"g for the first time since the war. They have declined by 4 per cent oyer the last year. Since Labour took office in February they have fallen by 215 per cent.
These however are only average figures. For the low paid and badly organised, for pensioners, those on social security benefits, and people on fixed incomes the position is mach worse.
PRESENT RATE The present rate of price inflation about 18 per cent and likely to be wer 25 per cent by 1975 Even if the whole working class settled within the terms of the social contract-ie, maintained their living standards or achieved a E30 minimum wage the employers would not be able to carry this increased burden. For the employers, the social contract is a dead duck, In the struggles to come, they will begin to resist even the most minimal wage claims Instead of taking no responsibility for the capitalists crisis and its effects on the working class, the leaders of the strongest and largest unions have already bent over back wards to implement the social contract. UCATT, for example, has postponed its claim for between 87per percent and 107 per cent on the hourly rate until June 1975. The print unions are holding a ballot on a 6.66 per cent offer.
Claims that are in the pipeline are, by and large, from low-paid workers -Te. ancillary workers claiming [4.92 or local authority manual workers asking for E5 a week, both within the terms of the social contract OPPOSITION Apart from the coming national claims, hundreds of local claims and strikes are already blowing to bits the figures for both the number of strikes and strike days lost. But the resistance of the employers and union leaders to big claims, coupied with the rocketing rate of price increases, means that many workers will be too weak to keep pace and the strong sections of the workers' movement will have to be constantly struggling to keep their heads above water.
The Tories threshold agreements gave only minimal protection of incomes against inflation. They come to an end in November, only affect about half the working class, and will not be reintroduced by the new Labour Government. But the trade union SAMBOYD Strike movement UNOFFICIAL STRIKE ACTION by teachers is sweeping across Scottish schools, This week teachers throughout the Edinburgh aneu will stage a one-day stoppage, demanding a E15 pay increase.
The strike action started in Glisgow. Delegates from a number of schools in the West of Scotland met to discuss the threat by the Education Authority to withdraw "designa tion allowances'-extra moncy given to teachers in schools with particularly poor conditions. The delegates formed a West of Scotland Action Committee, and decided to take Red Weekly -17-Gciober 1924- Page 2 Working class living standards are fall- Jeaders have not campaigned for even the slight protection of the thresholds to be maintained after this monti Ken Gill, general secretary of the AUEW-TASS, complains in the magazine Manpower: "Thresholds tend to heip the lower paid hut not the higher paid-amongst whom are most of our 125,000 members?
Gill -who did the famous about-face at the last TL. on the social contract -does nut make any suggestion as to how to improve the thresheid agreement so that it offers workers 100 per cent protection against int lation. All this policy leads to is put in bigger wage demands: more, it offers no way forward for the lower paid workers but leaves them isolated and at the mercy of the employers and the Government.
Some groups of workers (hospitais, local autboritiea) do have claims which insist that thresholds be kept. But many employers are trying to force through settlements which buy off the workers with an extra percentage as long as the threshold demand is dropped. Although workers at Jentique (Ipswich) old extension until December 1975, there are very few groups of workers who have won even this minimal conCOMLOC DIE The fact that the union leaders have decided to let the thresholds die a death makes the need for a united fight against inflation more urgent than than ever. Struggles for keeping the threshold, as well as for the next round round of claims, could have become the jumping off point for the strugsie for a sliding scale of wages.
This means that for every increase in the cost of living, the working class would get complete and guuranteed compensation in wages.
such a demand means raising the matter of workers' control of the cost-of living index as part of a planned econMilitants can begin this fight in struggles to retain the thresholds in November, to extend the thresholds to bigger increases more in line with the real impact of inflation, and to strugple sor the index trig ger to be driven down to nil per cent.
Such a policy is not an allernative to struggles for wage claus.
It must be added to them strike action against the proposed cuts.
In face of this militancy the Education Authority withdrew its proposals. But the Action Committee decided to go ahead anyway to back up their demand for a £15 a week rise.
Teachers have been hit particularly hard by inflation. Over the last year, their living standards have been axed by 15 per cent. In Scotland these problems are particularly serious. When the Tories chopped £180 million off education spending a proportionally much higher amount came off Scottish education. Since the Labour Government came to affice in February they have done next to nothing to correct the situation only 17 per cent of the cuts hive been made up.
In the face of such appalling conditions the Education Institute of Scotland-tbe main teachers' union - has imposed a work-to-rule sIon What is scale of wages Surrey last week have want a threshpaign to disrupt trade union extension of thresholds into a and half for all overtime.
upon the bosses retaliated by canteen and the lavatories.
To fight for important is by calling for a of British Industry TE CAS file have set up their own demolaunched the light.
schools took strite action in cent flat-rated.
cent interim award, and have - was among the demands put forward by striking workers in The strike, which broke out for seven days at Turner Bros. Asbestos in Cumberley, could easily flare up again.
All the workers walked out when managemeat began a camactivity in the factory, The shop grewards had put in a claim for a ClO across the board increase, the genuine cost of living agreensent (sliding scale of wages), extra holldays, a guaranteed working week double time for Sundays and time To back up their claim the workers started an overtime ban wherehaving management do workers' Jobs, locking the factory gates, the DYNAMITE The threshold claim is dynamite, as it would extend threshold payments beyond November when they are due to end. What is even more sliding scale, in addition to a wage rise, the workers stick a knife right in the heart of the social contract.
This has an enormous signiticance at Turners, which is part of tho Turner and Newall combine. Ralph Bateman, tbe 141,000 a year chairmean of the group, is one of the leading lights in the Confederution After five days of total strike uction the management were be throughout the repion, and made a demand for a 30 per cent wage But so far the bureaucrats huve achieved nothing. So the rank and crafically elecred committees and The response has been outstanding. Two thousand teachers from 41 Glasgow. And now the movement has spread to the cast. In Edinburgh the first meeting of their Action Committee was attended by over 200 reachers. They too have taken up the demand for an across-the- education crisis," board increase of tid, which amounts to the official demand for 80 per All this activity has clearly upset the bureaucrats. They have suddenly launched a claim for a 10 per called a one-day official stoppage for the end of the month, but ten country: ABOVE: Picketing outside the Turner Bros factory during the strike. INSET into article: Part of leaflet that Turner & Newall boss tessage from the Chatrian Mr Ralph Baroman coming desperate for a way out On Thursday the managenicot agreed to put the one and a half pence they had offered on the bonus rate on to the basic rate. They also a full, not a phased return to work as they had originally insisted But Turners thought they had a trick up their sleeve. On Tuesduy 15 Octoher they stuck up a letter on the union board. The manugement letter claimed that the con cessions constituted a settlement. This was in clear violation of the previous week's agreement The workforce and the stewards are incensed at this trick by the bosses, and all the indications are that unless Turners beat a quick cetreat they face another all-out stoppage By taking up the demand for a sliding scale of wages the workers al Camberley bave set a real cxample of how workers can fight infiation.
The Cumberley workforce have also heen in contact with ether factories in the Turner and Newall group. By extending the struggir for their demands throughout the comhine they can take an impor tant and vital step to winning them Jeff. King
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spreads among Scottish teachers
and CBI cheirman Raiph Bateman recently sent out warning employees sbout the dangers of nationalisation. GENUINE PROTECTION OF WAGES AGAINST INFLATION a sliding