LAST WEDNESDAY the Scottish rail network was closed down completely for 24 hours. This was part of the campaign which has been going on for the last 18 months to save over 1200 jobs at the Glasgow Springburn British days before, the NUR repeated calls from NUR branches in the West of Scotland and declared the day of action official, instructing its 13,000 Scottish members to take strike action.
The West of Scotland NUR district council had tion to proceed with strike support of the workshops, whatever the outcome of the executive decision, much ground work had been done membership. The decision to make the strike official was welcomed and pickets were rapidly organised for all depots around Scotland.
Ray Buckton structed Scottish ASLEF members not to cross official picket lines and the majority OT ASLEF members did not go was WORK argued by railWOrKCIS that ASLEF should have also called for official action. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association was, however, story, their members cut themselves fight to save jobs in the rail industry, by crossing Rail Engineering Five NEC had responded to picket lines British Rail have alreadv indicated their intention to run down the BREL workshops at SprNUR, (personal capacity) ingburn employing over 2000 people: would have a disastrous effect on surrounding where unemployment already places other aspects of the rail industry in Scotland at Already the maintenScottish line locomotives been Las cacu Crewe, although the skills and facilities for this work exist at Springburn. NUK members have been par„char worned overe. cent BR announcement unev secking tenders abroad for the new investing in jobs and proWork has been done to involve the community and broader labour move. The Scottish Labour Part. . this campaign. has already declared support as have the district cil in Glasgow. The ScotTUC mecung week in Inverness gave its unamimous Dacking Battle The overwhelming support that came the NUR membership for the that would indeed be battle, using industrial action not relying on allu alone. Cleanly, as pickets petitioning alone. in Glasgow on 17 April exthe fight to save Springburn works is of a much broader fight to save and develop the rail network.
Despite attempts _ LO cover up the lack of investMCOL tHOUS promotions with the new Rail alle endless 'customer care' courses, the reality is that the network is being progressively run down. We shone remenoer ma one option of the Serpel report propose no trams nort of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Threats to jobs still hang over many railScotland WULACIS following tne miners' negotiations continue for the return of the Ravenscraig coal morale was high in the West of Scotland. Given the recent •cical with the NUR executive accepting 4.8 cent the showed that a high level of organisation opposition to the Tories remains. As NUR divisional onCe 'The response to the strike cal was nothing short of magnificent'. There will be recall West of Scotland NUR meeting to discuss further Will also Discussions also continue with ASLEF through the rail federation.
Call The threat of legal action by the BR Board to regain the monev lost durNUR. British Rail should respond to the call from Ine NUR discuss alternative strategy for 1OD the West of Scotland, rather than usIllg ICUUECES research into legal actions SERPELL MEANS Aberdeen Bath Birmingham Bristol Brent Camden Cardiff Coventry Ealing East London Glasgow Haringey Huddersfield Islington Leamington Leeds Leicester Liverpool Manchester and Oldham Middlesboro Nottingham Newport Oxford Preston Sheffield Socialist Action Fund Drive money
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