Support the Appledore shipyard workers

On Friday, workers at Appledore shipyard took part in the first of six days of strike action, which will continue tomorrow and every Friday and Monday after that up until the 17th November.

Every worker involved in shipbuilding was out, reflecting the anger at their treatment by owners Babcock Marine, and the strong union presence at the yard. Babcock Marine, who also own Devonport Dockyard, pay the workers much less at Appledore, and also do not provide them with a pensions representative or workplace nurse.

Wages in North Devon are lower than the average for Devon and nationally, and it seems Babcock Marine have been taking advantage of this to exploit the Appledore workers for years. Extensive negotiations by the GMB and Unite representatives brought no significant concessions from Babcock Marine, and there has been no comment from the company on the strike action. However, Appledore workers are not known to shirk from a fight - the shipyard has been constantly threatened over the past thirty years, being nationalised by the then Industry Minister Tony Benn in the 1970s, and being taken over by the workers in 2003 when it was temporarily closed by the then owners.

Babcock Marine have threatened workers with closure in response to the strike action, even though they only ask to be paid at the same rate as their counterparts in Plymouth.

North Devon Socialist Party has expressed its support and solidarity for the industrial action, and also point out that the best way to safeguard the future of the shipyard for the workers and their families is to nationalise the yard and place it under the control of the workers. They can develop a plan of production to meet the needs of producing ships for civilian use as well as safeguard their own livelihoods, as part of a democratically planned economy locally, nationally and internationally.

Support the council workers!

Tomorrow, 600,000 local government workers go on strike, which will continue through to Thursday. While inflation has significantly increased the cost of living, the Government has insultingly offered the people who keep public services working just a 2.45% pay 'rise' this year. Coming on top of the abolition of the 10p tax rate, this is yet another kick in the teeth for some of Britain's lowest paid workers.

Unison and Unite are therefore holding joint action, and the Socialist Party gives complete support to those on strike. The unions are asking for 6% or an extra 50p an hour, whichever is the greater. It should serve as a reminder as to the values of capitalism and its representatives and apologists in parliament that essential and valuable public servants such as refuse collectors, librarians and teaching assistants should have to strike to try and secure what is a very moderate demand, while billions are spent on war, diverting public money into shareholders pockets and tax cuts for the wealthy.

Unfortunately, Unison and Unite continue to fund the very party that is trying to cut the living standards of its members. They would be better placed for fighting for fair pay, union rights and defending jobs, pensions and public services if they broke with New Labour, which is just another party of big business, and helped form a new party that fights for workers and young people.

Devon Socialist Party calls for:

- United public sector trade union action, wherever possible.
- A Devon Living Wage at a level to be determined by the relevant trade unions and inflation linked.
- Laws limiting the ability of trade unions to be swept away, and for unions to be allowed to be more flexible in their actions and the use of their funds, and for solidarity strikes and picketing to be legalised.
- An end to cuts and selloffs in public services at local and national level.
- A new party of the working class to be formed, based on the unions and involving socialists, community campaigners, environmentalists, antiwar activists and young people.

Decontamination threat - update

The campaign continues to persuade Northern Devon Healthcare Trust to keep Sterile Supplies services in-house (see 'North Devon District Hospital - Decontamination Threat') and not 'out-source' them to private company Decon Sciences.

Unison South West, Unite and the Royal College of Nursing South West have produced postcards containing a message for the local Trust Chief Executive, on the other side of the cartoon at the top of the post. We have a limited supply of them, so email us (at the top of the page) if you would like some for yourself and your workplace/union branch/college. It is important that there is a groundswell of opinion against this potentially dangerous move in order for it to be defeated.

Please address your postcards, or any other letters etc. to:

Mrs Jac Kelly, Chief Executive, North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB.

If you would like to get in contact with North Devon Unison Healthcare Branch please contact Pauline Brennan, the branch secretary. She can be reached at Level 3, North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB or by email at northdevonhealth@hotmail.co.uk