Workers Press no. 1050

workers press

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 'LEFTS' PROMISES?

THE TUC SELLS OUT

HOSPITAL WORKERS

INCORPORATING THE NE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

BY ROYSTON BULL

WITH THOUSANDS of hospital workers still bitterly hold their strike struggle against the Tory government's pay la union leaders have completely abandoned the battlefield in t of the fight. Prime responsibility for this capitulation to Tories rests with the TUC General the Council and particularly with the Communist Party which has consistently provided Hugh Scanlon and Jack Jones with a 'left' cover while these gentlemen avoided carrying out TUC policy. Their do-nothing tactics virtually invited the Tory government to move in and destroy the hospital workers' resistance, just as the post- men were defeated two years ago through the TUC's inactivity. So what did the March 5 special TUC Congress decision to co-ordinate action in support of those unions in struggle against the Phase Two laws mean? It meant nothing but a piece of left phrase- mongering which Jones, Scanlon, and Feather were pleased to be able to forget about as soon as they were out of that spotlight.

And what use were all the fine words of Hugh Scanlon, who said that if the gasworkers and hos- pital workers were allowed to go down to defeat, mean the end of trade unionism as we t would know it? They were of no use except to allow Scanlon to continue the pretence of being a left'.

Totally implicated in this refusal of the TUC leaders to carry out Congress policy and come to aid of the hospital workers are the leaders of the the hospital workers themselves.

Alan Fisher. of the National general secretary Union of Public Employees (NUPE), the largest union in- volved, and colleague of Scanlon workers not to make a precedent and Jones on TUC leading com- favour shown to the hos- any mittees, has all along defended pital workers. Feather's do-nothing tactics. This was tantamount to In nearly seven weeks of hos- Two on behalf accepting Phase pital strikes and six weeks since of the whole trade union move.

Congress the special decision, ment and completely in violation TUC has "co-ordinated' not the of the special Congress decision.

single piece of industrial After announcing the capitula- one action, the Tories either for hospital tion to the Sunday, on workers or for any other sections Fisher said how pleased he was in struggle. with the intervention and with the inderation ane suc on such a unique scale'

CIRCULAR

hospital The workers have been forced to go cap in hand to Half a dozen top-level meet- Pay Board by the corporatist union leaders miser. ings were held with the alleged their own able surrender. purpose of implementing the March 5 policy. All that resulted was a circu-

CONTEMPT

lar to trades councils asking them to organize demonstrations in support of the hospital work- The Pay Board will treat their and with ers new appeals were sent pleas the arrogant con- Health Minister Sir Keith tempt of a ruling class which has Minister Joseph and Prime kicked reformist just union Edward Heath to look sympa- bureaucrats into submission.

the hospital work- theticallv on Bernard Dix, NUPE research ers' "special case'. officer, tried to cover the rotten Throughout this farce, Fisher sell-out with the following non- said he completelv satisfied WaC conca: with whathe TC was do thie 'Going to the Pay Board will final tearing up of the Tories allow us to expose March 5 policy was proposed by pretensions of being in favour of Fisher himself and was by the lower paid. We will be say- adopted eagerly Feather, ing to the Tory government: put and Scanlon. Tones. your money where your mouth This was to appeal vet is. again for special treatment and pledge The Pay Board is not a matter the TUC to persuade all other for joking.

• TUESDAY APRIL 17,

| THE NEWSLETTER

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOC

ly holding out in pay laws, their ield in the middle What is involved here is wholesale retreat by the trade union bureaucracy which now puts the working class into a most perilous position. The Tory government will now be emboldened into even more vicious attacks - on the workers' standard of living and demo- cratic rights.

CRIMINAL

The Tories' intention is to introduce a fully-fledged corpor- ate state into Britain. The silence of the Communist Party on the treacherous union lefis, is of the tride who are opening the way for this development, is criminal. The latest outburst from Jack Jones completes the picture: •We think it is now time to beat the drum and make clear to the world that our British engin- eering and design is second to none and British workers are still among the best in the world.

'Contrary to the black image 01-622 7029

PRIL 17, 1973

1050 • 4p

HE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

WERY

that some of our newspapers have given, over 95 percent of British workers never take part in a strike, and are now playing in increasing their full part Britain's growth rate. We are standing four square with management in building a better Britain.' This is the language of nationalistic class collaboration which will speed the establish- ment of the corporate state in Britain.

CONGRESS

It will be a breeding ground for the most reactionary politics of trade war, followed by a shooting war, which the capital- ist class will not hesitate to introduce to save its rotting system. Jones, Scanlon, Feather and Fisher must be exposed. The special Congress must be re- called to make them account for their behaviour. 01-720 2000 FITTERS from the Watney Mann brewery at Mortiake yesterday joined men from Whitechapel and Isleworth in a solid strike claiming that the company Is breaking a pay-and-productivity agreement. This brings the total number of brewery workers on strike in London to around 600. Senior shop stewards from the three breweries involved are to meet the company this morning to press their case. The dispute centres on an agreement signed in the middle of last year covering the phasing out of guaranteed overtime and shift overlaps, and the ending of compensation pay for the change- over to shift work. The agreement was that a working party would be set up to negotiate shift pay. Discus- sions on extra holidays were also promised. But the company, the strikers dragged their say. feet on the working party and 'quietly forgot' about more holidays. When a €2.40 across-the-board payment was agreed on the shifts Issue, Watney's referred it to the Pay Board. Although the dispute appears to be a hangover from the breweries' 1971-1972 pay nego- tiations, the strikers fear the Pay Board reference means they will be able to claim no increase this year. WE SEEM all set to reach £2,000 by today. Socialist Labour League branches keeping it up: are Todmorden £4.11; Banbury £15; Aberdeen £11; Oxford £14; Barnstaple £5; Reader

J.R. £25; J.W. £4; F.K. £30;

W. W. Ferguson £10. The Fund now stands at £1,982—just £18 to go. If we receive this then a reader is ready to make the £2,000 donation. Post all donations to: Party Building Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG

workers press

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 'LEFTS' PROMISES?

THE TUC SELLS OUT

HOSPITAL WORKERS

INCORPORATING THE NE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

BY ROYSTON BULL

WITH THOUSANDS of hospital workers still bitterly hold their strike struggle against the Tory government's pay l union leaders have completely abandoned the battlefield in t of the fight. Prime responsibility for this capitulation to with the the Tories rests TUC General Council and particularly with the Communist Party which has consistently provided Hugh Scanlon and Jack Jones with a 'left' cover while these gentlemen avoided carrying out TUC policy. Their do-nothing tactics virtually invited the Tory government to move in and destroy the hospital workers' resistance, just as the post- men were defeated two years ago through the TUC's inactivity. So what did the March 5 special TUC Congress decision to co-ordinate action support of those Two in struggle the Phase laws unions against mean? nothing but a piece of left It meant phrase- mongering which Jones, Scanion, and Feather were pleased to be able to forget about as soon as they were out of that spotlight.

And what use were all the fine words of Hugh Scanlon, who said that if the gasworkers and hos- pital workers were allowed to go down to defeat, it would mean the end of trade unionism as we know it? They were of no use except to allow Scanlon to continue the pretence of being a 'left'.

Totally implicated in this refusal of the TUC leaders to carry out Congress policy and come to hospital workers are the leaders of the aid of the the hospital workers themselves.

Alan Fisher. secretary of the National general Union of Public Employees (NUPE), the largest union in- volved, and colleague of Scanlon workers not to make a precedent and Jones on TUC leading com- shown to the hos- any mittees, has all along defended pital workers. Feather's do-nothing tactics. This was tantamount to In nearly seven weeks of hos- Phase Two on behalf accepting pital strikes and six weeks since of the whole trade union move- special decision, Congress ment and completely in violation ThA the TUC has "co-ordinated' not of the special Congress decision.

one single piece of industrial After announcing the capitula- for the hospital Tories action, either tion to the Sunday. on workers or for any other sections Fisher said how pleased he was in struggle. vith the 'intervention anc on such a unique scale'.

CIRCULAR

The hospital workers have been forced to go cap in hand to Half a dozen top-level meet- Pay Board br the corporatist union leaders miser- ings were held with the alleged their own able surrender. purpose of implementing the March 5 molicy. All that resulted was a circu-

CONTEMPT

lar to trades councils asking them to organize demonstrations in support of the hospital work- The Pay Board will treat their and with ers new appeals were sent pleas the arrogant con- Keith Health Minister Sir tempt of a ruling class which has to Minister Joseph and Prime kicked reformist just union Edward Heath to look sympa- bureaucrats into submission.

the hospital work- thetically Bernard Dix. NUPE research ers' "special case' officer. tried to cover the rotten Throughout this farce, Fisher sell-out with the following non- said he completely satisfied

WAC

with what the TUC was doing.

'Going to the Pay Board will The final of the tearing up the Tories' allow to exDose March 5 policy was proposed by pretensions of being in favour of Fisher himself and was the lower paid. We will be say- adopted by eagerly Feather. ing to the Tory government: put Tones. and Scanlon your money where your mouth This was to appeal yet again for special treatment and pledge The Pay Board is not a matter the TUC to persuade all other for joking.

• THE NEWSLETTER • TUESDAY APRIL 17,

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOC

ily holding out in s pay laws, their ield in the middle 1 What is involved here is a wholesale retreat by the trade union bureaucracy which now puts the working class into a most perilous position. The Tory government will now be emboldened into even more vicious attacks -on the workers' standard of living and demo- cratic rights.

CRIMINAL

The Tories' intention is to introduce a fully-fledged corpor- ate state into Britain. The silence of the Communist Party on the treacherous "efts, acts of the trade union who are opening the way for this development, is criminal. The latest outburst from Jack Jones completes the picture: 'We think it is now time to eat the drum and make clear t he world that our British engin eering and design is second to none and British workers are stil among the best in the world 'Contrary to the black image 01-622 7029 1050 • 4p

PRIL 17, 1973

HE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

VERY

that some of our newspapers have given, over 95 per cent of British workers never take part in a strike, and are now playing their increasing Britain's growth rate. 'We are standing four square with management in building a better Britain? This is the language of nationalistic class collaboration which will speed the establish- ment of the corporate state in Britain.

CONGRESS

It will be a breeding ground for the most reactionary politics of trade war, followed by a shooting war, which the capital- ist class will not hesitate to introduce to save its rotting system. Scanlon, Feather and The Fisher must be 01-720 2000 FITTERS from the Watney Mann brewery at Mortlake yesterday jolned men from Whitechapel and Isleworth in a solid strike claiming that the company is a pay-and-productivity breaking agreement. This brings the total number of brewery workers on strike in London to around 600. Senior shop stewards from the three breweries involved are to meet the company this morning to press their case. The dispute centres on an agreement signed in the middle of last year covering the phasing out of guaranteed overtime and shitt overlaps, and the ending of compensation pay for the change.

over to shift work. The agreement that a was working party would be set up to negotiate shift pay. Discus- sions on extra holidays were also promised. But the company, the strikers say, dragged their feet on the working party and 'quietly forgot' about more holidays. When a £2.40 across-the-board payment was agreed on the shifts issue, Watney's referred it to the Pay Although the dispute appears to be hangover from the brewerles' 1971.1972 pay nego- flations, the strikers fear the Pay Board reference means they will be able to claim no increase this year. WE SEEM all set to reach £2,000 by today. Socialist Labour League branches keeping are it up: Todmorden £4.11; Banbury £15; Aberdeen £11; Oxford £14; Barnstaple £5; Reader

J.R. £25; J.W. £4; F.K. £30;

W. W. Ferguson £10. The Fund now stands at £1,982—just £18 to go. If we receive this then a reader is ready to make the £2,000 donation. Post all donations to: Party Building Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG

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Actors' leaders suffer major rebuff at Special General Meeting Actors' leaders suffer major rebuff

BY ROYSTON BULL

THE

GENERAL Council of Actors' Equity suffered a major Special General rebuff at a Meeting (SGM) of the union when the members reiected an attempt to curtail their demo- cratic rights. The Council tried to restrict the right of members to call SMs by a allowing an appeals change of rule to veto such requisitions.

board The Council's motion failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority.

A wide cross-section of actors spoke out against the rule change, insisting that there was too little democracy as it was. An overwhelming majority of the 1,200- from meeting, which overspilled the Adelphi Theatre to the Strand Theatre had declared that an earlier next door, SGM calling for the Council's resignation 'necessary meeting'. had been a These two decisions amounted to a decisive repudiation of the General Council's conduct over the Although recent period. the motion calling for their resigna- was lost-just short of 300 tion people voted for it - the dis- was overwhelmingly de- cussion clared necessary. And the Coun- cil's attempt strike back at called the SGM was those who thrown out. It is essential that minorities The policies of Equity's leader- should be listened to at a time ship have been seriously called like this, Collins 'and into question. it is wrong that three people on Criticizing an appeals the proposed rule board can take away the right of 40 or more members change, Ian Milton attacked the to call an SGM to air their con- Council for its divisive and un- cern about our future.' constitutional tactics in trying to Catherine Parr said the SGM the of limit rights members, was one of the few opportunities one-sided Press issuing for the membership to get the ment mcclins, gether. 'We have too and not waiting until the annual cannot much discussion. Any negation meeting in a few weeks time to of democracy is a denial of free their rule change. propose Geoffrey Collins said that speech. had Jonathan Hales said he the world-wide econo- the

SGM

been first mic crisis were now moving so against calling for the Council's essential motion rapidly that it was to but he preserve the democratic right of resignation, was very members to call urgent SGMs.

much against the rule change.

THE NATIONAL Union of against it at a meeting at West- minster Central Halls earlier this Teachers' executive is to try year. to stop militant teachers in- seeking The militants were in direct hospital volving the union ioint action with and political confrontation with gas workers. quashed Union leaders an the Tory government. West- officers of the attempt by During the recent cam- help branch to get the minster paign for a rise in teachers' of local members to support London allowance special call from the London similar some NUT associations sought Trades Council. executive has opted out to link their struggle to those The of of the TUC's day protest other groups of workers fighting the Tory against the Tory pay laws on laws. pay May 1. The executive will ask its an- The executive said after their at Scarborough nual conference meeting that the weekend weekend to that IDDrOVe next one of the union's 680 branche union's two aims most were to for work improving the status members shall en- or individual of the teaching profession and strikes industrial gage in or for the advancement of the edu- action without official backing.

the interests Party-led cation system in The Communist of children. the executive tive NuT pushing view An NUT spokesman explained that must remain, as that the being made has been, change was always because 'no union wants a posi- political organization. The executive is still consider- where individual members tion disciplinary action against call a strike whenever they ing militants led a rebellion like'. who ape arrove on the leship of A NEW political grouping made Provisionals. told of nationalists. Republicans up and other minority groups may norterS I remain an unrepentant Re- emerge later this month to chal- lenge the Social Democratic and publican separatist'. Labour Looking pale and drawn from Party and the Labour Party in the elections to district his 59-day hunger strike, he re- Ulster fused to comment on his posi- councils and the new Provisional tion within the Assembly. Westminster MPs Bernadette movement. Devlin and Frank McManus and MacStiofain On his release Sinn Fein have told reporters: both wings of " would like to see an end to meetings, the been present at the fighting. Everyone in Ireland of which held at latest Omagh at the weekend. wants but Republicans peace, Former IRA chief of staff Sean want peace that is poing to last. was released from 6A lasting will MacStiofain peace come British Curragh Camp yesterday after when the governmeni thirds of his six- accepts the terms that were put serving two the right month sentence for membership to them last summer of an illegal organization.

of the Irish people to determine to seek their destiny, for Reports he plans say own amnesty immediate medical treatment and political prisoners and the with- drawal of troons? that this could delay his re- buff at Special Gener Trade union executives must always be readily accountable to the membership for their ac- tions, he said. The vote on the rule change was declared as 602 in favour, 490 against, with 28 abstentions, and so was lost, not being a two- thirds majority. • In the debate calling for the Council's resignation, Tom Kem- pinski repudiated a witch-hunt- ing attack from André Morell on the Socialist Labour League and the Workers Press. 'Political affiliation is not the question. It is the failure of our union. We have put forward poli- These policies have not cles.

YOUNG

SOCIALISTS

DEFEND B

BUILD TH

Watch th Workers Press, Tue eneral Meeting been carried out. It is clear to all of us that things are going badly for the industry and for actors. We can- not keep theatres open unless we have a policy. We need a Council that acknowledges the dangers of the present situation, explains them, and works out policies with the membership to take the union forward.' Corin Redgrave said that actors were turning to the union in this period of closing theatres, lost Arts Council grants, and wage cuts, but the General Coun- that the was telling them union could not use its collec- tive strength because of the Tory government's new laws.

AND

SOCIALIST

ND BASIC DEMOCRATIC |

ch this space for more c Press, Tuesday April 17, 1973 PAGE 3 Tom Kempinski speaking from the platform on Sunday. Speaking for the Council, Trevor Baxter said the Tory pay laws could not be fought because shows might be surcharged £400 each performance in fines and so lead to more closures. And other unions were not fighting Phase Two. The motion: 'Driven by the world crisis of inflation, the Tory government has launched a de- termined attack on the demo- rights of every trade cratic unionist in this country. First it has sought to destroy free trade unions with its Industrial Rela- tions Act. 'Now it has introduced state control of wages, under which law, Equity became the first union to receive a wage cut.

"The Council has put forward no policies to fight these attacks and now actually stops the mem- bers from taking up this fight by ignoring their democratic de- cisions. 'Last year's AGM resolution calling for a fight to defeat the Industrial Relations Act in its entirety was ignored; and now a resolution, voted for at an official mass meeting on January 28 calling for strike action to win the full West End claim, immediate wage increases for all members, no wage-cuts, no state control of wages, de-regis- tration under the Industrial Relations Act, and a fight with the whole trade union movement to force the Tories to resign, and elect a Labour government pledged to repeal all anti-union legislation; this also has been ignored. 'We have therefore no alterna- tive but to instruct this Council to resign, and to call for an im- mediate election, so that the responsible leadership, and answerable to the decisions of the members.' The motion was declared lost by 293 votes to 1,119.

ST LABOUR

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lore details

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Tuesday Apr The Tories' Northern Ireland (Emergency Pro- visions) Bill receives its key Second Reading in the House of Commons tonight. The Bill abolishes jury trial, restricts the granting of bail, allows the admission of evi- dence obtained by threats and inducements and gives the army and police much wider arrest and search powers of than they have even at present.

It also bans a number of political organizations and smoothes the authorities' path towards the detention of sus- pected 'terrorists'. In effect, what the Tories attempting to do is are legislate the Draconian recom-. No mendations of the Diplock Commission published last December. Any Labour MP who votes for these proposals is handing the Tories a dangerous weapon which will later be imported to Britain. offences, For scheduled Clause One of the Bill abolishes jury trial. The scheduled offences are all serious crimes carrying heavy sentences, which makes asday Aprit 17, 1973 the abolition of jury trial doubly disturbing. No clear case to support abolition was made out by Diplock. The report admitted: 'We have not had our attention drawn to complaints of con- victions that were plainly per- and complaints of verse, acquittals which were plainly are rare." perverse But it went on to state ominously: "The jury system as a means for trying terrorist crime is under strain.' In the same week as the m- Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Bill was published, the Tories' Ulster supremo, William Whitelaw, claimed un- precedented success for the security forces in detecting, convicting prosecuting and 'terrorists'. No evidence has been pro- duced of the intimidation of jurors. The question, therefore, is raised: why abolish jury trial? The National Council for kes Civil Liberties, which is asking re Above: search for An army weapons in Belfast. Under the Tory law which will put the onus on the accused to prove his practice of Innocence, the 'planting' evidence on chosen victims by the army and police is sure to increase. MPs to vote against the Bill, 'Allegations that the says: judiciary is overtly political and a creature of the executive are already rife. 'There is an increasingly alarming tendency for the judiciary to identify with the needs of the executive. The is an jury system essential safeguard against judicial par- tiality and we can only con- clude that Diplock's recom- mendation to abolish trial by jury is clearly based on the cy "unreliability" of juries to produce convictions.' Stripped of its reformist verbiage, this is a very serious charge indeed against the pro- posed Tory law. This is the blueprint for the kind of repressive law the Tory corporatists would like to introduce, under cover of a giant witch-hunt against 'mili- tants', in Britain as a whole.

The effect of Clause Two of the Bill is to completely reverse the so-called 'principle' of British law that a man is innocent until proved • guilty. It presumes the guilt of …a man immediately he is arrested, stringent con- and sets out ditions on which a judge must be satisfied before the granting of bail. The Diplock Commission criticized the Northern Ireland courts for 'freely and indis- criminately granting bail comparison with English courts.

commission further offences or of intimidation of witnesses by accused persons on bail. Clause Two relies for its justification on such unsub- stantiated assertions, including the alleged "serious effect on the morale of the troops to see a known terrorist at liberty on bail'-note the use of the phrase 'known terrorist about men who have not even been convicted. This clause, the NCCL says, 'the "conviction highlights orientation" approach of the which Diplock Commission, to have the full appears approval of the government'.

Clause Four makes hearsay evidence admissible by allow- statements to be ing written for as evidence when used certain the witness reasons cannot be present in court.

In their criticisms of the proposals of the Criminal Law Revision Committee, the Bar Council stated recently that such evidence was 'inherently unreliable, capable of being manufactured with ease and usually it cannot be that tested satisfactorily by cross- examination'. In Clause Five of the Bill, by admission written defendant is made admissible in evidence unless the defen- dant can prove that it was obtained as a result of torture or inhuman or degrading treat- ment. But how is a man who has already been in jail some time to prove torture? And as the NCCL points out: • "Torture" and "degrading treatment" are extreme forms of the manner in which "con- fessions" may be elicited. There are many more subtle ways in which statements of guilt may be encouraged which fall far short of "inhuman" treatment, Under this proposal such be- haviour by interrogators is encouraged. The offer of in- ducements [granting of bail, access to family or solicitors] is made acceptable. The use of threats by the police (for example, to bring more serious charges, to intimidate relations) is approved.' The Bill also opens the way to a rapid stepping-up of the practice of 'planting' evidence *terrorist' of activities on chosen victims by the army and the police. Under present English law, prosecution in it is for the illegal possession cases to prove that the possession was with the knowledge of the accused. Clause Six of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Bill completely switches the burden of proof.

It becomes the job of the that defence to prove an accused person was not aware of being in possession. Said the Diplock Com- mission, again assuming guilt before conviction: 'We do not think it is tolerable that the scales should be weighted so heavily in favour of guilty men.' Of a similar proposal, from the Criminal Law Revision the Committee, the Bar Council to said: 'The proposal undermines the fundamental principle that the prosecution must prove its case. It has never been argued in English law that the law re "weighted possession was so heavily in favour of guilty ••. The main aim of men" that law was simply to protect innocent being the from wrongly convicted.' Comments the NCCL: 'Clause Six now offers the grave ole danger of the conviction of innocent persons. In future if occupier or which he the habitually used", it will be for him to disprove that he was in possession of the gun — a proposition which would be totally intolerable on this side of the Irish Sea in relation to the possession of firearms, drugs or stolen property.

How long this will be 'in- tolerable' , if the Ulster Bill is passed, remains to be seen.

Clauses Nine and 10 give the Royal Ulster Constabulary powers of arrest, entry into property without warrant and seizure of property in relation offences and to scheduled other offences under the Bill.

The powers given do not differ significantly from those at present under the Special Powers Acts. In relation to arrest, in English law a police officer is supposed to have 'reasonable ground for suspicion' as an ob- jective test of his motives for arrest and a guarantee against wrongful arrest. No such pro- tection is afforded in the Emergency Provisions Bill.

Clause Nine also increases the period from 48 to 72 hours during which a person can be held before being brought before a magistrates' court. The same clause also gives the police powers to finger- an accused person by print force if necessary—a provision which if legislated is bound • big increase in to lead to a police intimidation and in- vasion of privacy. Under Clause 11, the army is given sweeping powers of arrest and detention for up to four hours. And the Bill neither obliges troops to exercise this power on the basis of 'reasonable suspicion' nor to state the reason for arrest. The same applies to clauses 12, 13 and 14, which give both army and police virtually random powers of search over both people and premises.

Under Clause 15 fines of £400 or prison terms of up to six months can be imposed if anyone fails to answer army or police questions 'to the of his knowledge and best ability' about their identity, movements or knowledge of recent 'terrorist activity.

And so it goes on. Clause 19 makes a criminal offence the possession of in- formation with respect to the army and police which is likely to be useful to terror- ists'. This repeats a similar clause in the Special Powers Its vague phraseology Acts. makes almost any item dan- gerous to carry-for example a series of car numbers or a street map. Moreover, the burden of proof is on the sus- pect to show possession was legitimate. Clause 20 gives the army or the police power to disperse any assembly of more than three people. The security forces can do so on the basis of the subjective judgement of an officer or inspector as to the possibility of a breach of the peace. This is the real face of Toryism - these are its plans against the British as well as the Irish working class. There can be no reformist to this threat, no solutions pleas such as the advocates of "civil liberties' make to the liberal conscience of members and agents of the ruling class.

To struggle seriously against the threat posed in the Bill which will be read tonight requires the mobilization the working class to force the Tory rights-strippers to resign with and replace them a Labour government pledged to socialist policies and the repeal anti-working class of all of legislation.

FASCIST VIOLENCE GOES ON

Italy's Interior Minister, Mariano Rumor, has war on crime, declared claiming that the coun try's crime wave is getting out of hand. His frenzied drive for law and order means turning over thousands of suspects, arrest- ing hundreds of petty crimi- nals and generally involving a display of police zeal not seen But one section of the cri- minals is left scot free, com- pletely untouched by Rumor's conversion to the rule of law.

These are the bands of fas- cist thugs who operate with impunity against the left under the noses of the police. It is these groups, revivals of Mussolini's action squad- rons with names like New Order' and National Van- guard', that are responsible for the mounting political violence in Italy. . It was they who set fire last month to the bookshop and printing house of Samona and Savelli in Rome, who had pub- lished a scathing exposure of the fascists in high places.

The fire destroyed 120,000 books and caused some £200,000 damage. Three days betore a phoney Post Office van was discovered in Rome with a complete torture cham- ber in the back. The mobile prison cell, com- plete with truncheons, man- acles and ether, being was driven by a known fascist who was implicated in the 1969 coup attempt organized by the rightist leader Prince Borghese.

This man was known to have taken part in at least ten fascist assaults, but the police and the magistrates let him go free after only a few minutes in custody. A year ago similar vans were being used as mobile bases- complete with full street-fight- ing equipment-by the Roman fascists. They would park out- side high schools or cafes fre- quented by left-wingers with- out any intervention by the police. With this sort of attitude by the forces of law and order, their sorties have become more frequent, more audacious and more provocative. In Milan, fascists in a very similar van raped and maltreated the act- ress Franca Rame. Mariano Rumor, Interlor Minister.

Like the Rome fascists the Milan gang were never caught by the police. Yet there is no lack of evidence to identify and convict them. In the Law Faculty at Rome University, about 100 fascists, many of whom were not even students, dominated the faculty until a short time ago.

Other students belonging to Communist and Socialist the Parties, the Manifesto group and other left organizations collected a detailed dossier on the fascists' activities.

Between December 12, 1972 and March 22, 1973, they documented 12 episodes of fas- cist violence on the campus: in each case there was evidence which could have led to a con- viction. In no case did the police intervene to prevent the fascist attacks. When the police did arrive, it was only when the aggres- sors had had time to make themselves scarce. A similar dossier, going back over a much longer period, was pre- sented to the police and the magistrature by the Catholic parents' association, Cogidas.

Their dossier gave names, places, times, vehicle numbers and other details. A delegation accompanied by MPs took the dossier to various ministers though the Minister of Educa- tion refused to receive them!

Some names reappeared in the dossier time after time.

The magistrate sent out 50 But there has summonses. been no trial and none of the people named has been brought to justice. As a result the same thugs turn up day after day outside the high school gates to beat up leftist students. The police still let them attack their vic- impunity, turning tims with up at the scene of the assaults just in time to ask for the victim's papers. This is the procedure as described by one student at Rome University's law faculty: "The fascists gather every morning from 10 to 12 at the entrance hall and on the stairs.

When there is a check on stu- dents' identity cards, the most notorious fascists stay outside, to the police, with chatting many of whom they are on familiar terms and have close ties of sympathy and collabo- ration.' The infestation of the col- leges and high schools by the black rats of fascism is a re- finement of the tactics used by Benito Mussolini in his drive Workers Press, Tuesday April 17, 1973 PAGE 5

WITH IMPUNITY

towards power following state World War I. He it was who first built the squadrons of thugs who be- came the blackshirt movement.

Backed by Italian big business they destroyed workers' and movement established throughout their dictatorship Italy. Fascism was supposedly de feated 1945 with in Musso lini's death and 'triumph of democracy'. But thanks to the of the Italian Com- treachery munist Party, which was deter- mıned to restore Italian capi- talism, come what the may, old faces stayed at their posts.

Now, as police chiefs, magis- ministers indus- trates, and old blackshirts Toe still wield the power. They are settle accounts preparing LU old with their enemy-the Italian working class. They look across the Adria- tic to Greece, where the colo- of Central nels in the pay Intelligence have had Agency six years of brutal dictatorship with the working class chained down by repressive laws. The Italian fascists, drawing the strength from unresolved crisis of leadership in the workers' scheming to repeat the Greek 'successes' in Rome, colonels' Milan and Turin. This is the sinister signific- Rome University. Above: ance of the government's con- of the Law Faculty at their brutal crimes. Police guard the

MSI

(fascist) conference in Rome.

PAGE 6 Workers Prose, Tuaaday April 17, 11

BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The giant Burton cloth- ing group, which has stores on almost every high street in Britain, has announced reorgan- ization plans which could mean the sack for hundreds of workers at its headquarters factory in Leeds. Burton's have refused to give exact details of the cut- back. So far they have called only for 350 voluntary redun- dancies among women over 55 years of age. However Martin Frankel, managing director of the manufacturing divi- group's sion, has admitted to Workers Press that the aim is to reduce the labour force to between 1,000 and 1,500. The shadow of the dole, therefore, hangs over half the workers now employed in the factory. At the same time Burton's have begun a big speed-up Tueaday Aprt. 17, 1873 programme, and are using a closure threat to drive this forward. Says managing direc- tor Frankel: 'The future size of the Hudson Road factory will depend on the success we and our employees are able to make of it.' have been Mass meetings held in works' time to explain the management's proposals.

Union officials have gone along with requests for workers to for redundancy volunteer secretly, so that no one knows what her workmate is doing Hudson Road has for years been the centre of the Burton empire, and virtually the centre of the clothing industry.

In 1936, when the struggle to unionize the industry came head in the massive to a Burton's strike, there were 12,000 workers in the factory. majority A of the 15,000 clothing workers who marched through the streets of Leeds that year came from • Hudson Road. It was at that period the methods and traditions management are now out to smash were established. Over the last few years the labour force has been gradu- ally reduced, and there are now just over 2,000 working at the factory. have been cir- All 2,000 culated with a statement set- out Burton's present ting aims. This claims that Hudson Road has been running at a loss for years and that it takes twice as long to produce a garment there as at the most efficient factory in the group —although no figures are pro- duced to back up this claim.

The statement goes on: "To list all the reasons we must look deeper and examine out.

of-date methods and lay-out; payment systems; the propor- tion of part-time workers; the of absenteeism; and in- level deed the multitude of tradi- tions, customs and attitudes to been built work which have up over the years.' Then there are some veiled threats. 'Something has to be done Road', at Hudson , the state- ment says. 'If we had no con- cern for people and we were close factory? deny this burton's insist that spells group: 'de- I Burton's velop new manufacture and new factory lay-outs', find- hased on the ings methods engineering work-study. and bring plans of jobs according to the levels and skill the or rade establishment and standard rates perfor- with® other mance consistent factories ere ehe in on the numant 'We must regard hohitc discipline. 10 inse so has are labou or the working lives But the skills of these ex- pert tailoresses are apparently no longer required. In fact the of the method-study en- aim gineers is to eliminate skill.

Their maxim is: 'If a job has skill in it, break it down.'

At the Burton's factory in Doncaster there is a perma- nent staff of work-study en- gineers. These 'engineers' of spaed- up lay down certain proce- dures as standard for the achievement of 100 per cent performance. If any girl finds a faster method to ease the pressure of work for herself, it is immediately seized on by management and incorporated into the standard procedure.

In this way there is a con- tinuous drive to accelerate the pace of work. At Doncaster the girls' out- put is logged every hour to make sure maximum effort is maintained throughout the day.

Any increase or decrease is immediately investigated.

In other words there has been a complete break from piecework the old system, under which even when the worker pressure was tough a had the ability to regulate his or her output. Burton's recent statement implies that if the new system is accepted there will be in- financial incentives. creased This is not the case. The Doncaster factory is not an exact comparison because there is all the production wear.' *ready to whilst at Hudson Road there is a pro- portion of "made to measure.

Wages can be compared. At Doncaster there are who sit few top machinists at their machines all day and produce 120 per cent to 130 performances, but cent per than 60p an earn no more hour for all their effort-that is, £24 before stoppages.

At Hudson Road, the fastest piecework hands working at a similar pace can earn £32.

The intention is to intro- duce production levels at Hudson Road comparable with those at Doncaster or them- yet the wage levels speak selves. On the cutting side there dangers. are even greater The firm is planning to in- stall die-cutting new a machine in the Doncaster fac- This machine operates tory. the same principle as a on pastry cutter. The dies are made in the fitted into shapes, necessary as required and the machine the cutting is done by pres- sure. The cloth laying is done automatically and the firm claims a more efficient stan- dard of cloth utilization. The machine can cut a lay of any thickness up to 16 inches. The one which Burton's are interested in for their Don- factory costs £25,000. caster It can operated by two be girls, with one man to do the heavy lifting. them they could Between produce in four shifts as much as 18 cutters produce in five shifts at present. With machine they one could supply the requirements of the trouser rooms of the Goole and Guis- Doncaster, borough factories. If a / twilight shift, from 5 p.m. p.m. was intro- duced (and this seems likely) factories could then other No doubt there will be pro- blems in adapting them to made to measure trade. DUt who be the long run this means rade of tailors mutter recent Burton's state- ment claims that they want to Road 'create normal clothing factory where the atmosphere will general pleasant. but Doncaster cent; 1971. per cent old-style clothing would tactory it have been disastrous Skill is pracers instituted in all the Burtons factories except Fed on Fond.

Burton's Theodore echnica director, the We deli- Post': Yorkshir left Hudson Road, berately biggest problem, to the last'. ere has already been ‹ lerable speed-un in the 1 toFut although do Their aim is so make us away with these nractices into abourers. said one cutter. ing their strategy over several years March 17, 1971, news of the vas published in a local news under the headline . Giant clothing hirm slashes work force was im rations for Common entriese began in 1963 with French acoustion societe Commission the 1971.1972 annadistas report Rice (joint chairman of the board, made the fol- lowing the Comi Workers Prose, Tuesday panies with a sizeable stake in growing experience and Europe. 'In this context the group raised, in September, £6.5m by means of a convertible Eurobond issue, partly to re- finance the St. Rémy acqui- and partly to provide sition funds for further expansion the continent when suit- on able opportunities occur?

To provide the necessary resources for this European expansion, and to prepare for th increased competition which Common Market entry Burton's brings, must con- tinue to increase the rate of exploitation of all their work- ers. Profit before tax has gone up from £6,529,000 in 1968 to £8,002,000 in 1972. The in property inflation values has added more than £69m to the value of Burton's fixed during the past year. assets However, according to this year's annual report: 'Much remains to be done before acceptable profitability is es- tablished." The firm has issued an ulti- matum to all its employees at Hudson Road. 'It would be wrong not to recognize that there may well be people who do not feel willing to face an upheaval of the extent necessary; or who feel disinclined to accept the new conditions that would result. It is better for such people to say so at the outset, rather than to participate half-heart- edly in the new developments which are to take place.'

ars Pross, Tuaaday April 17, 1973 PAGE 7 Despite the militancy of the Leeds clothing workers in their 1970 strike, union leaders ended it with no firm commitment on wages and a national agreement speed- which paved the way for up. Now Burton's are moving in collect the agreement. to on Above, a strike leader addresses one of the biggest meetings the 1970 strike. The attitude of the union officials to all this has been described by managing direc- tor Frankel as 'responsible and 'We fairminded'. He added: are fortunate in dealing with such reasonable people'. "reasonableness' Their was strikingly revealed in 1969, in the national agreement signed between the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers and the Clothing Manufactu- rers' Federation. This said of work-study: 'It should be recognized that and work-measurement me- thod-study are essential for establishing the work content and in installing and regulat- payment-by-results ing schemes'. In 1970, when 30,000 Leeds clothing workers struck for a Is an hour wage increase, the smashing of this national major agreement was a demand. But the St.linists of the British Communist Party, in the leadership of the strike committee, refused to lead the on this basis. And struggle they ended up settling the strike without even a definite commitment from the em- ployers on wages. The lessons of the 1970 strike must be learned if to- day's new attacks on clothing workers are to be resisted.

WONDERFUL WELLIES'

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Tuesday April

BY TOM KEMP

Lucky readers of The Times' were treated on April 11 to an eight-page propaganda splurge all about wonderful "Chol- lima Korea'. 'Chollima' appears to be a horse or horseman 'symbolic of the heroic mettle of the Korean people. It is proclaimed without hesitation that 'Korea's Social- ist System Represents an Ideal Society' and the illustrations depict happy workers and their products in the factory and on the farm. Korea wallows in a person- ality cult reminiscent of the Stalin era in the Soviet Union and only approached in Ceau- sescu's Rumania. President Kim Il Sung, displayed here in pensive isolation and look- ing across the Heavenly Lake, is the great hero from whom all blessings flow. readers of The Those Times' who missed the oppor- in a full-page tunity given advertisement some time ago to acquire the collected works of the Master are given a brief rundown of his thought.

It all stems from what is called 'the great Junche idea' This says that 'the masters of the revolution and con- struction are the masses of the people'. However, it was Kim revolutionary Il Sung whose activity beginning in 1926 'marked the advent of a new epoch in the development of anti-Japanese national- the liberation struggle and the communist movement of the Korean people' In fact, the people do not of a look in when get much history of Korea the recent is told. It was 'the ever- victorious iron-willed brilliant commander Marshall Kim Il Sung' who defeated the for- eign imperialist. It was he who 'set forth line of economic the basic construction' and the 'Junche- line of industrializa- oriented tion' 'He is not only the great Leader of revolution', we are told, 'but also the benevolent father of the Korean people, possessed of lofty virtues and the popular method and style . He is also described of work'. as 'peerless patriot, national iron- hero ever-victorious willed brilliant commander and one of the great leaders of the international com- munist and working-class movements' He is also obviously a modest man, as this official and as is handout shows, proved by the picture of the gigantic statue erected in front of the Museum of the Korean Revolution. The North Korean's pur- paying the Thomson pose of Organization a substantial sum in order to produce this propaganda supplement is ob- scure. We are not invited to visit the earthly paradise or even told whether we can. There are no advertisements for its products, not even this time for the works of Kim II Sung, which seems to be a major export, If North Korea is all it says it is, it would be expected 'The Times' would be that the last place in which it would be necessary to pro- claim it and the last place in which to recruit supporters or win sympathy. Perhaps Kim Il Sung wants to follow in the footsteps of the Soviet and Chinese bureau- aday April 17, 1973 cracy and make a deal with the imperialists. If that is so, the copy at- tached to this particular pub- lic relations job would seem to be pretty • inept. The best advice to 'the saviour of the Korean people' would seem to be-get a better advertising agency. The eight -page North Korean supplement which appeared in The Times' on April I1 (commented on yesterday) was fol- lowed by another the day. For all we next know, top people may be getting regular handouts from president Kim I| Sung in future. The second instalment was well up to the standard of the first and there was no flagging in the insistence that all good things in Korea flowed from 'the personal initiative of Kim Il Sung'. It spoke of 'native-cadres trained under the profound care of Kim Il Sung' at the Kim Il Sung University. Ten- year compulsory schooling is m being introduced 'according to the far-reaching plan of Presi- dent Kim Il Sung' Turning the page we find that 'Due to the great care shown by President Kim Il Sung to promote the people's health, public health has made great progress'. • The liberation of Korean women is attributed to 'the respected and beloved leader President Kim Il Sung'.

One woman textile worker recounts how 'she has become Labour Heroine in the bene- volent bosom of President Kim Il Sung' . We are shown the schools in which children learn 'the glorious history of the revolutionary struggle of Mar- shall Kim Il Sung, who has brought them the happy life of today'. To the same glorious leader belongs the revival of Korean art and literature exemplified by the 'Song of General Kim Il Sung' with which the Man- sudae Art Troupe begins every performance at home or abroad.

Physical culture and sport pay their tribute to 'the wise leadership of their great leader [guess who?]'. If he didn't actually invent sport, it was he who 'indicated the unique way for dynamically promoting physical culture through a mass movement and for developing its theory and techniques from the standpoint of Juche' This second supplement which, like the first, must have cost thousands of pounds, con- tains an appeal for the re- unification of Korea on the three principles put forward by President Kim Il Sung.

The people of South Korea is must be waiting with joyful The caption In 'The Times' advertiseme dearly loves children. He even pays de Above: President Kim with working wor anticipation for the day when they too can enjoy the bene- volent and paternal care of the 'sun of the nation, Kim I!

Sung, in country where a everything is ideal. Even the nursery schools have a special 'room for learn- ing from Kim Il Sung' designed to educate the children to model after his own childhood.

Who would hesitate to join a state ruled by such a soli- citous leader who, as a photo caption informs dearly loves children and 'even pays deep attention to their foot- wear' Marshal Kim ll Sung dvertisement read, n pays deep attention to their footwear.?

orking women. There are few states in the world which can boast a leader who ordered that first priority should be given to the pro- injection-moulded duction of boots for children in vinyl chloride, or who would even know that these terms disguise the familiar 'Wellies'. It is still puzzling to know why the full effort to make the virtues of Kim Il Sung more widely known should be con- centrated on readers of "The Times', whose first reaction no doubt will be to deposit the unsolicited centre spread in the nearest waste-paper basket.

SOWING SEEDS OF UNCERTAINTY

BY ANNE BLAKEMAN

'Crime Squad' (Documentary) ATV. Tuesday April 10. 'Special Branch'. Episode 1. Wednesday April 11. 'This Week'. Thames TV. Thursday April 12. A Birmingham member of the force leans back with satisfaction, gives a cheery grin: 'Well', he says 'we've put away 20 top villains this year— right bastards' And so, adds the com- the Crime Squad mentary, relax and celebrate. Drinking chatting they reminisce and over the villains they despise, those they trust and those they admire: since 1963 this élite in the police force has been functioning and drawing men in from the ordinary police force. Men consider it an honour to be engaged in work where the bureaucratic methods are cut to a minimum, the paper- work disappears and time is given to the really purposeful pursuit of 'the better class of villain' Perhaps our Oldham corres- pondent has suspicious mind, but he has sent us a very intriguing item. It's the front page of the 'Oldham Evening Chronicle' for April 5. There is a glaring headline Bomb scare at which says: local hospital: Mothers, babies evacuated.' The breathless report tells us that 60 mothers and expectant mothers were evacuated after a telephone call that a bomb had been planted in the maternity wing.

An army bomb disposal squad turned out for the occasion.

They • found a mysterious parcel in a private wing and blew it up. The box turned Tuesday's programme did a great PR job for the cops who hobnob with that strata of the Mafia and other villains who really count in what was made to appear to be the new glamorous aristocracy in the force. This sham attempt at dig- ging below the surtace to give an inside account of the day- to-day lives of the Crime Squad with its taxing activities (any- thing from eight to 100 hours a week, chats with the wife to indicate there was no going home for these dedicated men); the filming and the dialogue, •intimate scenes between the the police and their informers, the cosy chats on bribery and corruption, the high-powered special look cultivated to a level to impress by the team from ATV, all added up to stamp quite firmly on the mind of the public that law and order today is Big Business.

Not only big business but big propaganda too: the police do well in television today. 'Special Branch', starting up again on Wednesday night, gave an equally fast-moving, out to contain some nails and was postmarked Bedfordshire.

Our man in Oldham comments 'Strange this sourly: how "bomb" scare just happens to occur when the hospital wor- kers in the area are struggling for a decent wage.'

JAILED

The Tories are crying out for tougher jail sentences. Perhaps they could follow the practices of their colleagues in Texas.

Two brothers, Franklin and Woodrow Ransoneete, both in their thirties have just been convicted of kidnapping the daughter-in-law of the pub- • 'Dallas Morning lisher of the News'. They have been sen- tenced to 5,500 years' jail.

A FAIR COPP

Soccer fan James Burke was 'rowdyism' arrested for at a football match. Police claimed that 18-year-old James was 'bawling, shouting and scream- ing' during a Scottish cup slick picture of George Sewell single-minded as the tough, Detective Chief Inspector with girl the fashionable black friend, a French ex-wife, a working-class background.

All very smooth, elegant dialogue and the conflict of the young man on the make (Patrick Mower at his best), working with Sewell on a job to track down a villain who was busy in the gold bullion line. Topical stuff. Plenty of fast cars and racy chat, smart camerawork to match. The police shown as in- creasingly aristocratic. A real role to play in society. Hitting the high spots. There are many faces to the police force today. visage But the gaunt of reality best revealed itself in 'This Week's' edition devoted to the Special Patrol Groups.

Formed in 1965, this body of men, specially trained, was given an attempted probe by director Peter Tiffin and came up blandly asserting innocence on all fronts. 'We are not armed for our- selves — but to protect the ... 'we are forced into public' semi-final between Celtic and Dundee at Glasgow's Hampden Park ground. He spent a weekend in the was hauled before cells and the Glasgow Sheriff Court last ing Monday. Sheriff Peter McNeill was - all set to hear the case. James was in the dock and the police had their evidence ready, when solicitor Mr William McGlynn had a whispered conversation with court officials. Then James was hurriedly to the cells and taken back later released. A court spokes- man said: 'Further inquiries are necessary at this stage.'

Mr McGlynn said: 'The police are being asked for a further report.' Mrs Jessie Burke said: 'His father and I were astonished when the police told us James had been arrested for shouting, bawling and screaming.' For James Burke has been deaf since birth and has never been able to speak a word.

Workers Press, Tue this situation by the climate and the international situation' ... No, none of us like being armed.' They are all unhappily forced to stand by their orders and appreciate that six (so we are told) men every day in the London area are toting .38 Webleys with 12 rounds of ammunition to be used on the most stringent criteria. Their real role is starkly revealed at the sight of the rigorous firearms training to which they are subjected: out on the field. These nice chaps who naturally feel no inclina- tion for the task, are busy riddling dummy bodies with bullets-aiming, of course 'for the widest part of the body- which happens to be the chest'.

Many were upset by the shooting of the two Pakistanis at India House. Nonetheless, when pressed, a good member of the SPG will never fail to stand by his orders. And when pressed their 'acting decisions chief, on taken at the highest level' can- not bring himself to suppose when the time will come for this unhappy state of affairs- Press, Tuesday April 17, 1973 PAGE 9 Left: The shootings at India London. House, Police crouch against a wall while inside mem- bers of the SPG shoot down two Pakistani youth. forced on the police by 'the international situation' — to cease. Their targets for the future cannot be spelled out by their own men. But with the crisis assuming present proportions it will be the working class next in line. The preoccupation with law and order and its exploitation by the television companies ('Z Cars', 'Barlow', 'Special Branch' and the rest) is an integral part of the Tory government's moves towards a corporate state and dictator- ship—a calculated ploy in the current climate of economic and political crisis to sustain middle class in their political confusion and personal anxiety. Threatened on their most vulnerable fronts - property and morals-they scurry into the channels which they have potential agents for the right wing. There is an impressive array of cops on the scene today: all developed and highly gifted in interpreting the meanest and most ambiguous letter of the law to their own ends, or rather those of the state.

Programmes on television like these and others are designed as first-class advertising the state and its developing 'arms'. To sow seeds of uncertainty at all costs, amongst not only the ranks of the Mafia new and old, but in any man, who like the entire body of the working class in industry, civil service, health service and the like, is forced to enter the realms of criminal activity in order to demand a decent standard of living. The police are the living emblem of the true inner life of the state: the true intent behind all the which Pretence of democracy persists in language and promoted philo- sophy. They are the bedrock of the society which is steadily taking shape in the hands of this ruling class, with its back to the wall and its inevitable need to smash the working class. The police force, throughout history (in Italy and France in the 1920s, in the 1917 Russian Revolution itself) has, unlike the armed forces, rarely if ever, deviated from the role for which it has been trained.

There are no grounds for supposing that matters will be any different in the coming period in England. But the subtle and complex training, the new divisions and their unlimited powers within the force • today ultimately reflect the fact of real fear at its base: fear of the potential and exist- ing strength of the working class which is on a scale so formidable that the most and 'talents' diverse powers are required within the police force to cope with it. Where is Britain Going? Paperback 374p • Problems of the British Revolution Paperback 35p ' Lessons of October Paperback 60p In Defence of the October Revolution Pamphlet 15p Marxism and the Trade Unions Pamphlet 25p Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International Pamphlet 10p Postage: 10p per book, 5p per pamphlet.

Order from: NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Tuesday April 17, 1973 All Trades Unions Allance meetings pital workers and clothing indus- TOTTENHAM: Tuesday Aprli 17, try. 8 p.т. 'Bricklayers Arms', High White Road, Hart Lane. near *Thursday April 19,

MIDDLETON,

'Make Scanlon retract. 'Assheton Arms', near the 8 р.m.

TOOTING,

Tuesday April 17, 8 Middleton Gardens. Tooting Tooting Baths, p.M. FELTHAM: Thursday 8 Broadway, S.W.17. "The crisis of April 19, 'Three Horse Shoes', High capitalism' p.m. Street. 'TUC must call a General CRAWLEY: Tuesday April 17, 8 Strike to make the Tories resign'.

Robinson Road. AEU Hall, D.M. Make Scanlon Retract. SLOUGH: Wednesday/ April 25, Community Centre, Farn- 8 p.m. Road.

"TUC

call ham must Bells', High Street, Strike make the •General to 'Make Scanlon retract'. Tories resign' PADDINGTON: Tuesday April 17,

CROYDON:

Thursday 26, 8 p.m. 'Prince of Wales', corner April Western House, Coombe of Harrow Road and p.m. Ruskin Road, 'Marxism the trade Road. 'Make Scanlon •withdraw and his proposals. No collaboration unions. with the Tories'. WILLESDEN: Thursday April 26, WOOLWICH: Wednesday Apr!! 18, 8 р.m. and Trades Brent Labour 'Castle', Street, Powis Hall, High Road p.m Willesden E 18 'No collaboration with the 'Build Councils of N.W.10. Pay Board'. Action'.

WALTHAMSTOW:

Wednesday HOLLOWAY: Thursday April 26, "The Bell', 8 p.m. April 18, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven Sisters 'TUC must call a General Street. "The economic and Strike'. the rising cost of living.

FULHAM: Thursday April 19, 8 'The Swan', Fulham Broad- BARKING: Sunday April 29, 7.30 p.m. S.W.6. 'No collaboration with p.m. Abbey Hall, Axe Street (be- way, the Pay Board' hind Town Hall). 'Make Scanion

LEEDS:

April 8 withdraw his proposals. No col- Thursday, 19, laboration Cobourg Taverne, Wood- with the Industrial p.m. house Lane. Speakers trom hos Relations Act.' Do you get WORKERS PRESS regularly? If not, why not take out a subscription now? £20.28 for 12 months (312 issues) {10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 issues) you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates 21.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: CIrculation Dept., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

10.00 Magic roundabout. 10.05 Banana 10.35 S: 12,30 Croes 1100. 10.50-11.00 Captain Pugwash. 12.30 12.55 News. 1.00 Pebble Mill at one. lakes. Animal design. Gardeners' world. 3.35 Governor and 4.10 4.00 Hucklebu ackanory: Play 4.35 4.50 school. 5.15 Animal Muppet musi- magic. of Bremen. 5.40 Sir Prancelot. cians 5.45 News. Weather.

6.00 NATIONWIDE.

6.45

FILM:

"The Sands of Iwo Jima. John Wayne.

BIRDS. 9.00 NEWS.

8.30

LIVER

Weather. 9.25 DOCUMENTARY: The Right Silence'. of Are too many guilty people going free? What of the Cri- are the proposals Revision Committee minal Law and why is the legal profession so concerned?

10.15 FILM 73. 10.45 MIDWEEK.

11.30 NESS Weather. 11.35

MEDITATION, 11.15

11.55 'The Guardian's' legal correspondent dangers lo basic rights in the courts Criminal Law Revision Committee's r documentary 'The Right of Silence'.

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.25 Open University.

6.40. INTERACTION.

7.05 OPEN UNIVERSITY.

NEWS. Weather. 7.35 WHEEL- 7.30

BASE.

8.10 Cobbets Rural HideS SH Rural Rides JOSEPH LUCAS'S entire CAV site at Acton, west London, threatened by a shutdown due to a shortage of components.

on all sub-contract A ban work has been imposed by the joint shop stewards committee who are attempting to force the management to concede the right to take staggered workers holidays. Meanwhile superintendents, foremen and assistant foremen TOOLMAKERS at GEC Coven- try voted to continue their pay strike at the weekend. They will not meet again until April 27.

The 211 workers are demand- ing £2.88 pay rise and strike committee chairman Douglas Soeller said: 'We are confident of the justification for our claim' But the stewards say they will talk to representatives of the

ITV

9.30 Out of school. 11.15 Galloping gourmet. 11.40 Cartoon. 12.05 Rain- bow. 12.25 Hatty town. 12.40 First report. 1.00 Lunchtime with Wogan.

1.30 Emmerdale farm. 2.00 Harriet's back in town. 2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 About Britain. 3.25 Kate. 4.25 Junior showtime. 4.50 Magpie. 5.20 I dream of Jeannie. 5.50 News.

6.00 TODAY. 6.40 CROSSROADS.

7.05 IT'S TARBUCK. Guest Buddy Greco.

7.35 FILM.

PLAYHOUSE: 'A Friend In- 9.00 deed'. With David Tomlinson, Richard Ver- Dawn Addams. non, June Whitfield. 10.00

NEWS AT TEN.

10.30 DOCUMENTARY: Double Sen- happens tence'. What family when the hus- young is sent to prison. band

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

ON. 11.15 12.00 Epilogue. pondent Michael Zander looks at the he courts now under attack from the mittee's recommendations in BBC 1's Bisset as William Donald Cobbett. POT BLACK. BBC 2 snooker 9.00 Eddie Charlton competition. v Ray Reardon. Hero: By Thinkin Whitemore.

Man as 9.25 Hero'. By Hugh Mary With Keith Barron, Peter Bowles, Ann Myle, Mereen on Lynn,

WHISTLE

10.45

THE

OLD GREY

Tom Paxton. Fairport Convention, 11.15 NEWS EXTRA. Weather.

TECHNICIANS

at Leeds University and at further education colleges in the city are threatening all-out strike education action if the are refusing to attend joint pro- duction consultative committee meetings with shop stewards as part of their campaign to en- courage higher management to union tough with the get organizations. They also disturbed at are piecework settlements recently agreed which, they claim, make them look foolish because stew- ards have been able to : go over their heads and higher get prices. Tory Pay Board if a meeting can be arranged. The AUEW, which has called for a one-day strike of engineers on May 1 against the pay laws, made the strike official. has Talks with Pay Board officials, therefore, would be against union policy. Attempts are being made to convene a meeting of all Coven- consider try toolmakers to support for the GEC men.

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL: 1.15

1.30 London. 2.30 4.20 3.00 4.25 5.20 Partridge 6.00 News. 6.10 family. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Tarbuck. Curtain 7.35 McCloud. 9.00 London. 12.00 weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 9.30 London. 11.10 Happiness business. 12.05 Lon- 11.35 Dr Simon Locke. don. 12.20 Gus 12.40 London. 12.57 News. 1.00 6.00 News. 12.00 Faith Diary. 11.57. for life.

SOUTHERN:

9.30 London. 11.10 ment: 12.00 News. 12.05 gondor 2.0.

Yoga. 11.35 A pretty. arrange- 3.00 London. toouse 5.25 Crossroads. 5.50 London. toon. 6.00 Day by day. 6.45 Tarbuck. 7.15 9.00 London. 12.00 Нес News. 12.10 HARLECH: 9.30 London. 11.10 North London. country. 11.35 Flight. 12.05 2.30 Houseparty. 3.00 London. 5.20 Chuckleheads. 5.25 Crossroads. 5.50 6.02 Report West. 6.18 Re- London. Wales. T535 Banacek. 9.00 6.35 for ten. 7.05 port London. London. 12.00 Craftsmen. 12.30 Weather.

HTV Cymru/Wales except: as 4.25 Miri mawr. 4.35-4.50 Y dydd. 10.30-11.15 Corau 6.01-6.18 meibion. 12.00-12.30 World in action.

HTV West as above except: 6.18-6.35 Report West. ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 11.10 Gour- News. 12.05 met. 11.35 Joe 90. 12.04 Women. 3.00 London. London. 2.30 4.22 4.25 London. 5.20 Smith News. family. 5.50 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Tarbuck.

9.00 London. 12.00 7.30 Columbo. Reading.

ATV MIDLANDS: 9.30

London. 11.10 Film: "The Hideout'. • 12.00 Programme Women. 5.50 Lon- 900 Tarbuck. Cartoon. McMillan and wife. London. 12.00 lan Phelps reports. Weather.

ULSTER:

9.30 London. 11.35 Coun- London. 1.30 News. try girl. 12.05 1.32 Yoga. London. 2.30 Car- 2.00 toon. 2.40 Romper room. 3.00 Lon- don. 4.23 News. 4.25 London. 5.20

6.00 UTV

reports. Emmerdale farm. 7.30 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Tarbuck. Banacek. 8.50 Cartoon, 9.00 London.

12.00 Tuesday in Holy Week. YORKSHIRE: 9.30 London. 11.10 Car- toon. 11.20 Beatrix Potter. 12.05 Lon- Hamster. 12.40 don. 12.25 Hammy London. 2.30 Farmhouse kitchen. 3.00 5.20 Here's Lucy. 5.50 Lon- London. Weather. 6.35 don. 6.00 Calendar. Crossroads. 7.00 Tarbuck.

7.30 Car- 7.35 Cool Million. 9.00 Lon- don. GRANADA: 9.30 London. 11.05 Tar- 11.50 Hammy Hamster. 12.05 zan. shoe- 2.30 a Nature's string. 5.20 Crossroads. 5.50 Lon- window. file. 6.00 Newsday. Police 6.40 don. "The Streets of San Francisco.

Film: 8.30 Tarbuck. 9.00 London. SCOTTISH: 9.30 London. 11.10 North 11.35 Flight. 12.05 London. country. 2.30 Dateline. 3.00 London. 5.20 | Car- 5.50 toon. 5.25 Crossroads. London. Scotland today. 6.35 Protectors. 6.00 9.00 7.00 Tarbuck. 7.30 Columbo. London. 12.00 Late call. 12.05 STUC.

GRAMPIAN: 9.30 London. 11.40 Jack- five. 12.04 News. 12.05 London. son 12.25 Hammy Hamster. 12.40 London Locke. 2.00 London. 1.30 Dr Simon 2.30 Women today. 3.00 London. 5.20 Emmerdale STUC•503. London Crosso farm. 6.35 6.05 News. 7.00 Tarbuck. Cartoon. roads. 7.35 Cool million. 9.00 London. 11.55 Meditation. authority refuses to meet their demands on grading and holiday pay. The 180 workshop and labora- tory technicians—members of the association, local government NALGO-called off a week-long overtime ban on April 9 after being granted payment on over- time which they had previously been forced to work for nothing.

are now threatening a They one-week, all-out strike followed immediately by indefinite strike action in support of a further series of demands: grades • Restructuring of the Polytechnic and of all Leeds further education college tech- in line nicians to bring them with other polytechnics and col- leges of further education.

• Representation on governing bodies. • An additional five days' holi- day after five years' service.

• All overtime to be paid at time-and-a-half; double time on Saturdays and Sundays. • More consideration to pay- ment of overtime (evenings) at part-time teacher rates. At a mass meeting last month, technicians, angered and frus- trated by union procedures and by their employers' blatantly delaying tactics (some technicians have waited four years for re- grading), decided to ballot mem- bers to support their claim with industrial action.

Farm price haggle means dearer food Vauxhall unions examine DESPITE the Tory Press farm policy lies in keeping some increase makes sense.

high build up of Agriculture

POLICES

The EEC Commission has subsidies, intervention buy- 10.8-per- recommended the price of Minister Mr Joseph of surpluses and massive stockpiling cent rise in pork Godber as a man going to -figures which are likely Luxembourg today to do farmers more generally Drilaln S •ате poised European ceptabl than battle on behalf of the bonanza as the new system ral French demar the Cabinet consumer, begins to affect them. Mant When today struggle will be for knows it has no choice have restocked and bought the machinery in anticipa- but to accept the higher dividual to get the tion. farm prices demanded by Des! bossible acci their products particular other EEC members. Beef rise farmers produce. Whatever is decided at For instance the Germans the three days of talks will cereal prices

WOW O

lIKe Among other things the mean higher food pushed up, but the British prices French are object. working-class house- 30-per-cent LISt wives. prices over years Vut or inis nauonal nag. cause beef is in short supply Sinual are comrades ve mans Fave let in be knee The French and Ger- result

EEC

mutually-agreed trading as a advance that unless farm prices will emerge. the restrictions. lories Britain's Significantly Godber has Some prices will rise less Ccil member already conceded than others, but this can the Market would be thrown fluenced by hardly into doubt. farmers- great Tory victory against Minister Godber

EEC

very of that this is a product where Phase Two reactions

BY DAVID MAUDE

UNION LEADERS representing the 27,000 Vauxhall carworkers meet tomorrow to consider their members' reaction to the company's Phase Two pay offer of £2.40 plus increases in fringe benefits.

The meeting, scheduled to take place at Rugely, Staffordshire, will hear reports of factory, department and individual union meetings following last Tuesday's meeting with the company.

Much will be made of Sunday's vote by engineers' union members at Ellesmere Port to accept the company's offer, since these are normally considered the most militant men in the combine. But although union chiefs will attempt to wash their hands of the "substantial' Vauxhall claim on this basis, they cannot escape responsibility for any accep- tance ot Phase wo. Rubery 1nelr ormal rejection company's offer Tuesday accompanied by a continued was Caval oi Owen action whatsoever in support of the claim. This has been their stance ever workers since le call. waca was 10 d week as ss-nour well as a pay rise, was submitted. While 'do nothing' was their now make £5 claim Vauxhall's, policy at the pay Ford struggle by work-

SOCIALIST LABOUR

ers, to whom the Vauxhall fac- look for

LEAGUE MEETINGS

tories traditionally RUBERY OWEN workers in the management said "From April svstematical v Make Scanlon retract! cut down by leaders these Darlaston, Staffs, who voted _are No collaboration with the same and by their 'left' last Friday continue them Communist dictatorship. I know Industrial Relations Act!

Party hangers- and two-week-old strike against on. Measured-Day are fighting No acceptance of Work, are we une cover meni also ecause the employer is using the Phase Two! now insisting that future nego words of the White Paper.

DANGER

tiations must be on the original Force the Tories to Our strength lies in oee fat that £5-a-week wage claim. resign! Build the revolutionary They are against any is that negotia Now the danger these tions the reduced claim of factory is a key party! men will use the Vauxhall situa £2.52, which was put forward to tion in a bid to further under- the still-struggling comply

WIL

cover. South London ment's fl plus 4 per cent state workers. Press care pay law. were not interested in re.

At Ellesmere Port yesterday

TUESDAY APRIL 24,

structuring of wages. About 1,500 workers at the engine proaucuon resumed 8 p.m. mass heard lowing the return work of shoD picket said: 'We

SLCW.

Clapham Manor Baths, 300 ards secretary Harold Smith say: out last men who walked Ruber ware lucase Clapham Manor Street, Friday. 'We came principle out on a of the have free SW4 The stoppage, over a transfer- tiations on wages and conditions. of-labour dispute, led to 2,500 wage-cuts for the pieceworkers.

North London shift assembly workers being laid they

ANILCI

LOOKIV

will do everything to break our The effects of the strike must unity. Any weakening will now

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

d Mageo A company spokesman said it taken 20 years to build Ul salliaaliull 1l S 8 p.m. was hoped have sufficient engines produced during the day Woodlands Hall, Doug Peech, T&GWU convenor assembly Bristole Commercial after last start Cal Crown Street, at Rubery Owen's told Workers Vehicles are nignts sallt. Acton, W.3. Press: I'm out on strike because also likely to be affected.

The company lost production of than 400 cars as a re more sult of the dispute Liverpool Marks and Spencer record LIVERPOOL docks resumed work Transform the SLL into dockers halted work on non 30 ships. 5,000 the revolutionary party dockers MARKS and Spencer, the cloth- dividend of 2107l6 per cent gross,

MONDAY APRIL 23,

Shop stewards told mass ing to foods store group, has just making total equivalent 7.30 p.m. Sunday that 3213/16 per cent, as against the miceline apree- announcer a u-der-cert rise "The Mona', James St end of roare ment had been reached with the profits. Pre-tax for the previous year's total of 31% per employers over the allocation of year to the March jumped (Entrance at back in cent. work clerical staff On Stock Markets, than zlom to a record Moor St) une record Marks £70.036.000. results selters shared by 3p40 25 p.

bumped austereo dockers off the dispute last Monday. Shareholders will collect a final 388, Tuesday April 17, 1973 PAGE 11 week's talks, it At last looked as if the kind of package to emerge would be around 2 per cent on cereal prices, up to 4 per cent on milk and 9 per cent on beef.

However it is disguised, such a package will mean that food prices must fur- ther sky-rocket. Steel price As a result of pressure from Market steel-makers, whose prices are up to 15 per cent higher than their British counterparts, a state- ment is expected this week announcing steel prices of up to 9 per cent. This will affect all steel- using industries and could raise the price of many con- sumer durables ranging from washing machines • to cars. CANVEY Islanders demonstrat- ing against a proposed oil refinery again blocked a major road into the town at the weekend. About 100 protesters used cars to try to prevent oil tankers entering or leaving a storage depot on the island. Later about 300 marched through the town centre. • Watch out for a special feature on our centre pages on the Canvey Island battle.

SLL LECTURE

SERIES

The revolutionary party and the history of the British working class Caedraw School Merthyr Tydill 7.30 p.m. Wednesday April 18 (Note date change) Lectures given by Peter Jeffries The Unlons and the working class In Britain. The Revolutionary Past of the British working class-and M8 future. The Transformation of the SLL Into & Revolutionary Party.

READING

Trotsky, Where is Britain Going? Problems of the British Revolution. Perspectives for Transforming the SLL into a Revolutionary Party. Marxist Analysis of the Crisis.

Registered as a newapaper at the Post Office. Published by Workers Press, 186a 7UG. Printed 01-622 7029.

Demand asylum for Cheng Police pack remand hearing: Public and Press searched Dawn raid victims heavily PAGE 12 Workero Pross, Tuesday Apri

APPEAL FUND

NOW STANDS

AT £374.89 WE ARE beginning to be con- cerned. Our campaign April's Fund is very slow and if we continue at this pace we will not make our total this month.

We realize that this month will be hard as we have two funds underway. But we must not allow our monthly Fund 1o be- come neglected. Your support, which is so wel.

come each month, is also vitally needed to maintain Workers Press. As our costs are con.

stantly increasing, me must not let our Fund silp back. Therefore we make a very special appeal to you all, doar readers. Help us raise extra amounts to boost our April Fund.

We only have 14 days left to com- So go plete our £1,750 target. Post Into action Immediately. every donation straight away 1o: Workers Press April Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street, London, SWA 7UG DESPITE the capitulation by their leaders, hospital workers were still on strike throughout Britain yesterday, although the back-to-work call created in- evitable confusion in their ranks.

Thousands of hospital workers stayed out in the north east (Newcastle, Prudhoe, North Tees, West Cumberland, Northumber- South Wales land); Liverpool; (Merthyr, Aberdare, Pontypridd); Manchester; Oldham; and other centres. hospital The main workers union, NUPE, with a total of 440,000 members in public ser- vices, is to fully participate in the May 1 day of protest and stoppage organized by the TUC against the Tory pay laws.

NUPE said shop stewards at the Wessex Regional Hospital Board had decided to continue industrial action through non co- operation and a ban on private patients. They were taking a list of demands to the regional hospital board and hospital management committees. They wanted union observers to attend meetings of the board and committees; management regular meetings between stew- ards' committees and the regional board and a full investigation into the activity of management in North • Hampshire during the they brought in strike when volunteers without union con- sultation.

THE PAY

dispute at Harlanl and Wolff's Belfast shipyard, which has begun to affect pro- duction after ten weeks non-co- operation by 2,000 boilermakers, awaits a mass meeting to now decide the next steps. Union advice to return to normal working has been rejec- ted by shop stewards. The com- pany has paid off 700 steel- workers and threatens hundreds more imminently. The men want more pay than the Phase Two ceiling. baday April 17, 1873 Mrs Caclila Chang who has been waiting for the Lords declsion, while her husband is held in Pentonville jail. COVENTRY magistrates sat der heavy police guard yester as they remanded in custody men arrested during joint Spr Branch-Special Patrol Group r in the early hours of Friday m ing. Yesterday's carefully. orchestrated police operation began more than an hour be- fore the court was due to sit in St Mary's Hall, Coventry.

Police sealed off the street as the men—themselves sur- by guards—were rounded driven the 250 yards from the police station to the court.

In Do THE ENGINEERS' union unani- mously agreed to 'organize the fullest possible support to all unions resisting closures' in the steel industry when its national British committee discussed Steel Corporation's plans to make 50,000 men redundant. Speakers deplored the effect of closures at Ebbw Vale and Shotton in Wales which would mean 'going back to the 1930s'.

But AUEW leader John Boyd confused the issue by saying: 'In every country, a degree of modernization is necessary and inevitable', meaning that he is prepared to discuss some re- dundancies.

TSAI-CHENG,

TZU

the Taiwanese separatist, has lost his appeal against extra- dition to the United States where he faces a possible jail for an alleged sentence assassination attempt on the son of Chiang Kai-shek, the premier of Taiwan. The House of Lords ruled that his alleged crime was not political and therefore Cheng had no rights protecting him from extradition. But his supporters yesterday said they were encouraged by the narrowness of the majority and the dissenting opinion of Lord Simon, who said that to the street Cheng's the man in crime was clearly political.

The fate of Cheng now tes sat un- 1 yesterday custody six int Special Group raids riday morn- Then, all handcufied and three covered, the with their heads men were hustled into the cells below the court. All entrances except one were locked. Reporters and other public were members of the of them searched, three some times, for possible weapons.

The court too, room, was packed with police as the six charged with conspiring were together and with others un- Lankesters Strikers al Lankesters' garage in Kings tinued their two-week strike for union i pay structure. Pickets at the garage, wh dealer in the area, were scepticat of a This was that it they returned to work apprentices would be brought forward tre on storemen's rates were also offered..

paid an average of 42p an hour.

EDINBURGH general branch of the paign to gain support in the area for the formation of a Council of Action. In a resolution due to come before the Edinburgh and dis- trict Trades Council tonight, the branch says: ...in view of the rapidly developing economic and politi- cal crisis which is currently en- capitalist gulfing the world system, there is now an urgent ini

BY JOHN SPENCER

rests with Tory Home Secre tary Robert Carr. He can ship Cheng to the United States, where his com- rades say he runs the risk of being_kidnapped by agents of the Taiwanese regime, or he could deported any country that would allow him political asylum. Neil Kinnock, Labour MP for bedwelty, is to lead an all-party delegation to plead with Carr not to send Cheng to the US. Mr Benedict Birnberg Cheng's solicitor, said that he was with the Lords deci- pleased sion because it was narrow.

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

known to cause an explosion in the United Kingdom 'of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property'.

The alleged conspiracy is sup- posed to have taken place be- tween January 1 and April 13 this year. Police objected to bail the men were remanded in and custody until April 25. Yesterday's police operation was entirely in line with the surrounding Friday atmosphere

LANKESTERS

ON

STRIKE

OFFICIAL

• in Kingston-on-Thames yesterday con- or union recognition in talks or a now arage, which is the main British-Leyland lical of a 'new' offer from the company.

I to work discussions on new rates for forward from June. Separate negotlations offered. Apprentices at the garage are need to build and develop new forms of organization within the working class movement, in order to defend the basic demo- cratic rights of the working class.

"This aim can best be achieved by the formation of Councils of Action throughout the country, whose central purpose will be to unite all organizations and ten- dencies based on the working class, in the common struggle to defeat the Tory government.'

The motion calls Edinburgh Trades Council initiate the formation of a Coun- He said the verdict by Lord Simon was most important and would lend weight to the dele gation to the Home Secretary.

Cheng is at present covering in Pentonville from a suicide attempt. The alleged crime took place in New York in April 1970 when a pistol was drawn and fired at Chiang Ching-kuo, the son of the old anti-communist leader of nationalist China.

Cheng was. arrested for allegedly being concerned with acquiring the weapon. The British trade union and labour movement must de- mand that Cheng be given asylum in Britain. See Thurs day's centre pages for a full background story to Cheng case.

SPONDENT

morning's raids, following which Fleet Street editors received in- structions to 'play the story as anti-IRA'. These raids were countrywide, though co-ordinated from Lon- Some 11l homes raided by 500 police and 14 people, most of them But among the homes raided in Coventry were those of mem- bers of the International Marxist Group, from which police re- conference papers and address lists. weekend one man Over the was remanded in Manchester charged with unlawful posses- of a 0.38 revolver and 12 rounds of ammunition, two men were charged in Liverpool under the Official Secrets Act and a also in Liverpool, was fourth, remanded in custody accused of stealing postal orders. Yesterday's hearing Coventry lasted just 20 minutes.

remanded Father Patrick Fell (32), of All Soul's Church; Anthony Lynch (36), a fitter; Anthony MoCor- engineer; Thomas Rush 26), electrician; Herbert Kelly (28), builder's labourer; and Francis Stagg (31), driver.

Reporting restrictions were not lifted. Fell was unshaven and in clerical dress when he and the others appeared in court, all still handcuffed officers. They spoke only once each, to confirm their ages. Det Insp Colin Such, who asked for, the remand, gave evidence of arrest. The magistrates refused bail applications by defence solicitors William Wilson MP and Michael Jervis. After the hearing, a 200-strong crowd gathered outside the court building and there were chants of 'Solidarity with the IRA' and 'Free all political prisoners'.

There was cheering as the six were driven away in a convoy of police vans and cars. cil of Action by organizing a special meeting for this purpose as soon as possible. In line with this call, the

ASTMS

branch secretary, MI A. A. Wilson, has informed othe union branches of the call and asked for their support. Material explaining the im- portance of the campaign has also been distributed. Two local Labour Parties and union a number of trade branches in the area have al- ready indicated their support.