Press Gang
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-10-08Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 2 →
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THE Royal Family used its block vote last night to drive a coach and horses through the Government 4% pay policy.
The blow came just as St. Michael Edwardes, the Saviour of British Leyland, had put himself once more into the breach to hold the line against thousands of greedy workers.
Edwardes told the BL hordes that he could not let them steal them bread out of the sick and needy.
Militant
But all the same he was prepared to let them have a pay rise as high as 3.8%.
But just as Thatcher's Cabinet were preparing for victory they were knocked sideways by Royal Family power.
The royals had been expected to back the 4% limit. Soundings had shown a majority in favour in 16 out of 18 branches of the family including the Mountbattens.
But Prince Charles, the most militant member of the family tore up any last vestiges of democracy in that institution.
He cast his 1.2 million votes solidly against thepay limits.
Then he awarded himself a rise of £3,000 a week -nearly 1,000 times that offered to BL workers.
A crisis session of the Cabinet last night onsidered the implications of the 50% pay rise.
Afterwards a spokesman said that the rise fell within the government limits. -THe Prince had a rise of. 100%, but was forgoing half his possible increase. It was also pointed out that he had married recently and had to meet the cost of new clothes for his bride.
But later BL negotiators announced that their claim had been altered to £20 a week plus a £3,000 a week 'marriage allowance' Single workers are claiming a £2,800 a week 'deprivation of family life' payment.
St. Michael said the claim was preposterous. "Money like this can only be paid when we have achieved our productivity targets. Marriage cannot be permitted by BL workers until they achieve the same productivity that Prince Charles has got.
Flexible working
It takes several days work for each BL worker to produce just one new car. Prince Charles however achieves new cars frequently without working long hours because of flexible working arrangements.
It was also pointed out that Charles' mother was being forced to cut back on social series. Singlehanded she has provided a winter fuel voucher to 200 needy people in Windsor.
Now no new names will be added to the list as the current beneficiaries pass away. Mrs. Windsor said last night. "I would have thought