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In the longer term, management's plans seem to be aimed at a complete rundown of the yard's workforce, leaving only a skeleton core workforce, and bringing in sub-contract labour to do the work on each contract. In that way the yard's profitability could be restored and therefore be ripe for privatisation.

Right now though, the goal is slashing the workforce and boosting productivity. The yard's main customer at the moment, Britoil, has given management a helping hand in trying to pressurise the workforce into acceptance of the "survival plan"

Two days before the meeting of 2 November between BS and union leders, Britoil announced its intention of taking BS to court for cancellation of the contract for Britoil on which it is currently working, now some two years behind. _schedule. Withdrawal of the contract "survival plan"

What makes matters worse is the lack of any backing for the workers from their own union leader and officials, both nationally and locally.

Jim Murray, chairperson of the national Shipbuilding Negotiating Committee, put up even less of a fight against job' losses than many of the businessmen at last week's CBI conference. And within the yard itself, the shop stewards committee, in particular convenor Duncan McNeill, has failed to plan out a campaign of effective resistance to the "survival plan"

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Moreover the Boilermakers Broad Left, whatever its situation and level of activity nationally, is very much a tool of the Communist Party on Clydeside and made use of only at election times in the union. Campaigning on issues such as job losses years.

Some of the women have to exist on a take-home pay of *44 a week, well below the recommended minimum wage.

Their action has the full suppurt of the local NALGO branch who are supporting the secretaries by organising public meetings and arranging a strike levy.

The Council has, in effect, locked out the women and they have been refusing to answer telephones and handle school monies. Despite the fact that Sandwell has a majority Labour Council, the actions taken against these workers fits in with what we have seen happen in the Tory-controlled boroughs.

School secretaries do not have a tradition of militancy and it shows the desperation to which they were driven to take action on this question.

The secretaries have received official support from the local NUT and NAS branches. ity.

Stanley had already issued to conference a letter from Len Murray endorsing a line of capitulation to the injunction. The phrasing makes it clear that Stanley had written to the TUC seeking precisely such a reply. Murray wrote:

"Congress has not yet decided that any union obeying an injunction would be contravening Congress policy... and that conference had pointed out on behalf of the General Council that there was no question of the TUc setting out to break or encourage members to break the law... The recent Congress rejected a motion to show a policy of non-compliance with the legislation."

The unmistakeable - and deliberate - message from this letter is to call on the POEU to capitulate to the injunction. This was compounded by well-publicised advice from the union's legal advisors to "observe" the Storn Get SOCIALIST door by post!

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Belind POEU betrayal woula back invasion'