STEEL UNION leader Bill Sirs is faced with big problems — next year and major plant closures. The enornity of Bill Sirs leadership responsibility reduc ad him to tears in 1980. escaped into wonderland!
Last weeks Steel Apseal rally in London drew 500 representatives est at the latest Steel Cororation cuts. It was Ce icult to work out who the nad hatter was at this paricular tea party. There vere certainly enough canain, just like Alice who able, this gathering had tie space ive might of the trade U.OH.
Speakers ranged from Cory MP's, LOUIS CHE ticars to the boss of a private steel firm.
There was much prayng to God, led by a speech rom the Reverend Potter rom Scotland ime for consultation, 10pс to God that 'ouncil will DECYGIE Mr Managing UISOL Manchester Steels vas thanked for his positive contribution' and ntroduced himself as capitalist and there aren't cally many of us in the all today'.
Tory MP Teddy Taylor explained how he: resignering from, being part of he European Make sure" he boomed we are not taken for a ride ›y the continentals'.
Much pumping of and Slappin of backs issued from Bill Sirs hroughout the bizarre afternoon.
Labour movement
figures did get a small slot a me procccamgs. COTIrey Drain from NALGO at least 20,000 redundancies by only speaker here today and opened his remarks with You may ask what 1 an doine here?' Many of us askeo ine same cuesuon after his no action speech.
anour leader Vichac Foot did nothing to rescue the proceedings, adding to the general John Bull tone with a stirring plea; want to build steel as the sinews of a great Britain -great Britain we are determined to make'. Turn Then it was Bill's turn. The mayors capitaly named for all clapped they were worth. He explained how the LUNC day strike last month had: Put the plight of steelworkers into peak hour TV viewing and onto the agenda of the cabinet office Defensively he outlined that this PES a PrOTeS! strike, which may or may He assured them that: We will fight in responsible way with the power of public opinion the greatest power in the land' Steel Appeal set itself four objectives' to rally this power of public opinion. Sirs spelt them out. First, that the government should take the decisteel boss, McGregor Second, that declarations should be extracted the Scottish and Welsh Office.
Third, support should be won from members of the Conservative Party and forth... wait for it the business LOELSELY should be mobilised!
On all four BELLESS the press had responded. •We support the Daily ExDress.
Observer, Dally and qualified from the Daily Telegraph' Big Deal. I'm sure stee workers in Ravenscraig and other threatened plants sleep confident in knowing that Bill Sir's LESH found Bill Sirs crying after his famous Cardiff speech in January 1580. He broke down after addressing a mass rally on the day a quarter of a million Welsh workers went on strike against steel cuts. Sirs promised general strike action and claimed the event was 'one of the most emotional experiences of my life! Yes, Bill Sirs, hold your head in shame for all those broken promises/ friends can save their jobs!
has carned from lone and bitter experience that these broad 'popular' protests are defending workers like Knare and Tory like Knagg and like Teddy Taylor. These jamborees tional action. if managing directors don't like it The afternoon gave another insight into Sirs wonderland. He explained why the main demands of the Steel Appeal centered on import controls. "If we could reduce imports by halt, the fear of major would be there. This is just fantasy.
Throughout Europe, steel producers are junking unused steelmaking capacity because the madness of capitalist economics has slashed True, steel users like hospitals, schools, railways and other social amenities are in desperate demand. But these don't make profits - so tough. Profit making concerns like cars are in slump, so steel production is slimmed down.
On 25 November, the EEC Commission confirmed that even more swdemanded to reduce steel making capacity in Europe by 30-35 million tonnes, LATC surgery in 20 large steel Despite the protestaLions of Tory industry minister, Patrick Jenkin. Britain will have to take its share, or face financial SHOOTS rolar or partia closure of one or more of TIVE INLEHTALEO steel plants in Britain is in evitabic 1l a night docsn l - this shedding of CaDacIty and plant has gone on for years.
In the last three years has fallen over time, imports have inCOSE ON SHONS of this amount - betwee So imports can hardly be held for job cutting cutbacks in steel production. Focus Bill Sirs' focus on imCOROSCATE!
in line Eikes of Teads the Taylor, takes steelworkers up a cul de sac The task facing the steel union leaders is to mobilise the power of the real world rather than the wonderland of public opinion'. In the real world it i movement and the language of industrial action that count Smaller like Clydebridge in Scotland considered this sort of ac tion when the steward proposed occupation to stop closure by Christmas. The majority of the workers were not prepared cent in 1980, mainly from America and Western Europe, in Britain investment went down! to gamble their redundanсу толеу адали ас пор that the national union leaders would throw thei we the lesthe struele clear plants cannot fight alone and the national leadership should pull its finger out.
Some action was pro posed from the rally A picket was set up at the Im migration port in Humberside to block ten thousanc tonnes of imported stee Japan and South Africa Trouble Even here the ISTC leader of the ten pickets Joe Pickles explained "The purpose of the picker is not to cause trouble The exercise is aimed at br inging to ine notice of the public the situation that exists on steel imports' Rank and file steelworkers from Scunthorpe are prepared to picket the port FransDOrE union dockers and drivers have promised acHVE see their task as more than protest achon This will to take firm welcome contrast to Bil Sirs' pathetic parading o Tory dignatories But it should be channeled into actions against and redundancies and not the dead end of an import control lobby.
ISTC members should food the union offices resolution. branches and complaints to the union newspaper The Banner, demanding a change of course *Correction. An error in transcribing last week's ar ticle (pg SC271) transferred this increase of 0.6 tonnes to a percentage increase of w.o percent. government plans to treble its volume of rall treight o 1985 While in £317m was
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