Ravenscraig pantomime

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"A SUDDEN morale-raising unification of the Scottish nation was achieved in Motherwell yesterday with the creation of an all embracing campaign to save the Scottish steel industry"

That was how the Communist Party's Morning Star described the Scottish TUCconvened conference held on November 12 for the avowed purpose of preventing any further cutbacks in the Scottish steel industry.

The conference was the day after the Tory Secretary of State for Scotland, George Younger, had announced that closure of the massive. Ravenscraig plant was an option being considered by the British Steel Corporation. Directly and indirectly, closure would mean the loss of some 14,000 jobs.

The conference also took place the same day as the closure of the Clydebridge steelworks, at a cost of 600 jobs. Lacking faith in their union leadership to conduct a real fight, the workforce had opted for money.

The shambles of the so-called 'morale-raising unification of the Scottish nation taking place in Motherwell that day made such an attitude unfortunately only too understandable.

It was cooked up according to a recipe which has already led to a series of jobdestroying disasters .. fOI Scottish workers: instead of building working class action to save jobs, the STUC called on the Tory party, Tory MPs, vicars,,, the Scottish and Chambers of Commerce La hotch-potch of other anti working class bodies to unite with the labour movement in a pious, vacuous statement of opposition to the threatened jobs disaster.

Low-point of the conference was leading Scottish trade unionists applauding and cheering the speech of Scottish Tory party chairperson Michael Ancram, and STUC general • secretary Jimmy Milne welcoming the Tory "suppurt and calling for an all-party deputation to meet Margaret Thatcher. The deputation was to be led by George Younger!

This pantomime .:even went so far that Shettleston Labour MP David Marshall tabled a Commons motion four days later attacking the Scottish SDP, Liberal, and SNP MPs for failing to turn up alongside the Tories.

The outcome of the conference was no more than a five point declaration of opposition to any cutbacks in the steel industry, because of the essential role it played in the British economy, and a nationalist appeal for the government to curb steel imports.

We invite workers at Ravenscraig to write in toSocialist Organiser to say what they think of the Motherwell conference, and what needs to be done to save • Ravenscraig from closure, "partial" or otherwise. (Letters to Writeback, Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8). pay battle, But the NEC are obviously having to pick up the pieces and reassess their position after Graham's hammering on Friday. Basically, our dispute. * Hardship fund: c/o Richard Horton, CPSA, room 337, Fiveways House, Islington Row, Birmingham B15.