Workers Press no. 1109

workers press

FROM STEP

A PROTEST march from October to mobilize supp spiracy trial. The accused men will head a march leaving London ten days before the trial starts.

They will hold rallies in major industrial centres on the way culminating in a mass protest at Shrewsbury the night before the Crown Court trial opens. At Mold yesterday more than 600 demonstrators voted unani- mously for the march across England. They were in the Flint- shire town to protest against the start of à trial against eight other building workers. (Five of the eight are also among the Shrewsbury 24.) Workers Press unhesitatingly gives full support to the pro- posed countrywide march. It will have the effect of mobilizing the greatest possible support in the working class for the accused men. But this protest must not be used to obscure the central political question in the show trial-the Tory government.

As Arthur Murray said in court at Shrewsbury on June this is dirty political 15, trial'. The Tory government is behind this persecution of work- ers: it is Tory class justice that is being wielded. There can be no defence of the basic democratic rights of the working class while this government remains in office.

A major step in the campaign to defend basic rights and get rid of the Tories will be taken the national confer- at ence of the All Trades Unions Alliance at Belle Vue, Manches- ter, this Sunday. Members of the Shrewsbury 24 committee defence were pleased with yesterday's res- ponse to the lobby at Mold Crown Court. Delegations came from build- ing sites throughout the north west, including the Ince power station and sites in Rotherham.

Carworkers were represented by stewards from the Vauxhall factories at Ellesmere Port and and a delegation Luton from the joint shop stewards' com- mittee at Morris Motors, Cowley, in Oxford. The Merseyside All Trades Unions Alliance plus a London contingent were present with banners. Political groups on the lobby and march included the Group International Marxist and the International Socialists.

• See advert page 3. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY JUNE 27, 1973 • No 1109 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

SHREWSBURY

24 TO LEAD

BIG PROTEST

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS IN MOLD, FLINTSHIRE

A PROTEST march from London to Shrewsbury will be organized in October to mobilize support for workers in the Shrewsbury 24 con- Trial protest over police THE JUDGE in the building and protests from the public gallery. trial yes- workers conspiracy This the first comment from terday refused to lift a mas- the bench o ne ponce aragnet sive police COrCON

LITOWI

which has been in operation at around the court at Mold in of this *political Flintshire. which building At the of Crown workers last arrested following against eight Court year's strike brocccumes workers. She l SaId Tne Counsel for three of the eight, 200 officers who stood shoulder QC, Turner-Samuel. DaVId ОГО- to shoulder around the tested about the police rounded "This surrounded not mamuence the slightest. shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Gwyn Talbot said: police 310 WHaT will be in- I don't you the effect the jury will be. suppUst on Certainly it gives the nuenced in une sulentest desree appearance whether there is one policeman of being under seize. several."

TURN TO BACK PAGE

His remark prompted groans Demonstrators outside the Mold court hearing yesterday.

VE 27, 1973 • No 1109 • 4p

IE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

THE BIGGEST and most open discussion ever organized in defence of basic democratic rights will be held at Belle Vue, Manchester, on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The All Trades Unions Belle Vue has seating capacity Alliance has called this confer- for 5,000. in order that trade union- ence Shop committees stewards ists from all over Britain can the country have been all over together to discuss the come delegations to go from working electing way forward for the their factories, doer docks, shipyards, class in face of the growing of and places dangers from the mines, inflation and work, in response to the invita- anti-union legislation of the Tory tion from the ATUA. government. special trains are going the basis of well- Only on from London direct to Belle Vue worked-out policies can the station, trade union labour and move- Southampton the right ment unite to restore Coaches will be travel- Country. for to free negotiation wages other towns and to organize in trade unions the dictates independently of the police and the courts. The that central question To discussion, facilitate be dealt with to must is how equipment has special sound fight the Tory and government been installed in the arena, with how to fight the collaboration- 15 different speaking points. ist trade union leaders who Every section of the auditorium trying to do a deal with the will have its microphone. own Tories at the expense of the working class. As a curtain raiser, a film will be shown in colour of the great To debate these questions Pageant of labour history per- fully, the

ATUA

has hired the workers formed by hundreds of largest arena in the north west and professional actors at the Empire Pool, Wembley, on Some highly sophis- March 11. enable ticated machinery will film to be projected simul- the taneously on two screens so as problems the of to overcome viewing in a circular arena.

After several hours discus- will sion, the rally end with specially written satirical cabaret performed by Tom Kempinksi, Corin Redgrave, Matthew Robert- Kika Markham, son, Mike Cronin, Vanessa Red- Tom Marshall, and Victor grave, Brox of Music Force, who wrote and played much of the music for the Pageant. The cabaret, written and duced Tom by Roger Smith, Kempinski, rest of the and the company, will take a humorous look at some of the difficulties Tory the government and the ruling class have been running into recently. Belle Vue will mark a decisive stage in the campaign to trans- form the Socialist Labour League into the Revolutionary Party through building a new leader- ship in the labour and trade union movement, to put an end the abject surrenders to the 10 vicious of weak Tory acts and instead bring government, forward socialist policies as the only solution the capitalist crisis. TICKETS at £1 are still available from 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG.

BOOK NOW.

Or telephone for details. 01-622 7029.

workers press

FROM STEP

A PROTEST march from October to mobilize supp spiracy trial. The accused men will head a march leaving London ten days before the trial starts.

They will hold rallies in major industrial centres on the way culminating in a mass protest at Shrewsbury the night before the Crown Court trial opens. At Mold yesterday more than 600 demonstrators voted unani- for the march mously across England. They were in the Flint- shire town to protest against the trial against eight start of à other building workers. (Five of the eight are also among the Shrewsbury 24.) unhesitatingly Workers Press gives full support to the pro- posed countrywide march. of It will have the effect mobilizing the greatest possible support in the working class for the accused men. But this protest must not be used to obscure the central political question in the show trial-the Tory government.

As Arthur Murray said in court at Shrewsbury on June 15, this is a dirty political trial'. The Tory government is behind this persecution of work- ers: it is Tory class justice that is being wielded. can be no defence of There the basic democratic rights of the working class while this government remains in office.

A major step in the campaign to defend basic rights and to get rid of the Tories will be confer- taken at the national ence of the All Trades Unions Alliance at Belle Vue, Manches- ter, this Sunday. the Shrewsbury Members of 24 defence committee were pleased with yesterday's res- ponse to the lobby at Mold Crown Court. Delegations came from build- ing sites throughout the north west, including the Ince power station and sites in Rotherham.

Carworkers were represented by stewards from the Vauxhall factories at Ellesmere Port and a delegation Luton and from the joint shop stewards' com- mittee at Morris Motors, Cowley, in Oxford. The Merseyside All Trades Unions Alliance plus a London present with contingent were banners. Political groups on the lobby and march included the International Marxist Group and the International Socialists.

• See advert page 3.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY JUNE 27, 19

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOC

M STEPHEN JOHNS IN MOLD, FLINTSHIRE

I from London to Shrewsbury will be organized in THE JUDGE in the building and protests from the public workers' conspiracy trial yes- gallery. first comment from This the terday refused to lift a the bench of the police dragnet police thrown sive which has been in operation at around the court at Mold in "political stage of this every Flintshire. involves trial' building which of Crown At the opening following workers arrested last Court proceedings against eight year's strike. building workers, he said the Counsel for three of the eight, officers who stood shoulder 200 QC, David Turner-Samuel. pro- to shoulder around the building police activity. tested about the would not influence the jury in "This surrounded court the slightest. shoulder-to-shoulder with the Mr Justice Gwyn Talbot said: police and I don't know what 'I don't suppose you will be in- effect jury will the on the be. fluenced in the slightest degree Certainly it gives the appearance policeman there is whether one seige.? of being under several? His remark prompted

TURN TO BACK PAGE

groans Demonstrators outside the Moid court hearing yesterday.

Great response to Belle Vue rally Sunday July 1 THE BIGGEST and most open discussion ever organized in defence of basic democratic rights will be held at Belle Vue, Manchester, on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

All Trades Unions Vue has seating capacity The Belle Alliance has called this confer- for 5,000. in order that trade union- ence Shop stewards committees Britain …from al over Cal all over the country have been come together discuss go from way forward for the working their factories, docks, shipyards, face of the growing Cass mines, and other places of •ancers Trom in response to the invita. anti-union legislation of the Tory tion from the ATUA. government. Two special trains are going Only the basis of well- from London direct to Belle Vue worked-out policies can the station, and from and Trace Wallor the West Southampton ment unite to restore the right tree for Country. will be travel. negotiation wages Corches ling from towns through- trade and to oroanize Britain. unionists out independently the dictates making the of the police and the courts.

way to rally will be welcome. The central that question dealt with is to discussion, must be how Taclitate special sound has „Tory with arena, how to fight the collaboration- been ist trade union leaders who are Every section of the auditorium deal to do WIll will have its own microphone. expense of the worles at ine working class. As a curtain raiser, a film will be shown in colour of the greal To debate these questions the

ATUA

has the of labour history fuliy, irec Patan formed by hundreds of workers laraest arena in the north wesi and professional at the Empire Pool, ticated machinery will enable the film be projected simul- He us owe Sec so du overcome problems of viewing in a circular arena.

After several hours discus- the rally will with sion, end Writter Salled cabaret performed by Tom Kempinksi Corin Redgrave, Kika Markham Matthew Robert- Mike Cronin, Vanessa Red. son. grae Tom Marshall, and Victor of Music Force, who wrote paved much of the for the Pageant. The cabaret, duced Roger Smith, Tom the rest of the will take compally, look at some of the difficulties the Tory class have bel and ruling have been running into recent Belle Vue will mark a decisive the campaign to trans- stage In form the Socialist Labour League the Revolutionary Party through a new leader- building ship in the labour and trade union movement, to put an end the abiect acts of weak Tory and instead bring socialist policies vi wal capitalist Solon crisis. available likels at et are stli High Street, from 186a Clapham London, SW4 7UG

NOW.

BOOK

Or telephone for details. 01-622 7029.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday June 27, 1973 Levy Betting Board gets Lity of westminster a Wigging DOWNING STREET wI WHO WOULD have thought that the undis- cussable would have been discussed in the House of Lords? Yes, her name-sschh, you know who - • was mentioned that most hallowed of chambers on Monday. And it almost caused a riot. Lord Wigg began He asked Lord it. De- Carrington, Secretary and fence

AUEW

Tory Party needed chairman, No right Baroness Levy what he had say to Maida Bed so she turn about Tambton Lora giving her share tips. Lord Avebury banker Carrington. a. Heard by 38s• • VU pressed Lambton's or Share li Dulls, said the seemed. He tale Lambton one tip gave ton' 'great 1n industry. her was not related never Who thought it had been? bitter Lubbock didn't this •Doe should He be He re- satisfy done Those spoken away vealed he who Lord Lambton, only com- him had said the pany, he had recom that

WHAT WE THINK

mended *Ceramics. her was Hepworth House. The board Hep- not be worth immediatel v

DUL

out statement deny- After the Washington booze-up ing any connection with Lambton. 1 don't know Toem why. It could be a tre- long club. mendous publicity coup. Ceramics 'Hepworth played 'a THERE is no bombs more direct ison is and CIA attitude people Can Doold

WILD

gangsters, -the shares that demonstration of the coun- Laos, "proof film-stars and to power agents. are falling into ter-revolutionary character this situation. He went to absurd lengths buy' Star ot world Stalinism than The bureaucracy that the LITt Soviet Jovally As far as the rest of junketing and the and support the Nixon week has betrayed not only lordships their were secret diplomacy which has his inner circle is Indo-Chinese Will the the DUT aSG just ended in Washington concerned The bureaucracy workers the United former chairman At time when the Soviet Union aves Toe ocace. Race Betting Horse thoroughly and working will forcibly corrupt itself. was flog- Board, the has word in the regain that Pre. Completely Icacuonary ging a dead horse. fighting for his Nixon is steent tions something. political life, • remi ine Europe.

VISIT

Cula It correctly sees working Right to the lead unstinted backing from conspiracy basic jumped to his feet. •We class strength the chief story under bureaucracy and Doviet Stalinists everywhere. 'Many people in this They are conspiring with positions. 'very signi. angl becoming and illegally Nixon = needs ficant' the try beautify grain and tired with this to and sick the tween features rolling spies lormers perialism and deceive the

USSR.

This is persecution and labour to cor- oppressed capital to prevention nuclear war masses people not in keeping with the the unions and rupt which will re- all over the of fair play.' tradition covensens the era peace has new

ILS

10. considered Lentiving, Wigg unhorsed, arrived. was Wigg furious. like the Unity to coin a phrase. The effort joint communiqué am

HOT

Chile. for the member The said: 'The proper issued after the shys of any administration to be a mem- 'the current process of im- cease Stalinist in eastern tips provement interna- Britain welcome Svalre Der evèn people her?' Europe foreign the outcome o10- am to gagged tional situation creates asked again. claimea inat there is really American But favourable opportuni- capital on an further need to defend old Dora Gait- ties for reducing Dear bencher in oressure nationalized the property settling outstanding men with fuel both on British and inter- skel. lo say. relations won by the American for innumerable Labour national issues There if ing class because, you Party conferences from permanent structure of zandoree ocale of rhubarb' please, Nixon has agreed to peace' Blackpool Brighton ent to acress on Wigg, marope his param punt goat.

former lasting Nothing could all this. the Middle and an be further make colonel restran head back agreement European herself. from the truth: the canitalist Wilson's Not since Stalin signed system is in mortal crisis Would it be not and to survive it must giv his treacherous pact with Stalining even the The true say that any to Hitler 1939 has there had every reason Which to in rise to militarism. war and made br that share tip such concentrated Nixon just most savage DrOve attacks on

OCCH

Norma Levy would be from are the he world working class. his present an aIso satellies aine be- extremely suspect per palist butcher as a friend likely more continuation The "Star' even allowed lackeys the she munist have cause Las even peace. itself a little moral where war brought prostitution in- Congress Brezhnev tips and the is defying cham- servile race swilled come

LAC

110SL to disrepute?' inveterate tip- and Senate to rain and hobnobbed with says, was and apologists pagne

WO G

wished dis- Stalinism. only millions of dollars-worth of the President and his aides the circle Wire Americans desert Euro-currency market ponsible for 65 cent of the

AMERICAN

banks have decline of the per continuous

BY FOREIGN EDITOR JOHN SPENCER

the three business Bonds practically deserted the Euro- 1n HuTO-gones. business last while the US share denominated in dollars, paying months, currency market, which has co-managers of Euro-bond issues.

down to 14 per In 1972 considerable secrecy, estim- dollar dividends, not cent. aic been hard-hit by the up- borrowers made ates put out by some of the lead garded as Accore to use crect vonas good Investment Amicucal heavals of the world mone- there are now only two US banks participants show time when the dollar is de- per Comi the top 25 Euro-bond opera- been extremely preciating breakneck speed. on the Euro-bond market. narket tary system.

LUIS

successive monclary But though market-denomin- counted ast six mont 5.3 dollars By last US banks crises. October, ated bonds are in great demand, Euro-bonds are special form accounted only per accounted for only 43 per cent 'International of share sold to holders of Euro.

cent on the tolai business Wall like Euro- of total lending in the Euro-bond currency. In the main these are markets, compared due stringent to exchange compared with multi-national firms institu. been "traumatized' fears that with 61.3 per cent a year before strictions imposed by the Bonn and morev markets. 1969. is not 56 per cent in July which 1971. The mark of floating cur. and 66 per cent in

CUL

LIC

the con- the rency noldings ourside rency exchange rates will lead the he most dramatic effects have trol of the countries involved degenerate there has as far as the Euro-bond market on ine orner nana, been felt in the market for Euro- (e.g. Middie East Hero-bonds been big rise in issues of is concerned sheikhs with trade war and that runaway bonds, which have become dollar accounts). denominated about The pull-out of the powerful of credit for capitalist world. the orc source Hally Firms which wish large international corporations.

raise past two years from per Amerco banks. wro were once The 'The slowing pool of Euro- paper says: cent to 29.5 the mainstay of the Euro-bond Tunds troN the per Here the quarter of act ye n Sion is ima is at more than of activity in the bond market leaves European market, this American second quarter year putting many [banking] proportion 1 he of the Las

ISSUC

initicals bankers has fallen 30 conjunction Curo-bond market as declined crisis. over

CCIL

houses a pront squeeze atte the record pace the first with a group of banks. The banks most experts are Euro-bond market has The spectacularly then sell the bonds to individual shake-out which only than in even more question now much quartet. more punishment can they trading houses will re- the

VOLUIS ON

COLIC

Danks. For the first time there is not absorb before one another main in the market.' banks. States bank day-to-day operations single United The oi them can no longer meet its the Euro-bond are shrouded The dollar accounts for a European borrowers were res- obligations? among tue top ten managers and

Jones uses prices to excuse attending Phase Three talks Right wingers likely to ignore conference decision Registration still on Equity's

FROM DAVID MAUDE

IN EASTBOURNE

A MOOD of quiet contem- plation settled over the Con- federation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions conference yesterday morn- ing, as delegates were urged to look 'deeper' at the problems facing their members. Under the influence of CSEU president Jack Higham, the representatives of 3 million engineers and ship- yard workers turned their attention away from 'stupid' government economic policies and 'bad' bosses to the 'other issues [that] have brought frustration into the life of the modern worker' Higham waxed eloquent on the subject of the blight in the towns, the despoliation of the countryside, the pollution of the the increasing environment and pace of modern life. All these things, he com- plained, had 'disturbed the security and stability upon which peaceful conditions can and grow'. What was survive takeovers, more, mergers, re- techniques, job dundancies, new speed-ups and a general malaise in management did not help to provide • an atmosphere of calm in which reason could prevail. When not presiding over the CSEU, Higham, who is an

MBE,

runs the 0,000-strong, Rotherham-based National Union of Domestic Appliance and General Metal Workers.

But the strange, contempla tive note which he tried to in- troduce into the CSEU con- was not just a whim- ference sical oddity, the meanderings of fat a small union chief re- moved from the burning issues confronting the mass of union members. It appeared precisely because the issues sharp-pre- are so cisely because, as Hugh Scanlon burst out angrily last week, 'no ambiguity". there can be Hence the attempt to turn away. Higham claimed that the hard-line policies of the Tories in industry were 'obvious stupi- dities'. Combined with the other problems he had mentioned, he said, they caused unease and dissatisfaction workers among with their style of life.

The unrest would flourish so long as these problems per- sisted. The CSEU president's philoso- phizing, however, will not get union chiefs off the hook today's debate the TUC on talks with the Tories. They must decide either to follow the lead of. the engin- eers union and down come in opposition or to back these class-collaborationist discussions to the hilt. Besides the talks, the con- ference is today expected to dis- • new approach from the cuss a Engineering Employers' Federa- tion for talks on a national procedure agreement for the The postponed a decision on the new approach until after the conference debate. Socialist Labour League and International Group Marxist

JOINT MEETING

Defend Basic Democratic Rights Support Shrewsbury 24 FRIDAY JULY 6, 8 p.m. Acton Town Hall High Street, Acton Collection will be made for Shrewsbury 24 Speakers: DAVE JACKSON (Chairman Shrewsbury Defence Committee)

BOB PENNINGTON (IMG)

GERRY HEALY (SLL)

BY A WORKERS PRESS F

THE AVERAGE household's 10.9 per cent during the firs compared with the same perio spending on food-excluding —was £2.59 per person per a year ago. During the period wage increases were banned by Phase One or allowed to go up by the derisory amount of El plus 4 per cent under Phase Two. The TUC will shortly embark on Phase Three talks which are expected to cut the Tory pay ceiling. By slashing workers' wages the Tory government is insisting that the working class pays for the economic crisis. In order that the world of Lonrho, Poulson and Lowson should continue flourish, the standard of living of workers must be driven down.

MIGHTY BLOW

The TUC is up to its armpits in this conspiracy against the working class. A mighty blow against this class-collaboration taken last week when was engineers' delegates • told their president, Hugh Scanlon, that he could not go to Downing Street again to discuss Phase Three.

Now the delegates at the By Royston A MAJOR split among the Equity, the actors' union show in the industry. The union's annual conference wa spectacle of Marius Goring, the darling of the right wing, accusing another pillar of the establishment, Hugh Man- ning, of joining forces with the Trotskyists. On the surface, the_split is The old about deregistration. guard want to stay on the Tory register of state-controlled unions set up under the Indus- trial Relations Act. Other elements on the out- Council finally General going wavered last week after growing attacks from the left wing in the union and voted by 12-11 to change Equity's policy. The reasons offered, read out by Gerald Croasdell, general sec- retary, who personally opposed the change, were that the union's effectiveness depended on its remaining within the broad trade union movement. Therefore, to remain on the register in defiance of the TUC's policy, which led to Equity's ex- basic pulsion, was wrong principle and ultimately detri- mental to the members' interests.

But behind the belated accept- ance of TUC policy by these reformists, stands the enormous effect of working-class strength on every aspect of political life in Britain. The determination of the mass movement to defy Tory govern- ment policies-in cases like the jailed miners' strike, the five dockers, the railwaymen's and building workers' disputes, and the hospital workers' strike-has left a deep imprint. The betrayals of the TUC bur- eaucrats, who were called on to collaborate with the Tories pre- cisely because of working-class resistance to government poli- cies, has not succeeded in head- ing off the growing opposition to the effects of the capitalist crisis. The Midlands carworkers' re- versal of management attacks and the AUEW delegates' vote to bar Hugh Scanlon from Down- ing Street have shown that the fight is only just beginning.

this atmosphere, the pre- In dominantly middle-class member- ship of Equity begins to identify with the strength of the work- ing class as a solution to their problems.

• PRESS REPORTER

sehold's food bill went up by the first quarter of this year ne period in 1972. The average luding sweets and soft drinks on per week as against £2.33 Transport and General Workers' Union conference in two weeks' time must follow this lead. Jack Jones must be told too. On television on Monday night Jones complained about the cost of living and its impact on the pensioners. disappeared 'Fresh meat has no c from the poor man's table, he The said. But then he went on: "The to : yston Bull ng the reformist leaders of on shows how deep is the crisis rence was treated to the astonishing The platform at the Equity conference Some sections of the union leadership have moved with them. Others are simply trying a tactic of heading off the new movement for change by appar- ently supporting it. But the fight for de-registra- tion is far from over. The right will go all out to reverse wing last Council decision the and ignore the 198-102 vote of an- nual conference to de-register.

Some of the 'reformed' reform- ists will join them. Their likeliest ploy is a new referendum, but the right wing may even decide to block that, their own chosen tactic, and argue that Council and confer- ence have acted unconstitution- ally and that the previous refer- endum result still stands.

Goring warned conference that 'the new Council will honour the pledges given to the membership and will not be dictated to by a puerile faction'-meaning that Equity would stay registered and conference be ignored. The left, which is growing in influence all the time, must prepared for a stiff battle ahead.

Workers Press, Wed Jones... Prices diversion sooner we get down to talking the better. Therefore I'm in favour of talking with the govern- ment in order to convince them of our right to negotiate and for collective bargaining?' Jones obviously hasn't read the Counter-Inflation Act. There is no collective bargaining any more.

The Tories have seized powers to arbitrate on wages for the

GET YOUR BOOKS. PE

NEWSPAPERS F

PAPERBACK

CUTTION

28 CHARLOTT

LONDON

Open Monday 1 ress, Wednesday June 27, 1973 PAGE 3 next two years. You either accept Tory pay limits or face the criminal charges if you defy them.

Jones must be forced to break off talks with Heath and to lead his union in a fight against the Tory government and its pay laws. There can be no return to collective-bargaining, no control on the soaring cost of living, no end to the housing scandal, with- out this hated government being thrown out of office.

NATIONALIZE

In its place must be elected a Labour government pledged to the repeal of all anti-working- class legislation and the national- ization of banks and basic industries without compensation and under workers' control.

FOOTNOTE:

The Prices Commission yesterday announced sweeping increases in the prices of chocolate and cream biscuits, cooked meats made by the Walls group and margarine.

increase is about The average 7 per cent. This is the third time since the pay laws started that cooked meats have risen in price.

Cavenham has reported a record profit of £22.5m in the year to March 31. This compares with a profit of £5.2m a year ago.

by multi- Cavenham, run millionaire Jimmy Goldsmith, is Britain's largest retailing group.

It controls the following outlets: Maypoles, Home and Colonial, Liptons and Moores. Total turn- over last year was £269m.

OKS. PERIODICALS AND

\PERS FROM THE

BACKS CENTRE

LOTTE STREET

NDON, W1

nday to Saturday

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday June 27, 1973

WE'RE

COMING

TO

BELLE

VUE

A discussion around the policies which will be debated at the All Alliance conference at Belle Vue, Manches- ter, Sunday July 1st-3 p.m.

THE NATIONAL

Com- mittee of the All Trades Alliance Unions has called a national rally at Of trade unionists Manchester, Belle Vue, for July 1, as a further step in the preparations for building the Revolu- Party. tionary This follows on the very successful ATUA conference of 2,200 workers at Birming- October 22, 1972, ham on which launched the paign. The founding conference of the Party held in will be Octo- London the end of at ber 1973. The basis of the and perspectives arall gramme for the Party, which are currently being dis- of the cussed in Workers Press, the was Committee's

ATUA

National Birm- statement adopted at ingham last year. In a statement adopted on May 13 by the ATUA in preparation for the July National conference, Committee declared: The furthern omn crisis crisis grave economic caused by the political and of the economic effects Nixon scandal will have the profound influence In Britain inflationary boom and the policies of the Tory and Labour leaders. laid The Tories have plans for a corporate state, the sharpening class but struggle resulting from the intensification of the crisis nesday June 27, 1973 id the policies wh he All Trades -3 p.m. will more and mo these plans Phase Three pay laws. It is this mas basis for the struggle Winer Revolutionary Part Therefore urgent that these r opments, which the launchin sist Revolutionary be discussed by possible number and gates July 1 conference. Arrangements ar to provide approp ties for such at the Belle Vue, ter, one of the I sembly halls of England. delegations gone out. The ATUA call those workers, end the state pay restore free for unions and the join demand off all ina government on Ph The fight for tr basic democr insepar now the struggle Revolutionary Part We believe tha 1 rally can landmark in the working the the basis of cies to create the industrial and pol ditions for forcing io resign. les which will Unions and more disrupt and expose ree of the state his massive class launching of the forms lary Party. is t these new devel- greatly as of the launching Party, should sed by the largest of dele- to visitors the ments are in hand • appropriate facili- discussion Vue, Manches- largest as- north in the Invitations to have already UA calls upon all state pay laws and negotiations trade between tc employers, demand for b break. 'At the time of the dockers' jalling .. it was only the Socialist Labour League Brian Robinson is a shop steward at a Manchester chemical rubber and firm. He first became an active trade unionist when he began a battle at the factory to improve wages and conditions. Management still do not fully recognize the union.

Do you think it is possible to get rid of the state pay laws without getting rid of the Tory government? You obviously have to get rid of one to get rid of the other.

I don't think they will be modified at all. If they are changed after Phase Two comes to an end it will be to- wards the Tory side. I don't think Phase Three will be any easier at all. They will be modified to improve the position of profits and not of wages. I saw Campbell Adamson the Money at Work' on programme with a couple of trade union leaders. He was quite adamant; wages, must be held back, while prices and profits rise because of the need for more investment.

To my mind this is com- pletely wrong. The best part of the profit goes in dividends anyway, not true investment.

Is no possible reason There why the working man should accept this kind of situation.

freeze has The pay obviously had a powerful impact on the conditions most people live under. The prices going up at such a fierce have rate meant a declining standard of living.

In our plant negotiations have always been carried on by a joint committee with two trade unionists sitting on it with the employers. But they are in a minority and therefore it is almost im- possible to get a solution in favour of the workers. I think this government want to spread this kind of system throughout industry. What do you think of the way the TUC leaders have been collaborating alling ... there shouid have been a straight ci ur League that issued such a call.

with the Tory govern- ment over the state pay laws? At first the leaders seemed to be against the Tory policy.

always seem But they to back down. There seems to be a pattern to it. They will make all kind of statements about how wrong it is, but then go ahead and talk with the government. When comes to the point of action, they do nothing. It's almost deliberate. I think the trade union leaders could have taken a stand. If the situation had their been put over to members there would have been a great response. aside Instead they stood and watched the hospital get defeated and workers driven back to work. This proves how serious they are about defending the member- ship. After this the rest fol- lowed. It happened very quickly. There were all these brash, fighting statements the union leaders about from and solidarity, then support one night you came home and it was all over-the freeze There had succeeded. was just a total lack of leader- ship. What do you think of the role of so-called left-wing TUC members like Jack Jones and Hugh Scanlon in the talks? I think that Jones should be kicked out of the talks as well. It seems farcical he should remain after Scanlon has been forced to come out.

There should be solidarity on this issue of opposition to the government policy now.

If this was done I think a great deal of the ground we have lost could be recovered.

What experience have you had that makes you believe getting rid of the Tory government is an urgent task? The Industrial Relations Act had a big impact on me. This should definitely The go. Labour government were the first and introduce to try straight call for a General Strike.' In fact something like this, but they just could not do it. The classic case of triumph and failure was the dockers last year. This was a golden opportunity for the trades unions to do something about the government. They had the Act virtually in pieces, but there was no follow up at all.

But the Tories have gone from strength to strength. It was because they were not defeated at the time of the incident with the dockers that they brought in Phase One and now Phase Two. So far most of the struggles organized by the leadership have been protests, one-day strikes, etc. Do you think this is enough? I think this kind of struggle is a waste of time. If there solidarity about was greater it and not just a few coming out, they might have a more serious impact. But it's hard to get men out on the basis of a one-day stoppage. At the time of the dock- ers' jailing and also with the miners there should have been a straight call for a General Strike. But I think the TUC leaders are fright- ened of this kind of situation, so they did their best to cool things down. Why do you think the Belle Vue rally of trade unionists is important? I am very interested in this and rally. The Transport Workers' General Union organized a conference on Vietnam and I decided to go.

only got about 25 But they people interested in it, so they cancelled it. I have heard about the SLL-YS rally in Empire Pool, Wembley. That sounded very impressive and it's made me interested in the nature of the movement. I think the main aim should be to fetch out the solidarity among the work- ing class. There are many different unions and groups of workers in different indus- tries, but they need a com- mon policy if they are going to defend themselves against the Tories.

John Wilson (16) is an apprentice plumber from Stockport. He earns £10 a week. The sharp decline in his own standard of living and the grave dangers facing the trade union movement are the influences that two decided him to join the Young Socialists and come to Belle Vue with his brother Dave. Do you think it is possible to get rid of the state pay laws without getting rid of the Tory government? I don't think you can get rid of the state pay laws without getting rid of the Tory govern- ment. The first thing to realize about this Tory government and all Tory governments is capi- that they represent the talist class, the big employers, like the millionaire who comes up to us when we are building his house and gives us a bottle of beer. A few cheap gifts are OK, but the rich put their foot down at a decent wage-and they do nothing to earn most of their wealth. The Tories act for these people and to survive the capi- talists have to hit out at trade unions and push down the wages of the working class. John (left) with hi That's the basic reason behind with trade union c the state pay laws. To shift suspicious of the i them, you have to shift the was not a success 177/

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SNOINA

SOLVHOO IN 3381

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it) with his brother, Dave. Above: Jimmy Reid on the e union chiefs Scanlon and Feather. Says John. '| ' Is of the role [of the Communist Party] at UCS.

a success and it was their tactics which led to it.'

Workers Press, Wadn Fort oft government that works for the capitalists. So far the trade union leadership has kept the fight back against the Tories to the level of protest, one-day strikes, and so on. Do you think these are adequate? We have to recognize that the one-day strikes did nothing at all. They merit a few lines in the Press, publicity. some The Tories just grit their teeth and keep on going at the work- ing class. And a lot of workers realize they are a useless protest. A lot of people talk about rill of workers. Well the apathy this does not just appear out of nowhere, it has a cause.

One is the fact that they can't see any worthwhile men at the top to lead them into battle.

The other is the demoralizing effect of protests that go up a blind alley. A General Strike is the only answer. This should have been called long ago against this government. What do you think of the way the Labour and trade union leaders have collaborated with the government? Do they want to get the Tories out? How can the TUC claim to be representing the working class when they are in league with id on the platform the government talking about John. "I was very the economy? This is nothing UCS. The work-in but the action of traitors.

a8s, Wednesday June 27, 1973 PAGE 5 At first you had the big demonstrations and the speeches against the Industrial Relations Bill. They came and went and the TUC ended up co-operating with the Court.

You had the same performance with the pay laws-emergency conferences and more words.

But it meant nothing in the end. They are back around the table. This is a betrayal of our interests. Now Scanlon has been pulled out of the talks. But withdrawing in itself does not mean the slightest difference.

Scanlon and the people who pulled him out now have to back this up with some action.

It will make no difference unless they start now and put up a fight. But I don't think these men will fight. Their record proves it. I think they are afraid of the working class. If a revolu- in the tionary move occurs and file, it won't only rank mean the end of capitalism, but it will mean the end of the the compromisers and collab- orators as well. What experiences have you had which make you believe that getting rid of the Tory government is now an urgent task? I have never needed convinc- ing about the Tories. I always knew that we were exploited.

You see the millionaires and the way they live and at the same time see the working class and old people struggling.

You hear about how we have to sacrifice for the nation, then the next day comes Lonrho and men getting £100,000 just for redundancy money. 'I myself have felt it. The rise in the cost of living is shocking. I have to buy my own work clothing, boots and tools, when this is done and all the other expenses connec- ted with work are paid for, 1 have hardly anything left.

have been trying to save up for my holidays, but I can't. It's impossible. But the thing that really clinched it I think was reading the Workers Press. We bought it in a pub and it seemed to be on the right lines-the lines we were thinking . along. So we wrote off to join. Since then the YS and the meetings have made us more certain. What do you think about the Communist Party? They protect people like Jones and Scanlon and describe them as lefts. There was a time when we were very interested in the Communist Party. One of my mates even applied when he got one of their election leaf- lets, but he got no reply.

But I think that they are a parliamentary party now. That's what they appear to me. I was very suspicious of their role at UCS. The work-in was not a success and it was their tactics which led to it.

Why do you think the ATUA rally at Belle Vue is important? It will be very good if they can bring thousands of trade unionists together. I think out of this you will get the move- ment the working class needs.

From this conference I think you can get a lot of people genuinely interested in the SLL.

The conference will also show people that it is possible to build this movement, that there are lots of other people who are interested in politics who want to do it. I think the young workers will play a very important role in this. They are going to be the leaders of the future.

I think it's vital we get gangs in the movement like the skin- heads. They are only expressing their dissatisfaction against the capitalist system, but if they are not brought into the move..

ment they can easily become involved with fascism, which is very dangerous.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday June 27, 1973 'We got him to the settee and the perspiration was running off him. I had a terrible night on the Monday. He was beating his pillow, the pain was so awful. Wednesday night he couldn't even hold a cup of tea. Later when we phoned the doctor again that Tom was losing the use of his arms and legs the doctor said: "We'll have to get him to hospital." But Tom died.

He didn't die on the bed because he He died (Durham miner's widow describing her 1973) husband's death. 'Sunday Times, April 29, 'My father died of it. He spent the last six years of his life in hospital, sitting up in bed day and night because if he lay down he couldn't breathe?

(Welsh miner's wife) For dangerous Pneumoconiosis - the every sub- practice which stance or is dust disease which affects outlawed (such as the use of 40,000 miners — is incur- B-napthylamine to harden tyre able. One man dies from rubber which resulted in blad- der cancer in every single one effects day, its every of the workers engaged in its after suffering years distillation) new chemicals and of intermittent pain and machines are brought into use, often without any real tests increasing disability-the to determine their effects on equivalent of a Lofthouse the men and women who have disaster each to use them. colliery New coal-cutting machines, week without the news- by cutting faster and finer, are paper headlines. in fact increasing the amount of dust in the mines and, as a the Those, at least, are of result, the number new figures. The National official cases of pneumoconiosis. This Union of Mineworkers claims well be the reason why they should be much higher.

may the Tory government set up a But miners are not the only committee which inquiry maimed, who are workers has recently reported that the crippled and murdered by the disease is not totally disabling under which they conditions and that not all the deaths The drive for work. have to definitely attributed to it can profits and the insatiable greed be laid at the door of pneumo- employers destroy the of the It has recommended lives of thousands coniosis. health and that the disablement pensions of men and women year after now paid to men with less than year. of their lungs As the Chief Inspector of cent per affected should be stopped. Factories put it in his latest The National Union of Mine- 'Perhaps the annual report: workers is preparing to fight a greatest obstacle in the way bitter battle against these re- of further improvement is the actionary recommendations.

sheer indifference of some com- who It is not only miners panies to the safety of their face the dangers of dust, workers.' though. Lungs can be just as carnage is a regular This affected by dust from part of the badly daily life of capi- wood, grain, asbestos, pottery talism. If all the victims were clay, cotton, and metal work- lined up against a wall and ings especially where beryllium employers' firing shot by used in metal squad, there would be a violent and cobalt are alloys. In 1971 2,612 alone, there is outcry. But unless new cases of fibrosis of the disaster such sudden terrible reported in Eng- lungs little is heard were as at Lofthouse, land, Scotland and Wales, about the in the Tory Press caused by exposure to dust at sacrifices which indus- human work. try demands from the working There is also considerable class. and fire danger of explosion less In fact, workers get where dust is allowed to float machinery regard than the atmosphere without in the which, after all, is expensive proper control. to replace. often been Fears have ex- It has only been the deter- pressed about the risks of stor- mined struggle of the working dangerous substances class through its trade unions ing old buildings without adequate which has forced the establish- safety precautions being taken.

ment of minimum safety regu- cylinders, various industries. Oxygen lations in many chemicals and toxic substances, That these are still totally in- highly-inflammable a cids, adequate is obvious from even foamed plastics and radioactive official statistics. the frequently kept materials industrial practices, are Modern quantities with little in large far from improving safety con- thought for lives of the the working class, ditions for the workers or people living in the the fact increasing, in- in are cidence of disease, disability, vicinity. in Asbestos is still used injury and death. Above: death in the mines. Rescue worl Dermatitis of the hand, leaving swollen many processes, particularly in and insulation, heating although it is now well known that exposure to even small «quantities can, and frequently does, cause asbestosis, leading to a slow and horrible death as long as 20 years later.

Even where its use has been stopped, men demolishing old buildings still face dangers from the release of asbestos although protective dust, clothing or breathing appara- are rarely if ever pro- tuses vided. Radioactivity is a fairly new hazard in industry. There have been many protests about the which possibility of leaks might affect the public, but workers actually en- among gaged in handling the danger- ous substances the number of reported cases of over-exposure shot up from 76 in 1969 to 136 in 1971, although not all the symptoms were conclu- sively proved to be related to radiation. X-rays and other radioactive sources are used for a variety of purposes today, besides hospital work, and often the safety conditions and training given to those who have to handle them is rudimentary.

escue workers at Lotthouse colllery, March 19l • swollen fingers and ulcerated thumb, caused In one particularly horrible case a 23-year-old assistant radiographer who tested for cracks in gas pipelines was affected. His work consisted radioactive isotopes, of using encased in a sealed lead box, to emit gamma rays which can pick up flaws in the pipes.

One evening after work he put the lead box on the back seat of his car as usual and began to drive home. He had been issued with a box on which the usual padlock was missing and had been replaced with a piece of twisted wire.

On the way the car broke down and it was three hours before help came and he was able to continue his journey.

When he got home he found to his horror that the wire had broken, the lid of the box had sprung open and he had unknowingly receiving been the full effects of the gamma rays without any protection.

He went to the doctor next day who took a blood count, but everything seemed normal.

It was two weeks before the first signs of radiation ex- posure began to show. A blister appeared on his chest which became increasingly March 1973, when seven men died. Right (1 b, caused by a dye in fur processing.

painful. It was over two months later that doctors were able to confirm the diagnosis.

By that time his ribs had begun to crumble. He has since had several major operations to remove dead tissue from around his heart and plastic surgery to replace the burnt skin on his chest and back. He now weighs only nine stone and is almost certainly sterile. Doctors will not hazard a guess as to how much longer he is likely to live.

Since he came out of hos- pital he has been unable to anything work. In any • case, involving mixing with other people is extremely dangerous.

There are no ribs left covering his heart, which can be seen throbbing under his chest like the pulse in a toad's throat.

Even the slightest accidental nudge could damage his heart and kill him. Doctors have for some time been expressing fears about the carcinogenic (cancer-form- ing) effects of pitch, tar and mineral oils. The first two are known to cause various types of skin tumours. Mineral oils, widely • used for lubricating machines, can be responsible for cancer of the genitals. Men

colliery, March 1973, seven men died. Right (lop lo bottom): Industrial diseases.

when at Lotthouse Above: death in the mines.

Rescue workers fingers and ulcerated thumb, caused by a dye in fur processing.

Dermatitis of the hand, leaving swollen

COME AND HEAR

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ABC GNEMA PER

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9000- Acne on neck caused by contact with wool. Detormed hand due to lead poisoning, which can eventually lead to death.

Ight (lop 1o bottom): Industrial dieeases. Ache on neck caused by contact with wool. Deformed hand due to lead polsoning, which can eventually lead to death.

SO ottom): Industrial diseases. Acne on neck ca who have to lean over machines in order to clean and the oil them are particularly at co risk. In recent years doctors have begun to organize conferences on industrial stress. It is now recognized that who men work on fast-moving assembly belts can be driven to the edge of madness by the never- ending, relentless monotony of the work. Nervous breakdowns are not infrequent. In fact, more working days are lost through illness due to industrial stress than through strikes. Noise is also now being re- garded as an industrial hazard.

The Chief Inspector's report 500,000 estimates that some workers are exposedito noise levels which could: lead to either serious loss of hearing or even total deafness!?; In many cases the dangers extend far beyond the confines of the factory or workplace in- volved to include people living in the area. Recently there was wide Press coverage when a number of children living in south London were found to have levels of lead in their blood in excess of the usual safety margins. The cause was D00p* n neck caused by contact with wool. Detormed traced to a local factory where the safety precautions were completely inadequate. poisoning, Lead which in- creased from 70 notified cases in 1970 to 123 in 1971, brings pains, abdominal on severe nausea, vomiting, constipation, headaches, loss of weight, liver and, if not halted, damage to death. In young eventually it can impair the children development of the brain and lead to possibly permanent brain damage. Deepsea fishermen face the greatest dangers of all. In normal' times they stand 17 times more risk of death and injury than any other section of workers. Their lives are now being further endangered by being placed in the front line of the 'cod war'. Agricultural and forestry workers are not only among the lowest-paid workers in the country, they also have more than their fair share of dis- abling or fatal accidents. They are, at the same time, exposed to the dangers of the toxic and allergic effects of chemical fertilizers and the risks of handling hormone foodstufis for fattening animals which can cause impotence. Detormed hand due to lead poisoning, which Building workers are not far behind. The building boom, the consequence of property speculation and rocketing pro- prices, and the use of perty "lump' (non-union) labour, have pushed up the accident rates enormously. Big profits are made by the contractors but, as the Fac- tory Inspector's report states: "The price for this during the the lives of last ten years is killed in excavation 159 men collapses. This means that part our industrial activity is of being conducted on the wholly unacceptable basis that 15 • will meet their deaths men each year by being buried alive in circumstances which should never occur.' Wholly unacceptable' to whom? To the men and their families, but certainly not to the building contractors who drive them to working faster and harder in order to maxi- mize profits. from hastily- Men fall erected scaffolding. Buildings and bridges collapse. One of the biggest killers on the sites is attempting to start up dumper trucks on cold morn- ings when there is a tendency for the machine to jerk for- Workers Press, Wedne ng, which can eventually lead to death.

ward unexpectedly. A modi- fied engine would easily stop that one. This is only a small sample of the dangers which millions of working men and women face day after day. And very few of these accidents and diseases need happen. Simple safety precautions could eliminate the major part of the risks. Properly con- structed buildings with ade- quate ventilation systems and fire precautions easily can cope with most of the pro- blems of dust diseases, fire and storage. protective clothing, careful working clothes to remove harmful substances, proper washing and shower facilities work-simple measures at which could save the lives of thousands of people. The development of non- carcinogenic lubricating oils, of machines to handle the dangerous substances; more careful training programmes, stringent safety measures and regular medical tests for wor- kers engaged in the use of substances such as radioactive materials-all perfectly pos- sible and easy to carry out.

ss, Wednesday June 27, 1973 PAGE 7 But they all require money.

And at a time when the em- are striving to save ployers their disintegrating profit sys- tem at the expense of the working class, there is no pos- sibility at all of their agreeing to such expenditure just to save human lives. It is against this background the Socialist Medical that Association (SMA) has pro- duced a paphlet entitled 'The Development of Occupational Health Services' as a discus- sion paper for the formulation of a future policy on the Health and Social Services for the Labour Party. Out of the 22 million people employea in Britain, only ‹ million are crvered by full- time doctors a: their places of work. A further 3 million get part-time medical coverage.

These are mainly restricted to the largest companies. Such medical attention, however, is almost entirely confined to patching up bodies after injury or illness has occurred. It is no accident that when the Labour government set up the National Health Service in 1948, in spite of demands from bodies such as the SMA and the trade unions, they specifically excluded an occu- pational health service. To include it would be to very basis of challenge the capitalist. production methods, to declare that workers' lives must not be placed in jeopardy in order that the employers make their money un- can hindered and that industry must be run for the benefit of the majority of mankind and not just for the profits of the few. In other . words, the estab- lishment of such a service re- quires the expropriation of in- its organization dustry and along socialist lines. The SMA, tied as it is to the reformism of the Labour Party, cannot make this point.

Their pamphlet remains no- thing more than so many words-interesting from the point of view of how such a scheme could be organized in a socialist society, but totally meaningless in the face of the reality of the class relations under capitalism and the deepening of the world crisis.

The Tories, who are busy planning to destroy even the limited gains of the existing National Health Service, will certainly not extend occupational health. cover fact, just de- They have, in feated a proposal from the Labour Opposition along those lines. Party, And the Labour which refused to set up such in scheme the post-war a l boom period of the 1940s, will be helpless to oppose the employers as long as it accepts the leadership which openly and contemptuously declares that it will veto any decision to nationalize the major com- panies. What is required to satisfy even such simple demand as proper safety conditions at work is an all-out struggle to defend the trade unions and their gains from the attacks of the employers and their Tory government; to create the in- dustrial and political condi- tions to force the Tories to resign; to drive out the Tory- collaborators from the leader- ship of the Labour and trade movement and return union a Labour government which must be pledged to socialist policies, including the nationa- lization of industry without compensation and under wor- kers' control. Above all, it means trans- forming the Socialist Labour League into a revolutionary party to lead the working class to taking power. Only then can industry be taken out of the ruthless and irresponsible hands of the employers and the working class be able to control its own conditions of work and enjoy the full bene- fits of its produce.

MONTY JOHNSTONE:

'LIBERAL' APOLOGIST FOR

STALINIST BUREAUCRACY

Trotskyism and Stalinism: A Stalinist Agent Exposed. Part five of a reply by Cliff Slaughter to a letter from Mr Monty Johnstone.

PAGE 8

Workers Press, Wednesday June 27, 1973 We now turn to the of a question public debate between the Socialist Labour League and the Communist Party. As we have shown in previous articles, the Stalinists would not agree to the terms of a debate which focused on the main the question: of meaning Trotskyism and Stalinism politically.

his Johnstone implies latest reply that pre- paring to 'dig our heels in' on title the unacceplable CP, *preferring to block the possibility public confron- tation on major political themes'. Johnstone says that the

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national secretary on April 2, 1969, offered second debate cond that he fairs Stalin question' public confrontation on major political Pre-

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sumably, therefore, he would welcome on sen Monday June 4, 1973, by the London Committee Area the SLL to the Communist Party Secretary John Gollan: 'Dear Comrade, In view of the considerable interest in the political differ- ences between the Socialist Labour League and the Com- munist Party, the London Area Committee of the Social- ist Labour League invites of the representative Com- munist Party to debate. "That the British the polIcies Communist Party are derived from policies Stalin- Awaiting your reply, ism". Yours fraternally Sheila Torrance Secretary of London Area the SLL' Now, the objection to our earlier proposed title 'Stalin- ism and Trotskyism' that was implied Party Communist commitment to Stalin and Stalinism Just as we are cer- to trotsdy and proudly committed Trotskyism. Any grounds for this objec- tion in the heads of the leadership is removed by our latest proposal. It would give them the opportunity to argue that their policies are not Stalinist and to attack the Trotskyist case. But how did Communist Party the re- spond? Here is its reply.

Dear Sheila Torrance, Your letter addressed Gollan regarding John de- bate between representatives of our two organizations has been passed to me. We no point in having see such a debate. Yours fraternally, Gerry Cohen District Secretary' It is now clear and indis.

putable who wants 'public controntation major pont- cal issues' and who wants to It only remains to return which this to tne poll from correspondence began. Follow- ing Johnstone's intervention Central bion miture me

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Committee member Tom Kemp, Johnstone was the told by London Area Committee that would he in future be excluded, until he of how answered the question he leave the

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Canne dnesday June 27, 1973 ism: A Stalinist Agent Exposed. Pa Left: Monty Johnstone. Right: Banners picket. The Communist Party rejects join the Trotskyist movement during World War II, and then return to the CP and occupy leading positions.

In one letter after another Johnstone raises trifling ques- tions of the exact date on which this and omania by the SLL, but he never explains politically what he was doing, and how he was able to return into the CP leadership in the blissful naïveté which he now claims prevailed uninterrupted from 1936 to 1956 in relation to the Moscow Trials! We told Johnstone in no uncertain terms that his presence in our meetings with a tape recorder taken together his intimate with relations with King Street and its work- ings against the SLL, and his own part in relation to our own movement, could not be tolerated until certain politi- cal questions were clarified.

We consider that this action of our London Area Commit- tee, and the forcing of John- stone out into the open, have served a very useful purpose.

Johnstone's replies to our questions, with all their eva- sions, are extremely revealing politically. «nd it is vital that the way Stalinism works should be exposed in detail in this period of preparation for working-class power. For this reason-that it is esential to facilitate the politi- cal education of thousands of seeking to build workers alternative leadership - the London Area Committee of the SLL published the follow- in ing statement Workers Press for May 18, 1973: osed. Part five of a reply by Cliff Slat 3 Banners of the ATUA at the lobby in suppor rejects any co-operation in the struggle for The London Area Com- mittee of the Socialist Labour League considers that the letter from Monty John- stone (Workers Press, May 17) is unacceptable from the standpoint of the struggle for Marxist principles. Johnstone's letter, however, opens the door for serious political discussion on vital matters concerning the politi- cal implications of the history Trotsky's struggle against of Stalinism. Mr Johnstone is therefore free to attend any public meetings and lectures organ- ized by the Socialist Labour League, provide he obtains of the meeting if permission he so desires to use a tape recorder. The London Area Commit- tee proposes to the Executive Committee of the Communist Party a public debate: "That policies of the British the Communist Party are derived from the politics of Stalinism.' Monty Johnstone has taken advantage of the columns of Workers Press to object to the decisions and policies of the Socialist Labour League, as is his right. Every reader will be able to draw his or her own conclusion. We have called upon the Communist Party to begin discussions for the joint de- fence of left-wing organiza- tions and in the struggle for defence of all democratic rights. The International Socialists and International Marxist Group have responded posi- tively. But the Communist Cliff Slaughter to a letter from Mr Strand detend the shrewsburyas Force the to Resh the Al! Trad: 3lnion5 i Oint! in support of the Shrewsbury 24, whose trial b iggle for defence of basic democratic rights.

Party rejects any co-opera- tion. We want to make it quite clear that our advocacy of co-operation on these ques- tions has the purpose of pro- tecting the possibility of the rundamental differences be- tween our parties being ham- mered out to the benefit of the working class. It was for the same reason that we took up the differences with John- stone. Johnstone's claim that he has broken from the frame-up methods of Stalinism can be easily put to the test. In the King Street leadership of Communist Party the he works alongside William Wainwright, who is assistant editor of the 'Morning Star'.

This same Wainwright was author of a pamphlet pub- on August 1942 en- titled "Clear out Hitler's Agents! An exposure of Trotskyist disruption being organized in Britain' If Johnstone sincerely believes what he himself wrote, i.e. that we know enough to re- ject the lies of the Moscow Trials about Trotskyists work- ing for Hitler, let him now repudiate Wainwright! What is the use of John- stone's opinion about the mendacity of the Moscow Trials, if he continues to work with those who based, and still base, their politics on the Trials? Wainwright said in his pamphlet: "The Home Guard has been taught a quick way to deal with enemy para- troops and spies. You must train yourself to round up cunning these other, more enemies, on whom Hitler de- pends to do his work for him in Britain.' And further, 'Trotsky's men are Hitler's men. They must be cleared out of every m Mr Monty Johnstone. otterham a Says..." Deterk! the Defe Deferrt th the Topics. Shrer * 9П/ -24. bR ose trial brings into question the right to working-class organization in the country? Wainwright based his case entirely on the forced confes- sions and framed evidence of the Moscow Trials. He wrote: "Trotsky" was a Russian who gathered around him an unscrupulous gang of traitors to organize spying, sabotage, wrecking and assassination in the Soviet Union.' And from this he concluded: 'Be on the alert for Trotskyist disrupters ... They should be treated as you would treat a Nazi'! Johnstone cannot have his cake and eat it. He cannot dismiss the Moscow Trials as a frame-up and continue to work with Wainwright and his politics. To repudiate and expose Wainwright and his wartime pamphlet, and all the politics that go , with it is the road open for Johnstone to begin political accounting with his own Stalinist past, instead of the liberal posing to which he has resorted up to now.

We consider that his reply must be rejected because it is politically totally unaccept- able. Johnstone's record as individual in the move- an ment flows entirely from his Stalinist politics. He is a leader of the Stalinist Party in Britain, and he is called upon to give a political accounting for the record of that party and his own part in it. This he cannot do. Behind all the moral plead- ing stands this political re- ality. Stalinism's counter- revolutionary role, its need to defend itself more and more against the Trotskyist move- ment, the alternative revolu- tionary leadership-this is the basis of the politics of Monty Johnstone.

CONCLUDED

WILSON'S LEFT-FOOTED POODLE

Last Friday Mr Michael Foot, the Labour MP for Ebbw Vale and a leading in two national daily newspapers. In the spirit of outrage and indignation he said that reports of last Wednesday's Shadow Cabinet meeting were com- pletely inaccurate. In the 'Daily Telegraph' letter he stated: 'The report which you pub- lished on June 21 of a meeting of the Shadow Cabinet is inaccurate in several particulars and generally misleading.

fear this is the result of basing reports on rumours, gossip or leakages which cannot verified' "Telegraph' very cor- The rectly asked Foot: 'Why does not Mr Foot tell us and other newspapers what, in his view, really did happen?'

Workers Press has also posed this question to Foot. Are all the newspaper reports of the meeting 'inaccurate'? (We pub- lish on this page a summary of many of the reports from the leading dailies.) Foot is called upon to answer to his Welsh constituents who are facing massive, redundan- cies because of the Tory plan to shutdown sections of the local steelworks; he is called upon to answer the readers of "Tribune'; he is called upon to answer to the rank and file of the labour movement who are demanding that the next Labour government should go into action with socialist policies of nationalization.

Foot says the Press reports of the meeting are untrue. After detailed checking we are convinced they are true. But they tell only part of the story.

Not only did Foot browbeat but he revealed Benn, treacherous plan to divert this year's Labour Party conference away from the question of nationalization. Foot is helping the right- wing leadership of Wilson and Edward Short to prepare a fraudulent diversion-pensions —to put before the conference.

In making pensions the focal issue they have the complete support of Jack Jones, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union. Foot admitted at Wednes- day's private meeting he had already been in touch with Jones to prepare the way for this phoney campaign to derail the movement's fresh impetus for socialist policies. Is such a deal being cooked up? Are Foot and his 'Tribune' colleagues — Orme, Atkinson, Allaun, Heffer—preparing such a betrayal? The normally gregarious Foot and his equally talkative marionette, Richard Clements, editor of 'Tribune', must both speak out. A new English edition of the 'First Five Years of the Communist International' in- corporating hitherto unpublished material from Volume XIII of Trotsky's Works'

FIVE YEARS OF THE

1.: fifi. Above: Michael Foot - says Press reports are untrue. Right: Wedgwood Benn—under attack.

And why the silence down the 'Morning Star'? at Why doesn't editor George Matthews rebuke Foot for his on Benn, attack outrageous which opens the door for the sabotage of a socialist plat- form in the next election.

As the economic crisis for Toryism it worsens is doubly diabolical for the re- formists survival de- whose pends on the well-being of the master. The working class must whatsoever place no faith in this discredited collection of demagogues and do-gooders.

That is why the construction of uncompromising, principled revolutionary leadership is the most pressing question in the workers' A stride movement. in the building of such a leader- ship will be taken at Belle Vue, Manchester, Sunday on the All Trades July 1 when Unions Alliance stages its national conference in defence of the basic democratic rights of the working class. Every trade unionist who is sickened and appalled by the of conniving the reformists Stalinists should be and the at Belle Vue. Five ed material The First Five Years of the Communist International This first volume of Trotsky's writings and speeches for the Communist International covers the period of its first three Congresses when the post-war revolutionary upsurge reached its peak and then began to recede. It establishes, without fear of con- tradiction, the important role which he played in the foundation of this, the Third workers' International, and in the formation and early development of the French, German and Italian Communist Parties. At this time the theory of socialism in one country' had been invented and Joseph Stalin was still a not second-line Bolshevik leader who played no part in the international movement which he was later to pervert and eventually destroy.

Price: £1.50. 421 pages. Available from: New Park Publications 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG or the Paperbacks Centre 28 Charlotte Street, London, W1 (Enclose 10p for postage) Workers Press, Wedn While dockers throughout the country are concerned about the growth of unregistered ports and the use of casual labour in the industry, it seems that the Ministry of Employment is helping the employers to develop this practice. The Fishers' fruit wharf at Heysham, Lancashire, employs casual labour for the most part, taken on a day-to-day basis. One of the main users of this port said earlier this year that the great advantage of using Heysham was the cheap- ness of unloading there by comparison with, say the cost of using Liverpool. He also re- ess, Wednesday June 27, 1973 PAGE 9 'Daily Telegraph': Rowland Summerscales, political staff: Mr. Wedgwood Benn, Shadow spokesman for trade and industry, was the subject of re the Shadow when crimination Cabinet met specially yesterday to consider long-term strategy, and what the the economy, Prime Minister has called the 'unacceptable face of capital- ism' Chief accuser was Mr Michael Foot, the Labour Party's leading He has been trying militant. very hard recently to help Mr Wilson, leader, and Mr Short, , leader, unite the party. deputy Mr Foot's speech against Mr Benn's activities was later des- cribed as a brilliant individual demolition effort' and there is no doubt that Mr Benn is now isolated in the Shadow Cabinet.

At the height of his oratory, Mr Foot stoppe asked him if he turned Benn, wanted the Labour Party win the election? to 'Financial Times': John Bourne, Lobby Editor: effective attack by Mr An Michael Foot, the titular of Labour's left wing, head against Mr Wedgwood Benn, the man who hopes to inherit Mr Foot's mantle, was the main yester- diversion at a meeting day of the Shadow Cabinet.

The meeting, called to dis- parliamentary party's cuss the • medium and long-term strategies, is said to have come to life when Mr Foot criticized Mr Benn for pushing ahead with the proposal that the next Labour government should na- the country's tionalize 25 of largest 100 companies, when it was discussed by the party's national executive. Mr Foot is also said to have asked rhetorically whether Mr wanted Labour Benn to the next win General Election. 'Guardian': lan Aitken, Poli- tical Correspondent: night about reports leaked from the party's Shadow Cabl- net of a confrontation between Mr Michael Foot and Mr An- thony Wedgwood Benn over the party's latest proposals for the nationalization of up to 25 major companies. Mr Foot, the standard bearer party's of traditional Bevanite left wing, is said to have sharply criticized Mr Benn for his determined advocacy of '25 a firm commitment to the companies' proposal. According to some witnesses, Mr Foot asked Mr Benn whether he was really interested in winning the next election. Mr Foot was of those who one voted in the minority against the proposal in the National Exe- cutive Committee earlier this month. ferred to the 'lack of labour trouble' Readers, particularly dock- ers, will therefore be interes- ted in the following exchange which took place in Lancaster Labour Exchange the other day. As you will know, a person who refuses to accept 'suitable employment' can be refused dole money. Worker: But I'm experienced in the building trade. I'm also a trained telephonist.

Surely, you are not saying that casual work at docks is 'suitable employ- ment'? Ministry officer: Oh yes, it is.

And the money's good. You won't get more round here.

Worker: Do you mean to say that if a skilled engineer, or a fitter, say, was to come in here, you'd send them for casual labour at Hey.

sham? as they've not got a back or something, if they're fit, we're sending them down there. We've got to. The em- ployers are crying out for men.

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday June 27, 1973

TV REVIEW

REVOLUTIONARY

artists was the rural flirtation—to create have a horrid fascination for an openly political art of the revolutionary bourgeoisie.

academic art historians, At the same time his main which do little to years subjects were classical: he went soften. Thus the first in the back to Roman and Greek his- for series of ITV tory episodes which could programmes determination express the new 10.30) (Wednesdays, by Sir of the insurgent Third Estate in Kenneth Clarke on 'Roman- a recognizable artistic language.

tic versus Classical Art' had In the first of these, "The Oath a double interest. of the Horatii', all the secondary figures, attendants and It showed the finest pictures SO which crowded earlier historical of the great painter Jacques-Louis paintings are eliminated.

David, chronicler of herald and The Horatii brothers themselves the French and also revolution, butterflies-in-the- stand almost single figure. the insipid, as a They are pledging themselves to tummy reactions of one of today's Rome with chief liberal aesthetes. defend in combat her of whose enemies — one David's strength consisted in leaders is married to their sister, cutting his of the way out weeping on the right. decorative charm and domestic could be moralizing of French 18th There scarcely a cen- clearer warning that revolutionary tury art-whose favourite subject nes

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Name. Address. war is at hand, that the demands of class and nation will chop the ties of family and subjective feeling. David's composition, simplified down to the bone, is nothing less than a cipher for a class which has class-for-itself, become a conscious of the tasks and sac- rifices which face it. The stand- ing male figures are entirely made up of straight lines and tensions, putting passivity of the woman into the background.

But according to Clarke's pro- gramme commentary the essence of the picture lies in the conflict of the masculine and feminine spirit. More than just a mis- understanding is involved here.

For bourgeois art historians, form is everything, content almost nothing. Art, they think, makes progress by ceaselessly changing its forms. So, though Clarke can- deny not the picture has a political significance, he feels the to discover irresistible pressure at its heart something. reassur- ingly "permanent'-the "battle of the sexes. In fact David did more than something new - he express painted what had not then even come into existence. The Oath of the Horatil' was painted five years before the revolution of 1789. Like a skilled surf-rider he power of the wave sensed the before it had begun to break.

His painting, therefore, was reflection of the not only a revolution, it was a popular

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A journal of international Marx- ism published by the Inter- national Committee of the Fourth International Spring 1973 David's 'The Oath of the Horatil... frightening aspects for bourgeois art historians. painter of the Emperor sensation it was court. as exhibited and it became-like the Napoleon. contributions of those who made Shortly after David's death the the pageant of "The Road French bourgeoisie was shooting to Worker's Power' - part of the down the Paris workers in the revolution of 1832. political preparation of the Perhaps it is this that explains revolution itself. 'The Oath contrast in a strange And this is why Clarke is of the Horatii'. In the foreground As he mesmerized by David. itself action, reason nerves commented another canvas and the scene is brightly lit to Death of Marat'): 'The fact ('The which show the figures in this that it work of great art 1s a is expressed. dangerous. makes it singularly But beyond, behind the the hallmark of such It is now columns, is a great dark space that they find intellectuals even David could not see. into which the revolution that brought them Nonetheless truthful, he was into being a terrifying event.

and he painted it into the picture.

did David's Yet brush the Clarke's not was programme revolutionary instrument of mention it. But I think it is not that it exploiting class. The 1789 revolu- an exaggeration to say made in the name of the future of human tion was represents of It will ideas-of and beyond capitalism. certain reason society 'liberty'. But by 1793 this liberty be the task of other revolutionary artists to light and to paint this had become violent reaction, and David himself later became the space.

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LENIN AND TROTSKY WRITING

ON EUROPE

Resolution of the 5th Congress of the Workers and six International Committee International League statements

Mersey shipyard workers picket for Multi-millionaire Lowson unperturbed by DTI probe PICKETS are back at the Cammell Laird's gates of shipyard, Birkenhead, they returned there on Monday only hours after a resumption of work by 70 stagers. The men threw up the picket line after hearing terms of the weekend settlement.

Last Friday the compar Closed the yard and dismissed the 70 stagers who had been or strike for three days. The strike re- sulted from a dispute over union membership and recognition of the men's nominations for shop stewards. has A conference been arranged with the Merseyside Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions. The stagers dispute goes back 12 months ago when they de- Sir Denys Lowson, the ex-M: share coup, is totally unpertur were first raised about the tra said that it was a lot of fuss ab A £6m share operation may be 'nothing' to Lowson, who is reputedly one of Britain's wealthie men, but to the working class, forced to live under the terms of Heath's fl plus 4 per cent, it is scandalous. This week the Department of Trade and Industry investi- gators will start their examin- ation of the deal which is believed to have netted Lowson and his family a cool f4m.

baronet and Sir Denys, a holder of the Order of Dogwood of British Columbia, is the chair- man of the National Group of Unit Trusts. Between July and September last year Lowson, his son and other family interests bought shares in National at 62p.

He purchased most of them from two publicly-quoted invest- ments trusts, First Re-investment Trust and Nelson Financial Trust.

But it so happens that Lowson is chairman of First Re-invest- ment and is a director of Nelson.

In other words, he was buying the shares 'internally' from him- self, for himself.

SOLD SHARES

In January this year Lowson agreed to sell his 70 per cent controlling interest the in National to Mr Tom group Whyte's Triumph Investment Trust. The selling price was £8.67 a share. That is to say, in a of less than six months, period the price of National stock had skyrocketed from 62p a share to £8.67. This meant that the overall value of the group had risen from £474,000 to £6.6m. Accordingly, Lowson and his family made a profit of just under £4m. This would have gone to First Re-investment, Nelson and the other Lowson companies had chairman their not made his fortuitous purchases! According to the City pages of the Fleet Street Press, Tom Whyte's Triumph Investment Trust is 'horrified'.

REFUSE OPTIONS

There are rumours that Triumph will refuse to take up options on the remaining 30 per cent balance of National shares next year. Hints have appeared that Triumph may demand recom- pensation from Lowson. Last week Whyte with fellow Lord Chelmer, sug- gested that independent account- cided to get out of the General and Municipal Workers' Union, because of its lack of militancy the Boilermakers' join and Society. At first the move was success- ful. But then after complaints from the G&MWU leaders a TUC inquiry ordered the stagers to quit their new union, which had, in the meantime, negotiated a substantial pay increase.

But the men refused, even though the Boilermakers' leaders were forced to disown them.

The 14 workers who had tried to make the switch were left in

BY ALEX MITCHELL

e ex-Mayor of London involved in inperturbed about the affair. When the transaction, Lowson is reporte fuss about nothing. ants be brought in to conduct an inquiry. This would have kept the affair in secret and in the family of the City of London.

Lowson was contemptuous of the The 'Sunday suggestion. Times' commented: Sir Denys gave short shrift to requests for an outside look at the books and showed no signs of penitence' What is uniformly characteristic of the Tory Press reports is that they look to Lowson for some sign of humility or apology. They don't get it because Lowson is only conducting his affairs in the he has done for three way decades. He of the first was one operators into the unit trust business after the war. His National group has always been 'cavalier' in its regarded as approach to business traditions.

STABLE TRAINED

One of the young mer of finance trained in the National stable was Edward du Cann, Tory MP for Taunton, eX- chairman of the Tory Party, and present-day chairman of the in- fluential 1922 Committee.

On leaving National, du Cann went on to found the Unicorn Trusts and became associated with other business deals like Rolls Razor, Vehicle and General, Rolls-Royce, Investors Overseas Services (IOS) and Lonrho.

Lowson is reported to have a personal investment fortune of some £200m. He is a director of more than companies and chairman of most of them.

John Gordon in the 'Sunday Express' said: 'I suppose he can the City establishment: Peak of be said to be at the His largest interests are over- seas and include the Anglo-Thai Corporation, Algoma Central Railway: Australian Estates (which has vast land holdings in

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

no-man's land, without a union, while a further 58 who joined the Boilermakers from being non-unionists, were allowed to stay put. But the stagers' patience broke management refused when to recognize shop stewards elected by the from the Boiler- men makers' Society. One of them, Sam Ball, ex- plained: 'We were very tolerant.

Myself and another steward, Pat Mearney, agreed to step down Ived in the £6m When questions reported to have Sir Denys Lo the Australian outback second only in size to the Vestey family's) and Kulim. He has a penchant for railway investments: apart from Algoma, he is also chairman of Costa Rica Railway and was formerly director of Antofagasta (Chile) and Bolivia Railway, both which are now nationalized.

STRIP-MINING

One of his most notorious ventures is strip-mining in Ten- nessee. He is chairman of the American Association which is flattening and scouring whole chunks of the countryside search- ing for coal. The environmental destruction inflicted by the company was documented by Granada Tele- 'World in Action' last vision's November in a programme called "The Stripping of Apalachia'.

The film deplored the ruining of the countryside as well as the danger of tips to the local inhabitants. What was financially socially

SOCIALIS

given by Peter Jeffries Sunday July 8 Chartism, yesterday and today Sunday July 15 The Revolutionary Party and the British working class at Stanley Halls Upper Parliament Street 3 p.m. Workers Press, Wed in case we were an obstacle to progress, but it was just no use.

Management still refused to recognize the new men we chose to represent us. This dispute is for the right to be represented by stewards of our choice and to belong to the union of our choice. We are determined not to give in.' The management, of course, claims that they are quite blame- inter- less-facing one more union dispute. The dispute has brought a number of complaints and issues to the surface. • Denys Lowson... 'A lot of fuss' 'acceptable' in the past, longer today. Lowson's is what even certain Tories have called the ugly face of capitalism acquisition of enormous wealth by share manipulation and ex- ploitation of workers here and abroad. Sections of the Tory Press are making out that Lowson is com- pletely impervious to criticism because he is such a big wheeler dealer. He is in five livery com- panies and as past Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England is a 'very big shot freemason indeed'.

AUTHORITY GONE

But all his grandiose connec- mean nothing impact of working class. The Lonrho, Lambton-Jellicoe, Poul- son and Polwarth has stripped these ruling class gents of any authority. The first demand of the revolutionary party will be the expropriation of the Lowsons of this world.

OCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE LECTUR

Manchester given by Peter Jeffries Sunday July 8 Chartism, yesterday and today Sunday July 15 The Revolutionary Party and the British working class at Black Lion Blacktriars St/Chapel St near Salford Bus Station 7.30 p.m. ress, Wednesday June 27, 1973 PAGE 11 Militants at the yard have long been dissatisfied with the official ten-man shop stewards' commit- which tee under the operates wing of the Merseyside Confed- eration of Shipbuilding and Engi- neering Unions. •Conditions at the yard have been deteriorating some time', said Norman Roberts.

'We are the lowest-paid ship- yard workers in Britain outside of Belfast. Apart from wages, our conditions allowances have not changed for decades. 'They are trying to defeat these stagers by pitting the yard la'our force against them.

Well they won't succeed. I would not like to say much about the inter- union issue, but these workers have a perfect right to demand the representation they chose.

We back them 100 per cent.'

ALL TRADES

UNIONS ALLIANCE

MEETINGS

HULL: Wednesday, June 27, 8 Windmill Hotel, Forward to the Belle vue con- Witham. ference! June 27, 8 p.m. "The Sea Lion, Town Road, Hanley. 'Force the Tories to resign.' CAMBRIDGE: Thursday June 28, • p.m. Mawson Hali, Mawsor Road, off Mill Road. •Forward to ATUA Conference on July 1.'

FELTHAM: Thursday, June 28, 8 p.m. 'The Three Horse Shoes' High Street. The struggle for the Revolutionary Party."

LANCASTER: Thursday June 28, 7.30 p.m. The Trades Hall, •Fenton Street, near the Post Office. FELTHAM: Thursday, July 5, 8 p.m. Three Horse Shoes', Felt- ham High Street. 'Report-back from the Belle Vue rally and conference'.

SOCIALIST LABOUR

LEAGUE LECTURES

Given by Gerry Healy National Secretary of the Socialist Labour League Sunday July 8 Theory and Practice of Marxism Sunday July 15 Role of the Revolutionary Party at The Red Lion Worsborough Near Barnsley 7.30 p.m. Published

LECTURES

Leicester lectures given by Cliff Slaughter (SLL Central Committee) The Soclallst Revolutlon In Britain: 3. The state and revolution.

Reformism and revolution in Britain. The fight for demo- rights today means cratic preparing for working-class power. Sunday July 8 Stockingfarm Community Centre, Stockingfarm 7.30 p.m.

Watergate cover-up 'a way of life' —Dean Massey-Ferguson stewards deny Press reports No pay leap-frog Row expected over 'casual' dockers PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday Jun JOHN DEAN III, the former counsel to the White House, said yesterday he believed break into the plans to Democratic Party head- quarters would have been reported to President Nixon.

Dean was being cross-examined before the Senate Watergate enquiry on the sensational 6$- hour testimony he read to the committee on Monday. In that document Dean pub- licly accused Nixon of involve-

BY OUR OV

MASSEY-FERGUSON shop s that they plan a 'leapfrogging workers at Peterborough are members are paid up to £20 a parts, said that reports that suc the company's hard line in the They have complained to 'Sun' Monday's the about completely false report. Perkins stewards, who with 5,700 other workers have been locked out for last two weeks. are also incensed by the reports. They sent a telegram to Bob Wright, executive council man of the engineers' union, asking why when he visited Peterborough last week he had hinted that Coventry might their differentials re- present stored. Yesterday afternoon, Wright meeting attended at East- bourne of the Massey-Ferguson joint negotiating body. Although a routine meeting of the committee, both man- agement and stewards at Perkins felt the lock-out was certain to be discussed. After a meeting of senior Perkins stewards yesterday morning, deputy convenor Jeff Cain said all sections of workers co-operating fully with were pickets.

→ ATUA MEETING -

Lessons of the Perkins Lock-out Peterborough

WEDNESDAY JUNE 27

7.30 p.m. The Still Cumbergate Speaker: Ken Tyrrell Shop steward Massey Ferguson (in personal capacity) BARDON HILL, the last of the National Coal Board's pits in West Northumberland, will close in September, putting 240 miners out of work. The drift mine was opened 33 years ago and pro- duces some 60,000 tons of coal a year. The NCB says that there was a loss of £4 on every ton produced last year. THE FIRST of 500 'casual, supplementary dockers has started work on Liverpool docks—with just three days to go before the national port shop stewards' committee is due to decide its policy on supplementaries. So anxious were the employ- ers to push the initial batch of 39 supplementaries out onto the quays that they were virtually 'crammed' with the skills thev need to perform dock work.

The normal docker's training by the National course, run Dock Labour Board, takes three weeks. In the case of the sup- plementaries the course was concentrated into just one week and they reported for allocation to their employers on Monday morning. lesday June 27, 1973 ment in covering up the Water- said gate scandal. the President had offered to provide $lm to buy the silence of the convicted burglars. Yesterday Dean began by answering questions from Samuel Dash, chief counsel to the Water- gate committee. He said he believed plans for Watergate break-in the would have been reported to the Presi- dent by H. R. Haldeman, the White House chief-of-staff.

Dean described White the House chain of command leading

• OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

shop stewards at Coventry yesterd frogging' pay claim if Perkins dies gh are granted parity. The stewar • £20 a week more than their Perkins that such a claim would be made had in the dispute at Peterborough.

A DISPUTE has broken out in the Olympia exhibition centre in west London following a shock decision dis- management to band the paint shop permanently.

Twenty-eight men were paid off on the spot without any priór consultation with the unions involved. This caused an immediate stoppage of all trades in the hall and pickets were out yesterday (above). On Monday 50 stewards re- presenting London's 3,000 exhi- decided unani- bition workers mously to black all work at Olympia and Earls Court, both owned by Sterling Guarantee Trust. A £28m takeover bid was made for Sterling by Town and City Properties yesterday. Direc- tors of Sterling, their families Slater Walker Securities and have agreed to accept the bid for more than half their shares.

The bid values Sterling shares at 312p. At one time last year they were 168p.

BY DAVID M

This week another batch of 70 men-nominated by docks branches of the General Workers ransport and Union employers from a big waiting list—is being trained, mostly at the NDLB training centre at Prince's Half-Tide Dock. Saturday's meeting of the na- tional stewards' committee could be stormy. Dockers in a majority of the will be represented ports who have already declared their op- position to the attempts of the Tory government and a majority of employers to expand the supplementary register. Unlike dockers, permanent who enjoy a form of job security under the 1947 Dock Labour from the President's office into the Committee to Re-elect the President. He said Haldeman would have received reports from CREEP's Stuart deputy chief, Jeb Magruder, via the assistart White House Gordon chief-of-staff Strachan. Magruder has already testified that he reported on the Water- gate plans to Strachan before the break-in took place. He has complicity in the plot admitted the Democrats' head- . to bug quarters. yesterday denied ns diesel engine stewards, whose Perkins counter- ade had bolstered

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STAGERS on strike at Cantmell Laird's shipyard on Merseyside attacked union officials yesterday after Bill Crighton of the Mer- seyside Confederation of Ship- building and Engineering Unions condemned their dispute. A Confederation leaflet said the dis- pute 'is not directed against the management but against the rest of the workers in the yard. Ex- shop steward Sam Ball said: "The officials are trying to turn the men against us. Our dispute is with management? See page 11.

MYSTERIOUS

court proceed- ings at Old Street magistrate's court yesterday involving strip club owner, James Humphreys, who is being held by police in Appeared before a magistrate ses witnesses Fifteen swear statements. The mystery developed when Humphrey's name was not mentioned and court officials would not discuss

•DAVID MAUDE

Scheme, supplementaries can be sacked at a week's notice either by their immediate employer or the Dock Labour Board. Employers and the DLBs thus always hold a disciplinary whip over their backs, which they cannot use against permanents.

In ports such as Southampton, where there is a large percentage of supplementaries, this already being used as a lever for speed-up. •Browne, who Sir Humphrey British Transport chairs the Docks Board which runs South- ampton, has envisaged a further growth the supplementary register. He joins the chorus of praise for the system from Tory Peyton Ministers John and Maurice MacMilian. Asked yesterday for an opinion whether Haldeman would on have reported to the President the information he received from Strachan the Democratic on the break-in break-in plan and itself, Dean said: 'I believe he probably would have reported it?

Dean said the cover-up became 'an instant way of life' at the White House from the day five of the Watergate conspirators were caught red-handed in the Democrats' headquarters. It he said, 'a massive was, cover-up' re-over creates

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the matter. Later it was learned that to comply with Dutch law, statements for the extradition Humphreys had to be sworn in court in front of a magistrate.

Humphreys has been in custody weeks in connection two with allegations of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm. BACKING for 300 newspaper workers locked out by T. Bailey Forman, publishers of the 'Guardian Journal' Nottingham and 'Evening Post', came yes- terday when the Nottingham- shire council of the National Union of Mineworkers issued immediate directive to all an lodges that miners and colliery workers should not buy the or advertise in blackleg 'Post' printworkers it. The were locked out following company attempts to steamroller produc- tion workers into using new equipment on its terms. The Liverpool stewards, how- ever, have already given notice that they do intend not to change their decision to accept recruitment to the supplemen- tary register. On the other hand, Tilbury dockers have called for a na- tional campaign against it. And their stewards could well be joined in this call by men from Hull, Manchester, London's Royals and some smaller ports.

• Talks are expected later this week on the manning dispute which has held up the new timber-handling facilities at Liverpool's multi-million-pound Seaforth Dock. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Co says it hopes for 'an early meeting' on the disputed manning of the Seaforth grain terminal.

JUNE FUND

FOUR DAYS

TO RAISE

£767.41 IT LOOKS like it is going to be a fight to the last day to com- plete our £1,750 June Fund.

There are now only four days left, dear readers, so it is into action right away. The fight for our Fund is vital The this month. enormous economic crisis is forcing the class to attack every ruling basic right of the working class.

Workers Press must be used to lead the fight to defend these rights and to campalgn to bring thousands of workers to our conference at Belle Vue July 1 to discuss these vital issues. So don't waste any time. Take collections wherever you can.

Let's have our biggest campaign yet and complete our target by this coming Saturday. Rush every donation Immediately to: Workers Press June Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG

LIN

FROM PAGE ONE

But the judge, flanked by the chaplain in frock coat, dismissed the protest. Yesterday's hearing marked the start of six separate jury trials in Mold and Shrewsbury involving building workers arres ted while picketing. The climax will come in Octo- ber at Shrewsbury when the before Shrewsbury 24 appear the Crown Court there. Five of yesterday's defendants will be appearing in this trial.

The eight all pleaded not guilty to joint charges of making affray, intimidation and an damage to property. are Derrick Hughes, They Colin Kelly, William Michael • Gwyn Edward Roberts, Tohn Kenneth Seaburg, Gwynfor Williams, Edward Leonard Wil- liams, Kenneth Desmond Francis O'Shea.. Mr Hughes pleaded guilty to throwing rock : at a dumper a truck and Mr O'Shea to damag- ing a window. All the offences are alleged to Brenig have taken place at Reservoir, Denbigh, on Septem- ber 11 last year. There were 12 challenges be- fore the jury was selected.

The case was adjourned until today because one of the defenco counsel involved in an was accident on his way to court.

£100,000 PARTY

BUILDING FUND

IT'S STILL coming in, and there is little doubt that our readers will do their utmost see we make the to £100,000 by October 31. Yesterday • we received £16.57 — Swindon 50p; Bracknell £10; north Lon- don, sub district SLL £6.07.

The total is now £51,783.66.

Post all donations to: Party Building Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG