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TO GET RID OF THIS general strike

GOVERNMENT!' ying pickets clamp down on scabs The 1945 Labour government nationalised the railways. In 1982 BR management are leading a Tory 'assault on the unions. Ernie Bennett an ASLEF member from Birmingham New St, spoke to Selly Oak Labour Party last Thursday, Sti, about the political lessons.

"I've been a train driver for 38 years, and I've given the employers a lot of loyalty over the years:

"But now the British Rail Board is trying to abuse that loyalty.

"Why should we accept a system that will ruin our social and family lives and IN THE Manchester area, a tiny handful of scab drivers have allowed management to run four local services on a sporadic and unreliable basis, to Bury, Bolton, Oldham, and Alderley Edge.

These are all short runs, so one scab can make five or six trips per shift.

Overall the strike has been virtually. total. For example, at Blythe Bridge, the biggest depot, everyone is out. At Newton Heath there is only one scab out of nearly 200 drivers.

Flying pickets have been out to depots at Bolton, Bury, and Altrincham, premean the loss of more jobs?

"The most sickening thing is that all this is happening in a nationalised industry. I thought we were supposed to own the railways!

"I remember when the railways were first nationalised, and we all thought that the ordinary people and the railworkers themselves would be in charge. But it didn't work out like that. venting management from running any kind of regular service anywhere except from Bury, where the scab drivers have been getting to work by coming up the line from other stations. (One ASLEF driver was driven through the picket line by management).

On Monday morning, pickets were out in force throughout the area, in case the lock-out threat led to people coming in. In the event it didn't. The strike remained virtualty total.

All the pickets seemed to agree on what is at stake. As one at Bolton said, "What's the point of nationalising the railways, paying off the debts of the old owners, and then handing control back to just the same sort of people as ran them before?

"There's no doubt in my mind that the BR Board is out to smash ASLEF, as part of this government's attack on the unions. The health service workers are facing exactly the same thing, and I for one think we should be "The crunch has come this time. They've picked us off deliberately in order smash us. If we give in on this one, then we might as well pack our bags. There'll be no union left"

Another man, at Bury, pointed to the change in BR's attitude after the NUR called off the strike. "As soon as that strike was called off, they moved in for the kill, and rejected a compromise offer from Buckton. It seems they only want total surrender"

Another was angry about the term 'flexible rosters' "Forget flexible rostering" giving them every support.

"In fact, I think we need to be building for united action across the whole of the trade union movement to get rid of this government.

"But it's up to people like you in the Labour Party to make sure that the next Labour government isn't the same as the previous one ... that it will be a government that stands by the workers, instead of letting them down yet again". he said. "We're already working that. We have been since 1919. What we're out for is the eight-hour day"

What is the way to win now? Everyone i spoke to reckoned the TUC should be getting off its knees.

"It's very weak, the TUC. What we could do with is four or five Arthur Scargills"

Many felt that, management scare tactics had backfired. "It's done the opposite of what was intended. It has made the strike more solid. Management now have only one card left to play, and that is to sack us all"

Will they, I asked. don't think they could. They would have a general strike on their hands if they 'did" ONCE AGAIN, workers are a general strike. into living reality.

ions Act was.

file. the rail and health unions.

to cross the NUR's picket lines. break the back of the union.

the Tebbit Bill. country. the Tory government. rallies. privilege.

Daily gets support from other unions. dets sunnort from other unions. this Tory government from office.

bringing down the Tory government.