[BRITISH Rail seems determined to squeeze productivity concessions…]
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-07-30Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 15 →
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BRITISH Rail seems determined to squeeze productivity concessions from the three rail untons, ASLEF, TSSA, and NUR. Arbitration recommended a 10.5 per cent increase, and the unions want that with no strings. However, BR is digging in, and talks broke down last Friday with an agreement to meet again on August 3rd.
NUR members voted for a "substantial' increase at their last conference, and this was reckoned at 12.5 to 13 per cent, with BR offering 7%. Now BR, with the arbitration findings out, have upped this to 8% from April and 3% from August financed by a productivity deal.
Both ASLEF and NUR have conference policy against productivity packages, but while Buckton (ASLEF) appears to be holding ground, Sid Weighell (NUR) looks like he might concede.
Railworkers should make sure no sell-out deal is accepted. Strike action should be prepared for and carried out if BR don't pay up. The claim is a perfectly reasonable one. If anything is unreasonable, it is that it's far too low with inflation at thirteen per cent.