-in fight to save 250 jobs at the VF Corporation factory in Greenock enter its fourth week. The clothing factory has been occupied 24 hours a day since talks with the company The sit-in has united both the factory and of fice staff, and although we are almost all women we have received 100 per cent support Facing a 25 per cent reduction in orders, Corporation, an American multı-national — trade - finds it more profitable to close the Greenock plant and concentrate producWe believe rangemen: for baby sitevery 12 months. Then they , would be helping us build this strike, undermining it. Power As key sections of the working class 'rise like lions' against the Tories, the labou movement should use its power to bring all end this government once and for STOP PRESS: At nectine Monday morning Oldham waterworkers rejected the advice of ten tun-uume ouricials to go back to work. that people come before profits, and have occupied the factory to press our demand for work-sharing across all the company's factories. So far the company has refused even to allow an investigation into the union plan for work-sharing.
workers fighting for our jobs with the only weapons available to us. Women's jobs are as important as any other, and we aim to prove that women can fight for them.
support and donations 1o:
Tailors & Garment Workers, S- Sailers Glasgow, cupation is being rur = 118 8 = Sociaist Challenge 5 Mart '# Dave Nelson, senior steward for the No west Pennine area division, told Socialist Challenge:
unanimous decision voted to stay out for the full 15 per cent. We've got Borders the OUl rank and file, no not the fulltimers be contacting other divi sions to extend the strike' Bob Lees from the strike committee add. ed: obvious need a national strike committee, a rank and file All body operating on at the moment is a list of phone numbers and useless full-time officials.
We are no 'rag trade girls, we are women With your support we will win. Messages :
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WOMEN'S DAY 8 MARCH 1981