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SOCIALISTS IN SOUTH AFRICA I NEED YOUR SUPPORT. The Workers Organisation for Socialist Action, WOSA, was founded after the unbanning of political organisations in 1990. It is trying to organise a current committed to class struggle within the liberation movement.
As a young organisation in a large country, WOSA needs your supportio continue to put the arguments for working class political organisation.
June 22, 1991 No. 4 You can make a donation either directly to WOSA's bank account, or by sending your cheque to:
WOSA, PO Box 905, Pietermaritzburg 3200, South Africa.
Bank: Standard Bank. Branch: Longmarket Street, Pietermaritzburg Account name: Pietermaritzburg Education Collective Account Number: 052138232 Lewisham teachers, parents and school-students are involved in a wave of protest over swingeing education cuts. Lewisham NUT and NAS/UWT called a day of strike action on 13 June. Most schools in the borough were either closed or seriously disrupeechers were joined by school-students and parents in a march through Lewisham and in a picket of the Town Hall. Attempting to intimidate teachers, the council asked headteachers to inform them if there were more than ten pickets outside schools. They also threatened members of other unions with disciplinary action if they refused to cross picket lines.
On the eve of the strike, the education committee had to abandon its meeting after 500 angry teachers, parents and school-students found that the council chamber doors had been locked to them.
Lewisham had already announced massive cuts in education for 1991/92. Going over the unions' heads, the council had implemented a redeployment package that amounted to compulsory redundancy.
Having discovered it had 'overspent' £5 million on education last year, Lewisham is now implementing panic cuts to try and recoup the money. Their plans will result in support staff being cut by 50 per cent, 1000 hourly-paid teachers being sacked, and money for books ind equipment being slashed ›y a third. Job losses and increased class sizes will follow cuts in supply staff.
Lewisham's problems are caused by Tory cuts and the unwillingness of Labour authorities to collectively fight the break up of ILEA and the implementation of the Poll Tax. Having accepted the Poll Tax Lewisham, like other Labour boroughs, now has to make cuts or raise the tax. Having chosen not to fight, the council is doing the Tories' dirty work for them - by cutting education and threatening workers who fight to defend their jobs and working conditions.
Gill Lee member Lewisham NUT
'LABOUR PARTY conference notes the inde pendent inquiry into the Pergamon Press dispute initiated with the assistance of the Labour Party General Secretary.
Conference notes, in paricular, the finding that notices of dismissal served or the Pergamon 23 on May. 24 1989 should be withdrawn and that the principle of re employment should be conceded by the Company.
Conference deplores the fact that in the two years between the sacking of the 23 and the sale of Pergamon to Elsevier. Mr Robert Maxwell refused to reemploy the 23 despite the findings of the Christopher inquiry and in the face of appeals from the TUC, the Labour Party conference 1990 and from the International Federation of JourBreakthrough in Hull strike THERE ARE signs of a breakthrough in the six week strike at the Parsons plant in Hull. The strike is in support of the AEU, led campaign for a reduction in the working week in the engineering industry.
The plant management have now offered a half hour reduction from July, a further half hour in October and an hour in early 1992. But the offer has been linked to concessions on condiTong Morale among strikers has increased following a successful mass picket on June 7. The picket, organised nalists and the International Organisation of Journalists and from many journalists and other unions around the world.
Conference believes that at the very least, Mr Robert Maxwell must recognise the error of the sackings and the justice of conceding the principle of re employment by paying the 23's salaries in full for the two year period.
Conference recognises the damage that would be done to the credibility of the Labour Party's stated commitment to trade unions, were one of its members to fail to make such reparation.
Conference believes Elsevier must take full responsibility for the dispute and meet the demands of the NUJ for reemployment of all the strikers and full recognition tor the jointly by the strikers and the local Trades Council, attracted support from a number of local workplaces.
The new offer clearly demonstrates that the strike is having an impact inside the factory, though production has been maintained. Now the key issue is tlement is understandable, the real dangers in giving up hard-won condiIf a settlement is not reached, immesupport inside the factory, as well as there is a bureaucratic set-up in Home News as well as Mike Grindley from the GCHQ workers, and Tony Benn. TWO YEARS AGO the main rail union, the RMT, balloted for industrial action and organised six one-day strikes in defence of their negotiating machinery. They brought the rail network to a halt. tion surprised British Rail manage ment, which was forced to retreat as OVER 500 demonstrators from all over the country (and a delegation from the French print unions) jolned a noisy march through Oxford on June 8 to mark the Second Anniversary of the Pergamon Press strike. Platform speakers at the Town Hall rally Included the new NUJ General Secretary Steve Turner, who responded to the confident mood of the avent by publicly pledging to hold out for reinstatement of all the strikers. Other speakers Included union leaders Rail leaders block chance of unity Instead of preparing and camship balloted section members not if they accepted the package. to the plans, the fact that there was no ballot for action was seen by the tion was stepped up, with individuals PHOTO: John Harris (IFL) the management 'abrogation' of the negotiating machinery. wages were discussed, wages were secondary. It was thus with some amazement that activists learned There was no explanation from RMT leaders as to why the question of the