By Ricky Houston

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by the gallant knight Sir of the Queen's Speech or person of BT, who said that when the Telecom Bill 15,000 jobs would have to gets its first reading. go over. the next three The other unions in BT years. have yet to state what form Then within the last two of action they will be taking weeks a Department of on that day. Industry memo has been After the one-day strike, leaked which estimates though, what next? that over the next hive years The record of the major45,000 jobs will be chopped ity on the POEU Executive lover 20% of BT's 245,000 does not promise well for workforce). the future.

As regards cuts in tele- Throughout the campcom service, the brunt will aign against the first Telebe felt by individual sub- com Bill, the POEU execuscribers, especially in the tive relied completely on countryside where services parliamentary action, never normally show a loss in at any time trying to mobilcommercial terms. ise the membership.

Already, price structures In fact, they have argued are designed to benefit the against industrial action, in business subscriber. practice against almost Even these figures do not everything, selling out the really take into account life membership along with after privatisaiton. With vague promises of a fight the pressure of dividends some time in the future. to be paid to shareholders, Yet the membership has 'costs of labour' will no come under increasing attdoubt *Both estimates ack over conditions at work. hammer. Disciplinary action by manwere made within the agement has become more framework of government and more frequent. Real control and could not take wages have fallen, and all nto account the additiona the time there has been a levastation to be wreaker threat hanging over our by private ownership.

jobs. Be soped miles tight a One thing is sure. The Although there is disillusionment with the NEC, be stopped unless a fight is it would be a false picture waged by all the unions in to say that every POEU British Telecom. member is champing at the The POEU executive has bit to fight the Privatisation instructed all members in Bill. There are areas where Bi to strike for one day on this is true, but at national an unspecified date in Octlevel there has just not ober, probably on the day been enough campaigning.