TUCND News (Second Series) #05

4 Pages·1992·10.8 MB·English

by  TUCND

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MORTIMER’S COLUMN
than £30 per week for every family of politicians who supported the so called
Jim Mortimer is a former general
fora". . deterrent that the possible, indeed like-
secretary of the Labour Party and has
ly, aggressor was the Soviet Union.
been a committed campaigner for
Note the contrast between military
Today the Soviet Union no longer ex-
nuclear disarmament for most of his
expenditure and government spending
ists and no one is likely to argue that in
adult life. Whenever possible he con-
on housing. In real terms - that is after
the chaos that has followed it’s disin-
tributes a colunm to TUCND News.
making allowance for price increases -
tegration there are influential plotters
military spending is today higher than
who are contemplating an attack on
ARMS SPENDING -
it was in the early years of the
the West.
Thatcher Government. On the same
SACRED COW OF
basis of calculations government Trident is a monumental and ex-
BRITISH POLITICS spending on housing is today less than travagant folly. No more should be
half of what it was in 1979-80. built. The first call on the resources
Issue No 5
released by such a decision should be
Why is it that in all the exchanges Despite good resolutions carried at
to ensure the employment of the men
about tax increases, lower income the Labour Party conference there is
and women who otherwise would find
LABOUR PARTY AND CONSERVATIVE PARTY POLICY ON
tax bands, and the extent of public bor- no real indication that Labour’s front
themselves out of a job.
rowing there is the silence of the grave bench will press for reduced military
ARMS CONVERSION
about military spending? Yet with a expenditure. At the end of February Cuts in military spending and conver-
planned military expenditure in 1991- Gerald Kaufman was reported as sion to provide new employment are
92 of about £21:5 billion the odd bil- saying: two sides of the same coin. The argu- viewing them in isolation. The Labour Whichever party wins on April 9th,
(This article, as were all the others in
lion or so on taxes, about which the ment that conversion cannot be af- Party Euro MP’s have been working there will be a great deal of campaign-
this issue, was written just before the
’All of the costings produced by Mar-
politicians argue so vociferously, looks forded cannot be taken seriously. hard to develop a EC programme for ing work to be done to make sure the
general election, when it was still un-
garet Beckett (labour’s public spend-
- and is - not much more than small Whatever can be spent on arms can the areas affected by the decline in the required shift in the governments at-
clear what the outcome of that election
ing spokeswoman), upon which our
change in the coffers of the Exchequer. equally be spent for civil purposes. In- defence industries. titude towards industry which will
would be.) _
expenditure plans are based, assume
deed, whatever is produced by the con- make Arms Conversion possible, is
unchanged defence expenditure by the The Conservative Party on the other
There is a simple explanation for this version programme is a bonus for the brought about. But the difference be-
The significance of the general elec-
Labour Government...’ hand believe the arguments for Arms
silence about military expenditure. satisfaction of human needs. tween the parties in potential for
tion for Britain’s future simply can-
Conversion are, in Allan Clarke’s
The principal leaders of all three of making that shift is massive.
Martin O’Neill was reported to have not be underestimated.
Sooner or later Britain will have to words, ’rubbish’ and that the major
the main political parties are united in
commented early in March:
reduce substantially it’s swollen restructuring which is about to occur is
their support for this profligacy. It is
The industries current!
military budget. The new government best left to the market place. One of
’The choice is between a Tory Party
not an issue to them. They do not want
must be pressed immediately to cut producing arms, upon the major problems facing the industry
a public debate about it. Military that is cutting our defence forces to
In this issue
military spending and to couple this which our economy has in trying to move into civilian produc-
provide electoral bribes or the next
spending is the sacred cow of British
with an effective conversion
Labour Government which will spend come to depend, will sur- tion is the attitude of the British
politics.
programme. government towards support for in-
what is required to properly defend
vive or perish on the dif-
The cost of Trident alone is nearly dustry. This is perhaps most clearly
our country.’
ference in policies of the Labour and Conservative party
£15 per week for every family of four
demonstrated by the behaviour of
(man, woman and two children) in the Britain does not need Trident. Who Conservative and Labour Leon Brittan, the EC Commissioner policies on Arms Conversion
Jim Mortimer 14/3/92
United Kingdom. Total military spend- is it that is being deterred? For years Parties. for Competition, in blocking both
ing represents a cost of slightly more the British people were told by British government and European aid Demonstrating against
Although there is a great deal to be
to rescue Sunderland Shipbuilders and
Britain’s Trident 2
found wanting, from the peace
the Camel Laird shipyard in the Wir-
movement’s and the trade union
ral.
What’s wrong with the Arms
movement’s point of view, in the
Labour Party policies on defence and The Labour Party current policy _ Trade 2
TRADE UNION AFFILIATION FORM Amount £.......................... ..
could, if applied intelligently, go a long
on funding industry, the arms industry
BLOCK LETTERS PLEASE
way to rescuing those key sectors of CND’s campaign for the ’Peace
(upon which key sectors of our
Name . '1'!-i"""-I'H_ _..
the British economy now dependent
economy now depend) will survive or
Fees are for branches with up to 300 members and for Trades Councils £10, Dividend’ 3
Address .___..__.__...__._._.._
on arms production. The Conservative
perish on the difference between its
branches with between 300 and 1,000 members £15, 1,000 to 5,000 members £40,
Party current policy would do nothing
between 5,000 and 10,000 members £60. For over 10,000 enquire at the office -Iii policies and those of the Conservative Labour Party and TUC con-
Postcode __________________
..Branch Party. to support the arms industry in what
TIIC .....................................................
ferences last year 4
wishes to affiliate to CND. We enclose a cheque for £........... Payable to CND will for some, almost inevitably, be ter-
The Labour Party propose an agen-
minal decline. There are strong
Coup and Counter-coup in
cy, which will coordinate a range of
rumoms that, should the Conservative
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Party win the election, Hesaltine will Eastern Europe 4
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a result of the decline in the market for
be put in charge of the DTI with a
BLOCK LETTERS PLEASE
weapons. They also propose a range of
Why not take a bulk order of TUCND News for distribution at your branch? Nam- brief to increase support for industry. The Shipbuilding industry and
other measures which will aid our
The annual subscription rates, including postage, are given below. TUCND Add;-¢,55 But these are rumours, not policy and
Arms Conversion 6
ailing industries such as increased in
News, published six times a year, is an invaluable tool for spreading information
even if they prove correct there is noth-
the level and quality of training within
about the peace movement and disarmament issues amongst trade unionists. Postcode
ing to suggest Hesaltine will have suffi-
New funding for TUCND 7
industry. They are clearly prepared, to
cient resources to make that much
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some extent at least, to look at the
difference. Mortimer’s column 8
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defence industries within the context
Please make cheques payable to TUCND.
of industry overall rather than simply
1
in it’s purchases. The European Indonesian Commimist Party. Es- military equipment to their military
f
DEMONSTRATING AGAINST BRITAIN’S TRIDENT market for arnts has been considerably timates vary from 0:5 million to 1:5 mil- government.
reduced both because of unilateral lion people killed by the army in that
In November last year troops
cuts by a number of European period. In 1975 the regime invaded the
opened fire on a funeral procession in
On the 5th of March Bi-itain’s first
countries and as a result of the CFE neighbouring former Portuguese
Trident submarine was slowly Santa Cruz. When they stopped firing
treaties. The third world market, colony of East Timour killing an es-
they clubbed to death the wounded.
lowered into the water by VSEL’s
which used to take 75% of Britain’s ex- timated 200,000 people. Torture, sum-
Estimates vary from between 50 to 180
shiplift at the shipyard built specifical-
ports, is facing a steady shrinkage be- mary execution, forced migration,
people killed. Probably because of this
ly for Trident in Barrow. Tom King
cause of the substantial debt facing a detention without trial are all
massacre the announcement of an £11
was present, after VSEL had made fer-
number of third world countries. Also prominent features of the
million sale of a former RN auxiliary
vent requests that he should be, to give
a number of third world countries are government’s rule iii this area now, as
vessel (the Green Rover) was delayed
the occasion some weight. A number
now producing their own military it is in a number of areas where they
for six weeks - but the sale is still going
of CND groups sent people to throw
equipment, in order to decrease their face opposition from the population.
ahead.
wreaths into the water to express sad-
own balance of trade deficit. Added to
inctonesia supplies a number or
ness at what the VSEL management
this are a number of former Warsaw
TUCND are asking contacts and af-
resources regarded as crucial to
and the government have done to the
Pact countries whose need for hard
area, and to make their voices heard in Wgstgfn
currency is so great that they appear to economics‘ It is
opposition to Trident.
be prepared to sell arms to almost
Some of the CND demonstrators at the ‘Roll Out’ of Britain‘s first Trident in
likely that both
anyone. Croatia and Serbia, for in-
March this year
the bloodbath fol-
Perhaps the saddest thing about the
stance, although they are at war with
event is that were it not for the fact those who went to protest against Tri- everywhere and roll upon roll of razor lowing the coup
each other, are cooperating to export
that the ship being rolled out is a con- dent, that were the thing not designed wire. Despite all these precautions, which brought the
M84 Main Battle Tanks.
siderable and dangerous escalation in to burn millions of people alive, it however, to the clear delight of the as- current govern-
Britain’s nuclear arsenal, that it is a would have been a staggeringly beauti- sembled workforce who gave him a All these factors have contributed to ment to power
ful achievement. rousing cheer, one peace campaigner making it almost impossible for Britain and the invasion
part of a defence policy which has bled
did penetrate their defences.
our economy white, it would represent to continue selling arms on the scale of East Tirnour
One of VSEL’s ideas of diversifica- were enacted with This type of equipment is all too readily available on the
a truly magnificent piece of engineer- we have been in recent years. _
tion has been to turn their own internal CND will be demonstrating again at the approval and international market
ing. A number of the workforce
filiates to write to the government ur-
security personnel into a firm of the naming ceremony on the 30th
privately expressed support for the INDONESIA encouragement of the US Govern-
ging them to cancel this order and I
April and would like to urge trade
security guards. A great deal of effort
rnent.
peace campaigner’s and disdain for
seek a sale to another government
went into preventing peace movement union organisations to participate in
their own managements role in failing Indonesia is a good example of the
once the refit, currently underway at
people from gaining access to the this. For further details contact Despite their appalling record on
to peruse alternatives. They felt, as did immorality of this trade. The current
Swan Hunters on Tyneside, has been
dock, with elaborate fencing TUCND’s national office. human rights and despite the genocide
regime took power in 1965 and
completed.
being carried out by their government
engaged in systematically wiping out
Britain has supplied large amounts of
anyone they felt was involved with the
VVHAT’S WRONG VVITH THE ARMS TRADE
CND’S PEACE DIVIDEND CAMPAIGN
figure will be reduced to somewhere in pay for equipment bought from British
over the past ten years or so the
some time ago TUCND took a The idea behind the campaign is to or it is serviced by foreign manufac-
manufacturers. For instance Margaret
British Government have done a the region of 40,000 staff hours.
decision to organise a large scale show how we can achieve the Peace turers who enjoy considerable support
Thatcher arranged to loan Malaysia £2
great deal to encourage the export of
campaign for the peace dividend. We Dividend, raising awareness of the from their own governments.
Another factor is that, because of
billion with which they would buy a
weapons abroad, often to countries
also decided to try and press CND to changes we need to make in Govern-
the huge costs of this type of equip-
range of equipment which included ini- This motion is being circulated as
with a poor record for ill treatment of
run this campaign too and, largely be- ment Policy so that it does become a
ment, were it not to be built in this
tially 12 Tornado’s (this was latter widely as possible, so that through the
opposition forces within their own 4
cause of the motion moved by possibility. Regular readers of
country it would represent a huge
changed to Hawk fighter bombers), debate which ensues the profile of the
countries. We have, infact sold
TUCND at CND’s conference, it was TUCND News will be aware of the ar-
drain on our balance of trade.
and a number of light Howitzers. This issues involved may be raised.
weapons to some of the nastiest
agreed that this should be a major guments this campaign is based upon.
type of equipment was clearly destined
governments in the world such as In- So to produce this stuff at all we
priority this year.
For more information on this cam-
for use against guerillas fighting the One aspect of the campaign is a
donesia, Iraq, and Malaysia. need long production runs. We have to
paign contact Jim Barnes through
government. I model motion being circulated by
produce most of it ourselves otherwise
A range of campaign material has
CND’s national office.
TUCND on Arms Conversion and
WI-IYDO WE? it could cripple our economy. But even
been produced around this campaign
We have slowly moved towards a ,
Defence Spending. The main thrust of
then the UK Government would not
and CND groups will be asked to
position where we now depend on ex- Wtiiir
this motion is that Arms Conversion
The cost of designing, developing be able to buy the quantities required lobby a number of different local or-
ports to make our arms industry viable, \;t/.
on a significant scale will be possible
and establishing a production line for to make a production run viable. That ganisations, ranging from the local
yet our arms industry is now a huge
only if there is a significant investment
means we have to export.
sophisticated modern weapons sys- Chamber of Commerce to the
part of our economy.
in Britain’s civilian manufacturing
tems is so great now that manufactur- Women’s Institute. Local groups will
Over the past ten years the govern- base. If this is done carefully the
ing them at all is not realistic unless also be asked to leaflet arms plants in 2j‘-1!‘. //
THE BOTTOM GOES
ment have encouraged arms sales as market for sophisticated, high technol-
'\_.,,- '
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there is a substantial production run to their area with material produced by .._
hard as they possibly could. An office OUT THE EXPORT ogy goods and for heavy engineering ttz- irintt
spread these costs over. Even the ex- TUCND.
called the Defence Export Services Or- equipment will expand, creating a
MARKET
perience of the people making the
ganisation, established by the last Trades Councils and Constituency market for those industries currently
equipment has a marked effect on the
Labour Government has been substan- Labour Parties have been written to as producing arms to move into. That
The US has decided to sell arms
unit price of equipment. For instance
tially expanded by the current ad- well as CND groups, asking them to market either doesn’t exist in this
abroad much more aggressively in
the first McDonald Douglas F15 took
ministration. One way of encouraging participate in any activities CND or- country currently, because of a lack of
order to help some of its own
600,000 staff hours to build. It is es-
these sales is an offer from this govern- ganises in their area. government support and investment,
producers cope with a 25% reduction
timated that by the 1,000th aircraft this
ment to a foreign power of credit to
I
‘I
t
Q ning it are the same people who ran
siderable nuclear arsenals available to
that Boris Yeltsin actually considered
THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE TUC CONFERENCES jg
the Brezhnev administration. Instead
them.
military against the Ukraine at the
of hearing of the joys of the five year
beginning of their attempts to break
l
\
AN EMERGING LABOUR plan you now hear how the market
with the Soviet Union. This possible
From the peace movements point of
will, after a bit of pain, solve all. One
military action apparently included the
MOVEMENT
view both the TUC and the Labour
rather rude phrase used by a journalist
use of nuclear weapons. Yeltsin has
Party conferences last year went well. recently to describe the head of this
also made it clear that he feels that
There are now a number of trade
Both TUC and the Labour.Party
conversion agency was more a term of
parts of the Ukraine should be turned
union and labour movement organisa-
passed very solid policies on arms con- self abuse than a term of abuse.
over to Russia. Apparently, NATO
tions developing in the former Eastern
version and the Labo1u' Party con-
representatives have been conducting
block countries which should begin to The principal problem with most of
ference reaffirmed its commitment to
talks in the Ukraine arguing that they
make themselves felt over the next the Soviet Union is the breakdown of
substantial cuts in defence spending.
need strong armed forces equipped
couple of years. A typical response distribution. The former distribution
with nuclear weapons to counter the
from these new and independent networks operated by the state are
The TUC motion on conversion
possibility of an attack by Russia.
union organisations is ’we are non being dismantled rapidly. What is
recognised the dangers of siting the I
political’ (meaning they are not moving in to take it’s place is rain-
proposed Labour Party Defence Diver- Gin result of Yeltsins behaviour and
on Toddspeaking on Arms Conversion at the 1991 Labour Party Conference
aligned with any political party) and shackle and inadequate. It is also ap-
sification Agency in the Ministry of R the advice given by NATO repre-
Another motion, not supported by
based upon trade union organisation ’our first priority is to build up a strike parently dominated by people from
Defence and advocated it should work
sentatives has been the Ukraine’s
in that company: the NEC, calling for a reduction in fund’. It is very important indeed that the former regime who operate a sort
through the Department of Trade and decision to halt the transfer of nuclear
defence spending to the same level as
they are given what support it is pos- of mafia, trying to control the distribu-
Industry. It also outlined what they felt weapons on it’s terretory to Russia.
vi) work with the European Com-
our European NATO partners was
sible to muster in Britain to ensure tion system for their own ends and
the DDA should do. It said "The DDA
munity to develop European wide in-
moved Frank Parker, on behalf of Bed-
The situation now developing in the that stability is developed in a region choking it up in the process. Some of
should, therefore:-
itiatives
ford Constituency LP. Frank was also
former Soviet Union has a great many with such a massive nuclear arsenal. them are now very rich people indeed.
i) Work with local authorities in CND’s treasurer. This was passed by similarities to that in Yugoslavia in the
The distribution problems mean that
and
In Russia the left is at the moment
planning the restructuring of industries over a two third majority. build up to the civil war there. Unlike manufacturing industry is finding it in-
quite divided. It consists of a number
at a local level: vii) consult with the research com- Yugoslavia, however, large numbers of
credibly dificult to maintain raw
Both of these motions represent a
of new parties ranging from people
mtmity with the aim of bringing about
nuclear weapons are involved. material supplies, and as difficult to
ii) work through the Department of very important move in thinking be-
who think Stalin wasn’t a bad chap to
a major transfer of resources from
distribute and market it’s products.
Trade and Industry to develop poten- hind defence on the part of the Labour
There are also the beginnings of con- people who would be roughly
miliary to civil research and develop-
The arms industries have the addition-
tial civilian markets for the arms in- Party. Because of these the party now siderable friction between a number of equivalent to the centre of the British
ment."
al problem of having to try and
dustry to move into: will view defence spending as having Baltic states and several of the Labour Party. There are also a smatter-
develop new product ranges for the
This motion was then put to the an effect upon industrial and economic republics in the former Soviet Union. ing of organisations similar to the
iii) Look at the long term implica- civilian market.
Labour Party conference by the policy rather than being seen in isola- Estonia, for instance, is making the Trotskyist left in Britain. The largest of
tions for arms manufacturers of
T&GWU where it was composited tion, as has traditionally been the case taking of an oath of loyalty a condition the parties formed out of the former The current governments in the
planned changes in procurement:
with a number of other resolutions. In in Britain. What and how we buy the of citizenship. There is a large Polish CPSU would appear to be in a posi- parts of the former Soviet union clear-
the form that it was eventually passed means of defending ourselves should and Russian minority in Estonia and tion to win a general election in Russia
iv) consult with and work through ly do not have a solution to the
by the LP it said that the DDA should now be judged by what we can afford both Russia and Poland have made were they either to unite or form a
the trade unions nationally over the deteriorating quality of life for ordi-
structure of the day to day manage- work through both the MOD and the and how the defence policy will effect angry protests at this enforced oath- coalition. However, as the situation in nary people. As the situation slides
ment of governmental support for in- DTI. It was passed with an overwhelm- the rest of our economy. Hopefully taking. Georgia would indicate, winning an towards political fragmentation it can
ing majority after a powerful and this will remain the case through the
dustries moving away from election is not equivalent to winning either develop into civil war or a
Against this background the type of
moving speech by Ron Todd. It was coming set of labour movement con-
dependency on arms production: power. As the various states fragment coherent political alternative to the
intervention that western governments
supported by the NEC of the Labour ferences. and destabilise so does the possibility current free marketeering has to be es-
such as Britain, Germany and the USA
v) Encourage and support company
Party.
for democratic control diminish. Also tablished. The desire of some to return
based alternative use committees are promoting can only be viewed as
there is very little in terms of an alter-
to the old order is not realistic. If the
extremely irresponsible. The current
native set of economic policies coming
various labom' movement-orientated
THE BREAK UP OF THE SOVIET UNION - COUP AND regimes in the former Soviet Union do
out of these parties other than a political parties can develop a
not appear to be stable and the plight
straight rejection of the way that things coherent alternative to the blind free
COUNTER COUP IN EASTERN EUROPE
of the ordinary population in the
are going at the moment. market policies and corruption being
former Eastern block countries seems
far as to suggest that organisations -encouraged currently they are on to a
The demonstrations which took place
European Nuclear Disarmament to be deteriorating rapidly as these
CONVERSION POLICY‘ winner both for the people working in
similar to the mafia now control a
immediately after the old Communist
(END) held part of its annual inte - mafia type groups gradually clog up
the arms industries and for the country
Party leaders took over were, accord- great deal of the economy and their IN THE FORMER
national conference in the Soviet the distribution of food and resources.
as a whole. A real conversion policy is,
development has been helped consid-
ing to their reports, organised largely
Union towards the end of last year. A SOVIET UNION t
however, unrealistic without a political
by right-wing groups and took place erably by the coup and the counter- What Britian’s representatives
number of people from various peace
coup. should be arguing for is a measured, change in Russia.
with the direct support of the local
movement organisations in Britain Perhaps the saddest thing about the
plamied transition to a form of ad-
authorities in St Petersburg and in
remained after the conference to visit
current situation is the lack of
These reports differ considerably ministration which can accomodate
Moscow. Several described the sight of
some of the sites in the then Soviet coherent control for the redirection of
the changes in production and distribu-
from the type of report carried by the
young men carrying nationalist flags as
Union. There were, therefore, several the arms industries into the civilian
media in Britain, and would suggest tion which the population are calling
quite chilling. Several have also
people present during the attempted
economy. There is a national conver-
for. Encouraging dictatorial and un-
that the democratic process was not ex-
described the events after the coup as
coup to displace Gorbachov in the sion agency in Russia but it would ap-
actly what Boris Yletsin and Gor- stable regimes in Eastern Europe,
being, in effect, a counter coup, with
Soviet Union. From their reports it
pear to be floundering about without a
bachov had in mind in their reaction to similar to those Britain encourages in
wide ranging and extreme measures
would appear that both Boris Yeltsin
clear policy, other than a Thatcherite
the events. Latin America and the Far East, is ex-
being taken, such as the closing down
and Gorbachov were involved in these
policy of letting the market prevail. As
tremely dangerous if only because of
of newspapers and the banning of the
events. That is, they actually en- with a number of areas of the current
Since then even more worrying
the fact that these countries have con-
Communist Party. A number went so
couraged the organisers of the coup. Russian administration the people run-
trends have emerged. It would appear
_, .|
— ' _
1':
THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY AND ARMS
0
WHAT NEEDS TO BE
DONE
CONVERSION
tion to compete with shipbuilders
the support member states can offer
The same Fl‘ article described some
abroad. They are the type of thing
their home industries.
of the reasons why the far eastern
CND is arguing for in the campaign
yards have been successful. Hitachi
At the moment the warship yards in programme will soak up a large por- ables is their ability to manage effi- 2 Use of the MOD budget to sup- for the ’Peace Dividend’. They require,
Zosen, for instance, has reduced the
Britain face a serious crisis which, un- tion of the Royal Navy_’s procurement ciently. port the industry. Neil Kinnock ap- however, a radically difierent attitude
staff hours to build a large tanker from
less there is some substantial change, budget for the next few years. pears to be offering this to VSEL, who
from government from the one we
They have since circulated the union 1 million hours in the early 70’s to
will prove terminal for some of them. have not responded positively.
have been faced with for the past ten
reps with a briefing which is encourag- 270,000. one reason for this is that 65%
VSEL estimate that the industry will COMPANY AND UNION years.
ing them to put pressure on Neil Kin- of their welding and 80% of steel cut- 3 Changes in company management
shrink from employing 22,000 people
ALTERNATIVES
nock for the fourth Trident. Instead of ting is now automated. Both Japan and attitudes. Shipbuilding orders
currently to something like 7,000. How-
encouraging their workers to vote South Korea enjoy systematic govern-
ever, given modern shipbuilding tech- 4 Tax relief on civilian research and June 1991
Faced with a very rapid decline in
Tory, which is what VSEL appear to ment support which is not available in
nology where a vessel can be built in
development.
their market most of the companies in-
be trying to do, there are a number of Britain. Japan, for instance offers up Country - Gross Tonnage(m)
sections in several places at once and
volved have acted quickly and resolute-
things which could be done to make it to 60% loans at 7% interest, repayable
given the trend towards having a 5 Selective subsidies on shipbuilding Jgpgn 15.16
ly to stick their heads in the sand.
possible for those warshipyard to ow 13 years with 3 years grace. That South Korea 6-96
primary contractor who subcontracts
Denmark L93
VSEL, for instance have produced 6 Export credits (loans) offered by
begin building merchant vessels. Were is how the level of automation in the
Germany 1-B4
construction, there is little reason why
what appears to be a credible long VSEL to use their energies lobbying Japanese yard quoted and their the British govermnent to potential flaw 1 .52
the bottom should remain at 7,000
Taiwan 1-33
term strategy involving diversifying buyers, in the same way that some
for those instead of for the fourth Tri- dominant position in the world ship-
Yugoslavia 1.29
jobs.
from being an almost exclusively sub- arms exports are financed at the mo-
dent the Barrow yard could have a fu- building market came about. South Bflgjl 1.21
marine manufacturer into producing, ment. China 1 -01
Korea offers simething similar.
The reasons for this impending ture, which it doesn’t have now even
Romania 1-00
amongst other things, surface vessels
dramatic decline are fairly evident, as with the fourth Trident. Spain 0.99
7 Support for potential shipowners
Factors which would give Britain a
for the navy and a light howitzer. The Poland 0.98
are the possible alternatives for the in-
future in shipbuilding are, therefore:- in arranging finance to have their Sl'llpS France 0-75
problem with this plan is that it in-
dustry. What is somewhat more com- REAL ALTERNATIVES UK 0.55
built in Britain.
cludes the same work that is in the Finland 0-34
plex is working out how to make it
1 Changes in European legislation to
Turkey 0-3°
long term plans for most other warship
possible for the industry to begin to These would go some way to placing
VSEL have been attempting to lobby allow support for military shipbuilders, USSR 0-30
yards plus some that other defence
move into those alternative areas. the Labour Leadership over the fourth and changes in regulations which limit shipbuilders in this country in a posi-
companies are involved in. VSEL ap-
_ |_-1 '7' I-an-a pt "’— |-xi Imj l n-ii In .
Trident. They are ’concerned that i V i _ i__ I ,_1F ' '___ _1l _L
-rrr *r%-In I-it rtriln III! jun ans.’ 741 1 1’ _ W
pears to believe that if the number of NEW FUNDING FOR TRADE UNION CND AND OUR
WHY IS IT HAPPENING politicians continue to talk about
workers in the industry is to be
equivalent alternative work, a concept
AFFILIATION DRIVE
reduced to 7,000 they should all be
The Warship industry is facing a sub- which you and we know not to be
working in VSEL. Yarrows, Swan
stantial decline in the orders placed by valid’. In the light of the fact that there CND. TUCND are also writing direct-
amount that was in reserve, means that
It is no secret that CND has been
Hunter, Devonport and Rosyth would
overseas customers, partly because of clearly isn’t enough warship work to
ly to a number of other trade union
we have sufficient to be able to fund
through a very difficult financial
presumably go to the wall if this were
the reduction in international tension, keep the shipyards functioning the
bodies, such as Trades Councils urging
TUCND’s activity for the coming year.
period in recent months. One of the
to come about. Given the policy of
but also because of the sale of second company’s dismissal of such a prospect
them to consider affiliating to CND.
We have also been allocated some
consequences has been that the arran-
competitive tendering for military
hand vessels by a number of countries, is quite amazing.
money as a grant from CND.
gements for funding Trade Union
equipment, having only one yard Clearly, the outcome of the election
principally the USA. This type of
would appear to be not only unrealistic The European Community has es- CND have been changed. will make a substantial difference to
This means that TUCND continues
equipment fits the specifications for a
but also undesirable from the timated that 90% of all trade within
political life in Britain over the next
number of developing countries where to function and there is no change in
Up until now money from trade
government’s point of view. the EC travels, at some stage in its dis- five years. At the time of writing that
costs need to be kept down. The USA the constitutional relationship between
unions was paid to CND, and a grant
tribution, by ship. They also estimate
has not been decided but either way
have a large number of vessels within it and CND.
There is an element of this unreality was allocated from the general funds
that a serious shortfall of shipbuilding
TUCND will have a great deal of work
this general category which they will
to cover Trade Union CND’s running
in all the medium to long term
capacity will develop in the next five to What TUCND are aiming for is an
to do in campaigning for the peace
soon be taking out of service as they
strategies produced by all the warship costs, including the salary for a worker.
seven years. The British shipowner or- increase in the number of branches af-
dividend and for Arms Conversion.
reduce the overall scale of their
The strain on CND’s finances is such
building companies. In some cases
ganisation ’British Shipping’ believe filiated to CND so that the income
With help from the trade union move-
defence posture. About 30% of the
that they felt it necessary to reduce the
their response has been so short
from the affiliation fees overall will be
that 80% of all the ships in the British ment of the order of that already
military equipment manufactured in
sighted as to warrant a white stick worker to half time and reduce the
merchant fleet will need to be replaced sufficient to keep our organisation 11.11‘!- received we will be able to continue
Britain was for export and this would money allocated in grant for the run-
(with no disrespect intended to the
ning. A number of trade unions have
in the next ten years. According to the
carrying out this campaign work.
include a sizeable portion of naval ning costs. Unfortunately the situation
blind). VSEL, have analyzed their
Financial Times (Feb 27th) one large agreed to write to their branches ur-
equipment. 75% of that figure went to
continued to deteriorate further and
failure to gain orders to build the Type
ging them to consider affiliating to ‘
Japanese shipowner recently ordered
the Third World which have the type
one option which was considered was
23 destroyers as being the result of
two ships from a non-Japanese yard,
of customer interested in second hand to reduce the funding further and l
their failure to bring down costs. While
the first time they have done so since
vessels as an alternative to ordering make the worker redundant - in effect
this is true at one level they appear to
the second world war. They did this be-
new ones.
closing TUCND down. What was even-
believe this is the fault of their
cause the Japanese yards had told
F‘
tually decided was that money paid to
workforce’s inflexibility. That order al-
Also, what is required of the navies them they wouldn’t be able to handle
CND as affiliation fees from unions
ways was going to go to either Swans
of the developed world is changing the order for two or three years, their
paid to CND should be allocated to
or Yarrows for a host of reasons but
with the reduced East - West tension. order hooks were so full. The table
TUCND, together with donations
VSEL were adamant that they were in
This reduction in tension means that shows how shipbuilding orders were
from unions.
the running for the order. Boiler
there is an overcapacity within those distributed last year. lt also shows how
makers born in Barrow are no dif-
countries which took a leading part in big the potential market is for mer- A special appeal was made a little
ferent from those raised on the banks
the cold war, such as the USA. chant vessels. while ago which resulted in a large
of the Tyne and their wage levels are
number of donations to TUCND, par-
Britain itself will be cutting back not significantly different. What
ticularly from branches of USDAW
dramatically on warship production, VSEL’s management appear to have
and from MSF. This, together with
partly as a result of reduced defence missed as they fumble their way to the
money from affiliations and a small
budgets but also because the Trident boardroom is that one of the other vari-
Margery Thompson, chair of CND, speaking at TUCND’s AGM last year
A