Workers Press no. 765

workers press

RECALL TUC TO

ANSWER TORIES

DAILY OF

OPTIMISTIC SIGN

at deserted Euston yesterday obviously reflected in the haste to get the rail unions' appeal bet judges as possible after the NI as soon ordered a ballot of railwaymen THE CASE for recalling the TUC congress to affirm total opposition to the Industrial Relations Act is overwhelming.

As the Tory ministers and their National Industrial Relations Court fire fresh broadsides, the trade union leaders are reduced to a state of paralysis by shell- shock. Only the united voice of the full membership of the trade union movement can halt the retreat and turn back the Tory offensive. The character of the next stage of the Tory attack is revealed in two weekend by premier speeches Edward Heath and his Employment Secretary, Maurice Macmillan.

Both speeches are aimed at drawing the right-wing of the trade union move- ment into greater levels of class-collabora- tion with the government.

By wielding the threat of the Act and the NIRC, the Tories want the unions state-style wages to a corporate council. If such a council of employers and trade unions is established, the Tories will have taken Britain a further step on the road to a Bonapartist state.

Speaking at the Scottish Tory Party's annual conference Heath invited the TUC leaders to join this vicious scheme. He offered further talks to work out new methods for settling industrial disputes. He said previous talks with the unions had been helpful: I hope that in same spirit we can now move to a further stage. I hope that we can work out to- gether new methods for the settlement of disputes.' He made clear, however, that the dis- cussions would take place within the shadow of the Act.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

AILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTE!

Iston Station Tories' peal before er the NIRC

BY ALEX MITC

In London, at a conference of Conserva- tive Trade Unionists, Macmillan peddled the extraordinary line that Victor Feather of the TUC was some kind of rabid revo- Feather's lutionary. He questioned authority to declare: "The TUC's main priority is to force an election because of the appalling retrograde and divisive poli- cies of the Conservative government.

Macmillan said a lot of trade unionists "wild pretty fed up with Feather's are talk" There is no evidence that I know of which shows of trade a majority the community are unionists let alone against the legislation.'

Wounded because he was painted as a man of fighting spirit, Feather made an astonishing picaded that he had only made the state- to Macmillan. ment because it was TUC congress policy.

That being the case, why doesn't it? Why Feather do something about doesn't he carry out other Congress decisions-non-co-operation with the Act, for instance? And if he is in any doubt about TUC policy, why does he not immediately re- call congress so that the 10 million mem- bers can have their views heard?

What has reduced the trade union leaders to their cringing demeanour has been the rapidity with which the NIRC is dispensing its vicious judgements.

• On Friday the Court adjudged that trade unions must discipline or dismiss shop stewards who fail to carry out the wishes of the Court. Answering the point that the withdrawal of credentials from shop stewards might damage industrial re- lations and cause strikes, Court president Sir John Donaldson, said: WITH the ballot paper being sent to railmen will go a separate docu- ment drawn up by British Rail which will inform its employees what the latest offer will mean to each one of them. This was revealed in the Court ETTER • MONDAY MAY 15, 1972 • No 765

MIMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEA

STRINA C

X MITCHELL

*These dangers are obvious. But they are short-term dangers. They must be faced in order that in the longer term we may have an orderly system of industrial rela- tions of which we can all be proud. This will take leadership and courage in full measure. Surely the union has both.'

The message is clear enough: the T&GWU's Jack Jones and his right-wing of must get together to purge the union militants regardless of the immediate con- sequences. Nothing could be plainer.

• Saturday the Court held an emergency session to hear a government application to stage a compulsory ballot on the rail pay claim. Mr Maurice Finer, QC, for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association argued that Macmillan had produced no evidence to show that there was a diverg- ence between the attitude of the leader- ship and the membership to the Jarratt pay award. (Under the Act to get a ballot the government has to prove that the leader- ship in rejecting the offer is not acting with the authority of the membership.)

Commenting on this union objection, Donaldson merely observed in his judge- ment: "They [the unions] are fully entitled to their view, but we cannot exclude the possibility that they may be honestly mis- taken.' On hearing the judgement on Saturday night, Mr Peter Pain, OC, for ASLEF, gave notice of appeal. He hoped to make an application to the court of appeal on Monday. Sir John interrupted: Planning in this court goes a long way. I am author- ized to tell you I have the telephone numbers of Lord Denning, Master of Appeal, who would certainly entertain an of Appeal yesterday when the three unions appealed against the NIRCs decision to order a compulsory ballot.

The additional document with the ballot paper means that manage- ment's case has an added opportu- nity of persuasion. 4р

UR LEAGUE

STRENA CLOSED

UNTIL MONORY

application for a sitting tomorrow (Sun- day).: In that case, Mr Pain replied, perhaps an application should be made tomorrow.

*Telephone now, replied Sir John. He went on: It is better to apply now by - telephone although I am not suggesting the appeal should be heard by telephone.

Such the manner in which Tory "justice' is dispensed in the wage fight of more than 230,000 railway workers!

• Yesterday, Lord Denning (73)-the man who presided the Profumo over whitewash-and two other judges, Lord Justice Roskill (62) and Lord Justice Buckley (67), began hearing the unions' appeal in an unprecedented Sunday hear- ing. While they were meeting the Commis- sion on Industrial Relations, headed by Mr Len Neal, was preparing the ballot papers for the railwaymen. Neal is a former head of industrial relations on the British Rail board and a known right-winger.

The single question on the ballot will be: 'In the light of British Railways' pay offer (of which you have been informed) do you wish take part in further to industrial action?' Next to the question will be two squares marked 'Yes' and 'No'. As the decision to hold a ballot was given, Sir Sidney Greene of the NUR said he was 'a bit surprised".

Percy Coldrick of the TSSA said: *I am not prepared to comment on the decision.

While Ray Buckton of ASLEF said the decision reflected on the right of trade union leaders to speak on behalf of their rank and file. "Their whole credibility is in jeopardy, he said. Buckton can say that again! With the reformists bereft of any poli- cies to fight the Act or the government, the Tories are now preparing the coup de grace. They have introduced laws making trade union leaders the policemen of their members, now they want them to become linked in wage-cutting council-either a in or outside the court. There is one urgent call of the hour: Recall the TUC and prepare for forcing the government out of ouce The is the stiffening alternative of Heath's Bonapartist rule and all the brutal repression that means.

workers press

RECALL TUC TO

ANSWER TORIES

DAILY Of OPTIMISTIC SIGN at deserted Euston Stat reflected yesteraay obviously in the Tori haste to get the rail unions' appeal bef judges as soon as possible after the NI ordered a ballot of railwaymen THE CASE for recalling the TUC congress to affirm total opposition to the Industrial Relations Act is overwhelming.

As the Tory ministers and their National Industrial Relations Court fire fresh broadsides, the trade union leaders are reduced to a state of paralysis by shell- shock. Only the united voice of the full membership of the trade union movement can halt the retreat and turn back the Tory offensive. The character of the next stage of the Tory attack is revealed in two weekend speeches by premier Edward Heath and his Employment Secretary, Maurice Macmillan.

Both speeches are aimed at drawing the right-wing of the trade union move- ment into greater levels of class-collabora- tion with the government.

By wielding the threat of the Act and the NIRC, the Tories want the unions to join a corporate state-style wages council. If such a council of employers and trade unions is established, the Tories will have taken Britain a further step on the road to a Bonapartist state.

Speaking at the Scottish Tory Party's annual conference Heath invited the TUC leaders to join this vicious scheme. He offered further talks to work out new methods for settling industrial disputes.

He said previous talks with the unions had been helpful: I hope that in the same spirit we can now move to a further stage. I hope that we can work out to- gether new methods for the settlement of disputes.' He made clear, however, that the dis- would take place within the cussions shadow of the Act.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER •

AILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTE!

ston Station Tories' before er the NIRC

BY ALEX MITC

In London, at a conference of Conserva- tive Trade Unionists, Macmillan peddled the extraordinary line that Victor Feather of the TUC was some kind of rabid revo- He Feather's lutionary. questioned authority to declare: 'The TUC's main priority is to force an election because of the appalling retrograde and divisive poli- cies of the Conservative government.'

Macmilian said 'a lot of trade unionists "wild Feather's There is no evidence that I know of which shows a majority of trade unionists let alone the community are against the legislation.'

Wounded because he was painted as a man of fighting spirit, Feather made an astonishing to Macmillan. reply pleaded that he had only made the state- ment because it was TUC congress policy.

That being the why doesn't case, Feather do something about it? Why doesn't he carry out other Congress decisions—non-co-operation with the Act, for instance? And if he is in any doubt about TUC policy, why does he not immediately re- call congress so that the 10 million mem- bers can have their views heard?

What has reduced the trade union leaders to their cringing demeanour has been the rapidity which the NIRC with is dispensing its vicious judgements.

On Friday the Court adjudged that trade unions must discipline or dismiss shop stewards who fail to carry out the wishes of the Court. Answering the point that the withdrawal of credentials from shop stewards might damage industrial re- lations and cause strikes, Court president Sir John Donaldson, said: WITH the ballot paper being sent to railmen will go a separate docu- ment drawn up by British Rail which will inform its employees what the latest offer will mean to each one of them. This was revealed in the Court ETTER • MONDAY MAY 15, 1972 • No 765 • 4p

MMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEA

NEW CL

27 an

X MITCHELL

'These dangers are obvious. But they are short-term dangers. They must be faced in order that in the longer term we may have an orderly system of industrial rela- tions of which we can all be proud. This will take leadership and courage in measure. Surely the union has both.'

The message is clear enough: the T&GWU's Jack Jones and his right-wing must get together to purge the union of militants regardless of the immediate con- sequences. Nothing could be plainer: • Saturday the Court held an emergency session to hear a government application to stage a compulsory ballot on the rail pay claim. Mr Maurice Finer, OC, for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association argued that Macmillan had produced no evidence to show that there was a diverg- ence between the attitude of the leader- ship and the membership to the Jarratt pay award. (Under the Act to get a ballot the government has to prove that the leader- ship in rejecting the offer is not acting with the authority of the membership.)

Commenting on this union objection, Donaldson merely observed in his judge- ment: 'They [the unions] are fully entitled to their view, but we cannot exclude the possibility that they may be honestly mis- taken.' On hearing the judgement on Saturday Peter Pain, night, Mr QC, for ASLEF gave notice of appeal. He hoped to make an application to the court of appeal on Monday. Sir John interrupted: 'Planning in this court goes a long way. I am author- ized to tell you I have the telephone numbers of Lord Denning, Master of Appeal, who would certainly entertain an of Appeal yesterday when the three unions appealed against the NIRCs decision to order a compulsory ballot.

The additional document with the ballot paper means that manage- ment's case has an added opportu- nity of persuasion.

UR LEAGUE

JAN CLE

UNTIL MONDAY

Lisa Coron fr :: to Tar ferror 1635 Berrar! application for a sitting tomorrow (Sun- day).' In that case, Mr Pain replied, perhaps an application should be made tomorrow. now, 'Telephone replied Sir John. He went on: It is better to apply now by • telephone although I am not suggesting the appeal should be heard by telephone.'

Such is the manner in which Tory "justice' is dispensed in the wage fight of more than 230,000 railway workers!

• Yesterday, Lord Denning (73)-the man who presided over the Profumo whitewash-and two other judges, Lord Justice Roskill (62) and Lord Justice Buckley (67), began hearing the unions' appeal in an unprecedented Sunday hear- ing. While they were meeting the Commis- sion on Industrial Relations, headed by Mr Len Neal, was preparing the ballot papers for the railwaymen. Neal is a former head of industrial relations on the British Rail board and a known right-winger.

The single question on the ballot will be: 'In the light of British Railways' pay offer (of which you have been informed) do you wish to take part in further industrial action?' Next to the question will be two squares marked 'Yes' and 'No'. As the decision to hold a ballot was given, Sir Sidney Greene of the NUR said he was 'a bit surprised'.

Percy Coldrick of the TSSA said: I am not prepared to comment on the decision.'

While Ray Buckton of ASLEF said the decision reflected on the right of trade union leaders to speak on behalf of their rank and file. 'Their whole credibility is in jeopardy,' he said. Buckton can say that again! With the reformists bereft of any poli- cies to fight the Act or the government, the Tories are now preparing the coup de grace. They have introduced laws making trade union leaders the policemen of their members, now they want them to become linked in a wage-cutting council-either in or outside the court. There is one urgent call of the hour: Recall the TUC and prepare the ground for forcing the government out of office.

is the stiffening The alternative of Heath's Bonapartist rule and all the brutal repression that means.

PAGE 2 Worker& Press, Monday May 15,

BY A FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENT

MORE clashes broke out yesterday between police and students in Tanarive, capital of the Malagasy Republic, after a night of curfew under a state of emergency imposed on Saturday. The official death toll rose to 15 and the government reported 150 injured. But other reports spoke of 20 dead and 400 injured, while usually reliable sources said 400 were under arrest and others hospitals in Tanarive the crowded. President Philibert Tsirinana declared a state of emergency on Saturday night stating on the radio that 'communist agitators are spawning trouble among the people'. He added: 'If you want to die, follow the agitators.'

The Interior Ministry announced an island-wide curfew would be in effect from 8 p.m.

to 6 a.m. and declared that any- the streets during this one on time would be 'shot without warning'. But explosions were heard late into Saturday night in the Malagasy Republic capital.

Eyewitnesses said one of the main clashes occurred when security forces used tear-gas grenades to break up a demon- stration against the arrest of stud- ent leaders. The students replied by throwing stones ... and then shooting began. The students went on strike 20 days ago demanding a radical revision of the country's educa- tion system. But Malagasy Interior Minister Berthelmy Johasy said the strike at overthrowing the was aimed ruling Social Democratic Party student regime and that the movement was really a cloak for subversive political elements who would no longer be tolerated by the government. Almost a year ago, the island was the scene of bloody disorders in which police claim to have killed 45 left-wing rebels.

Tsirinana was returned unop- posed with 99.72 per cent of the votes at the last presidential election. He is one of the chief black African advocates of dia- logue with South Africa and his regime is subsidised from Pre- toria.

ALL TRADES UNIONS

ALLIANCE

MEETINGS

Fight the Tories' 'fair rents' Bill WANDSWORTH: Thursday May 18, 8 p.m. Selkirk Hotel, Sel- kirk Rd, Tooting Broadway.

DAGENHAM: Tuesday May 23, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Fanshawe Avenue, Barking. CLAPHAM: Tuesday May 23, 8 p.m. Small Hall, Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor St, SW4. WEST LONDON: Tuesday May 23, 8 p.m. 'Prince Albert' Wharfedale Rd, off York Way, Kings Cross. SOUTHALL: Thursday May 25, 8 p.m. Parkway Rooms (Rent office), Racecourse Estate, Northolt (next to swimming pool). NORTH LONDON: Thursday , 8 p.m. 'Bricklayer's May 25, , Tottenham High Rd (nr Arms', White Hart Lane) CROYDON: Thursday May 25, 8 p.m. Ruskin House, Coombe Rd. LUTON: Thursday May 25, 8 p.m. St John Ambulance Hall, Lea Rd. SOUTH EAST LONDON: Thurs- day May 25, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club (opposite New Cross Station). EAST LONDON: Tuesday May 30, 8 p.m. 'Aberfeldy'. Aber- feldy St, E.14. у Мау 15, 1972 THE FUTURE of trade unionism is in the balance.

Through the National Industrial Relations Court, the Tory government has made its intentions crystal clear.

Trade union leaders are legally-bound by the Court to discipline their shop stewards, even if it should pro- voke a strike. In practice, this means that under the Industrial Relations Act trade union leaders have been trans- into the policemen for the Tory government formed within the Legal precedent for such a judge- unions. led to the President of the Court, Sir John ment Donaldson, reaffirming the infamous Taff Vale judge- ment of 1901. 'The law was stated with clarity and precision,' "by Mr Justice Farwell in the Taff Vale Case he said, (1901: AC 426.433). Granted that the principal has not authorized the particular act, but he has put the agent in his place to that class of act, and he is answerable for the manner in which the agent has himself in doing the business with which conducted the principal has entrusted him.

The repeal of the 1906 Trades Disputes Act by the Only the transfor. ation of the Socialist Labour passing of the Industrial Relations Act 1971 has acti- League into a revolutionary party can now effectively vated the Taff Vale judgement and placed the destruc.

provide the Marxist leadership and policies needed to rights of the tion majority of the basic of trade defend the trade unions. unionism on the NIRC's agenda.

The Socialist Labour League in this grave hour It has revealed the utter bankruptcy of all those calls upon to stand firm within Stalinist leaders who refused to trade union and the trade unions against the Tory onslaught. Force mobilize united strength of the working class Ine the old bureaucratic leaders to get out. Replace them against the Tory government before the Act became with leaders pledged to create the industrial and political conditions to force the Tory government to These same traitors are now back-pedalling as fast as they can away from a confrontation with the Immediately, it means the recalling of the TUC in government, while at the same time permitting it to order to prepare the working class to resist the provoke the working class into conflicts with the law through taking the industrial and politi- government under conditions where it will be intimidated and its cal offensive against it.

vitally necessary to fighting capacity whittled away in deprive the Tory government of the element of sur- a period of history far more This can only be done through the preparation prise. dangerous than in 1926. Then it was a General Strike of the General Strike. want The NIRC has not just served 21 days' notice on cowardice of the reformist leaders, in order to destroy General the Transport and Workers' Union. This democratic rights of the working notice applies to the whole of the working class.

d'etat. The precedent is not 1926, those three vital weeks there must be During But even this analysis provides us only with the demonstrations united massive barest forms of historical throughout all the cities and towns movement At the turn of the century British capitalism was throughout the country. booming from the super-profits of imperialist colonial Councils of action, consisting of all tendencies Today it is in its death agony. Its per- within the labour movement, must be organized status of its former colonial slaves.

order to draw millions of trade unionists and tenants and unemployed into action against the government.

The Taff Vale judgement spurred on the trade Labour Party The working class is the most powerful force in Britain today. Given bold decisive leadership it can bankruptcy of reformism and the Stalinist so-called make this government resign and replace it with a peaceful road to socialism'.

Labour government pledged to socialist policies.

AMERICAN planes News Agency reported destroyed, the news significance, and at the weekend that two have begun bombing renacon

POLICE

used tear-gas and bombs had JS wa using perforat- know nothing the the irrigation dykes Amencan clashes water-cannon to break up torn hole 100 feet and demolition raids. Ing Red River Delta supporters between wide Red River bombs attacks But destruction of the Popular Unity of North Vietnam. government and has been Con шуке seculot uncaron borecks. right-wing oppositionists dams in discussion are Hanoi on Dykes and Washing- Ine dykes city 330 control the river's Wednesdayus other parts of the coun- ton for some years, miles south of Santiago, at the floodwaters the The planes also weekend. Calllc unacl renacon ravers the show. returned scene easter ThIS At least three people were they are season. the advance clashes revonec wounced. breached, there could came alter the government naa widespread flooding be feet US authorized right-wing march mese were dole to redal with counter-demonstra-

JOSS

unousanas spokesmen but banned a of lives. tion ov rob buy supporter The North Vietnam They ignored the order despite radio President Salva a or Allende to his supporters not

QUEBEC

Group premier and unless agreement was There been have Robert Bourassa Marcel Pepin. reached by June student demonstrations oresiacal National Con- and PRESIDENT Cevdet mittedi the weekend the The leaders places Sunay has UnIOn that federation Trade government ended the strike under radio stations have beer cabinet

IC CLICH

new faced difficult situa- Unions. threat cumula- proposed by premier-designate huge occub ee broadcast freed against the government. Suat Hayri Urguplu non because can fines. Workers

LIVC

00- Lilt strikes throughout from prison as soon grounds that ing Quebec govern- , it does satisfy posing ine lalings nave but de- they the province lodge closed down all busin- ment itself is divided ally demands Clared: 'W e industry and public The ousted al c aralnst contendi its relations with Suleiman UVEi equipped court sentences, which Demirel's government 13 „tace The the Federal government

SCIVICO

music and we will do it.' they have so far refused Sept Iles, St Jerome and in Ottawa. demanding administra- asu Thousands of workers do. Thetford Mines. would 'above Tor Which So far the Federal They party, able are strike une were sentencea ensure internal The municipal council government has not in- civil service and private year in jail for security and implement 45 a pro following the urging their members to east but there are industry tervened. gramme of 'reforms'. Montreal has called contingency plans to Since then unree udue dely military have for the of anti- repeal send in troops. union leaders. ordering the mainten- been active behind the tacade Bourassa has rejected ance essential ser- Iccisialion The Canadian govern- have pretened to re throth puppet administration. which the leaders were he during 11 lilal udy jailed. amnesty the service strike the attitude of the

DUOIC

junta unless parliament stens into three men. last month. in other Miners, construction union leaders deanes. Louis The presi- strike was ended workers who Laberge and have Urguplu's efforts to form a nusoilal dent Ouebec employees are the no appeals for have been in legs anon mace government Federation Labour, said no- forefront the fight solidarity action in two-ycal

SINCE

alilly Charbonneau, would be Yvon strike contract throughout the port of the jailed union Dr Nihat Erim, resigned pius nominee. president of the Cuebec the unions last month. vice

The steel communities of Britain are now reflecting with considerable anxiety on the government's latest plans for the industry. . The vista of a massive steel expansion and modernization in the country's most depressed areas has been destroyed by last Monday's announcement in parliament that output by 1980 would rise by 28-36 ingot tons. The lower figure falls 30 per cent short of the 1980 level first suggested by the British Steel Corporation. In cash terms the investment is well below that envisaged by BSC optimists. Originally the plan was for a £4,000m expansion over the next decade— at the current rate a little over half this figure will be achieved. The policy, unveiled by the Minister responsible for the industry, Tom Boardman, caused a storm of protest in the steel communities. They were especially angry over his future of statement that 'the the steel industry and of those employed in it is more secure but clearly I can't pick out individual plants and say that applies to workers at plant X' -everyone is waiting to see if he works at plant 'X'. Redundancies, of course, are not new in the industry.

Since Labour handed over £660m to the private owners in 1967 and took it under state control, a total of 31,000 jobs have been axed. Thousands more will go under plans to old steel-making run' - down capacity.

BSC

announced last May that they intended to close ten on top of the five plants already earmarked for closure.

The total job loss will be somewhere in the region of 10,000 over the next 18 months. All this upholds the accusa- tion made in September by William Camp—a senior BSC official who was sacked because of his opposition to the way Richard Guyatt, Profes- sor of Graphic Design at the Royal College of Art, has hammered art stud- ents in a Royal Society of Arts speech. He ex- pressed distate and con- tempt for today's art students. He questioned the policy of allowing art students to work out their own style of expres- sion: "The whole concept of self-expression or as it is flabbily called nowadays, of the Tories were running the industry. He said that the £4,000m 'non- expansion plan was starter'. The government, he 'no intention claimed, had whatsoever' of approving such an investment. Instead the Tories were planning to run down the industry by witholding funds long-term investment for a programme. Camp's views are given by Boardman's credibility refusal to give the go-ahead to long-awaited 'green-field' the project. Fer several years now there a massive has seen talk of £1,500m project that would • establish an entirely new steel- making complex the near coast. Various areas of Britain and various commercial pressure groups have been for this plum- lobbying especially the Hunterston Development Corporation on the Clyde estuary which wants the project badly—plus an iron ore terminal. In the Commons, Opposition leader Harold Wilson asked the Minister if a decision had been made. Boardman replied it had not: I made it quite clear on the question of green or brown field sites that no decision had been made. This will certainly be made when the results of the strategic study now being carried out by BSC was known.' The increasing delay is strengthening opinion which argues that the government in fact has no intention of launch- ing such a project. to make a The latest area is Deeside. Their sub- plea Boardman mission to on Tuesday highlights the kind of crisis that is now facing steel areas everywhere. argued against the They green-field idea and for the expansion of their own steel facilities at Shotton, Flintshire.

Peter Roberts, a lecturer at Liverpool College of Tech- nology, prepared a study which showed that a rundown of Shotton's facilities would mean economic disaster for an area where 44 per cent of the jobs are in steel. "doing your own thing", is extremely suspect. 'For nowadays artists set out to be laws unto themselves, creating self-imposed images in a private world which is not easy of access. Much of art- school teaching today is like taking horses to the water and hoping that they'll drink. It seemed that art had broken away from the world of law and order and floats weight- lessly in its own self- constructed vacuum' Guyatt's desperate call for law and order in art has sinister Of all overtones. Britain's art colleges, the Royal College of Art is the , steeped in academic most tradition and has long been known for its élitism. It appears from Guyatt's speech that the epigones of the art establishment are preparing for attacks on the right of art students to experiment with new styles in art. The Tories unlikely are however to take a great deal of notice of this kind of argument. As Alex Eadie, Labour MP for Midlothian, noted in Mon- day's debate, the 'icy hand' of Britain's proposed entry into the Common Market had descended over the government plans. In the 'Financial Times' in July, David Waterstone, the then international affairs direc- tor at BSC, said the siting of plant would continue to be dominated by commercial con- siderations based on the cost assembling raw materials of transporting the finished and product away. This is where the Common Market entry comes into the picture. Clearly the new sites which would offer most competitive advantage within Europe would be ones built in the South East. Certainly projects on the West side of the coun-

SHIPPING

SLUMP

warned Shipping companies last week that if trade con- tinues to stagnate, more ships will have to be mothballed.

The companies were talking in terms of a 'dramatic shut- down' in the demand for dry- cargo charter business. In the absence of any fore- seeable recovery in trading conditions, freight rates are expected to fall to even lower levels and it can only be a matter of time before ship- owners are forced to withdraw substantially more tonnage from service. More than a year of un- profitable rates has taken heavy toll of many shipping companies' financial resources and they are faced with the bleak prospect of immediate action to halt further big losses. Workors Pres try, in North and South Wales West Scotland (all areas of high male unemployment) start off with a crushing dis- advantage bacause of vastly higher transport costs. And no one can doubt that the competition from the Market will be fierce. At present BSC shelters behind a tariff barrier of around 8 per cent. These will be progres- sively reduced in preparation for Market entry and finally disappear on July 1, 1977. In addition in 1973

BSC

will begin to operate a pricing similar to that in system Europe. This basically allows firms to lower their prices from a calculated base to meet foreign competition. This kind of flexible system has been named 'the jaws of hell' because of the temptation to reduce prices to uneconomic levels. rkora Pross, Monday May 15, 1972 PAGE 3 On top of this, all invest- have to be ment plans will submitted to the European Coal and Steel Community.

ECSC officials are known to disapprove of expansion plans going forward while plants that make a loss are still operating. The Market, in other words, will redouble indeed some would say, it is already behind) the pressure to accelerate closures, pare down the indus- few super-efficient try to a where productivity is units vastly increased, and open new capacity in the South East.

It is obvious what such a policy means to places like Shotton, Port Talbot in South Wales and the West of Scot- land. Steel workers, will therefore be facing the most concerted attack on their rights and con- ditions over the next few years as the Tories make their desperate drive to get into the rich man's club of Europe.

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FASCISMP NEVER HEARD

OF IT, SAYS GREEK SINGER

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Monday May 15, I sing . . . and that is what I do best. Ask me about politics, whether in Greece or any other part of the world, and I will say nothing' This is Nana Mouskouri speaking in Glasgow. This sedate heart-throb of the suburban middle class is at present in Europe on a singing tour. slots in her trips She abroad between performances in Greece-a recent one there troops who are was to US under the extreme quartered right-wing junta that has jailed over 340 people for political offences. some of Nana Fortunately Mouskouri's fellow artists are not so ignorant or so very for- getful of the kind of conditions that have existed since the coup in 1967. Many of them were abroad when it occurred and, like the Mercouri, film actress Melina vowed never to go back until the country was freed of others left and still tyranny, others like Mikis Theodorakis, the leading composer, were jailed and his music banned.

One leading Greek actress who has chosen exile in this couniry rather than live under Mikis Theodorakis: jailed.

y May 15, 1972 the colonels told me exactly what it was like to live as an artist under the junta: 'The atmosphere is perma- nently threatening. The state dictates to you and you have no. scope to develop as an artist.' Actors in the Greek National Theatre are classed as civil servants and must sign a declaration of loyalty to the regime. This states they owe 'demon- strable allegiance, faith and devotion to our country and national ideals and are execu- tives of the will of the state in the service of the people'.

section says Another the oath is 'in absolute contradic- tion with any ideology aiming to overthrow or undermine the political or social existing regime or which is connected with the principles or pro- grammes of dissolved or out- lawed political parties.'

With the declaration goes a questionnaire. This is in the best McCarthyite tradition and inquires into the subject's political background. Reading habits, family poli- tical attitudes, past political affiliations and trips abroad are all inquired into. Question 9 asks: 'Are you prepared to serve our country, National Ideals and the our legally-established authority with faith and devotion and to carry out the will of the state?'

Question 10 inquires: 'Have you anything further to add or explain which to your opinion, will help to form a clearer opinion of your moral uprightness and character, national outlook?' Presumably Nana Mouskouri is aware of this document-it seems if people like her are not too concerned about poli- tics, the junta is very con- get political state- cerned to ments from actors. Of the oppression course does not stop here. All scripts of plays must go before a censorship committee and be Top: Papadopoulos, Greek PM. Above: Nana Mouskouri; apologia foi he junta vetted. Equally the actors in scrutinized. plays are Recently the went censors ridiculous lengths of to ine banning one of the great Greek 'The Frogs' by classic plays, Aristophanes, because of its revolutionary implications. Clearly Aristophanes, of one the fathers of modern drama, was unpatriotic! Other of Cenoul" ship include the play 'Repub- lic', by Pablo Vero, which was banned the night before it was due to open, despite the fact that permission to perform had already been granted. The committee also banned the 'Swearing at the play Audience', by Hanki. I. Above: Nana Mouskourl; apologia for In both cases the theatres in Athens where they were to be shown were closed soon afterwards. Films too must go before the committee. 'Ann of a Thousand Days', starring Richard Burton, was savaged by the censors. All the appearances of Catherine of Spain, played by the opposi- actor Irene tionist woman Papas were cut out of the Greek version. actors and per- In short, formers in Greece have ex- treme right - wing politics rammed down their throat. Mouskouri's disavowal of politics is in fact an apologia for the junta.

JOBS

GO IN

EIRE

trish Republican elec- trical trade unions are paving the for way management to smash a redundancy fight only a few days their after actions were successful in forcing 600 unofficial strikers back work empty-handed. Irish PM, Lynch Eight members of the Irish Electrical Technicians' Associ- ation have been warned they are about to lose their jobs at Poolbeg, Dublin power station.

The small, new, union has members will warned that its strike the proposed against they redundancies unless are withdrawn. Three other Irish electrical trade unions which have exclu- sive negotiating rights with the Electricity Board, have warned management that if they open talks with IETA it will precipi- tate a dispute with them.

John Devine industrial of the "Irish correspondent Independent' says 'It is now obvious that the group [of three] is determined with the IETA as to deal dealt with the unofficial Shift Workers' Association whose strike it crushed a few weeks ago? time the unions At that appealed for other actually workers to come forward and take on the strikers' This jobs. was even though 75 per cent shut down, of industry was there were widespread power cuts and every Cance winning their pay claim. If IETA decide to strike, the of that prospect of a. repeat cannot be ruled out. situation IETA say they would picket power stations in Dublin and under- elsewhere anc stood that shift workers still smouldering from Inel

OWI

certainly would almost defeat not cross the picket lines.

UNIONS

REGISTER

Trade unions with an esti- total membership of mated million registered 2.4 were under the Industrial Relations Act by May 5, said the State for Em- Minister of Robin Chichester- ployment, Clark, in a Commons written reply this week.

SUICIDES

five suicide There were inmates of attempts by Holloway Prison in the six March ending 31, months said the Home Office Minister of State, Mark Carlisle in a Commons written reply this week.

AMERICA FREEZES OUT

THE GERMAN CAR GIANT

The profits of Europe's biggest maker- car Volkswagen — have hit rock bottom. Last year after-tax profits plunged to 12m Deutschmarks (£1.5m) compared to 190m the year before. World wide, the profits of the Volks- combine fell to 147m wagen Deutschmarks last year com- pared with 407m in 1970. Announcing these stagger- ing losses Volkswagen chair- man Herr Rudolf Leiding said: 'Volkswagen is not in crisis.'

He added: "There should not be any hysteria about our pro- fit decline.' Warning that 1972 and 1973 hard years, would be Herr said the downward Leiding in profits would be trend arrested once the company's complete new model line ready. But this is unlikely to be before 1974 or 1975. Mean- while this year there isn't even enough cash in the kitty to pay shareholders a reduced and 67m Deutsch- dividend marks will have to be taken from reserves. claims Despite the from economic pundits that the rea- son for the crisis is that motorists are bored by the unexciting Volkswagen range, the impact of the world cur- rency crisis is clear. The revaluation of the mark in terms of other currencies, particularly the dollar — itself devalued-has led to the price of Volkswagens in the US mar- ket rising by 25 per cent with- in two years. Although the cash value of Volkswagen sales has gone up, this is more a reflection of the overproduction crisis through- out the industry putting severe pressure on the giant com- bine's rate of profit. thrashing Volkswagen are about desperately for ways out of their worsening predica- ment. They have with a com- plete new range of 0.9 to 2 litre cars. The emphasis will be achieving maximum on interchangeability of parts and economies of scale. But whether the of rate inflation will permit many people to be able to afford this new range by mid-decade is a begged question. In these models any case will be subjected to bitter com- petition from the other world motor giants. All this has not been lost Volkswagen on the directors, who are also feverishly trying to unlock sales doors in Brazil, Yugoslavia. Mexico and They that underdevel- assume the oped countries offer largely virgin markets, or at the very least cheaper production costs where Volkswagens are made by local labour and shipped to metropolitan like countries Australia and South Africa.

But there is patently a limit which to peasant economies can soak up Volkswagens. And there is a limit to which the so-called advanced coun- tries will continue to buy the tens of thousands of Volks- wagens either already in pro- duction or planned. •working However, on the assumption that cheaper pro- duction and bigger sales can Volkswagen alone save them, have made only marginal cuts in their investment programme at home and overseas. They have lopped 1,800m Deutschmarks off 1970- their 1975 totalling programme 8,500m. But given the limitations of Top: Volkswagens awaiting shipment fi countries' the underdeveloped Volkswagen charman markets and the trend to cut- throat competition between the Cash for this new invest- world's car giants, all the extra ment is, of course, not actually to hand. Some of it is expected cars represented by this new investment are likely to make to be generated in the natural things infinitely worse. course of future trading and Workers Press, Monday May 15, 1972 PAGE 5 The International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) today disclosed record profits three for the last months. The giant American con- revealed that its glomerate profits for the first quarter of the year were $91.6m (£35m) -about 11 per cent more than in the same period last year.

Sales and revenues were also 17 $1,900m up per cent (£730m) over the same period.

ITT's British-born chief exe- cutive, Harold Geneen, also predicted profit further in- creases for the full year-but much of his speech to stock- holders at the firm's annual Memphis, Tennes- meeting in see, was devoted to previously stated defences of the corpora- tion's role in recent scandals.

One controversy, over alega- tions that the settlement of a government anti-trust suit against the company was linked a large donation to towards the holding of this year's Republican Convention, came close to halting the Nixon administration's nomina- tion of Richard Kleindienst as Attorney-General. Another has resulted in accusations that the corpora- prevent Chile's tion tried to President, elected Salvador Allende, from taking office in 1970. The company has also been of of accused non-payment taxes in the United States. Two years the Rybinsk ago in the Soviet Motor Works Union made a great technolo- gical breakthrough-it became the first enterprise in the introduce Soviet Union to dishwashing machines in the works' canteen! This remarkable feat of socialist construction made it possible to cut the number of dishwashers 30 per by cent and enabled all the workers be fed to within one hour instead of three hours, as pre- viously. some But it also had untoward consequences. Dish- washers no longer flourish the old-fashioned cloth or mop but operate complicated machinery which has enhanced greatly the dignity of their labour. However, they still are described in the labour book which every Soviet worker has to carry as mere 'dishwashers'.

The Rybinsk Works is already the only firm to boast the post Deputy Director in of Charge Public Catering. of It is now seeking to elevate the humble 'dishwasher" to the status of Dishwashing Machine Opera- tor'. A demand has also gone up for fuller training quali- fied cadres for dishwashing departments and operators of dishwashing machines at technical and vocational hipment from Germany. Above: Lelding, schools. The time is not far distant when a fully-qualified 'Dishwashing Machine up to 1,500m Deutschmarks Opera- may be borrowed. tor' will be found in every establishment Whichever way you look at catering in the Union, not to speak of it, Germany's giant looks set Soviet for an almighty crash. every party committee.

PAGE 6 Workars Prees, Monday May 15, 1972 The following letter was produced in evidence in the Angela Davis trial. The FBI have 'misplaced' the originals. The prosecution says the letter 'proves' Miss Davis conspired to commit murder, kidnap and conspiracy. In fact, the letter is completely irrelevant to the trial. We reproduce. it to demon- strate the level of Miss Davis's political development.

June 2, 1970 fact that a few blacks have 'made it' is used to convince Dear George, po net pro objective barriers blacks from not prohibit I had abandoned all hope entering into the mainstream. of ever seeing the two Why, of then are the masses letters I have just finished black people still incarcerated in ghetto-prisons? Success is reading. I sit down to not their destiny, because the write you, not knowing inner motivation is not there.

whether or how or when After all, the Italians, the Irish, the Poles, etc. rose up this will reach you. There from their downtrodden must be a way. postures- -it must be race .. Women: i Concerning Black It is already impossible to am convinced that the solution beginning. at the If I begin is not to persuade the black start by dropping the mask woman to relax her reins on • and say in all naturalness: the black male, not simply to have come to love you very the 'be a good boy' syndrome I deeply, on you into a 'take the sword in hand' believe me, George. I have used To eradicate all the attitude. these words very seldom in my shit which has been imposed -because I could not 26 years- on us from without, to conbat have very often. meant them all the shit we have Believe me it happened so ingly internalized, to spontaneously. I take our abruptly, so first step towards freedom, we, love when I seeking was not too, must pick up the sword. walked into Salinas

COUL-

Only 'a fighting woman' can room on Friday, May 8, 1970.

guide her son in the warrior difficult And SO it 1S direction. Only when our articulate it further. But one lives- -our total lives- become thing remains to be said- -my inseparable from struggle can feelings dictate neither illusion- we, black women, do what we ary hopes nor intolerable des- have to do for our sons and My love- love- pair. -youI daughters!! reinforces my fighting instincts, it tells me to go to war.

You are right about the so-called black bourgeoisie- consciously pseudo-class created by the white rulers as force to further bridle our My mother was overly pro- rebellion, as just one more tective her sons and of instrument repression. daughters. I could never for- Whether they want it or not, forcing her for give my black people who all those brothers (us, too) to take of have 'made it' are a part George, must dig lessons. we repressive that monstrous into all the muck -and not only in the apparatus- and get at the roots of our ways described by Malcolm (a -Our problems- understanding from which the white pool radical must be a grasp OI draws counter- bourgeoisie things (radical in the for revolutionary leaders the When we are logical sense). Their very black community). overly protective, we attempt their being-there is existence, dissuade loved to our 'ones a very effective damper weigh- from accepting the burden of natural down our ing on fighting this war which has rebellious instincts. My Aunt, been declared on us, we cannot born in descendant of slaves, be dismissed as counter- unpainted shack on an You'd be revolutionary. Alabama cotton field, now lives prised how many brothers a 20-room mansion in the would say this. Nor can it be hills of Hollywood. said that we ought to blot out Before she disassociated her- natural of me (I 17), self from was survival. would try to run down to her for Why, why, is our condition struggling why we are wrought with "Tell all those niggers freedom. contra- dictions? We, who have been have. work as hard as to They can make it-but then coerced into performing the most degrading kind of labour too lazy.' niggers are most -a sex machine for the white Tragic it is that until recently, their slave master. Rather than help- blacks saw many lessly watch her children die a wretchedness as a consequence death of starvation, of their own inabilities.

slow my grandmother submitted to the white father's mastery, 'We accursed father. have scrubbed the shit from under the feet of the slave master. Taking into consideration the The the being. existence, balance of forces at that time- of the so-called black there would we otherwise be alive?

has done not bourgeoisie little to advance the cause of The of a barbarous reign capitalist could racism in this country. soCieTy of minds the have been secure unless the twisted continued subjugation of black bourgeoisie measure inner people (and they would use any worth according to the ability of the individual to successfully 'Divide and means necessary). Rape The conquer'-it never fails. compete on the market. the black woman, and make the survival of the black race "dependent vicious on that rape. No recourse to the black male-except death. After raping the black woman, give Make her a piece of the pie. the survival of the black family dependent on a chasm within.

Pound into the mind of the black male that his superiority, his manhood has been dimin- irreparably has been ished, damaged by the female of his Give him no room, no race. work with which to objectify Convince his potentialities. the female that he is a lazy son-of-a-bitch. The chasm within. To choose between various paths of survival means the objective availability of altern- atives. I hope you don't take this as an apologetic stance.

I'm only trying to understand the forces that have led us, black women, to where we are Why did your mother now. offer you reprimands instead of the flaming sword? Which is equivalent to posing the same about every other question black woman-and not only with respect to the sons but the daughters, too (this is really crucial). In Cuba last summer beautiful saw some very Vietnamese warriors—all female. And we know that the for national Algerian war would have been liberation doomed to defeat from the very beginning without the active of Algerian participation women. Cuba, I saw In women with patrolling the streets rifles on their backs- -defend- ing the revolution. But also, educating young companeras their husbands, and lovers- demythologizing Machismo. After all, if women can fight, factories, then manage ought to be able to help with the house, children ... But returning to the question -we have learned from our revolutionary ancestors that no individual act or response can seize the sceptre of the enemy.

The slave lashes out against his immediate master, subdues him, escapes, but he has done nothing take the more than first step in the long spiral up- wards towards liberation.

And often that individual escape is an evasion of the real problem. It is only when all the slaves are aroused from their slumber, articulate their leaders, goals, choose their make an unwavering commit- ment to destroy every single obstacle which might prevent them from transcribing their visions of a new world, a new man onto the soil of the earth, into the flesh and blood of men. Even dreams are often pro- hibited or are allowed to sur- face only in the most disguised and sublimated form-the desire be white, the to perverted monstrous aspir- ations of a so-called black bourgeoisie, created to pacify the masses. And then there is the unnatural system-oriented desires of a black woman who is relating to the survival of her children. • rambling, dreaming (1 am i that the words from my pen are sounds absorbed by your ears, regretting that I am lying on the only warm spot in this big double bed (it is 2.30 a.m.].)

The point is-given the vacuum created by the absense of collective struggle, the objective survival alternatives ambitions of are sparse: bourgeois gluttony or-like you said-unconscious crime.

One path goes in thru the front ioor, the other sneaks in thru far more the back and is dangerous and seemingly far less likely to reach its destin- ation. A mother cannot help but cry out for the survival of her own flesh and blood. We have been forbidden to reach out for the truth about survival-that is a collective enterprise and must be offensive, rather than defensive-for us, the principle of survival dictates the annihil- ation of all that compels us to oraer our lives around that principle. Anxieties, frustrations en- gendered by the spectre of a child dead of starvation focus our minds and bodies on the most immediate necessities of The job' harangue, life. the 'make yourself something' Exhortations harangue. grounded in fear, a fear brought into being and sustained by a system which could not subsist without the poor, the reserve army of unemployed, the scap- goat. Survival perverted and mis- directed by a structure which coerces me to kick my jobless man out of the house so the social worker doesn't stop those welfare cheques which I need to feed my hungry child.

A labyrinthine network of murderous institutions in order to allow my man no flexibility, no room, lets me receive the cheques, lets me in the back door to scrub floors (so the reserve labour force remains alive) and has the audacity to consider that a favour in return for which I must submit to the white rapist and/or subjugate my black man. The principle of (un)just exchange is omnip- otent. Frustrations, aggressions can- not be repressed indefinitely.

Eventual explosion be must expected. black And we, women, have much more than our share of them. But if the revolutionary path buried beneath an avalanche of con- tainment mechanisms, black women, aim our bullets in the wrong direction, and under- moreover don't even For the stand the weapon. black female, the solution is not to become less aggressive, not to lay down the gun, but to learn how to set the sights aim correctly, accurately squeeze rather than jerk, and overcome by the not be damage. We have to learn how to rejoice when pig's blood is spilled. But all this presupposes that the black male will have purged himself of the myth Workars Proca, Mond that his mother, his woman, must be subdued before he can wage war on the enemy.

Liberation is a dialectical move- ment-the black woman can liberate herself from all the muck-and it works the other way around and this is only the beginning. Is it coincidental that Leroy Jones and Ron Karenga, who are nothing but pig agents- and the whole lot of cowardly nationalists-demand cultural the total submission of the black female as rectification for the century-long wrongs she has done the black male.

Like you said, George, there obvious certain criteria are for measuring the extent to which counter-revolution is being nourished by those who call themselves our companions in struggle. Their attitude towards whites is one criterion.

Their attitude toward women another. Women's Liberation in the revolution is inseparable from the liberation of the male.

I have rambled. I hope I have not been talking in tautologies.

Workers Proda, Monday May 15, 1972 PAGE 7 Jon and I have made a truce. As long as I try to com- bat my tendencies to remind him of his youth, he will try to combat his male chauvinism.

Don't come down on me before understandI you never said Jon was too young for anything, I just mentioned how incredible it is that in Catholic spite of school, Georgia, etc. he refused to allow society to entrap him in he adolescence. But still, doesn't dig any mention of age. in court, for the first time ir months, I dreamt (or at least the was enough to work its way into together, fighting pigs, winning.

other. I love you Revolutionary greetings from Che-Lumumba and the Soledad Bros. Defence Com. Angela:

Great Eastern Railway Strike Committee, 1911.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Monday May 15, 1872

R. THIRTLE.

i light Pages from Railway History 1839-1972 by Ian Yeats.

Part four 1911:

THE FIRST

NATIONAL

RAIL STRIKE

Hard on the heels of the labour movement's vic- in obtaining the tory 1906 Trades Disputes Act safeguarding trade union funds, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Ser- vants (ASRS) launched all-grades a l new cam- paign for higher wages. Railwaymen's wages, partly of the 'cautious' as attitude of the

ASRS

leaders, far behind their lagged other indust- counterparts in ries. In the decade up to 1906, railwaymen's wages rose by per cent compared with an per-cent rise building 26 per cent for workers and those in engineering. 1 May 15,1872

T. GARNHAM.

W. CLARKE (Chairm story 1839-1972 by lan Yeats.

On top of that the railway companies were once again trying to convert plummeting profits by 'shedding' labour and using fewer but larger trucks and fewer but more powerful locomotives. It is often difficult to know which side the union's histor- ed ian Philip Bagwell is on. Of this period he says: When the actions of the leadership of the ASRS during 1907 what are appears remarkable patience and perseverence dis- played in the approach to the companies.' Three times the ASRS tried to get the railway companies to negotiate-without success.

the railwaymen Meanwhile, drew up a charter, or Green Book, up to 150,000 of them staged marches and meetings up and down the country and

C. J. MANN.

E (Chairman)

SYD. WILLIAM

in November 1907 after ballot the decision was taken to strike. Central to the union's de-• mands for better pay and hours was the question of union recognition by the rail- way companies. But even as the decision to strike was being relayed to a monster 30,000-strong rally at Westminster Halls, London on Wednesday, on November 3, 1907, Richard Bell was telling the government in secret talks that he would not press for recognition if only the bosses consider the men's would claims. A year earlier the all grades delegate conference had laid down: 'We do not enter into negotiations with any company in connection with this pro- gramme without full recogni- tion' Bell's behind - the - scenes views were conveyed to Lloyd George, who passed them on to the railway companies. On November 6, 1907, unions and employers signed an agreement nothing about which said recognition and promised the setting up of new conciliation boards to settle the men's grievances. In the event, the Boards turned out to be worse than a farce, all cases ended up at arbitration and concessions to the railwaymen were, as always, minimal. Nevertheless the ASRS per- sisted in referring claims and them and grievances to managed to hold the men back until 1911, by. • which time had risen by 14 per prices cent since. 1900. Between times there was another attempt to sabotage

COUNCILIOR C. DEAR.

VILLIAMS (Secretary)

COUNCILLOR

the trade union movement with a legal decision banning levy of funds purposes. MPs received no pay until 1911 and the decision of the Law Lords on December 21, 1909, to forbid the com- pulsory political levy was a deliberate blow at the infant Labour Party. The case was brought by a leading ASRS member Walter Osborne who received the un- stinted backing of the 'Daily Express'—a paper every bit as eager as he was to deny the LRC cash. It was not until four years later with the passing of another Trades Dispute Act in 1913 that the position was re- and the compulsory versed political levy again became with the proviso that legal individuals could opt out of paying it and the funds were kept separately. These moves on the parlia- mentary front had no effect on home pay railwaymen's take and in 1911, spurred on by the Tom Mann's sea- success of men's union, railwaymen all staged a rash of over Britain unofficial strikes. Bagwell: "The leaders Says of the railway union then felt oblidged to act promptly and together if they were to retain control of the situation.'

On August 15, 1911, all four railway unions — ASRS, ASLEF, GRWU and UPSS, (United Pointsmen's and Sig- nalmen's Society) gave the • companies 24 railway hours to reply to a new pay claim.

general manager inter- viewed by 'The Times' left no room for mistakes about the employers' position. He said: 'We have come to the con-

INCILLOR TOM KIRK.

there are clusion that occasions when in our own interest and in the interest of the public it is better to have a battle and fight the matter out than to keep on adopting an attitude of surrender He added: "The government have undertaken to put at the service of the railway com- panies every. available soldier in the country? An August 17, 1911, the most total, solid strike in rail- waymen's history began — within 48 hours large sections of industry were shutting down for lack of fuel and the rail- way companies were suing for terms. At the very moment of vic- railway union tory, the leaders plucked it from their followers' hands. They agreed to call off the action if men dismissed during the strike reinstated, if the con- were ciliation boards met at once to consider the claim and if a inquiry was commission of appointed. Inevitably they agreed 'to use their best en- deavours to induce the men to return to work at once' There were doubtless not just celebrations but Bacchan- alian festivals at the railway companies' headquarters that night. The storm had passed, leaving everything exactly as it was before. Bagwell notes: It was not going to be easy to persuade who had demonstrated men their power in a way that sur- prised even themselves to accept terms not so very different from those which had been rejected four days before' - when the companies had agreed to a Royal Commission.

Meetings in Newcastle and

Manchester while another at called on the rank and file to for the first that union be recognized was which failed to farthing the in empty pockets. the four Values securely to their recruiting if it took place. ciliation important, boards- tional ing craft driving Lous. Although refused In the New branches the action of illusion an to merely by negotiating railwaymen. rejected the deal Hyde Park e rank and file to at, the Commission down laid should negotiators une raine ut everything else tinkering to put a single railwaymen's the rank and file, ons decided to ask ballot, but of the rail com- o dig in even more extent of own private to break a strike aber 11, 1911, the 's signed an agree- more than scope of the con- and, more abolished the d in favour of sec- s-thus accentuat- consciousness and between tions of individual the result ballot. Year, 102 ASRS special •deal with crisis. ur officials in con- and the of the society. Bagwell: "It W do imagine that evising a piece of machinery ossible to ensure a dard of living for The records show that within a year of the two- day strike [of 1911] there was if only slight a perceptible improvement in the wages and hours of the men'- from 25s 9d (£1.29) in 1910 to 27s 4‡d (1.37) in 1912. In both wages and hours entered the period of they World War I substantially worse off than the employees of any other major occupation agri- with the exception of culture.' Pressure from the rank and file was relentless. It had to be.

Slump was forcing the em- ployers and their government an offensive against to wage the working class as vicious as anything seen a century before. With the failure of their own leaders before their eyes, the rank and file clamoured for affiliation with the dockers' union-the Transport Workers' Federation. the horror of the And to rail union leaders, as the work- ing class came to understand that Lloyd George had flung down the gauntlet of class war, the demands for solidarity action, particularly with the beleaguered miners, mounted daily. Out of this ferment the Triple Industrial Alliance of railwaymen, miners and trans- port workers was born, initially Decem- in 191z and hinally on ber 9, 1915. But as Bagwell explains: 'The NUR leadership sup- ported the new venture in the hope that sympathetic and local strikes might be reduced to a minimum. 'It was certainly not their aim to intensify the class struggle by using every strike in the coal mining, docks and Incident from Rallway •C•: the Golden Gallery of London. railway industries a: the strikers million trade unionis by the agreement. general port of other worker would have brougr those pre-w ruin in intensmer cass sund The National

(NUR)

waymen founded in March and the NUR's moderate lea raised their eyes horizon, the rank alnerent views. Delegates to the stated in their reso the POlling would 'encourage of solidarity and in provemen litions of the work a powerful lever in of working class em Not that these fight tion and higher living greater than anythin by their leaders. As Bagwell says: 'The contrast bet lofty aspirations infinitely more held by the leadersh brought to Triple Alliance was test in the-post-war

CONTINUED TOM

from the Great strike of 1911: Gallery of St. Paul's, ustries as an occa- from the 1.5 le unionists covered al policy of sym- ike action in sup- er workers' demands • brought financial se pre-war years of class struggle. onal Union of Rail- had •eer 1913 from of the ASRS,

UPPS.

If the lerate leaders' never beyond the e rans and file had • to the 1914 AGM Alliance that growth the and a vast im- social con the workers and b lever in the course class emancipation'. these sentiments But they evolution. reflect a determina- for basic rights standards far anything displayed trast between these the and view leadership was only light when the ance was put to the post-war years.

ED TOMORROW

Workers Press, As everyone knows the Royal Family is politics. above Indeed we are told that the British constitution has been carefully-devised to ensure that however politicians may discredit themselves and demoralize the population, the members hold themselves untainted and ready in the last resort to rally the loyalty of the people. The 56 million children of the monarchy, not to mention those in the Commonwealth, are encouraged in their affec- tions by constant glimpses of Royalty smiling benevolently beneath their heavy burden of self-sacrificing duties. 'he Duke, very thoughtfully, runs the Outward Bound Trust for the children of mainly families to get working-class out and around in the country- side. Of course his benevolence does not actually extend to paying for it out of the Royal fortune. Last week the Variety Club of Great Britain presented him with £38,000 to enable the Trust to carry on. His eye on the dwindling Royal coffers, the Duke took ers Press, Monday May 15, 1972 PAGE 9 . the opportunity to say that too many people seemed to believe that charity was wrong. It was clear that he hadn't the slightest twinge or inhibi- tion himself in taking the £38,000. He went out of his way to emphasize what a good thing it would be if more people came to depend on charity.

Too many people thought that money should come from the government, he said indul- gently, which they meant thought charity should have disappeared with the advent of the welfare state. He said: 'The welfare state can only provide the baseline of material needs.' Interestingly enough, this is a philosophy which appeals to many leading employers, knights and peers of the realm —not to mention the entire Tory Party. The welfare state, the Duke 'cannot and never went on, will be able to supply those compassion, ingredients human relationships, voluntary commitment and mutual assist- ance which alone convert a bureaucratic local government unit into a living, active and entertaining human commun- ity? With all this going for it, it makes you wonder why the Duke doesn't try it himself.

Lord Mountbatten and Below: the Dukeabove politics and outward bound Moscow Trials Anthology Paperback, 621р

MAX SHACHTMAN:

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Monday May 15, 1972 From those wonderful people who brought you unemployment and poverty...

A SMASH HIT FILM

Who said the Tory swasn't interested in a ment British film industry? Of Tories course, the have lame. ducked the National Film Finance Corporation, walch encourage a local exolcu lo film industry, but they are pro- ducing one or two of their own films. Tory And according to one of these films is ministers, a smash hit. 'It has broken all records, said Dudley Smith, who henchman Munice Department of millan at Employment. •More than 300 copies have been sold and there have been than 2,150 hirings, he

NOIC

added.

COMMISSION

What this box office is

COURT

drawing smash which thousands and to the magic screen? It is called "The Act and the individual' and is an explan- documentary of the atory Industrial Relations Act.

movie stars that great Graham nero industrial Turner, reporter from the BBC Co-star is Derek Hart, who you will all remember for his in magnificent performances the 'Europa' series on BBC 2.

this great from film can be glimpsed the photograph we reproduce this Jake All trade unionists—particu- larly engineers, dockers, miners and shipyard workers — who this great invited to write to epic are Central Film Library, Govern. Building, Bromyard ment W3, Avenue, Acton, London to arrange viewings. PS: Perhaps workers CAV, Acton, would like to slip up the road during the lunch hour for the matinee?

ORDER NOW

Fourth International

A MAGAZINE

International'

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journal of international Marxism published by the International of Volume 7 No. 3 Price 25 pence Spring 1972 the Fourth commee national. 25p (post 37p)

RIGHT TO WORK

•We Demand the Right to Work' and illus- is a fully documented Editorial: Class War and the Tine teve Right-to-Work Mass Party Young Socialist marches throughout Britain. 15p.

Draft International Perspectives of the Fourth International 'The Social Security Swindle' by Bernard Franks useful hand. SLL pocket library Early-English series state restrictions social security. 5p. (Post 24p) Now avallable from: three

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Nate alism Clap- High St, London SWA TUG.

TORIES ATTACK

aLei

THE UNEMPLOYED

"Imperialism' The Social Security Swindle Lukacs

EUIS

BanglaDesh

PARSONS

BY IAN YEATS

THE

SO-CALLED fight against 950 redundancies at co-operate with management C A. Parsons' Newcastle over voluntary redundancies in factory has collapsed. exchange for the reinstatement On May 5 Workers Press of the sacked 600. warned that the slump in tur- The company's peace plan orders left the bine generator on but company no choice to Friday no-enforced- was the policy of embark sack- a 1972 sackings in formula, ings and short-time working. which only two weeks ago IS The And added: we Ken Ternant negotiator was treacherous no-sackings-in- describing as short-sighted. 1972 formula approved by the As we pointed out on May Stalinists and the bare-faced 5, with less work in the pipe- abdication of leadership by the line in 1973 sackings could be International Socialists are a heavier than those pro- even certain recipe for disaster.'

posed at present. Disaster has now struck. Clause seven of the peace The 1,400 members of the plan ominously: 'Fur- notes technical and supervisory sec- ther discussion may start early

AUEW (TASS)

tion of the in 1973 concerning manning in have been working-to-rule for all technical areas during 1973 four months in protest against and beyond.' threatened and sackings in The use of the support of a closed shop now phrase no illegal Industrial enforced redundancies in 1972' under the obscures the fact that Parsons' Relations Act. ago Parsons A fortnight plan categorically states the sacked over 600 men for re- union must with voluntary fusing to work normally (on On the which there is to be no restric- was abandoned. will re- tion) and early retirements, turn to normal working and thus opening the back door to Schools. 9.20 Trumpton. 9.38 12.15 The Queen in France. 1.00 How Can You Be So Sure? 1.30 Fingerbobs. 1.45 News, weather.

2.05 Schools. 4.00 Boomph with Becker. 4.15 Play School. 4.40 Jackanory. 4.55 Blue Peter. 5.20 11.00 Play School. 5.35 Open Aeronauts. 5.44 Hector's House.

5.50 National News, weather.

University. 7.05 Let's Get Going.

7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather.

6.00 LONDON THIS WEEK.

8.00 FILM: 'COMANCHE TER-

RITORY'. Maureen O'Hara, Macdonald Carey. 10 Western.

7.10 Z CARS.

9.20 HORIZON. Can Venice Survive?

8.00 PANORAMA.

9.00 NEWS, Weather. 10.10 FACE THE MUSIC. Quiz.

9.20 THE REGIMENT.

10.40 THIRTY • MINUTE

THEATRE. 'Me Mackenna'.

10.10 THE QUEEN IN FRANCE.

By Don Shaw.

10.4024 HOURS.

11.15 CANOE.

11.10 NEWS, Weather.

11.15 LATE NIGHT LINE-UP.

11.40 Weather.

ITV

1.10 Time to

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

0.20 Schools. lemembe 2.33 Good After-

8.00 WORLD IN ACTION.

noon. 3.00 Film: "Call Me Bwana".

THIS HOUSE. A

8.30 BLESS

Enchanted House. Touch of the Unknown. Lassie. 5.20 Pardon My Genie. 5.50 News.

OF JUSTICE.

9.00 SIX DAYS

Open House.

6.00 TODAY.

10.00 NEWS.

6.20 CROSSROADS.

10.30 MACMILLAN AND WIFE.

Till Death Do Us Part.

6.40 THE

NIXON

DAVID

SHOW.

11.55 ASPECTS OF FAITH.

the hundreds of sackings they wanted in the first place.

In addition to achieving all that the IS-led fight was sup- posed to avoid, the agreement also requires short-time work- ing with appropriate wage-cuts where and when Parsons feel it is required. The fight for the closed shop • has, as we predicted, been dropped and the promise to resume normal working covers the sanctions imposed on Par- sons for their refusal to expel the 50-strong United Kingdom Association of Professional Engineers. This brings the men into compliance with the Industrial Relations Act, which both the IS and the Communist Party Stalinists vowed they would resist to the last—or until the men's determination gave out.

The issue at Parsons is not over. The sackings, short-time and wage-cutting to which the IS and the Stalinists have opened the door have yet to begin. All Regions as BBC 1 except: Wales: 1.30 Ar Lin Mam. 6.00 Wales Today. 6.20 Yn Yr Ardd.

6.45 Heddiw. 10.10 Trouble- spot. 11.15 The Queen France. 11.45 Canoe. 12.10 News. Scotland: 1.00 Christianity Grounded. 6.00 Reporting

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL: 10.20 Schools. 4.05 Once upon a time. 4.20 Puffin.

4.25 Yoga. 4.50 Rovers. 5.20 Lon- don. 6.00 News, weather. What's on where? 6.15 Pursuers. 6.45 London. 10.30 University chal- lenge. 11.03 Marcus Welby. 11.55 News, weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.20 News.

6.00 Diary. 6.20 Sports desk.

• 10.59 News, weather. 11.55 Teach a man to fish. SOUTHERN: 2.30 Afternoon. 3.00 Cooks. 3.20 Sylvester. 3.30 Lucy.

4.00 Houseparty. 4.15 Cartoon.

4.25 Junkin. 4.55 Clapperboard.

5.20 London. 6.00 Day by day.

6.45 London. 10.30 Afloat. 11.00 Marcus Welby. 11.55 News. 12.05 Weather. As long as you live.

ANGLIA: 2.30

Afternoon. 3.00 Houseparty. 3.15 Jokers wild. 3.45 Yoga. 4.10 News. 4.15 Car- toons. 4.25 Romper room. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.45 London. 9.00 Play. 10.00 News. 10.30 Aqua- rius. 11.30 Theatre of stars. 12.25 Epilogue. ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Afternoon.

3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Nanny. 4.40 Nuts and bones.

4.55 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 Today. 6.45 London. 10.30 Chal- lenge. 11.00 Randall and Hop- kirk. ULSTER: 10.20 Schools. 4.30 Romper room. 4.50 News. Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 Reports. 6.15 Funny face. 6.45 Workers Press, 1

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

THE NATIONAL Union of Journalists has called a special delegate meet- ing in London for Sep- tember 2 to reconsider registration under the Industrial Relations Act.

The recent annual dele- gate meeting in Tenby voted down a referendum decision to register. The Tenby • decision by delegates pro- nearly 400 voked a storm of reaction by middle-class silent the majority in the union which immediately whipped up 50 branches to demand the council call executive a special conference. Their grounds are that the referendum produced a three-to- two majority in favour of regis- tration in a 36-per-cent poll.

Delegates at the annual con- ference condemned the NEC for this right-wing tactic designed to conservative secure a response from the journalists so that the union leaders could have a quiet life and not have to face the rigours of fighting the law.

ADM, composed mainly of the in the union activists who run the branches year round and who have some inkling of the nature Scotland. 6.20 Se Ur Beatha.

11.42 News, weather. 3.00 Northern Ireland: 6.00 Scene Around Six. 11.42 News, weather. England:_6.00 Look North, Mid- lands Today, Look East, Points Today, Spotlight West, South South West. Weather. 11.42 News, weather. London. 10.30 Monday night. 10.35 Film: "The Caretakers' YORKSHIRE: 11.00 Schools. 2.32 Good afternoon. 3.00 Matinee.

4.35 News. 4.40 Once upon a time. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London.

6.00 Calendar, weather. 6.20 Under these roofs. 6.45 London.

10.30 Name of the game. 11.55 All our yesterdays. 12.25 Weather.

GRANADA: 11.00 Schools. 2.30 •Yoga. Dr Gannon. Camera. 4.10 News. Peyton place.

a time. 4.40 Once upon Clapperboard. 5.15 London. 6.00 This is your right. News. 6.25 6.40 London. 10.30 Film: "The Devll's Daffodil'. TYNE TEES: 11.00 Schools. 1.25 Enchanted house. 1.40 Schools.

2.30 Cook book. 3.00 Film: 'Love on the Dole'. 4.35 News.

4.40 Once upon a time. 4.55 Rainbow country. 5.20 London.

6.00 Today. 6.25 Under these roofs. 6.45 London. 10.30 Times 11.00 Saint. 11.55 News. four. 12.10 Epilogue. SCOTTISH: 11.00, 1.40 Schools.

2.33 Class of '72. 3.30 Nuts and bones. 3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.10 Dateline. 4.55 Arthur. 5.20 London. 6.00 Dateline. 6.15 Dick Van Dyke. 6.45 London. 10.30 All for your delight. 11.30 Late call. 11.35 University challenge.

GRAMPIAN: 11.00 Schools. 3.38 News. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Lucy.

4.40 Paulus. 4.55 Clapperboard.

London. 6.00 News, 5.20 weather. 6.05 Dr Simon Locke.

6.35 Cartoon. 6.45 London. 10.30 University challenge. 11.00 Saint.

11.55 Epilogue. rs Press, Monday May 15, 1972 PAQE 11 of the Tory legal onslaught against the trade union move- ed ment, reaffirmed annual confer- as the supreme ence policy- making body of the NUJ and rejected the referendum, which has no basis in the union's rules.

The right-wing are now trying to introduce referenda as a he regular part of union life.

In preparing the grounds for an SDM, the silent majority now have to come out into the open and submit themselves, to argu- ment at union meetings, the very thing their referenda policy is Im designed to prevent. The right-wing backlash has stirred the "Journalists Charter' group into action again. Organized by the revisionist International Socialism group, this so-called 'rank-and-file' calls for better pay movement and conditions and an overhaul of the union structure. Its only challenge to capital- ism is to insist that redundancies should only take place on a voluntary basis and on better terms, and that company books should be open to chapel offi- cials 'so that managements will have to justify their hard-luck stories'. In a period when capitalism is proving increasingly incapable of solving its problems-in news- paper production no less than in any other sphere-such an out- look amounts to a betrayal of the real interests of workers.

As world trade goes into deeper recession and the partial collapse of the international credit system sharpens the crisis for the monopolies, the pressure competition forces capitalist companies to slash their costs in order to survive. Many areas of trade and pro- duction go under in this deathly contest, like Rolls-Royce, Vehicle Sket ened on more Sketch', and many more to follow? But the loser all round is the working class, including journalists. Using the mighty power of the working class merely to tidy up the worst excesses of capital- ism is a hopeless betrayal of the needs and opportunities of the coming period. Politically, as a first step, there can be no start made to a solu- tion to the problems of rents, unemployment, the NIRC's attack on the unions, and a stagnating economy, under a Tory govern- ment. And yet nowhere does the Charter or the leaflet for their meeting on the Industrial Rela- tions Act even mention the Tory government and the need to bring down by industrial action as the first pressing task.

The attitude of these phoney 'chartists' is that the delicate middle class feathers of journal- ists must not be ruffled by too much. plain speaking. In other words, the way to fight for revo- lutionary consciousness and political analysis, but through keeping on good terms with the most backward petty-bourgeois elements. The reality is that journalists can make no final solution to their many professional and trade union problems until they join with the main body of the working class in bringing an end to the capitalist system.

The crumbs they used to survive on from the proprietors' tables are proving. less and less acceptable and less and less capable of satisfying journalists' growing aspirations. the revolutionary Building movement is the only way for- ward. t:....

TUC jobs plan a pipedream PAGE 12 Workers Press, Monday May 15, 1972

BY AN INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

THERE will be a further flashpoint in the docks container row when the National Industrial Relations Court reconvenes today. tainer firm, Panalpina (Northern) Limited. The company has already won an interim order from Court against the Transport and General the Workers' Union and chairman of the Hull docks shop stewards' committee, Walter Cunningham.

Today in court Panal- pina lawyers will say that the blacking of the firm

ASTMS

secretary general has continued in defiance Clive Jenkins, whose 45- of the Court's injunction.

minute interview with ITV week the firm Late last was cancelled, commented: 'trial' containers sent some I'm clearly being cen- the docks to test the sored. I don't think they to blacking instructeons defiance of like the radical political the union and social comment, and in dockers maintained their particular the point I made black. bombing of about the There will be a further North Vietnam.' He said legal confrontation if Mr he had attacked President Cunningham fails to show "insane'. Nixon's action as at Court this morning. The 'Private up The programme, All the evidence is that he be was due to will not. screened last night. He has already stated he intend does not to attend the court because 'we do not recognize it'.

"The national shop stewards' committee im- the blacking and posed only it can lift it. I'll risk going to jail.' jail THE TUC is asking its Mr Cunningham's 140 affiliated unions to warning is not an exaggera- tion; if he doesn't attend launch a campaign to Court he risks being fined overtime, work cut and if he refuses to pay shorter hours and have the fines, he contempt could be jailed. longer holidays in a bid In a judgement last Fri- to combat unemploy- day Sir John made clear ment. how the court sees the re- lationship between a union But the plan to help and its shop stewards. He employers limit their said: 'The is union by shutting down costs accountable if its officers, for longer holidays and officials, ( representatives or for a consolidated period shop stewards do their of three and even four union work in breach of days a week is a reform- the law. It is for the union to st pipe-dream. see that they do not break The very essence of cut- the law. If they persist in ting costs is for employers doing they to keep their plant operat- SO are un- worthy of the union's trust ing as continuously as and of continuing in office.'

possible at maximum out- Hull expense. Meanwhile the put and minimum dockers extended Any period of shut down have their blacking to the which, while no car- is one in goes of another firm, W. S revenue is coming in, the Barchard and Sons Limited, bosses must continue to pay brought in out heavy charges on fixed who last week a coaster to their recently- and variable capital and acquired private wharf depreciation on meet costs. If firms could afford pro- the River Hull. Hull longed shutdowns they About 2,000 dockers walked off when would have no need of the they heard the firm Industrial Relations Act to was bludgeon unions and their using non-registered dock line by labour to unload timber members into down on just from the ship. clamping

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01-720 2000 Registereo as a ncwsoapor Office. Published 186a Clapham High R

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BY STEPHEN JOHNS

ENGINEERING

stewards in the Man- chester area will meet ing the 22 that at are present occupied by their today to consider the employees. blow dealt to their nine- The blame for the week pay battle by be placed retreat their union leaders. squarely with the Amalga- mated Union of Engineer- This is the first mass ing Workers' leaders. which meeting of shop stewards A circular influenced directly the since the struggle began Trafford Park decision was when workers at Bred- sent out to Manchester on bury steel works, Stock- signed Tuesday. This was occupied port, their

AUEW

by Hugh Scanlon, plant. president-a with a man reputation as a left winger Two issues will domin- -and right-wing Jim Con- ate the discussion: union's general the way, • A CIRCULAR sent out secretary. It said agreements should from union headquarters be made on three issues- which is a virtual invita- longer better basic rates, tion to workers to drop general the key demand for holidays and all- round pay increases. shorter working week. It was made clear that 3,500 men at GEC-AEY,

BIG

shorter hours were no

• THE

retreat longer the priority. top This stab-in-the-back Trafford Park, Manches- the day before ter, who have called off came launched employers an their work-to-rule and advertising campaign in the want to negotiate a set- does local They also tlement which not press. made clear that the include a concession it on hours houts. demand for shorter was the one they would resist to the end. Employers boasting are Workers if Press has that the Trafford Park warned about workers collapse, other fac- consistently the AUEW leaders' refusal tories will follow-includ-

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

Victor Feather.

TUC

general secretary, has favoured the reformist measures in the latest 'job-saving' plan about all forms of indus- collision not only with the employers but, as Heath trial action. Nor can they afford made clear at Perth at the to with the Tory employ large labour forces weekend, alongside the new capital- government as well. The 'possibility of nego- intensive production meth- brought in specifically tiating ods improvements in basic rates' is not one likely to force up output on the basis of fewer workers. lead to much success, to The TUC has also called either. And although the TUC for a ban on overtime. No would disagree, but the one stresses need for improvements only if the demand is basic in coupled with the fight for of the biggest rates, one increases in basic rates and unions affiliated to it--the work-sharing, with

AUEW-

currently lead- every -is employee on full pay. ing the field in the flight But the for from battle away the unavoid- improvements in basic able showdown with the rates pitches workers into Tories if these rates are

MAY FUND

Ispaper at the Post Workers Press, Street. London, Ltd. (TU). Street. London. WE ARE halfway through the paper of the month, so let's step up the cam- Yearly sub paign for our Fund. Between the railwaymen and about Both are ava dockers one side. and on the Torles and the Industrial Rela- tions Court on the other, there be no compromise. The can fight Is on. Workers Press must be used Please send me to prepare workers everywhere for this decisive period. There is not a moment to lose. I enclose Use every minute, therefore, to col-

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our May Appeal Fund. We stlll have some way to go In com- Address.. pleting which this our target, month is £1,750. So — go all out today. Post every donation Immediately to: Workers Press May Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG. at to call national strike action for the claim. Instead they have isolated the Manchester men and left them to fight alone. But others are also to blame. The Communist ch Party policy has been to divert attention away from men like Scanlon. They have argued that the Man- struggle can chester won alone, and by militant actien. Of militancy there is no doubt. Workers in Man- grea chester have been fighting with unparalleled determi- nation for their claim- • especially shorter hours, which is a big lasting gain.

But combines like GEC- AEL and Guest Keen are equally determined. Only a tiny proportion of their capacity is tied up in this Manchester struggle, and with flm behind them from employers the nationally, they are pre- pared to resist for many many months. Scanlon knows this and Communist do the SO Party members. But Scan- Ion won't back national because action the In- dustrial Relations Act to be won.

TUC

obviously The recognizes that the employ- ers and the government are taking a tough line on pay.

So its plan to help low- paid workers accords with their views. They . want to redistri- income from bute the highly paid to the low paid industrial strategy by an designed to encourage this.

The TUC also recognizes that at the present time many firms cannot afford to pay higher rates. Its solution is not nationalization without under compensation and workers' but to control, stand shoulder to shoulder with the Tories in urging employers to step up efficiency. The TUC plan says: Investment and man- power must be better allo- cated and used. Inefficient firms must be allowed to close down or be merged into larger, more viable units. "The size of sectors and the scope and specializa- tion of operations need to alter. Some workers may need to be re-employed in more prosperous sectors

NOW WEEKLY

Keep Left the official er of the Young Socialists early subscription £2.86 th are available from 186a, Clapham High Fill in Form below NOI e send me 'Keep Left'/'Workers Press' for might be used against. his union and the Stalinists stay silent because it is part of their policy to pro- mote men like Scanlon as 'lefts' to gain influence in the bureaucracy of the ght trade unions. The CP's paper the 'Morning Star' , for ex- to ample, the described treacherous circular this way. ... workers in the be greater Manchester area ant have borne the brunt of the struggle alone. "They have not been greatly assisted by the cir- cular sent out this week from the executive of the engineering union urging all districts to pursue the claim at local level on "at points" but least three with no mention of hours' assisted'. 'Not greatly This must be the under- statement of the. year. The main issue through- out the Manchester battle is now completely exposed -are the leaders of the union going calla to national strike and face up and to the anti-union laws?

Or is the pay claim going to be thrown away nal in a series of unsatisfactory nine settlements after Act weeks of fighting? and industries.' And, of course, there must be better redundancy terms. The TUC plan, which comes hard on the heels of the volte face on the Industrial Relations Act, not only marks the influ- ence of the right-wing cor- poratists in its ranks, but also the treacherous • com- plicity of 'lefts' like Jones and Scanion who have lob- bied consistently for similar policies. The plan to tackle unem- loyment and halt the downward slide of workers' living standards throws in to relief the necessity of building alternative an revolutionary leadership ir the unions and the working Class. OXFORD university Ameri- students delivered can a petition of protest against the Vietnam war to the US embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, at the weekend. Tom Herman (24), a history student from Mil- waukee, Michigan, said the 236 signatures represented about 75 per cent of the American student popula- tion at Oxford. Workers Press £20.28 for 12 months {10.14 for 6 months £5.07 for 3 months ham High St, London SW4 7UG below NOW