The Newspaper of Imperial College Union
Founded in 1949
NO NONSENSE NORMAN! Tebbit Defends Government Employment Policy An ugly crowd of over 15 demonstrators gathered in front of Mech Eng yesterday lunchtime as Norman Tebbit, the Secretary of State for Employment, arrived to lecture the Conservative and Industrial Societies. They were cautioned by Professor P. Grootenhuis, President of the Conservative Society, that Mr Tebbit was a guest at the College and said that he didn't want any "throwing and nonsense". M r T e b b i t a r r i v e d 2 0 m i n u t e s late a n d addressed a c r o w d of over 200 people i n M e c h E n g 220. H e briefly o u t l i n e d some of the m a j o r objectives of the c o n s e r v a t i v e g o v e r n m e n t i n the fields of i n d u s t r y a n d e m p l o y m e n t . T h e ' u g l y statistic' o f 3 m i l l i o n u n e m p l o y e d was, he s a i d , almost i n e v i t a b l e i n the face o f w o r l d recession a n d he c l a i m e d that a n increase i n p r o d u c t i v i t y together w i t h the l i m i t i n g of i n f l a t i o n to just over 10% s h o u l d be set against the increase i n u n e m p l o y m e n t . A t this p o i n t f o u r d e m o n s t r a t o r s w h e e l e d t h e i r bicycles i n t o the lecture theatre a n d M r T e b b i t q u i p p e d that he d i d n ' t u n d e r e s t i m a t e the m o b i l i t y of l a b o u r . H e c o n t i n u e d w i t h a n e x p l a n a t i o n of the Y o u t h O p p o r t u n i t y S c h e m e ( Y O P S ) a n d o u t l i n e d his reasons for p r o p o s i n g the Y o u t h T r a i n i n g S c h e m e ( Y T S ) w h i c h w i l l take effect i n S e p t e m b e r 1983. M r T e b b i t c o n s i d e r e d that this scheme w o u l d p r o v i d e g o o d t r a i n i n g lor school leavers a n d w o u l d g u a r a n t e e H i a n d 17 y e a r olds a year's employment. A f t e r 15 m i n u t e s he stopped t a l k i n g a n d i n v i t e d questions f r o m the lloor. A v a r i e d a n d often heated q u e s t i o n session f o l l o w e d in w h i c h M r T e b b i t answered points r a n g i n g f r o m his views o n the s i m i l a r i t y of the c o n s e r v a t i v e g o v e r n m e n t a n d the A r g e n t i n i a n J u n t a , to the m o b i l i t y o f l a b o u r a n d the proposed Y o u t h T r a i n i n g S c h e m e . In answer to a q u e s t i o n o n the g o v e r n m e n t s E m p l o y m e n t B i l l he briefly o u t l i n e d the m a i n points. H e said the b i l l was a i m e d to l i m i t the powers of the t r a d e u n i o n s , especially w i t h reference to the closed shop p o l i t i c a l strikes (as o p p o s e d to i n d u s t r i a l ) a n d u n i o n o n l y ' l a b o u r contracts. P e o p l e w o u l d be offered a greater p r o t e c t i o n , i n c l u d i n g those sacked due to refusal to join a closed shop. T h e r e was a m i x e d response f r o m the a u d i e n c e to these answers a n d several points were m a d e before M r T e b b i t h a d to leave. A vote of thanks was p r o p o s e d by I C I n d u s t r i a l Society C h a i r m a n . M r C h r i s Wilshaw.
N o r m a n Tebbit: a wolf in sheep's c l o t h i n g ? I'llf Secretary ol State for Kmplov nient as seen by cartoonist Steve Bell.
Union Banks on
The task of putting the Union back on a sound financial basis has been thrust upon Miss Christine Teller, following the resignation of Mr Barney McCabe as Deputy President. M i s s T e l l e r w h o is c u r r e n t l y S C A B C h a i r m a n was a p p o i n t e d as a c t i n g D e p u t y Pr es ident at a n e m e r g e n c y E x e c u t i v e m e e t i n g at the e n d of the s p r i n g t e r m . I n a report to the I n t e r n a l Services C o m m i t t e e , M i s s T e l l e r s a i d the S o u t h s i d e S h o p was a c k i n g in o r g a n i s a t i o n a n d i n need of a m a j o r a d v e r t i s i n g c a m p a i g n . T h e report is c r i t i c a l of the s e l l i n g of r e g a l i a between v a r i o u s U n i o n bodies a n d i n efficient r e - o r d e r i n g . A n o t h e r of the D e p u t y P r e s i dent's jobs is to r u n the v e n d i n g account a n d d u r i n g the Easte r break four new games m a c h i n e s were i n s t a l l e d i n the L o w e r L o u n g e . T h e m a c h i n e s are f r o m the A n g l o - A m e r i c a n company
Bugs Money T H E P R O P O S E D new biot e c h n o l o g y c o m p a n y r e p o r t e d on M a r c h 19 ( F E L I X 610) has n o w been f o r m e d . I C have i n i t i a t e d a joint venture with T D C Developments L t d , a subsidy of the ' F i n a n c e for I n d u s t r y ' g r o u p ; the new c o m p a n y w i l l trade u n d e r the n a m e ' I m p e r i a l B i o t e c h n o l o g y L t d ' . T D C have p r o v i d e d i n i t i a l c a p i t a l of ÂŁ400,000, g i v i n g e q u a l share o w n e r s h i p to the C o l l e g e . be
No. 612
Teller
The M a n a g i n g Director will D r T r e v o r L a n g l e y , former
Friday. April 30,1982
a n d replace the previous ones from G K N S a n k e y . T h e Pr es ident w i l l ask next Tuesday's U n i o n General M e e t i n g to e n d o r s e M i s s T e l l e r ' s appointment.
M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r ol W h a t m a n Biochemicals L t d . M r Geoff B a n k s , w h o has been in o v e r a l l charge of the f e r m e n t a t i o n plant for the last ten years, w i l l n o w be D i r e c t o r of O p e r a t i o n s , r e s ponsible for a l l o c a t i o n of time between i n d u s t r i a l p r o d u c t i o n , research a n d t e a c h i n g . T h e p l a n t is s h o r t l y to be expanded and will provide a service to c o m p a n i e s in the ever e x p a n d i n g biotechnology industry w h o h a v e no f a c i l i t i e s themselves for R & D a n d i n d u s t r i a l s c a l e - u p , a n d are interested o n l y i n full-scale p r o d u c t i o n of a t r i e d a n d tested p r o d u c t . L o r d F ' l o w e r s is d e l i g h t e d . Does he have shares?
Free!