[THE rejection of the British King's Cross ASLEF…]

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THE rejection of the British King's Cross ASLEF Rail Board's £5 per shift members have put forward payment for One-Man Op- an alternative, arguing eration by the executive of instead for negotiations to the train drivers' union take place on the basis of ASLEF will be welcomed time-and-a-half for one by every ASLEF member man operation and time off who wants to see genuine the job - in other words, improvements in pay and 52 hours' pay for a 32 hour And yet the executive's ensure that the increase is rejection of the offer is protected, and not eroded based purely on holding out by inflation as a flat-rate for a little more. It is widely payment would be. A 32 believed that the EC will hour week would alleviate accept a payment of be- the considerable stress of tween f7 and £7.50 a shift. one-man operation, and With the 6 per cent pay save jobs by sharing out the ditional on acceptance of If it is linked also to one-man operation, among another item under negotother productivity items), iation at present - the this would bring the basic trainmen concept - it rate of pay for one-man could help protect jobs of operator drivers to a maxi- footplate. men and NUR Pickets in last year's strike: ASLEF still has i mum of £148 per week. guards. from high lores who know techniquos, is stagoperating view ignorantly shared trial editor, who claims this week that 'cheaper signalling, Hower wier standates could save more than £200 million a year be spends over half a billion pounds a year on track and signalling and argument that railways are over-enginfrom safety viewpull 1s plausible.

If all this sounds quite incredible, then think again. Although the 1,600 mile option is the most drastic in the report, a minority report presented by Alfred Goldstein argued that Serpell wasn't going far enough, and called for even more drastic action. What's more, it is already common knowledge that some leading Tories share the view that the railways could be done away with entirely - an opinion conditions with the new week. technology. increase (which is still con- work. This proposal would Birmingham Nei strength It also takes up the arguments of the fashionable school of thought which advocates rail to road conversion: tearing up track and tarmacking the surface to make roadways. This idea has lately found favour with the Centre for Policy Studies - Thatcher's "Think Tank' -and is now to be a favourite with David Howell, the Transport Minister.

Certainly the central theme of the JAC's document is undeniable: that the starvation of funds from the rail network is leading to a progressively deeper and more urgent crisis, and greater hardship and inconvenience for many who rely on rail. But the weakest section is undoubtedly that which seeks to map out an alternative set of policies. It outlines some specific ideas, such as 'a more progressive tax system', , the lifting of borrowing restrictions on nationalised industries, exchange controls, and the general redirection of finance towards public transport. shattered. Instead of vag hopes of good will and per suasion, railworkers desperately need a campaigning struggle to reverse the pre sent drift, and to fight for 3 decent living wage, agains: job cuts, for an end to over. time, and a shorter working week, together with the de fence of the closed shop, and an end to privatisation are closures. It's by beginning to seriously fight for thex kind of measures that the de veloping crisis could be are:. ted - and we could forE governments to abandonine the policy of cutbacks anclosure, be they Tory or La: bour administrations.

It won't be easy, espect ally not since the setbacks s last year, but it's only by its rail unions mounting such i fight and restonng some of the lost confidence that tes will be capable of fightis off the drastic attacks on the rail network which seem ses to be a favourite time it Tories this year.

Dzze Lia

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Socialist Organiser no.115 January 13 1983 Page 4 International News