Fiahtina the privateers ching

Scan page 14

US airlines 10S $500 million on scheduled flights in the first three months of this year, and over $400 million last year. They have not made a profit since 1979.

About the worst-hit is Pan Am, which lost $100 million last year and is still making losses despite the wage cuts it has imposed on its workers.

Ironically the scale of the slump is what saves some of the worst-off airlines from being pushed into bankruptcy by their creditors straight away. Their assets are mainly aircraft, and second-hand aircraft are a drug on the market right now. So bankers reckon that it is better to hang on, and hope to get their money back later, than to press for payment now and end up with fleets of unsaleable aircraft on their hands.

A similar quirk has protected International Harvester, which looks like the next candidate for the knacker's yard. Its debts total $7.6 billion, while its assets, at the most generous reckoning, are $1 billion. But who wants a job-lot of remaindered farm machinery?

Bankruptcies in the US rate, giving them full union rights.

This was negotiated through Alec Smith, the union general secretary, and Mr Rattles, over the phone.

The offer was revealed when the Rulecan stewards forced a meeting between the Executive Board member for the North-West and shop stewards in the Liverpool branch, to explain the Executive decision to lift the blacking at the catalogue warehouses.

After admitting that it was a mistake' to lift the blacking, the Executive Board member threw in this surprise offer by Rattles.

A further clause in the offer was that the local union official involved in the dispute should no longer be allowed to represent WANDSWORTH refuse collectors have been on all-out strike for five weeks now against the Tory council's plans to privatise the refuse collection, parks, mechanical workshops and some of the Town Hall services.

Street cleaning, which has already been hived off to Pritchards, presents a grim picture of what privatisation • means. Complaints about unswept streets before the strike were coming in at the rate of 500 a week and pritchards have been fined £2,800 for work not done.

So: ratepayers, and especially tenants on the LUTTE OUVRIERE fete: international festival of revolutionary socialism. Saturday to Monday, May 29 to 31, at Presles, Val d'Oise, France. A delegation of SO supporters will be going over to the fete: all comrades interested, please write to SO, 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

Contact:

Solidarnose Trade Union Working Group, 64 Philbeach Gardens, London SW5. 01-373 3492.

Glasgow Polish Solidarity Campaign. lan McCalman, 18 Mossgiel Rd, Glasgow G43. 041-63e2 1839.

Edinburgh PSC. C/o Edinburgh Trades Council, 12 Picardy Place.

Oxford Labour Committee on Poland. 165 Banbar: Rd. Oxford 08655523 This Fiste:

FECI" 1aD0.

Bank, 110 Leman London EI. estates, are paying for the dubious savings in filthy streets.

For the employees the picture is even bleaker. In the 3 months since they've had the contract, Pritchards have sacked more workers than they now have working for them - some for trying to join a union, some for protesting at compulsory overtime and appalling working conditions.

When the service was run by the council, they employed several disabled workers, who face even more difficulty than other workers in finding jobs in a recession. pritchards does SOCIALIST ORGANISER MEETINGS & FORUMS SHEFFIELD. Every other Wednesday, at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. Business 7.30, discussion 8.30. Next meeting May 26: "The role of trade unionism'. June 9: 'Women's right to choose' LEICESTER: Sundays 7.30 at the Socialist Centre, High St.

May 16: Palestine. Speakers: Barry Turner, John Nelson. With slide show on recent events in West Bank.

May 23: The fight against the Thatcher/Reagan war drive. Speakers: Judith Bonner lexecutive, Youth CND], Peter Flack [NC, Socialist Teachers' Alliance]. and local CND speaker. Also business session to discuss motions for Saunferenet FEELi STEIE TET -DE K :-2 We:

E=: stizi ai renue. write ...pa Ban : is London Nl.

is. not employ disabled people.

In the last couple of weeks, the strike has suffered two blows: the return of a Tory council in the borough elections and the decision of NALGO workers in the Town Hall to call off their supporting action, under threats from management.

Socialist Organiser talked to strike committee secretary, Dennis English, about how the strikers see the strike progressing. What do you feel about the NALGO vote?

Well, at least we know where to expect our support from. The vote doesn't SOLIDARITY with Chile, Central America and the Caribbean. National conference, Saturday-Sunday May 22-23, starts 1lam, Sheffield University. Sponsors include Sheffield and Rotherham Trades Councils. More details: Cath, 0742 588052.

EL SALVADOR Solidarity Campaign [Manchester] social in support of the FMLN/FDR. Saturday May 22, at Hulme Labour Club: entrance $2 |$1.50 unempl reflect the feelings of a lot of NALGO members. The day after the vote, we had a lot of NALGO members down on our picket line at the central depot and promises of continuing support.

We've also had pledges of financial support from other NALGO branches -£250 from Croydon NALGO and 2250 from Lambeth NALGO.

So it would be wrong to say we haven't still got support from NALGO.

What about the Tory election victory?

The only thing you can conclude is that we need to step up the action. We've oyed]. With 'Harlem plus support.

KILL THE Tebbit Bill: speaker Steve Inngshawe [Laurence Scotts]. Tuesday May 25, 8pm, in Durham [phone 0385 780287 for venuel.

STOP BRITAIN'S blo ody hand in Namibia: Nami ibia Support ' Committee / school, Saturday May 22, llam to 5pm at. Cou nty Hall, London SEI. Er AtIance 50p.

INSIDE YOUR IPAPER: - RR ADFORD 12 COVERE FREE Thr TO already escalated it. We got 650 out on strike now as against 200 at the beginning.

That's the mechanical workshops, fitters, stores, laundries and parks, from all 3 unions?

What has been the effect of the strike?

We estimate that the scabs are . costing the council between $85,000 and £100,000 a week. We've been told they're paying £350 per vehicle per day.

But we've got to look to stepping up the fight within the borough and spreading it to other boroughs. We've had pledges of financial support and people down on the picket lines from outside the borough.

We haven't asked for industrial action yet. But the main thing is making it effective in Wandsworth. We need to bring the council to a standstill.

I can't tell you detailed plans till the members have discussed it, but we're certainly planning to escalate the action.

Have you had any with the police?

Five dustmen have just been arrested one charged with threatening criminal damage in connection with five scab dustcarts being set on fire and the other four with conspiracy to cause criminal damage. They're out on unconditional bail at the moment and there's a committal hearing on Thursday. They're getting legal backing from the Messages of support and donations should be sent to: The London Borough of Wandsworth Manual Workers Strike Committee, c§o GMWU Offices, 347 Garratt Lane, London SW18.

Pti:

Psi lytgst:igt

----- pull-quotes -----

WOMEN'S RIGHT