Workers Press no. 1010

workers press

GENERAL STRIKE BANISHED FROM CONGRESS

FOUR DAYS TO

BLACK MONDAY

INCORPORATING THE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE C

TE General Council yesterday demands from the working class for de Tories' state pay laws-turning their backs tion to their piecemeal policies.

At a brief, morning meeting the union chiefs ban- ished from the agenda of next Monday's special Con- gress all discussion of a General Strike (see p.12). They refused calls for the Congress to discuss a one-day national stoppage. They prepared the ground for betraying the pay fight section by section.

Like the March 18, 1971, special Congress, which outlawed strikes Industrial over the Relations Act, March 5 now threatens to be a gigantic fraud. This time, however, the threat is far, far because the greater of the dangers facing the issues are far, far deeper.

working class is to be seen As with Ford's, where our interviews at yesterday hospital it was the turn of Dagenham workers, gasmen, teachers and civil servants be asked workers to to accept a new policy. today show, vast numbers of those in struggle against This so-called is policy the pay laws are up in arms Harraway. Com- what Sid at their leaders' policies.

Party of munist secretary They know that the gov- the Ford national convenors' an indus- ernment cannot be defeated committee, calls by work-to-rules, sectional trial campaign'. one -day, three-day or week- By this he means a series long strikes, or even by the of selective strikes. of some 'one-day General Strike' and other three days, sanc- yesterday's Morning which stretching indefinitely tions Star' claimed *the was into the future. minimum the workers expect Decided by convenors' a of the

TUC

meeting last week, the on Heath has laid it on the strength of a few right-wing fight, line. It is either or inspired revolts against all. And by threatening submit. policy has out strike, this trade union militants with only two possible outcomes.

the same treatment as the The first is that Ford's.

Republican movement in unable to carry on its usual his crony, Ulster, William high continuous has made rate Whitelaw, clear will exploitation, lock the there is to be no quarter in strikers out under conditions this fight. where they are left without The future of crisis-torn policy and prey de- a to capitalism is at stake. All moralization. policies which do face not The second is that lack up to that hard, central fact of a decisive policy will split are policies of betrayal and factory against factory, send- defeat. the Ford workers back The Tories ories welcome the to work with the company's piecemeal £2.40 union derisory offer- pay strikes policy. For the gov- principle of and the state ernment's they strategists, control of wages - fully of serve the double purpose accepted. dissipating workers' energies So it is hardly surprising and sections enraging that yesterday paint, trim of the middle class who will and assembly plant and body form the shock of troops reiected plant meetings a General opposition to a three-day strike call. Strike. Harraway and his Stalinist The union leaders are fully and left' friends laid the of the alternatives aware groundwork for this no- facing the labour movement, strike vote with their con- the right of as wing sistent refusal to place the

TUC

General Council has policy of General Strike to already made clear. force the Tories resign First Tom Tackson, of the before Ford workers. Post Office workers, then It is in opposition to this Gormley miners' leader Joe betrayal, and those activities said unequivocally that either the All Trades Unions that General Strike must called for Alliance has called or the pav laws must mass lobby of the TUC next be accepted. the policy Monday, on The lefts' and Stalinists. General Strike to force the statements who these were Tories to resign and replace designed to frighten, know them with a Labour govern- pledged to socialist it too. ment policies. But the clearest blueprint TING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY MARCH 1, 1973• No 1010 • 4p

• THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

rday contemptuously rebuffed

BY DAVID MAUDE

OUR LABOUR

backs on the mounting opposi-

CORRESPONDENT

workers demonstrating for a rise last October-before the Hospital ancillary state pay laws. They never got that rise and haven't had one since, even though prices have upwards. continued lo zoom

HOSPIT

PAY

ANCILL

WORT

BY OUR INDUSTRIAL

HOSPITAL workers who will be on Tory

STAFF

strike from today against the pay laws are not frightened by Joe Gormley's challenge to the working claim. Action with other sections of General Strike class: either the working class is vital.

nothing. The TUC must here', come in Feeling is running high amongst he told me, at the St Mary's, Praed the 16,000 that dueto come Street, hospital he will picket today.

all-out action is the only 'We can't win on our own. But the way they will win their f4 claim. situation in the hospitals is the con- cern of everyone in the land. Every- Henry Burton, who with 400 trade one relies on them sooner or later Paddington, Lon- unionists in the -whether you've broken a leg or don, group of hospitals will be out you're having a baby. We've got to five for days from 6 a.m. today, have more decisive action.'

miners' thinks that what leader porters' shop steward, in the Gormley said is right-even though Union of Public Employ- National he said it for all the wrong reasons.

Henry points to the fact that ees, "Eventually we'll have to come men with several children married out on total strike, he told me. are taking home less than E20 in a "This policy of one major hospital situation of rocketing prices and striking each of the ten ma'n in rents, because of the pay laws.

is rubbishit just areas doesn't reflect the feeling amongst THE catering staff Tom Charles re- hospital workers at all presents at St Mary's feel the same The selective strikes policy, Henry way. They took the government's €1.84 pay offer as a grave insult' pointed out, can't pretend to be Even to survive, rather than live, aimed at decisively winning the

FEBRUARY

FUND-FINAL

WE CERTAINLY did not expect such a magnificent response. We thought that with a huge effort we might just reach our £1,750 target, but we never dreamt you would raise as much as £2,062.91—£312.91 over the top!

How can we thank you? Your is absolutely over- support whelming. It shows the enormous sup- port that exists for Workers Press. Our paper, alone, has fought to explain the nature of this crisis. As thousands of workers are taking up the struggle for wages, many for the first time in their lives, oniy Workers Press prepares them for this fight. And we know It is this that wins all your support. Militancy alone will not defeat this govern- This is why we demand ment. the TUC calls a General Strike to create the industrial and poli- tical conditions to make this government resign. We are enormously encour- aged by your support. We shall try and improve our news cover- age and expand our circulation wherever possible. This Is the time to go from strength to readers, You, dear strength. have helped us build a fighting political newspaper. ahead Now let's press as never before. Our March Fund starts today. Post your dona- tion to: Workers Press March Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London, SW4 7UG

HOSPIT

PAy

WORT

SICK

these days Tom's members have to work excessive hours of overtime, and every Sunday. "This has got to stop. But what the union leaders are doing is inade- quate to win our claim. The mem- bers, however, are not frightened to take stronger measures if the five- day stoppage doesn't do the trick' A LEAD in the pay struggle must come from the TUC on March 5, believes Jim Warner, NUPE branch secretary at London's Royal Free Hospital. "The TUC should call a General Strike-that's the only way to deal with this dictatorial government, which seems to think it can make its own laws when it likes.

• Ancillary workers at four hospi- tals in Birmingham jumped the gun today and went on strike-a day early. The walk-out hit catering, laundry and cleaning services at the big Queen Elizabeth and East Bir- mingham hospitals, and at two psy- chiatric hospitals.

workers press

GENERAL STRIKE BANISHED FROM CONGRESS

FOUR DAYS TO

BLACK MONDAY

INCORPORATING THE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE C

THE TUC General Council yesterday demands from the working class for dec Tories' state pay laws—turning their backs tion to their piecemeal policies.

At a brief, morning meeting the union chiefs ban- ished from the agenda of next Monday's special Con- gress all discussion of a General Strike (see p.12). They refused calls for the Congress to discuss a one-day national stoppage. They prepared the ground for betraying the pay fight section by section.

special Congress, which outlawed strikes over Relations Act, March 5 now threatens to be a gigantic fraud. This time, however, the threat is far, far because greater the of the dangers facing the issues are far, far deeper. working class is to be seei As our interviews with Ford's, yesterday at where it was the turn of Dagenham hospital workers, gasmen, and civil be asked teachers servants workers to to accept 'a new policy'. today show, vast numbers of those in struggle against This so-called policy is the pay laws are up in arms Sid Harraway. Com- what at their leaders' policies.

munist Party of secretary They know that the the Ford national convenors' gov- ernment cannot be defeated committee, calls 'an indus- trial campaign'. by work-to-rules, sectional three-day or week- one-day, By this he means a series or even by long strikes, or el the of selective strikes, some of 'one-day Strike' three days, and other sanc- which 'Morning yesterday's indefinitely tions stretching Star' claimed 'the was into the future. minimum the workers expect convenors' Decided by

TUC'.

of the meeting last week, on the Heath has laid it on the strength of a few right-wing either fight, line. It is or inspired revolts against all- submit. And by threatening out strike, this policy has union militants with trade only two possible outcomes.

the treatment as the same Republican The first is that Ford's, movement in unable. to carry on its usual Ulster, his crony, William high of continuous Whitelaw, has rate made clear will lock the exploitation, there is to be no quarter in strikers out under conditions this fight. where they are left without The future of crisis-torn policy and prey to de- capitalism stake. All is at moralization. policies which do not face The second is that lack up to that hard, central fact of a decisive policy will split are policies of betrayaf and factory against factory, send- defeat. Ford workers the back ing The Tories the cries welcome to work with the company's piecemeal union £2.40 offer- derisory pay For the gov- strikes policy. the principle of and state they ernment's strategists, control of wages - fully serve the double purpose of accepted. dissipating workers' energies So it is hardly surprising and enraging sections that vesterday trim paint, and assembly plant and body the shock troops rejected plant meetings General opposition to a three-day strike call. Strike. Harraway and his Stalinist The union leaders are fully and 'left' friends laid the of the alternatives aware groundwork this no- for facing the labour movement, strike vote with their con- right wing as the sistent refusal to place the General Council has

TUC

of General Strike policy to already made clear. the Tories force to resign First Tom Tackson, of the before Ford workers. Office then Post workers, It is in opposition to this Gormley miners' leader Toe betrayal, and those activities said unequivocally that either the All Trades Unions that General Strike must Alliance has called for called or the pay laws must mass lobby of the TUC next be accepted. the policy Mondav: on The 'lefts' and Stalinists, General Strike to force the these statements were Tories to resign and replace who frighten, know designed to them with a Labour govern- it too. pledged to socialist ment But the clearest blueprint policies. TING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY MARCH 1, 1973 • No 1010 • 4p

• THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

rday contemptuously rebuffed or decisive action against the

BY DAVID MAUDE

OUR LABOUR

backs on the mounting opposi-

CORRESPONDENT

Hospital ancillary workers demonstrating for a rise last October-before the state pay laws. They never got that rise and haven't had one since, even though prices have continued to zoom upwards.

HOSPIT

ANCILL

WOR!

BY OUR INDUSTRIAL

HOSPITAL workers who will be on strike from today against the Tory

STAFF

pay laws are not frightened by Joe Gormley's challenge to the working claim. Action with other sections of General Strike class: either the working class is vital.

nothing. "The TUC must come in here', high Feeling is running amongst he told me, at the St Mary's, Praed the 16,000 due that Street, hospital he will picket today.

'We can't win on our own. But the all-out action is the only way they will win their f4 claim. situation in the hospitals is the con- cern of everyone in the land. Every- Henry Burton, who with 400 trade the Paddington, Lon- one relies on them sooner or ater unionists in broken a leg —whether you've or don, group of hospitals will be out you're having a baby. We've got to five for days from a.m. today, action.' have more thinks that what miners' leader A porters' shop steward, in the Gormley said is right-even though National Union of Public Employ- he said it for all the wrong reasons.

Henry points to the fact that ees, 'Eventually we'll have come with several children married men total strike', he told out on me. are taking home less than £20 in a "This policy of one major hospital situation of rocketing prices and of the striking each ten ma'n rents, because of the pay laws.

areas is rubbish—it just doesn't reflect the feeling amongst THE catering staff Tom Charles re- hospital workers at all! presents at St Mary's feel the same The selective strikes policy, Henry way. They took the government's €1.84 pay offer as 'a grave insult' pointed out, can't pretend to be decisively the Even to survive, rather than live, aimed at winning

FEBRUARY

FUND-FINAL

WE CERTAINLY did not expect such a magnificent response. We thought that with a huge effort we might just reach our £1,750 target, but we never dreamt you raise would as much £2,062.91—£312.91 over the top!

How can we thank you? Your is absolutely support over- whelming. It shows the enormous sup- for Workers port that exists Press. Our paper, alone, has fought to explain the nature of crisis. As thousands of this taking up the workers are many for struggle for wages, the first time in their lives, only Press prepares them Workers for this fight. And we know it is this that wins all your support. Militancy alone will not defeat this govern- This is why we demand ment. the TUC calls a General Strike to create the industrial and poll- conditions to make this tical government resign. enormously encour- We are aged by your support. We shail try and improve our news cover- age and expand our circulation wherever possible. This is the to go from strength time 1o dear readers, strength. You, have helped us build a fighting political newspaper. Now let's press ahead as never before. Our March Fund today. Post your dons. starts tion to: Workers Press March Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London, SW4 7UG

HOSPIT

PAY

WORT

SICK

these days Tom's members have to work excessive hours of overtime, and every Sunday. "This has got to stop. But what the union leaders are doing is inade- quate to win our claim. The mem- bers, however, are not frightened to take stronger measures if the five- day stoppage doesn't do the trick.'

A LEAD in the pay struggle must come from the TUC on March 5, believes Jim Warner, NUPE branch • at London's Royal Free secretary Hospital. "The TUC should call a General Strike-that's the only way to deal with this dictatorial government, which seems to think it can make its own laws when it likes.

• Ancillary workers at four hospi- tals in Birmingham jumped the gun today and went on strike-a day early. The walk-out hit catering, laundry and cleaning services at the big Queen Elizabeth and East Bir- mingham hospitals, and at two psy- ive, chiatric hospitals.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday March 1, 1973 Up, up and up goes the cost of living 'THE TIMES' has called for a 4-per-cent be stopped, said Shore, and the govern-

WHAT WE THINK

'had taken the first step'. Its state Increase cnconte lax lol Guves day's budget, with no increase in pay according ams. Cols TOrmer contributor 'Universities and Left company taxation. Review', marked important advance big four-Lloyds, drawing its bacon subsidy-again under an It wants a cut in the budget deficit of at Yet last year all the government thinking' Midland Natwest BEC arrangements Jeast t vulm wind uruser remenmneni barclays, up record profits, up by 30 to 50 Meanwhile walle _The Labour Iron- benci ines over. the next two and also ported hisse pri es are being kept with the Tories, the trade union leaders 'rein back' in the growth of artificially high hare still as das high maintain per cent. the Stalinists Heath's and into the equivalent of about 1.5 profits. Prices This week the base of interest of acmana by rate as lasl nanos oy vernune ue

WOIKII.

cass per cent of national output. 10 houses went up to he finance simamer s DeaK ever mouea stocks di per to islate istemel a on ene at a record 84,700 tons. This is to be taken out of the pockets of Some English cise. The base isolated, pice- meal battles LOUrLE . conseculivt montuy beeduse it has ben herd oft goi cheddar going bad sualeres ine almast certain ia tolm.

the working class and would also create rate has" 'doubled market revisionisLs. Lalt lutcilaliulias a minimum level unemployment Bulding boca nenemanoa ya ası between 500,000 and 600,000.

price in orger to keen tre price un Knotsh Group, who shout for militancy while of cheddar, is now selling at 33p to be paid for the self-indulgence leaving out the political question of mUSL pound, nearly twice as much years, says as une

_IWO

leacing be Statinists the This means an increase in hire purchase Tory newspaper months aco. government, assist and … The OValue-Added Tax, April the introduction Workers who have been struggling against Labourites to divide and mislead the basic necessities like low alc

COSUS:

alle class will increase shoes and Hos v oe vo cc clothes wages are aware of little 'self-indulgence in price misled, isolated policy and by gross profiteering.

chaos that such «une on their part. 'The Times' call is by about 10 per cel. ano me covern serze ons le al oma or the midele class the power to increase the rate the attack The latest food price rise is in the retail ment has intensification capitalist alarm the middle 2.5 the first year per Workers Toe WOrNR cass Tea. to build up right-wing forces for smash- operation and then make wages are being deliberately driven changes 1cxr lcw days occaus ing the working class altogether.

of up to 20 per cent in any subsequent down. 12 The urgent task by de Rising interest rates over the past unice ne of living in this working class demanding that the By driving up the cost months now to Ihis Is amount muc east L0M. General while holding down leaders mobilize £1 a week per family in othew cost or pasin in a subsidy atosener wav. wares unacı liauc unlull living. And to follow. its state pay laws, Strike to create the worse The . eovernment sonucal 111- O1 dustrial conditions for forcing the Tory eeking provoke with 1972 the banks base lending rates rose Labour to resign. That is why the Common Market Agricultural Ministers working class. front- government from cent 4.% _TO Det cemi Peter has called for up to 9.5 bench spokesman Mr This year hàve moved Shore said Doclals! Laboul ucasut four banks* Natwest_ bas price of bacon Tuesday that it 'would be wrong a mass lobby of next Monday's special and per Coll least 5p a pound because the to dismiss out of hand' the government's TUC. We urge all workers to join this of the big u• Dy. a of Agriculture pay and prices policy! Inflation had to lobby. forecast a further rise. ts also North Vietnam seeking 'ceasefire' assurances

BRIEFLY • BRIEFLY

GOLD increased by over a dollar on the London bullion US keeps GIs in Vietnam all vurle marker vesterenv. contnuing une rayid tisa which began Tues- was fixed in the morning at $85.30 $5 •unce «unOsI on the price when the mar- opened on Monday. The rise kets

FOREIGN EDITOR JOHN SPENCER

half of the BY communists holding

THE UNITED STATES

n Cole will have Each side general flight from paper money. Key olcs. yesterday halted all fur- opsal as te eced adadin Phouma who clearly realizes that veto power. magazine Waldheim there is no other way he The now ther troop withdrawals DiNDa

VIOLENT

the the cam- cling except under puppet administrator to effect terslon me n secrelary-cencrai. Call South Vietnam leading to next Sunday's from US air umbrella. paign be empowered by the conference a huge that 'Souvanna Cavitulalcu elections Congressional Chile Laos cesetise rss idle The fact every point except one after Hanoi had said it -naT nf and have the broke the Laos should be Prime Minister- -and on Tuesdav evening violations right ceasefire DOKe OUL that the southern town Puerto no more wanld release didn't in Accordine reconvene Use i aale nauola Icaly very

SUL DISIE

Varas in clashes between the meeting. "Time' magazine, agree- of The American prisoners left-wing The fate of the Vietnam •gives thout every hist communist It adds: "As the agreement was cease-

DOLLCC

alu Orald received Pathet Lao until at Souvanna's residence, In the two months run-up war it fire looks almost just Tons. IlUW the elections, 1,000 people oniy the communists were smiling.

about the molrk aoreeneni teacreo asked 1O1 enallg assurances have been injured Laos February Within shooting. ne une erer CHecOl•

SCYCI

hours be ator sardonically "thanked the 20 was communists will Katledi land American ambassador for all his The Christian that allowed the they Democratic and vichtial 1 clalli The coming oniy liberation now control. which is about two- Sociaiist Parties bombe•

IC B

arve dolcer forces' positions thirds of the country (but only 1 his agreement lasted less thar that they will both organize vic- flown in response raid was of the population). How long can what re- tory rallies after the polling indicates was signed in the Vietnam ceasefire the land will be mains of booths Sunday, third of onecu oTed LaOLal OLIC i CIse

GOUS

regime Prince US State puppet ruler Souvanna governed by a new with contravening the ban imposed by of conne c overacc down. Interior Minister General Prats. William and North Duy Trinh Italy: Union bureaucrats play down strike

SPANISH

military has held Saigon ColdI sentenced a young Basque, Ven- and on

NIGH

ancio Luluaga, years im- dam- Clarces of US service- Club sin Sebastian Candy Bar bo miT The men from Vietnam were in a petrol stopped yesterday, raid has also to pay. suludsd €12,000 fine. His defence told the accorull lo Saigon. Santander court the charge was are nedy 12,000 a complete frame-up. far North has e o cae freed 562

AMERICAN

diplomats pet edais pe ince aetle do open PrisCs the ceasefire Te ensed Incer *Taisor agreed upon •nice But it polnted out disit. it is exp ted to be locate" Henry Kissinger's Front National built in a new en wass. quarter prisoners •elanuees since the 'cultural revolution'. in the The mission will be headed by planned. diplomat of ambassadorial rank. Hanoi has accused the Peking ettigimply carig sit in South forces (still Peking and simply calling by Ameri- another name elated Ameri. can nID- avisers ) maKIIY can offic al exclaimed. bling' arpas ne eln the south raised the

LISBON'S

criminal court ser- young Portuguese rea, blue and tencee ave the have to prison sentences of from time by years

SIX

Thev Docll 1 ucoud) being mem- WClC Cullviclee secret cell of the Por- South Air Force. tuguese Party. The prosecution claimed One of the 'General Strike' demonstrations in that thev ¡uesaay-nis one s in Mhdu 1TC

WCIC

olanle arunee Insurrec. Vietnam is THE 14 million workers offered solution acceptance or the Com- tion' Portuguese emigrants WiTh withdrawal of troops who participated in the the 'difficult economic coun- mon Market. in Europe. situation' increasing policy from the south. years ago, star cred haner di "ricor however, Hanoi demonstra- demand. Commun. the Italian CP was NOlNIS

FRENCH

pilots con- arine that the South tions throughout Italy Ist architect the

EEC,

which At Taranto, CISL sec- against tinued their two-day strike is a puppet of US and that Tuesday of protest were tola Scalia called for yesterday CrE•S protest against the velaly, pursult the US blunt v by the 'collaboration of de facto reality. military take-over • le of all Lalle that the only of palers the active forces Te oru. in the Bưt the acceptance trafic controllers control.

AVT

clash the main perspective was pres of de facto reality are demanding the right colly To nene GrONO- sure' the Andreotti mic and social de- strike by law sonalulics does not that we the King HIGaT: aovernment for a bette 1964- comerence The veoonet. increases Hicn.e. -alla Wasc conference deal. Wn Ce crisis and that the commun- The economic poveroment reruses to necotiate supposed to the Communist The limits of ge

CGIL

do not to and has declared the Firenze, Italy, the growth Party that 'outlaws'. or ure Ceaselle beyond union grave secreldry Lalla TASCISa netne basic

LUCE

govern- dangers facing the a@cuced TOr

COP•AROI

NLF

have succeeded ment of 'supporting the trade union throughout Europe.' Italian THE DOLLAR was at its parity United Nations, communist parties in excluding. actions employ- movement were far the Europe. British CP floor Holland, forcing from secretary the 13 one Gollan Dutch ers . trom The were all John replied central bank buy talks. When com- ararling _Ine bureaucrats intent on UN Storti, the CISL gene the the against mittee

COLDETE

donars SuDDOT the restraining mass. whom North ral secretary, national companies, against European rate. There was also some selling representative, British Community, but we are of dollars the Frankfurt and objected, movemen even on Vietnam anao MaSS webume Europe. They take their ini- against w'as absent. the struggle Paris exchanges

Workers Press, Thursday March 1, 1973

PAGE 3

PAGEANT DIARY

Merthys and Middleton The Road to Workers Power Pageant casts double in a week Siren to leading member NUMBERS taking part leading member the Manchester of 'Music Force'. muses co-operative in Manchester.

episode of the Pageant Vic has written have doubled in the past songs celent ana incidental week and there is now a music for the Pageant. One 'The Chartist Marching cast of 50 to play the castles ln a sunse Chartist Peterloo and and powerful way the feeling determination and the joy o episodes of working-class the early Chartists. history. It is already a big favourite the people taking part. Extra the Manchester ser- tant in Manchester The growth in the Man. tion of the Road to Workers' chester campaign has led to Power'. since there important political results.

many A thriving Young Socialist workers' 100, branch has been established se nacones Mass Estate Chartist rally on the moors.

Langley Lical Middleton. Yesterday the Peterloo episode rehearsed with The drive out to workers was and youth continues. ful contingents - the General workers at the Shell Carrington site near seconds before Manchester have bought the cavalry charge. tickets for Pool Empire Another important devel- rally. Now the craft section Director In South Wales Roy Battersby (centra) talks to the Merthyr Tydill cast-now numbering over 60.

opment has been the is considering support. Rent fight tenants back campaign

TWO

KEEN

supporters of They vonne told me, With hundreds without get repairs inDossible of other the South Wales Pageant fight, 'not done on , our estate, are Maureen Bent- th 50p like Clay Cross. They But won't, it campaign are ample. will and Yvonne Price house. the much council but

CLUS LORRY

OLTALK HII

wives and tenants' leaders slapped on they are still fighting •i tie money men. from the Gurnas estate, the council on February Maureen pays £4.47 for a "This is not the last of it, the housine said Yvonne. Merthyr Tydfil. three-bedroom council house.

They will The 2,000 people living on evictedom 1so re cre 11 HOre license: Gurnas were let down badly department in Merthyr for 'We. could afford to pay "fair rent" level so-called by Merthyr's canvass people But why should more. we. •We paying their rents. met an old lady the It's a question of council which collapsed and But the fight will go on.

implemented rent rises other dav. Her rent went ur we pay enough already un 98P' ha der Tory Housing der these Tories. Prices are but she gets only Finance Act. goin you co said. 20p of paid the by re- "That's said Maureen, bate. for Now Maureen and Yvonne. who has three guarantee my

LICAL

within roup desperatets, are 'We week gone, children. that it would go to improve Tne She fighting desperate that because we backed the housing situation That's what these increases Yvonne Price (loft). and Maureen Bentley who are would mean to poorer people? them they would stand firm.'

action defy the be so bad. continuing to aery ue rory tell Act.

Brolly brigade

CATCH

UP! 'standing on

SCS

PRU

our own

DONTLET

THE CIVIL

SERVANT

Pay Campoi

BETHE

two feet'

WHIPPING

JOIN IN

BOY!

STAYING

On Tuesday civil servants-like those from Stal Atonion Manchester (see right)stopped work for the day, closing government buildings, airport con- trol towers, Social Security offices, customs and so on. Here Philip Wade talks to three London civil servants who explain why they struck. General FOR THE first time in 60 'The reason we're fighting

ONE,

the key issues was disgraceful. THE TORIES had to be forced to a Or pay is because won't get by Election, was what Lawrence Waite (22) from civil liv- here were young people, years were CIVIl servants servalts polite had standing on their own two just being in and around central from the Department of the Environment told me. W110 and talking over Begin tab table. England, earn. the north

COT

'We can't be The feet, demanding the right impossibility pushed any

LONOON

Ene around This is only the ing f9 or £10 a week, low-paid of buying a house or finding has turned. All the workers higher wages for what worm finding practically starving in

WCIC

the they do. somewhere decent to live on like us, gasworkers and the hospital feet.' •rocess. the salaries paid. workers should get together.

strike about time this White-collar to cers, he I've been the Civil took place- -it should told had in me, consider An executive officer in Service nine years and after Lawrence had just come off the first picket duty happened ago,' have vears mense ves Darl Ray- of the that you go anywhere had been in his life Rising the task, one on to Reg Williams, a member whole working class Bri- Billyard, told is stay and else. All I can building Civil and Public Ser- and he had turned away oll tankers the are united had been married and who agreed not to cross the those fighting nont to morove concons. Vices ASsociation execulive

SUDDOLL

couldn't picket.

MOREOS

SUl committee told me. like the gasworkers and the find a house to live in. The reason we're out on It is the beginning of an hospital strike of the un- in the service, he was still only Alex years historic his executive It's change for civil ser. ridiculous. They're earning about £23 week. married derlying situation where only I've just got vants. contemplating asking £14,500 for house one expected and have wades are suboressed to live in a bea-sit because or that.

the support we did.' out strike but and Earlsfield [south London]. nothing is done about prices were selective 15-20 per and profits. •We want a bloody decent wage so I can buy a sel yalls call all. we need finished relying Familv guerrilla cent to be able to live. house and family. There's no doubt we'll raise Income Supplements Williams thought the Now that the Tories had strike again shortly.' €1,800 about ouL on heading make their wages, towards broken the agreed method of w as which some people say that veal. What the General Strike.

OUT

certine their salary increases.

concerned unowever

(DOSS -

is not bad. But it doesn't go grades- -even when *Heath can please himself servants would now bility of the civil servants being left to fight alone Cel lalli would the person was 21 and mar- when he to the coun- claim 'The

TUC

won't even make a declaration of sup- goes have to put like cover mortgage repayments.'

entitled They're too Whatever happens busy getting themselves knight.

everone ese did sunke ove.

DOLL

claim the maximum in Among the lower grades, it, he thought. hoods.' Ior hiding,

PAGE & Workers Press, Thursday a 1, 1873

A POLICY

TO MEET

THE CRISIS

OUR

• STOPPAGE

* TODAY

IS FOR

JUSTICE

ON PAY

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 cost of living. Large sections of these workers openly acknowledge that the only answer to their fight to maintain a decent standard of living is a That is, the creation of the industrial and political General Strike. conditions which will force the government to resign.

This can only In its place must be elec- be guaranteed. banded and fully exposed. The be done by breaking the grip ted Labour government secrets of capitalist ownership on the tration in this sphere must be which is pledged by the mass Employed and published. All rights to assem. action of the working class to cronomy U. - employed must unite to insist bly, free speech and the Press implement socialist policies.

on Labour government na- must be guaranteed. We 'pledged to the pist tionalizing the main industries say policies' knowing that pre- and banks, under workers' 5) The right to a higher stan- sent leaders of the Labour move.

control and without compen- dard of living, It is the not ment have no intention of intro- sation. of ducing such policies. Indeed, living standards trade The begin whil be peated to mon of com struggle must but the profit analysis some of them unionists,

DVD-

now. No closures, no sackings, tem, which causes the crisis. tion government with the Tories must be the policy of the trade The first step must be to head off the working class.

Occupation unions. of fac- propriate all the great fortunes But if tories threatened with closure, the working, class is the down Cose strong enough to force the Tories the fight to bring Stock Exchange, place a state ao vall down the Tories. out, It ls strong enough to deal control over all movements of This can only be achieved with the traitors own capital and of the 1n 3) The democratic right to country. by, exposing them in strike and to organize in trade Nationalization of the basic an alternative socialist policy.

unions. Only the organized industries and of all large com- st La Commettee the working class can lead man- panies, banks, building and in- Socialist League kind of the historical out surance societies will the working class provide crisis. Every right and every policies to the resources for unified DOrT rollowing gain won by the working class, unite the working class, against the plan improve living To this Toreather teadership of the Tories every democratic right in Bri- standards of the whole people.

tain, has been because Workers' wON control of these, labour movement: of the organized strength of well as the present national- Here is the policy which the unions and the strike ized industries, will run them next Labour government must weapon. in the interests of the workers be forced to carry out. A Labour government must and consumers immediately repeal the Indus- Again, the fight must. begin 1) A Labour government must trial Relations Act. This fight now. State control of wages immediately repeal the Indus- must begin now by forcing the must be answered by the most trial Relations Act, Housing TUC to break off all relations widespread fight for wage in- Finance Act, Immigration Acts, with government and Ine price Fair Trading Act and all wage meet rises Creases mobilize the working class to and improve standards. This control. After the repeal of all destroy state control of wages.

means a fight to remove the Tory anti-working class mea- Tory government and sures, there must change be legislation 4) The right to defend rights the union leadership. implement the Charter of LO and change won in the past Basic Rights, along the follow- the system. All the changes in 6) The right to health and wel- lines. legal procedures made by the fare benetts. Every lory gov.

2) The right to work! Capital- Tory government must be re- welfare bene- cut in ernment demands mass unemploy- secret and fits, in the health service and •eared Al ponce ment. The right to a job must MI5 organizations must be dis- all spending public must I would like information about

THE SOCIALIST

LABOUR LEAGUE

Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

SECRETARY,

SOCIALIST

LABOUR

LEAGUE,

186a CLAPHAM HIGH ST, LONDON SW4 7UG.

Name. Address. 1971

DECAN SEP

,FAIR PAY

wages

COME AND 75*3

pay

JOIN US

1973 bills

OUR

STOPPAGE

TODAY

IS FOR

JUSTIC

ON PA

be revoked. On the basis of nationalization, pro- of expansion of ser- gramme vices unemployed, the Tune low-paid, the sick and the aged must be undertaken an absolute priority. The working class and the Labour govern- ment must take immediate and absolute responsibility for these victims of the capitalist system. 7) The right to decent housing.

Decent housing is not a luxury; it is a necessity. People have the basic right decent accommodation they at rents afford. Nationalization of the handful of building mono- polies and building societies will provide the basis for massive of new programme house building. The disgraceful the homeless problem of in the cities must be immediately solved by census and taking- over of all unoccupied pro- perLy. 8) The international respon- sibilities of the working class.

The working class Wilcild. tional. We fight for the un- restricted right of any worker nationality of ly through the world. move freely Withdraw the troops from Ireland. Unite the Irish and British working class to throw out the Lynch and Heath gov- entless Unite in the struggle for the Socialist of anited eater Europe, the only alternative to

ANTI-TORY RALLY

AND PAGEANT OF HISTORY

"ROAD TO WORKERS POWER"

DEFEND ALL DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Unite in action to make this Tory government resign Defend trade unionism and basic living standards The road to power is through the building of the revolutionary party speakers. gasmen, hospital workers, car workers Gary Gurmeet, Editor Keep Left G. Healy, National Secretary, SLL Cabaret in the evening featuring:

ALAN PRICE

JACK BRUCE

TICKETS {1. COACHES AND TRAINS LEAVING FROM ALL AREAS.

FACED TO

THE CNA

LAM ELD

SUPPORT

CIVIL

CUSTO

SERVICE

PAY

CLAIM

BY

OUT

the Common Market plans for dictatorship. Withdraw all British troops from abroad and disband the present standing army. Sign treaties with all ex- colonial countries for pro.

grammes of equal trade and mutual assistance, Break from NATO and all imperialist alliances. For the carrying out of such policies the SLL fights for the Councils of setting up Action to lead the struggle against the Tory government in every area. These Councils • unite trade unionists, tenants, unemployed, all political par- and tendencies of the ties 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 take up their inescapable re- sponsibilities. The building of the revolutionary party is the burning question now, not in some remote future. The SLI is determined to carry through its transformation into a re- volutionary party. We appeal to all readers of the Workers Press and our supporters to join the SLL and help transförm it into a revolutionary party.

F HISTORY

RATIC RIGHTS

ory government resign asic living standards ding of the revolutionary party , car workers ig featuring:

ELLIS

EAVING FROM ALL AREAS.

NO UNITED CURRENCY

The devaluation of the dollar and the crisis on the European money markets has demonstra- ted once again the Uto- pian character of the Market's Common scheme for monetary union. The Finance Ministers of the nine, who met in Brussels in the immediate aftermath of the dollar devaluation two weeks ago, tried to put as good a face as possible on the disaster.

They confirmed that the European Monetary Co-opera- tion Fund will be set up on schedule on April 1. They also decided to advance the dead- lines set at the Paris summit last year for two reports on further steps to monetary union. These decisions fooled no- body. The general concensus of the Press commentators was that far from coming closer, monetary union was in fact getting further away than ever.

the Finance Just before Ministers met, Italy floated the lira, devaluing it against the other EEC currencies and opt- ing out of the famous 'snake in the tunnel' scheme to main- tain uniform Common Market currency parities. The Italian float was top of the agenda at Brussels and undoubtedly led to some acrimonious exchanges. The Italian decision violated the 11-month-old agreement by the

EEC

• countries to link their parities together as a step to- wards unity. Not only did the lira float violate this commitment, it also complicated the already market farm system complex which relies on fixed parities to work out what each country should receive for farm sub- sidies and levies. Anger among smaller states The Italian move was not the only bone of contention between the Finance Ministers.

There was considerable anger among the smaller

EEC

member states at the cavalier treatment they received from the Big Three during the monetary crisis. Countries like Belgium and Denmark felt the question had decided behind their been backs. There was no meeting of all EEC Finance Ministers during the crisis-they were simply called together after it over to hear what had was been decided. Market's executive The commission played no role at all during the turmoil on the foreign exchange markets and one point the Finance at Ministers of Britain, France and West Germany held their own private meeting, prompt- ing the Benelux countries to lodge a protest. Guido Carli, Above: president of the Bank of Italy. The image of Market unity was further tarnished when German Finance Minister Helmut Schmidt announced that the Big Three had failed a common solution to find because London refused to join Paris and Bonn in a joint float of their currencies against the dollar. Schmidt added, as a kind of consolation prize, that such a float would be organized, at least in principle ... next time there was a dollar crisis!

Above. German Finance Minister Schmi The anodyne communiqué announcing the speeding up of monetary union plans is at best an attempt to paper over the cracks. The 'Financial Times' commented somewhat acidly: "The Community has made so many false starts along the road to monetary union by fail- ing to grapple with the harsh realities of economic life that it is difficult to feel confident statement of that the latest intent really will produce an effective and durable agree- ment.' The paper pointed out that —nearly a year after the 'snake' project first began to operate -'the pound, the Irish pound and the lira are floating, the French and Belgians have two- tier markets and the Germans have multiplied their exchange controls'. It also cast doubts Schmidt's dream of a joint float next time the mark comes under pressure. The paper said the Finance Ministers had 'produced any evidence not that they will be able to re- duce the underlying economic discrepancies which are bound to make it difficult to hold the snake together, or that the stronger economies in the com- munity will be prepared to pay the price for helping the weaker'. This can only be construed as classic understatement. The that crisis plainly revealed of the there is no unity European employers in the face of the American onslaught— an onslaught which has only just begun. The position perhaps was best summed up by Guido Car- li, the president of the Bank of Italy, who gave a devastating assessment of the prospects (or lack of prospects) for Euro- pean monetary union in a re- cent address to financial journ- alists: Not only have we not made progress on the path towards have in fact union, but we gone backwards' postponing The idea of economic union until monetary union had been achieved was.

wrong, Carli said. "The hope that through monetary techniques we can ter Schmidt. A float to be organized next time overcome structural differences and legislative deformations now Carli pointed out that mone- tary union presupposed a uniform system of legislation throughout the EEC on such questions as stock exchanges, investment tunds, company law and property. No monetary unification Italy, he said, had yet to bring in any of the measures which were supposed to bring its economy into line with the other states. In other words, monetary unification inside the EEC is further away than ever.

Eighteen months after Aug- ust 15, 1971, the day Nixon Writings of Of

WRITHIGS

LEON TROTSHY

Leon Trotsky 11322-38 (1938-8)

WRITINGS OF

WRITINGS OF

LEON

LEON

TROTSKU

(1933-34) (1834-35 Six volumes of Trotsky's writings during the years 1933-1940 £8.00 including postage Please tick those you requi Name Address Complete form and post to: New Park Publications, 18 A New Park Publicat gold ended backing for the dollar

EEC

countries are more divided than ever before.

Not only does this demon the great depth of the surale political and i Crisis econome facing the Common Market, but it also serves as a warning to the working class of Europe.

Lenin, writing 58 years ago War I the height World characterized the perspective of capitalist unity in Europe as follows: ...A united states of Europe is possible as an agreement between the Euro. pean capitalists .. but what Only for the purpose for? jointly suppressing socialism in Europe, of jointly protect- colonial ing against Japan and America, which feel badly done out of their share by the present division of the

ANNOUNCING...

History of Russian Revolution —special gut pack of three volumes £1.70 including postage Please tick those you require. Amount enclosed f New Park Publications, 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG A New Park Publications Booklist is a vailable, free, on request.

ross, Thursday March 1, 1973 PAGE 5 colonies and which for the last half century have grown than strong infinitely faster backward, monarchist Europe.

Compared with the United States of America, Europe as whole signifies economic a stagnation. On the present economic basis, i.e., under capitalism, a United States of Europe would mean the organ- ization of reaction to retard the more rapid develop- ment of America. The more the European bourgeoisie are driven into crisis and disunity, the more they are driven together to fight the working class of the entire continent. The break-up of Common Market relationships under the impact of the Nixon measures and the dollar devaluation can only be seen in this light.

Trotsky—a documentary by Francis Wyndham and David King {1.65 including postage eet, London SW4 7UG able, free, on request.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday March 1,

BY IAN YEATS

As Britain's shipbuilders anxiously await the gov- ernment's nearly comple- ted report on the indus- try's future, they face disaster of unparalleled dimensions. Only last year the Tories came to the industry's rescue with a f50m handout spread over three years-£10m more than in the previous four years.

In the month before the 1972 Anthony Barber budget, the shipbuilders waged an in- defatigable campaign for cash aid, including among their spokesmen the government's own chief economic adviser.

On March 2,, 1972 This Donald MacDougal said: is an industry where other countries are giving assistance to their own firms. On these grounds it is very hard to resist the conclusion that we should go some or all the way matching this kind of to assistance.' managing director of Scott-Lithgow's — one of Bri- tain's forward-looking most shipbuilders, Mr A. Ross Beich, warned that a 'cash injection' on the scale of the £35m given Thursday March 1, 1973 Upper to the nOW defunct Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) was needed even by his own com- pany to restore 'the financial strength drained by galloping inflation'. In the face of a concerted lobby by the shipbuilders, their friends and their MPs in April last year, the Tories came across with £50m in grants and loans to help with the modern- ization it was claimed was crucial for survival. time they At the same appointed a firm of consultants, Booz, Allan and Hamilton, to investigate the cash needs of the industry and a draft of their report was handed to the government a fortnight ago.

Speculation suggests that demands from shipbuilders for bigger handouts - over even £200m according to Press leaks —are likely. But only six months after Barber's budget generosity, their plight has so deteriorated that even cash is unlikely to be sufficient. On October 10, 1972, the newly-elected president of the Shipbuilders' Repairers' and National Association, Mr Tony Greenwell, warned that money was only one of the things the industry wanted—the other was protection. He said: 'In this country the larger yards have work for another year or two, but some the medium and smaller yards are already close to the stage where redundancies are inevitable.' Sure enough, less than four months later redundancies were declared at one of Britain's stumbling small yards — Robb and Caledon at Dundee. Greenwell called, predictably, for cash aid from the govern- ment, but the cal! was given a new twist by his plea that the money should go to ship- owners not shipbuilders. More important, and for the he called for con- first time, certed action' to prevent Japan from coming to dominate the world's shipbuilding markets.

said: 'Our entry next year into the EEC provides an opportunity for participation in a Éuropean policy. "The time is certainly right because our colleagues in the European shipyards are sufter- ing just as much as we are.

'There number of are possible approaches, but if negotiations with Japanese ship- builders cannot produce results, then EEC maritime interests, and the vast employment they provide, must safeguarded by action from all EEC govern- ments.' Last week the position had hardened yet again and S&RNA spokesman told me a maritime european now number one policy was on the agenda. Common Market shipbuilders have operated under tariff-free conditions the war in since sharp contrast pro- With the heavily-subsidized tected and Japanese industry. Japanese competition has reached critical levels with for output accounting 50 per cent of world over markets-more than all Europe put together. There have already been lengthy talks between Japan ĚEC and representatives wasn't for the orders from Maritime Fruit Carriers, the yards w Swan Hunter vards_-t it signing of the Treaty of Rome forced him to pitch his hand out to British shipbuilders.

limiting Japanese capacity, cur- Workers Press, Thursday rently at 12,835,000 running ions a year. All such advances have been rabufied and, alongside frantic modernization and rationaliza- 1: 3 terr rome Brish British snipbuilders is European mounung The

S&RNA

spokesman told It is a vicious circle. nothing done, will fail and then there will be no modernization. Europe will fall further behind. firm decision No has yei been taken, but it almost cer- tainly will be slump, flected in freight rates, worsens.

An added incentive to this type of 'aid' are the Market's own sties. Signing the Treaty of Rome forced Barber pitch to his hand-out ship- artisa builders at a diminishing rate, starting in 1972 at 10 per cent of contract price and sliding down to 4 per cent this year and 3 per cent next. The call for subsidies to rather shipowners than ship- yard builders, which would like to see re- owners peated in the Booz, Alien and Hamilton report, is an attempt to get round the problem. The S&RNA would certainly like to see incentives to cus- tomers, but whether the Tories now afford such subsidies is open to grave doubt. Yarrow wiserved last summer The writing, Sir Eric with his acid 'Only the most competitive will survive', is the British wall for ship- builders. It can be little comfort for the majority to know that Belfast's Harland and Wolff has the capacity turn Britain's all 36 as much as other shipbuilders put together.

At a million tons the heavıly Northeri Ireland yards aided aotal UK capacito. 250,000 tons under are More alarming still, in the of 1972 British yards built only 839,000 tons gross, 86,000 leaving tons excess capacity. full extent The of surplus disguised the capacity fact that most of them work the basis of single The total number of ships launched from British yards has fallen steadily in the five years since 1968. 1971 the number of Up to with the new orders placed 207 in shipbuilders fell from 1968 to 70. But at the end of 1972 there 'recovery' due was slight primarily to just two factors, the movement and Russia, India demand for the triggered so-called US the by energy crisis. Most observers agree that both these phenomena al C disappear this likely to by summer at earliest next summer at the latest.

for The orders responsible boosting order temporarı t books have come in the last Britain six months and in the last six weeks. In line with European trends, they could withdrawn just as quickly.

Part of what the

S&RNA

calls the 'astronomical' leap in orders is based on the specula- tion of two Israeli business- men, Milor Brenner and Yaacov Mirador. Owners of the Haifa-based Maritime Fruit Carriers, they placed orders for 20 ships £150m with swan world Hunter - literally the saving yards-and orders for six giant 330.000-ton tankers worth £600m with Harland and Wolff.

The signals began danger flashing within days of their massive order when, February 19, Michael Baily of almost immediately. Right: Anthony Barber-the the yards would run work asked in 'The Times': 'Are the British shipbulders. Above: Shipbuliding on the Upper Clyde ers Press, Thursday March 1, 1973 PAGE 7 freight markets beginning to cloud over? He concinded tha: the :ares for dru C2'3063 and tackers were levellinz cut--e surr sigi turn spotted that Ine and grain mozeteris: coming to an end Yet by their own admission.

these are the very markets or Brenner and which Mirader to expand are counting they are in no position And to withstand the bottom fall- ing out of the market. The has book company assets of $450m, but debis of $250m and an equity base of a mere $3lm. Moreover the $2,500m it hopes to recover in charters is spread over the next 14 years and is wide open to the winds of recession. The things that could stop the company forking out the $1,450m to Swan Hunter and Harland and Wolff are enough to send shivers down the bravest shipbuilders' spines.

Significantiy on February 18 Times' Business 'Sunday the News noted: 'The fortunes of shipbuilding in- the British dustry rests to a large extent on its [Marine Fruit Carriers] patronage.' The statistics bear this out.

The rise in new ship orders from 1971 to date totalled 39 ships—26 of them lodged by the Israelis. Without these orders Har- land and Wolff would still have to fall back naval contracts on, but Swan Hunter would out of work almost run immediately. world shipbuilding With capacity consistently outstrip- ping the growth of trade, the builders are faced with a des- need to drive down perate costs. European yards have been modernizing since the end of the 1960s and in the past two years all Britain's major ship- yards have put modernization programmes in hand. Most have opted for new, covered yards with maximum mechanization and computer- of control and the process labour - intensive scrapping 19th-century plant is under way. Austin and Pickersgill, Swan Devon, Hunter, Appledore in Harland and Wolff, Scott- Lithgow at Greenock, Court Line (Doxford and Sunderland Shipbuilders group), Govan and Robb Caledon and Hall Russell (Dundee and Aberdeen) all have multi-million pound schemes on hand. of these are depen- Much dent on Tory cash, but despite the modernization, thinning order books continue to hold out the prospect of a bleak future. The Tories will doubtless have this firmly in mind when they consider the Booz, Allen and Hamilton report. If there is a chance at all for British shipbuilders it lies, as the S&RNA confirmed, in increased capacity. But this by no means means more yards, or even the present total.

It means fewer but larger units on the lines of Harland and Wolff and Scott-Lithgow, with fewer men working round the clock. For some there is more hope Harland and than others. Wolff, the Vosper Thorneycroft and at Southampton group Yarrow's on the Clyde are all involved in naval work. Appledore and Austin and Pickersgill specialize in small ships of 15,000 tons and less, although even here demand is falling off But the future for Swan Hunter, Govan Shipbuilders on the upper Clyde, Cammel Laird and small Birkenhead at Caledon builders like Robb looks set decisively in the of shutdowns and direction big redundancies.

ROADS TO CORPORATISM

PAGE & Workers Press, Thuraday Mar By our industrial corresponde The ruling class and the labour movement bureau- cracy are now proceed- ing at headlong speed to- wards corporatism in Britain. Plans for tying the trade union movement permanently to the big capitalist corpora- tions are already in a highly advanced stage. These plans, of which the working class has been told nothing, are being discussed daily and in detail by right wing and Stalinist trade union leaders at various levels and in various localities. The drive towards cor- poratism has been spearheaded by the Tories labour courts (the National Industrial Rela- tions Court and the industrial tribunals), and the newly estab- lished Pay Board which will police the state control of wages. The main fight now facing workers is to make sure that the reformist and fake 'left' trade union leaders are pre- vented \from selling out the working basic rights of the class through co-operating with these agencies, and to insist leaderships instead that new are put in to mobilize for the defeat of the Tories. The essential task of these two agencies is to get the idea accepted that conflicts of in- terest between workers and management can be reconciled through fair and impartial judgements from the guardians of 'the public interest', the NIRC and the Board. But away from the glare of publicity surrounding these main avenues of class collab- oration, which in reality entail the further domination of the working class by the bour- geoisie, corporatist thinking is raday March 1, 1873 spondent, Royston Bull being peddled in a variety of new ways. In Brussels, at the head- monopolists' quarters of the Common Market, TUC leaders led by Victor Feather and Jack Jones have just come out of talks for forming an alliance between the Common Market orientated trade unions and the

TUC.

Feather has elected been president of the newly-formed European TUC. In presenting Feather to the Brussels con- ference, the German TUC pre- sident Heinz Vetter, who acted as king-maker, declared that all member countries should participate in the work of the

EEC.

Thus despite overwhelming majorities at both the TUC and Labour Party conferences for a complete boycott of all Common Market institutions, the TUC leaders, led by the pro-Market Feather, edge closer and closer to open col- laboration with the employer- dominated EBC institutions.

Meanwhile back in this coun- try, a TUC study group, in- cluding Hugh Scanlon and Jones as members, has actu- • been discussing, at the Tory government's request, the introduction of Common Mar- ket corporatist legislation into Britain. Thus the TUC's acceptance "in principle' of worker repre- sentation opens the door wide to corporatism. The proposals, announced by the EEC a few months ago, are dressed up under the title 'industrial democracy'. At their core is one of the greatest illusions of all—and one of the most dangerous.

That by putting worker direc- tors' onto the boards of com- panies, somehow the working class gets equality of control over capitalism. The Common Market 'indus- trial democracy' proposals are a fraud. They are based on the of co-determination system of Germany which was imposed by the allies after the war and enthusiastically is now being peddled everywhere. The essence of co-determi- nation, described in detail later, is to tie workers hand and foot to their company's interest by a series of joint- partnership measures, all of which keep alive the ideology of 'mutual interest between workers and management. At the same time as co- determination instils a com- pany union mentality in the raises workforce, the law obstacles to real trade union- ism getting a hold on the factories. As a result, there is con- siderably less trade union or- ganization in Germany than in Britain, and the German unions have allowed themselves to be shackled by endless punitive legal restraints on their free- dom of action. This is the system which the Stalinists and TUC bureaucrats are now inviting into Britain at a time when the Tory gov- ernment is searching desper- ately for new ways of sowing division and confusion in the working class. these The Tories welcome diversions with open arms in a period when they are preparing for a showdown with the trade union movement. The government is now forced by the calamatous nature of the economic crisis to reduce unit labour costs or ing else fail to survive the coming trade war. This means cutting wages in effect, and to do it they have had to introduce laws wages and other ta controlling laws to control the trade unions. They are preparing to use power-courts, fines, state imprisonment, police raids— to win the coming confronta- tion with the working class.

It is in this period that the right wing TUC leaders, the ', and the Stalinists - 'lefts', all the bureaucrats—come to- gether in an unholy alliance in the face of the rising mili- tancy of the working class.

These leaders are

SO COI-

rupted by bourgeios ideology that they find the idea of a working class seizure of power incomprehensible and are hos- tile to it. Thus, when the working class is getting ready for the it biggest political challenge has ever faced as a result of onslaught on its basic the rights by the ruling class, the gentlemen TUC leaders are preparing to go back to Down- ing street to announce their acceptance of the kind invita- tion to join the boards of the big corporations. No wonder that the 'Finan- cial Times' reported with some glee last week: "TUC leaders have come down for time in favour of the first worker-directors being ap- pointed to company boards following a request from the give their government to two-tier European views on companies. This marks a major switch of policy, particularly for some left-wing union leaders such as Mr Jack Jones of the transport workers, who have traditionally believed that the functions of management and should be kept unions separate' Lord Goodman, Victor Feather and Dennis Hamilton at the Fan- celebrations. fare for Europe Feather edges closer and closer to open collaboration with EEC institutions. The third area where the corporatist idea is being pro- union leaders is moted by within British industry. the Apart from more obvious class collaboration go- ing on in bodies like the In- dustrial Society, which pro- motes co-partnership confer- ences and gets its funds mainly from big business plus a few big union subs from the leaders, corporatist solutions are being put forward within individual industries. The latest is the car indus- try. A document prepared by leading union bureaucrats is being pushed at district auto- of the motive committees Transport and General Work- ers' Union. Called 'Policy for the vehicle building and automo- tive industry, it advocates a straight corporatist set-up.

The objective, it states, is 'to achieve genuine equality between capital and labour by 1980'. In view of the class war that is about to break out, unleashed by the Tories, one side these wonders whose gentlemen are on. This "equality' would give, the policy goes on, 'joint control of the industry rang- ing from day-to-day opera- tions to shaping the future development and the alloca- tion of all resources.' Presumably there will be a committee system for demo- cratic decision-taking. In which case why not make all the members of such com- mittees equal? Why should some who are sharing this 'joint control' remain the owners of the capital, and the rest be exploited by it? There is, of course, no The very notion of answer. such a happy alliance of such obviously unequal partners is a piece of the purest idiocy.

The document, therefore, is founded on a complete non- sense. And it has to stick with the fradulent idea from first to last because at no point can its authors bring themselves to face the ques- tion: Who will take the capi- her tal away from the capital ade owners? They cannot ask the ques- tion because to pose it means at the same time giving the answer: No one, unless they are willing to fight the capi- talists for it. Everyone knows that the capitalists will not give it up without a fight.

And this is the essence of all the corporatist-collabora- tionist plans. The proposals nothing but a piece of are mystification, introduced with one purpose only. To obscure the question of class power. Because what every pro- blem facing the working class now brings up is the ques- tion of who shall rule: Them or us.? And whose will shall prevail: Theirs or ours? trade union bureau- The cracy dimly • understands that something is disturbing the traditional compromise rela- tions between themselves and ruling class, their but the it whole • background makes impossible for them ever to understand in a revolutionary way the question: Whose power? And least of all to give the correct answer. And so either by default or design, they must inevit- ably end up on the side of the counter-revolution. Be- cause they cannot make the revolution, the bureaucracy including the Stalinists, must willy-nilly throw in their lot with extreme reaction. These early moves towards corporatism are the start of this process of complete de- generation of the trade union bureaucracy. Feather and com- pany are not just getting in the way. They must be seen as part of the enemy.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

SENTENCED

Melvyn Leslie Bronstein, of the Divine Light member religious sect, con- has been victed and sent to prison for six months for allowing drug- smoking on his premises When raided his ponce house, Bronstein said: You came looking in my house for drugs—you never came looking You only find what for love. you are looking for.' The Bronstein right. was police discovered traces cannabis in cigarette ends. In dismissing his appeal last week Caulfield said the Mr Justice 'rather lenient' was. TH MP All of a sudden Eric Heffer has hit upon the idea of intro- ducing a Bill into the House Commons aimed at ending labour-only sub-contracting, or the lump, as it is better known.

Many will building

WULACLO

Heffer's to know why want Private Members' Bill this time is connected with the industry.

Last year, some will remem- Heffer drew lucky ber, when in the ballot for a private Bill he chose the abolition of hare would believe, coursing, as the subject for reform.

UCS TABLE

Henry Fry. secretary the Trade Union Labour Co- History Society, has operative acquired really fascinating exhibit for the his museum society planning to open 1S shortly. table, It's perfectly ordinary plastic-topped can- teen table. But apparently Henry and his clumsily-titled

POLITICAL PROFILES

Now available from New Park Publications 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG society (understandably, they prefer to be known as TULC) they've got a real believe crowd-puller. The table's only historical significance is that the UCS shop stewards' co-ordinatins committee used it to sit rounc while what the planning and Municipal Wor- General kers' Union journal describe as 'their successful campaign for the survival of the yards' In other words, it was across its boards that the decision to reformist masquerade the 'work-in' tactic as a militant struggle against unemployment was first fought for by the stewards' leaders. Stalinist Hence the enthusiasm of the G&MWU leaders' official organ.

TULC could have quite a field day with this sort of thing —it could set up a special section devoted to 'Furniture which Historic Betrayals on were Hatched'. Tory spokesmen quite are, naturally, doing their best to give the impression that Value- Added Tax has nothing to do with more price rises. Why, we are told, prices are going down in some actually cases, didn't you know? Of course, none of this is true. Living proof has come from the honest and respected Wine Growers' Association, established in 1870. In the last week or so they have issued a wine list. No- thing strange in that, except it is marked 'Pre-VAT 1973' and is followed by this interest- ing and self-explanatory state- ment: 'With the introduction of VAT from April 1, we anti- cipate that all fine wine-buyers in the United Kingdom will be faced with an immediate and unavoidable price increase. Our aim in producing this sale of wine now, is to present to you the opportunity of forestalling what may be a sharp rise in your cost of drinking. This price list is valid until March 30, 1973? If some prices are to come down from April 1, then Workers Press has yet to dis- cover which goods they affect.

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 led to the completion of the translation of the whole book, which is the first part of Volume 8 of Leon Trotsky's 'Works' pub.

lished in the Soviet Union in 1926. It provides the most vivid picture available of the historic figures Second Inter- the national, their strengths and weaknesses, written by an obser- ver who was also a participant in the daily struggle of the Euro- pean and Russian working class.

• New Park Publications 1 Street, London, SW4 7UG 5BL- "Strike: History 1887- A Live 1971'. By R. A. Leeson. Allen and Unwin. £3.75. 246 pages.

A collection of remini- scences of some 80 people who have taken in more than 180 part strikes in 20 different in- dustries over the past 84 years ought to have pro- duced a valuable book. It is saying a great deal for Bob Leeson, books editor on the Communist Party's 'Morn- ing Star, that he has suc- ceeded in not doing so. Most of the book is given over to Stalinists, ex-stalinists and Stalinist sympathizers— Etheridge, Dick Jack Dash, Peter Kerrigan, Abe Moflat, Will Paynter, Jimmy Reid, Bill Warman et al. Labour MP Dick Kelley tells us that 'militant action is important to educate the management'. Jack Dash manages to com- press his memories of the 1945 docks lock-out into two paragraphs in which he says he thought the Labour gov- ernment would bring the em- 'before some sort of ployers judicial body' under wartime regulation 1305. Later, describing the use of same regulation to jail this dockers' leaders in 1950, Dash reduces this page of workers' history to a 'great faux pas of Shawcross' (the La- Hartley bour Home Secretary). One of the greatest under- statements of the century comes from Will Paynter: 'While I was general secre- tary of the National Union of Mineworkers', he says, 'I saw the industry contract.' During that whole period was a leading CP Paynter member and the number of men employed in the pits fell from 710,000 to 350,000. While that was going on Payn- ter denounced strikes, led no struggle against closures and blamed the miners especially In orkem P Lancashire cotton workers come out on Jack Dash addresses a dockers' strike their absenteeism'-for the economic state of the indus- try. The last contribution in the book comes from Jimmy Reid, convenor of shop stewards at the now defunct and divided Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. With no apparent embarrass- ment Reid announces that the initial decision at UCS was that there should be 'no run- down letting men go out of the gate over a period'. 'A sit-in strike was not ap- propriate, says Reid, without explaining why. In the event, Reid and his fellow-Stalinists organized a work-in for the liquidator, allowed 2,000 men to go down the road and finally accepted a settlement which flouted fundamental principle every of trade unionism. It would not be true to say that this book is without in- terest, particularly in the early sections. One contri- butor describes the 'smell- money strike' of pit boys in South Wales in 1904. When there was no clay for shot- ury firing, the boys had to collect coal-dust, stone-dust, horse droppings and human drop- ings and make a mixture of it.

They won extra money for this job after striking for a week. It is interesting to see how workers began to realize the need for an alternative to the Liberal Party against the Taff judgement which made Vale unions liable to legal damages for losses caused by strikes.

ally In South Wales this was a Theraden March 1. 1973

PAGE 9

erg out on strike in Augual, 1932. Above: strike meeting, 1960. known as 'the Judges' Law'.

Another bitter strike des- cribed in the book was that of Jewish furniture trade workers against the firm of Isaac Griew in 1909. Griew paid 9td an hour for a 54$-hour week. The strike lasted three months, during which strikers mock funeral held services outside the houses of scabs.

is significant that the It liveliest accounts recorded in this book come in the early part of the century. Since 1925, when the Bri- tish Communist Party came completely under the domina- tion of Stalinism, no one connected with it has been able to give an honest, poli- tical estimation of the strug- gles of the working class.

worse the crisis The of capitalism becomes, and the more the employers are forced to attack the working class, is the the more treacherous role of Stalinism. On the docks, in the mines, the shipyards and the fac- tories, the Stalinists seek to divide and weaken the work- ing class and to shore up the old leaders. The struggle against Stalin- ism is an integral part of the story of the strike strug- real gles of the working class. That is the task of Trotskyism.

"So it is perhaps appropriate that Mr Leeson carries on the cover of his book a large pic- ture of the mass lobby of the TUC organized with Socialist Labour League banners domi- nating the scene!

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday March 1, 1973

TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

9.42-12.10 Schools. 12.25. Disc a dawn. 12.55 News.

1.00 Pebble Mill at one. 1.30 Trumpton. 1.45 High street. 2.05-2.25 Schools. 2.50 Workers at risk. 3.15 Parents and children. 3.40 Bean's boots. 4.10 Play school. 4.35 Jackanory.

4.50 Blue Peter. 5.15 John Craven's 5.45 News. newsround. 5.20 Brady kids. Weather.

NATIONWIDE. 6.45 TOP OF THE POPS.

6.00 7.15 Z CARS. Operation Watchdog 8.00

SOME MOTHERS DO 'AVE 'EMI

8.30 REPORTER AT LARGE.

God Bless Nanny. 9.00 NEWS.

Weather. 9.25 1,000 WELSH VOICES. On St. David's Day.

10.00 FRANKIE HOWERD IN WHOOPS BAGHDAD.

SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

10.30 1973 . WORLD

FIGURE

MIDWEEK

ELECTION

SPECIAL.

Lincoln; Chester-le-Street, 10.55 Dundee East. 1.00 Weather.

ITV

9.30 Schools. 10.30 All our yesterdays (London only). 11.00 Schools.

12.05 Mr. Trimble. 12.25 Witches brew.

12.40 First report. 1.00 Jokers wild. 1.30 Crown court. 2.00 General hospital. 2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 Afloat. 3.25 Misfit. 4.25 Voyage to the bottom of the sea. 5.20 and Bamm Bamm. 5.50 News.

Pebbles 6.00

TODAY. 6.30 CROSSROADS.

6.55 FILM: 'THE SEA SHALL NOT HAVE THEM'. Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde, Anthony Steel.

Air-sea rescue during the war.

8.30 9.00 LONGSTREET. Wednesday's Child 10.00

NEWS AT TEN. 10.30 CINEMA.

From Mexico Today is Tomorrow.

11.00

CHILDREN TO CHILDREN.

WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

11.30

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

12.30 IT'S WORTH READING. Mary Craig talks to Kingsley Amis 12.45 DOL11.30WO...R9,7|k0E01.0m

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play School. 5.25 Open University.

6.40 SIXTEEN PLUS. A Matter of Skill OPEN UNIVERSITY. 7.30 NEWS. Weather.

7.05 8.00 EUROPA. Corsica. 7.35

THEIR WORLD.

Elephants. WEIR OF HERMISTON. Part 3.

8.30 TIMES REMEMBERED BY PROUD MUMS. Vidal Sassoon's 9.15 mother, Betty. • and where will the children play? Vancouver

HORIZON

9.25 Columbia and Boulder, Colorado's unique attempts to British solve their growth problems.

ACROBILE'. By Roy Minton. 10.15

PLAY:

"THE

GREAT

BUDDY RICH AND HIS ORCHESTRA. In concert.

10.45 NEWS. Weather. 11.45. REAL TIME.

11.20 11.05 Cinema. 11.30

REGIONAL TV

Living and growing. 1.00 word Airing

MIDLANDS: 9.30

12.00 9.30-12.00 1.15

CHANNEL:

12.05 2.30 3.08 Lor Programme London. 5.20 5.50

NAWS.

London. Follyfoot. wonder today. 6.00 Today. Crossroads. 5.20 ondon. 4.55 lackson Doctor hyA. 8.30 «Mose 6.10 Him.

HOCA

London. 10.00 London. 11.00 9.00 Persuader London. 11.30 London. 9.00 1.31 News. 10.30 Hawaii 11.30 4.25 lephan connie 3.30 London. London. 12.30 News. 4.23 News. Harriet Ss

WESTWARD.

Channel excent: 5.20 bov. Phoenix Genera nve. Honeybun. 12.05 bospital 5.50 London. 6.00 Reports 1.00 12.40 Film: Crossroads 7.00 one on. Bi kaich London. o Hara: 10000 Lond 8.30% 12.30 life. What's 12.00 News. 11.30 L03.20.

YORKSHIRE:

2.30 ondon. ..о0 London 4.25 around the house. Bonann 5.50 London. Funky phantom. 5.20 roads. 6.40 •Last Film: 5.50 London. 6.00 8.30 9.00 and London. Cros calendar All Earth' T Sport 11.00 News. 10.00 London. Dick 10 30] 11.00 Cinema 11.30 London. 12.30 11.30 12.30 Weather Guideline Weather. 12.00 Felix

CRANADA:

London. 2.30 Pate 2.30 Date- London Partridge line 3.00 amilv. 6.00 .25 Crossroad 5.50 London. 6.01 in writing. Captain Wales. 6.35 epor 7.00 Film: •Five Hawk. innoon Danger'. London. What h.3o Londons say. 11.15 Pete Steps 10.00 10.00 Hawaii five-o Smith. 12.30 "Weather. Operetta: Yeoman

TYNE TEES.

9.25 4.25 Mir except: 2.31 A in 4.35 C NeWS Miri mawI. 3.00 London Rovers. 1.50. Rovers. 6.01 Partridge ray. We our 6.00 6.35 Today. Cuncanado dudd always S10g 7.00 8.30 "Odongo' London West as above except: 6.18-6.35 10.55 10.30 Police call. 11.00 West. London. 12.30 News. 12.40 L

ANGLIA:

9.30 London. 12.04 News. Lectern 2.30 Katie 3.00

SCOTTISH:

9.30 London. 2.30 Date- Stewart Lost London. line. 4.30 land the atante 5.70 спаса willows. 5.35 Wind in the 5.25 Crossroads. cotsh = an London. 00 About Britain Today. corner. 7.00 6.35 Crossroads. .00 London. London. Journey 10.30 in nann Pathfinders All Trades Unions Alliance meetings Fight rising rents and prices Street, E14. 'Support the gas- and hospital workers'. men Defend basic democratic rights Wednesday. Force the Tories to resign

SOUTHALL.

March 7. Southall Library, p.m.

DERBY:

Thursday, March 1, Osterley Park Road. 'The Road 7.30 p.m. Metal Mechanics' Workers' Power'. Premises. Charnwood Street.

TOTTENHAM:

Wednesday March Thursday March

CROYDON :

1, 'Bricklayers Arms', p.m. Coombe Road. Support the gasmen Ruskin House, ( High Road. nr White Road. 'Forward Hart Lane. to the March 1. Pageant. HOLLOWAY: Thursday March 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven Sisters Wednesday Finsbury Road Park Castle' Powis (near p.m. Station). 'Marxism and the trade Street, SE18. 'Support the gas- workers'. and hospital unione men

KINGSTON:

Thursday March 1, WEMBLEY: Thursday March 7, 'Liverpool Cam- Arms', Copland Secondary p.m. p.m. bridae Road. Support the gas- School, High Road men and hospital workers'

SLOUGH:

Thursday March 8,

WALTHAMSTOW:

Farn- Thursday Community 8 p.m. Centre, March 1, 8 'Rovston Arms" ham Road. Support the gasmen p.m. Chingford Mount Road, Ching- and hospital workers' ford. E4. 'The Pageant and the

STEVENAGE:

Thursday March Stevenade Road to Workers Power'. 8. 8 p.m. 'Red Lion'.

BRIXTON.

Tuesday March 6. Old Town. 'Forward the to 8 p.m. Brixton Training Centre, Pageant. Control Room, Effra Road. sW2. LEWISHAM: Thursday March 'Forward Pageant' to the 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club. DAGENHAM: Tuesday March 6, New Cross Station. 'Marx- opp 8 p.m. Barking Co-op Hall, Fan- ism and the trade unions'.

•Common shawe Avenue. Mar- WILLESDEN: Thursday March 8.

ket Conspiracy'. 8 p.m. Labour and Trades Hall, EAST LONDON: Tuesday Hiah Road. March NW10. 'Support gas- 8 p.m. 'Festival Inn', Chriso men and civil servants',

LINCOLN

By- election special

PICTURES BY

Christopher Davies

REPORT

Jobs, closures and wages the real issues

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

Voters go to the polis today in three crucial by- elections in seats all prevlously held by Labour Chester-le-Street and —Lincoln, Dundee. In two of the seats Lincoln and Dundee-the former Labour MPs were both right-wingers and fellow travellers of Mr Roy Jenkins, the ex-deputy leader of the party. In October 1971 the MPs for tese two voted Taverne ano. Georde Thomson. with the Torles to secure Britain's entry into the John Dilks, the Derby councillor chosen by the Lincoln Constituency Labour Party to replace pro-Marketeer Dick Taverne, seen speaking to workers during his campaign in the town.

OWN REPORTER

Thomson has since deserted the Parliamentary Labour Party to become an EEC Commissioner on a salary of about £15,000 a year. The other British commissloner Is Sir Christopher Soames, & In this article Workers Press looks at the fate of the other Labour outcast, Taverne, and his bid to hold the seat today as a social democratic candidate. THE REAL issues in the Lincoln by-election are the issues which are facing the working class nationally-how to beat unemployment, plant closures, soaring prices, attacks on wages. To defeat these attacks on the working class means a fight to force the Tories out of office. It was a re- cognition of this fact that prompted the local Lincoln Party Labour dump to Taverne after he voted with the Tories on the EEC. When Taverne and 68 Labourites other trooped into the Tory lobbies on that day in October 18 months ago, they not only took Britain into the capi- talist market of western Europe, but they also kept the Heath government office. private meeting which dropped him candidate, as case against Taverne was best summed up by Nev Fro- hock, a delegate from Car- holme ward: 'We've got to see what's happening here tonight in the light of the fact that outside this building there's a war going on—a deepen- ing international crisis, a trade war and class war. 'Anybody who gives aid, succour or help to the Tory government which is waging this war against the working class should not only be thrown out as a Labour MP, but should not be allowed to belong even to this party? The photographs on these vividly confirm Mr pages Frohock's and statement expose the situation facing the working community of Lincoln. Above left: Two young workers unable to find em- ployment are forced to work or a voluntary commission called 'Lincoln Enterprises'. the left can- The youth on find work; he not was a former Borstal boy who has now worked a year at Lin- Enterprises coln cutting stones. Left: A former manager of a hosiery factory does now 'repairs and alterations' at 'Lincoln Enterprises' mainly 'to keep my spirits up'. Middle right: The jobs in Lincoln shows queue and old collecting young their pittance live on. to Unemployment in the city hovers around 6 per cent.

Right: Women have orga- nized price committees to conduct weekly checks on price rises.

Workers Press, Thursday THE LINE - UP in the Li straightforward enough. Two Guinness and Dick Taverne, Dilks. Not that you'd ever guess by reading the capi- talist Press. Their volumi- nous reports have managed a transformation job: the debonair den

GUINNESS,

champion of the people. TAVERNE, the wounded of conscience who is man fighting for truth, integrity and political cleanliness.

DILKS, in all this, is a for- be His gotten, faceless man. campaign has not had the aggressive backing of the which has Tory Press, unanimously been almost predicting a mauling for the Labour man. "The Times' has played the most extraordinary role. Since last year it has been advocating the establishment of a new 'Centre Party' and Taverne epitomizes the type of character they want to boost. The editor, William Rees Mogg, a former Tory can- has taken it upon didate, himself to lead the Taverne bandwagon. And last week one of his writers, leading Bernard Levin, went to Lincoln to speak on Taverne's behalf. Álso sharing the platform that night Mervyn was Stockwood, the Bishop of Southwark, who was a close friend of Oliver Cutts. Guinness, the chairman of the right-wing Monday Club, has carefully nurtured the image of himself as a maverick Tory, somebody who is not tied up with Heath's policies. Thursday March 1, 1973 PAGE 11 the Lincoln by-election is h. Iwo Tories, Jonathan Taverne, versus Labour, John Indeed, Whitelaw, the Ulster Secre- tary, compared trade union- with Irish terrorists, Guinness was one of the first in the campaign to But the mask is flimsy and it slips every now and again. In his chilling most 'morning briefing' Guinness suggested that there should be a change in rules about no razor blades in prisoner's cells. Then, he said triump- hantly, if prisoners wanted commit suicide they to could. He tries to be non-com- mis as a Monday attubber he is opposed to this 'creep- ing socialism'-although he boasts his enthusiasm for the Industrial Relations Act.

From Dilks, however, there has been an extremely disturbing reluctance to talk about the Phase Two and three legislation. Is he, like Wilson and Jenkins, secretly in favour of state control over wages and a new style of corporat- ism? Lincoln Labour Party members took an admirable lead in getting rid of Taverne. But this does not mean any lessening in the fight to expose those who refuse to fight for the downfall of the and the lory government implementation of socialist policies by the next Labour government.

Tories tamper with gas London teachers reject their PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday Ma

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

GASWORKERS in Stockport have accused local Tories of endanger- ing the of old lives people. Teams of Young Conser- vatives have been going around loosening the main tap in the houses of gas some old people in a dan- gerous attempt to increase the gas flow. The action is designed to publicity for their dis- get credited party and to witch- hunt the gasmen. Gasmen Stockport on picket lines pointed out yes- terday that the Young Tories had never bothered about the welfare of old people before the strike and A NATIONAL Union of Tea tion merely 'saluting' the 'n their selective strikes campaig don allowance was overwheln Westminster Halls on Tuesday All but about 30 of the meeting persist- 2,000-strong ently howled down platform speakers chanting and clamour- ing for an alternative resolu- tion drawn up by Wandsworth Association to be put to them demanding an indefinite strike and unity with all workers currently in struggle against the Tory pay laws. After only an hour the execu- tive was forced to abandon the platform and, with microphones unplugged and lighthe us, "illegal' meeting voted on Wandsworth motion. Nearly every hand went up in support.

NUT president-elect and Com- munist Party "member Mr Max Morris told the capitalist Press afterwards: "This was planned disruption by Trotskyites, International Socialists and the Socialist Labour League-and a lot of them were not teachets.' (Shades of Lord Cooper.) Throughout day one of the union's second strike wave aimed at persuading the Tories to ex- clude the allowance from Phase Two of the pay laws, frustration at the executive's milk-and-water policy had been building up.

After 12 hours' picketing and leafleting, culminating in a mass centre of march through the London, teachers had anger boiling point. reached At Westminster the executive exaggerated barraged with was yawns, jeers and heckles as Morris explained that the cam- paign would reach its high point on March 8 with a rally and a deputation to Tory Education Secretary Mrs Margaret Thatcher.

'She cannot avoid hearing the message of burning indignation hat the deputation will carry on rehalf of London's teachers, he said. shall by then Whether we have succeeded in thawing this cy lady's heartless attitude to the problems of London schools ve cannot say'

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) as a newspaper at the Registered by Workers Post Office. Published Press, 186a Clapham High Street, 70G. Printed Plough Newsdesk: 01-622 7029. ursday March 1, 1973 that their activities could be week for seven consecutive nights. extremely dangerous. kind This lying publicity about This of provocation has £36-a-week gasmen encouraged north-west even demand all-out getting me into trouble with gasmen to strike action. my wife. I have never earned known anybody Stewards at several cen- or to earn greater Manchester this amount of money in our tres in works. on record demand- all-out stoppage. Phil Lancaster said the ing Ron Jones, militant gas only way to win the strike fitter at the Stockport depot, an all-out stoppage. was 'Heath will bend to hit back he called not at what any kind of selective 'vicious lies' the level action. of his pay. It's time that all the He held up his wage slip: unions got together and

RON JONE

£27 a broke this government. There is the evidence. of Teachers' executive resolu- the 'magnificent response' to campaign for a rise in the Lon- erwhelmingly shouted down at Tuesday night.

ASSESSMENT BY IAN YEATS

uestions from the foor at Ti continually raised a Angr night's meeting. But the teachers plainly wanted rival speakers struggled to him And. to be sure, gain control of microphones.

As to say. they lot than executive members abruptly left wanted more rolling and deputations. the hall the Wandsworth resolu- strikes Fred They demanded to know why tion was put by Mr Scott. for had ignored de- It called of the executive extension rank-and-file the teachers' campaign 'of militant calls for cisive of all teachers? the Tory 'wage indefinite strike action' against Why was the Tory 'wage freeze' freeze into and beyond Phase not mentioned in their resolution?

for Two' and a 'joint plan of action' involving other Why was unity with gasmen, civil unions servants and hospital workers not fighting in support of pay claims.

for? Not called did it mention the replying Alf for the central question of the Wishir. absolutely said the 'pay freeze' of the Tory executive, government. role And not once did it call for utterly separate from the the was allowance; that they • had mobilization of the entire trade London the issue most capable of and labour in chosen union (movemen General Strike to that 'certain muniting teachers: that bring figures' showed that down. facts and government the resolution called backing for an indefinite strike In effect for militancy. 'substan- not there. more was tially' €300 Scuffles and fighting broke out the London win THE COURT of Appeal yes- the LCS to have the action terday decided to allow a full against it struck out. hearing of a writ issued against He decided, however, to London allow the summons, which has the Co-operative been taken out by Co-op em- Mr Justice Plowman yester- day heard an application by

HULL

TOTTENHAM

TUESDAY MARCH 6, 8 p.m. THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m. 'Windmil! Hotel' Lord Morrison Hall Chesnut Grove Witham Speaker: CLIFF SLAUGHTER Speaker G. HEALY (SLL Central Cttee) (SLL National Secretary)

SHEFFIELDR

WEST LONDON

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m. TUESDAY MARCH 6, 7.30 p.m.

Friends Meeting House Lyndhurst Hall Grafton Road NW? Hartshead Speaker: CLIFF SLAUGHTER Speaker: M. BANDA (SLL Central Committee) (Contral Committee

BASINGSTOKE

LUTON

WEDNESDAY MARCH 7,

8 p.m. Assembly Hall Town Hall Public Libran Sneaker. M BANDA Speaker: M. BANDA (SLL Central Committee) (SL Central Committeel ON JONES... Vicious lles about pay the teachers allowance are demanding. But, as one teacher pointed Tory intransigence on the out, allowance is only the first blow campaign in their limit to teachers wages generally.

The Heath government has not.

'frozen' wages. It is operating a state pay plan which will con- tinue for the foreseeable future under which the Tories will dictate—without exception - the level of all rises. The pay laws, together with the anti-union legislation, form an unshakable and part of determined policy government of curbing inflation. The Tories want to solve the chronic crisis in world capitalist trading re- lationships by forcing down workers' and living wages standards. To demand unity only among those sections of workers cur- rently in struggle excludes the vast majority of the trade union and labour movement. teachers are looking London with justifiable concern toward the last phase of the NUT cam- paign, due to begin on March 6 -the day after the special TUC conference. There is only one way for them to win. The Tory pay plan cannot be broken or breached any more than the anti-union Act or the rent Act could be 'killed'. The government must be forced to resign and all teachers should join the mass lobby of the TUC on Monday to demand a General Strike to force the Tories to call ion a General Election. ers' Union shop steward. Mr Evans' High Court sum- mons claims that the LCS lent itself money from the workers' pension fund at low interest • 1 rates. was involved udge said flom The 9 a.m. Central Halls (opposite Houses ( Report back meeting: 2 p.m. f Workers Union, Blacktriars Blackfriar No General Strike move on March 5

BY ROYSTON BULL

THE TUC General Council yesterday walked away from even a token fight with the Tory government over the pay laws when it rejected by votes to two a recommenda• that next Monday's spe- tion should call a cial Congress one-day General Strike. The council agreed the reconnenamon rumance and General Purposes Committee that no amendments, resolutions or relerence back wıl be allowca section of the spineless any Congress report. This that the bureau- Boners cratic TUC leaders are tying the hands of the trade union move- lace

II0SL

determined attacks made basic rights since the depression ot the 1930s Only Lawrence Daly mine- workers' Alan secretary, and Sapper of the television techni- tras action by the nitele trade trial action the whole trade Sapper also called for a mass demonstration in London against the Day laWs was against the Industrial Relations Act. The hold of the right wing, aided by and abetted the lefts Scanlon Jack Jones and Hugh was so great that little argument the LUC leaders to quell this token resistance to their policies. said later he accepted Mr Daly that his idea of Calls?. one. day strike would not effect the government's determination deleat the trade umon movemenl on state control of wages.

The purpose of the idea was to test the strength of the move- ment and open the way for more extended General Strike action later, he said. • Despite the General Council's Joe Gormley, mineworkers' veto, president, announced alter meeting of his executive yester- day morning that the union would to move a resolution next Monday. he said, would demand that the unions either defeat the Strike pay laws with a ueneral or accept state control of wages.

Special ATUA meetings

BRISTOL

HOSPITAL WORKERS

Thursday March 1 7.45 p.m Hall Old a tel

GLASGOW

HOSPITAL WORKERS

Sunday March 4 • •m Partick Burgh Hall • Merkland St. (near undereround, TUC must call a General Strike to make the Tory government resign

MONDAY MARCH5

(opposite Houses of Parliament) Report back meeting: 2 p.m. Friars Halls, Sheetmeta Workers Union, Blackfriars Bridge (nearest tube Blackfriars).