Workers Press no. 1007

workers press

A POLICY TO

MEET THE CRISIS

Rally against Tories, Empire Pool, Wembley, March 11

EDITORIAL BO

THE TORY government is rel frontation with the working workers are forced to becom defend their standard of living cost of living. will be held in London to decid The congress will assemble indignation not seen since th strike and work to rule, civi drawal of co-operation, hospita To make the Tory govern- ment resign would be a great educational experience, poli- tically speaking, for the work- ing class. But it would only be a step. From that point onwards there would have to be a mas- sive campaign to mobilize electorally the working class and the progressive elements in the middle class to elect a Labour government pledged to socialist policies. We say pledged to socialist policies' knowing that the pre- sent leaders of the Labour move- ment have no intention of intro- ducing such policies. Indeed, in the last analysis some of them will be prepared to join a coali- tion government with the Tories to head off the working class.

But if the working class is kir strong enough to force the Tories out, it is strong enough to deal with the traitors in its own midst. This can only be achieved by exposing them in the fight for an alternative socialist policy.

The Central Committee of the Socialist Labour League calls upon the working class to sup- port the following policies to unite the working class against the Tories and the present Wilson-Feather leadership of the labour movement: 1) A Labour government must immediately repeal the Indus- trial Relations Act, Housing Finance Act, Immigration Acts, Fair Trading Act and all wage control. After the repeal of all Tory anti-working class mea- sures, there must be legislation to implement the Charter of Basic Rights, along the follow- ing lines.

EDITORIAL BOARD STATEMENT

THE TORY government is relentlessly pursuing its plan for a con- frontation with the working class. Each day new sections of workers are forced to become criminals — under Tory law - to defend their standard of living against government-inspired soaring In one week's time, on March 5, the special congress of the TUC will be held in London to decide how to meet the Tory onslaught.

The congress will assemble against a background of industrial General Strike: gasworkers strike and work to rule, civil servants' overtime ban drawal of co-operation, hospital ancillary workers' selective strikes 2) The right to work! Capital- ism demands mass unemploy- ment. The right to a job must This only be guaranteca Cal done by breaking the grip be of capitalist ownership on the Employed and economy. un- employed must unite to insist on a Labour government na- tionalizing the main industries workers' and DanKs. control and without compen- sation. The struggle must begin now. No closures, no sackings, must be the policy of the trade Occupation fac- umons tories threatened with closure, of the fight to bring as part Tories, down the The democratic right to strike and to organize in trade Only unions. the organized working class can lead man- of the kind out Every crisis. right and every gain won by the working class, democratic right in Bri-

CYCLY

tain, been won because has organized strength of the the and the strike

UMORS

weapon. A Labour government must immediately repeal the Indus- This fight trial Relations Act. must begin now by forcing the TUC to break off all relations the and with government mobilize me working class to destroy state control of wages.

4) The right to defend rights won in the past and change All the changes in the system. the legal made by •proccaures Tory be re- government must pealed. All secret police and MI5 organizations must be dis- banded and fully exposed. The Tory adminis- ot the tration in this sphere must be SLETTER • MONDAY FEBRUARY 26, 1973 • No. 1007 • 4p

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

and overtime ban, London teachers' rolling

MENT

to train services by railwaymen and, in all strike by Ford workers. plan for a con- Large sections of these workers openly acl ew sections of answer to their fight to maintain a decent Tory law — to General Strike. That is, the creation of the inspired soaring conditions which will force the government t ress of the TUC We are convinced that if the TUC were to ry onslaught. demand, then a unity in action against the c forged on a scale never before known in hist id of industrial ke: gasworkers' For this reason the All Trades Unions A mass lobby of the Congress at Central H ban and with- selective strikes Monday morning. ment must take immediate and published. All rights to assem- bly, free speech and the Press absolute responsibility for these victims of the capitalist must be guaranteed. system. 5) The right to a higher stan- It is 7) The right to decent housing.

dard of living. not the living standards of trade Decent housing is not a luxury; it is a necessity. People have unionists, but the profit sys- basic which causes the crisis. the right to decent tem, The first step must be to ex- accommodation at rents they of propriate all the great fortunes afford. Nationalization can of the the handful of building mono- rich, close down the Stock Exchange, place a state polies and building societies will provide the basis for control over all movements of of capital in and of the massive new out programme house building. The disgraceful country. problem of the homeless Nationalization of the basic in industries and of all large com- the cities must be immediately building and in- solved by and taking- panies, banks, census surance societies will provide over of all unoccupied pro- the resources for a unified perty. the living plan to improve 8) The international respon- standards of the whole people.

sibilities of the working class. Workers' control of these, as The working class is interna- well as the present national- tional. We fight for the un- ized industries, will run them restricted right of any worker in the interests of the workers of any nationality to move and consumers. freely through the world.

the fight must begin Again, the troops from Withdraw State control of now. wages Unite the Irish and Ireland. must be answered by the most British working class to throw widespread fight for wage in- out the Lynch and Heath gov- creases to meet price rises ernments. and improve standards. This Unite in the struggle for the means a fight to remove the United States Socialist Tory and change government Europe, the only alternative to the union leadership. Common Market plans for the 6) The right to health and wel- dictatorship. fare benefits. Every Tory gov- Withdraw all- British troops ernment cut in welfare bene- from abroad and disband the fits, in the health service and present standing army. all in public spending must Sign treaties with all ex- be revoked. On the basis of colonial for countries pro- nationalization, crash a pro- equal trade and grammes of of of ser- gramme expansion mutual assistance. vices to the unemployed, the Break NATO and all low-paid, the sick and the aged from imperialist alliances. must undertaken an as For the carrying out of such absolute priority. The working class and Labour govern- policies the SLL fights for the the rolling strike action, disruption 1, in all probability, an all-out enly acknowledge that the only decent standard of living is a I of the industrial and political nment to resign. were to make a General Strike st the common enemy could be 1 in history. nions Alliance has called for a ntral Halls, Westminster, next setting up of Councils of Action to lead the struggle against the Tory government in every area. These Councils unite trade unionists, tenants, unemployed, all political par- ties and tendencies of the working class (Labour Party, Communist Party, SLL, IS, IMG, etc.) to fight against the main enemy, the Tory govern- ment. The SLL calls upon every socialist and class-conscious worker to consider this pro- gramme and manifesto very carefully, and to decide now to their inescapable re- take up sponsibilities. The building of the revolutionary party is the burning question now, not in some remote future. The SLL is determined to carry through its transformation into a re- volutionary party. We say that Heath's ultimatum to the working class can and must be answered around this policy. • Make the Tories resign.

• Expose the Labour leaders who betray the fight for so- cialism. • This exposure will open the way for the building of a revo- lutionary leadership around a revolutionary programme to take the working class forward to power. We urge you to join the SLL. Come to the Empire Pool, Wembley, on Sunday, March 11, to see our pageant of working-class history, "The Road to Workers' Power' Help us transform the SLI into a revolutionary party.

workers press

A POLICY TO

MEET THE CRISIS

Rally against Tories, Empire Pool, Wembley, March 11

EDITORIAL BO

THE TORY government is rel frontation with the working workers are forced to becom defend their standard of living cost of living. In one week's time, on Marc will be held in London to decid The congress will assemble indignation not seen since th strike and work to rule, civil drawal of co-operation, hospita To make the Tory govern- ment resign would be a great educational experience, poli- tically speaking, for the work- ing class. But it would only be a step. From that point onwards there would have to be a mas- sive campaign to mobilize electorally the working class and the progressive elements in the middle class to elect a Labour government pledged to socialist policies. say pledged to socialist We policies knowing that the pre- sent leaders of the Labour move- ment have no intention of intro- ducing such policies. Indeed, in the last analysis some of them will be prepared to join a coali- tion government with the Tories to head off the working class.

is kir But if the working class strong enough to force the Tories out, it is strong enough to deal traitors in its the own midst. This can only be achieved by exposing them in the fight for an alternative socialist policy.

The Central Committee of the Socialist Labour League calls upon the working class to sup- port the following policies to unite the working class against the Tories and present Wilson-Feather leadership of the labour movement: 1) A Labour government must immediately repeal the Indus- trial Relations Act, Housing Finance Act, Immigration Acts, Fair Trading Act and all wage control. After the repeal of all Tory anti-working class mea- sures, there must be legislation to implement the Charter of Basic Rights, along the follow- ing lines.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • MONDAY FEBF

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

- BOARD STATEMENT

nt is relentlessly pursuing its plan for a con- vorking class. Fach day new sections of become criminals - under Tory law - to f living against government-inspired soaring n March 5, the special congress of the TUC to decide how to meet the Tory onslaught.

semble against a background of industrial ince the 1926 General Strike: gasworkers' le, civil servants' overtime ban and with- hospital ancillary workers' selective strikes 2) The right to work! Capital- published. All right. ism demands mass unemploy- bly, free speech an ment. The right to a job must must be guarantee be guaranteed. This can only 5) The right to a l be done by breaking the grip dard of living, of capitalist ownership on the living and standards economy. Employed un- employed must unite to insist unionists, but the tem, which causes Labour government na- on a The first step must tionalizing the main industries workers' propriate all the gre and banks, under of the rich, close control and without compen- Stock Exchange, pl sation. control over all mo The struggle must begin capital now. No closures, no sackings, in and o must be the policy of the trade country. Nationalization o unions. Occupation of fac- industries and of all tories threatened with closure, as part of the fight to bring panies, banks, build down the Tories. surance societies n the resources 3) The democratic right to strike and to organize in trade plan to improve standards of the wl unions. Only the organized Workers' control o working class can lead man- the presen kind out of the historical well as ized industries, wil crisis. Every right and every in the interests of 1 gain won by the working class, and consumers. every democratic right in Bri- Again, the fight tain, has been won because of the organized strength of now. State control must be answered t unions and the strike the widespread fight fo weapon. creases to meet A Labour government must and improve stan immediately repeal the Indus- means a fight to trial Relations Act. This fight Tory government must begin now by forcing the the union leadershi TUC to break off all relations 6) The right to heal the government and with mobilize the working class to fare benefits. Every destroy state control of wages.

ernment cut in we fits, in the health 4) The right to defend rights in all public sper won in the past and change be revoked. On tl changes in the system. All the nationalization, a legal procedures made by the gramme of Tory government must be re- pealed. All secret police vices to the unem and MI5 organizations must be dis- low-paid, the sick a banded and fully exposed. The must be absolute priority. T secrets of the Tory adminis- class and the Labo tration in this sphere must be DAY FEBRUARY 26, 1973 • No. 1007 • 4p

MITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

and overtime ban, London teachers' rolling s to train services by railwaymen and, in all strike by Ford workers. Large sections of these workers openly acl answer to their fight to maintain a decent General Strike. That is, the creation of the conditions which will force the government t We are convinced that if the TUC were to demand, then a unity in action against the c forged on a scale never before known in hist For this reason the All Trades Unions A mass lobby of the Congress at Central H Monday morning. ment must take immediate and All rights to assem- absolute responsibility peech and the Press for these victims of the capitalist uaranteed. system. ht to a higher stan- It is 7) The right to decent housing.

not the Decent housing is not a luxury; of trade it is a necessity. People have but the profit sys- the basic decent h causes the crisis. right to step must be to ex- accommodation at rents they ill the great fortunes can afford. Nationalization of the handful of building mono- h, close down the hange, place a state polies and building societies will provide the basis for a er all movements of out of the programme of new massive house building. The disgraceful lization of the basic problem of the homeless in and of all large com- the cities must be immediately building and in- solved by census and taking- over of all unoccupied pro- cieties will provide for a unified perty. the living 8) The international respon- of the whole people. working class. sibilities of the control of these, as The working class is interna- le present national- tional. We fight for the un- tries, will run them restricted right of any worker rests of the workers nationality to of any move freely through the world.

he fight must begin Withdraw the troops from e control of wages Ireland. Unite the Irish and nswered by the most British working class to throw 1 fight for wage in- out the Lynch and Heath gov- price meet rises ernments. standards. This Unite in the struggle for the ight to remove the Socialist United States rnment and change Europe, the only alternative to leadership. the Common Market plans for ht to health and wel- dictatorship. its. Every Tory gov- Withdraw all British troops ut in welfare bene- from abroad and disband the e health service and present standing army. blic spending must Sign treaties all ex- d. On the basis of with for colonial countries tion, a crash pro- pro- grammes of equal trade and f expansion of ser- he unemployed, the mutual assistance Break from NATO and all the sick and the aged imperialist alliances. undertaken as an For the carrying out of such riority. The working the Labour govern- policies the SLL fights for the rolling strike action, disruption 1, in all probability, an all-out enly acknowledge that the only decent standard of living is a of the industrial and political nment to resign. were to make a General Strike st the common enemy could be a in history. nions Alliance has called for a ntral Halls, Westminster, next setting up of Councils of Action to lead the struggle against the Tory • government in every area. These Councils unite trade unionists, tenants, unemployed, all political par- ties and tendencies of the working class (Labour_ Party, Communist Party, SLL, IS, IMG, etc.) to fight against the enemy, the Tory govern- main ment. The SLL calls upon every socialist and class-conscious worker to consider this pro- gramme and manifesto very carefully, and to decide now to their inescapable re- take up sponsibilities. The building of the revolutionary party is the burning question now, not in some remote future. The SLL is determined to carry through its transformation into a re- volutionary party. We say that Heath's ultimatum to the working class can and must be answered around this policy. • Make the Tories resign.

• Expose the Labour leaders who betray the fight for so- cialism. • This exposure will open the way for the building of a revo- lutionary leadership around revolutionary programme to take the working class forward to power. We urge you to join the SLL. Come to the Empire Pool, Wembley, on Sunday, March 11, to see our pageant of working-class history, 'The Road to Workers' Power'. Help us transform the SLI into a revolutionary party.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Monday Fabruary 26, 1973 Zionists are murderers, say Jewish marchers that oil supplies to the big mono- THE barbaric crime of poles of the Us can be assured the Israeli government in Central Intelli- by the Alacd and provided with Agency shooting down a Libyan SCull the VaST Sulans the Sinai Israelis are being encouraged to airliner blood gauntlet blooded decision to shoot down for the purpose of to the us nnance duswer against radle tast,, policing the Arab revolution and hrown down bv the Zionist desert, killing 106 pas- the alriiner. destroying its best militants President throughout the Middle Anwar Sadat wal' Ihis was not an acciaent com• sengers and crew is caus- Egypt, for example, spoke angrily uculariy In SLesAG in the heat of battle by a permanent cancer in the Middl More sinister still ina tibes ide ing revulsion even among but pre- 2nоlT Tne sTael beleaguered ahead just the same with Israel created by -by cowaruly assassillalıulis meditateo massacre or ocicuccicos W ad long - standing his envoy's to the Wol te suppor- the Pales- mission leading recanan

ACEVSS.

by air force wnlci

WNCS

arove Parin wael Zmaiter in mome and Mahmoud Hamchari crushing superiority thanks tinian people from ters of Zionism. thell ronnes mouse. ao boboscu to US assistance. and imposed on those the start oi a new peace Ininauve.

In words, ouser

LVOLUS.

Lcoanull, In London at the weekend As Shimon the Peres. Israe l manca tac slalus is a wid spoute of the real duced to appealing Minister, made a number of lews took part Transport muen

OWE

tomcana while the Egyp carried ac tne enter ane us areneies, alongside Arabs and their sup- Snoouna Wa. tian latest Israeli roused is a vivid exposure of the to tury 'after careful concer „ev- demonstrations de- character of Zionism. borterS latest Air Forme dethenin braso forhe panles éne „vco By shattering illusions of denouncing the atrocity, the determined force manding war with the occupiers Tne expono• branding the Zionist chiefs as it the Arabs. In ll manly DrO-Llulls s unity The airliner way to „ Tne ATab the hilt that atrocity comes dl Iul ucicis. confirms

COWI

the lewish workers the Middle to there peace The boeme a une ol alcal Hallscl It is clear that General Moshe destroy Callul East, which alone Arab revolton. imperalsu wall Dayan and his fellow militarists grip ol imperialism and its end Tne have overstepped the and its agencies ism Temenn in le AVIV opposition in the Middle East so agents. Israel's existence, guaranteed by mark with me oura ana cold-

REVISIONISTS CREEP CLOSER

TO THE STALINISTS

visionist sauggls cinisned and ther see and Stalinist AS THE political and economic crisis todaus grows steadily worse, and the work- What we think the most ing class thrust 1S with the Tory gov- decisive clashes menl the utter political Dank- ment, so ruptcy of all the revisionist groups consciously avoids the becomes ever more nakedly exposed.

around revolutionary queston or whal in struggle ycals aiu. vould follow fron such a strike. They programme WniCn O DiC- serouc manous. cre in which they have used call for the re. After years mented by the revolutionary party).

avoid any lenoeraler some or ue 'Trotskyist' phrases as a cover for their oi tne present IS placenichie of bitter opposition Jt is against such a polcy that the Labour government committed esserce with class. Trotskyism- of a re- Ara te dreat of the wokn dass a snal de rer mame diy ahe woetn tend.

to socialist policies. lead the working leads the line of the the class class Stalinist 'Morning Star'. But it is on the present crisis impels them inexorably the hands of capitalism, we saw sC of the group's paper that inside pages gestorces. to the right, towards the Stalinist and tragically with the POUM in Spain in this ex- is unashamediy 1930s _ conr re soca «enonc •reacac

LAC

posed an abject stooge 101 The latest example comes in the current Stalinism. C ectora

SLUS

Owares. alons of the capitalist' paper, 'state spread headed 'Pay IssuC In centre-page comptete . Worker'. This the Daper language of the Liaison PocalsE Paul Smith assesses Copieons the International Socialists group crucest

TORS

COT

svacalsn Lne

IVIU

breSCILs which deserted Trotskyism in Britain of the con- analyses in 1950 the false and anti-com- Committee Will which the Liaisor munist 'theory' that capitalism has been o reauc aev arast ce Trade Unions have restored in the Soviet Union and the can be to tereno 1917 revolution defeated.

Donsibility tails on the In an editoral statement otresenl Committee is the crisis, an and half-hearted stace •allus s arc combined call for a General Como e er cttccs wild tne absence o aia lede Lne bourenies DCrAICOUS working class on what must follow such SUCu trenci. a General Strike. Ther

TOUCHC

neonce But it is this question which is Walch decisive for the whole of Socialist labour the .TiTISo The (Learue The break- working-class movement. proves that tidydis. of the rasmen's talks

COWI

the Tories are heading in the direction of BiLlaus. Thé neai on with the an renegades from nese issue Party conference and workIng cLass. ical Labour WIL cu longer whether a General Strike Will take place, but under whose leader- ainselr bower ship and with what results.

say, 1s a Everything, as Trotkyism has insisted and ToaT Loe fought for throughout its history, turns But question revolutionary centrists, has been to unite leadership. dralalst Ctne the Ai S are intensel ne cred l tèn coe middle-class, centrist eTOlo the inside, alen- Such particular, unions. When scoucuces leader Nanogre ic

SNUSE

sporme last week teling the TUC that rict-wind nlders oralnico a conscious attempt io waged inside body within spoke working class either capitulate must they The labour pultumily that he Lomany ano it is clear overdue accounts with the trade union tne government trade union must terrified not only the lefts and Stalin- is possible to show. Similar conterences made to fight or out ists, but also the revisionists. who way for those WIll Joe Gormley, right-wing leader of the siita pro• rein enera. colla- Ul m. choice miners. Spears waves boration with the Tories or a class, because the essen- Strike, deliberately choosing two ex- ot the rank and fle luln luc surureie attention from the Llal oelween mullanls did Tremes To olven the broad masses. necessity to build on the present foun which and In means dations, IS betrayals of "Third forces only repeat Lighting the government! sezonnos victory uuc piscit rentiemen are dosolute y aereed Period' which 1929 Stalinism. after * is tenti on: As a hotorous right-wingrr "social-fascists', and prepared the a notorious right-winger attention. At the The real point wav lor mie unOSt his intenuons dre clear. the working is that it is the revisionists who 1.700 attended the November are Hitler fascism. and in the most seeking desperately, attention' But the state alone in cowardlv manner. to divert from the real implications of the pre-

WICO

LIOVUON

Nau sullocu

LOGOT

mem oers Standing shoul- sent crisis. Tne Lialson der shoulder them the they would care to tell us that Perhaps Group. This that the sell at higher either capi- ulc laloldi ON CeS The alternanves «re: descendant group the Which A WA conterence. ne e ln

BITM-

tulation and the loss working- reneged on class the mobilization of the rights or longer grounds that was no defeat this ol tne populaton,

WORK NR

crass guveil" ment and replace it with a Labou. transformed revolutionary the Labour pledged socialist government leaders Ot course. DolIcies is clear from stewards' did send methods and the practice the zve no níenn on crvd vd dod py đ. But to demand and fight that organ the Firsi covernment ree lno auring WalCh renetts. une •oc ausı absolutely of the

IMG.

World War. The government survived Labour League has the great task of necessary they syndicalist transforming itself into a revolutionary the they because the policy the state carry precisely order Doll expose Isls, reformists and centrists, while at the front-page neacne umitadons or rde shoo stewaros exer Dartv redol WOrkte cass time uniting the working class ship, limitations within which every re-

DOWCI

salic

E THREE YEARS JAIL

Two items from recent issues of the 'Morning Star make interesting reading for those follow- ing the ebb and flow of relations between the Wilson leadership of the Labour Party and the Gollan leadership of the Communist Party. Morning Star, January 5, 1973.

Dundee: Why Communists won't contest The Communist Party will not be contesting the Dundee East parliamentary by-election, which is expected to take place next month. early In a Press statement issued yesterday, the Scottish Com- mittee of the Communist Party said: 'In consultation with our prospective candidate, Mr Jack Ashton, and the Dundee con- stituency committee, we have reviewed the position in the by-election. 'Giving consideration to all circumstances, including that selection of the Labour the candidate was the result of the unity of the left forces; the number of candidates now ex- pected to contest; and the need decisively to defeat the Tory candidate, we have decided to our candidate. withdraw This decision is taken not only to facilitate the defeat of the Tory candidate, but to contribute to a united cam- paign to secure the downfall of the Tory government. With the withdrawal of our candidate we now call on all our members and all the left progressive forces in Dundee, to unite in mobilizing every support to win the election of George Machin, the Labour candidate? Morning Star, February 13, 1973. Labour to lift Friendship Societies ban? by Peter Zinkin A major step toward lifting bans on friendship societies with socialist countries was taken by the Labour Party executive's Organization Com- mittee yesterday. Supporting the move, Mr Hayward, general Ron sec- retary, said the proscription becoming obsolete and was ridiculous. Mr Reg Underhill, national agent, was instructed to write to each of the societies for information about the present position, partly to ensure that all on the proscribed list were still in existence. The moral of the two stories is simple: You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

AN INTEREST IN

EMPLOYMENT

AGENCIES

A Tory MP has won a second reading for his Employment Agencies Bill. He told the House of Commons last week the Bill was necessary 'for the protection of the public' Mr Kenneth Lewis, the Tory member of Rutland and Stam- ford, said that if his legislation passed, it would was ensure that employment agencies were 'properly conducted'. He suggested a registration fee of £100 and a further £50 licence fee every year and penalties for breaches of re- gulations ranging from £100 and £400.. Students at the New University of Ulster in Coleraine, County Lon- donderry, have launched a campaign to secure the release of one of their colleagues who has been jailed for three years. Peter Cosgrove, a second- year student, was jailed under the Special Powers Act. The savagery of the sen- tence—in the worst prisons in the British Isles-has had a sobering effect on the student body. Roger Curry, the Students' Council president, has com- piled a memorandum on Cos- grove's arrest and imprison- In it he calls for a ment. campaign 'by all people who value justice. He concludes his appeal by saying: 'I would ask you to do everything in your power and to use your good offices to lobby support not only for this specific case but against such legislation.' His appeal raises not the slightest mention of the nature of Tory rule in Northern Ire- land. Where does Curry sup- pose the Special Powers Act came from? Who decided to activate it? What forces are implementing the Act? condemning While utterly the liberal campaign by Curry and the Students' Council, we produce sections of the memo- randum on the Crosgrove case. It is a warning to stu- dents throughout Britain that under Tory law there is no such thing as 'justice'. In December 1971 Peter, whose home is in Cooks- town, was found to have in his wallet a list of car regis- tration numbers together with descriptions of vehicles of the right references related to the private cars of policemen stationed in Coleraine. At no point did Peter deny compiling the list. In his de- fence Peter alleged that over a period of time he had been measure of subjected to a police harassment. On one occasion in Cookstown he had been searched while walking home in the dark by police and on another his house had been raided. He had been fur- worried on returning to ther Coleraine by the fact that as he walked to the University in the mornings he felt that he was being followed by cars.

It was at this stage he decided to note the numbers and descriptions of the vehi- cles. In the late summer of 1971, some months before being charged, Cosgrove con- sulted a local solicitor, Mr for advice on E. M. Doris, what he should do about this surveillance. Mr Doris gave sworn evidence to this effect in court. When charged under the Special Powers Act of collect- ing and recording information I of such a nature as was cal- Mr Dudley Smith, the under- Secretary at the Department of and Employment, welcomed supported the Bill. The sudden Tory interest in employment agencies is curious.

In times of heavy unemploy- these privately-owned ment with their dramatic groups, advertising campaigns, have become extremely profitable.

In the long term the Tories would like these private groups to take over the running of sections of the present labour ry exchanges. The function of private is explained in a letter from a Workers Press reader who works for such an outfit: as a commodity 'Labour under capitalism has probably reached its most intense mani- festation with the temporary employment agencies business -the "temps" "The workers, hired ad lib, unprotected by union organ- ization, are supplied on demand to companies requiring tem- Above: Heath and the British Army nature of Tory rule in Northern Ireland.

culated to be useful to persons hostile to the maintenance of order there could be no other verdict than guilty as there is no onus whatsoever on the prosecution to prove any malicious intent or connection with an illegal organization.

Merely collecting or record- ing material which might be used in such a manner is an oftence. Unce convicted under this unjust law the mınımum prison sentence which the Judge could impose was three yeals. There are a number of other points of direct relevance to this case which highlight the injustice of the Special Powers the system of man- Act and datory minimum sentences.

At the time, in December porary labour at peak periods or who are unable to recruit permanent labour due to poor conditions or low wages. "The amount paid by the company to the agency is £35 to £40 a week, yet the agency pays the workers only £18 to a week. Therefore the £22 agencies are pocketing almost half the wages. 'The main danger of such an unorganized work force is its potential threat to the bargaining standards and strength of permanent, union- ate ized workers. 'This can be clearly seen in the attitude of many big com- panies: they would prefer to pay "temps" £10 or even £15 more a week for outside staff, rather than increase the wages of their permanent office staff.'

In this sense, the Tory Bill is not "to protect the public' .have the Tories ever (when been interested in that?) but to strengthen these agencies in nd the fight against organized m- labour. Workers Press, Monda Army In Ulster. Curry's appeal raises not n Ireland. Where does Curry suppose the Sp 1971, when Peter was charged he was 19 years old. However, he was held on bail, without undue restrictions on his movements until the trial in January, 1973. This is perhaps some measure of the dangerous nature of his character. However this delay by the prosecution had several far- and iniquitous re- reaching sults to his welfare. By holding longer the than case

SIX

months it meant that the charge could not be amended and that a summary trial was no longer possible. In other words he had to face a judge and jury with i minimum sentence of three years rather than a magis- trates court with the sentence largely at the discretion of the magistrate or judge. ES Now available from New Pa 186a Clapham High Street, 33, Monday February 26, 1973 PAGE 3 ises not the slightest mention of the e the Special Powers Act came from?

plainly Both these are against the defendant's" inter- ests. In addition he suffered an extra year of tension. In choosing the jury, it is normal practice for both sides to chal- lenge the jurors. However, it is interesting to note that the Crown successfully opposed all the Catholic members of the Jury with the result that it was a totally Protestant body.

A closer investigation of the case reveals other facts which contravene normally accepted standards of justice. At the time of military activities in respect of this case the army had in fact no legal powers to do so. This has since been rec- tified by retrospective legisla- tion-normally condemned in democratic societies. By LEON TROTSKY Paperback. £1.00 Illustrated Sharp pen-portraits of leading figures of the Second Interna- tional in Russia and Europe, for the first time published in an English edition. The translations were first commissioned by the Young Socialists' 'Keep paper Left' Their enormous success has the completion of the led to translation of the whole book, which is the first part of Volume 8 of Leon Trotsky's 'Works' pub- lished I in the Soviet Union in 1926. It provides the most vivid available of the historic picture figures of the Second Inter- national, their and strengths weaknesses, written by an obser- ver who was also a participant in the daily struggle of the Euro- pean and Russian working class.

1 New Park Publications h Street, London, SW4 7UG

WHEN GASMEN FOUGHT

THE GOVERNMENT IN 1872

The third of four articles by Bernard Franks on past and present struggles of the gasworkers.

PAGE & Workers Press, Monday Febru The third of four articles by Be The gas industry is a lot older than most people think. So is the tradition of industrial and political action by gasworkers to defend their rights and conditions. The first commercial gas firm, the Chartered Gas, Light and Coke Company was founded in 1812 in London, though hundreds of gas plants had already been built before this to provide lighting for in- dividual factories. By 1830 inere were over 200 private gas companies in Britain.

The work was tremendously hard and often dangerous.

Coal had to be manhandled from barge to wharf, by cart to gas station yard, from yard to retori house and into the retort by shovel and wheel- day February 26, 1973 es by Bernard Franks on past and pr barrow. The retorts could be temperamental, often shooting out long tongues of flame and many of the men were badly burned. Later the scoop was intro- duced for charging the retorts.

This was a 9ft U-shaped a T-shaped shovel with handle. It was loaded by three men, two of whom then sup- ported it on either side using •an iron bar called a 'horse' while the third used the handle to ram the scoop into the furnace and turn it over.

In 1833 the gasworkers were among the first to join -Robert Owen's Grand National Consolidated Trade Union. In 1834 London gas stokers combined to force up wages a strike which and began Westminster into plunged darkness. 'A very extensive union was formed, according to and present struggles of the gasworl 'The Times' of March 11, 1834. The men at different Lon- companies resolved to don join in strike action simul- taneously, but delayed to let discussions take place. In the meantime the employers paid for scab labour to be brought from all over Britain, then began a campaign of sacking union members. Thirty-five men were dis- missed from the Imperial *a Company Works where strong body of police were assembled to the station in Phoenix Street, house Somerstown, to repress any tumult that might occur'.

At the Chartered's works in east London, men struck gasworkers. successfully for the reinstate- ment of a sacked man, but soon after the company was able to dismiss 156 stokers for union activity. Mass importation of black- legs and systematic sacking of trade unionists enabled • the ruthless suppression of this early attempt to organize.

Today's actions against the Tories being taken by gas- workers have a historic signi- ficance as they occur almost exactly 100 years after other important political struggles by the gas stokers. In 1872 events occurred in companies the London gas which were to lead to thou- sands of workers from every being directly in- industry volved in action against the Liberal and the Tory govern- ments of the day. In Septem- ber of that year a new gas- workers' union formed, was Above: An early horizontal retort where town gas' house was manufactured. Conditions were very dangerous and the work stoking the retorts, very hard.

the amalgamated Society of Gasmen. Great improvements in pay and almost an end to Sunday working were won by strikes and threats of strikes against the companies which operated under local monopolies gran- ted by parliament. Up to this time the gas workers, fire- rakers, coal wheelers, firemen and scoopers had been work- ing 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. Employers quickly decided that the new union must be smashed in line with the general political and legal on- slaught on trade unions and strikers which being was launched at that time.

At the end of November 1872 men at the Imperial Gas Company's Fulham station struck against the dismissal of a union man, for 'breach of duty' and his replacement with a non-unionist. Blacklegs were brought in, so pickets were sent to St gas station where Pancras they persuaded the men there to stop work. Soon other gas- works were out in sympathy.

Hundreds of workers atten- ded a meeting of delegates at the Bell and Bull pub in Fins- bury on December 2. The chairman said that an organized attempt was being made by the companies to break the union. He added: 'We must now be prepared to meet force with force.' A list of gas stations where men were now out included Beckton 500, Bow 200, Hac- kney 300, Fulham 240, Battle Bridge 68, Kensal Green 240, and Greenwich 70. By 6 p.m. that day a total of 2,408 gasworkers were out on strike. The chairman com- mented that the managers were making great efforts to get hands ' ... but many, not knowing the stokers' duties, had been sadly burned'. By December 4, 1872, many , areas of London were in dark- ness. The Press vilified the strikers for 'imperilling • the safety of the Metropolis' It was said that the en- forced darkness was stopping business, and, because it gave cover to thieves, was also a direct threat to life and pro- perty. The claim was also made that there were profes- sional agitators at work. Cer- tainly, there were likely to be workers involved well ex- perienced in working-class politics. East London, north and south of the Thames, had been a stronghold of both the Chartist movement and of local branches of the First International during preceding years. Events took a new turn when the management of the Chartered's Beckton works asked for summonses to be issued against 500 strikers for illegal breach of contract and against six leaders for con- spiracy. breach of contract The charge was a common one, coming under the Master and Servant Act of 1867. Previ- ously anyone could be charged and sent to prison for leaving or neglecting work; 8,000 men and women and children were so convicted in 1856. The Act was modified in 1867, but still allowed impri- sonment for 'aggravated mis- conduct, which meant that it was still of use as the employ- ers' main weapon against strikes. Written contracts did not have to exist for the law to apply. It was sufficient that a worker was accepting wages from an employer for a charge to stick. In 1872 there were 17,100 prosecutions and 10,400 con- victions under this law. The conspiracy charge against the men's leaders was for 'agreeing together to co- erce their employers to restore into their service a certain man good named Dilley, who for and sufficient reasons had been dismissed'. Thomas Dilley (23), 'had re- fused to work with non-union men. He had been sacked then reinstated when the strike began'. However, the workers de- cided they would not return while Fulham was still out.

The same day that the sum- were taken out, De- monses cember 4, 3,000 gasmen and other workers marched with bands and banners from Bow Common to Trafalgar Square for a meeting and returned by way of the Strand and Fleet Street. The next day a new and sin- ister development occurred when it was revealed that the police were not only protect- ing blacklegs, but were under official orders to recruit them.

'The Times' of December 5 stated: "The police throughout the metropolis have received orders from Scotland Yard to send down labourers wherever they can obtain them.' In the same issue of the paper, the directors of the Chartered Company expressed their 'warmest thanks' to the Press for their ready and valu- able support' and to the police 'for their prompt and hearty personal co-operation'. They explained that for 'the protection of the interests of shareholders' it was ... in- cumbent to repress in the most determined manner, and at any cost, an attempt on the part of the men to dictate condi- tions of employment which are likely to become subversive of all discipline and to lead most surely to the speedy renewal of a struggle from the results of which the public have a clear right to demand to be protected'. The police intervention was not the first activity of its kind that year. In May, soldiers from Alder- shot had been used to help get in the harvest and break a strike of 16 farmworkers at Wootton, Oxfordshire. This action had raised a storm throughout the labour move- ment which was renewed with this latest event. The stokers were most cer- tainly prepared to defend their strike. At the north Woolwich station on December 5,. 30 to 40 pickets intercepted two wagon-loads of straw being taken to Beckton to be used as bedding for blacklegs who were living on the premises. The pickets threatened to burn the wagons, so the drivers turned back. This activity contrasted with that of leaders of other unions who were not anxious to upset the employers, even advising the gasworkers not to picket the gas company's premises. Wanting to preserve their res- pectability, they urged a re- turn to work and arbitration.

During the following week 17 men were sent to prison for six weeks' hard labour under the Master and Servant Act for 'aggravated misconduct in absenting themselves from the service of the Chartered Company'. Four workers from the Com- mercial Gas Company at Step- ney were given six weeks' im- prisonment for 'wilful and malicious breach of contract'.

However, when the remain- ing strikers were told that a new steam stoker would be brought in-nicknamed 'the iron man'-they replied that they would say to him: 'Are you going to join our Society?

If you do not, we are not going to work with you.' On December 19, five gas stokers, John Bunn, George Edmond Ray, Robert Wilson, Jones and Thomas Dilley were put on trial for conspiring to intimidate and force certain servants of the • company to depart from their hiring'. Also for conspiring by threats and menaces to exhort the super- intendent of the company to reinstate Dilley 'in restraint of and the freedom of trade action'. The jury found the five guilty, but added a strong re- commendation to leniency. To the contrary, the presiding Judge, Mr Justice Brett, an- nounced: '... the time has come when a serious punish- ment and not a nominal or a light one must be inflicted'. According to Brett, the gas- workers' combination involved a 'molestation' of the masters.

Under the Criminal Law Am- endment Act of 1871, pickets in- especially were liable to be

O'GAS WORKERS

This is ter Will Thorne, John Burns and Tom Ma Workers' Union. Above: The Union ba prosecuted for 'molestation'.

However, the maximum sen- for this was three tence months' hard labour. Combined with the conspi- racy laws a longer sentence Brett sen- could be passed. tenced all five to a year's jail.

of the employers who had joined together to break the union, as confirmed by the similar events at Beckton and Fulham. A gas stokers' defence com- mittee was formed. Mass meet- ings followed up and down the country against the imprison- ments and for the repeal of the laws which had brought them about. In London, throughout January, packed meetings orga- by the London Trades nized Council were held at Lambeth Baths, Exeter Hall, Shoreditch Town Hall and on Clerkenwell Green. packed a Hundreds more Birmingham meeting in the month and middle of the another was held at Notting- ham. By this time the six weeks' hard labour men were being released, 11 on January 23, 1873, and five more the next day. The continued build-up of activity and the hostility of Workers Press,

NEW

TIME

NATIONAL UNION

'ERS & CENERAL L

OF CREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

Shis if to Cestify that was admitiad a Mamber of the above Union on the it day of Mann, who, In 1889, jointly founded Union banner. the labour movement forced the government into shorten- ing the sentences of the men on the conspiracy charge to four months. The five were released from Maidstone prison at 9 a.m. on April 15, 1873, to be met by a huge demonstration orga- nized by the London and Maidstone Trades Councils, with full bands and banners.

A victory had been won, but the agitation did not abate. A of delegates meeting from trade societies called a 100 new demonstration for the re- peal of the Criminal Law Am- endment Act, to be held in June. They demanded also the re- moval of certain clauses in the Master and Servant Act, and an end to the use of the con- spiracy charge against strikers.

On Whit Monday, June 2, 1873, a massive demonstration of workers from all trades marched from the Thames Embankment to Hyde Park behind the Farriers' banner, inscribed

'OUR REPLY TO

(IN)JUSTICE BRETT'

The crowd of 100,000 gathered round six platforms to listen to the speakers.

The gas union did not sur- vive this period, but the agita- e, Monday Fabruary 28, 1878 PAGE & пора.

• LABOURERS

founded the Gasworkers' and General contributed enormously tion to the sweeping away of the 1871 Act and the ending of the Master and Servant powers in 1875. However, the conspi- racy and Protection of Pro- perty Act of that year also brought new restrictions on strikes by gas and water workers. In 1889 the Gasworkers' and General Workers' Union was formed by Will Thorne, Tom Mann and John Burns, a union which was to play decisive part in the new political strug- gles which led to the founding of the Labour Party in 1906.

These events were dealt with extensively in an article pub- lished recently in Workers Press-the "The Heritage of the Gas Workers' by Peter Jeffries (February 7, 1973).

This union, forerunner of the G&MWU, was founded and built with the aid of the Marx- ists, including Karl Marx's daughter Eleanor, and was the one of which Frederick Engels wrote that the members .. choose only openly de- clared socialists as their leaders'.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

PREPARING FOR THE

STRUGGLES AHEAD

PAQE 6 Workaro Prose, Monday Fabruary 28, 1873 Only two weeks to the Empire Pool, Wembley. On Sunday, March I1, we take the Pool with our Pageant of working-class history called The Road to Workers' Power'. Before an audience of 10,000 trade unionists, their wives and youth from all over Britain we will re-enact episodes in the struggle of the British working class to gain its basic democratic rights. Pageant production teams are working in four centres around the country-at Middleton in Lanca- shire, Jarrow and South Shields on Tyneside, Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales and Covent Garden in London.

Under the direction of top-class professional directors we have assembled a group of players to recreate this history. These are not highly-paid actors who are taking the parts. Many of them have never been near the stage or in front of an audience in their lives. They and women from the workers' are ordinary men movement who have come forward to recreate their history, the history of the working class.

The Socialist Labour League has more experi ence than any other movement in the production of material of this type. Two years ago at the Alexandra Palace we staged '200 Years of Labour History', and during the national Right-to-Work marches year ago we based on presented The English Be 1640. The the Cromwellian revolution 1640. Road to Workers' Power' is our biggest project yet. It is being Tory prepared in a period when the government is engaged in the wholesale legal destruction of workers' rights. Even as the rehearsals are in the progress Tories Phase being railroaded Two legislation is through Parliament. This Bill abolishes the right to freely negotiate wages and imposes state control over salaries. The basic democratic rights of the working class were won in struggle and they can only be defended in struggle. Today that struggle means forcing the Tory government out of office. In its place must be elected a Labour government pledged by the mass action of the working class to repeal all anti-union and anti-working class legislation. This will mean the abolition of the 'fair rents' Act, the Industrial Rela- tions Act and the Counter-Inflation Act, plus the withdrawal from the capitalist conspiracy in the Common Market. The staging of the Pageant, our biggest-ever anti- Tory rally, will mark a decisive stage in the transfor- mation of the Socialist Labour League into a revolu- Top left: Young workers in the Tyneside pageant group tionary party.

Top left: Young workers in the Tyneside pageant group listen to directions.

Top right: Rehearsal of a scene from the Chartists history at Middleton. Above left: Director Steve Clark discusses with workers in the Tyneside a scene Redgrave contingent. Above right: Director Corin prepares a sketch with the Middleton team

16, 1978 PAGE 7

Poolog at Middleton. Above left: Director Steve Clark discusses a scene with workers in the Tyneside neside badeanı aroud maen to alrecions. lob rioni: Kenearsal or a scene from ine chants history contingent. Above right: Director Corin Redgrave prepares a sketch with the Middieton team

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Monday Febru There are still workers alive in Clydebank today who remember the enor- mous struggle put up against rent increases and the Liberal-Tory coali- tion government during World War I. Today their children who live in council property are £l increases still spared the ordered by the Tories. And for refusing to bow to the April 12, 1915: The National Relief Fund notifies branches throughout the country that they must the payment of rents of stop families whose husbands are in the army. The grant is to cease with the payment of the March rent. April 13, 1915: Eviction notices are handed to tenants in the Yoker dis- trict. Workers at the Harland and and Wolff shipbuilding engineering firm pass a motion of protest and begin taking collections to aid the families.

'Glasgow Herald' re- The ports that recruitment into the army and navy to date was.

5,000 in the Govan area alone.

June 6, 1915: Mass meeting organized by the Labour Party House Com- mittee on Glasgow Green. Pre- ceded by processions from and from Bridgeton Cross Govan and other parts of Glasgow. Speakers are Coun- cillors Wheatley, Dollan, Tay- lor, Hamilton and Brown. A resolution is passed opposing rent increases during the war.

June 7, 1915: The 'Herald' reports that an Independent Labour Party meeting has passed a motion against conscription. August 27, 1915: Over 120 tenants in South Govan go on rent strike and refuse to pay the increases notified from April 23, putting rents up from £l 7s Id to £1 8s 7d a month from May Tenants are now sued for 4s 6d each. A test case involves a Mr. John Thom of 14, Steven Drive, Govan. It is dismissed.

Another case is brought against Mrs Stewart, mother of nine, whose husband is in the army. It is also thrown out.

Early September: A factor visits houses in the Partick area to collect the additional 'He rents. pelted with bags of peasemeal and chased from one of the streets by a number of women, who upbraided him vociferously,' say reports.

September 14, 1915: By now questions have been asked in the House of Com- mons. Over 1,000 tenants are refusing to pay increases ranging from fi to £3 per an- num. Factors have summonses leading to evictions which will take effect on Sep- tember 28. Prime Minister Asquith says he is watching day February 26, 1973 government, the town council has been fined £5,000. In the spring of 1915, landlords, taking advantage of war-time conditions, began demanding higher rents and threatened the tenants with evictions. As the struggle in Clyde- bank reaches a new stage, a Workers Press correspondent has reconstructed in narrative form the momentous events of 1915 as the revolt developed against rent in- creases. the matter 'very carefully' October 7, 1915: Over 1,000 women from six districts demonstrate and march into St. Enoch's Square in the centre of Glasgow. Dep- from 14 utations also sent other districts. Partick tenants are summonsed in the small debts court and a deputation is sent to the Corporation.

A local steel factory, Beard- more's, doing munitions work, saying a resolution passes landlords are profiteering from influx of munitions workers into the district.

October 10, 1915: An eviction case is pending against munitions worker John Horsburgh of Govan. And it is now confirmed that a gov- ernment inquiry is to be set up into the rents question. The same Saturday, 2,000 assemble in Partick, swelled by many factory workers. Two Labour councillors address the meet- ing. October 22, 1915: Four councillors have joined They are Councillors Denny, Kerr South. Rutherglen now refusing to pay the increases. Mass meet- the area. October 29, 1915: Reports of the first attemp- ted eviction in Merryland Street, Govan. The house- holder-a widow-gets sup- port from neighbours and sup- porters who attack Sheriff's officer with flour and whiten- ing when he arrives. One woman is arrested and quickly released. The officer flees the The movement is now scene. spreading to Dundee, Lanark- shire and to Hamilton. November 14, 1915: A big demonstration in Par- tick. The main speakers are Mrs Crawford and Mrs Fer- guson of the Women's Hous- ing Association. It is essen- women's fight, she tially a says. All law that is just and fair demands respect. That did not apply to laws which al- lowe rent increases at that time. November 17, 1915: Test cases are to be heard in the courts. And the move- ment reaches a high point.

Demonstrators march from different parts of Glasgow to the city centre. The Govan march passes the school where John McLean, popular socialist orator and opponent of the

COVER MENT

PROTECT QURA

CARMANS IAN

R Top: Partick rent strikers on the huge demonstration of November 17, 1915. Above: Conditions in Glasgow slums in the early years of the twentieth century. Right: Clydebank tenants march against the Tory Housing Finance Act which their council has refused to implement. war, is teaching. He is asked to lead the march. McLean had been sacked the day before by the Corporation for his out- spoken opposition to the im- perialist war. Workers at Har- land and Wolff's, Stephens and Fairfield shipyards strike. It is estimated that some 10,000 workers and tenants are assembling. A large number enter the court and delay the sitting.

The Sheriff agrees to hear the case put by deputations from the Dalmuir shipyard, Park- head Forge, Weirs, Cathcart our Hushards Soils and Brothers ure fighting the Prussrans of Germiany We are fighting the Prussians of PARTICK only allenatire

MUNICIPAL, HOUS

CLYDEBANK

RADES COUNCIL

SAYS"NO

BUT TRADE UNTONISM.

TO RENT ACT

STRENGT

and a number of other engi- ment is obliged to bring in a neering plants. After a recess, Bill fixing rents current at the the Sheriff returns to the court The "Herald savs and the cases are dropped 'intimi- on government has been the grounds that government For the next few weeks the legislation is pending. The Sheriff was probably in gather pace demonstratoes with court hearings are telephone conversation and many the government while his interrunted. 1n chambers. From the court the December 10, 1915: marchers want to demonstrate provisions of the the recruiting offices in government Rents Bill are now outside West Nile Street, but are per- known. under £35 £30 in Scot- suaded to go home. year in London, November 25, 1915: land and are While and to be frozen. Some security of demonstrations meetings continue the tenure is also given.

What have Hugh Scanlon, 'strengthening the economy . can be won,' says Mikardo.

'left' But it can only be won 'on the Union of Engineering Workers, and lan Mikardo basis of the right social and Tribune'-ite MP and president economic infrastructure' of the Association of Scienti- Nationalization of the fic, Technical and Managerial banks, perhaps? Staffs, got in common with The burden of Guinness's Jonathan Guinness, chairman contribution can be summed of the Monday Club? up in its title: "The unions—a power to be harnessed.' Well, it seems that they are After throwing at the trade all well disposed towards the movement the accusa- union private bankers Morris Wigram of it tion that parts are Rosenthal Ltd. At least they prone to influence from the unfriendly towards are not Communist Party which acts have them because they all foreign interests in the of a contributed the bankers' to Guinness expensively-printed newsletter out a plan the subject of the unions on of the plete state control and the government. of particularly their And in a short foreword to internal elections. their pieces, Morris Wigram In an unsuccessful bid to presumably, Rosenthal and, reactionary over his sugar grateful to their are suitably he calls this, obscurely, aims, 'distinguished contributors'.

'genuine legitimation'. Quite what Messrs Scanlon "The Guinness concluded: and Mikardo hoped to achieve the present situation, with by writing in the newsletter is trade unions and their great difficult to fathom, while isolated from govern- power Guinness's interest using ment and a prey to cliques, is this platform is more obvious.

not acceptable. Power belongs Yet surely it must have in the government process and occurred to the union men that nowhere else; let us get it put their brains were simply being there.' picked in order to help the Scanion, Mikardo and newsletter's well-heeled reader- Below: Guinness. ship prosecute the class strug- gle their members against better? Scanlon's main purpose in writing piece seems to have been to assure his audi- ence that there is no danger of the unions seeking to dis- place the Tory government.

'It is no part of trade union philosophy to and try usurp the by industrial government action, he "Through the says. different political parties, vari- ous groups of society will seek to wield their influence and, in the case of the trade unions, they do this through the labour movement.' How nice, cosy, for how silk-shirted your average banker lounging in his average oak-panelled boardroom! But what about the government's attempts to usurp basic work- ing-class rights with its state pay laws? Scanlon goes on to 'After a claim that the Tories, period of complete abrasive- and an desire ness, apparent for endless confrontations with the trade unions, were at least showing willingness some to talk their future plans over with the unions. Union co-operation in Where is Britain Going? Paperback 372p • Problems of the British Revolution Paperback 35p Lessons of October Paperback 60р In Defence of the October Revolution Pamphlet 15p Marxism and the Trade Unions Pamphlet 25p Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International Pamphlet 10p Postage: 10p per book, 5p per pamphlet.

Order from: NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG Round-up on the French Ele Pierre Messmer the Gaullist Prime Minister of France, has once again stressed that there could be no question of Presi- dent Pompidou calling upon a left-wing Prime Minister to form a gov. ernment. Interviewed by Agence France-Presse, Messmer made it clear that the President would invite a Gaullist leader to form a minority government if the Union of the Left wins majority in the National a Assembly on March 11. Cynically, Messmer said that if such a minority government were defeated in the chamber there would have to be a fresh vote to decide the 'dis- agreement which would arise between the two seats of power embodied by the President and by the assembly. The interview, published less than two weeks before the first round of the poll on March 4, is a restatement of the position already outlined by the President himself at his Press earlier conference this month. The Gaullist position is a direct challenge to the French working class, which is certain to vote in its millions for the Socialist Party - Communist Party-Left Radical * Party coalition. Messmer and Pompidou are telling these workers advance that their votes are worthless, that they cannot vote out the Bonapartist re- gime and that Gaullism is here to stay, regardless of the will of the majority of the elector- ate. Messmer and Pompidou base their case on the 1958 consti- tution which was tailor-made for General Charles de Gaulle.

The constitution gives the President of the Republic sweeping dictatorial powers which have, until now, largely been concealed behind a par- liamentary façade. With the collapse of the in- ternational monetary system, and under the impact of Presi- dent Nixon's hammer-blows against the Common Market, French the employers must now put aside the mask and inflict to decisive prepare defeats on the working class.

All the issues raised in May- June 1968 by the mass move- ment of workers against French capitalism remain un- resolved. That is why Pompi- has thrown dou down the gauntlet and challenged the working class directly to battle. He well knows that the out- come of his present policy can only be a major constitutional crisis driving directly towards civil war. His policy relies above all on the treachery of the French Communist Party, the largest workers' party.

This Party is peddling the crassest constitutional illusions and systematically disarming the workers as the election draws near. Replying to Mess- mer's outburst, for example, Party chief Georges Marchais assured an election meeting that the CP would make cer- tain that democracy and legality were respected. The Communist Party cer- tainly did not want to destroy constitution, but would simply erase those parts of it which tended to reinforce the Workers Press, Mond ich Election Mitterand and Marchais (above) partne Party and Communist Party for the con abuse of power and one-man rule, Marchais said. The CP chief referred pointedly to that section of the constitution which states that 'national sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it their representatives through and to another passage which says 'no section of the people nor any individual can take the exercise (of national

SOV-

ereignty) into his own hands' This kind of rhetoric is a most dangerous trap for the French workers. Marchais and company ignore the fact that Gaullism came to power by tearing up the old post-war constitution of the Fourth Republic and writing another to suit its own Bonapartist ends. Gaullism is a regime of police batons backed by the army tanks. Such a government can- ss, Monday February 26, 1973 PAGE 9 ve) partners In the coalition of Socialist or the coming elections. not be overthrown at the ballot box, as Messmer and Pompidou have already made clear. The fact that the Gene- ral Strike of May-June 1968 proved insufficient to overturn the regime clearly indicates the fraudulent character of the Union of the Left programme.

It was the Stalinists who deprived the French workers of victory against de Gaulle in 1968. They led the working class back to the plebiscitary ballot box and enabled de Gaulle to hand over power to his own nominee. Those French revisionists who now urge the Stalinists to reform the constitution are simply bolstering the cam- paign of deception. The French working class must be alerted to the danger in front, not lulled into illusions of a con- stitutional road to socialism.

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Monday February 26, 1973 It is now being proved with property several companies regular monotony how difficult were interested in the 'devel- potential' it is for local councils to get opment of the hold of land for building work.

buildings. With Private developers and this in mind, Lam- beth council speculators outbidding went along to are them when any piece of land try and buy the estate. But comes on to the market. their money ran out and a One case in point was the called Investment group recent auction in London of Securities bought the plot for £700,000. about 2.9 acres of land near Clapham North underground Councillor Ewan Gale, station. chairman of the housing com- This 47 estate comprises mittee was understandably houses, six shops with flats galled at the defeat: 'Once above and six blocks with a again we have been outbid by total of 24 flats plus offices a price far in excess of normal and storage. investment values. We were Known the Ramsbury only able to bid up to a real- as freehold Estate, the was istic market value for the pro- up for sale. By the time of the which perty, we put af it €600,000? he auction was known that said afterwards. I would like information about Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

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OT Full subscription (six days) for . months. Name Address aunt enclosed E The recent Paris fire in which a school burned 'like a box of matches' killing 23 people, has raised doubts about the materials and construc- tion of a building. 'Fire Prevention' campaigns take the form of telling us to be careful with our matches and practise our fire drill, yet architects, builders and fur- nishers highly- freely use inflammable materials in houses and public buildings. Worse still, the real fire risk is often concealed. Everybody knows that wood will burn. Much less known about synthetic materials and if we are told that our walls are covered 'fire-resistant' with material or that our plastic chairs are 'self extin- foam guishing', we tend to feel reassured, especially if the material British carries Standards Institute label to say it has passed certain tests.

In fact, according to reports from the Department of the Environment's Fire Research Station, the existing standard fire tests are inadequate and misleading. extinguishing plastic 'Self foam upholstery will not flare up if a lighted cigarette dropped on it, but once a fire establishes : itself the stuff will burn fiercely, giving off as much heat as the same weight of coal, and clouds of poisonous fumes. Under similar conditions polystyrene ceiling tiles melt into burning globules. Most synthetic materials will behave in a similar way. The existing tests serve as a cover for the manufacturers who have to appear to set safety standards. The some method used in most tests is to hold a sample of the material horizontally and light one end.

It is then withdrawn from the out, it is flame. If it goes "self extinguishable'. Even wood be self can extinguishing under those con- ditions. Alternatively, the ex- tent to which the fire spreads can be measured. No attempt is made to re- produce real conditions, to assess the effect of ventilation, as in a corridor, to see whether poisonous fumes are given off or to see how the material responds to an established fire.

Experiments by the FRS, which try to reproduce real conditions, and reports by Fire Brigades, clearly show the danger of these tests which are only used to deceive customers.

The BSI claims that the tests are 'quality control' tests only Writings of Leon Tratsky

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FIRE TESTS

MADE TO

DECEIVE

CUSTOMERS

much for its service to the fire -SO in Paris which killed 23 people. 'the consumer'! The of nancters are, died opposed any people he course lega. because controls. A proposal to ban the not warned the buyer of had use inflammable materials the dangers.

OTI

corridors and circulation Businessmen are afraid that Building when the incidents like this will put aleas Regulations (1972) being plastics for people of buving drawn up, was quickly thrown and furnishings. 'Modern

QUE

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BY PHILIP WADE

BUILDING workers throughout Britain are fighting back against the most serious attempt ever made to undermine the basis of trade union- ism in the industry. The Tories have set the scene with the attacks on the basic rights of all trade union- making ists, it a criminal offence to strike for higher wages, taking the road to dic- tatorship and the corporate state. And since the end of last year's massive and determined strike by builders for the national claim—betrayed by union leaders after 12 the weeks-the employers in this industry have hit back with a campaign of victimization, in- timidation "and, above all, by the use of 'the lump' (labour only sub-contracting. First a number of militants were sacked and strikes provoked aimed at undermining union or- ganization. Then the employers produced dossiers claiming a conspiracy by pickets during the national dispute. Then it was the rapid expan- sion of labour only sub-contract- is estimated that over ing. It 500,000 men in the industry now work as self-employed, in some cases legally, in others not.

* No tax In other words, half the men in the building industry are not organized on a trade union basis, and pay no tax and have no insurance cards. 'Subbies' are being paid lump sums of up to £15 a day. For the site, that they rush around required and doing any jobs working any hours demanded. While the main contractor stands by, the trade unions are seriously weakened. In London's Aldwych, men on the McAlpine luxury hotel site have been out since Wednesday sub- against a labour only contractors and plan to stay out until they are removed from the McAlpine's deny the sub- site.

SOUTHAMPTON

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 8 p.m.

Joiners Arms Hotel St Mary's Street Speaker: ALAN THORNETT (Deputy senior steward, Morris Motors, in a personal capacity).

DAGENHAM

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8pm Manor Park Library Romford Rd/Rabbitts Road opp Rabbitts Pub speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

HULL

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m. 'Windmill Hotel' Witham Speaker: CLIFF SLAUGHTER (SLL Central Cttee)

WEST LONDON

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m. Lyndhurst Hall Grafton Road, NW3 Speaker: M. BANDA (SLL Central Committee)

LUTON

FRIDAY MARCH 2, 8 p.m. Assembly Hall Town Hall Speaker: M. BANDA (SLL Central Committee)

TOTTENHAM

TUESDAY MARCH 6, 8 p.m. Lord Morrison Hall Chesnut Grove Speaker: G. HEALY (SLL National Secretary) Bullding workers picke contractors are a 'lump mer- chant'. Last week I talked to some of the men on the picket line about the strike, while two men sat in a car opposite, taking notes. Some claimed to recognize them as company spies. I spoke to federation First steward Tony Crilly, a member of Transport and General Workers' Union. He told me that since work began last August, about 40 per cent of the men had joined a union. The fight was now on against the lumps. 'As well as taking on men with insurance cards, these sort of with companies take on men exemption certificates. This is Working Rule contrary to the Agreement which says all opera- working tives for contractors have to be directly employed.

'We want to get labour only sub-contractors out altogether, even if some of the men do pay tax. These subbies are the base for the whole business. We have to fight to remove the basis on • the lump operates,' he which told me. 'Lump labour makes it impos- sible to get any unity on the site, and undermines the whole basis of trade unionism here.

"The purpose of this campaign by the Joint Sites Committee is to eliminate the lump, and com- bine the struggle for the exten- sion of trade unionism through- out the industry' Rights This campaign, he explained, came at a time when the Tories had taken away the negotiating rights of the trade unions, the right to strike for higher wages.

worker is fighting Every to defend his basic rights. How do eliminate the lump and we Or- ganize 100 per cent trade union- ism in our industry in this situa- tion?' he asked. 'We can only do that by destroying the source of the lump-the system which creates the lump merchants and the pro- fiteers. The lump is all part of the capitalist system and it means we have to fight for the nation- alization of the industry.

'That is the mood of the workers today. They want that sort of a fight. At the Joint Sites Committee meeting last week we agreed to pull out as many sites as possible to lobby the special Congress of the TUC. 'We want it to call a prolonged General Strike to get the Tories and replace them with out Labour government pledged to socialist policies—which must in- clude the nationalization of the industry under workers' control and without compensation.

'In this way we'll eradicate the lump for ever.' T&GWU member Pat Byanes has worked in the industry for years and sees conditions ten getting worse. 'As far as the building em- ployers are concerned we're still classed as peasants' , he said. 'To me the fight has to be to get the lump off all jobs through- out the industry. 'What the employers want is of workforce that sort some keeps shifting from job to job,

CREAT

NO

FARKING

kers picket McAlpine's without being attached to the main contractor. In that way, without unions, they'll have the militants out as soon as they open their mouths. "They want to go back to the days when everyone employed themselves. Already many of the can't get militants jobs. They have a blacklist out all over London. 'Then we end up building use- less things like this hotel which none of us can use. I say nationalizing the indus- try is the only idea. Get rid of the sub-contractors and people like McAlpine's who make mil- lions out of these projects.

Carpenter William Allan told contractorglobs like this, me: sub- men can take the whole site over. Subbies are pre- ferred because they never cause strikes.' He explained that while he was earning about £35 for an average 45-hour week, those working as were being paid self-employed £12 to £14 a day. 'This means the union is power- less, he said. "These men just run around the site, working like madmen, preventing trade union- ists getting work.' Blacklist Another man said he had been forced to work for a sub-contrac- tor because he could not get a start with McAlpine's. A former worker at the mili- tant World's End site, Chelsea, he said a blacklist was operating all over London. He had come out on strike with McAlpine's men was immediately sacked. and 'If the employers get away with with this all the time we will never get an effective organiza- tion on site. *Although the government and the employers are attacking unions everywhere, building workers are more vulnerable than most. Nationalization of the in- dustry is the only answer.

'We might get that if we pres- surize a Labour government.

'They, say a General Strike would be unpopular. But it is the only answer. I'd like to see the TUC call an all-out stoppage before the Tories break unions once and for all' Fight rising rents and prices Defend basic democratic rights Force the Tories to resign CLAPHAM: Tuesday February 27, 8 p.m. Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor Street, S.W.4. Ro 'Defend Democratic Rights' PADDINGTON: Tuesday February Al 21, 8 p.m. 'Prince of Wales' Harrow Road and corner of Great Western Road. KIRKBY: Tuesday February. 27, Southdene Community 8 p.m. Centre, off Broad Lane. 'Crisis of capitalism and the future of the trade unions'. CAMDEN: Tuesday February 27, 8 p.m. Prince Albert', Wharfe- Kings Cross. 'Les- dale Road, sons of fighting the Housing Finance Act'. Workers Press, Monday February 26. 1973 PAGE 1t.

TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

9.38 Schools. 12.25 Cywain. 12.55 News. 1.00 Pebble Mill at one.

1.30 Woodentops. 1.45 Pets and vets. 2.05 Schools. 4.00 Pixie and Dixie. 4.10 Play 4.35 Jackanory. 4.50 Blue Peter.

5.15 Yak. school. 5.45 News, weather. 5.40 Wombles.

NATIONWIDE.

6.00 6.45

TELEVISION TOP OF THE FORM.

7.10 STAR TREK. Friday's Child.

8.00 PANORAMA. 9.00 NINE O'CLOCK NEWS. Weather.

9.25

PLAY FOR TODAY:

'THE

OPERATION'.

Written by Roger Smith, directed by Roy With Tom Kempinski, Battersby. George Maurice Roeves, Maureen Lazenby, Shaw. 10.50

COME

DANCING.

11.25

LATE NIGHT

NEWS.

IN

REHEARSAL.

11.30

OPERA

Act 2 of Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro'. 11.55 Weather.

BBC 2

11.05-11.25 Play school, 525 Open University PARENTS AND CHILDREN. 7.30 NEWS SUMMARY. Weather.

7.35 LOOK,

STRANGER. A Good Job With Prospects.

ALIAS SMITH AND JONES. Something to Get Hung About.

8.00

CALL MY BLUFF. 9.25 DAVE ALLEN.

8.55 10.10

METRO-LAND.

A celebration of suburbia with Sir John Betjeman. 11.00 OPINION. 11.15 NEWS EXTRA. Weather.

ITV

9.30 Schools. 10.33 World War I (London 11.00 Schools. only.): 12.05 Mr. Trimble. 12.25 Alice through the looking glass.

12.40 First report. 1.00 Mr and Mrs. 1.30 2.00 Schools. 2.20 Cartoon. ( 2.30 Film: Good afternoon. 3.00 Bunk'. lan Comedy about newly weds. Carmichael. 4.25 Pardon my genie. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 Lollipop loves Mr. Mole. 5.50 News.

TODAY. 6.40 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS!

6.00 7.30

CORONATION STREET. 8.00 WORLD IN ACTION.

8.30 BLESS THIS HOUSE. One Good Turn Deserves a Bother.

THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

9.00 The Absent-Minded Coterie. 10.10 NEWS AT TEN. 10.30 THE WILD, WILD WEST. The Night of the Big Blast. 11.30

DRIVE-IN. 12.00 WORLD WAR I. 12.25 IT'S WORTH READING.

Mary Craig talks to Judi Dench.

George Lazenby Maureen Shaw Tom and Kempinski in 'The Operation',

BRCY

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL:

9.30-11.52 London. Monday 1.15 0.30 night. 10.40 Film: 2.25 News. Film: Yellow Canary'. 1.30 London. You 0 Ones'. 4.20 Puffin. Lon-

YORKSHIRE:

Hy Learned FrieDond London. 3.00 News Theatre. 6.45 and weather in theatre 4.25 Lon- London. 10.30 News 4.50 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 don. We sane. 11.50 Yoga: 10.30

WESTWARD.

Channel As except: Name of the 11.50 Yose thers 12.15 1.00 Ugliest girl in town. 12.40 don. 4.20

GRANADA:

9.30 10 London. 12.00 625 Danton. Handful of conoc 2.00 Faith for lie.

SOUTHERN.

9.30 London. 2.10 2. Down tie COn- Darning 00 don. This is your River. Down right. 6.40 Londo right. 10.30 Londe Hate Chester. 4.25 dav. Loves. London. scene. TYNE TEES: 9.25 Thoughts from the 25°5 Tainer. Theatre. 12.00 Farm read 9.30 London. ( progress. Guideline. our yesterdays. News. 2.3 ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 12.04 News. gourmet. 3; The London. Farme 6. 0 Today

OUT

Housepartv. days. 2.30 3.00 Marcus .5s Skippy: Welby. 3.55 Romper 5.0m.0u 4.22 London. 425 News. London. the 8ame: 12.25 News. 12.40 Lecter.

Name Anglia. 6.45 London. 10.30 Russell Harty. 11.30 London. Big

SCOTTISH.

29,30 230 London. 2.00 question. All restage to Tucson" Dateline. 3000 ATV MIDLANDS: 9.30 London.

12.00 Film: •Stage 4.25 London. ATV programme guide. Lov Londo 6.00 Scotland 6.30 Cartoon. Six 6.45 10.35 6.45 innoon London. 6.00

ATV

today. Lon- and the lion. Name of the dame 1l55 Durgens. «on. telling. worth

GRAMPIAN:

10.58 London. 1.38 11.00 London. 1.33 News. Schools. Film: 3.08 Ho Side. zine Romper ron. 4:35 London. 6.0 Emmer- room. 3.00 Dilemma'. Film: 5.50 London. dale farm. 6.00 Ondon. 6.302 .20 EN 6.45 News. 4.25 Emmerdale 6.05 London. Dick Loan D. 6.00 farm. 10.30 University Van 6.15 Dick 6.45 London. Name of the game. 12.35 Meditation.

HARROW: Tuesday February 27.

DERBY:

Thursday, Mechanics March Hall, Wealdstone. Labour 7.30 p.m. Metal p.m. 'All out for Wembley Pageant'.

Premises, Charnwood Street. TOOTING: Tuesday February 27,

CROYDON :

Thursday March Selkirk Hotel', p.m. Selkirk Ruskin House. • om Road, Tooting Broadway. 'The Road. 'Support the gasmen'.

rise of Italian Fascism'. HOLLOWAY: Thursday March 1,

ABERDEEN:

Wednesday. Febru. 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven 28, 8 p.m. Trades Sisters ary Hall. 24 Road Adelphi. (near Finsbury Park Station) 'Marxism and the trade COVENTRY: Wednesday, Febru- unions' ary 28, 7.30 p.m. Woodend Com- munity Building, Hillmorton Road.

KINGSTON:

Thursday March 1.

EDINBURGH:

p.m. 'Liverpool Arms', Cam- Wednesday raphic Feb. bridge Road. 28. 7.30 'Support the ruary p.m. gas- men and hospital workers'.

Club. 15 Brunswick Street. ( 'Workers' rights" and the fiaht

GLASGOW:

Sunday, March 4, the Tory government. against 3 p.m. Partick Burgh Hall. near GLASGOW: Wednesday February Merkland Street Underaround. Woodside Hall. 'Hospital workers and 7.30 p.m. the Tory George's Cross. government."

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Monday Fabruary 26, 1973

FEBRUARY

BY IAN YEATS

ONLY THREE

THE TORY government

DAYS LEFT!

would deal with trade union militants as it had WE ARE very With concerned. in dealt with terrorism three days to raise the final only £738.52 10 complete target, our Ireland, Ulster supremo It certainly Is a tough fight ahead.

biggest offort William Whitelaw said nead 80 our otherwise faco, for the far we first time since the start of at the weekend. Workers Press, the danger not reaching our target.. He said: 'Just as in Northern those capable of Ireland, less dear readers, have have We have be detend themselves to never down. defended against those intent been in many light spots belore you led thrent elp their own will-in with on imposing but by armed strength and have always pulled through. one case in the other by industrial relying on you today are strength.' never before. As Ford workers, gasmen, Tories that He told Penrith teachers and many other зас- fight the government's against firm tions of workers remain nation's inflation required the against the Tories, we are sure backing, but they were unable that there is growing support for to get it because of the attitude our paper. of the TUC. Workers Press remains in the Whitelaw went on: "There are forefront of the struggle against threatening this Tory government. Our paper those who are to challenge the prices and income alone has prepared for this crisis laws in order satisfy their situation. We say the only to way own selfish ends. to end these attacks against the working class is to force this 'The basis of the troubles in government to resign. Northern Ireland is the attempt by extremists to have their own low we need every ounce o upport you can ralse. We hav way. three days to complete

OUT

In Northern Ireland we could, £1,750 target for February's and as a government, opt out Don't time. Fund. waste any let them their sort out own Collect as much as you can and problems. There are those who rush it all immediately to: advocate this On infla- course. tion we could opt out and allow Workers Press February Appeal Fund 1868 Clapham High Street BRITISH Road Services drivers London SW4 7UG. meeting in Birmingham yesterday voted 130-113 return to They work this morning. will meet again toto tro individual was, the however, left Registered • Published newspaper Workers Oice. of the drivers consciences' at Clapham High Street, Press, each depot to decide whether 7UG. Plough Press Printed (TU), 180b they stood by yesterday's deci-

SW4 7UG

to continue the four-week- sion old dispute. 01-622 Defand trada unionism and basic living atandarda Unito in action to make this Tory government rosign in through the building of the rovolutionary party The road to pornor.

YOUNG SOCIALISTS AND SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

APAGEANT OF HISTORY-THE ROAD TO WORKERS POWER

EMPIRE POOL. WEMBLEY.

MARUN U

I would like to lake part in the Pageant/come to Empire Pool.

Please send me further delalls.

NAME.

ADDRESS..

Amount enclosed (£1 each £..

iNo. of tickets required Complete form and return to: Pageant Office, 34 Hamilton Gardens, London, NW8 Unite in action to defend

OXFORD

TUESDAY

FEBRUARY 27

8 p.m. Clarendon Institute Walton Speaker:

G. HEALY

(SLL National Secretary)

SLOUGH

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28

Britwell Community Centre Long Furlong Drive Speaker: G. HEALY (SLL National Secretary) a free for all. There are those who advocate this course.

'But this is not the way of The responsible government. duty of government is to protect those in society who are not equipped to protect themselves, be it against the bomb and the bullet or the evils of inflation.'

• The Labour and Liberal Par- ties have put their electoral machines on red alert in anti- cipation of a snap General Elec-

BY ROYSTON BULL

GASMEN'S leaders David Basnett and John Edmonds seem finally to have got the message which the Heath government is determined to hammer home: that the days for bargaining are over and that fl plus 4 per cent is the law of the land. The propaganda build-up towards a compromise solu- tion to the dispute gas fizzled out on Friday evening after the G&WU leaders had met Maurice Macmillan, Minister of Employment. The Pay Board, Macmillan explained, will neither now nor later on be in any posi- tion to alter the offer to the gasmen of £2.24 more per week, or fl plus 4 per cent, whether it sits initially as a Royal Commission or what- ever it does. The sole of purpose Heath's invitation to the gas- men to go to the Pay Board was to give this corporatist set-up some early experience in determining the practical criteria for arbitrary the decisions will the Board make over pay claims dur- ing Phase Three. Macmillan told Basnett that the Board would not even consider the gasmen's claim as such in order to make an award for payment under Phase Three in the The claim would autumn. have to be submitted again when the time came and when the Phase Three guide- lines had been worked out.

These will be far more stringent even than the Phase Two £l plus 4 per cent. And even that pittance, whatever it is, would be denied to gasmen until 12 months had elapsed from the date of their present settlement that is finally whenever reached. So it would be well into 1974 before the Pay Board pronounced on the • basic rights

MEDWAY

TUESDAY

FEBRUARY 27

8 p.m. Aurora Hotel Brompton Road Gillingham Speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Committee) 8 p.m. Drive Britwell Estate

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

tion following next Thursday's SHOP STEWARDS from all by-elections. Ford plants in Britain will Tory leader Heath is thought hold a key meeting today to be watching the results of the over their £10 pay claim.

'humiliation for Labous elections Any signs of of the agenda will be could give him the green light to go to the country. London at the weekend In strike call or settle for local forms of industrial action.

were The discussions will follow a top Ford between meeting election policy and strategy. and the management union negotiating team. Yesterday 2,000 Ford workers from the Swansea plant voted to launch a three-day 'guerrilla' March 1 in support strike on of the claim. This action is a step back from the earlier total national stop- position taken at Coven- page try last weekend. Swansea convenor Hugh Wallace said they changing their were 'merits' of the gasmen's tactics because of the -under which claim. ment's pay laws- strike at Ford's would be Basnett i said that Mac- illegal. 1lan woul not guarantee "The are hiding be- government at comparability with ele hind Ford's. We feel these tricity would be pay re- big world companies could get stored. like of this law any time they As Fred Howell, T&GWU, He said that sit-down put it bluntly: "The gasmen strikes and guerrilla action are being conned? follow three-day might the this stoppage but would de- • Civil servants in their pend the feelings of the on thousands will go on a 24- membership. hour strike from midnight The Swansea stewards empha- tonight in protest against sized they were carrying the pay laws. Three of the men and unions the wishes are involved and nearly they feel they are taking leading the 250,000 workers could be role in unrest brewing throughout the Ford affected. combine. The action will delay There fears, arising from are Budget preparations, hold up Friday's national shop ste- London traffic airport, at wards' meeting, that some of and delay passage through the plants are not prepared Halewood and customs points. to come out. Swansea Even the citadel of Phase appear to be the militant. most Two ideology, the Depart- A split in the ranks now or any- ment of Employment, will be thing less than all-out strike affected. The staff association would interpreted action be have put up huge notices by Heath and his Cabinet as "Join in by reading staying a major victory in their cam- out on February 27'. It is a regulate paign wages by TO sign of changed times. state decree. Special ATUA meetings

ANCILLARY WORKERS

POSTAL WORKERS

The crisis of capitalism and and the future of the trade unions.

CIVIL SERVANTS

Sunday March 4 10.30 a.m. No state control of wages!

Conway Small Hall Support the gasmen, hospital Red Lion Square workers and Civil Servants!

Holborn. Make the Tories resign!

BUILDING WORKERS

The crisis of capitalism and Tuesday February 27 the future of the trade unions. 7.30 p.m. Tuesday March 6 7.30 p.m. Norfolk Room Norfolk Room Caxton Hall Caxton Hall Caxton Street, SW1. Caxton Street, SW1 (opposite Houses of Parliament) Report back meeting: 2 p.m. Friars Halls, Sheetmetal Norkers Union, Blackfriars Bridge (nearest tube Blackfriars).