Caretakers strike back
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-10-21Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 14 →
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Subscribe! AFTER the last council elections in Liverpool, the Liberal Party and their leader, Sir Trevor Jones, ran a classic red scaré campaign aimed at both the local Labour Parties and the city council trades unions.
Their main slogan, which was plastered on slogans throughout the city, was "Marxists out, Liberals in"
This smear tactic resulted in the Labour Party making a net gain of two seats at the Liberals' expense.
Since the election; the Liberals, who have continued to run the city with Tory support, have been pushing for cost-cutting exercises in a whole range of departments.
The latest action came in the education section when the council revoked a longstanding agreement and effectively implemented a É10-£15 wage cut for school caretakers.
On October 1 the council summarily ended weekend boiler duty. This duty had previously been worked to ensure that no breakdown of the school heating system occurred during the weekend lates: £5 for three nonths, £8:75 for ix months, and £16 or a year.
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lach week: £12 for three months.
Bundle of 10: £21 for three months.
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Address.
I endose £ To: Socialist Organi. s1, 28 Micklle Lane, London N$ 8PL.
The work included an important safety aspect, considering the possible results of relighting a boiler which had developed a serious fault.
In response to this challenge the unions instructed their members to refuse to start any boilers on which the necessary weekend checks had not been carried out.
This has resulted in more than 300 schools being left without heating, despite the actions of supervisors and council officers who have been contacting caretakers individually and threatening suspensions.
Support for the caretakers has already come from the District Labour Party and from the local teachers' The NUT has instructed its members to abide by the agreed heating standards and to refuse to work at temperatures of below 52 degrees.
So far aproximately 100 schools have been closed because of this action.
This dispute will pose
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important questions for the council joint shop stewards committee. Their success or