[SINCE the beginning of the New Year, the…]

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SINCE the beginning of the New Year, the local agreements and trade union organisation of ASLEF members at King's Cross have come under sustained attack from the management. This attack has taken the form of an attempt to break King's Cross's unique agreement on flexible rostering. This agreement prevents management from extending footplate workers' hours outside of major changes in the train timetables in May and October.

At other deputs, hours of staff may be exiended or adjusted at the completion of the eight week cycle of 312 hours which furms the operating basis of flexible rostenng.

The King's Cross agreement (Minute No. 4671), prevented management from exercising variable rostering to the tull, so they set out to smash it.

The first attack came on January 6. Lucal ASLEF reps were informed that 17 of the work programmes would be extended on danuary 23 at the beginning of the next eight-week cycle. The ASLEF Lucal Departmental Committees objected and were then told that these "amendments" would be imposed come what may.

In taking this action, loca! management were acting on orders from the Regional management of the Eastern Region.

in spite oi a being registered at local and the being referred to the next level in the machinery of negotiation Sectional Council - the local management broke the national should prevail at citas rose until the matter was resolved at a higher level.

King's Cross ASLEF branch reacted quickly with a work-toreused to accept the additional work which had been added to the am, deed dhan am hours into the dispute regional manageTHE Radio Times returned the streets of London 1 week, as the print uni ment changed their tack and instructed local management to recognise the status quo and reaffirm agreement 4671.

On Thursday 26 January the dispute was discussed by representatives of the two sides at a Srictional Council meeting in York. • The outcome was that regional management declared that the amendments would be imposed ont he following Sunday, 29th.

It was clear by now that part of management's strategy was to try to demoralise and disorientate King's Cross ASLEF members by creating an onagain, off-again dispute.

Since 27 January, the dispute has fullowed this on-again, offagain pattern with the membership reacting just as decisively and the management backing down. It has been discussed at the level of the British Railways Board (!) with ASLEF EC members. This is where the crucial weakness of the dispute begins to emerge.

King's Cross members remain sirung bui they have had virtually no practical support from the union's official structures.

Under the national agreement on flexible rostering it is the Local Departmental Committees which work out the precise flexible rostering agreements with local management. Such local agreements, therefore, SOGAT 82 withdrew boycott action.

The solidarity action called by SOGAT for its members in dispute at Robert Maxwell's Park Royal works, who used to print the Radio Times, has JOHN HARRIS carry as much weight as an agreement between the ASLEF Executive Committee and the British Railways Board.

However, longstanding working conditions are now being ditched. And since the 1982 strike, the defence of local agreements by ASLEF members is treated by the leadership with indifference if not contempt.

When a depot at local level wins an agreement which protects its members from some of the worst aspects of variable rustering, the EC will not defend the agreement. The only EC resulution the King's Cross dispute has defended the machinery where management has broken it, but does not defend the local agreement made by locally elected ASLEF reps.

The EC's concern is to defuse the dispute and have everything and the Park Royal workers still occupying their works.

The SOGAT leaders made one final gesture by refusing to pay a £10,000 fine imposed on the union for contempt of court. They told the press that Steve Good resolved in a machinery which serves the management.

The management's strategy of imposing amendments, then 'relenting' and then imposing them once again has led to ASLEF agreeing to a compromise destroying local agreement 4671.

Management now look to the ASLEF EC to present such a "'compromise as an ultimatum to King's Cross members and thereby police their membership.

King's Cross ASLEF branch has called on the EC to get off the fence and support the right of the LDC te make agreements: Further pressure must be put on the ASLEF EC to reject any compromise. King's Cross branch must not bow to any presure from ASLEF officials which dilutes strong local agreements.

digest TAX office workers - member: of the Inland Revenue Staf Federation — voted last Frida! (February 3) to continue thei fight against the operation o pilot Pay-As-You-Earn compute: equipment.

The decision by ballot, b! 379 to 20, comes despite thi High Court ruling earlier in thr week against eight IRSF mem bers representing the union whi had sought legal support -claiming that their terms o employment had been breacher by the Inland Revenue - fo their action.

So far 438 staff have been sus pended at 14 West Midlan offices where the scheme ha been introduced for refusing ti use the computers, which thi Inland Revenue plan to havi fully operational throughout thi country by 1987.

Talks are now taking plac between the IRSF and the Inlan‹ Revenue over terms for i national new technology agree ment with the union continuin to insist on a "no redundancies' clause as a pre-condition fo co-operation with PAYE compu terisation.

Land Rover lay-offs OVER 1,500 Land Rover worker were laid off on Friday nigh [February 3] because of a strik by six TGWU members begu on Wednesday over a pa: grading dispute.

The six - stock-keepers a the company's chasis-makin Garrison Street, Birmingham plant - have so far won thi support of 40 colleagues whi work in the plant's stores.