THE FULL EFFECTS of the Law Lords' decisions on cheap fares will hit the tubes later this year when hundreds of jobs are likely to be axed. London Transport has already frozen recruitment. JOHN GODFREY, branch secretary of Neasden ASLEF and chairperson of Brent South Labour Party, spoke to Socialist Challenge about the campaign against fares increases and job losses. IT WOULD be marvellous if we could have an all-out stoppage at this stage but it's not going to nappen. Last week was the THR unions London Transport. That was a big step forward, although Ive never been to such a meeting before.
United We in ASLEF went to the meeting with a proposal to have a three day 'If we wait for government there won't be a service left' stoppage, bet no amendments could re put. In the interests of unity decided it wasn't the time to raise our proposal. sometning EnGI unions, especially the NUR, have agreed to a one day stoppage @ COM0201 15 00 ing to grow, maybe it's not such a bad thing after all. It could be just a taster. we can always step the action up. We can't just on the day of the strike, 10 March, o the next Labour 'One day strikes aren't going to change the government's mind on 21 March when the tares go up, and that's all.
We have to have a consistent united campaign.
That's what I think should happen this Can't Pay, Won't Pay proposal.
ASLEF isn't involved the collection of fares it's not for us to tell the other unions what to do.
They ve got to decide for themselves.
Scheme
But i do think the only way we're going to win, there isn't an all-out industrial action, is for all the unions and the campaigns to come together one umbrella. Otherwise GRANT all the collectors will be ted up with having different 0TES0T LO SOCESS. after all it can involve labour movement event and so failed to give a political lead for a fightback. London Labour leader. Ken Livingstone SEIG Proof that the potential support was there was shown by the hostile reception representative Association. Although claim. cheap tares policy he "extravagance' and the support it gave to gay organisaTo involve so many people in criticis. The newes ane Law Lores auct on local services while the GLC's policies are reduced to chaos. seemed in the assemes draw community the trade unions wno are taking on ine tories, paruculany the London Transport unions. That opportunity was sadly missed. breaking contracts.
So to be successful, the non-collection of farse scheme should be applied uniformly by consumers and operators. We're not going to stop the cuts just by industrial action alone. ASLEF has just won a vic tory but the Tories could DY British Rail's budget.
CHOUCHO for trade unignists to go to say we want to keep politics out of it. Nor is it enough for Albert Booth, shadow Transport Minister, to tell us to wait til Labout government in 1984 which will reverse all this. It w wait till then, there won't be any service left at all. Success We need political ac tion the community Pres and counts. Con essure to bear on and operators have to get together in this campaign, meantime have to make 10 March a e