Workers Press no. 1062

workers press

DECEIT BEHIND TRADE UNION CHIEFS' MOVES

SECRET TALKS

WITH TORIES

MORE MAY DAY PICTURES AND STORY PAGES 2, 6, 7 & 12

INCORPORATING THE NEV

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

Victor Feather, Jack Jones, Hugh Scanion, Sir Sidney Greene, Alf Alle

BY ROYSTON BULL

THE 'DAILY MIRROR' yesterday published a report that talks have already begun between the trade deal which will make the state control of wages permanent. Workers Press has repeatedly warned that such plans are afoot, despite all the denials and the cover ups from Victor Feather, Hugh Scanlon, and the Communist Party's newspaper 'Morning Star' that further talks are harmless.

So explosive an issue is this that the talks have been held in the utmost secrecy. The TUC leaders are aware that a massive outburst of working-class anger will sooner or later erupt over calculated this treacherous attack on their standards of The only way the Tories can living. try to get out of their economic crisis is i if pay increases are first Deceitfully Feather told a Press banned and then completely conference last week, In answer wages are reduced by state decree, to a question from a Workers substituting direct wage cuts for Press that there had reporter, the indirect fall in the standard been no invitation yet from the of living the Phase Two system Prime Minister for new talks. produces. Now Mirror has the "Daily Feather announced at that reported that Heath met the top same Press conference his accept-

TUC

recent leaders twice in ance of Phase Two, thus admit- "Mirror' weeks. Present, the ting what the Workers Press had were Feather, Jack Jones, claims, explained all along. Hugh Scanlon, Alf Allen, Sidney The subsequent steps we have David Greene and Basnett. warned of in this complete capi- So was Feather lying to the of tulation to the requirements and capitalism Press conference to the will also be British working class? if trade union borne the out, movement allows it to happen.

these talks, The purpose of will until the which continue The bureaucracy, including the labour 'lefts' Jones and Scanlon, trade union movement orders an end to such treacherous dealings, determined through are to is to make permanent the with these plans to help state estab- control of wages, but under lish a corporate state in Britain.

so-called 'voluntary' system where Their fear and hatred that the the TUC leaders police their own class struggle might develop into members wage increases. revolutionary confrontation in the The of such a deal of this economic essence

COUSC

be British crisis is their main concern.

must wage restraint. the capitalism cannot Being reformists, they will now difficulties of trade war and un- fight to keep the going system controllable inflation unless more which enables them be to and output more surplus value reformists. is produced at the same time as has already Workers Press the working class consumes less.

reported how these Six top This means wage-cutting. bureaucrats in their smart suits So Phase Three, due in the joked and lunched with the is required autumn, to impose main Tory cabinet ministers and burdens even greater on leading industrialists right in the working class than Phase Two's

TURN TO BACK PAGE

8 per cent (El plus 4per percent). INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY MAY 3, 1973 • No 1062 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE Sir Sidney Greene, Alf Allen and David Basnett are sald by the Mirror' to have ed Heath for secret talks on Phase Three

OUU 627L

Passer-by- -whether car drivers, deliverymen or housewives frisked outside the Lambeth macistrates court yesterday during a huge security operation as the 'Belfast 10' appeared for a further remand.

Security clamp at 'bomb' case MAXIMUM security precautions made during the 12-minute hear- an Alsatian dog. were in force police took squad 0l court yesterday representing the ten and

PCUVIC

roof

DOSILIONS

The were remanded in custody for opiected to by building. Observation was week on charges made after the Roy Habershon. also kept from the police station explosions Mr D. Preece-Jones March 8. ODDOSITe. refused bail and remanded the Everv inch of the court build.

Three girls and seven men, Ten Custody

TOT

Turine. was searched before the with addresses Northern week. public was allowed to enter. Ireland, accused of conspir- Long before the convoy bring are ing them to Members of the public, defen- Tove ner ane witn ouners court was in sight cause explosions dants and witnesses other une COUrT nouse лептеи danger-life or seriously damage was

KORGA

Lambeth, sealed cases. even SONCILOrS

DAT

and pardiled by i handler olice squads risters, were searched by police- men and women. application for ball was

workers press

DECEIT BEHIND TRADE UNION CHIEFS' MOVES

SECRET TALKS

WITH TORIES

MORE MAY DAY PICTURES AND STORY PAGES 2, 6, 7 & 12

INCORPORATING THE NEV

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

Victor Feather, Jack Jones, Hugh Scanion, Sir Sidney Greene, Alf Alle

BY ROYSTON BULL

THE DAILY MIRROR' yesterday published a report that talks have already begun between the trade union leaders and the Tory government to set up a deal which will make the state control of wages permanent. Workers Press has repeatedly warned that such plans are afoot, despite all the denials and the cover ups from Victor Feather, Hugh Scanlon, and the Communist Party's newspaper 'Morning Star' that further talks are harmless.

So explosive an issue is this that the talks have been held in the utmost secrecy. The TUC leaders are aware that a massive outburst of working-class anger will sooner or later erupt over calculated this treacherous of attack on their standards The only way Tories can the living. get out of their economic try to are first crisis is if pay increases Deceitfully Feather told a Press completely and then banned conference last week, wages are reduced by state decree, Workers a question from substituting direct wage cuts for Press reporter. that there had the indirect fall in the standard been no invitation yet from the of living the Phase Two system Prime Minister for new talks.

produces. Now the 'Daily Mirror' has Feather announced at that reported that Heath met the top same Press conference his accept- TÚC leaders twice in recent of Phase Two, thic admit. anna the 'Mirror' weeks. Present. ting what the Wurkers Press had were Feather. lack claims. Tones, explained all along, Hugh Scanlon, Alf Allen, Sidney The subsequent steps we have Greene and David Basnett. warned of in this complete capi- So was Feather lying to the tulation to the requirements of Press and to the be conference British capitalism will also working class? borne out, if the trade union movement allows it to happen.

The purpose of these talks, which will continue until the The bureaucracy, including the trade union movement orders an 'lefts' Jones and Scanlon, labour end to such treacherous dealings, determined through are to go the is to make permanent state with these to helo estab- plans but under wages, control of lish a corporate state in Britain. so-called 'voluntary' system where Their fear and hatred that the the TUC leaders police their own class struggle might develop into members wage increases. confrontation in revolutionary of The of deal the this economic essence such

COITCA

British he crisis is their main concern.

must wage restraint. capitalism survive the Being reformists, they will now cannot dificulties of trade war and un- fight keep the system going to controllable inflation unless more which enables them to be and more surplus value output reformists. is produced at the same time as Workers Press has already the working class consumes less. how these six reported top This means wage-cutting. bureaucrats in their suits So Phase Three, due in the and ioked lunched with the is required to impose main Tory cabinet ministers and autumn, greater burdens on the leading industrialists right in the even Two's class than Phase working

TURN TO BACK PAGE

8 per cent (El plus 4 per cent).

THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY MAY 3, 1973 • No 1062 • 4p

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

Allen and David Basn ald by the 'Mirror' to have visited Heath for s Passer-by-whether car drivers, deliverymen or housewives-were frisked oul court yesterday during a huge security operation as the 'Belfast 10' appeare MAXIMUM security precautions made during the 12-minute hear- were in force again at Lambeth solicitor ing Bernard yesterday ten people Simons, representing the ten and were remanded in custody for a was objected to by Chief-Supt on charges made after the Roy Habershon. week London bomb explosions on Magistrate Mr D. Preece-Jones March 8. bail refused and remanded the custody Three girls and ten in for further men. Northern all with addresses week. in accused of conspir- Ireland. are Long before the convoy bring- ing together and with others to ing them to court was in sight, explosions likely to en- house Renfrew the court in damage danger life seriously or Road, Lambeth. was sealed off property. uniformed police by squads of bail was and patrolled by a handler with An application for cret talks on Phase Three

OUU 627L

risked outside the Lambeth magistrates ' appeared for a further remand.

an Alsatian dog. A squad of police took positions the roof the court building. Observation was also kept from the police station opposite. Every inch of the court build- ing was searched before the public was allowed to enter.

Members of the public, defen- dants and witnesses in other cases, even solicitors and bar- risters, were searched by police- men and women.

Impressive May PAGE 2 Workers Preas, Thursday May 3, 1973 OVER 1,000 London members and supporters of the Socialist Labour League marched on May Day against the trade union leaders' capitulation to the Tory government.

Led by 40 members of the YS carrying red flags and with two magnificently decorated floats, the march hammered home the demand for a General Strike to force the Tory government to resign. Behind the banner of the London Area Committee of the Socialist Labour League there were branches of the SLL, YS and All Trades Unions Alliance from all over the city.

BY JOHN SPENCER

Contingents of trade unionists joined the Decca, marchrom Battersea, factory, Lankester's Engineering, 1 Kingston, and mem- movement used to say that capi- the hunger and Workers' meant war. Union from ireneral the Arndale Centre site. ale movi owards they will be where At St Pancras Town Hall the proved completely correct.' packed watched 45- meeting Tom

NUPE

branch y at St Mary's minute im 'Ihe Road To Wor. Hospital, secretary at st Power', showing episodes Kerg the him noenampion, sale from the pageant of labour his- shown that men lost their lives performed at Empire Pool, fighting the benefit of their LULy 'Each of us have wembley, on march 1e. fellow workers. The film, professionally made got we vi brought life the got to show that responsibility, colour, to he said. of the British working struezies class establish trade Alf Waters, 1TC Tilbury docker unions, the fight for the People's of the National Article Charter, formation gamated Stevedores First Internationa bv Marx and ers, speaking in a personal capa. Engels and the building of the city said the acceptance of Phase Labour Party.

COCKS

Was Lne Maureen Bambrick, clearest example of the way the national union leaders were collaborating secretary of the Young Socialists.

with the Tories. told the meeting that the lULs capitulation before the Tories 'There are layers He added: had brought millions of ordinary of dock workers wn are seek. to face with ing new leadership. The only Wate workers lace Relations Act. the stark reality of the situation.

way forward is by building the had back 1 he 1 orles come

SLL

revolutionary party, with the state pay laws, taking The capitalist Conservative ol une away 'at stroke' the right crisis, taking the form of world- government and bring back wide inflation, driving the "The was coverve abour government pledged to trade unions have virtually be- towards dictatorship and come a rubber stamp for govern- socialist the preparation ol a thira im- Alan Thornett, ment policy, he said. perialist world war, comrade denutv SenO steward at British-Leyland, Cow- Bambrick said. «The question alternative ley, speaking in a personal. capa- Young leadership is now the main "The Socialists declare pre- city, said the almost LOLal that Britian now on the occupation of the working class at Oxford for Mav • Dav demon. of revolutionary comrade Thornett said. strated the movement the situation because can be working class to the left. The Socialist Labour except by Gerry settied senious Con- tional government had talled to 1O1y frontation.' millions settle accounts saluted The the labour strength through the Industrial unionists who had responded to pioneers

DON

OMM

Above right: SLL contir

YOUNG SOCIALISTS

AND

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

the May Day strike call, and the within the labour movement, he said. tens of thousands of men and women who had the come onto But the obiective crisis of the streets against the Tories. capitalist system has created the Compared with May Day 1972.

material conditions for the was a shameful day. this working class to fight and seize rade Healy said. Over the last 12 The crisis placed the the power. months the basic right of trade workers of all countries shoulder behalf to shoulder against the common unions to negotiate on of their members had been taken enemy. away by law. Comrade Healy appealed to • Not only had the union chiefs all the marchers the to join Socialist acquiesced in Phase Iwo, they Labour League. The about with the collection at the raised were to agree meeting Tories $315 "They Phase Three. for the £100,000 on party are now the policemen of capital building fund. SLL contingents on the Leeds (top) and Hull (bottom) marches.

A day of determination STALINISTS and right wingers joined forces to ex- clude a Socialist Labour speaker from the League May Day rally at Cambridge.

Two weeks ago a move by the Stalinists at the Trades council to restrict speakers to the Labour and communist Parties was defeated. Out of a 60-strong meeting only four votes were in favour of ex- cluding other speakers. The decision was to invite speakers from all political ten- dencies in the working class.

However, when the organizing met last Sunday, it committee decided to exclude SLL speakers from the panel. This was challenged by other speakers at the rally and by the audience. Bill Fakes, the speaker from the International Socialists, said that although he had important differences with the SLL, no one could deny that they had brought a sizeable and important delega- tion to the demonstration.

Fakes said he could not speak unless the same rights were ex- tended to the SLL. The microphone then was taken from him and he was ordered by the chairman to leave the platform. It was then claimed that the SLL had been excluded because of lack of time. This was chal- lenged by Fire Brigades Union members who pointed out that they had only just been asked to and had no one who speak wanted to. Continued calls for an SLL speaker were greeted with ap- plause from the meeting, but the chair still insisted on the ban.

the meeting Brian After Sheary, secretary of the trades council and one of the people who voted for the exclusion of the

SLL,

was surrounded by workers from a number of union branches who demanded an ex- planation. He tried to claim that the SLL's speaker was opposed to the May Day strike. A trade unionist pointed out that the League's speaker had active organizing the been in his factory strike and had organized the first picket ever seen there, resulting in a high turn-out for the strike and the demonstration. Sheary then said the demon- stration was in support of TUC policy and the League speaker had opposed TUC policies.

A worker then asked if the demonstration had been in sup- port of Phase Two and for dis- cussions on Phase Three. Sheary replied: 'Yes, if that is TUC policy. WORKERS from Ford's, Yardley Marconi Cosmetics, Gilbarcos, Electronics and several building sites were among the 1,000-strong May Day crowd at Basildon's meeting. They were told by Ron Todd, T&GWU official for the Essex area that they had to get rid of the Tories 'or get them to change their policies. But a Young Socialist member —a hospital worker-received a warm response when he called leaders to replace the for new TUC capitulators. SOME 700 dockers, engineers, timber aircraft workers and workers marched through Hull on a May Day march organized by the Trades Council (see pic- ture opposite). Shop steward John Nolan, a member of the All Trades Unions Alliance, told the meeting: 'We don't have to spend a lot of time saying what the Tories are doing. What we have to do is look at what the Labour and trade union leaders are doing.'

TUC general secretary Victor Feather is "highly satisfied' with the May Day protests against the Tories' state pay policies. 'I think the govern- ment will be impressed', he says. But 1.6 million strikers repre- sent no more than 15 per cent of the organized workers in the country. The response of car workers, cransport workers, engineers, dockers, builders, miners and others proves that the work- ing Class is determined to fight. It was, however, only good up to a point. The potential response was slashed by the deliberate de- sign of the TUC leaders and the Stalinists. Almost on the eve of the strike, Feather an- nounced that its purpose was not to fight the Heath govern- express 'reluctant ment, but to acquiescence' in the Tory state With his blessing, pay laws. right-wing union leaders and in the officials, particularly EPTU, NUR, UPW and NUT, set out consciously to break the strike. Engineers' leader Hugh Scanlon complains of the 'low key approach' of some trade union leaders. However, not only has Scanlon refused to fight the wing, but he himself right sounded the call for retreat by

AUEW

National telling the Committee the Tories that INCREASES in a wide range goods are expected in early J Commission is at present inv for price rises involving many of They must normally report within 28 days of an applica- tion. Where an employer is able to show his costs have will be increased rises allowed. A veil of secrecy has been thrown over the firms involved.

But in the food sector it is known that firms which process meat, increases. There is also widespread de- mand from the engineering in- dustry for higher prices after the government-inspired increase in the price of steel. Little over 170 firms in the country are required to seek permission from the Commission tor price increases. Since there are 80 applications before the Commission, it is safe to assume most leading firms are involved in the prices ramp.

This latest news on prices comes atter the Tory decision to accept increases in farm produce in line with other Common Mar- ket countries. EEC policy is to deliberately keep prices of essential foods meat, cheese, eggs and, like butter well above world averages.

fixed An intervention price is below which prices in the shops can never fall. Agriculture Minister, Tory Joseph Godber, has agreed to raise the 'intervention' price of meat by 10.5 percent, of real by had 'won the first round' on pay and that high wage claims could not be successful. And he had earlier publicly de- 'amended' In- clared that an dustrial Relations Act would be accepted. While confining the 'fight' against the • Tories to left words and one-day protests, Scanlon and Jack Jones of the

T&GWU,

together with Feather and other trade union leaders, have been having meetings with Heath secret backs behind the of their members (see page I). The Communist Party's 'Morn- ing Star' hailed the protest as 'powerful May Day rebuft Heath'. But Communist to . Party members voted with the right wing against the strike at the recent National Union of Teachers' conference. And some Stalinists at the

EPTU

opposed attempts conference to raise the matter at all.

At the Trades Union Congress last September, Communist Party members failed to chal- lenge continued talks with the Tory government. lon The Stalinists deliberately set out to prevent any movement that would • beyond the go • by the trade limits set down union leaders. They covered up for Scanlon and systema- tically opposed calls to any force the TUC leaders to mobilize an indefinite General • range of foods and essential early June. The Tory Prices ent investigating applications many of Britain's largest firms.

7.5 per cent, of pig meat by 4 cereals by l per per cent and cent. has been hailed as a This victory by Tories. In fact it means the housewives will have to pay more to feed their fami- lies. STAFF at the Norton- Villiers motorcycle factory in Andover will be meeting today to decide whether they will join a manual workers' sit-in against closure. The sit-in, which began last Friday, follows the shock announcement earlier last week that the factory is to close on August 4. Production of the Commando 'super bike' will be transferred to its headquarters factory in Wolverhampton, Norton - Villiers says. But the closure announcement has led to fears about the future of the Wolverhampton factory.

Andover's Commando was not long ago voted bike of the year for the fifth year in succession.

, If closure can follow success of • this order! workers argue, what Workers Press, T Strike to make the govern- ment resign. Yet the 'Morning Star' claims 'was only a that May, Day stage in the continuing strug- gle against lory policy which TUC in March, at the special was decided on This is a cynical lie, designed to head off dissatisfaction and criticism from the Stalinists' own members and supporters.

The truth is that no 'continu- ing struggle' was decided on at the TUC meeting. There are no plans whatever for any more working-class action as far as the TUC leaders and their Stalinist collaborators are concerned. The 'Morning Star' says nothing about the union leaders' secret talks with Heath, nor do they even men- tion that these leaders trotted off obediently to a meeting of the NEDC, chaired by Tory Chancellor Anthony Barber, day after the historic one protest. The Socialist Labour League supported the May Day strike and brought out large contin- gents on demonstrations. But from the yery beginning we warned that a one-day protest not enough and that it was laid the working class open to grave dangers. Feather's 'hope' that the demon- strations might persuade the Tories to moderate their poli- cies is nonsense. No amount THE OFFICIAL wing of the IRA has decided to play a role in the election in Ulster on May 30.

The Six County Republican Clubs, a group that has strong links with Official views, said in Belfast yesterday they would be standing candidates on May: 30 when a million voters will elect councillors to staff the 26 admin- istrative districts set up in the Tory plan to keep Ireland divided and the north under army rule.

This is further lurch to the right for the Official Republican which has been movement, attempting for some time to gain legal blessing from William WORKERS at the Watney Mann brewery in Whitechapel, east London, returned to work yester- day after a strike which stopped all production for three weeks.

The dispute hit nearly 900 pu guarantee is there that the de- struction of jobs will stop at Andover? Both manual workers and staff at Wolverhampton have there- fore declared their support for the Andover action. Wolverhampton stewards are in the course of setting up a national meeting of Norton- Villiers stewards to discuss fur- ther support for the sit-in.

Norton-Villiers' announcement comes on the eve of the expected disclosure of merger terms be- Norton-Villiers and BSA, tween but the company claims the closure is not connected with merger moves. Transport costs and the need to centralize production are men- as reasons for the firm's tioned rationalization drive. But as Tony Fordham, spokes- for the 54 sit-in strikers, man said yesterday: 'Rationalization can cover anything. 'What t they're really saying to 5 Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 PAGE 3 the of protest will divert political representatives of the ruling class from seeking to solve their economic crisis at the expense of the working class. The only way to defend living standards and basic rights is to bring the government down and return a Labour govern- pledged ment to socialist policies. That means a fight to remove the union leaders who stand in the way, and a fight against counter-revolutionary Stalinism and its lies. or The 10,000-plus who marched in the 10,000 in Glas- London, 10,000 in Birmingham, gow, 12,000 in Liverpool, 5,000 in Manchester, 5,000 in Cardiff and 2,000 in Nottingham show the potential for struggle in the working class. But it re- mains potential. May Day was not enough. It will not become enough until the central question of revolu- tionary leadership is resolved.

May Day indicated the enormous response that is there for re- policies and volutionary leadership. It underlines more than ever the urgent task of transforming the Socialist Labour League into the revolutionary party.

All those who want a real fight to get rid of the Tories should join the Socialist sa- socialism bour League now and help us in that task. Whitelaw, Tory Minister for Ulster. The Provisional wing of the IRA, however has called for a complete boycott of the elections.

It said the election is 'nothing more than a smokescreen for military repression upon which Mr Whitelaw has based all his hopes for resistance to his junta'.

The Provo stand has been imitated by two Protestant- loyalist parties of Rev Ian Pais- ley and William Craig. Yesterday nominations for the election, which uses the method proportional representation, of were completed. public houses in east London.

Many were forced to close through lack of supplies.

A company spokesman said deliveries of draught beer should start today, and by Friday most pubs would be back to normal.

us is that, having brought us mostly from London down here in the first place, with the pro- mise of jobs for life, they're now tussing the scrapheap on us having milked us dry. They're saying we must give up our homes and uproot our families just so they can go on squeezing us for the last ounce of profit. 'Well, we're not accepting it.

We want the company to recon- sider their decision and we're staying here till they do The Andover factory has been open since August 1969, and most of the workforce came either directly from London or from London via other factories «which had closed down after only a short period in the area.

Sit-in strikers say they have seen at least six other factories close down in the area over the last four years. They are deter- mined that this will not happen to them.

CAPITALISM'S FAR EASTERN SWEAT SHOP

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday May 3,

FROM ALEX MITCHELL IN THE F

We were standing in a street in Kowloon in the centre of the colony's biggest industrial estate.

On the corner opposite stands an enormous building of 12 or more storeys. From the high ventilation windows on each floor emerged the roar of machinery. It re- verberated around the streets outside. Shortly after 1.30 the foot- path becomes jammed with people leaving the building for their lunch break. Almost the first thing you notice is the youngsters. Just like school- children. The release of getting out of the factory is unmistakable.

There is a bit of horseplay as they run zig-zag through the adults to buy a Coke and some sweets for lunch. If you ask their age they whatever they become coy; reply is probably about two years above their real age. Many of them are 14, 15 oril6.

workers The older are morose their faces and limbs showing the terrible price of in the a lifetime of labour textile industry. The factory for 20 years, has been there a naked and undisguised sweat shop. The workers start at 7 or 8 in the morning and finish at 6 or 7 in the evening.

Most of them work seven days a week. The average salary is about $600 (Hongkong) a month, which is £12.50 a week. This is not in any sense a basic wage, a fixed minimum rate.

Workers are paid by produc- tivity - by what they can produce. One worker we spoke to explained how his salary is made up: I get $600 a month. For this I work seven days a week and make about 20 car coats a day. Officially we only have to work six days a week, but you have to work seven. If you don't work, you can't live?

day May 3, 1973

N THE FAR EAST

It also emerged in our dis- cussion workers feel that obliged to work the seventh day otherwise the management regards them as 'unreliable' or 'lazy'. This particular worker lives in a tiny room with his wife and three children. He is not with this completely happy cramped arrangement, but it is better than his last place.

He and his family used to be squatters. They had a sort of cave covered with galvanized iron and boxwood on a nearby hillside. They lived there with about 5,000 other people who could not find homes when they left China during the 1950s. He has now been 'resettled' in one room while old 'home' has been his bulldozed down to make way for a giant office block.

to be There are estimated about 600,000 people who are squatting. Whole hillsides are draped in tiny rough huts which, of course, have no lighting, sanitation. or water.

Six months ago the people living in one of these con- gregations had their flimsy away in a dwellings washed heavy downpour. monsoon Half have been 'resettled' in towering blocks—a room to each family - while • the re- mainder have been forced to rebuild their shanty town be- cause there's nowhere else to go. By virtue of the slave wages, the long hours, the high rate of productivity, the appalling housing and the total absence of any social services, the big textile and clothing magnates have been able to compete For abroad with their goods and make a fortune for themselves.

But the industry isn't an island unto itself. It is subject to the • international laws of. do capitalism and these laws are ve' at present exerting themselves po in an unmistakable his In budgetary the Legislative Hongkong in January the Financial Phillip Haddon-Cave following points industry: No matter how industries inescapable that and textile industri the backbone

CAPOTES.

affecting these indus as antenancarn tive trade policies i must markerci repercussions on the In fact, cronomy. three developments which hindered textile exports and pl part in restricting th First, in bilateral longkong's nd woollen textile Lour largest market f unaer a restraint wnl growth of 7 to 74 pe annum for man-mad only 1 per cent for w Before this agreet textile cotton US had been under Secondly, in

CONSTITOS

government, Hongko restrain its olyester/cotton Kingdom. Jnited Thirdly, in to be began alignment of the agreed rencies 1971 following the ment's earlier pend convertibility gold. the uncertainty traders in the 1971 the currency ch our competitors in South Korea an over advantage cause thev devalued rencies in line wit dollar. addition, In port situation has be stakable way. speech to Council of n January this year, Secretary Mr don-Cave, made the about the ter how well other it the Husuner Tendin Hongkong's changes ese industries [such sification of restric- policies in overseas have serious is on the Hongkong there were 1972 clothing and rts and played some ricting their growth. October 1971 concluded ' government placed man-made fibre i textile to the US market for textiles] Taint waicn allowea to 7t per cent per man-made fibre and ent for wool textile. agreement, only exports the en under restraint. following in 1972, with the Hongkong agreed exports tton goods to the 1972 the effect felt of the re. December ing the US govern- decision to sus. tibility between the Apart from for involved part of The laTTer rrency changes gave itors in Taiwan and export Hongkong be- devalued their line with the US on, the whole ex- on has been further complicated by Bri into the Europear Community [EEC] lead to the loss of a wealth Preference kong's products British market by In these few para his voluminous repr Cave spelled out land mines which over this island c Last year there of 7 per cent in of jobs in the ind three There have been some factories whi workers the there will be no wa despite the d by Britain's entry Economic European

EEC

which will • loss of all Common- for Hong- the oducts in irket by 1977 few paragraphs from nous report Haddon- the political which laid all alt island colony. was a loss the number the industry. Since ave's budget-only a has got worse. ave been lay-offs in ories while in others have been told be no wage increases soaring cost one big his and astonishingly in- workers that they taster. ther for the same a look inside one to observe litions at first hand ines are ear-splitting tech- water the of industry se who saw making in Northern scene will be t's just that in Hong- shops are -three or four rkers carry out thei quick-silve great concentration ch an eve everr out it won't acknow- friend said: fé after work it was talk to the textile bout their problems. a common theme to ly-felt complaints- low wages and When I said that rkers had their own and trade Left: Child labour in a Hongkong feature of factory — a common the industrial conditions created by the drive for vast profit from slave wages, long hours, high productivity. unions to fight against these attacks, the response was dis- interested. There is little or no union organization. ('Why should I join the union, said one worker. 'The union doesn't pay me.') Lack of trade union organ- ization is criminal, particularly when I learnt that the Maoists, members of the Chinese Com- munist Party, control all the big unions in Hongkong. One student leader explained the role of the local Maoists in this way: 'They believe in peaceful co-existence with the colonial- ists. That is Mao's way and it is followed out here. They are always against strikes, although these sometimes spontaneously break out. The Maoists' line is simply to improve relations with the British administration so that they can conduct their trade affairs, their import and export business, more successfully.'

Few of the workers I spoke to were fully aware of the CP strategy. They are Chinese, they feel Chinese, they feel part of China. They have a touching belief that if things get too bad Mao will. come to their rescue. Politics, for them, is in China and many of them fled (about 100,000) in 1962 to escape the harsh rigours of Mao's 'Great Leap Forward'.

They don't want to be drawn into political discussion at all.

They tell you that they don't anything to do with want politics. They simply want better wages, better housing, decent housing and some schooling for their children.

It's in these rapidly catching demands that a showdown will come with the British puppets here and the Heath govern- ment in London. It should be noted that Heath's right-hand military adviser, Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver, recently toured here to discuss strengthening the military garrison. This is not being done to fight the mainland China regime; it is in preparation for putting down internal insurrection. In 1967 working-class com- munities in Hongkong and Kowloon in several erupted days of bloody fighting with the authorities. In the full-scale mobilization that followed the official death toll was about 60. In fact more than a hundred were shot dead. Instead of organizing through trade and the unions the working against class these savage attacks, the Maoists did nothing. They toed the Peking line which since the early 1950s has been 'peace' with the colonialists. The summit meeting with Nixon and the stream of Tory Cabinet ministers to Peking have left the working class of Hongkong deeply puzzled. They have had a salutary effect, however. Those who are sin- cere communists have been able to point to the real counter-revolutionary face of Stalinism and thus educate fellow workers and students.

One worker told me: 'I left eir China because I felt my free- dom was being taken away.

on. I want to be a free man. But ow in this country I find I have no freedom either. Not really.

In this country the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. And they get poorer every year. "The older ones don't want a revolution because they say it will end up like Mao. But the young people won't have this. They say it must happen.

It is too hard on people under the present system of the British.'

Equity Funding Fall & The Collapse of The Dollar

BY MARTY I

The crash of Equity F has shaken the financial as nothing has since th postwar boom. Many il fear that the mutual irrevocably dead as pub never be restored. The Wall Street Jour- pur nal and the Journal of Commerce have run story after story detail- ing the massive fraud and the hectic dumping of Equity stock once word went around. But they are unable to make any sense out of the manufacturing of over one billion dollars in phony insurance policies. The Journal reflects the panic and demoralization in the top financial circles, where there is growing un- derstanding that inflation is completely out of control and the economy is plunging toward catastrophe. After 30 years of putting off the economic crisis, they are shocked and amazed when it stares them in the face. Equity Funding Corporation was built from a $100,000 com- pany into the fastest growing mu American insurance company which claimed assets around $500 million because a man named Stanley Goldblum thought of combining two different pieces of paper, mutual fund shares and in- surance policies, into a single deal. The two were packaged in such way that an investor could a ฿ # Foury, whose collapse he Reprinted from the 'BULLETIN' Ar

RTY MORAN

uity Funding Corporation ncial and insurance world nce the beginning of the lany investment insiders lutual fund market is as public confidence can ur- purchase both with a relatively small initial investment, evading the Security Exchange Com- mission's 80 percent margin re- quired on all securities transac- tions since the 1929 crash.

DEVICE

As long as mutual fund shares went up in value, the premiums on the insurance would be paid, the investor would get richer, and Equity would take a hefty cut, all on a shoestring.

Thus, this was a perfect device for the booming stock market of the 1960s, where mutual funds topped the market average 84 percent of the time. In fact, Equity made so much in money selling other peoples' mutual funds and insurance that Goldblum decided to enter those fields himself. Three Equity mutual funds were established, with assets now totalling over $200 million. On the strength of Equity's reputation as : the biggest of boom companies, Goldblum borrowed freely from the big banks to buy up insurance companies, including one which he renamed Equity Funding Life.

At the height of the boom, mutual funds became the plaything of the big speculators.

In a few short years, Bernard Cornfeld built up a two billion dollar empire in the international mutual Investors Overseas Ser- vices (IOS), drawing in speculators from Europe and America with his slogan "Do you sincerely want to be rich."

Goldblum was on the same 43... *% ... 27222 1-0*3 2300* *3220*3*7 * 30 20 31 10 0P00235 Tanners 1077019 1101091"

TENTA

4: " ollapse has international ramifications.

ETIN' April 23, 1973 path. An admiring two page in- t of • terview in the business magazine Forbes in March 1969 praised him for piling up a personal for- tune of $25 million on an initial $3500 and concluded 'Bernie Cornfeld look out." Less than a year later, Cornfeld was ousted from the board of IOS, which crashed in what was labelled "the greatest swindle in history." In the mutual fund market as a whole, the bottom was dropping out. In 1968, $6.8 billion in mutual fund shares were sold and only $3.8 billion redeemed. By 1972, the plunge was so severe that sales were less than $5 billion while redemptions shot up to $6.6 billion. Equity's own mutual funds skidded 25 percent, and many others did worse. With the market for mutual funds shares shrinking absolutely, companies like Equity which based themselves on a constantly ex- panding and even accelerating market, were in an impossible position. Premiums had to be paid on insurance, but the dividends and capital gains from the mutual funds were no longer coming in. Equity officers solved their cash problem by creating a fictitious boom in insurance, manufacturing phony policies, then selling them to reinsurers for cash. In spite of the general reces- sion Equity continued to have boom-time sales of insurance, doubling its business in 1970 alone. It was the wonder of the industry, continuing to buy up other companies. As late as June 1972, four big banks loaned it $75 million to acquire Northern Life Insurance of Seattle. There is no doubt that Equity could have risen to be one of the top 10 or 20 insurance companies in the country by continuing to dummy up masses of new policies. With the financial pie- ture otherwise so bleak, the banks smiled on this child of the boom that had not gone sour.

CONNECTIONS

This confidence existed despite the close connections between Cornfeld's operation and Equity When Goldblum established Hquity Growth Fund as his leling mutual fund he lared Workers Pres: Goldblum's Yura Arkus-Duntov from Dreyfus Fund to run it. Dreyfus was where Cornfeld received his early training. In 1969, Equity bought one of Cornfeld's key US subsidiaries, Investors Planning Corporation (IPC) for $12.5 million. Two years later, Cornfeld, Goldblum, and Equity were sued by stockholder of the Fund of America, another Equity- managed fund, for diverting over seven million dollars from Fund of America into IPC. At the same time, Goldblum was named to the President's Council of the National Association of Securities Dealers, the industry spokesmen. He holds this posi- tion today. Equity has had a whole string of shady dealings that were con- sidered par for the course in the financial world. As early as 1967 the state of Minnesota suspended Equity's license.

NIXON

The state of Pennsylvania con- cluded in 1971 that Equity was the highest cost insurer in the state and threatened to bar it from business. Equity was represented in this case by the law firm of Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, and Alexander, which Nixon was a partner in before becoming President. A off spokesman for the firm admitted they had regularly represented Equity's New York subsidiary.

In August 1971, two former of- ficers of Equity's Southern California real estate subsidiary were indicted for land swindling.

Equity sold the company a few months later. Equity has close connections with a number of the top cor- porations. Most intriguing are its ties to ICI America, the US sub- sidiary of the three billion dollar British chemical monopoly for ICI Ltd. Nelson Loud, a director of ICI America, sits on the board both of Equity and Equity Growth Fund. Joining him on Equity Growth Fund is the vice president and treasurer of ICI America, Robert J. Reilly.

Two companies, Loew's Cor- poration and Fidelity Corpora- tion, are stuck with more than a million shares of Equity stock, one eighth of the total . Wal! kers Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 PAGE 5 oldblum's modest California residence.

hot potato played out over the last two weeks. Boston Company, a large in- vestment house, unloaded almost a million shares, realizing $15 million for shares now rated worthless. Loew's, which bought many of these, is refusing to go through with the deal and wants to stick its broker with the stock.

SELLERS

The most interesting sellers of Equity stock have been the com- pany's own officials. Goldblum reportedly placed a sell order for 50,000 shares of stock on the last day of trading. Jeffries and Com- pany, a large broker, has ob- tained a court order freezing pay- ment on $500,000 in checks made out to Yura Arkus-Duntov, vice president of the company, who unloaded 25,000 shares to them on the last day. Goldblum had been selling off his stock in small pieces to avoid attracting atten- tion since last August. It is characteristic of capitalism in decay that it rewards most lavishly the speculators and financial operators, the men who invent a new piece of paper or a new way of shuffling the old paper around so the books can show a profit.

Everything Goldblum did to build up Equity and to postpone its fall involved the manipulation of paper assets whose foundation is the grossly inflated dollar.

The collapse of the dollar means a decline in credit throughout the economy. Already a high treasury official has warn- ed the major banks that they are in great danger from borrowing heavily on the short term market to lend on the long term. Any con- traction will have a swift chain- reaction effect. The production of the basic necessities which people must have to live will be openly subor- for dinated to the profit re- quirements of the financial parasites. The Equity crash points the way to wholesale collapses of industrial as well as financial concerns, with mass un- employment and the destruction of the real wealth built up by the sweat of workers over 30 years.

Production must be put in the hands of the working class by the building of a labor party pledged Yal! to nationalize the banks and basic * of indestr

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 66. Clear out*

NORTH WEST

IREA COMMITTEE

DEF DAL

DEAN RIGHTS

RIGHTS

Snri:.. • . fined dar:

MAY DAY 1973

Under the banner of the Socialist Labour League and Young Socialists youth, trade unionists and housewives took part in May Day marches throughou Britain on Tuesday. Their slogan was the defence of basic democratic rights through the building of the revolutionary party. In London (background) YS members head the march of well over 1,000 which took place in the evening. Left top: Liverpool contingent behind the SLL float. Left centre: Southampton contingent. Left bottom: YS members on the Jarrow march. Right: Council of Action banner in Oxford. Far right: SLL banner heads Birmingham contingent.

Workers Press, Thursday M

RD'S

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Thursday May 3, A series by Bernard Franks Part three A small, but growing method of retailing being introduced in Britain, is the discount store. Costs are held down and prices cut by using a minimum of stati, equipment and display. Disused churches and cinemas are rented for cheapness and ranges of consumer durables sold straight from the carton.

Some specialize in electrical goods or carpets, furniture and so on. Similar types of shops existed in the 1930s-and in the 1830s-the great danger being that goods were cheap not because of cost-cutting, but because defective stock and brands of specially-made cheap goods were being sold.

Rack-jobbing is a method by which a manufacturer takes rack-space in a supermarket.

He guarantees the shop owners a fixed percentage profit, but uses his own staff for supply, pricing, marketing, merchan- dizing and removal of unsold stock. Another system which has developed in the United States is the specially-built_ out-of- town shopping centre. This has anything from 50 to 200 shops with bus transport specially laid on. In Britain, such shopping complexes have been mainly kept to town centres, though propertymen and financiers are at the moment considering how could be on profitable they sites in this out-of-town country. Today in a modern store, all pretence that selling is a service is rapidly being dis- pensed with. Any sales assistant to be helpful to who tries customers is liable to be accused by management of time-wasting. is being While one person attended to in detail, selling may be time for ten others lost. Even when a method of selling is advantageous to the shopper or the shopworker— and many prefer supermarkets to any other system-this is purely incidental and secondary to the fundamental require- ment to make more profit.

A leading retail specialist wrote in 1964: 'It is fairly true to say that been supermarket has the "inflicted" on the purchasing public, in that their views were not the major consideration when the principle was origin- ally conceived. The most important consideration was efficiency and economy of the operation, and of the retail trade as a whole.' ('Self Service Retailing'. Ralph G. Towsey.)

Mechanization has played a major role in reducing the need for staff and streamlining the warehouses and shops in the drive for customers. Some of the main methods are as follows: jay May 3, 1973 warehousing: Mechanized enormous cuts in the number of warehouse workers needed have been made possible over recent years by the introduc- tion of pallets and the fork- lift truck. At the same time, taking over computers are stock control from manual methods. Containerization has also greatly simplified the bulk deli- very of goods, and now, con- veyor-belt systems and turret trucks-more manageable, able to work in narrow gangways and reach higher than the con- fork-lift-are being ventional introduced. Many of the retailing com- panies are constructing huge new warehouses to supply the new 'superstores'. • For exam- the Woolworth half-a- ple, mıllion sq. it. distribution centre at Swindon. specialized Others use the and transport firms storage Cory Distribution Ser- like vices, with its seven huge depots, 350 road vehicles and 300 electric trucks. The trend in mechanized is certainly not warehousing over. Experiments are today being conducted to perfect the warehouse, using automated running driverless trucks on special tracks with all-elec- tronic control. According to one 'Financial Times' report in January this year: in the shop and distri- butive trades '... the pressure for techniques which reduce the need for labour have stea- dily been mounting'. • Packaging, pricing and SO on are more and more being moved away from shops and centralized pre- into special paration warehouses. A pack- aging plant being developed by Hall-Thermotank-International, of Dartford, mixes, weighs, products packs and cartons ready for sale. packaging One company, curtain-track fittings, brought labour cut about a massive when it introduced a new car- toning machine which enabled them to replace 200 workers with two girls. Use of frozen foods and standardization of portions has greatly simplified handling, en- abling many more products to be prepared and packaged by machine. Tescos have already intro- automatic reel-fed duced for vacuum machines auto- mated cheese and bacon pack- aging. 'The need for skilled labour and re- centralized has been duced,' said a 'Financial Times' report on the system. • Use of tail-lift lorries cuts for manhandling the need packages from the transport into the shop. Sainsburys claim to have cut unloading time from one hour to 20 minutes per visit in this way. • Some firms use a form of roll-on, roll-off system of trol- which goods are packed leys on warehouse and at the are wheeled by one man from the lorry into the store and then can be used in the shop by the shelf fillers as mobile con- tainers.

LAST

PAy

RISE

1956! Mobile sections of rotat already in use in pean and America being introduced i A Swiss departm said have over in its ment by 60 reducing using them • Electronic order Mac-Fisheries burys' supermarket begun trials device designed re-ordering and It is a portable der with which the assistant records stock position of e the shop. He passe shelves noting low, and on the gadget code of the item Lines that are | shop's own stockro celled off pressing of record is the hnal the data shop's module. This senc out-of-stock positic telephone lil Ilal y company's compute this Using Fisheries expects 10 backroom stock 80 cent. per estimates that order entry a duction of purchase be cut from 48 to: Although gadget the is than 8,000 superma USA and has be shelving. Vertical never use in some Euro- American snoos are oduced in Britain. department store is increased depart while staff er half cent, when nic ordering systems. and Sains- ermarkets have both electronic oi an to speed up to cut over portable data recor- vhich the manager or on tape the tion of every ne r He passes along the which stocks and presses buttons adget to record the hat are held in the n stockroom are can- the tape by more and buttons the rd is then fed into transmission the total ek position via ordi- phone lines to the computer. Mac- system, to reduce its stock by much as The firm also the time be- er entry and the pro. purchase orders will m 48 to six hours. new to Britain, used more by supermarkets in the has been adopted

U.S. D.A.W.

LONDON

DIVISION

UNION OF SHOP

DISTRIBUTINE: ALLIED

WORKERS

AL ACENTS

E APLASE

also by the Belgian chain Grand Bazaar. • The Electronic Cash Regis- ter. The portable ordering sys- tem described above is a step towards the automated check- • out on which much research is being conducted in the USA.

An even greater advance towards this is the electronic cash register which is virtually a computer terminal at the check-out point. With this system every sale item in the shop has a printed bar tag giving all its details, including price. The check-out assistant passes a light-pen (a photo- sensitive scanner) attached to the cash register over the tag.

The price is thus recorded and also the fact that stock has been reduced by that item.

The cash register, as well as automatically supplying customer's bill also supplies a tape record of stock which can be fed to the computer in the same way as with the portable recorder. Pitney-Bowes and other com- panies are already manufactur- ing 100,000 electronic registers a year in the USA. United States' Woolworths are using the system. In Britain, Sains- burys and the John Lewis Part- nership are planning trials.

Among other advantages, it is expected to speed-up cus- time through tomer passage the checkout point, enabling a cut in the number of cashiers on this work. • Computers Stock control, accounting and control of transport fleets are three wholesal vities which panies pass on to puter departments The firms mak tors ana computer expecting a bo are the introduction o are gearing-up ing and production tion. The use of television mirrors, and syste mirrors goods being monitor staff at w The well-stock market represents paid. of being give tion of all they require a reasonable and yet only being most mi away the ounts of afford Capitalism has n the welfare of cust ability their Courts are with harshly breaks the rules. For the capitalism sees new not as a means of as a wa work, but ing them of those who ror the employed of operatin tensity Increasingly thro distribution tem 1s one working for wares

CONTINUED TON

wholesale-retail acti- Con. to their com- making calcula- equipment computer with ting a bonanza luction of VAT and their advertis- oduction in anticipa- ise of closed-circui two-way eyes' nd systems of ordi- to watch stolen and to vell-stocked super- presents the poorest pensioners are terrible situa- eing given the sight require to maintai le standard of livin ly being able to take most miserable am- of the lowest hich is all they ca sm has no interest in e of customers, only The to pay. used to dealing anyone who shop employees, sees new technology leans of assisting the as a way of divest- of their jobs entirely. who must still and in- ngly throughout the n industry casual-labour

ED TOMORROW

BUDENNY-THE GENERAL

BY TOM KEMP

One of Stalin's favourite generals, Marshal Sem- Budenny, recently yon celebrated his 90th birthday. A in the sergeant major Tsarist army, he fought in the Russo-Japanese 1905 war Bol- and came over to the sheviks after the Revolution of 1917. He persuaded October Trotsky, Leon Com- then missar for War, to establish a separate Red Cavalry division of which he became the com- mander in 1919. The horsemen harassed the of the White forces generals and played an important part in the Civil War. His exploits made him a hero and he passed into legend. In the war with Poland in 1920 he became one of Stalin's for cronies and his disregard the overall strategy of the war contributed to the enforced retreat of the Red Army. In the early stages of the war advanced Budenny's cavalry 660 miles into enemy over territory, opening the way for the advance of the main force led by Mikhail Tukachevsky which reached the gates of Warsaw. When the Poles counter- attacked Tukachevsky called on his the cavalry to come to But the order was assistance. Stalin who, intercepted by backed by the military com- Voroshilov, Kliment mander told Budenny to advance on Lwow instead. Stalin wanted to enter Lwow at the same time as Tukachev- sky took Warsaw. As Trotsky said: 'Stalin was his waging own war.' The result was that the Red Army when Budenny's forces were switched north it was too late. In the early 1920s he was of the adherents of the one 'proletarian school of warfare' which included a number Army the Red commanders who had risen from the ranks.

Trotsky strongly opposed their theories. To try formulate doctrine with a new military the help of Marxism,' he wrote, is like trying to create with the help of Marxism a new theory of architecture or a new veterinary textbook. Budenny was a swashbuck- ling leader who could not com- pare with brilliant Red Army commanders like Tukachevsky as a military strategist. Trained as cavalryman he never grasped the principles of mechanized warfare. Budenny was one of Stalin's favourite generals as well as To- being a personal friend. gether the Voroshilov, with trio frequently met at Stalin's home where Budenny played the accordion and the guests joined in a drunken sing-song.

Naturally he was of one Stalin's principal henchmen in the purge of the Red Army in 1938. He was a member of the tribunal which condemned Marshal Semyon Budenny, one of si Tukachevsky and seven of the where seven best generals were con Where is Britain Going? Paperback 37+D ¿ 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 7UC the purs one of Stalin's principal henchmen in were condemned to be shot on trumped up cha Harold Robbins is writing a new book. His best-known and all his. writings up to now have been concerned with sex and corruption in high places such as Hollywood, the world of big business and other equally supposedly highly-charged areas. His next novel will move into a new field. It is about the American trade unions and he has been having discussions with leaders of the United Auto Workers and Teamsters' Unions. He is shortly visiting Chicago to meet members of the Meat Packers' Union, and Workers Press, the purge of the Red Army In 1938 ed up charges. then on to Washington for talks with leaders of the Mine Workers' Union. Apparently, Robbins plans to write his new book along the lines of the previous ones, bringing the unions into the same erotic arena as before and it would seem that the union . bureaucrats who are so willing to 'spill the beans' are rather thrilled to find them- selves in such highly-coloured company. After his exploits in Middlesex which will eventually involve another 900 redundancies, Jim Slater of Slater Walker, moving to lush new pastures.

He has decided to build a new town in Spain. To house the poor Spanish: people?

Not likely. Slater is building a 'resort town' in southern Spain for the benefit of wealthy people who enjoy • this fascist country where things are so cers Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 PAGE 9 Mikhail Tukachevsky, a brilllant military strategist, shot by Stalin in 1938. Red Army's best generals to be shot on charges which Stalin had had trumped up.

Budenny was happy to be able to wipe off old scores and brilliant to see more soldiers, who were his rivals, unjustly condemned and put to death. He was a confirmed Stalinist, without political ideas but personally attached to Stalin with whom he had emptied many a glass. It was tragic that when the Nazi armies struck in June 1941 Stalin, who had liquidated the best Red Army leaders, entrusted command to medio- crities like Budenny who had conception of modern no warfare. Budenny was put in charge of the vital southern front which had to meet the heaviest Nazi attacks. The Red Army retreated with enormous losses —nearly 500,000 in prisoners alone. Stalin had no alternative but to remove Budenny-after the disaster. ¡ Unlike other Red Army leaders who were shot for their failures, Budenny survived. The top political commissar on the staff of the southern front was Nikita Khrushchev, then scarcely known outside the Soviet Union. He also apparently had a soft-spot for the back-slapping, hard-living cavalryman who had such a long memory. But Budenny outlived Khrushchev too and in his memoirs he gave, guarded approval to Stalin's role as a war leader, which Khrushchev had denigrated. Budenny was able to sur- • adapting himself to vive by in the changes successive bureaucracy's policy, but there is little doubt that it was Stalin with whom he had most in common. Now Khrushchev's succes- sors in the Kremlin are happy to fête the 90th birthday of this military relic from the past.

cheap because wages are so low. Slater is already established at Agua Dulce on the Costa Blanca and the new venture may be nearby. The property magnate is also believed to have bought his way into a leading Spanish development company. Through this he will nose around the whole Medi- terranean coast for profitable prospects. We may see hundreds of Slatervilles springing up.

union against leaders PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday May 3, 1973

THE LONDON

clerical When the 12,000-strong Lon- don clerical branch tried to dis- branch

NATSOPA

of the cuss this at its quarterly delegate union is in revolt. printing the full-time branch The trouble is over the con- secretary, John Lewis, acting on flict between the democratic instructions from general secre- tary Richard Briginshaw tried to rights of branches and the of get the discussion ruled out power of the executive. order because the Lawrence case Behind it lie feelings that was subjudice. the fast-growing clerical sec- The newly-installed branch tion of the union is inade- chairman, Fitzpatrick Barry represented in the ('Sunday Times'), said the branch quately power structure. There is talk committee thought this ruling unconstitutional and, when of forming a breakaway union.

was the Lawrence item was reached John Lawrence, rical For en arguments began when agenda, i the adjourned the on meeting until a satisfactory reply the Press Association, was sacked last year after leading an from Briginshaw • received about why the case was sub unofficial strike of his 130 mem- judice. bers over a house pay dispute The branch the The meeting ended in leadership and with many of the 250 executive council had con- delegates union wanting to discuss the Lawrence demned the strike, and not only regardless of EC instruc- allowed Lawrence's dismissal to item stand but suspended tions. The previous branch chair- him from man had already resigned over holding union office as well.

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Name. Address.. the Lawrence case. There were demanding re- resolutions down instatement both in his job and his union office. The EC's concern at the re- volt was indicated by the un- usual presence of three execu- tive councillors at the branch meeting. Their concern was underlined when Fitzpatrick and committee five members were later hauled before the EC and banned from holding union office for two years. By this time, the revolt among clerical sections had become a rebellion. The 1,000-strong Man- chester branch resolved to stop paying its union dues until the were reinstated. The 400-

SIX

strong 'Sunday Times' chapel did the same. The union headquarters in London was lobbied at the begin- ning of April, but Briginshaw did not talk to the lobbiers. A week later, a march through central again pro- London to the HQ duced no confrontation. A 'Sunday Times' emergency motion to the next branch meet- ing was ruled out of order by Lewis. But Fitzpatrick has not been removed as FoC, because it would create too much stink, it is thought. re-convened London The branch delegate meeting at the end of April was in uproar from start to finish. There was diffi- culty in getting someone to take the chair in Fitzpatrick's place assistant branch and the secre- tary, a full-time official, who was rumoured to be doing it, cried off sick at the last minute.

The 'Daily Express' FoC even- tually took the chair. There was immediate demand for an an motion to be dis- emergency cussed condemning the bannings.

Lewis said it could not be dis- cussed because it would preju- dice the appeals some of the six were making to the EC.

TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

9.42-11.20 Schools. 12.25 Disc a dawn.

12.55 News. 1.00 Pebble Mill at one.

1.30 Mr Benn. 1.45 Fanny Cradock invites . . . 2.05 Cinema now. 2.35 Collector's 2.50 Improving pieces. 3.15 Parents playgroup. and your children. 3.40 Heritage in trust. 4.10 Play school. 4.35 Jackanory. 4.50 Blue Peter. 5.15 Robinson Crusoe. 5.40 Hector's house. 5.45 News.

Weather.

6.00 NATIONWIDE.

6.45 VIRGINIAN. Deadly Past.

8.00 CHAPLIN SUPER CLOWN:

'One a.m.' Charlie struggles • heroically to reach his bedroom after a night on the town.

8.30 DOCUMENTARY: 'Sunderland's Pride and Passion.' Sunderland have won their way to the FA Cup final against all odds.

9.00 NEWS. Weather. 9.25 MENACE: 'Deliver Us From Evil.' By Hugh Whitemore. With John Gielgud, Lewis Fiander.

10.40 MIDWEEK. 11.25 NEWS.

11.30 BEFORE THE ARK. The Dino- saur Rush. 11.55 Weather.

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL: 9.30-12.00

London. 1.15 News. 1.30 London. 4.15 Cartoon. 4.20 Lottery. 4.25 Rainbow country. 4.55 5.20 charge. Tomfoolery. Doctor in 5.50 London. 6.00 6.10 Lucy. News. Crossroads. 6.35 7.00 Film: "They West.' 8.30 London. 9.00 Rode Hawaii five-o. 10.00 London.

10.30 Towards the 2000. 11.02 Scot- year yard 11.35 European land mysteries. journey. 12.00 News, weather.

Channel

WESTWARD:

As except: 12.05 London. 12.37 Gus Honeybun. 12.40 London. 12.57 News. 1.00 Lon- don. 6.00 Diary. 10.30 Report. 10.59 News. 12.00 Epilogue. SOUTHERN: 9.30 London. 12.00 News.

12.05 London. 4.15 Merrie melodies.

4.30 London. 5.25 Crossroads. 5.50 London 0 Do Pid The Dorton Green charge. Man.' 8.30 London. 9.00 Hawaii five-o.

London. 11.00 10.30 News. 11.10 11.15 Name of the game. Guideline. 12.40 Weather. Car- HARLECH: 9.30 London. 4.15 5.20 Chuckleheads. toon. 4.25 London. 5.50 6.01 5.25 Crossroads. London. Report West. 6.18 Report Wales. 6.35 Sky's the Film: •Father of limit. 7.05 Bride.' 8.30 London. 9.00 Hawaii the five-o. 10.00 London. 10.30 See it while 11.00 Spyforce. 12.00 you can. Weather. Richard Briginshaw intervening in the M and police in London. He was urging street. About 90 per cent of the dele- gates immediately stood up to challenge this ruling, but Lewis said this challenge was out of order too. Renewed uproar fol- fowm Lewis aud three executive punctuated by appeals councillors present to 'Hold on, brothers!' and 'Show some res- pect for our assistant secretary, who has been taken to hospital.

The emergency motion was ignored, but the Lawrence case opened for discussion fol- was lowing the EC's ruling against Lawrence's appeal for reinstate- ment at his PA job. Despite the advice from the platform, meeting over- whelmingly referred back the secretary's report on the case, rejection of the meaning a actions the union has taken. A motion condemning Lewis's strike-breaking circular at the time of the PA walk-out was ruled out of order and a chal- lenge to this ruling ignored.

ITV

9.30 Schools. 10.30 At your service (London only). 11.00 Schools. 12.00 Cartoon. 12.05 Rainbow. 12.25 Magic fountain. 12.40 First report. 1.00 Indoor league, 1.30 Crown court. 2.00 General hospital. 2.30 Racing from Newmarket. 4.15 Good afternoon. 4.25 Voyage to the bottom of the sea. 5.20 Barkleys. 5.50 News.

6.00 TODAY. 6.30 CROSSROADS.

6.55 FILM: "Carlton-Browne of the F.O.' Terry-Thomas, Peter Sel- lers, Luciana Paluzzi. Comedy about an ambassador sent to a small island to win friends for Britain.

8.30 THIS WEEK.

9.00 LONGSTREET. Field of Honour.

10.00 NEWS AT TEN.

10.30 EUROPEAN JOURNEY. From the Baltic to the Adriatic.

11.00 SOMETHING TO SAY. Crisis in Education.

12.00 WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

12.15 EPILOGUE.

HTV Cymru/Wales above as except: 4.25-4.35 Miri mawr. 4.35-4.50 Canta- mil. 4.50 Rovers. 6.01-6.18 Y dydd. 11.00 World in action special. 12.00 Weather. HTV West as above except: 6.18-6.35 Sport West. ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 12.04 News.

Romper room. 12.05 London. 4.25 4.50 Merrie Lucy. 5.50 melodies. London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.20 6.35 Cr.*5030 London. 10.30 7.00 Film: Arena. • 99 River Street: 8.30 Hintlesham Hall. 11.05 European journey. 11.35 Baron. 12.30 Epilogue.

AT DOS Long Londonar 12.00 Guide. 12.05 London. Cartoon. 5.50 4.25 London. 5.20 Elephant boy.

6.00 Today. 6.35 Crossroads.

London. 7.00 Ca 9.00 Persuaders! " 7.05 Columbo. 8.30 London. 9.00 10.00 Lon- don. 11.00 Gardening. 11.30 Spyforce.

Weather.

ULSTER: 11.00

London. 1.33 News. 1.40 Schools. 2.40 London. 4.15 Rom- 4.28 News. 4.30 Primus. 4.55 Joe 5.20 General hospital 5.50 London. 6.00 Reports, 6.35 Cross 7.00 Film: "The Siege of the roads. Saxons' 8.30 London. 9.00

FBI. 10.00

it all about? 11.20 Avengers.

What's YORKSHIRE: 9.30 London. 4.15 Car- 4.25 Houndcats. 4.50 Skippy. toon. g In the May Day clash between dockers s urging workers not to sit down In the Key questions_are still troub- ling members. Why was Law- rence among all the strikers singled out to be banned from union office, especially as he had already been fined by his branch for striking against a branch in- struction? And why did the EC let Lawrence be victimized by Association? the Press Not a single delegate stood up in support of the executive. Dis- satisfaction with the last pay deal of 8 per cent, which gave the higher-paid machine men £5 against £2.75 for the clerical sec- still lingers. tions, on average, Clerical members feel the mach- ine men have a dominating influ- ence on the EC and on wages questions. Younger delegates to the Lon- don clerical branch were shout- ing things like 'Watch out mate, you won't be ruling the roost for long. Things are changing in this union,' during last week's up- roar.

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.25 Open University.

6.40 WORKING WITH YOUTH.

7.05 OPEN

UNIVERSITY.

7.30 NEWS. Weather.

7.35 THEIR

WORLD. Impala.

8.00 EUROPA. 8.30 CHERI.

9.15 SCHOOLDAYS.

Times remem- bered by Joyce Grenfell.

9.25 HORIZON.

Airport. A month at London's Heathrow Airport.

John Glelgud as a vicar In 'Deliver Us From Evil' in BBC 1's Menace serles. 10.15 UP

COUNTRY

FESTIVAL.

Wembley Easter concert from Pool introduced by Del Reeves.

With Ernest Tubb, Diana Trask, Jim Ed Brown, Hank Snow. 10.45 PLAY: Kamikaze in the Coffee Bath. By John Gale. With Michael Bates, Timothy Bate- Oliver MacGreevy. 11.15 NEWS. Weather. 11.45 REAL

TIME.

5.20 Doris Day. 5.50 London. 6.00 Calendar. Weather. Went Warriors. Cross don- 6.35 7.00 Film: 8.30 Lon- 9.00 Jason King. 10.00 London. don. 10.30 Sport. 11.05 European journey. 11.35 Streets of San Francisco. 12.30 Weather. GRANADA: 9.30 London. 12.00 Songs.

12.05 London. 4.15 Cartoon. 4.20 Tarzan. 5.15 Nature's window. 5.20 Crossroads. 5.50 London. 6.00 News. Put in 6.30 Partridge Wilm: The Zhoile 7.00 Film: Bandit of 8.30 London. 9.00 Hawk. 10.00 London. 11.00 What the papers say. 11.20 Danger man. TYNE TEES: 9.20 I met them in Ghana. gray. London. F 4.25 Rovers. 4.55 Stingray Today. 6.35 troop.

5.20 5.50 London. 6.00 Crossroads. "The Warriors. 8.30 7.00 Film: Lon- don. 9.00 Jason King. 10.00 London. 10.30 Sport. 11.00 Police call. 11.05 European journey. 11.35 News. 11.50 Monty Nash. 12.20 Greatest fights. 12.35 Lectern. GRAMPIAN: 10.58 London. 2.40 Car- 3.00 London. 5.20 toon. General hospital. 6.00 News. 6.05 Try for ten. 6.35 7.00 Film: 'Lydia Smiley.' 8.30 roads. 9.00 Persuaders. 10.00 Lon- London. don. 11.00 Name of the game. 12.25 Meditation.

DEATH-TRAP CITY CLAIMS FIVE

Lebanon: Pitched battle against Arab guerrillas THE GLASGOW slum tene- ments — notorious as fire traps — have claimed five more victims, all of them children. The children, who were aged five and below, died when fire ripped through the top floor of their tenement in Marystone Street. Three were brothers and other two-a brother and sister-were their cousins.

Yesterday's deaths bring the ch THE GOVERNMENT and the British Steel Corporation have rejected a Labour MP's for alternative steel- plans making methods at the closure-threatened Shotton works. Barry Jones, MP for East Flint, has produced a plan for improving the efficiency steelmaking of open-hearth by using the submerged in- jection process. The Department of Trade and Industry concedes that the efficiency of open hearth can be improved. But Peter Emery, parlia- at the mentary secretary DTI, has told Jones that this in no way affects the Depart- ment's previous view that plan, investment in the simply an insurance as against delay on new plant, could be justified. Lord Melchett, chairman of the BSC, also • rejected the Jones plan. Melchett told the MP there was a secure future for the cold-rolling, and coating finishing which processes LEBANESE troops suppor- ted by tanks fought a pitched street battle yesterday near a big Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut. Eyewitnesses reported a heavy exchange of fire between soldiers crouched in battle positions around the camp and armed men believed to be Palestinian com- mandos. Troops took up firing positions around the camp in the streets and on at least one tall building overlooking the scene. Light tanks and armoured cars were brought up to reinforce them.

The attack on the camp— initiated on the pretext that that Palestinians had kidnapped two Lebanese soldiers-culmi- nates several weeks of tension in the capital. In the past few days the authorities have arrested a num- ber of Palestinians and other armed men during widespread controls and security checks.

Lebanese security forces have also placed extra guards around the American Embassy following Palestinian commando accusations of US involvement in the Israeli raid last month. Four Palestinians were detained when they failed to stop at a Lebanese checkpoint there on Monday. Judicial sources said a detonator and wireless equip- ment was found in their car.

On the same day, the Popular Democratic Front for the Libera- of Palestine (PDFLP) tion issued a statement saying that the authorities had arrested five of its guerrillas in the city even though they were carrying proper identity papers. Yesterday army units set up checkpoints outside the sprawling refugee. camps, loçated "off ..the .. Ist number of people who have been killed in Glasgow fires to more than 17 this year. Two children died in a ground floor tenement in the Govan area of the city last month. The uncle of the five dead children discovered the blaze remained at Shotton and would provide long-term employment for more than 6,000 people. "To deny this, in my view, causes unnecessary added anxiety to the work force and does a disservice to community, the Melchett said. In his reply, Jones said: ' deeply resent both the implication and your arro- gant assumption that you know better than I what is good for the people of East Flintshire.' The hard-line attitude of the government and the BSC and Jones's petulant reac- tion, are yet indica- more tions that there is to be no to the reformist solution jobs crisis in steel. his colleagues at Jones, Westminster and their friends in the union leader- ships must be told to stop pussyfooting around with diversions and get on with the job of the removing Tories who are wielding the jobs axe.

BY JOHN SPENCER OUR

main road to Beirut airport, on the southern approaches to the capital and began checking the papers of everybody going in and out. Last month three prominent leaders of the Fatah liberation organization were massacred by Israeli commandos the Lebanese capital. The Lebanon army did nothing to prevent the shootings. Though they were well aware of the presence of Israeli troops, the Lebanese forces stood by and allowed the Zionists to go about their murderous work. This was not the first attack against Palestinian refugees in the Lebanon. When Israeli troops stormed across the frontier into southern Lebanon last year the Lebanese army again offered only token resistance. Their reaction was to hit back the Zionists, but at the not at Palestinians: the commandos were ordered out of the border known to the Israelis as area 'Fatahland' and stringent restric- tions were placed on their right to bear arms. These restrictions, together with the military inaction, sealed the fate of the murdered leaders.

They were not able to defend themselves adequately because forbidden their followers were to carry arms in Beirut. With yesterday's attack, the Lebanese government is trying to situation of "peaceful regain a co-existence' with Zionism. This —as the Israeli regime has made clear--can be achieved only over a mountain of Palestinian corpses.

government's The Lebanese continued capitulation to Zionist pressure has ended in a massacre of Palestinian refugees. This will no doubt be hailed by the Zionist Press and the government of the … Israel as another great victory.

when he returned from night- shift. 'All I could see was smoke coming from the windows. tried to run upstairs, but firemen pulled me back,' he said.

'It was terrible. The children simply could not get out. Men Barry Jones Welcomes

TO LONDON

SAV

SHOTT I

Barry Jones (on right in light coat) on a n

ER OUR FOREIGN EDITOR

In reality it demonstrates the counter-revolutionary character Lebanese regime, which of the like all the Arab capitalist is incapable of waging classes, even the most basic struggle for the elementary national rights of their fellow Arabs in Palestine.

Yesterday's fighting is not the first clash between the Palestin- ian liberation fighters and Leban- troops. In the summer of ese 1969 there was widespread fight- ing between the army and the commandos. The tense relations erupted again last December when nine men on both sides were killed in skirmishes resulting from an clampdown army which pre- All Trades Unions Allian

KNOTTINGLEY:

Thursday May 3, 7.30 p.m. Railway Hotel, Hilltop. Speaker: G. Healy (National Secretary SLL). OLLERTON: Monday May 7, 8 p.m. Blue Tit. Speaker: Mike Banda (SLL Central Committee). Workers Press, ' ran up and could not get through the door because of the smoke.'

Firemen found three children dead in a bedroom. The other two were carried downstairs un- conscious, but were dead on arrival at hospital. Glasgow's lethal fires are a result of the appalling tenement housing conditions. If fire breaks out in these huge Victorian stone buildings, it is difficult to escape.

Recently slum clearance Glasgow has fallen because of the Tory Housing Finance Act.

t) on a march with steel workers. His reformis!

vented guerrilla units from enter- ing the battle zone along the Israeli border. These restrictions were im- posed after a large-scale Israeli raid in September last year, much which devastated Southern Lebanon and in which the army lost 19 men. • The conservative army officers, particularly the Maronite Chris- tians, regard any losses as too heavy and are privately willing to come to terms with Israel over the dead bodies of the Palestinians. : Once the commandos' writ ran in large parts of the Southern Lebanon and many quarters of Beirut but it has been steadily whittled away to the areas the mediately surrounding refugee camps. Alliance Public Meetings BARNSLEY: Thursday May 10, 8 p.m. Masons Arms. Speaker: Cliff Slaughter (SLL Central Committee).

CASTLEFORD:

Thursday May 17, 8 p.m. Sagar St Rooms. Speaker: G. Healy (National Secretary SLL). rs Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 PAGE 11 01-720 2000 01-622 7029 a reformist report has been rejected.

SOCIALIST LABOUR

LEAGUE MEETINGS *

After May Day - What Next? Liverpool

SUNDAY MAY 6

7.30 p.m. Mona Hotel James Street (Near tube station) Central London, All Trades Unions Alliance

TRADE UNIONS AND THE

TORY GOVERNMENT

Sunday May 6 7.30 p.m. Shaftesbury Hotel Monmouth Street Speakers: Gerry Healy National Secretary Socialist Labour League Stuart Hood (ACTT in a personal capacity) All Trades Unions Alliance meetings FELTHAM: Thursday May 3, 8 'Three Horse Shoes', p.m. , Felt- ham High Street, Feltham, Middlesex. 'The Fight against the Tories after May Day.' BRIATON: Monday May 7, 8 p.m.

Control Room, Brixton Training Centre. 'Report back from May Day'. LEWISHAM: Monday May 7, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club, opp.' New Cross Station. 'The role of the TUC in the fight against the Tories'. BATTERSEA: Tuesday May 8, 8 p.m. 'Nags Head', cnr. Wands- worth Road and North Street.

'Report back from May Day' Registered as a ished by Workers at the Post Office. Published by Press, 186a Clapham High Street, 7UG. Printed Plough 01-622 7029.

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday May 3, 1973 PRESIDENT Nixon is under heavy pressure to ap- point an independent investigator into the Watergate bugging scandal in which all his closest aides are deeply embroiled. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has put agents into the White House, allegedly to 'protect the presidential files'. But senators and other prominent politicians remain sceptical that a full investigation is being carried out.

The man in charge of the Richard- investigation, Elliott son, was appointed head of the Justice Department three days ago by Nixon in succession to Attorney - General Richard Kliendienst, who resigned over the Watergate affair. German West Chancellor Willy Brandt is in Washington a state visit and Nixon is on hard trying to preserve an image of business usual. as This is proving hard to main- tain with the police wandering around the corridors of power.

Nixon's staff at the White House is severely depleted, most of his top advisers hav- resigned ing or been forced from office in a purge inten- ded to try and protect the League-stoung 200-strong Socialist Labour President himself. Socialist contin- More prosecutions are likely the Birmingham gent on march and a congressional probe into the Identifiable was largest the affair is set to open on political group there. May 15. Worse still, Their slogans were in marked the of Mr pletely need avenue scandal contrast speech linking said: "this Wedgwood-Benn opened who said: not the beginning President to efforts to subvert of a general strike o force the the Pentagon legal process in government out by revolutionary Papers trial. means'. Strong

SLL-YS

The defence in the trial has contingents moved for a mis-trial and dis- also participated in the Liverpool, Leeds and In Jarrow marches. missal of charges because in 1971 Nixon personally ordered a secret White House investi- gation of defendants Dr the Daniel Ellsberg' and Anthony Russo. The trial judge has revealed how he was summoned to the White House in the middle of the trial and offered the job of head of the FBI. Further sen- sational revelations are prom- ised. THERE WAS growing un- In another development dur- among militant dele- ease President ing the day, Nixon electricians' gates at the met his cabinet to review the conference yesterday union implications of the scandal and about the way key industrial conferred for hour with an and political issues be- were vice-President Spiro Agnew on ing left until last. future the operations of the Many wanted to deal with the administration. Tory the Industrial pay laws, back to the Nixon has his 'fair rents' Relations Act, legis- wall. He could face impeach- •lation. productivity deals. ment in the next few weeks as 35-hour the employment and his involvement at the centre week. yesterday after 18 of the But hours conspiracy becomes in- of creasingly obvious. discussion the conference passed the half way mark with He is the chief criminal and section one of the agenda, only it seems he can no longer dealing with inter-union amal- escape the consequences of his gamations and branch mergers, crime. completed. SHOP STEWARDS at the Har- The stewards described at- land and shipyard yester- tempts to disparage the massive Wolff them day accused chief Danny confidence in union shown on Monday as 'clutching McGarvey of 'duplicity' in те- straws' lation the 1l-week steel- at to Scott warned dispute there. Steward Sandy workers' shipyard the imposed yesterday that The steelworkers and could be standstill from work-to-rule overtime ban at of the Friday night because of the dis- when the management Belfast yard make refused pute. to called for high-level gov- the grounds He bonus payments on they would breach the Tory pay ernment intervention to avert of shutdown and save the jobs control laws. McGarvey, presi- 10.000 men. On Mondav Hoppe, the Ivor managing dent of the boilermakers' society, has said that the dis- Belfast and ordered the director. few to pute could threaten the existence hack to normal working. men He rebuffed. the which is of conipany, Northern from the steel- crucial importance to statement workers' stewards yesterday said: Ireland's economy. 1,500 men are due Friday a matter of deep concern On is their cards- -the last that democratic decisions appear to receive Mr 2500 steelworkers acceptable Mc- of the yard's be to the dispute. Garvey only when he agrees with to lose their iobs in declared: Sandy Scott 'When them: Leeds the SLL-YS section was 200 strong in a march of about 1,000 people. At a May Day meeting in Bracknell, Berks, unanimous resolution was passed criticizing the lack of leadership from the TUC and calling for an all-out indefinite strike to get the Tories out. Every factory in Bracknell stopped work. At the Aerosol factory, which consists almost entirely women workers, • a ballot vote was overwhelmingly for a full The standing orders committee "political' resolu- pushed crucial tions in the centre of the agenda to the very end and yesterday's order paper was packed out with items on pensions, education and welfare and pollution. The morning's proceedings were fore-shortened by a 30-minute speech on pollution by shadow Environment Minister , Anthony Crosland. There is now a serious fear among delegates that vital policy resolutions will be rushed through this afternoon and tomorrow and some not even be taken at all.

* These fears are made worse by the knowledge of past conference procedure in which speeches are not timed at the beginning of the the steelworkers go, the yard will just grind to a halt.'

A senior industrial relations officer has seen conciliation steelworkers' union officials, and will report to the Northern Ire- land Minister of State.

FROM PAGE 1

middle of the TUC's calculated sell-out of the hospital workers.

The Stalinists are just as afraid of a revolutionary situation developing in this country as the rest of the bureaucracy, being just as firmly wedded to a reformist "peaceful road to socialism'.

It is now becoming daily more reformist where t. policies clear ЗНАЯ

OMUB

,400

ADITU INSA

TYTRAY

day stoppage, although shop stewards had recommended only a halt for two hours.

At Merthyr Tydfil the Socialist Young Labour League and Socialists organized their own march, headed by a girl-band.

Glasgow the SLL-YS mobil- ized 150 demonstrators whom the Stalinists sought unsuccess- fully to relegate to the end of the march. A League and YS contingent rote also participated in the Hull full march. session, but are drastically cur- tailed towards the end. All indications from the rank and file of the 420,000-strong EPTU suggested that the debate on branch mergers would be a lively one. The union's right-wing leader- is ship abolishing scores branches and amalgamating them into large unwieldy units with full-time officials and where rank- is inevit- and-file participation ably low. Members say the effect of the re-organization is to turn branches stamps of into virtually rubber by executive policy. Although Stalinist speakers joined in the debate they restric- , ted their comments to protests about the manner of the organization and conspicuously avoided calling for any opposi- tion to the leadership. These tactics dovetailed with the attitude of many conservative delegates who approved executive's re-organization plans, but censured them over lack of consultation. The executive was charged to bring about better communica- tions between union officials and the rank and file. must lead to in times of deep crisis in the capitalist system when workers are forced into militant class action against the employers and the Tory govern- ment. The bureaucracy, whether right, 'left' or Stalinists must make the patching up of the their capitalist system top priority. They have completely betrayed the working class.

MAY DAY gave our Fund a good boost. London meet- ing £315.30; Jarrow £13.74; Liverpool £24.03; Socialist Labour League branches Oxford £38; Portsmouth £15; Croydon £25; Aber- deen £8.50; Swindon £1; Cambridge £25.26. Total to date £10,493.20. Keep it coming. Post all donations to: Party Building Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG

MAY FUND:

A GOOD

START

IT IS a good start to May. Our post today brought £20.50, which gives us a good beginning. Let's keep it up. Make May a record month. We could do it. Never before has there been such support for the policies of Workers Press.

The enthusiasm shown at our May Day marches and meetings a principled fight for against Phase Two and against the Tory's corporatist measures re- flects the determination Inside the working class. Our paper must be used to build a revolutionary leadership to lead the fight against this government and to show the way forward to hundreds of thous- ands of workers. So make a start today. Raise as much as you can for our Fund this month. Don't let a day go by. Post all donations immedia- tely to: Workers Press May Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG FASCIST security police staged a huge manhunt in Madrid yes- terday after a police inspector was stabbed to death and three others injured in a clash with May Day demonstrators. The clash-the most serious of its kind in Spain in recent times -came when police moved in to smash up a May Day demon- stration staged by a group of about 80 young people waving a red flag near Madrid's Atocha railway station a working- class area of the city. The inspector was knocked to the ground in a scuffle and his throat was cut, the police said.

The young demonstrators were believed to be members of an outlawed Maoist group called the Revolutionary Front for Popular Action (FRAP). Police had turned out in force in the area after left-wing clan- including the destine groups, FRAP, scattered leaflets calling for mass rallies there on May Day. The demonstrations were in. tended as an opposition chal- fascist lenge to the official jamboree at a Madrid football stadium, presided over by head of state General Francisco Franco. In contrast to previous years the outlawed Communist Socialist Parties did not join in the call for a May Day demon- stration.