vital here. up in other unsons. ing for them, and that efforts are made state "henefits"
С ран 50 The first crucial thing is that the whole business of incomes policy must be rejected for the fraud and in full pro-capitalist measure which it is. The only thing an incomes policy has ever done for the working class is hold down its standard of living The ASTMS and NALGO conferences have shown the way here by rejecting incomes policy.
The fight must go on to prevent any retreat on the wage claims decided on by the union conferences. Preparations must be made long before the claims are to be met to win over the memberhsip to a determined fight Action committees in the unions are Although things did not go far cnough, developments in the AUEW duting the last engineers claim showed the way: there were two national a week meetings of convenors of shop stewards committees, and at least some factories put out regular bulletins on the progress of the claim. These types of developments can be taken It is clear that every struggle is going to be met with big resistance. Police and employers tactics are getting more and more vicious, as Shrewsbury, Imperial Typewriters and hundreds of other examples show. This means that the most militant, and most democratic, forms of struggles such as occupations, flying pickets, strike committees and so on, are going to have to be used to win. The Beeston struggle over thresbolds is a real example here, as it shows how occupation tactics should be extended to wages questions as well as just redundancy.
SLIDING SCALE
It is vital that a method of protecting wages against price increases is fought for. The present threshold provisions run out in November, but prices will continue to sour long after them, Workers must demand pot simply that thresholds are kept, bur that they are extended and improved. A real sliding scale of wages must be fought for: the thresholds must be made compulsory under law, they must be based on a nil-norm", they must be totally auternatic (no month- by the recent theatening line of ty negotiations or "Periodic reviews'), there must be no ceiling, threshold Tises must he incorporated into basic pay and used for the culculstion of ing class.
and the sum paid must be increased to really compensate for the increase in the cost of living, taxes and so on Such a sliding scale must apply not only to wapes, hut to unemplayment pay, pensions, student grunts, and all On low pay several unions — agricultural workers and teachers for example have submitted claums demanding a t40 miaimum basic Wage, This can provide the basis for a campaign for a national minimum wage - one of 140 a week, und set the TUCk miserable 225 paign, is what militants have to fight for here. Trade union bodies must prepare machinery to police the enforcement of equsi pay laws.
If we tie together all these points, a clear programme for struggle emerges:
* No aceeptance of any form of incomes policy, from any Govern ment, under capitalism * All union wage claims to be met * A sliding scule of wages — a nil norm threshold, with full coverage of wages for every increase in prices. This to be extended to all pensions, unemployment pay, student grants, and state benefits.
* Formation of preparation and action committees to campaign for the wage claims in every union * All strikes to he run locally and nationally by democratically elected strike committees, strikes to be occupation strikes wherever possible. with the organisation of strong picketing forces and flying pickets where needed * National minimum wage of £40 • Equal pay for women now a
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overtime and bopuses, a working ciss cost of living index must be drawn up,