JOBS THREAT AT STEELWORKS

Seven hundred and fifty clerical workers at Ebbw Vale steelwork 5, South Wales, start th leir fortnight's annual holiday today. They are due back on August 6- but the works may not reopen.

The works produce 20,000 tons of ingot steel a week, 60 per cent of which is used for_tinplate production.

At 10,000 tons a week its tinplate production accounts for a third of Britain's total Unless the British Steel Corporation (BSC) management makes the white-collar workers an acceptable offer they are threatening to strike from August 6, The country's largest tinplate users like the Metal Box Company which employs 40,000 people claims it will not be affected immediately if the strike goes ahead because it has built up stocks.

BOOKS This is likely to prove optimistic. The rub is that production of two-thirds of Britain's tinplate has already been stopped for three weeks:

STRIKE ACTION About 1,300 men have been out since the beginning of July at three works at Trostre, Llanelli and Swansea and four smaller plants in West Wales.

Two of Ebbw Vale's three branches of the Association of Clerical, Technical and Supervisory Staff section of the Transport and General Workers' Union last week voted for strike action unless management met their pay claim in full.

The secretary of the largest branch, Mr Roy Beynon, said: "We have been negotiating in good faith with the steel corporation since the middle of May, but we have been getting nowhere.

We have already had to negotiate with the BSC through a conciliator as though we were already on strike. It Moscow Trials Anth:

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Death Agony of Capitalism seems as though they are more prepared to talk to strikers han to men who are working.

Members of the branch vhich voted against strike iction will face pickets if they ittempt to go to work on August 6.

Six of the union's seven ›ranches in South Wales have 1ow voted to strike. The eventh will vote on August 7.

Almost 4,100 men have seen laid off at plants already in strike and if the Ebbw /ale management makes no tew offer, a further 9,000 will se laid off there almost at ince.

The laid-off steelmen are olidly behind the clerical vorkers. The white-collar nen's claim was settled in heir favour when it went to rbitration, but BSC refused to bide by the decision.

The manual workers are vorried about how BSC might. reat them in similar circumtances.

The labour force in the louth Wales tinplate as been rationalized practic28 Charlotte St ally out of existence since BSC took over in 1946, Now the relatively poorlypaid white-collar workers are in a militant mood. BSC gave them £1.60 last May - less than half what the workers are, demanding. its heels on the pay claim. BSC would like to dig Despite modernization and labour cut-backs at all South Wales tinplate and steelworks, pressure on profit margins is remorseless.

At the purpose-built Llanwern steelworks, near Newport, Monmouthshire, an article in the Llanwern Group News accuses workers of putting markets in peril because of their 'complacency'. In other words they should work harder.

MILITANCY But South Wales workers are in no mood for sentiments like these. They are riding the crest of a wave of militancy as it becomes clear that only a fight will stop high-handed IOTKS US-style managements riding roughshod over them, will halt closures and will persuade employers to grant pay offers more in line with rises in the cost of living.

Two thousand workers have been on strike for almost a fortnight at Esso's Milford Haven refinery over the sacking of 37 men.

Two hundred building workers at the new vehiclelicensing centre at Morriston, Swansea, struck last week after five labourers tried to break their overtime ban.

Up to 700 building workers are on strike this week in support of the nationwide pay action.

And 450 clothing workers at the Swansea factory of John Stanton Ltd downed tools immediately last week after rumours of staff cuts.

Union representatives have taken the matter up, but fceling is so strong that the works could stop again at any time.

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