rapidly down the road to all out industrial contronsimultaneously making a pay offer short of that made on British Rail, and promising to make a wage son Operation Management's tactics are clearly an attempt to divide and rule. On pay, they hope to convince the majority of LUL workers the "no strings' offer or 4.3 per cent looks cu wages have going struggle ATLeT fellow unionists on BR have settlfor 4.8 per Celt However, the union cansol deree d scuucmcut ul the basic rates lower than tuaL gained on BR. That would sever a vital and traditional parity linkage.
became blatantly clear that this was during GenDerale HOVC negotiations. Manageclaimed that LUL BICIL was in better shape than ever berore. There is no deficit on the current account. None of this is surprising to LRT workers who are quite well aware it is they who have been dealing with the 44 per cent inwith Underground workers last week, station destaffing procrease lu basscuieci usasc of the underground and the 14 per cent increase in bus usage over the past three years.
They fully aware that they have been doing this despite big cuts the buses. They are further CUL. aware that it was the GLC NUR (personal capacity)
who introduced the Travel Cara ana une Tares culs which have brought the passengers back. It is the Pories who are cutting the subsidy to LRT from £197 million to £95 million during the next three years.
But, apparently, this massive increase 3DTUductivity has nothing to do with the worktorce - thev must make their contribution to the plumping up of the buses under volunteering massive cuts in 'unit costs'.
So the pay negotiations started with a nil wage offer because management needed to know 'where we stand on OPO and where we are on stauon acstaning'. .But within two hours they had moved to a 'final offer' of 4.3 per cent. This was the carrot. Three days later the letters threatening the withdrawal of the 7½ per cent were delivered to every workplace on the underground. This was the big stick.
Management hope that the threatened wage cut will lead to a rank and file revolt against the union.
will happen. First, less than half of the workforce are in receipt of numbers for the NF march the payment. Second, after tax, it will be less than half of the f10 a week cut claimed in the London media last week. But the underlying reason those in receipt of the payment will wall and see what lead they get from the unions, before reacting strongly to these provocaLOUS is that they realise that large scale redundancles are the orde of the day. No train crew believes the 'no compulsory redun dancy' line being pedalled by management.
The NUR has reinforced its position that it will call industrial LaCOT management impose OPO the demonstrators and the and have called for a complete freeze on any further moves until more talks can be held between the unions aole PoSitl reflects the difficulties with the drivers ASLEF, which no longer opposed to OPO in any -effective way However, the ASLEF branch secretary at New Cross. the depot in the front line, told the NUR London Transport district counci last week. that if the NUR put a picket on depot his members would not cross. In the end it is such actions that will decide the issue.
pond to such police inbuild massive picket of the Old on the first day of the Newham trial 9.30am, and every subsequent Monday. • The Newham 7 are innocent!
• Self Defence is no Offence!
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cut of 7½ per cent unless the unions agreed uncondi- tionally to the immediate introduction of One Per-