from Alan Rooney
Backing Britain There are more than 7 000 workers on the dole in the Hull area alone. The highest unemployment figures since before the war. Those office girls in London would have a hard time explaining to the lads who can't got a job at all what the 'I'm Backing Britain' ciinpaign is 211 about... but if you live, work or draw the dole in Hull you pay for boing British in three ways:- 1) Wages in the area are among the very lowest in the country. 2) Because unemployment has alw2ys been above the national average. 3) This means the bosses always find it easier to pay low wage rates, as in the engineering trades. And when you get thrown out of work you suffer again, through the wage stop. The wage stop means benefits stopped at the minimum wages of the district. An™ you can't keep a family on that! The roblem isn't that benefits are too high in Hull - it's that wages are too low. The Ministry of Social Security says in its handout 'That it would be "unfair" to give unemployed men sufficient to live on' since simil.r help cannot be given to the lower paid workers. Don't be fooled ...... that argument helps to keep wage rates down. So refuse to take any job at less than trade union rates. It_ doesn't stop there Since 1951 the number of jobs in Hull has increased by 31 872 - 18 761 for women and 12 111 for men. There are always adverts for women workers at rates of pay at 4s per hour and less. The womerfolk are being driven out to work at cheap labour rates because they can't live on the low wages or the dole money that the men can bring home. If you are out of a job and your wife goes out for next to nothing - as a family you are worse off: Hqual pay for women - StopttHe double exploitation This means trade union action Unemployed workers, get organised. If you are unemployed help yourself by join’ng or helping the Unemployed Workers Committee. What is it? A group of responsible leds who «ire willing to tuke up cases of delayed benefits, earnings related or other supplements or offer advice on these or other matters relating to unemployment. They have already taken up literally dozens of such cases and won them. But there must be scores of cases which they don't know about. If youv'e got a problem take it to the Committee. Where is it? Every Thursday and Friday: 12 noon to 1.30 p.m. Blue Bell Inn, Lowgate (round the corner from the Exchange) and every Thursday evening from 7 pm. at the same address. What else, First, the unemployment situation here is the worst since
* leaflet issued by: Hull Unemployed Workers' Committee, 6 Hardune, Orchard Park Estate, Hull. Telephone 41045.
1939 and not enough people are aware of the fact. Second, we have to put the
blame for this where it belongs - and it belongs with the Government and
the employers - they put the pound before the people - we pay for their
balance of payments problems. The unemployed are the front line victims of
a deliberate policy - that also includes wage freeze (look at the Busmen) ,
price rises (look in any retail shop) and increasing rents from interest
rates.
Here: 1 000 sacked by Hawker Siddley; 300 more due for the hammer from
American owned Imperial Typewriters; and hundreds of buildingworkers laid
off in the area this winter. Harold Wilson said it would be ‘a long hard
winter'. He wants to join the dole queue and try it!
What you can do: 1) Know your rights at the Labour Exchange and demand them;
2) Join the Committee and help the fight and the publicity - there is more
than enough to do - help yourself by helping them; 3) Go to your Union branch
and raise hell about unemployment; 4) Get hold of your local councillor and
demand some action on unemployment; 5) Tickle your MP. They want votes -
we want work; 6) Involve your friends who are working - make sure they know
what is ha,pening to 6 000 families here; 7) Advertise and come to the public
meeting on 16 Februmry. (see elsewhere in this issue fer details)