A mass meeting of craftsmen at the Lianwern steel works decided last Sunday to end their official strike. Although they voted to accept the British Steel Corporation offer, the craftsmen live still not returned to work.
The craftsmen have decided that they are not prepared to cross the picket line set up by members of TASS who have been on strike for five weeks. The TASS workeis are out after two year's negotiations over job evaluation and pay had come to nought.
The decision of the craftsmen to accept the new BSC offer made at a mass mecting of 1600 workers was only carried on a 60-40 vote.
OFFER BSC have made a new offer which includes a 15 a week temporary payment in order to enable negotiations to open on a measured incentive scheme, This is similar to the scheme rejected by the NUM executive.
When work study has been complcted and the incentive scheme introduced or rejected - the E5 will be withdrawn. BSC claim that a payment of L5 to E7 a week will then be substituted wilich is based on the new incentive scheme. Many workers are very sceptical shout these figures.
Despite the acceptance of the incentive scheme the craftsmen have got a limited victory in cash terms.
More importantly they have taken the trade union solidarity position of refusing to cross the TASS picket line, The effect of the craftsmen's show of solidurity made the BSC management make their first moves to come to terms with the TASS strikers. On Sunday 10 November the management agreed to have a meeting with the TASS officials. However on Monday I| November - probably at the instigation of the real high-ups-the offer was withdrawn.
Tom Golightly, Newport AUEW district secretary told me: "We are informing the management that we have accepted their latest offer and are ready to resume work, but not if it means the men passing the TASS picket ine. We will not enter the works until the pickets are withdrawn SOLIDARITY Sharing the same picket line has increased the class consciousness of the workers involved in both disputes As a TASS official said to me: 'Since the craftsmen's strike the greatest solidarity has developed between the two groups of workers and there is more than the usual amount of sympathy amongst the production workemployers, but it is rather embassas sing for him to be openly associated with attacks on the Union by Coal DIVIDE Clarkes who have opened the way By raising the red bogey they have allowed the NCB and the capitalist press to attack the militants and to In South Wales 20 minters' Jodpes have called for Miron's resignation. This movement must be stepped up throughout all the coal fields. Mem-
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BRITAIN A BREAK!