Steel: policies needed

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STEELWORKERS at Shelton Bar in Stoke, which was decimated by closures itself a few years ago, were 100% solid on the one-day national strike against further closures, one of the pickets told us.

Gordon Roberts, ISTC Divisional Organiser, explained how he saw the dispute.

The strike was just the beginning of a campaign, he said, to highlight the plight of the industry and the effect of imports. The deal over American imports would mean excess steel in other European countries which could find its way alternatives chopen sible here.

There are two possible McGregor - closing plants or sacking workers in a number of plants.

Gordon Roberts explained that because BSC want to reduce capacity, the most likely alternative will be the first. This would have a spin-off effect on other plants ike Sheiton which had been reduced to just a rolling mill.

If this goes ahead, he said, it will be up to the members to take action. And they would be asking for maximum support.

Unfortunately much of the campaign has focussed on imports as the cause of the problem and import controls as the solution.

The restrictions imposed by America ought to be sufficient for British workers to realise how import controls simply export unemployment and divide the workers internationally.

Shelton Bar itself lost because of the divided nature of the resistance to steel closures. Steel workers must fight for work sharing without loss of pay, and for cooperation between steel workers and a workers' government that will institute a programme of public works to reduce unemployment and increase demand for steel.

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£6000 fund THIS week we thank supporters in Manchester (£20), East London (£5), Hyndburn (£30 - at the second attempt!). Thanks also to Nik Barstow and Ken Loach for sending in sponsorship money for the Merseyside Marathon runners.

So this week we've had £78.40: that makes £164.60 for October - the lowest monthly amount since we started the special fund.

The fund was originally launched to raise £6,000 by the end of July - we now have £3,984.12, less than two thirds, three months later.

The day of reckoning has come - we are at the very end of our credit limits.

We ask Socialist Organiser supporters to approach readers of the paper for donations, to ring us and let us know how much money they can send.