tricks that others put down to paranoia.
‹ nere snoula be no doubts about the Tories' plans for the steel industry.
commendable dour the prime muster revealed the government's intentions in two short sentences.
'One of the purposes of the money being injected into the Steel Corporation, Thatcher stated, 'is to get it into a condition and size at which it can be profitable When it is, we can denationalise it.
there All the and all the workers who are being down the road are serving one purpose profit and that surplus, materialises, will accrue the Tories triends.
bol of both the depth crisis affecting economy, and of the Tories' anti-working class remedies. It Is also, umortunalely, a classic example of the political bankLUDEL Y union leadership.
A few facts. Since 1970 the number of workers employed by the Steel Corporation has shrunk 230,000 100,000. Ian MacGregor, was brought in by the Tories to concoct arescue daniorsedustry, is already shedding a further 22,000 jobs.
That the bloodletting unlikely to stop there can judged from a remark made by Sir Keith Joseph during the se cond reading of the Iron and Steel Bill on 19 March 'By all commercial stanthe industry secretary sal But under present legislation it cannot be liquidated This Bill, he revealed, allow the corporation's tivities to be reduced virtually to nil.
in the form below Name...
Address.
London N1 2XP. SOCIALISTS are sometimes accused of finding conspiracies where none exist and of pointing to dirty such canhas steelSCIlL the to who Joseph.
be It is an incredible statement, foreshadowing the disappearance of a basic industry least as a nationalised Joseph added istic, and if that not justified, further closures and redundancies will be neces'will Optimism is hardly aL" order of the dav. Stee ducers are desperately trying to area or would like more information fill undercut each and markets and car plants closing and new building shelved, the markets that dwindle.
Commercial standards
'optimism is the profit workers, yet their leaders refuse to recognise what is happening the in the capitalist lungle any rate they turn a blind eye to pro At the Velindre works outside Wales.
a consor an has are local thousand lobs. union leaders have show that the plant is efficient. They demand 'the right to continue to make protis.
At Llanwern Talbot, the union leaders are encouraging prove the plant is viable. ductivity records broken and export orders are at an all-time high. no small sacrifice has rocketed and satetv regula. tions bring one miners stre During miners' they requested dispensation so that the plant could continue production And all this is based on the notion that if the workers work hard enough the plant will be saved.
Denationalisation will come in stages to ease the financial burden on private firms. Joint companies will be set up where compete for markets.
Government injected to companies hidden government The sold to BSC be mistaken ly transitory. redundancy new private with Hadfields, ments, and GKN.
And Joseph made statement, private sector'!
The and Duports Inculary sessions in minds. Overtime Their Unemployment other's prices With factories with long hours, for early competition and tion Group asks: spell doom for steellook at fellow Inal we are now tin-plate Swansea Now is the wier e overtime ment starts immeclalely.
The tried to mand for longer and Port the workforce to game are PrO.
are being It has meant never win overtime production should be strike, of vasarice market.
treatment dent of South commented too: a: our guts the private and public sectors funds will be rationalise unese new firms before the private pletely. Under this scheme take Concode named Phoenix private firms like GKN acquire new plants at no cost and receive subsidies:
£40m in the case of GKN.
Duport private steel colloany Has scraobeds non.
profit making plant at Llanelli with the loss of 1,200 jobs.
Sheffield Midlands have been These schemes should not nationalisation. BSC ownership is pureAsset stripping, interest and payments will be made with government funds in a tidying-up operation before a venture is set up Tube Investthe response of the largest union in the industry, ISTC? In the same week that Unis Commons ISTC Banner 'Save the steel leaders have paraded workers from Velindre through parlialobbies, the Court, and even hymn-singing their inspiring tempts to change the Tories' knee-bent posture would have as little chance of persuading rivers to run up hill.
the industry accompanies a shake-up short days, and penalising conditions retirement The bulletin of the Port Talbot Ac'How can the union leaders members who have just been finished at Port Talbot and tell these people filling their jobs on an overtime basis?
to tel management no extra tonnage unless demand for recruitment to share the work is vital. Added to it could be the de35-hour week, holidays, and early retirement with no loss of pay.
Tories' those of private capital, profit and competition. They make no secret of it. And bv those rules steelworkers car The private sector has to be nationalised, not saved. Steel to meet social need and not the the capitalist Above all the bentknee posture requires urgent Wales the miners strike action: 'You cannot play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules when they are aiming the:: Dai Francis
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Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, 'This Bill will allow BSC's activities to be reduced virtually to nil' - Keith