RANK & FILE ACTION-the only answer There is however some glimmer of hope in the fact that there are now strong moves afoot in the various steel works around Sheffield and Rotherham to set up joint shop stewards cttees. This would, ISTC permitting, be a move in the right direction. The only fear is that these ettees. would be manipulated this would be the setting up of rank and file steel works with its paper the Torch.
be the biggest red-herring of the whole River Don affair-'nationalisation". Everybody from Wedgewood Benn leftwards has been shouting this magical up to now? Is it not a fact that only nationalisation laid out in the Benson Report? Nationalisation is a is inacpable of. To shout for nationalisation is to lead workers down a blind alley. Nationalisation is a cover behind which certain trade union leaders hide their lack of idea about how to fight redundancies. Should we then as the International Socialists say in their alisation? This presumably means that the present nationalisation of steel is UNREAL and therefore the 1S's call should be Nationalise BSC"-or should it? The present private steel firms would presumably have to bypass the UNREAL stage. With this sort of nonsense being peddled around the steelworks it is no wonder many of the steelworkers are confused. What is needed at River Don is not flag-sellers, cosy chats with Govt. and BSC officials but Immediate concerted action by the rank and file steel workers at River Don and other steelworks in the area, which will turn the present tide of redundanties and ensure that we are not left with a ghost town.
You're one of the latest to be made redundant "rationalisation' plans. What is your reaction to this?
I recognise that it is victimisation. The manageby the various union head offices. A guarantee against cttees.like the steelworkers cttee. in Rotherham which has recently gained tremendous support in the Rotherham Finally I would like to touch upon what I consider to answer. What difference has it made to the steelworkers is capeble of carrying through the redundancy programme tactic of the employing class to do what private industry Steel Bulletin No. 3 (Sheffied) call for 'REAL nationQ:
A: -Tom Mole (ASTMS, Sheffield)
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ENPLOYMENT BRIGHTSI How do the latest BSC redundancies affect Rotherham?
Well, Rotherham is a town with 8% unemployment already and the redundancies leave people with absolutely no prospect of getting another job, particularly since Rotherham's industry is basically steel and coal.
What steps are the militants in Rotherham taking to fight redundancies?
Unfortunately very little. This is due to the union (BISAKTA) which allows no room for action on the shop floor, and means that rank and file action is absolutely necessary. A big step has been taken in this direction with the formation of the Rotherham steelworkers ctee. Parallel organisations have been set up at Tinsley Park and River Don, and attempts are being made to do the same at Stocksbridge and Scunthorpe.
What is the reaction of the management and the unions to the activity of the militants? BISAKTA has a McCarthy type hysterical attitude towards 'reds", and for instance only recently at Corby it suspended over a dozen militants. The management uses the union by calling in full time officials at the first sign of trouble. (BCS have said that they would have made 13 million pounds profit if it has not been for the recession)
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Interview with Stockbridge steel worker just made redundant
Interview with IMG militant in BSC Rotherham