Workers Press no. 1012

workers press

TORIES READY

GENERAL STRIKE

INCORPORATING TH

DAILY ORGAN OF THE

'If a genule and serious grievance arose, such as mi in the standard of living, all those who now dissipate of causes might concentrate their efforts and produc the power of the police to handle. Should this happ to restore the position rapidiy. —Brigadier Frank Kitsc THE TORY government has drawn up detailed plans for smashing a General Strike in Britain.

It involves the closest co-ordination between government departments, military authorities and the police. The Ministry of Defence, headed by Tory Party chairman Lord Carrington, and the Department of Trade and Industry are the two ministries at the centre of these secret pre- parations. The Cabinet decided to establish a state of emergency command immediately after the miners' strike a year ago.

One of the first decisions was to build up coal stocks and to form special anti-picketing squads.

It is understood that the Department of Trade and Industry has established a large coal stockpile on the French coast. In the event of a General Strike this coal will be ferried to ports manned by the army. A special private unregistered 'docks regiment' belonging to the Royal Engineers will be in charge of moving it to power stations. determined There is a campaign by the Fleet Street

BY ALEX

Press to whip up anti-union feelings the middle among

MITCHELL

class. taking The Tories are advantage of this anti-work- atmosphere ing class to a large scale 'scab' build up a larg manry in Cheshire. the the force. meaning Queens Own Yorkshire Yeo- behind the frenzied recruit- manry at York and the Ayr- ment into the newly-trans- shire Yeomanry at Ayr. formed Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR).

The 18 sub-units are at Bishop Auckland, York, This body has increased Huddersfield, Sutton in Ash- its size by almost. 15,000 field, Northampton, Bury St the past 18 months men in Edmunds, Reeding, Hor- Reading, due to a massive and expen- sham, Bath, sive advertising campaign.

Preston. Clifton, Donning- ton, Wolverhampton, Wrex- The theme of the propa- Llanelli, ham, Edinburgh exercise for ganda recruit- and Elgin. ment has been: 'Will you in the serve your country time of national emergency!

emergency, For 'national read General Strike. Welcoming the revamping The chairman of the Ter- of the "Terriers', Brigadier Lord ritorial Council is W. F. K. Thompson, defence Clydesmuir who is chairman correspondent of the "Daily Scottish the Council: of Telegraph' said it was neces- Bank Governor of the of sary to meet the unforeseen Scotland: Lord Com- Hieh and help maintain national the General missioner to morale and cohesion in Assembly of the Church of times of stress'. Scotland: the Lord Lieuten- ant of Lanarkshire and, in- The Tories have done evitably, a leading Tory.

away with the old-fashioned idea of the Terriers meeting Under the reorganization in a church hall one night a plans, the TAVR has estab- week and drilling with iched four main headquar- broomsticks. ters and a number of sub- units. is The new organization The HOs are with the military lines trained along Hussars on Northumberland Tyneside, the Cheshire Yeo-

TURN TO PAGE 2

ATING THE NEWSLETTER SATURDAY MARCH 3, 1973 • 1

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIA

ch as might result from a significant drop dissipate their protest over a wide variety produce a situation which was beyond is happen the army would be required nk Kitson. Lt Col Heath, ex-commander of the Honourable Artillery Company, in uniform.

TOMORROW is polling day in France see TODAY'S CENTRE PAGES for The French elections A statement by the International Committee of the Fourth International

STARTING ON MONDAY

Tom Kemp writes on The French Popular Front, 1936-1938 1973 • No 1012 • 4p

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

WORKERS PRESS has won Its fight to long gain representa- tion on the industrial lobby. By a reported 15 votes to seven, with two abstentions, the lobby David journalists admitted Maude, our labour correspon dent, to the group this week after being excluded for over three years. This decision is to be wel- comed because it represents a significant change in opinion among industrial correspondents.

INTELLIGENCE &

SECURITY GROUP

(VOLUNTEERS)

YOUNG MEN OF GOOD EDUCATION. aged at least IS, are invied to enquire now they may spend their spare time prontabl and in the service of their country.

We have vacancies for men to b

NCOS

in the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve.

trained as specialisco intensence cutes If you live within about 30 miles of any of the following cities, write or

NOW:

BIRMINGHAM

lossheld Cend, King's Heath.

Hampstead, Mossfield Road,

NW3 SLA

Birmingham. (01.435 9660) (021-444 2730) & AVR Centre MacDonald Road. conouren (031-556 4129) RECRUITMENT to the for informers. vassing Tories anti-strike bri- Similar preparations gades has become so preceded the 1926 brazen that a recent General Strike. In that issue of 'Opinion', the period Winston Chur- journal of the Society chill played a leading of Civil Servants, con- role in calling for a 'home defence' guard tained an advertise- ment for spare-time whichwas promptly brought into spies in the civil ser- action alongside the army and vice. The advertise- the police to break the ment shows that the Tories are openiy can- strike.

VONDAY MARCH 5

9 a.m. Central Halls Report back meeting: 2 p.m. Friars Halls, Sheetmetal Workers Union, Blackfriars Bridge (nearest tube Blackfriars).

workers press

TORIES READY

GENERAL STRIKE

INCORPORATING TH

DAILY ORGAN OF THE

'If a genute and serious grievance arose, such as mi in the standard of living, all those who now dissipate of causes might concentrate their efforts and produce the power of the police to handle. Should this happ to restore the position rapidly.'—Brigadier Frank Kitso THE TORY government has drawn up detailed plans for smashing a General Strike in Britain.

It involves the closest co-ordination between government departments, military authorities and the police. The Ministry of Defence, headed by Tory Party" chairman Lord Carrington, and the Department of Trade and Industry are the two ministries at the centre of these secret pre- parations. The Cabinet decided to establish a state of emergency command immediately after the miners' strike a year ago.

One of the first decisions was to build up coal stocks and to form special anti-picketing squads.

It is understood that the Department of Trade and Industry coal stockpile on the French has established a large coast. In the event of a General Strike this coal will be ferried to private unregistered ports manned by the army.

A special 'docks regiment' belonging to the Roval Engineers will be charge of moving in it to power stations. There determined is a campaign by the Fleet Street

BY ALEX

Press to whip up anti-union feelings among the middle

MITCHELL

class. taking The Tories are advantage of this anti-work- ing class atmosphere to build up a large scale 'scab' manry Manens Own Yorkshire Yebe Cheshire, This is force. the meaning behind the frenzied recruit- manry at York and the Avr- the ment into newly-trans- shire Yeomanry at Ayr. formed Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR).

The 18 sub-units are at Bishop York, Auckland, This body has increased Huddersfield, Sutton in Ash- almost. 15,000 its size by field, Northampton, Bury St men in the past 18 months Edmunds cirencester, Reading, Hor- due to a massive and expen- sham, Bath, sive advertising campaign.

Preston, Clifton, Donning- ton, Wolverhampton, Wrex- The theme of the propa- Llanelli, ham, Edinburgh ganda for exercise recruit- and Elgin. ment has been: "Will you country in the serve your time of national emergency.'

For 'national emergency, read General Strike. Welcoming the revamping The chairman of the Ter- of the "Terriers', Brigadier ritorial Council is Lord W. F. K. Thompson, defence Clydesmuir who is chairman correspondent of the 'Daily of Scottish Council: the Telegraph' said it was neces- Governor of of the Bank sary 'to meet the unforeseen Lord High Scotland; Com- and help maintain national the General missioner to morale and cohesion in of the Church of Assembly times of stress'. Scotland; the Lord Lieuten- ant of Lanarkshire and, in- The Tories have done evitably, a leading Tory.

away with the old-fashioned idea of the Terriers meeting Under the reorganization has estab- in a church hall one night a the TAVR plans. lished four. main headquar- week and drilling with broomsticks. ters and a number of sub- units. The new organization is The HOS are with the trained along military lines Northumberland Hussars on Tuneside, the Cheshire Yeo-

TURN TO PAGE 2

ATING THE NEWSLETTER • SATURDAY MARCH 3, 1973

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCI

h as might result from a significant drop lissipate their protest over a wide variety produce a situation which was beyond is happen the army would be required nk Kitson. 600011

SOME 164

Lt Col Heath, ex-commander of the Honourable Artillery Company, in uniform. TOMORROW is polling day in France see TODAY'S CENTRE PAGES for The French elections A statement by the International Committee of the Fourth International

STARTING ON MONDAY

Tom Kemp writes on The French Popular Front, 1936-1938 3, 1973 • No 1012 • 4p

• SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

WORKERS

PRESS has won its fight to gain representa- long the industrial lobby. By tion on reported 15 to seven, votes with two abstentions, the lobby journalists admitted David Maude, our labour correspon- dent, to the group this week after excluded for three being over years. This decision is to be wel- comed because it represents significant change in opinion among industrial correspondents.

INTELLICENCE &

SECURITY GROUP

(VOLUNTEERS)

DAT COGHTID VI

YOUNG MEN OF GOOD EDUCATION. aged at least 18.

nvited to enquire how they may spend their spare time profitabl and in the service of their We have vacancies for men 10 h trained as NCOs in the lerritorial and Army Volunteer Reserve 101 Soccaseenacience If vou live within about 30 miles of any of the following cites, nrite or

NOW:

LONDON

BIRMINGHAM

I. Fitzjohn's Avenue, «avenue. Mossfield Road. King's Heath.

Hampstead,

NW3 SLA

London. Birmingham (01-435 9660) (021-444 27301

EDINBURGH

MacDonald Road. Edinburgh, RECRUITMENT to the vassing for informers. Tories anti-strike bri- Similar preparations 1926 gades has become so preceded the General Strike. In that brazen that a recent issue of 'Opinion', the period Winston Chur- journal of the Society chill played a leading of Civil Servants, con- role in calling for a 'home defence' guard tained an advertise- for spare-time which was promptly ment spies in the civil ser- brought into action alongside the army and The advertise- vice. the police to break the ment shows that the Tories are openly can- strike. 9 a.m. Central Halls, Westminster (opposite Houses of Parliament) Report back meeting: 2 p.m. Friars Halls, Sheetmetal Workers Union, Blackfriars Bridge (nearest tube Blackfriars).

of 'another 1929'

TORIES READY FOR GENERAL STRIKE

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Saturday March 3, 1873 THE 13,191 MAJORITY for Labour renegade Dick Taverne in the Lincoln by-election indicates a move to the right by the middle class. It follows the pattern set in the Sutton and Cheam and Rochdale by-elections where thousands of Tory voters swung over to the Liberal candidates. In a situation in which millions of organized are fighting workers the government in defence of wages and democratic rights, a section of the petty bourgeoisie is turning extremely hostile to the working class.

essence the vote for Taverne was a Tory In vote against Labour and the unions. The former right-wing Labour MP presented him- self as the independent, small man' fighting the giant Party machines. This appeals to the middle class which, seeing its savings eaten away by inflation and hit by rising costs and mortgages, etc., feels hemmed in by the power of the organized working class on the one hand and the gigantic monopolies on the other. However the drop in the Tory vote will not worry Heath's party unduly. They know that a full-scale attack on the unions and on workers' rights will bring these voters flock- ing back. For them Taverne's election is a green light to proceed at full speed on the road to corporatism. Above all, the Lincoln' by-election reveals the bankruptcy of reformism. Taverne was a prominent right-wing Labourite. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he supported Hugh Gaitskell's attempts to drop nationalization from the Labour Party constitution.

In 1961 he was a leading member of the Cam- paign for Democratic Socialism, which operated as a Fifth Column in the Labour Party to overturn the unilateral nuclear dis- passed at the 1960 resolution armament Labour Party conference. He will undoubtedly emerge in parliament as a supporter of the Tories' state control of wages legislation. He was one of 69 Labour MPs who, led by Roy Jenkins, voted with the Tories on the Common Market in 1971 and saved Heath from certain defeat.

This means, of course, that there are 68 other Dick Tavernes nestling inside the Parliament- ary Labour Party. Those Labour supporters who jeered Taverne 'him as a Tory when the and denounced by-election result was announced, were absolutely right. But it is the policies of the are responsible for Labour leaders which such defeats. The right-winger Hugh Gaitskell contributed largely to Labour's election defeat of 1951 with his 'arms budget' of that year and then led the party to further defeats in 1955 and 1959. His successor, Harold Wilson, turned a Labour majority of 97 seats in 1966 into a Tory victory four years later. His attacks on the working class and his refusal to introduce socialist measures opened the door for Heath and paved the way for the Industrial Relations Act and state control of wages.

Today the right-wing Labourites are virtually an adjunct of the Tory government, while Wilson publicly collaborates with Heath and him on the best way to use the advises force of the state against the unions.

This can only strengthen the forces of the extreme right, inside and outside the Tory Party. As the working class moves to the left and fights to defend its gains of the last 200 years, the Labour Party leaders are incapable of challenging the government. That is the major lesson from Lincoln.

COMMON MARKET Fin meet in Brussels on Sunday talks on the monetary sit agenda will be the questior all EEC currencies against • Yesterday foreign exchange 1 capitalist countries, including many, Holland, Belgium, Japa closed for the second time in less than three weeks. These closures reflected the most serious crisis to hit the international mone- tary system-reflected in the record $2,500m sold in Frankfurt on Thursday.

All ' semblance of inter- national control over the monetary system has been destroyed and Treasury offi- cials in Washington are openly talking about 'another 1929° Last month's upward re- alignment of currencies against the dollar has col- lapsed; where the Smithson- ian agreement of December 1971 lasted eight months, the latest agreement has stood up for about eight days. The objective contradic- tions of the capitalist sys- tem now predominate over all the past attempts to re- gulate the inflationary crisis by international agreement.

Edward Heath, summoned to Bonn by chancellor Willy Brandt, is under great pres- sure to link the pound to other European currencies a concerted EEC float against the dollar.

FROM PAGE 1 :

and is fully equipped with modern small arms. This "phantom army' has mainly an infantry role. But regiment is equipped one with Saracen and Ferret vehicles as used in Northern Ireland. Today's preparations are more dangerous than Chur- chill's similar preparations before the 1926 General Strike, because the crisis facing is the ruling class profoundly deeper. The Tories have used Northern Ireland as their testing ground for a whole range of repressive para- BLACK WORKERS in South Africa will not be permitted to form trade unions says Labour Minister Marais Vil- joen. He called on employ- ers to treat black workers fairly and pay a living wage "works and suggested that committees' would help pre- vent industrial disputes. His speech comes after the big Durban strike movement. PAKISTAN students set fire to the British Council lib- rary in Islamabad in protest against the shooting by Lon- don police of two young Pakistanis during a raid on India House. The two youths have been given a martyr's funeral in their home state of Azad Kashinir. Mahmud Ali, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, is in London to take stock of the situation of Pakistani nationals in Britain. ET Finance Ministers will Sunday afternoon for crisis tary situation. Top of the question of a joint float of against the dollar. change markets in most main cluding Britain, France, Ger- im, Japan and Austria, were

BY FOREIGN

EDITOR

JOHN. SPENCER

In the Commons yester- day Chancellor of the Ex- chequer Anthony Barber refused to give any guaran- tee that such a float would not be undertaken. Asked by shadow Chan- cellor Denis Healey whether it was still his policy not to sacrifice growth to 'an un- realistic exchange rate', Bar- ber said he had nothing to add to previous statements.

Healey said that if the pound were to be pegged against the French franc and •German mark, the this "simply divert the would overwhelming mass of Euro- pean currency speculation against sterling'. He asked Barber: Will you bear in mind that busi- ness is already disturbed in investment intentions, and if the pound was pegged this would be the last straw to break the back of business confidence?' Healey added that it phernalia-water cannon, CS gas, rubber bullets, 'stun' guns, internment camps as- sassination squads, special courts. Brigadier Frank Kitson, new head of the Infantry Training School at Warmin- ster, has been persistently proposing co-ordinated AT THE Tory Party con- ference in October 1969 Mr Geoffrey Rippon, then Shadow Defence Minister, made a pledge to the Tory faithful. 'A Conservative govern- ment intends to see that the host of young men and women desperately anxious to serve their country are given official encouragement and opportunity to do so.

'For the tens of thousands who have been so cynically told they are not wanted, we want the message to go from this conference — we value you, the country still needs you and we will want you to come back' The conference unani- mously voted to restore the Territorial Army when the Tories were elected-which turned out to be eight months later. Apart from Rippon of the Monday Club, there were other strong Tory voices in support of a strong 'home defence. In 1969 the Conservative Political Centre published a book : "Twice a Citizen' by Sir Tufton Beamish and Mr Philip Goodhart which called for the resurrection of the part-time army. They said: 'Such a force would be excellent value for money. There are also many Heath: Bons 1 would be 'disastrous' to many of Barber's intentions in the forthcoming budget if taken in a decision were Bonn this weekend to peg the Round against other European currencies 'when the balance-of-payments out- look remains so gloomy' Only the 'advantage' of having the pound floating downwards against the other European currencies has en- abled the British capitalist class to win a brief respite from the full effects of the world currency breakdown and trade war. A joint float of sterling with the other EEC curren- immediately cies would throw the full weight of the international economic crisis onto British capitalism—and thus onto the backs of the British working class. Phases One and Two of the Tory statutory wage con- trols would become entirely inadequate to meet the re- quirements of British im- perialism in such a situa- tion. military/police attack on the working class. His book Low-Density Operations' was enthusiasti- cally applauded in a • fore- word by General Sir Michael Carver. Two weeks ago the Cabi- net promoted Carver to Field Marshal and named visible assets, such as pro- viding an outlet for the energies and loyalties of those ready to serve in a national emergency? Recruitment for the TAVR became as important almost as recruitment for the regular army itself. A highly- polished series of advertising campaigns were launched, particularly in areas of high unemployment. The Tories also made Lord Clydesmuir, one of their leading Scottish sup porters, the chairman of the Territorial Council. Clydesmuir, an industrialist and governor of the Bank of Scotland, with big influence in the North Sea oil bonanza, has taken a keen interest in development the of the ome battalions in this "phantom army'. Last month in his annual report Clydesmuir stated: 'Those who serve in the TAVR are the élite of the country. They are men and who have volun- women terred to spend their leisure time training to that state of military efficiency which will enable them to take As Healey points out, business confidence would evaporate overnight. The Tory government was unable to sustain the previ- ous attempt at EEC cur- rency alignment of April last year. It was forced to drop out of the running and float sterling only six weeks after the scheme was estab- lished. This time, however, the two big powers of the Com- mon Market, Germany and France, are prepared to no nonsense from tolerate the Tory government. Brandt will insist with Heath that the British work- ing class must be bled white in the interests of the Com- mon Market. To give such a float the semblance least of credi- bility, the Tory government will have to seek an under- taking from the other eight Common Market members that they will guarantee the £3,000m in sterling held overseas. In practice, this means the British government will put itself deeply in debt to the other EEC countries, who are certain to demand that Britain carry the brunt of the economic crisis. British capitalism will thus put itself deeply into debt with its rivals inside the Common • Market, who are certain in their turn to de- mand attacks of unparalleled viciousness on British working class. him as the new chief of the defence council-all three services-to take over in October. The lessons are clear: if the trade union movement has to fight a General Strike, it must fight to win. There must be no repeat of 1926! their place alongside the regular army in the face of a National Emergency. I congratulate you all.' Heath, himself a former colonel, has gone out of his to attend Territorial functions praise the young troops. Each recruit is trained with modern automatic weapons and operations are frequently integrated with the regular army's. We were told that recruits at one TAVR shown a map of south Lon- don during a 'true-to-life exercise and told: "This is Brixton. Now our job is to The TAVR strength is currently at 60,000 equipped and trained to regular army standards. The Tories' target figure is 100,000. The record defence budget announced in- cludes the TAVR. The Tories hope that by raising the £150 a year for raw recruits they might be able to attract more support from out of work and impoverished youngsters. Wouldn't the increase be a breach of the Phase Two laws? Yes, but the Tories won't have bother getting their way around that one.

•We must win or we'll be the

PAGEANT DIARY

The Road to Workers Power London group rehearses Marx and the Pageant THE MEETING is brought to order. Brother Odger bangs the gavel. The First International opens its inaugural meeting.

The scene is Covent Garden and the London Pageant group is rehears- ing its contribution to Road to Workers' "The Power'® episode The London reveals the historic con- Karl tribution which Marx made to the dev- of the British elopment working class. Marx co-opted was the General Coun- onto cil of the First Interna- tional its inaugural al St meeting in Martin's Hall in September 1864. • Next week Workers Press will be publishing a special feature article on the London rehearsals.

• For full details of the Pageant, along with the anti-Tory rally and con- cert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, next Sunday (March 11), see over the London Pageant page. Ancillary workers want all out action patients' Hospital workers can't keep up with prices BILL STRINGER is the hospital porters' shop steward Coventry's Walsgrove Hospital where at over ancillary workers are on a one-week selective strike in support of their national wage claim.

He told Workers Press: 'I think this selective action then we must have it. I think members ls a waste all my the decision taken and we are all-out lavour are supporting it strike action. Otherwise 'As a minor part of the will be the patients movement trade union wire toes use do not have much strength in food prices and rents. We are getting support from I'm a widow are to cer Transport and General week on think meday decent wage means members- Workers Union 60 hours lorry drivers are not Cross• the picket line. ing strikes will win our claim.

Obviously we hope the 'We are government wor- patients won t Incon- deter- seen venienced that public mined to make our condi- with sympathy us. tions worse. I've conflict with our we are l hospitals for worked al the government because they years and it's not very good!'

are holding down wages but Mrs. Loughrane's not prices. Sandy porter the should call think „we same hospital. every hospital out. "The says: The TUC is not pushing He unions ar not fighting hard enough. I'd here enougs do be all-out strike. like to sec they had everybody out and all forced the Tories out. Then Present wages are verv bad.

'If you are a married man Rovement Back a Labour we mUSI can get more on Social yvu nearby Whitley security. Mrs. 'Other

T&GWU

Hospital, Loughrane mem-

T&GWU

bers for the sho said: but stewaro cleaners, all sections must be brougnt don't believe in strikes into action. Gasmen civil and hospital because we Rave (Un™ stivalils sider the patients, but if all- Offer is fight together,

DAI HUGHES . . .

kers mUSt out strike is the only way, otherwise can't win.' an insult. don Pageant director Tom Kempl nation on Karl Marx.

HOSPITA

ANCILLARY

WORKERS

MRS.

KELLY

govt for workers. Workers Press, Saturday March 3, 1973 PAGE 3 om Kempinski, below a rehearsal-room noticeboard full of in- ANCILLARY workers at the Singleton Hos- pital Swansea, South Wales, spent their second day on the picket line yesterday in their three-day action for more pay.

The laundrymen and transport workers say they stopped indefinitely, have though number of a workers have been left to cover emergency ser- threatened to pull them vices. The workers have out if the hospital authorities bring in any 'volun- teers'-strike-breakers. There are at least 1,500 ancillary staff on strike at Swansea's three main hospitals and the National Union of Public Employees has reported 100 per cent support in hospitals in Pembrokeshire, Carmar- thenshire, Neath and Morriston. Commented Mr Dai Hughes, NUPE secretary at "If this strike is not effective, will Singleton: we intensify our action.' workers' steward Mrs Said domestic Kelly: 'Under the wage freeze, how can a porter now Worst taking home just £15 be brought up to a decent standard of living?

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Saturday March 3, 1973

JOR

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 General Strike. That is, the creation of the industrial and political conditions which will force the government to resign.

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

Labour government on a na- must be guaranteed police sak 'pledged to socialist tionalizing the main industries knowing that the 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 ment have no intention of intro- not the sation. ducing such policies. Indeed, living standards of trade the The struggle must begin last analysis some of them unionists, but the profit sys- now. No closures, no sackings, will be prepared to join a coali- tem, which causes the crisis tion, government with the Tories must be the policy of the trade The first step must be to ex- to head off the working class.

unions. Occupation fac- propriate all the great fortunes But if the tories threatened with closure, working, class is the rich, close down the strong enough to force the Tories as part of the fight to bring Stock Exchange, place a state out, it is strong enough to deal down the Tories. control over all movements of with midst. This cait only be achieved capital in and of the 3) The democratic right to

OUL

country. Dy, exposing tem In the nght tor strike and to organize in trade an alternative socialist policy.

Nationalization of the basic Only unions. the organized industries and of all large com- The Central Committee of the working class can lead man- Socialist Labour panies, banks, building and in- calls League kind the historical OUl sup- surance societies will provide Every right and every following policies Crisis. the resources DOrI for unified unite the working class gain won by the working class, against plan to improve the living every democratic right in Bri- Tories standards of the whole people.

tain, has been won because Workers' control of these, as labour movement: of the organized strength of well as the national- Here is the policy which the present 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- 1) A Labour government must Again, the fight must begin trial Relations Act. This fight State control now. immediately repeal the Indus- wages 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 Pinance Act, Immigration Acts, wage in- with the and government Fair Trading Act and all wage price rises meet mobilize the working improve control. After the repeal of all standards. This destroy state control of wages.

means a fight to remove the Tory anti-working class mea- government and change sures, there must be legislation 1 ory 4) The right to defend rights the union leadership. implement the Charter of and change Basic Rights, along the follow- won in the the system. All the changes in 6) The right to health and wel- ing lines. the fare benefits. Every Tory gov- recall proceaures made by 2) The right to work! Capital- Tory government must be re- welfare bene- ism demands mass unempiov- pealed. All secret police and fits, in the health service and ment. The right to a job must MI5 organizations must be dis- in public spending must

DEFEN

Unite ir Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL The road to por

SOCIALIST

SECRETARY,

LABOUR

LEAGUE,

186a CLAPHAM HIGH ST, LONDON SW4 7UG.

Name.. Address.. Pageant Offic revoked. On the basis of the Common Market plans for be nationalization, crash dictatorship. pro- of expansion of ser- gramme Withdraw all British troops vices to the unemployed, the from abroad and disband the low-paid, the'sick and the aged present standing army. be must undertaken as an absolute priority. The working Sign treaties with all ex- class and the Labour govern- for colonial countries pro- ment must take immediate and of equal trade and grammes absolute for responsibility mutual assistance, these victims of the capitalist Break from NATO and all system. imperialist alliances. For the carrying out of such 7) The right to decent housing.

policies the SLL fights for the Decent housing is not a luxury; setting up of Councils of it is a necessity. People have Action lead the to struggle the basic right to decent against the Tory government at rents they accommodation in These Councils every area. afford. Nationalization of can unite trade unionists, tenants, the handful of building mono- unemployed, all political par- polies and building societies ties and tendencies of will provide the basis for a working class (Labour Party, of massive programme new Communist Party,

SLL,

IS, house building. The disgraceful IMG, etc.) to fight against the problem of the homeless in main enemy, the Tory govern- the cities must be immediately ment. solved by census and taking- The SLL calls upon of over all unoccupied every pro- class-conscious socialist and perty. worker to consider this pro- and manifesto gramme very 8) The international carefully, and to decide now to respon- sibilities of the working class. take up their inescapable re- The working class is interna- sponsibilities. The building of tional. We fight for the un- the revolutionary party is the restricted right of any worker not in of nationality any to some remote future. move is determined to carry through freely through the world. Withdraw the troops from its transformation into a re- Ireland. Unite the Irish and volutionary party. British working class to throw We appeal to all readers out the Lynch and Heath gov- of the Workers Press and ernments. our supporters to join the Unite in the struggle for the Socialist United States of

SLL

and help, transform Europe, the only alternative to it into a revolutionary party.

EFEND ALL DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Unite in action to make this Tory government resign Defend trade unionism and basic living standards I 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

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ELLIS

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FUTURE FOR FRANCE'S GIANT STEEL PLANTS?

BY OUR FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENT

After many months of trauma and crisis the French government and the country's bankers have finally succeeded in scraping together enough money for the first stage of the giant Fos steel- works. Not by accident this success is being trumpeted on the eve of the election, as it to con- firm the wildly optimistic pro- phecies being advanced by the Gaullists about France's eco- nomic future. The Fos scheme, personally ex-banker endorsed by the President and backed by a consortium of banks, is a pres- tige industrial development on the Mediterranean coast about 25 miles from Marseilles.

Writings of

WRITINGS OF

leon Trotsky

TOM TROTSKY

1171-38 (1838-81

WRITINGS OF

LEON

LEON

TROTSKU

(1933-341 |1934-35 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 Publica In an area of high unem- ployment away from the main- stream of French industry a complex of modern factories is already springing up, among them an ICI chemical works, a big compressed-air plant and a large oil port. But pride of place at Fos goes to the huge steelworks to be buildt there by the Wendel- Sidelor combine. In accord- ance with modern principles, this is to be a seaside factory, importing foreign ore and ex- porting steel direct. It is planned as the French steel industry's answer to the Japanese threat-bigger, more productive and more modern than the existing plant at Dun- belonging kirk to Wendel- Sidelor's rival company Usinor.

To make way for the Fos plant, whole areas of tradi- tional steel-making in the Lor- raine and in northern France are literally being decimated pit and alongside factory History of Russian Revolution —special gift pack of three volumes £1.70 including postage u require. Amount enclosed £ post to: tions, 186a Clapham High Street, Lon Publications Booklist is a vailable, fre closures. This policy spells ruin for entire communities of workers. despite its grandiose But conception, the Fos plant is proving extremely difficult to get off the ground in a period and of economic recession

EEC:

To enable Wendel-Sidelor to begin building the first stage of the plant huge quan- tities of government money provided by the taxpayers have had to be poured into the Fos scheme. In fact, Wendel-Sidelor nar- rowly escaped complete bank- ruptcy in the four years since the Fos scheme was first ap- proved by a special meeting of Pompidou's cabinet in Decem- ber 1969.

TROTSK

by Francis Trotskya documentary by Francis Wyndham and David King £1.65 including postage eet, London SW4 7UG able, free, on request. Workers Press, Sati At that time all the experts in the service of the Gaullist regime estimated that by 1975 or 1976 France would be un- able to satisfy its demand for flat steel products, even taking production at Dunkirk the into account. was wildly This forecast optimistic. It took no account of the downturn in demand from steel-using industry all over the capitalist world ner it envisage the savage development of trade war sending a tidal wave of cheap steel into Europe from Japan.

The partial closure of the US market, begun in 1971 with the imposition of tight quotas on steel imports by the administration, Nixon forced the Japanese manufac- turers to turn to Europe.

Exports to Europe are up several 100 per cent and it is now certain that the Common Market will have to impose stringent restrictions. Worse still are the general effects of trade war on this basic in- dustry. These must produce a down- turn in steel use by most of the major industries, from cars engineer- to shipbuilding and ing, and the steel industry is already facing what the capi- talists call a problem of 'excess capacity. The worsening of the inter- national outlook for steel pro- duction was not the only prob- lem facing the Fos scheme. of building the The cost works, originally calculated at 6,000 million francs some (about £600) was rapidly in- flated beyond this figure.

Wendel- Worse still, the Sidelor group, scheduled to is carry the bulk of the Fos in- vestment, soon became unable o produce the vast sums re- quired. Not only was it finan- cing Fos, it was also attempt- ing to rationalize its Lorraine plants. By the spring of 1972 there serious doubts about were whether Fos would ever get the money it needed. At that time the Wendel interests were supplying one-third of the money, the state was sup- plying another third through so-called Economic and the Social Development Fund and banks supplying the were another third of the invest- ment capital. rass, Saturday March 3, 1973 PAGE 5 Left: Old methods of steel pro- duction in the long outmoded Barrouin factory. Many plants In the Lorraine region face closure if Fos gets underway. The search for a partner in the scheme led both govern- ment and Wendel-Sidelor to Usinor, the other major steel manufacturer, French which finally agreed (no doubt after considerable behind-the- scene pressure) to take an equal share of the burden with Wendel-Sidelor. , stipulated one con- Usinor dition for taking part in the scheme: its own 5,000 million franc investment scheme must not be sacrificed to the requirements of the Mediterranean factory. Most of Usinor's investment programme is being sunk at Dunkirk, where it has its own ultra-modern steel mill. In the words of one French news- paper, Usinor agreed to take part in Fos 'on tip-toe ... and without spending too much money' This arrangement was inade- quate to make up the cash re- quired to give the scheme the is why the which go-ahead, latest arrangement envisages the banks providing an extra 500 million francs and the state funds supplying another 800 million to fill the 1,300 million franc gap. Profits are As it now stands, Usinor and Wendel-Sidelor are getting control of a vast new works at minimum cost to themselves and maximum cost to the tax- payer. The two steel com- panies are putting up a mere 500 million francs apiece, 2,650 million francs are com- ing out state funds and the total is being made up to 7,700 million by bank loans. In other words, Usinor and Wendel-Sidelor actually are paying only 15 per cent of the total price and, given the world steel situation, it is hard to see when (if ever) the fac- tory, heavily burdened with interest payments, will make a profit. The two big French compa- nies have been trying to inter- est the giant Thyssen group of West Germany in a share of Fos. But the present scheme makes no mention of German participation, indicating either that the canny Thyssen man- agement fears it will burn its fingers, or that it plans to come in only on the next stage of the deal. The state intervention to support the Fos project de- monstrates the bankruptcy of the privately-owned steel com- panies in France. It also shows how the huge monopolies can defy with impunity the 'fair practice regulations of the Common Market. The vast investment on the Mediterranean coast will have catastrophic consequences for the workers of Lorraine and northern France, who have heavily from already suffered closures and rationalization.

Thousands of steel jobs in these traditional centres have disappeared over the past few the employers' and years, answer to criticisms is always that it is not their responsi- bility to create work but the government's. Meanwhile the government is lavishing public money on grandiose schemes which the steei barons themselves are too impoverished to pay for out of their own pockets. The issue is certain to loom large at the ballot box, particularly in the stricken areas, when polling takes place tomorrow.

But far from ensuring the future of the steelworkers, the Common Programme of Communist Party Stalinists and socialists envisages only a state majority shareholding in Usinor and Wendel-Sidelor, which falls considerably short of wholesale nationalization and gives no guarantees to the steelworkers, whose jobs are in danger."

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Saturday Marci Statement by the Internatior Fourth International: The workers of France are being called upon to vote into office a coali- tion of the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, and a wing of the Radi- cal Party. this alliance, the Through and social demo- Stalinists crats are once again working working to tie the French class to the capitalist order, at the very moment when this order requires wholesale sup- pression of the working class, and when the working class, through a struggle for its own political independence, has a great opportunity to go for- ward to the conquest of power. International Stalinism de- pends upon preserving its re- lations with imperialism. As it showed in 1968 (both in France in May-June and in Czechoslovakia in August) it acts as the main obstacle to proletarian revolution in order to preserve these relations, which it calls 'peaceful co- existence' Now, when the world capi- reaches the talist economy most acute crisis, and when the imperialists confront each other in hostile trading blocs, the Kremlin and Peking bur- eaucracies, and the communist parties which follow them, are pursuing policies which are designed to guarantee a free hand to each national ruling class. In this framework, the French Stalinists, through their 'common programme' with the Socialists and Radi- cals, come forward as the 're- formers' of the European Common Market, not as a working-class leadership fight- ing to make a breach in capi- talist power and move forward to the Socialist United States of Europe. They give assurances every day that their future coalition government would not step outside the constitution of the Fifth Republic and the bour- geois order which it defends.

While in 1968 large sections of the middle class in the towns were prepared to sup- port the workers who showed strength in the their great General Strike and the factory occupations, today the Stalin- ists and social democrats de- liberately handcuff the work- ing class to the limits imposed by the most decadent repre- sentative of this worst side of this middle class, the capi- talist Radical Party. Every independent demand and action by the working class will be sabotaged and attacked on the grounds that it upsets the Radical 'allies' in the government and opens up right-wing the danger of a reaction.. This is the meaning of the repeated guarantee by the (Stalinist) CGT trade federation that it will not embarrass a left coalition gov- ernment and its attacks on any other unions who intend such action. As envisaged by the Stalin- rday March 3, 1973 ternational Committee of the ists and the opportunists, therefore, the left alliance is an instrument for preventing the independent mobilization of the working class on the road to power. Yet it is pre- cisely such a mobilization that is demanded by the capitalist economic crisis and the bank- ruptcy of Gaullism. It is only because the Sta- linists are recognized as will- ing tools of the state that the social democrats temporarily drop their vicious anti-com- To reassure their munism. traditional supporters and their capitalist masters, they continually press their Stalin- for 'assurances' that ist allies they would not use their posi- tion in a coalition government to take power for themselves along the lines of the Czecho- slovak 'coup' in 1948. This is the purest cynicism. Stalin- ism's role in 1968, in France and in Czechoslovakia, is the real 'assurance' of the role of the Stalinists in 1973. The keynote of all the elec- propaganda of the left tion alliance is to play down any independent demands by wor- kers and guarantee the sanc- tity of private property, independence and national parliamentary democracy. Al- ready the French ruling class, through Pompidou himself as as others, has demon- well strated that every one of these things will be turned against •the working class and socialism. Fundamental questions are involved in the Stalinists' attempt to revive the treach- politics of the 'Popular erous Front. At a time when bour- geois democracy is thoroughly corroded, its economic foun- dations totally undermined, where the ruling class is faced with effecting a transition from the Bonapartism of de Gaulle a much more effective to in dictatorship right-wing which 1968 could never recur, the Stalinists tie the working class to the remnants of bour- geois democracy! At the point where the middle class faces ruin at the hands of inflation and the power of the monopolies, and reaches the bursting point of anger against the fraudulent 'democracy' which it thought guaranteed it against such ruin, the Stalinists seek its support to preserve parliamen- tary democracy! In this way the 'Common Programme' prepares the dis-.

illusionment and disintegration in the middle class which is the breeding ground for fas- cist movements. It is upon this that Pompidou and Prime Minister Pierre Messmer are banking when they openly threaten to continue to rule despite the election of the left with a majority in alliance the March elections. Messmer declares: It is in- conceivable that the President of the Republic, faced with a completely hostile Assembly, should appoint a government which would pursue a policy opposed to his. He has said himself that it would be a be- trayal of his mandate, as well surrender of as a his pre- rogative as President.' From such statements it is perfectly clear how the work- ing class must prepare. Pom- with the Radicals as pidou, the instruments of his pres- receive guarantees sure, will of open capitalist policies from the left coalition, or he will appoint a government of top civil servants, businessmen, police and generals. 'parliamen- The so-called tary road to socialism', even • the Radicals in tow, is a with deception and a lie, full of the acute dangers for the most working class, which is led up to the point of a confrontation over power without any re- volutionary preparation and bound hand and foot to the radical bourgeoisie. All the Stalinist-Socialist talk about reforms to limit the powers of the President is part of this treachery and decep- tion. The ruling class intends extend the to preserve and inroads into democracy made in 1958 and after. The struggle for alternative revolutionary leadership in France cannot take place in a vacuum, isolated from these political experiences. At this stage, an electoral victory for the traditional workers' par- ties (Socialist and Communist Parties) could be a great gain.

It would give an impetus to workers' the independent struggle and bring the class face to face with the need to remove the reformists and Sta- linists, who will demonstrate in practice their subservience to capital. Workers should vote Com- munist in the first ballot in and then every constituency, for either Communist or Soci- alist candidates, whichever ap- pears on the second ballot against the ruling Gaullists.

On no account should wor- kers vote for the bourgeois Radicals. Balloting in this way would be a first big step, a rejection by the workers of the bourgeois alliance made by their leaders. Everywhere workers must demand that the CP and SP form a gov- ernment of their own, with no Radicals included. A coali- tion with this capitalist party would be the grossest be- trayal. Meanwhile, the election campaign, it must be recog- nized, is only one of the pre- parations of the class enemy.

The trade unions and the in workers in the factories, as well as the workers' political ho parties, must build joint orga- nizations, before the election, ex to fight in every town and in- WI dustry for the independent de- mands of the working class, le with rights for all the work- fe ing-class political tendencies to fight for the leadership.

A reformist The thoroughly and bourgeois programme of th the electoral coalition will not m FI solve a single problem of the French workers and will pave the way for the extreme right se in the Gaullist movement to an fa deal blows of an unexampled cl viciousness suddenness in against the working class.

ar m an ca lir th Faced with the monetary and trade onslaught of the American monopolists and the an resistance of the th stubborn working class, the French se bourgeoisie will not hesitate te ta to prepare civil war and orga- nize a new version of the Generals' Revolt of 1958.

er In this sense the Algerian an events of 1958-1961 can be considered only as a dress re- VO de hearsal by finance capital and the armed forces for the com- er

ing French revolution. as Before unleashing civil war, however, the ruling class will ga- the the on, and in- weakness, corruption Tre. of the de- formist passivity Party-Socialist Party munist

ISS.

rk- leaders and their Radical bed- fellows. cies They will seek first of all to demoralize and nist disorientate the working class through the of mechanism Popular not Front government. the At the same time they frustrations seek turn the ght and anger of the impoverished and middle class, whose savings are caught vortex of the inflation- In tne unleashed by the ary spiral monopolies and the govern- against the trade unions and left parties. These plalis be frustrated the cannot by policies of reformism and Sta- linism. While a government of CP-SP-shorn ary the of the the Radicals-—can be considered the tactical of an important gain the working class, it can in no ich guaran- sense oe considered a of victory over the capi- ate tee talist class. for a CP-SP the Support ernment must be qualifier ian and accompanied by mined struggle to build a re- deter- be and re- volutionary party demand of the reformist gov- ind ernment leaders that: 11- 1) They abrogate the Bona- constitution of the partist Fifth Republic in favour of a constitution based on a sys- tem of Workers' Councils.

2) They dissolve immediately the military, air, naval and police forces; they sack the reactionary officer caste and armed workers' create an militia. 3) They withdraw all troops from Germany and overseas territories like Chad; with- draw from NATO and the Common Market. 4) They expropriate monopoly capital in industry and banks under workers' control. Na- tionalize, without compensa- tion, the land and provide cheap credit, fertilizers etc. to the small farmers. As the Transitional Pro- gramme of the Fourth Inter- the national (1938) states: It is impossible to take a single in the serious step struggle against monopolistic despotism and capitalistic anarchy-which supplement one another in their work of destruction—if the command- ing posts of banks are left in the hands of predatory capi- talists. In order to create _a unified system of investments and credits, along a national plan corresponding to the in- terests of the entire people, it is necessary to merge all the banks into a single national French workers march behind banner of the CGT, the the Stalinist dominated trade union confederation. institution.. the single state bank will be able to create much more favourable con- ditions for the small deposi- tors than could the private banks. 'In the same way only the state bank can establish for farmers, tradesmen and small merchants conditions of fav- ourable, that is, cheap, credit.

more important, Even how- ever, is the circumstance that the entire economy-first and foremost large-scale industry and transport-directed by a single financial staff, will serve the vital interests of the wor- kers and all other toilers.'

The failure of the 1871 Paris Commune to expropriate the Bank of Paris and the catastrophic consequences of this mistake must serve as a sombre warning to the French working class. Today, however, such an omission would not be a mistake, but a conscious per- fidy of Stalinism, for which the working class will pay a much heavier price than even the Communards. Just as de Gaulle pulled the reactionary sections of the middle class on to the streets in June 1968, so Pompidou will attempt to mobilize the Workers Press, Sal same groups against the wor- king class during and after the elections. This is the meaning of the anti-communist onslaught launched by Pompidou. What he fears is not the Stalinists, but the working-class struggle that would be unleashed by a left victory in the elections.

Not one of the revisionist tendencies in France can ela- borate a correct policy for the working class in the election campaign. The Organisation Com- muniste Internationaliste (OCI) incapable of remains really posing the question of break- ing the French working class from the Stalinists, who com- mand the majority support.

Thus they will not give the clear line of voting communist whenever possible. Behind this is their total underestimation of the crisis of international and French capi- talism. While condemning the Stalinists and social demo- crats' concessions to the Gaul- list constitution, the OCI is now posing the question of some 'progress along the road of democracy which requires repeal of the constitution: .. in order to resolve the social problems of today, it is necessary to repeal the consti- tution'. Messmer, the French Prime Minister, under a blow-up picture They of President Pompidou. both openly threaten to continue to rule even If the SP-CP alliance Is elected with a majority.

All the dangers of the OCI's adaptation the social- to democratic bureaucracy, and their refusal to take on the question of Stalinism, here come to fruition. Instead of the revolutionary preparations and warnings, the spelling out of the true nature of the class forces and their objective re- quirements, we get from the OCI what amounts to pressure on the Socialists to go one step beyond what they pro- pose. Moreover OCI support for a.

CP-SP

and its government opposition to the Radicals is not based on a revolutionary struggle for leadership in the French working class. This is confirmed by the fact that the same OCI leadership categori- cally refused to demand May-June 1968 that the CGT Force Ouvrière leaders and continue the strike until the de Gaulle government fell and was replaced by a CP-SP gov- ernment based on councils of action. This demand was condemned by OCI leader Pierre Lambert as "criminal' and instead OCI were instructed to members call for a 'central strike com- mittee. This was a syndicalist evasion of the question of gov- Today ernment power. the OCI leaders call for a CP-SP government only because such a government—with or without radicals—-would be a reformist substitute for Pompidou. Only the ruthless criticism of the CP-SP programme and a consistent struggle to build a revolutionary party on Marx- ist theory in the French labour movement can give a revolu- tionary content to the demand for a CP-SP government. This is completely lacking in the OCI campaign. Having defended bourgeois democracy in Bolivia against genuine Soviet power, logical that the OCI revisionists should become the greatest Press, Saturday March 3, 1973 PAGE 7 defenders of bourgeois demo- in France as well as cracy Stalinist-SP reformism. The positions of the Pab- loite 'Ligue Communiste' and its electoral ally 'Lutte Ouv- rière' are even worse. To un- bridled opportunism-support for the left front despite its bourgeois components-these two organizations add 'leftist' adventurism with the nomina- tion of 300 candidates. Not only does this interven- tion obstruct the main imme- diate task of defeating the Gaullists with a massive vote for the workers' parties; it confuses and totally misleads workers the most-advanced about this and every other principled question, and pre- pares an atmosphere of dis- illusion and impotence. 'Lutte Ouvrière' and 'Ligue Communiste' differ politically on the most basic questions, above all on the question the Soviet Union, whether China and eastern Europe re- main workers' states, deformed and degenerated, but still, to be defended against imperial- ism. Further Lutte Ouvrière accuses the 'Ligue Communiste' of subordinating itself to the bureaucracy of the Catholic trade union federation (CFDT).

'Ligue Communiste has characterized the CFDT as 'a new centrism with a labour base and a revolutionary syn- dicalist ideology. But 'Lutte Ouvrière' occupies a similar position in relation to the CGT. What is worse is that 'Lutte Ouvrière' accepts a joint electoral front with the Communiste Ligue on the grounds that the differences between them are 'incompre- hensible in the eyes workers'. It was precisely because of the 'Lutte Ouvriere's' rejection of the continuous independent struggle for Trotskyism against and all Varieties spontaneity of opportunism and revisionism that the International Commit- tee expelled 'Lutte Ouvrière', then known as Voix Ouvrière, trom the proceedings of our Third Conference in 1966.

The working class of France faces an immediate future of even greater struggles than those fought so heroically in the past. Just as the betrayals of the Stalinists and social democrats in 1958 and 1968 could not break the strength of this class, despite exposing it to enormous dangers and delays, so today the French working class strike a can blow on March 4 and 11 which can bring nearer the day when the Stalinist and social demo- cratic time-servers can be re- moved and a genuine revolu- tionary leadership replace them. The first prerequisite, and the main immediate task, is to make the CP and SP form a government totally indepen- dent of the Radicals and to mobilize the whole strength of the working class, its unions stifle the and parties to counter-attack being mobilized by the French ruling class.

• No acceptance of the Fifth Republic, the Presidency, and the Constitution! NATO and the • Reject Common Market! • No coalition with the Radi- cals! A CP-SP government, with the workers' organizations mobilized to enforce a socialist programme! • Vote Communist Party in the first ballot, and then CP or SP against the Gaullists in the second. • Preparation in every_coun- solidarity with the try for French workers in their struggles! • For the Socialist United States of Europe! International Committee of the Fourth International, February 21, 1973.

MUST DEFEAT CORPORATISM

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Saturday Marcl Part three. By our industrial The second level at which co - determination operates in Germany is on the supervisory boards of companies where em- ployees must be given one third of the direc- tors' seats (one half in the iron and steel industries).

This is the worker-director proposal that the Common Market is introducing for com- panies with more than 500 employees and on which the TUC has commented favour- ably. With the EEC, the collab- orationist gimmick is dressed being slightly more as 'equitable' in that employers also get only one-third of the seats on the board. The remaining third, how- ever, are to go to people repre- senting 'the public interest' and it is no secret what that means.

In Germany, the con-trick remains undisguised. The Ger- man TUC says of their system: 'In practice, the workers are scarcely able to exercise any effective influence. The work- ers' representatives are perm- anently in the minority and are consequently always depen- dent on the goodwill of the other side. 'This weakness in legal status has in practice led either to a spirit of resignation, or to conformity? But the reformist German day March 3, 1873 lustrial correspondent, Royston Bull TUC leaders have channelled the cynical contempt German this "co- have for workers partne ship' into a campaign • changed to to have the law the board give one-half of seats to employees. is the essential conflict It of interests between capitalist and worker which makes co- partnership unworkable, not the amount or the lack of col- laboration on the board. of re- Despite the betrayals formist leaders and despite the corporatist framework of in- the German working dustry, class has retained its fighting capacity intact. Although illegal, unofficial place, and do take strikes Germany's biggest union, the metalworkers, with 2 million members and roughly equiva- lent to Britain's AUEW, used such tactics in the famous pay struggle three years ago which so frightened the German rul- ing class. for the Without waiting breakdown of negotiations and the necessary 75 per cent majority in a strike ballot, the metalworkers put early pres- sure on employers with 'spon- taneous' lightning strikes throughout the industry, and won a record 11-per-cent set- tlement three months early.

The employers could have sued the union, but decided to make a deal instead. But although militant and successful, the metalworkers— and all other unions-still have to settle accounts with the re- formist corporatist thinking within their own ranks before on Bull they can take on and defeat the German ruling class, as they are shortly going to have to do. Britain already has some ex- perience with worker-directors.

All of it is disastrous. The most famous experiment started in the nationalized British Steel Corporation, in- troduced by ex-union bureau- crat turned Labour Director Ron Smith, formerly with the Union of Post Office Workers.

So inept was this attempt that BSC itself had to call for changes. report showed that a A one of worker-director on BSC's many boards 'lost touch with the men he was supposed to represent and became in- in the creasingly embedded management structure' The proposed solution was to allow such worker-directors to retain any union offices held, which previously had been banned. This dramatic change will have no effect whatsoever.

And the reason is that col- laborationism rules out any possibility of a 'worker-direc- tor' being able to represent the real interests of the working class. Just listen to John Slater, a current 'worker-director' on BSC's general steels division.

While Slater has been serv- ing, 30,000 jobs have been wiped out in the steel industry.

The worker-director com- ments: "There have, of course, been very bad times when we have been involved in decisions to close steelworks that we know personally. But. we have tiv eat managed to establish much liaison closer with union officials.' This is the workers' control that transport union secretary Jack Jones and Anthony Wedgwood Benn, MP, have in mind as a solution to capital- ism's ills. This kind of workers' con- trol in reality means control of workers. It means a style of corporatism in which labour bureaucrats carry out the func- tions of capitalist managers and foremen-particularly the most unpleasant ones like mass sackings. Even when the most obvious representatives of big business like the Tory Employment Minister Maurice Macmillan, who has piloted the iniquitous laws, speaks out for pay worker-directors, Jack Jones still does not get the message.

The government, Macmillan said recently, will 'need to look again' at worker-partici- pation in management now that Britain has joined the Common Market. And he saw no reason, he 'why management went on, should take a negative, defen- sive view of this development' He told his Tory audience that he could not 'prophesy what the future may bring by way of further developments in worker-participation. 'But i do most urgently ask you to consider the implica- tions for the future in a posi- ave tive way? Despite such on obvious warning to the working class that the Tories are introducing the worker-director treachery as a step on the road to cor- poratism under the sheltering umbrella of the EEC, Jones ploughs blindly on. Like many on the left of the bureaucracy, he labour sees that Britain is heading in- exorably either for the corpor- ate state or revolution and he has made his choice. 'If worker-director the approach is seen as a substitute roots participation, for grass will be resented and then it will fail,' he said recently.

'But if it is seen as an exten- tion of it, then it will flourish here better than anywhere else. In Britain, Jones went on, 'the atmosphere is much more encouraging for the worker- director idea because the sys- tem of local trade union demo- now much more cracy iS firmly based. 'The opportunity is there for worker-director to be the elected, and genuinely voice the fears, hopes, and needs of workers at boardroom the level, because he is still very much part of the trade union movement.' In other words, as long as there remains the opportunity for a whinge from below, then it is safe to risk being sold out at the top. Ex-union bureaucrat turned La. bour Director, Ron Smith. Left: Jack Jones protected from mem- bers of his union by police when the dock strike was sold out.

But why take this risk at all? So that workers can have a whinge at boardroom level too. For all that he carefully hedges round and qualifies his acceptance of the corporatist idea, Jones on no occasion at- tacks it in principle. Why should he? With a philosophy that a workers' leader's job is merely to com- plain on his members behalf, corporatism would make Jones' life easier by automatic- ally ironing out many of the clashes and conflicts that he now has to deal with. Few workers are really fooled by this worker-director nonsense. Even the TUC's own investigation in support of the government's proposals states clearly: 'On the management board level, there should be trade- union nominated members, the only proviso being that they should not be engaged in nego- tiations with the company' In other words, there is an obvious conflict of interest in being on the board and repre- senting the working class.

This corporatist smokescreen if is being prepared because the approaching storm finally results in a revolutionary crisis, the left-labour leaders have their minds in made up advance that they will do their working utmost to head the class off from seizing state power. These 'lefts' are riddled with bourgeois thinking. They hate the idea of a successful out- of struggle the class come which will establish the dicta- torship of the proletariat. They will provide the ruling class with a last-ditch defence from the working-class revolution.

CONCLUDED • •

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 whole translation of the book, which is the first part of Volume 8 of Leon Trotsky's 'Works' pub- lished in Soviet the Union in 1926. It provides the most vivid picture available of the historic figures of the Second Inter- national, their strengths and weaknesses, written by an obser- ver who also a participant in the daily struggle of the Euro- pean and Russian working class.

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BY A GUEST REVIEWER.

It is 40 years ago in the American South, Louis- iana, 1933. The middle of Great Depression. the The iniquitous system holds black Americans in a slavery as effective as the one from which they have so recently been emancipated. The white land-owners take most of the crop as their share in return for allowing the black man to work the land. He is not even left enough to feed his family, let alone pay off his debts at the land-owners' stores and so the 'credit' allowed him keeps him tied to the land-owner in a self-perpetuating serfdom which extends from one gene- ration to the next. Nathan Lee is a black man caught in this trap. He and his wife, Rebecca, and their three children find themselves the victims of this eonomic system which de- prives them of even a basic livelihood, while at the same time hedged about by a rigid racialist social structure which strips them of even the sim- plest elementary human rights.

The question • is: how does a person exist in a situation like this? 'Sounder' shows us in a. moving very way how one family did it. Faced with three starving children and no pros- pect of food, even by hunting, Nathan 'does what has to be done'. He steals a ham from a landlord's smokehouse. But he pays a dear price for the momentary dignity he maintains as the family bread- White justice swiftly winner. punishes him under the spe- cial laws for the blacks and he is sentenced to a year's imprisonment at hard labour.

No of even the pretence simplest legal rights accorded • white is allowed him. to any He is held incommunicado and no one may visit him, is Workers Press, Si except on Sundays, and even then only his son; his wife, never. After his trial, he is put in a prison camp and his family refused any knowledge of his whereabouts. The emptiness and ineffec- tiveness of white middle-class liberals is brilliantly exposed in a series of scenes in which a white woman tries to use her influence with the sheriff tly to find out Nathan's prison.

He very quickly reminds her which side of the racial fence she is on and what the conse- quences are of stepping over it. This cools her enthusiasm considerably and only through a sense of guilt does she make a half-hearted attempt to help.

But even this is abortive. In a brief but telling little sequence we see her unable to even help Nathan's family read a road map to the prison and they are left ultimately on their own. Now it is the turn of Rebecca. When the share- cropping landlord demands to know what she is going to do now that her husband is m in jail, she, too, declares that she 'will do what has to be done'. We are shown vividly just what this means. The back- breaking labour in the fields and the dawn to dusk strug- gle of Rebecca and her three children reveal their deter- mination to survive with dignity and without accepting hand-outs any compromising from the land-owner. Her only diversions are the visits of friends on a Sunday, but even these occasions for high spirits are dampened by the sudden appearance of a black minister. The panacea of religion is not for Rebecca and she isn't taken in by the brand of defeatism peddled by the fundamentalists. 'We brought nothing into this world and we take no- thing out, declares the minister. ' is that a blessing?' is 'And her ironic reply. David Lee, the oldest child, m, is also learning to do what • Press, Saturday March 3, 1973 PAGE 9 'Sounder'. With Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfleld. Based on the novel by William Armstrong. Distributor-Fox-Rank. has to be done. In his quest for his father in the far-off prison, he stumbles on an all- black school with a black teacher. He listens in wonder to black children struggling to get at the truth when all around them are false values.

From this teacher he dis- .covers the facts and not the myths of his black heritage.

He hears about the first black man killed in the American and begins to re- Revolution late historical events to his own life. All this contrasts strongly with an earlier sequ- ence in a predominantly white school where the black chil- dren sit at the back of the class and the teacher reads from Huckleberry Finn about 'a li'l coloured boy laughin' all over his face'. There are many such inci- dents throughout the film, is most of them handled quietly and deftly rather than with the usual heavy broad strokes.

Not the least of them con- cerns the hound, Sounder, from which the film takes its title. Beloved of both the boy and his father, he is shot at point-blank by the range guard who has arrested Na- than. It is not done delibe- rately, or even brutally' ina- much, as idly and with punity. It is a casual act which symbolizes the con- tempt of white for black.

My only reservations are by minor ones. In aiming for a 'U certificate, the makers have avoided any explicitly sexual scenes. This gives the relationship of Nathan and Rebecca a slightly flattened effect. And one or two of the emotional scenes, especially the reunion the end, border on the near 'tear-jerker' category. But this is a small price to pay and 'Sounder' is a film that de- be serves to seen by the widest audience.

Reformists' plan can't solve workers' basic demands PAGE 10 Workers Prosa, Saturday March 3, 1973

SATURDAY TV

BBC 1

11.00-11.25 10.00 Repondez s'il plait. 10.30 Avventura. 11.45 Herbs. 12.00 Motor mouse.

12.20 Croesi'r bont. 11.40 Weather. Outa-space! 12.45 Grandstand. 12.50 Football preview. 1.20, 2.00, 2.35 Newbury. 2.20, 2.55 Racing from Haydock Park. Racing from 1.45, 3.05 1973 World figure skating championships.

3.30 Rugby League Castleford v Oldham. 4.35 Final score. 5.05 We want to sing. cup. 5.35 News. Weather. 5.50 Dr. Who. WORLD OF DISNEY. Inky the Crow.

6.15

WONDERFUL

Early years of 7.05

FILM:

"VILLA'.

Brian Keith, Cesar Romero. Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.

Cilla Black with Cliff Richard singing the 1973 Song 8.15

CILLA.

for Europe. 9.00 A MAN CALLED IRONSIDE. Dear

10.05 MATCH OF THE DAY.

9.50

NEWS.

Weather.

PARKINSON.

Michael Parkinson. 11.05

WORLD

FIGURE

SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS. Men's 12.05 1973 12.35 Weather. championship.

ITV

9.00 Time off. 9.55 Return to Peyton Place. 10.20 Sesame street. 11.20 Partridge family. 12.30 News. 12.35 11.35 Osmonds. 1.05 International sports World of sport. 12.40 On the ball. special. 1.20 ITV seven. 1.30, 2.00, indoor athletics championship.

230, 30.1 ciner rational sports social neize l 2.45 Racing from Rasen. 3.10 International sports world Results, scores, 4.00 Wrest- cyclo-cross championships. news. ling. 4.50 Results service. 5.10 News. 5.15 Black Beauty. 5.45 Doctor at large. 6.15 SALE OF THE CENTURY THE GLADIATORS: Victor Mature,

"DEMETRIUS AND

6.45 Bible story. Hayward, Michael Rennie, Anne Bancroft.

Susan 8.30 THE VAL DOONICAN SHOW. Guests Lena Martell, Stephane Grappelli, Dickie Henderson.

The London Beat. Richard Widmark.

9.30 NEWS.

9.40 MADIGAN.

RUSSELL HARTY PLUS.

11.00 Women Alone. Juliet Mitchell.

11.50

NO MAN'S LAND.

IT'S WORTH READING. Mary Craig talks to Cleo Laine.

12.40

BBC 2

sweet. 8.55-1.30 Open University. 3.00 Film: 'Bitter Jeanette Noel Coward's romance about a Victorian MacDonald, Nelson Eddy. belle. 4.30 Play away. 4.55 Pets and vets. 5.15 Lord Elgin and the Parthenon. MAN ALIVE. If Only We Could Afford It. Thamesmead tenants.

6.00 WESTMINSTER. 7.25 NEWS AND SPORT. Weather.

7.00 RUGBY SPECIAL. North Midlands v Lancashire. 7.35 WEIR OF HERMISTON. Part 3.

8.15

MUSIC.

FACE THE

9.00 FULL HOUSE. From Glasgow. Including extracts from 'Jock' 9.30 About Knew

JSD

Band, 'The Man Who Glasgow's own Electricity', Artifactory, Song for Glasgow competition.

11.10

NEWS

ON 2. Weather. FILM: 'BLIND DATE'. Hardy Kruger, 11.15 Stanley Baker, Micheline Presle. A voung artist is suspected of murdering a beautiful woman.

REGIONAL TV

SOUTHERN:

9.15 Jobs around the 10.10 9.40 Foreign 0.35 Stin tray. house. 10.35 yesterdays. All 11.35 11.05 Merrie Cowbo Weather. London 5.15 Tarzan. 6.15 Who do you 6.45 Film: do! 9.45 9.30 London. 10.45 Skating Doonican: 11.30 No man's land. 12.20 Weather. Guideline. 9.00 London. 9.55

VAT.

10.30 10.20 Bugs Once 10.45 island. time 11.00 12.30 London. LIKE THE common pro- do? 6.45 Film: Missins? Our Spies 8.20 London. gramme of the French Com- 10.40 No 40 Persuaders. man's land. 11.30 12.15 Weather. Kating. munist Party-Socialist Party-

HTV

Cymru/Wales 35.45-6.95 ra 5.20-5.45 Upper Radical alliance the new bo dau.

ANGLIA:

9.00 London. 10.00 Han my policy of the TUC and 10.15 10.40 Pilm: hamster. Judyers 12.30 Date With Is Who 6.15 Labour Party, 'Economic Fine ord do you do? Filns: Jim 9.30 10.40 NO man's Policy and the Cost of Liv- Doonican. 11.30 12.15 Epilogue. land.

ATV

9.15 Jobs ing', the

MIDLANDS:

around cannot solve 10.10 house. 9.40 the Foreign vour. the 10.40 Thunder. in economic crisis or satisfy any 11.35 12.00 birds.

JAN TRAN

London. 12.30 5.15 8.15 Pm: of the basic demands of the The Ships 8.30 Val 9.30 London. working class. 10.40 No 11.30 man's land. Doonican. 12.20 Skating 12.15 Bailey. one on Shirley's world weather. Even a cursory look at this

ULSTER:

10.30 Lostreet: 11.30 pedestrian document will show Thunderbirds. 5.15 hillbillies. Beverly that the Labour leaders have Sport. Who do 6.45 buses. On learnt nothing from history or 8.30 7.15 Film: Man No London. Longstreet. 10.40 economics and are quite deter- man's land. 11.30 Skating. 9.15 stand. 9.40

YORKSHIRE:

Last mined to carry on where they 10.10 Getting your 10.35 nep sa worth. left off in 1970. 11.05 Osmonds. Elephant i2.3b°London and Costello Riptide. The 'policy' amazingly contains 9.30 London. Film: 'Nevada no reference-not the once-to 9.40 Val Doonican. 10.40 man'e and economic crisis land. .30 Skating. 12.15 To see our- monetary 2.45 Weather. selves. which is sweeping the capitalist house: 940 around nations and is the source of the 10.05 Touse. 'oreigi flavour. unprecedented inflation i n 10.30 Sesame 11.35 Poll goot. 12.00 Huckle- Europe. Finn. 5.20 berry London. 6.45 6.15 valley. do You •Rio 1. 9:40 Vảt Bugs Bunny. London. Doonican. 10.40 12.15 11.30 Skating. man's and. Karloff KOrI he esens Ironically on the very day that 9.15 life

TYNE

TEES:

Wild theatre 10.10 proclaimed 9.40 Getting you worth. this policy was the moneys Osmonds. United States Tariff Commission Costello. 5.15 Rin. 930-page published report Smith Saders. Film: 11. 30 ohallenge 10.40 showed conclusively-if Nevada which man's land. No implicitly-the utter hopelessness 12.20 Lectern. of the proposed by measures 9.15 Jobs around favour. 10.10 Harold Wilson and Victor Foreign house. 10.35 beauty Funky Black Feather. nhantomi 110S 90. 12.00 11.30 Osmonas. Cavalcade 12.30 London. This report discovered that the 6.40 Film: Bonanza.. 6.10. US-based multi-national corpora- Hogan's heroes. 9.03 9.40 Doonican. Tondon. tions have such a vast amount of 10.40 No man's land. 11.30 Late call.

inflationary short- currency or 11.35 Skating. dis- liquid assets at their

GRAMPIAN:

11.15 Jackson five. 11.45 term Ron 5.20 posal that they could 'trigger off and friends. london.

UFO.

Who do do? 6.45 you monetary crises galore simply by *The T Film: Truth About Spring' 8.30 little their 10.40 No juggling just London. .ongstreet. Gov- man's land, 11.30 Skating. between countries. money ernments have absolutely no

SUNDAY TV

9.00 Nai zindagi naya jeevan.

9.00 Repondez s'il vous plait. 10.00 10.30 Sung Eucharist. 11.35 Making a canoe. 12.00 Hand- Avventura. 12.25 12.50 Farming. 1.15 Made in ling materials. Seventy plus. Britain. 1.30 Parents and children. 1.55 News. 2.00 Mary, Mungo and Midge. 2.15 Animal game. 2.45 Bird's eye view. 3.45 Tom and Jerry. 3.50 Film: "All This and Money Too'. Glenn Ford, Hope Lange, Charles Boyer. 5.40 Little princess. 6.05

NEWS.

Weather. 6.15 SUNDAY DEBATE. Immigration and Race Relations. Jack Peel, National Union of Dyers, general secretary of the Bleachers and Textile Workers and Patrick Corbett, Professor of Philosophy.

BEGINNING. 7.00 CHOICE IS YOURS.

6.50

NEW

7.25 THE BROTHERS. Errors of Judgement.

FILM: 'A PLACE IN THE SUN'.

Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth 8.15 Taylor, Shelley Winters. A handsome and ambitious man runs away from his poverty stricken mother.

NEWS. Weather. 10.15 10.25

OMNIBUS FILE.

The Critics. FIRING LINE. William Buckley, Jr., right wing American com- 11.15 MP, discuss the Welfare mentator and Mrs. Shirley Williams, State. 11.55. Weather.

ITV

9.30 Sung mass. 10.35 UFO. 11.30 Weekend world. 1.00 Thunderbirds.

1.50 Skilful 1973 League Norwich 8. 4.25 rugby. Junior Police five. Tottenham Hotspur. 3.15 Persuaders. 4.15 Golden shot. 5.15 Aquarius.

6.15 ADAM SMITH.

6.05

NEWS.

THE SUNDAY QUIZ. 7.00 APPEAL.

6.40 7.05

SONGS THAT MATTER. 7.25 WHO DO YOU DO?

7.55

FILM:

'CAT

BALLOU'. Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin. Comedy western. THE UPPER CRUSTS. By Endeavour Alone.

9.30

NEWS. 10.15 COUNTRY MATTERS.

The Ring of Truth. 10.00 11.10 THE FROST PROGRAMME. David Frost.

IT'S WORTH READING.

Mary Craig talks to Donald Swann 12.10 about Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. SCALES OF JUSTICE. Personal and Confidential.

12.15

BBC 2

8.55-1.30 Open University. 4.00 Man at work. 4.25 Money at work.

5.25 Horizon: NEWS REVIEW. 6.50 NEWS SUMMARY. Weather.

6.15

THE STORY OF CARL GUSTAV JUNG.

6.55

THE WORLD ABOUT US.

The Tea and Sugar. 7.25 THE GOODIES. 8.45 THE SONG OF MARAMURES. Songs and 8.15 dances of north-west Romania.

9.35

THE PEARCROSS GIRLS.

Four plays abour four sisters. Sweet Julia. With Penelope Wilton. The Young Generation and Vince 10.25

THEY SOLD A MILLION.

Hill with Sandie Shaw and The Rockin' Berries.

11.10 NEWS ON 2. Weather.

SLL CENTRAL COMMITȚEE MEMBER MICHAEL BANDA

ANALYSES A LABOUR-TUC DOCUMENT

('Daily Telegraph', Feb- It coital homerict wil price control.' ruary 27, 1973.) home flow control abroad and balance-of- credit a Private investment in the world home payments crisis at which markets estimated to money 1S will devaluations-and lead to $268,000m which is double total an increased cost of living!

holdings of the central the total bank and official monetary insti- It is obvious from this docu- The US ment that report makes the Labour Party and tutions. TUC have the this sombre observation: neither capacity the understanding. nor even to It is clear that only small inflation. control and eliminate fraction needs to be moved Their attitude to the stagnation for a general crisis to develop. of British capitalism is no more profound and less reformist. These huge speculative move- of capital, with combined ments 'Fundamental the British to Nixon's August 15, 1971, therefore, problem, is economic in abolishing convert- and, measures the problem of investment of the mean that ibility dollar, generally, the problem of more capitalist anarchy has been in- the control and the disposition tensified to the point where of capital-the extension of in- short the nothing of complete the of vestment and control expropriation of monopoly capital will be one of the capital thus prevent the inevitable plunge can central tasks of the next Labour to depression and war. government. 'And this will mean the devel- opment of new public enterprise effective public supervision and of the investment policy of large But this is precisely what the private corporations.' reformists evade. Trotsky remarked, reformist these once Nationalize propose to bail out the pygmies of capitalist anarchy with ocean There can be no real expansion Or, the teaspoon reformism. OI of the economy and a guarantee document pompously as the of full employment so long as states: decisions remain in investment The key to any alternate the hands of the big banks and strategy to fight inflation is direct monopolies- -whose sole criterion statutory action on prices ...

for investment is profit.

Direct on statutory action It is no accident that invest- prices has worked- -and the never ment-as document points will until the and banks fallen cent be- ween 1971 and 1972 at out-has industrial monopolies have been at the same nationalized under workers' con- time as profit rates-which the trol and without compensation. document does not point out- The reformist Labour-TUC policy, have fallen steeply. however, the parasitic ignores Investment in manufacturing and international nature of im- industry is not profitable-hence perialist finance capital.

REGIONAL TV

SOUTHERN: 9.00 VAT. 9.30 London.

Farm 10.30 War I. 11.30 London. Lucy. 1.50 1.00 . 1.20 London. 3.16 immy stewart. gang. 3.45 Cartoon. 3.50 senD street Golden shot. Biack 4.40 5.30 5.35 6.05 News. ( London. 7.55 Film: "The Last 12.15 Weather. 10.10 London. Guideline. HARLECH: 9.30 London. 10.35 Farm- 11.30 London. ing. 11.00 Gardening. 1.00 University Challenge. 1.30 Drive 2.15 London. in. 2.00 Bugs Bunny. "Thunderhead-Son of 3.15 Film: 5.35 Black Beauty. 6.05 London. Film: "Sands Kalahari. 10.00 of the London. 12.15 Weather.

ANGLIA: 9.00 VAT.

9.30 London. 11.20 11.30 London. 1.00 Cartoons. 2.30 Film: "The Lions Are Freermin Weather. pions. 4.00 Cartoons. 4.40 Golden Football. shot. 5.25 Black Beauty. 6.05 London.

7.55 Film: Who Was that Lady?'. 10.00 London. 12.10 Bible.

ATV MIDLANDS: 9.00 VAT.

9.30 London. 10.30 All yesterdays. our 11.00 Citizens' rights. 11.30 London.

1.00 Champions. 3.00 Film: The First Men in the 4.40 Golden shot. 5.35 Black Beauty.

"Paris When 6.05 London. 7.55 Film: It Sizzles'. 10.00 London.

YORKSHIRE: 9.00 VAT. 9.30 London.

10.30 Untamed world. 11.00 Hogan's heroes. 11.30 London. 1.00 Farming. 1.25 Calendar. 1.55 1973 League Cup final. 2.40 Film: 'Up the Down Stair- case. "4.45 Golden shot. 355 5.35 Black Beauty. 6.05 Film: Fathom'. 9.50 Popeye. 12.10 Shirley's world. 12.40 Weather.

London. to

GRANADA:

9.30 10.35 Untamed world. 11.00 Time Ie+ 12.55 Saint. Football 1.50 League Cup Film: "The final. Name Game'. 4.40 Golden of the shot. 5.35 Black Beauty. 6.05 London.

Naked Runner'. Film: "The 7.55 9.50 Cartoon. 10.00 London.

TYNE TEES: 9.00 VAT. 9.30 London.

around the house. 11.00 10.30 Jobs Stewart show. 11.30 London. Jimmy 1.25 World 1.00 Fai Where the outlook. the jobs me the War I. 1.50 League Cup final. Film: Pigeon That Took Rome'. 4.45 5.35 Black Beauty. 6.05 Golden shot. London. 7.55 Film: "Fathom'. 10.00 London. 12.05 Skating. 12.35 Lectern.

SCOTTISH: 10.00 World War I. 10.30 Women. 11.00 A place in the country.

11.30 London. 2.00 Champions. 2.00 3.25 Theatre. ( 4.25 Golden shot. Aquarius. 6.05 London. 7.55 Film: Riot in Cell Block / Comedians. 10.00 London. 12.15 9.30 Late call.

GRAMPIAN:

11.00 Farming. 11.30 1.00 Foreign 1.30 London. flavour. Sport. Tobs around the house. 2.30 Film: "When Collide'. 3.25 Worlds 5.35 Black Beauty. 4.40 Golden shot. Film: "The Hill. 6.05 London. 7.55 10.00 London. the tremendous surge of parasitic and speculative activities by the asset-strippers. This is a situation which will not be changed or improved by the 'development of new public enterprise'. The task before the Labour is to nationalize under Party workers' control. Any other policy will spell disaster for the working class. The Labourites, however, are preparing to unfurl the Morrison banner of 'mixed economy' and strengthen the monopolies and speculators. The most damning feature of statement, however, is the policy the explicit acquiescence to the Common Market. While criticiz- ing the poor terms of entry and the Tories' regional policy the statement continues: Platitudes "The next Labour government will, therefore, work closely with the trade union movement on an agreed programme to pro- mote regional development ..!

Since there is nothing to the contrary, it is reasonable to assume that EEC membership will continue and the British workers will have to bear the burdens of the crisis of British and Euro- pean capitalism. The regional policy will be geared to EEC requirements.

The rest of the document is adorned with the usual reformist platitudes about 'increased pen- , 'redistribution of wealth' of rented "municipalization houses', etc. The only thing this document proves is the absolute and un- postponable necessity to expose and defeat Labourite-TUC traitors and transform the Socialist ring Labour League into a revolu- tionary party,

ONE section of workers looking to next Monday's special TUC for a lead are the 1,300 British Road Services drivers in the Midlands. As Harry Shorter, union branch secretary at Birming- ham's Cheapside BRS depot, says, their four-week struggle for a £2.50 bonus, which ended earlier this week; is proof that without a decisive struggle against the Tory government workers are left open in this period to isolation and defeat. A number of drivers are expected to participate in the mass lobby of the TUC. Our Labour corres- pondent, DAVID MAUDE, assesses the lessons of their struggle for other workers who will also be lobbying.

BRS men in Birmingham. FRENCH electors go to the polls tomorrow in the first ballot of the most important election since the Gaullists came to power in 1958. Only candidates with over 50 per cent of the votes cast will be elected on the first ballot. The final result will only be known after the ballot on March II, when the candidate with the highest number of votes will be elected.

The left coalition of the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, and the rump of the Radi- cals who support the common programme, will effect If only come into at this the stage. electoral pact is adhered to the best placed candidate of the three parties will represent it in the second ballot. A big slump in the vote for the ruling Gaullist party is expected though it may still be able to command a majority in parliament in associa- tion with the centre parties. A victory for the left coalition will precipitate a crisis as under the Gaullist Constitution 1958 President Pompidou is not obliged to call upon a majority leader to form the government.

The left coalition has put forward a pro gramme of reforms within the framework of capitalism similar to that of the Popular Front of 1936. The opportunist politicians of the Socialist Party and the small radical group led by Maurice Fabre have joined the Stalinists in this electoral fraud intended to hold back the working class and avert revolution.

Georges Marchais, leader of the Communist Party, has constantly asserted his willingness to serve as a minister under the Gaullist con- stitution. In his last appeals to voters he stresses support for French national interests against the in Europe American trade offensive and the flooding of the market with goods 'made in

USA'.

A massive vote for the workers' parties will provide a great opportunity to expose the role of the Stalinists and break large sections of the working class from their stranglehold.

• See pages 6 and 7 for statement on France.

ACCORDING to Alan Law, commercial trade group secretary of the and General Transport Workers' Union in Bir- mingham, 'honour and unity have been pre- served' in the settlement of the BRS drivers' dispute. This is a verdict which explains nothing. In par- ticular it fails to explain why, after four weeks' determined struggle, the 1,300 drivers have forced to return to work without the £2.50 bonus payment they came out for. Some explanation of this failure is certainly needed, since at the outset of the struggle the drivers appeared powerfully placed to tear a hole in the Tory pay laws and force BRS to shell out.

The drivers returned to Wednesday arly on morning, with f45 'hardship' money in lieu of the earn- ings they had lost plus a promise of bonus reviews at depot level . . • payable when the Tory laws allow.

An obvious threat in the accepted by a settlement, show-of-hands vote by 600 drivers last Tuesday, is that it will open the way for speed-up and an attack on conditions amongst this already hard-pressed group of workers. It is no secret that the prototype bonus agreement on which the promised re- views are likely to be based, aims at faster journey time and quicker turn-rounds in the depots. This may mean more profits for BRS, but it also spells fatigue and more danger for the drivers. Wert tonhas tor domity either 'honour" the silver-tongued most T&GWU paid official would be hard put to explain. The story of the BRS dispute starts in earnest with a meeting of shop stewards and branch officers at the T&GWU headquarters in Broad Street, Birmingham, last October... For some time past trade secretary Law had group been waging a campaign to force hauliers to pay a £2.50 bonus for possession of the heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) licence, which was to be- come compulsoty the follow-" ing February for drivers of A DECLARATION up- holding the Vietnam peace of settlement January 27 was signed by the Foreign Ministers of 12 governments repre- sented at the interna- tional conference on Vietnam in Paris yester- day. The agreement commits the signatories to uphold 'the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Vietnam [and] the right South of the Vietnamese people to self-determination'.

In the case of a serious violation of the peace agree- ment the conference can be re-convened on • a joint re- quest by the United States and North Vietnam or on a proposal by six or more of the parties to the declaration.

The declaration means no more than international en- the dorsement of peace agreement already made. It means acceptance by the Chinese and Soviet bureau- cracy of the existing division of south-east Asia and opposition to any extension of revolution in the area.

The Paris agreement, even with the complicity of the Soviet Union and China, cannot prevent the revolu- tion in Indo-China from going forward. laden weight. the dispute the the of firms chrieda had reached 177, ncludin White's (Another of Birmingham, to pas February on 20.) cided to up set a co-oral between in the newly-

BRS

(Mid- reorcalizea lands) region sub- the claim. the Law claim 16, with of £28.60 belonging the Associa- tion in the The com- the pany agreed Law's presen- Heath made ember freeze' state. ment. de- Every wage claim however up, had government. The bonus melting pot. Law and reuseshi to simply refused this fa the was socialled with ing discussion which LaW the 101 his members But further meeting with the company January 12 U11

WCCKS

he BRS's because relusal LO Athou p state pay Dal Chil, the National Corpo- caystal" clear was fast Two of the laws, attempt tu viedale struggle against the Despite the dispute began with the supremely confident Tsal US arms pilgrimage THE visit of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir Washington WeCk was another of her grimages to obtain credits to assure preponderance of Israel in the Middle East. Israel complaints about the scale or us mill. tary aid, which has been on a huge scale and is assured for some time to come. Mrs Meir had a 90-minute collabora- Tories' cor- poratist Pay the usually lead- the ers of and Association. This the force of working-class the

TUC.

out, tile of the right reflects. ens, the unity struggle and sections class. Workers Press, Saturday they could win through. And their confidence was to te a large extent justified.

Had the dispute been fought for what it was—a confrontation with the Tories-there is no reason why it should not have been won. The drivers' strength was demonstrated within 24 hours of the January 29 mass meeting at which they handed in their HGV licen- ces to the union. Because the drivers, with- out their licences, were un- able legally to take the big lorries and transporters serv- ing the car plants on the production all road, car the Midlands began to over grind to a halt. From Ross-on-Wye to Wellington in the north, and from Tamworth to Swin- don in the east, thousands of carworkers were laid off.

By the end of the dispute, British - Leyland alone had clocked up production losses of over £60m at showroom values. Transport drivers are a bunch of hardy individual- ists. A frequent comment during the first and second of the dispute was weeks that it wasn't necessarily a fight with the government, but if the government chose to intervene the drivers would take it in their stride.

This mood was rein- forced when, after abortive talks with BRS management at a Solihull. hotel, Law and T & GWU regional secretary Brian Mathers sent out a letter confusing to most members of the drivers' co- ordinating committee. Dated February 7, the let- ter reported that the two officials had. tried to con- vince BRS it would not be illegal to pay an increase while the 'freeze' was on.

Two Department of Em- ployment oicials had been invited in to clarify the point. Their advice had been that 'increased bonus pay- ments could be made within the existing bonus schemes' and that it would not be illegal to pay an increase.'

The union, said the letter, 'therefore made a • formal application to the manage- ment to agree to make a payment starting from the day our members resume normal working'. But BRS continued to re- fuse to pay on the grounds that to do so would..be discussion with President Nixon on the latest develop- ments in the Middle East and the possibility of nego- tiations with Arab govern- ments. She denied reports that she had King met Hussein of Jordan while in the United States. A White House spokes- man said after Mr Meir's visit that she estimated that it would I be some time be- fore any Middle-East settle- ment would be possible. resignation as general secretary gest union will be welcomed by fighting the Tory pay laws.

It was Anderson who de- clared, at the recent con- ference public-sector unions, that the job of the unions was not to attack the government, but to get on with them as well as possible.

This week civil servants, hospital workers and London teachers have all rejected that policy. But Anderson's right wing and fake 'left' cronies in the TUC leadership remain, and will remain to do their treacherous work until de- cisively dealt with by the working class. In Anderson's case, the bureaucracy bas cracked at one of its most rigid points.

The lefts' and Stalinists continue to protect his less outspoken co-thinkers. Workers Press, Saturday March 3, 1973 PAGE 11 'against the and in- tention' of governmen DOlICY On the it gave that it Wal sheer ness, and government policy, that preventing crease. licence claim bonus crucial concession. officials' advice the Solihull talks was which the

T&GWU

have recognized. started pilot depot, Lane. for a few pennies per the average on times and 15; Law, Mathers ouner Union upon-Avon, from Chichester- Clark, ernment intervene with if any pay- Law's reaction to this was ask Kenneth Cook, the director of BRs (Midlands).

to agree the payment to 'get

BRS

hook', though he knew it would be At the end of the day, the co-ordinating committee

LUCW

vity proposals and demanded straight £2.50 across the board. But the Il-page document members had been handed did its work.

of the car-delivery some depots began arguing that the proposed deal could mean quite substantial their monet TOr freeze' this time dropped the idea of ally later settlement. On February 19 Cook the drivers force the 1cl. some the depots might close dispute This led to Hereford, the Castle and depots, be to £4.85 them separate peace Law attacked these nego tiations as 'treacherv'. but at Sunday morning meeting recommended unitea re turn to

• WUIK

drivers, who stood gain about to 72p from the proposed deal, picaominalca al tne meeting and Law's recommendation was rejected. But on Tuesday. Februart 27, an immediate return to work was agreed fur- after unity appeal from law. "The union considers that because government tervention, get Cal this stage from BRS', he said 'A return to work is the only way lo reslore unity. The failed, o rivers because they did not not the have win, ou Catal •um because mer eaders re.

fused to recognize the char- acter of the dispute and lead Onulat basis therefore, Harry Shorter's verdict, rather than the vastly

HOIC

enced which is the Law s, right one

Wigan and Manchester gas workers demand: Toughen up the gas PAGE 12 Workers Press, Saturday Mar Press

FUND

MARCH FUND

STARTS WITH

£21.90 WE are determined to make an early start for our fund this Last month's fight for month. our fund was tremendous. This month let's see If we can make It a record! It is vital today that Workers Press is kept right out in front.

The bye-elections clearly show the urgent need for a revolu- tionary leadership. As the attacks by this Tory government grow, the Labour leaders show not the fighting of slightest intention back. Our paper must be used to provide a clear political lead to thousands of workers, profes- sional and middle class people are feeling and all those • that the brunt of this government's onslaught. So press on with the fight.

See how much you can raise this weekend. Post all donations immediately to: Workers Press March Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London, SW4 7UG Merseyside FORD workers on continued their three-day protest strike yesterday but about a third are expected to return on Mon- day—one day before the industrial action is scheduled to end.

Workers from the body plant and the metal stamping section will meet tomorrow to decide their next move. But the feeling is that they will go back.

On Tuesday the paint and trim shop will meet and on Wednes- day the assembly plant. By then production is expected to be almost back to normal at the Halewood plant. The Merseyside Ford men feel bitterly let down by the National Shop Stewards' Committee. Their total failure to give any lead against the government decision to ban their £10 wage claim has in the caused demoralization ranks. Right-wing shop stewards have voted to allow contractors onto Registered a newspaper at the as Workers Post Office. Published by Clapham High Street, 186a Press, 7UG. Printed Plough ham High Street, Newsdesk: 01-622 7029. turday March 3, 1973 OVER 600 militant Manchester day unanimously passed a resol national executive to direct all p stop supplying gas. They also threatened to cut off supplies to hospitals, old peoples homes and domestic users if the Gas Board con- tinued to supply North Sea gas to factories and offices.

The resolution was put by Mr Jack Wilkinson, G&MWU district organizer. He told the men: 'We want parity with the electricians.

'Arbitration could do no worse than take account of our just parity claim. 'We did not call an all out strike as we wanted to see the level of militancy in the different areas.' A call from the floor of the meeting for a complete stop of all emergency services was pushed aside by Mr Wilkinson. He said: 'A resolution to that effect would The call back was: 'We've got to hit them hard. Otherwise will be an indefinite strike.'

This prompted Mr Wilkinson to say: 'What chance have we got if we take on the government?

If we don't win then what?

OUT

sam

OUT1

F DE WA® complex-always the Halewood 8 р a sign that militancy is waning.

forc Moore Senior steward stati pointed out that since there had no firm

BRI

call from the been Stewards' Com- 8 г National Shop mittee the action at Halewood Con 'For was a tribute to the men who work there.

DAC

"The lads came out despite the 8 р abandonment of leadership by the sha them national committee. It is ket who are taking the lead and not

EAS

their so-called leaders.'

6, After the expected return to Stre other work next Wednesday mer forms of industrial action like

TOT

overtime bans and work-to-rules 7, 8 may be continued. But any kind of t of strike action seems to be ruled the out at the moment. • Another group of Dagenham

SOI

decided to come 7, workers have out in protest strike. The : 90 Ost workers on the Essex assembly to the engine plant have line in WO balloted overwhelmingly to strike The until next Tuesday. men, Stre mostly members of the Transport mer Workers' Union, General and WE models and work on Granada 8 transit vans. The ballot was con- Sch ducted after their stewards re- fused to allow a meeting.

Wigan pickets keep warm In a disus WIGAN gasworkers said yester- day it was a case either of toughening up the fight or going back to work. Shop steward Mr Jack Leigh told me: 'I want to see cut-offs.

We either force the issue soon or go back to work. It's as simple as that. 'Our fight is mainly against the government. I think something will develop in the next week.

Someone has to force the pace' Wigan gas workers have been involved in industrial action for six weeks and picket Brian Summers said there was relief that their union was at last taking steps to make it bite. Brian once worked in- an credible 73-hour week-5.30 a.m.

THE 200 hospital ancillary staff at the London were out on strike yesterday ( wide fight for better wages. Managem the shop stewards on the strike commit done. 'One woman is in there defying can get her to do it', was the cont stewards. Porters' shop steward Alb salaries are hopeless. I am a married can I live on £22 to £25 a week. It's work Saturday and Sunday.'

• See page 3. WEMBLEY: Wednesday March 7, HAI ces 8 Copland Secondary ights p.m. School, High Road. gn WALTHAMSTOW: Thursday March 15, 8 p.m. Royston Arms.

h 5, Vood- Chingford Road, E.4. iction HACKNEY: Thursday March 8, Room, 8 p.m. Parlour Central h 6, opposite Town Hall, Mare Hall, Street. 'Support hospital work- entre, SW2. ers'. SLOUGH: Thursday March 8, 8 p.m. Community Centre, Farn- ch 6, 'Support the gasmen ham Road. Fan- and hospital workers'. Mar- STEVENAGE: Thursday March 8, 8 p.m. 'Red Lion', Stevenage farch Old: Town. 'Forward to the shrisp Pageant'. gas- LEWISHAM: Thursday March 8, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club, March 'Marx- • New Cross Station. opp ottom ism and the trade unions'.

ird to WILLESDEN: Thursday March 8, 8 p.m. Labour and Trades Hall, farch High Road, NW10. 'Support gas- orary, men and civil servants'. Road HACKNEY: Thursday March 8, p.m. Parlour Room, Central March Town Hall, Mare Hall, opp. Powis 'Support gasmen and Street. gas- civil servants'. WANDSWORTH: Monday March 12, 8 p.m. 'King's Arms', High ch 7, S.W.18. 'Forward to the ndary Street, revolutionary party'. 1 a disused warehouse. to 7 or 8 p.m.-his take-home pay was £30. workers' determina- The gas tion to win is being kept high by younger workers like Bill Pulford and Eric Finch. Bill is single and living on his strike pay. He said: I want people to know what we are fighting for — not the offer of £2.24 or the so-called claim of £3.50 that the papers keep talking about but £6.50-the lot? the increase. His Bill needs take-home pay is often less than f16-half the famous f36 we read about in the Tory Press.

His mate Eric Finch is im- patient with the situation. He said: 'We have taken a lead now.

It is time we were backed up.

The TUC do nothing while we suffer and all the other workers' suffer? aff at the Hammersmith Hospital in West esterday (above) as part of their country- Management have asked for talks with ‹e committee in an attempt to get laundry re defying the strike and working. They the contemptuous reply of one of the vard Albert Turner said: 'Our present • married man with four children. How week. It's impossible. To exist I have to h 7, HARROW: Tuesday March 13, dary 8 p.m. Labour Hall, Harrow and Wealdstone. 'The fight against lay Stalinism'. PADDINGTON: Tuesday March 'Prince of Wales' 13, 8 p.m. corner of Harrow Road and Great Western Road. 'Forward to the revolutionary party.

TOOTING: Tuesday March 13, 8 p.m. Selkirk Hotel, Selkirk Road, Tooting Broadway. 'For- ward to the Revolutionary Party'.

CLAPHAM: Tuesday March 13, 8 p.m. Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor Street, S.W.4.

CAMDEN: Tuesday March 13, 'Prince Albert', Wharte- 8 p.m. dale Road, Kings Cross. lub, ACTON: Tuesday March 13, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, High Road, W.3. KINGSTON: Thursday March 15, 8 p.m. 'Liverpool Arms' , corner of Cambridge Road and London Road. HOLLOWAY: Thursday March 15, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven Sisters Road CROYDON: Thursday March 15, 8 p.m. Ruskin House, Coombe Road. BASILDON: Sunday March 18, 5.30 p.m. Barnstaple Community Centre.