By D Ellis, NUR member RANK AND FILE railworkers in London have pointed a real way forward to beat the offensive of British Rail. Guards and station staff from over 25 British Rail depots in the London region met on Monday night to discuss how to coordinate a vigorous campaign to throw out flexible rostering in the industry.
It was overwhelmingly agreed after a full discusson to call a day of strike on Friday February, involving a lobUnity House, the read offices of the cutter the National Union of Railwaymen.
•There is lots to do betaned the chairperson. - = me will nave to go To their depots and win wide support for this lobby.
And, as other speakers agreed, if Weighell's sellau: is going to be overturnthe day of action and irst step in a broader camelected, Was representatives all ine regions at the meeting.
Speaker after speaker stressed that the stakes in this fight are high. Jobs, this year's pay round, conditions, and - in the case of ASLEF the very exs ence o e union will go out the window if BR forces through the new rosters.
The rosters are just the first hurdle. Then the one-person operation of trains the open station concept, and all the other productivity deals Sidney Weighell cooking up with BR will follow.
The secretary of Southend (works committee) made short shrift of the rosters. received them. We didn't even look at them. We just shoved them back in the post box to Unity House. ADO that's other depots should do too' There is no local' way out of the rosters. It's true LDC's have the right to reject them. But is this a new found concern of Sidney Weighell's for more ucmocracy al be depols! Far from it.
When the LDCs reject the rosters, local negotiations are then taken by the union's sectional councils.
If, in the unlikely case the council also backs the LDCs, who will be left to tight their management? None other than the national executive committee! And back to square one will Sidney Weighell in the driving seat.
At least some members of the executive recognise the deep felt hostility Weighell's angry response greeted the announcement that three members were present at the meeting.
Plan Williams, _a left-winger on the NEC, stayed throughout and agreed to answer questions 'Do you support in proposed day of action? the meeting demanded to know. Williams gave clear 'yes' but wanted the meeting to consider using unc union's machinery as well.
In the North West a similar meeting the previous night had agreed to campaign for a Special ucheral Meeting of the NUR _TO discuss the Support branches required before such a meeting can be called, according to the union's rule book. must take the union's machinery to its limits, but when you've got such an undemocratic union and such important issues are at stake, then you are forcd to call unofficial actiol as Wel 'If lan Williams is opDOsCu lO Lae rosters. wa dony was ge silent one?
water the screws were put on the Kings Cross guards to call off their unofficial action in the second week of th ASLEF strike?' asked other railworkers.
Hazel Macpherson, LDC Paddington, wasn't happy Williams' 'softly softly' approach 'lan is talking the witch-hunt against left wingers in the union. But the best way to fight the vitch-hunt is to come ol penly in support of you memoers materests.
If these left wing leaders arent repared te lead openly, the meeting showed just how action in order to re-assess the situation many serious rank and file leaders are coming for ward from lower levels of the union Guards from Cannon Street, Slade Green Streatham Hill, London Bridge and other depots talked about the courageous actions they had taken to fight the new rosters But they also put the other side the story. They explained how this time round, it would be that much more difficul get their depots out when little support was forthcoming in their struggle.
Courageous actions, if they are isolated, won't be enough to get rid of the productivity plans.
anti oing to aruary Furthermore, until February and this would allow hin to appeal to the NUI ranks This is what the liaison committee will do. What preparations has the executive made for a lock out?
Very little. Although all branches have now been sent cheques to establish a hardship fund, Kings Cross drivers have beer down to the printers, Lon5 This conference will re-convene after the day of Already, depot managers have banned rest dar working, in addition to the Sunday . working lilal will doris ded British Rail is threaten ing to withdraw the back pay of the three per cent from last year's pay round until each and every item in the productivity play is agreed to These actions will add fuel to the flames. They will anger NUR members further. Depots may con sider reacting spontan eously.
The steering committee will have to try to harness this anger, convince the workers that a united effort is needed, and to put forward 19 February one focus that can shor Sidney Weighell anc BRB just what we think of what they are up to don Transport, the coach stations and the transport unions about lorry drivers On the whole we've had a good response But it's made more dif ficult to get definite com mitments by the fact that no appeal has gone out our executive for blacking action If you do have an all-out strike and go for black. ing won't this come up against the Tories antion secon dary picketing?
In London, and I'm sure in most other places are quite prepared to face Tories over picketing. It will be absolutely essential to defy Tebbit if we are to have any chance of winning.
You were very involved in the blacking Sun. . What do vou think you gained out of it? I'd say it was a draw. That in itself signified a big step forward because normally Haue umonists diways lose at the hands or heuress COSt Murdoch thousands of pounds. showed him that will not always take scurMost important of all we have established a dent for the right of reply. We only 24/1 chi! page. Bur this was unheard of before our action.