ACTiON SociAlist the recently FIANDER report.
time and working to rule.
BT's managing director Michael Bett, stated bluntly that the company 'are not going to tolerate these 24-hour stoppages. The company issued forms for workers to sign stating that they are prepared to work normally. Refusal to sign has meant a lock-out for 65,000 workers at the time of going to press Within two days BT's entire operation will be at a standstill. In various parts of the country, engineers have already taken the local level. Sheffield, Lincoln, Midlands and Manchester THE ENTIRE labour movement must come to the aid of 117,000 telephone engineers who work for BT. Their union, the NCU, is under ferocious attack privatised company. NCU members, MARCELLA FITZGERALD and ANN Tens of thousands of engineers have been locked out for the 'crime' of taking 24-hour strike action in support of colleagues suspended for banning overareas all voted to strike indefinitely until suspended colleagues were reinstated A meeting of London's City branch or Tuesday responded to an appeal from delegates in attendance the Midlands by voting for indefinite strike action until all suspensions throughout the country were lifted. 'One out, all out' was the overwhelming Santicil as workers called for the take similar indefinite strike acOn the same day the NCU national executive aeciaea to call out all of London on Wednesday 21 January, and Scotland and the north of Ireland on Thursday.
lined the eerin explained executive decision as the union going on the offensive. 'BT had been dictating the pace until today. Now we're call ing London out. That's a step that BT won't relish'.
London is the kev are:
Cores come Socion. -COVCIN Stock change, the City, the Post Office tower. The action well involve Heathrow airport too.
subject of the dispute is BT's response to call wage call submitted last year. • They offered cent with more strings attached than a puppet theatre. The of fer had nothing to do with the company's ability to pay.
In the three years since privatisation profits have 1ISCL 85 per cent to £1828 million. This is certain to be topped in 1986 where the first six months recorded a profit of £1040 million!
felt confident enough to award its Chair a 55 per cent increase, bringing his salary to £172,206. Seven BT directors have had their salaries booster le over £80,000. The number of BT manaYes call ve. £30,000 has risen from 183 to over For the workforce as a whole it's been a different jobs have been chopped. Fifteen thousand: jobs Accidents have risen steeply that for the first time BT's annual repor had been forced to take But the company is not satisfied with a situation in which profit per employee has doubled in the space of two years. As with media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, protits (continued on page 11)