'WHAT have we left to live for now there is no anyone?' These.were the last words of teenager Graeme Rathbone and Sean Grant, who committed suicide last May. As the Coroner at the inquest said, 'they felt the world didn't hold a future for them. clear result of the economic situation in this looks to me as if there are going to be more cases like this where youngsters who have not got jobs feel the only way out is to take their own lives.
Those remarks are tragically all too true. Atthe beginning of August a young couple attempted because they were unable to get work calculated on the basis of the 40 hour week. Why not insist on TUC policy and impose a 35-hour week? Imposing this across the would add ten per cent to the work force — almost wiping out unemployment.
Of course the aim of the Tories and the bosses is to impose the exact opposite - they want to reduce wages without reducing the hours.
Last year the bosses imposed settlements in the private sector of less work for This death.
unemployment.
This is street.
country. It vain for work.
North
with unemplovment pubished by Economics suicide The TUC approach undermines the confidence of the working class experts agree, whole economy per cent and will now rise again.
additional measures explained right azalist need mighty plemented.
and only last Friday an 18 year old unemployed youth jumped 200 feet to These terrible stories are just the tip of the iceberg that is the misery ot Unable to pay the rent, people find themselves on the Families are broken up as the scours une country A recent report from Ivneside Communitv Health Council links an increase in ill health the Office of Health suggests that unemployment has made people SO afraid of losing their jobs that they basic turn up for work even when ill.
Manv Deodle did not have a hollday this year, children contantly have cent or more actual cut! And this in face of a rate of inflation which, all will not fall below The TUC plan and the necessary nationalisation banks and the commanding heights, imposition of the 35 hour week and so mass on (all, by the way TUC policy), goes the interests bosses and their government and will fight oe imunemployed who are affected. Three million on the dole is a huge incentive to employers to keep workers in line Our living standards are in danger of being eroded working people feel they have no choice but to accept - Ol cvell a wago cut — rather than lose their jobs.
Unfortunately they are convinced there is no choice because our trade union leaders are not willing to take coverancil example, leaders of the engineering union have continually in the fact of attacks by Edwardes and government. Holding down wages and refusing to defenc trade union rights Longbridge convenor, Derek Robin• son was sacked, hasn't saved the jobs of thousands of Leviand workers Tory budget. This too was opposition • to hatcher - but not being bold enough in cutting welfare services. Insofar as it was a call for more government money for capital expenditure projects it was a call to cut services to compensale Moreover, the bosses need the unemployment, need destruction or ine wellare services While the TUC proposals in the eyes of all those guided by rationality are obvious and needed immediately, this is not what determines the actions of And even more leaders of our trade withdrawn support hour from Jeans.
These struggles have exemplified the willingness of working people in this country fight. they're not only fighting for their own jobs but for everyone's and in so doing are directly taking on the Tories.
The tremendous victory of the Lee Jeans women does more to 'change' Tory policy than the mealy-mouthed utterances of Murray and that's no doubt just what our leaders are afraid of. Workers struggling and and winning does threaten the position of the Duffys, Murrays and and her cohorts.
Collaborate Michael The lessons of Poland have certainly not been lost on the when union leaders are all for the quiet life.
That's why they want to try to collaborate the bosses. That's why they have no interest at all in the creation of 500,000 more jobs. Their only interest is to get themselves into a state to meet their foreign competitors in the USA, Germany and Japan. Silly the It is plain silly to appeal to any section of the Tories to implement a plan which so goes against the interests of the people that they represent.
It has to be Labour real socialist policies, prepared for criminally these dustrial unions have Sidney at the eleventh Laurence Scott and Lee They know Laurence leaders fight.
unions Co. And over blem Toemse ves as much to developments Basnetts as Thatcher crucial.
Solidarity in cern of the Chapple.
Tories and the save the want In despair. clearly 1984 said that only government committed Veighe shown prepared to sell railworkers' jobs and working conditions tor a tiny wage increase, despite the willingness of his members to take industrial action.
workers SiKe at Scott and Lee Jeans are learning fast that it's not lust rotten who are holding back the It's the very structures ack the themselves, lack democracy, accountability and controi that rank and fle workers have their own organisation and leaders that is at the root of the proboth the •Ill the Labour Party and the fight for socialist policies in the whole labour movement are so need national campaign organised by the TUC and the national unions against unemployment.
Unemployment cannot be the conunemployed alone. •Only the strength of the organised labour movement can turn the tide against this government. Only its strength can lives of those driven to the less bold will workers be in stick. ing out for their just demands, let along struggling for an alternative The TUC plan must therefore be directed towards mobilising the wage earners. It must be clearly stated that the first step is the kicking out of this Tory government. Not in - by which time too much damage will have been done, but today. The miners have shown we have the strength; the workers at Lee Jeans and Laurence Scott have shown that we have the will to struggle. Instead of