Pickets step up the fight

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London water workers have organised mass pickets at Hampton water works to try to stop scab coal deliveries.

And elsewhere pickets have been active seeking support, sending delegations, speaking at labour movement meetings.

The top union leaders, however, have done nothing to AUEW executive member Gerry Russell did start talking militantly about the craft workers coming out... after the inquiry had been fixed up: "We could be on strike next week", , he said, "even if the manual workers return to work".

The craft workers have had exactly the same offer -though on a separate agreement - and at local level, many craft workers have come out along with the manual grades. But the union leaders have done nothing to coordinate Scotland's water workers, too, face exactly the same offer and have not been called out, On Sunday, GMBU Scottish regional secretary James Morrell said that his members would be called out unless the employers agreed to... the inquiry! In effect Morrell had scrapped the union's 15% claim and The GMBU on Monday called on its members in the chemical industry to stop chlorine deliveries if water strikers requested this. And last Thursday TGWU official Mick Martin said he had written to the TGWU's road haulage trade group seeking cooperation in cutting off chlorine supplies.

In both cases, the official move is late and full of loophol. es. The real work has been left to local activists, like stewards at Dukinfield, Audenshaw and Davyhulme (Manchester), who have got together to contact workers at ICI Runcorn about help. action.

substituted the inquiry instead. chlorine supplies.

IN SHEFFIELD, Swinton sewage works has been shut down, and Aldwark and Blackburn Meadows sewage works are close to being shut down.

GMBU branch secretary lan Drayton told us that the strikers had been round speaking to the District Labour Party, the Trades Council, the Joint Shop Stewards' Committee at the Northern General Hospital, a number of steelworks, Sheffield City NUR branch, and various Constituency Labour Parties.

Craft workers in Sheffield have been out alongside the manual grades from the first day. Sheffield GMBU members have plans to lobby the national union officials over the in MANCHESTER, NUPE members occupied Denton sewage works on Tuesday morning in protest at scabbing by craft workers. Management backed down and promised to stop using the craft workers for manual grades' jobs.

Dukinfield, Audenshaw and Davyhulme stewards are getting together to send a delegation to Agecroft colliery and to contact ICI *Reports from Rob Dawber, Pete Keenlyside, Andy Dixon, Phil Hardy, Pat Lally, Tony Gard, Tony Twine.

Runcorn.

In STOCKPORT, the feeling on the picket lines was, "If the miners brought down the Tories, why can't we?" The Trades Council, Labour Party wards, and Stockport South YS have passed resolutions of support.

In OXFORD, a support committee was set up last Friday, sponsored by the Trades Council. A joint strike committee has been formed, by the different sites in the district, and a delegation has visited Didcot power station.

In SOUTH-EAST LONDON, water workers at the Brookmill Road depot in Deptford rejected any idea that a pay rise should be linked to productivity. Local GMBU secretary percy Jordan pointed out that since there was no question of producing more water, 'productivity' just meant fewer jobs, increasing the already high unemployment. IOHN HARRIS In fact there has been a massive loss of jobs in the industry already, between 50% and 75% over the last few years at Brookmill Road, which now only employs 100 men.

Even before the strike started management were demanding further job cuts. In line with government cutbacks the water industry in London and the South-East has to save £9.9 million over the next year. Management plans to save f5.9 million on operational costs (without significantly reducing standards") and £4 million on manning. They argue that for this to be effective the jobs must go as early as possible in the coming financial year.

They have said that jobs must go in London the South East by the end of March.

They want the jobs to go by natural wastage or voluntary redundancy, starting with men over 59.or possibly over 54. But they have said that they will use 'non-voluntary severance' if necessary. *Clearly the government hopes to use a defeat over pay to sotten up water workers for an attack on jobs - as it did with the health service.

The Brookmill Road strikers have had a lot of support from other workers. Members of the strike committee are getting invitations to speak at local union branches and the tion by the Home Office.

September 1980 as vain for a prompt reply.

pickets are getting friendly waves and hoots from local public service workers, these dates was underlined council and British Telecom vans, fire engines, etc.

code, that the visa In ISLANGION, the local council workers' ioint trade union committee has organ- that date by the Home ised a solidarity demonstration, and GMBU members posed to realise the signifiat New River Head report strong support. "It's about message without being told time someone took on the is a bit of a puzzle. Tories" " is their feeling.

Craft workers there have seem to think this is a been out with the manual reasonable demand as one of the reasons being given grades from the start.

At the main SOUTH- tor telling Glen to leave the AMPTON depot in Civic ingly overstayed" his visa, Centre Road, Stan Bevil, GMBU shop steward and this was the only way explained: 'The lads were he could have known that forced into the ring. They his visa had in fact expired, since he never received any had to fight now because there's going to be other official notification of chance once pay and job this by the Home Oftice. conditions become regionalised. They want a gen- with being an " "illegal immigrant" , a claim totally uine offer. but not one spread over 16 months. contradicted by the fact A spontaneous 48 hour that Glen entered perfectly "legally" even by the solidarity strike of electri- Home Office's own rules, cians working at the depot has boosted pickets' under the student exchange morale. scheme.

However, the related issues of emergency cover troubles arose out of a civil dispute with some neighand the struggle to escalate bours, who, in the course of the dispute have claimed their first casualty. At least the dispute, raised doubts one member of the strike about Glen's immigration committee expressed anger status. at the role played by the depot convenor: 'He didn't neighbours were in dispute with Glen and have their want to take responsibility ... said he wasn't for caus- home daubed with Swasing health risks to people țikas makes them obviously outside. We told him it was good impartial witnesses go our choice, not his, and that far as the police and Home Office are concerned! we should stop work and mean it.

"Anyway, he's nOW police harassment such as resigned and taken two hours after being charged, being held in a cell for 36 week's holiday. Some of us don't want him back either.

Pity, really, he'd been a good steward until now!' The Trades Council has made a cash collection for the strike fund and Southampton Labour Party has resolved to share its public Sunday meeting platform with one of the strikers when Labour leader Michael Foot speaks on Saturday February 12.