The Pay Board offers virtually nothing. Strike action must be stepped up the Pay Boord Report on London Weighting-cost-of-living allowance has been published.
The Reporr shows that those members of the NUT and NALGO who said waiting for the Repor would achiere nothing were right. They bad argued that only strike action would force the employer to pay up.
The Report offers a two tier allowance. This recommends a £400 allowance for inner London and E200 for onter London. The divide is an arbitrary four miles radius based on Charing Cross.
This division is a complete fraud. It would, if accepted cut the Inner London Education Authority in half possibly accept it.. The offers are contemptible. Teuchers already get a £1 18 allowince. After tax, the new increase would give many of the teachers, tiving outside the four mile radius, about El a week.
Even Max Morris, the ex-President of the NUT for once got things right when he said: It's totally unacceptable. Morris aptly described at as a dog's breakfast' and said: I cannot sce how the NUT executive can He added: There is simply nothing right about it. The figure of C400 is wrong because il apples to a minority of London ceachers- 18 per cent in all The figure for the other 82 per cent is the same as the sum offered by the employers 18 months ago, The same applies to NALGO as the teachers. The Report gives an eloquent and those offered this paltry award Some of the NALGO members who picketed the meeting of the local govern ment National Joint Council last Friday, demanding that strike action to win the national and London claims be stepped up immediately argument for stepping up strike action, not for calling it off.
What the Report does howerer. 15 give an argument for a London allowance for all those workers who have not had one in the past. Sir Frank Figgures, Chairman of the Pay Board lamented that the Report would probably be used in that way Militants in all the unions should take him at his word. A struggle should be started now fora London HEWALICE As well as setting up action committees, across-union organisations must be set up to bring together the fight of all London workers-those not covered by a London silowanoe,