Workers Press no. 798

workers press

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS IN GLAS

ONE THIRD of t And the axe will fal closures. The 7,500 redundancies announced by the British Steel Corporation will follow the shutdown of 30 hearth furnaces Motherwell, at Clydebridge and Glasgow, all in the West of Scotland. An attempt to get an emer- gency debate on the BSC cut- backs was turned down by the Speaker, Mr Selwyn Lloyd, in the Commons yesterday. The BSC decisions stem directly from the Tory plans to integrate Britain's steel industry into the Common Market coal and steel community. These plans also throw a cloud over the much-vaunted new steel works on the Firth of Clyde at Hunterston. With a government production cutback and production slipping, it is difficult to see the mighty Hunterston project getting off the ground. Yet trade union leaders were yesterday saying that a campaign had to be mounted to make Hunterston the 'focal point' of their demands. Milne, James the Scottish TÚC's assistant general secretary, said yesterday: I am sure one of the things that will have to and among the general public to bring pressure on the govern- ment and the steel corporation to take whatever action can be taken to maintain a very high level of employment in the steel industry in Scotland. Another STUC official des- cribed the huge jobs losses as *a crisis worse than UCS'.

This is an unfortunate parallel since it was the campaign of the Communist Party and the trade union buréaucrats in the ship- yards that has strangled any fight against the government's mass unemployment policies.

INCORPORATING THE NEWS

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTF

IN GLASGOW

of the workers in the • be sacked over the 1 By deciding on the hopelessly reformist 'work-in' the Stalinists and their friends headed off the and militancy anger of the working class in the West of Scotland. Meanwhile, since the liquida- at UCS 12 months tion ago, 17,000 jobs have been lost in Scotland. That's over 1,400 men made wholly unemployed each month. These massive redundancies have occurred throughout the electrical and engineering in- dustry - at Plessey, Burroughs, Babcock and Wilcox, National Cash Register and, of course,

BSC.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the capitalist mediatele- vision and the most reactionary newspapers - the church, the right-wing Labourites, the trade union bureaucrats all climbed on the Stalinists' bandwagon.

The 12 months of endless, demoralizing discussions have wound down the struggle; men have walked out of the yards and whoever remains under the new Tory arrangements will be subjected to vicious productivity levels. Above all, the political fight against unemployment was de- liberately kept out of UCS. The fight to bring down the Tory government and re-elect a Labour government pledged to socialist policies and the restoration of full employment was stifled at the time when thousands of Scottish workers were on the offensive. Young Socialists are starting a series of regional unemployment marches this Saturday to raise this crucial demand. The first regional march will begin at Dundee (unemployment 7.5 per cent) which has one of INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JUNE 22, 1972• No. 798 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

YOUNG SOCIALISTS SCOTTISH REGIONAL CAMPAIGN

WE DEMAND THE

RIGHT TO WORK

Dundee to Glasgow-Sat 24 June-Sat 1 July

MARCH

CUPAR

AIRDRIE

over 74,000 young people are now out of work. 11,257 well- are unemploved Scotland Young Socialists alone Last reoruary ine organized five nationwide marches to defend the work. In every town they received worked and lived there. This Saturday a Scottish regional march sets off from: Riverside Drive, Dundee, at 2.30 and heads for Glasgow.

• Defend your basic democratic rights!

• Support the YS when they come into your town!

• Join the fight to make the Tory government resign!

NIRC to pronounce on picketing

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

the dole longest queues Scotland. The route is shown THE NATIONAL Industrial Relations Court-with map above. on the One the help once more of Official Solicitor Mr Norman the marchers told Workers Press: Turner—is going to define the legal limits of picketing.

Unac CalS and under this government system young people can expect Sir John Donaldson, NIRC nothing. president, announced this yes.

No jobs, no decent education Section 134 of the Act states terday after another private Hallas, hearing attended by lawyers that if the picketing is peacéful except join the army. and related to an industrial dis- the Chobham Farm depot TOr *This march might seem only workers and the employers.

DULC.

It Is not an orence Under but =. will stir hundreds the Conspiracy and Protection of thousands of the Proper an law ander. 1875 it is not

OCODIC

He said that an important point strenge of the And WOrKIng The law had emerged from the working class discussions. thing to Sir John said there were three can change every bring people a better The reasons why the point was impor Act permitted peaceful picketing, certain circumstan- tant. It could affect a wide range Along the route of the march Sir of industrial disputes, the demand will be ohn said, and that was raised Tor of orders and the formation of Councils of nOT IN COUDE temporars per -the

NIRC

Action make comprising sections COld 'But what,' asked Sir John, lif affected the sort ana vitally or me la Dour ana race unon is undertaken as a evidence that needed ane bickeung was movement. means of doing act which satisfy the court. would otherwise "unfair • Demand the right to work.

The had taken the for

NIKU

mausual Dracuce view in the • Build Councils of Action.

Chobham Farm men to take part Case that S. 134 did not permit picket- of which notice has • Join the fight to Does S. 134 induce some- force this provide been

BIYCHA

one break his anv answer to a complaint?

rory government our contract con- would otherwise be duct which unfair under the Act. But in the light of arguments in the Court of Appeal, John JUNE FUND £617.02 - 8 Days more added section had to clarified NIRC could before proceed further on this matter.

Wour target is to t bigger effort perine this extra support would our target be completed needed. The dockers would be entitled know that the situation can to put forward arguments but the raise changed our target Court wanted the 21750 ov ine June which and ot a bar includes an extra £500 to cover collected. We appeal to you rister to as a mene or the -help with our greatly increased expenditure very special court. Collect In the previous two months vou

MUCH

as you The Official Solicitor would be helped us enormously by raising possibly can. possible, add this amount. In fact were something more yourself. Post asked to instruct counsel this purpose. donations magnificent-collecting well over your immediately OUl target TO. Theshee The President asted would be as soon We knew that to try and raise Workers Press possible. as would be a tough chal June Appeal Fund that in the meantime there would lenge. But we felt with costs 186a Clapham High St, be no avoidable delay in dealin Increasing and WIlD the honday London, swe fuG. with the Chobham Farm work ciscom plaint.

workers press

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS IN GLA!

ONE THIRD of t And the axe will fa closures. The 7,500 redundancies announced by the British Steel Corporation will follow the shutdown of 30 hearth Motherwell, furnaces at Clydebridge and Glasgow, all in the West of Scotland. An attempt to get an emer- gency debate on the BSC cut- backs was turned down by the Speaker, Mr Selwyn Lloyd, in the Commons yesterday. The BSC decisions stem directly from the Tory plans to integrate Britain's steel industry into the Common Market coal and steel community. These plans also throw a cloud over the much-vaunted new steel works on the Firth of Clyde at Hunterston. With a government production cutback and production slipping, it is difficult to see the mighty project getting off Hunterston the ground. Yet trade union leaders were yesterday saying that a campaign had to be mounted to make Hunterston the 'focal point' of their demands. Milne, Tames the Scottish TUC's assistant general secretary, said yesterday: I am sure one of the things will have to happen is a massive campaign in the unions and among the general public to bring pressure on the ment and the steel corporation to take whatever action can be taken to maintain a very high level of employment in the steel industry in 'Scotland.' Another STUC official des- cribed the huge jobs losses as "a crisis worse than UCS'.

This is an unfortunate parallel since it was the campaign of the Communist Party and the trade union bureaucrats in the ship- yards that strangled fight against the government's mass unemployment policies.

INCORPORATING THE NEW:

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTI

IN GLASGOW

of the workers in the • be sacked over the : ill fall in Scotland's 'bla By deciding on the hopelessly reformist 'work-in' the Stalinists and their friends headed off the and militancy of the anger working class in the West of Scotland. Meanwhile, _since the liquida- UCS 12 months ago, tion at 17,00Q jobs have been lost in Scotland. That's over 1,400 men made wholly unemployed each month. These massive redundancies have occurred throughout the electrical and engineering in- dustry — at Plessey, Burroughs, Babcock and Wilcox, National Cash Register and, of course,

BSC.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the capitalist media-tele- vision and the most reactionary newspapers - the church, the right-wing Labourites, the trade union bureaucrats all climbed on the Stalinists' bandwagon.

The 12 months of endless, demoralizing discussions have wound down the struggle; men have walked out of the yards and whoever remains under the new Tory arrangements will be subjected to vicious productivity levels. Above all, the political fight against unemployment was de- liberately kept out of UCS. The fight to bring down the Tory government and re-elect a Labour government pledged to socialist policies and the restoration of full employment was stifled at the time when thousands of Scottish workers were on the offensive. Young Socialists are starting a series of regional unemployment marches this Saturday to raise this crucial demand. The first regional march will begin at Dundee (unemployment 7.5 per cent) which has one of INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JUNE 22, 1972 • No. 798 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

YOUNG SOCIALISTS SCOTTISH REGIONAL CAMPAIGN

WE DEMAND THE

RIGHT TO WORK

Dundee to Glasgow-Sat 24 June-Sat 1 July

DUNDEE

MARCH

CUPAR

GLENROTHES

AIRDRIE

Well over 74,000 young people are now out of work. 11,257 unemoloved in Scotand the Young Socialists Last rebruary organized five nationwide marches to defend the right to work. every town they received magnificent support from those who worked and lived there. This Saturday a Scottish regional march sets off from: Riverside Drive, Dundee, at 2.30 and heads for Glasgow.

• Defend your basic democratic rights!

• Support the YS when they come into your town!

• Join the fight to make the Tory government resign!

NIRC to pronounce on picketing

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

the longest dole queues Scotland. The route is shown THE NATIONAL Industrial Relations Court-with on the map above. the help once more of Official Solicitor Mr Norman One the marchers told Press: Workers Unaer un Turner—is going to define the legal limits of picketing.

and under this' government system young people can expect Sir John Donaldson, NIRC nothing. president, announced this yes- 'No jobs, no decent education after terday another private Section 134 of the Act state nothing to hearing attended by lawyers that if the picketing eacefu except join the army. and related industrial dis- for the Chobham Farm depot to an •This march might workers and the employers.

DUlC

IL IS

• nOl del under small, but it will stir hundreds the Conspiracy and Protection of thousands of people Property Act 1875 and it is not He said that an important point And class. in itself an unlawful act working emerged from the the aW strength of working class discussions. which can everything to Sir John said there were three change bring people a better reasons why the point was impor- The Act permitted peaceful 11c. picketing certain circumstan- tant. It could affect a wide range in ¿yone ue roule or mie marcs Sir industrial disputes, the John said, and that was sort the demand will be raised for of orders the formation of Councils of not in doubt. and -the Action and trade comprising sections Hallell" collie make 'But what,' asked Sir John, 'if affected the sort of and vitally une labour the picketing is undertaken as a evidence that needed was movement. means doing act which satisfy the court. would "unfair otherwise be • Demand the right to work.

The

NIRC

for had taken the mausunai oracuce in Chobham Farm view the • Build Councils of Action.

encouraging men to take part chise that S. 134 did not permit picket- which notice has Does S.° ing to be used induce some- • Join the fight to force this provide

UCCI

one to break his anv answer to a complaint?

contact —COn which duct would otherwise be unfair under the Act. But in the light of arguments in the Court of Appeal, Sir Johr JUNE FUND £617.02 - 8 Days more added section had to be clarified before NIRC could proceed further on this matter.

Dend dad. extra support would needed. our target The dockers would be entitled know that the situation can trvina to to put forward arguments but the Tas: changed target Court wanted the help 21,750 by the ena or June, which ane ot a bar includes 2500 to cover collected. We appeal to you rister as or the -help our greatly increased expenditure.

with special Collect as much In the previous two months vou as you The Official Solicitor would be helped us enormously by raising possibly can. If possible, add fact this were something more Post asked instruct counsel to this purpose. donations magnificent-collecting well over all immediately our to: would be as soon We knew that to try and rais Workers Press possible. sat in the meantimes there soded President addec again would be tough chal- June Appeal Fund, that 186a Clapham High St, . But we felt With costs be no avoidable delay in dealing increasing ine holday London, Sw4 /UG. with Chobham Farm work- ers' complaint.

Kissinger's Peking talks are highly secret 'Cowboy' Abrams takes top Army job PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday June 22, 1972

FOREIGN NEWS

PRESIDENTIAL

envoy Henry Kissinger had two more secret sessions of talks with Chinese leaders in Peking on the second full day of his visit. He has now held five ses- of negotiations since his arrival and all news about the talks is being rigidly sup- pressed by the Peking Stalin- ists. The secrecy and the intensive character of the discussion lend: the idea that the to fate Vietnamese revolu- tion is top ot the agenda Suspicion is growing in Hanoi some of That Thel Sociat allies are getting ready to ditch North Vietnamese and the the National Liberation rront in me interests of peaceful co-existence with imperialism. been new and. Jett with the Thoraval Journalist from Hanoi on significantly, no official that Hanoi views with disfavour Tuesday stame the press kept silent siont involving three

DULLCU

'the the United That TeW remarks SO rowers- states about president Podgorny's 72- Union China- roccorov summit cameo reneues soviet anel hour visit indicate that he pro the articles on the 90th birthday and pressures they are the voked bitterness Bulgarian Stalinist Georgi Dimi- exerting to arrive at a settlement part of the North Vietnamese'. Indo-China ov suressins us blalencal.

'Union 'In The visit was not publicized necessary against imperaties ' countries connection, the the North Vietnamese cision halt bombing around in news- implicit rebuke Hanoi President Pod- radio and the fast public acknowledgement Kremlin Peking here allu acolil- Try visite Was seen "amoral" and it was noticed that Podgorny's trip came on Monday panied by arucies stressing that with Foreign Office statement the Vietnamese revolution can react "very Thoraval as *rich carried through by described the Viet- be alicadilly to her in signincance namese uneriselves closeness bombing The statement was vague and Thoraval adds: "Observers have frontiers.'

GENERAL

Creighton W. in 1936, tenant in the Cavail y served i during the war he Nixon's Abrams, military armoured units. One anecdote commander in Vietnam, has tells of him entering a captured

LOW I

been appointed to replace bystanders with two six-shooters.

tank and blasting away General William Westmore- land as Army Chief of Staff.

Vietnam 1968, presiding World War US of the ine run-aown

LIOU

veteran, reputation strength and the escalation _the one the com- the brutal air war against the He North. • delily. the a so invacated As the top man in the scandals My Lai the Pentagon, this North unauthorized will be answerable only to the Vietnam President for his military ex- General Abrams (centre) on duty in Vie Commissioned a second lieu-

DIULLS

THE LINCOLN Labour Party's dismis- sal of pro-Market MP Dick Taverne is a timely reminder to all those revision- ists who think that the Labour Party is an inconsequential irrelevancy in Bri- but The suggestion that this is a witch-hunt against the proj tish politics. is a ridiculous slander on the integrity of Collide the majority of Lincoln Labour Party mem- pean working class. Their sectarian indifference and repug- bers—as well as the Party members Time and nance of the Labour Party is certainly not nationally determined to have come are see to shared by the capitalist media. More edi- Party does of that the Parliamentarv Labour when defence carlamich been lorials lave are government was

NOT

ecome cam unto 1 ney verne s recerv and as zol

TO CON

exercising the rights which should have tinue committing it than even on the ques- een exercised by the Parliamentary Labour of devaluation. tion MPs who voted middle-class suburbia, that olalic and kept The "The Guardian'. But this centre group of Wilson. Cross Heaves no one n

COU DI

least thing that the L about where stands on Labour's fifth man and company have no intention of can doing so and use these liberals column: want sober truth which Labour people as a counter to the left.

on une must be left When another Labour Party--the Basil- should be lacing is thal the party is nou in store for them. in a state where it can afford to shed don constituency party-tried to exclude right left If Mr certain winger from being either its or wings... naced, the right wing and Transport House The "Scotsman's' by constituency ers is predictable. Sc his laverne ulsillissal party is not reversed by the nanonal execu resorteo lo me mosu ex donaly •TO• good. So tive, it may be taken as the beginning of cedural intrigues-including threat of writs long witch-hunt.. It not entitled -to prevent trade union left repre- able to influence and that those with deep the General Management in the Labour convictions scullaliul committee ano mne seleccon correrence is even better The 'sober truth' which 'The Guardian' There was even a hint about changing to hide is that unless the the LP constitution to make it impossible tries desperately menting policy sheds for right lett-wing socialists to get in! LabouT ralLy trailorous wilch-all. wing the "The The 'Scotsman's' ar workine cass Will be betraved arcian. nowever. and roasted in the inferno of a corpora- On another page Taverne. 'Scotsman' Bradford writes tist dictatorship. more Taverne is one-time Gaitskellite, a lead- concerned. It is angry Executive ing member of the Campaign National MPs yesterday about «Demo. "Unless La Dour s cratic Socialism, organization which deign to come to Mr Taverne's aid at Some of the specifically to defy the Lincoln, there is nothing he can do the case set autho- to stop was ritv of Labour conference decisions wo-varkereers and to revise Clause Four of the LP Con- quite safe parliamentary [tut, put their Market loy It will be stitution. tut]... a blow to the the Party, for All his political life he has campaigned tion of Labour left-winger as an inveterate reformist enemv of social- will like to see an out. al out". as it to excellent ane oromisine ism and a defender of monopoly capital. neither Market rebels treated in this His ex-leader Gaitskell was the friend and them. against the man who selection candidates Already Edward L Jules conspired with bury

MIOCI

uncontroned nands or very small caques Fourth Republic and bring de Gaulle to justified wrath of his power in May 1958 scream, but every "The a similar situation in Britain, there Labour member with a feeling for lead by stating that his seat simply that Taverne and the rest ic ilme coulor

SAIS

ore cass lose of the pro-Market mob would behave no the confidence of a differently from Mollet and Moch.

bearers.. SOVIET historian Pyotr Yakir, son of a Soviet general shot in the Stalinist purges in 1937, was detained at his apartment in Moscow yesterday by plain- clothes men, his friends re- ported. Informed sources indicated he would be put trial soon for 'anti-constitutional activity which he had systematically carried on for several years'. Among the evidence to be pro- duced against him was that he had allegedly organized a group of young people to help him in 'activities of anti-Soviet and an anti-constitutional character'.

Yakir has been consistent Henry Kissinger opponent of the Stalinist bureau- the Soviet Union and a cracy in The tightening of the diplo- leader of the movement to defend around Viet- constitutional rights. matic noose the revolution has far namese Among his friends are General failed to evoke any response Pyotr Grigorenko, imprisoned by the self-styled defenders of from the Kremlin in a lunatic asylum.

Vietnamese British the the in •Morning Communist Party. The Yakir was among 55 people Star' continues to publish with- who signed an open letter to the Kremlin's the United Out Nations Human Rights pledges of continued worthless Commission three years ago.

Hanoi. support to The 'Star's' silence in the face It deep indignation expressed of these diplomatic sinister over 'unceasing political persecu- manoeuvres is a necessary part tions in the Soviet Union, perceiv- of the to strangle the ing in them a return to Stalin's DIOt Vietnamese struggle on the part all our times, when country was of Peking and Moscow. in the grip of terror. Pyotr Yakir is the son of Ion Yakir, of the famous one Soviet generals and commander 'of the Ukraine Military District, who was shot on Stalin's orders a secret trial on June Il, after 1937. After his father was shot, Pyotr Yakir spent 14 years in camps on trumped-up charges of anti-Soviet activity-including an alleged attempt to organize an 'anarchistic cavalry band'. His mother, who died last year, imprisoned spent years the being a member of familv of 'a traitor to the fatherland'. Both rehabilitated in

NOTA

1955 and General Yakir was post- humously 1957. rehabilitated in librarian Yakir now works as luty in Vietnam for Academy of Sciences. the This is preceded by a structure on repre- sentation: 'An MP is not a delegate. He is obliged follow the wishes of his to nOT constituents. " In other words parliamentary democracy the proponents of the most conspiracy against the Euro- presupposes continuous and wholesale renegacy of the Labour opposition!

these Labour traitors The concern of the capitalist press has aid of Tories the the in little or nothing do do with the personal the credibility the of fortunes of Taverne. It is closely connected was being knocked to hell by with the deepening crisis. the railmen and dockers. of the pound and inevitable devaluation 69 refuses to expel those the collapse of Tory policy and credibility roted on the Common Market -despite Taverne's collaboration. Tories in then power the They are extremely worried that in the that the Labour Party members event of a collapse of the Tories and the being put prevent them from of a Labour government the return issue The Wilson leadership of withdrawal from the Common Market ft in no doubt about what is will loom Labour's agenda. They large on are trying now to ensure that the Labour attack on Party work- Party's Market commitment to enter the So long as the leaders -on principle-will remain.

As Bradford confuse their followers, that is laments• as the capitalist press 'Mr Taverne's trouble comes as the and manipulate opinion Labour leadership is trying to foil attempts ur Party and the unions that to commit the party at the autumn con- But the ranks begin once ference to declaration that future land in formulating and imple- Labour should bring Britain government that is intolerable-nay. out of the Market unless drastic changes in the terms can be negotiated!'

sman's' anger is also explicable.

page its correspondent David The Lincoln Party members have not rites about the Taverne affair: only struck a blow for socialism, they have the among Labour also exposed counter-revolu- as much interest day about the Taverne Affair.

alliance of the tionary monopoly press pro-Marketeers in the fiercest anti-Marketeers saw on tha abour Partv. Thev have also demonstrater shot across the bows of Marketeers they charged, the unprincipled attitude of the Stalinists who.

'AUEW

larket loyalty before Party loy- who at the conference withdrew the resolution the pro-mar- condemning «One keteers. muttering: if to suggest all the pro- The example of the Lincoln party must els should have action taken be followed by trade unionists and Labour Party members in 68 the other con- Edward Lyons, Pro-Market MP It is an integral part of the stituencies. is beginning to feel the struggle for a Labour government pledged ath of his constituency workers.

to socialist policies. follows the Scotsman's' ting that 'an MP should never • Down with the Common Market!

because he has lost ace of a handful of local office • For a Socialist United States of Europe!

Fighting the Tories' Rent Bill Public gallery cleared as Islington -Leicester tenants give councillors a rough ride AFTER A stormy two- hour debate-near the end of which the public gallery was cleared- Islington Labour council voted for the implement- ation of the Housing Finance Bill at midnight on Tuesday. The vote itself was some- thing of an empty victory for the upholders of the rule of law. Only 29 voted in favour while 15, including four Tories, voted against. There several, uncounted, were abstentions. And as the council's full complement is 69, several members were not even present for the vote. Notable supporters of the government's Bill included Jack Straw, former president of the National Union of Students, and Ted Castle, husband of Labour MP Barbara. Straw, who apparently is seek- ing Labour nomination at Ton- bridge, voted for after a speech which the im- gave everyone pression he was against. Throughout the debate there were continuous roars and inter- ruptions from the gallery as the pro-implementers apologized for their actions. Oppositionists greeted were with loud bursts of cheering and applause. Council leader Gerald South- gate's speech in proposing the motion well implementation indicated the right wing's betrayal and political bankruptcy.

› he said, • deliver a in person to No. 10.' protest (Shouts of "big deal' from the gallery.) Surely one member of the present government could find time to listen to us. 'If we refuse to implement, will our tenants be better off.' (Yes!)

"There is every sign that tenants will be better off. If you want to keep rents don't down, throw the away subsidies.' (Bribery.) 'Non-imple- mentation means giving up the fight. We have to go on fighting until the next General Election returns a government to kick the Bill out. (Collaborator.)

Southgate's speech was then followed by a manoeuvre by Cllr Ray Wylie who had an altern- ative motion down on the agenda for non-implementation. Outside the town hall Wylie have told reported was to

FROM PHILIP WADE

Our housing correspondent Gerard Flynn (above): Nothing to stop us taking on Tories. Ray Wylla (right): told tenants to go home, then withdrew his motion tenants he would fight imple- mentation, but advised tenants to go home because they would lose anyway. inside the Those tenants saw the councillor council then rise to his feet and promptly withdraw his motion to derisive cat-calls from the gallery.

'We have to face the reality of the situation,' he said. It would the Bill was imple- be better if mented by a Labour council than by a Housing Commissioner.'

Tenants made it clear they couldn't see the difference.

Cllr Wylie finally abstained on the vote. It was left for Cllr Gerard Flynn to clearly put the issues at stake: 'I rise as a Labour Party mem- ber, a socialist and a member of a trade union. 'I can't for the life of me agree implementation. with This government has been taken on by the miners, the railwaymen and now the dockers. There is nothing to the Labour stop councils taking on the Tory government. SHOUTS of 'Cowards' and 'Mice' from angry tenants greeted three Leicester Labour councillors as they announced the Labour-controlled council's decision to implement the 'fair rents' Bill if it became law.

Early this week the message from a meeting of tenants from recently-formed New Parks and District Tenants' Associa- Moscow Trials Anthology Paperback. 62½р

MAX SHACHTMAN:

Behind The Moscow Trial Paperback 75p

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Stalinism In Britain Paperback £1.12½—cloth £2

LEON TROTSKY :

Death Agony of Capitalism (The Transitional Programme) Pamphlet 5p Class Nature of the Soviet State Pamphlet 20p In Defence of the October Revolution Pamphlet 15p The Theory and Practice of Revisionism Pamphlet 15p Postage 10p per book, 3p per pamphlet. Order from :

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186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG. . "The motion says we can soften the blow by implementing.

But that's like a man who shakes hands with his friend with one hand and with the other takes money out of his pocket. I shall vote against.' (Wild cheering and applause.) oppositionist, Vic Another Cordwell said he also was against the Bill and would vote against. 'This Bill is a finance Bill and does no good for anyone but the speculators. For Cllr Southgate to say you can soften the blow is kidology. 'I'm against implementation on principle. At the last council elections we were voted in to run the affairs of the council.

'If the Tories now think I'm going to sit in this chamber and do their dirty work they're wrong' (Wild applause.) The deep split inside the Labour Party on the question was revealed in an amazing way when leading implementer Cllr Ernest Bayliss rose to speak. Heavily barracked from the gallery, he began by referring to chair as Mr Mayor. Shouts of tion to the Leicester city council was: 'We will stand up and fight "fair rent" Act tooth and nail.' Three Labour councillors out- lined the council's position to the meeting. The council were 'completely opposed to the Act', they said, but if it became law they would have to work within the framework of that law'.

Shouts and boos greeted this nott 'cL? 28 Charlotte St London W1

BOOKS • PERIO

Workers Press, Th resign greeted this because the mayor happens be Mrs to Patricia Bradbury. Mrs Bradbury is against imple- mentation and that could account for her sharp retort to nd Bayliss: 'If call me Mr Mayor you Mrs Bayliss, again, I'll call you she said. Right-wing Labourites demanded withdrawal by the mayor and were clearly shocked at the venom of her intervention.

'We have a choice of the Labour council or the Housing Commissioner implementing the Bill. The decision on the Bill can only be taken at Westminster.

here is The vote not for or implementation, said Mr against Bayliss. At this point, 11.20 p.m., the gallery broke into uproar, their patience finally broken by Mr inspector Bayliss. chief appeared in the gallery and it was finally cleared of the public.

Cllr Jack Straw said he had been in favour of implementation in February. had Now the situation changed because the government of had lost its nerve in face of pronouncement. Said one tenant: "The council have got no inten- tion at all of fighting this Bill.

They are simply going to endorse the 'Tories. Leicester Labour Party has also' rejected calls from ward parties for the council to defy the Tories Rent Bill. A statement from Labour group leader Alderman Edward Marston and party secretary

• • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Press, Thursday June 22, 1972 PAGE 3 VIc Cordwell: Not doing Torles' dirty work attack by the labour movement.

'In my view those, including myself, who said there would be certain benefits by implementing miscalculated' He asked the leader of the council to say if the government refused further representations from the council he would pledge non-implementation.

When the vote came at mid- night, Straw voted in favour of implementation. that the Gordon Parker said policy was to 'completely oppose the Bill' while it passes through parliament and if it emerges suc- cessfully-'an uncertain prospect' —to try 'to obtain the maximum possible benefits for tenants from its provisions. The policy was to obey the 'curtail its law', , but to most divisive and inflationary inten- tions'.

NOW OPEN

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday June : In this four part series Peter J of the British labour movemen the First International in 1860 ment of 1901. He examines h class built the unions as pow and then I built the Labour Pa challenge in the courts.

PART THREE

The Industrial Relations Act has effectively killed trade unionism of the 'old type'. • The entire system of free collective bargain- ing built up throughout the 19th century has now been undermined. Trade unions survive can only to the extent that they into 'new' are transformed unions which become con- scious of themselves as organs of proletarian revolution. Such trade unionism can be achieved only under the leadership of revolutionary party, in the struggle against the old reform- ist and centrist leadership.

It would be a serious mistake if it were thought that this is the first time that the British trade union movement has faced such a crisis in its developments. The 1880s and 1890s saw a similar transformation of the trade union movement to that which is now required. This was the period in which the movement was forced to dis- pense with methods of struggle and organization which had become completely outdated and make a decisive turn to a new form of political struggle.

It was out of these develop- ments that New Unionism was created and later the Labour Party. Just as today, so these great changes of 90 years ago were the product of a deep econo- mic and political crisis.

The 1880s marked a period of decisive change for British capitalism. This was period of imperialism's birth, a time of growing rivalries between the leading capitalist countries, of the growth of monopoly and finance capital and the beginning of the struggle for the division and redivision of the world be- tween these monopoly powers.

Britain, once the 'workshop of the world', now lost its leading industrial and military position. Competition from America, Germany and Japan forced it into more and more open attacks against the work- ing class as desperate attempts were made to modernize and re-equip to face the foreign challenge. It was in this period of growing world capitalist crisis that trade unionism was itself plunged into crisis. From the 1850s onwards the organized British working class had been characterized by two main features. In this four part series Peter Jeffries traces the history of the British labour movement from the formation of the First International in 1860 to the Taff Vale judge.

ment of 1901. He examines how the British working class built the unions as powerhouses of struggle- and then built the Labour Party after coming under (1) The trade union movement was confined almost entirely to the skilled layer in the work- of Cass labour'. Unionization was con- fined to perhaps around 10 per of the male cent working population, heavily concen- skilled trated the workers in engineering, build- The founding. and 11O1 policy of the leaders of these which the Amal- unions--ot gamated Society of Engineers was the typical example- -was highly They conservative. believed in conciliation with the employers. They were interested in preserving their differentials privileges and against the unskilled as they were in conducting the struggle the Their against employers. Slogan was 'half a loaf is better than none'. Extended franchise That section of the working class which enjoyed the vote- extension of the franchise -tended had been won in 186/ to identify itself with Glad- stonian liberalism. The number organized socausts was extremely small, perhaps null 1,000 bering only around at the start of the Such were confined almost entirely to the London consisted in the main of old Chartists, and were com- isolated from the working-class movement, that Is, tne unions The force which was to shatter these was relations the profound economic changes indicated above. Commenting as early as 1881 Britain's economic decline, Engels noted (in one of his tamous articles in the 'Labour Standard'): will do one great thing: will break the last link which still binds the English English working class to the class. link was middle their common working of a national monopoly. That mono- poly destroyed, the British working class will be compelled to take in hand its own interests, its own salva- and to make an end of non, the wages system. ent took the form, trem the ment took the form, from late 1880s onwards, of the unionization of the skilled and semi-skilled masses. In a short space of around ive vears to - lowing the 1889 dock strike, the trade union movement was transformed, both qualitatively quantitatively. This was the period of the birth of the labour movement in its modern form. Dockers, gasworkers, general labourers and transport workers swelled the ranks of the union movement and radically altered the balance of power within the Trades Union Congress. Even the older craft unions were affected by these ASE, for changes. The example, faced with severe problems as a result of grow- of the in- ing mechanization dustry, was forced in 1892 to its membership to the widen increasing number of semi- skilled workers. This was but a stage in its transformation into a mass union, the AEU, established in 1921. These New Unions, as they became known, were built in the face of the bitterest oppo- sition of the employers and also the capitalist state. For the 1890s saw a series of ever- more threatening High Court which aimed to judgements destroy the legal privileges of the unions won in an earlier period. These attacks culmin- ated in the infamous Taff Vale judgement of 1901, recently reactivated by the Tory courts.

But the unions of dockers, gasworkers and the other un- skilled trades were 'New' in another sense. In the great majority of Fa cases their leaders turned in independent the direction of working-class politics. Once more this was a product of the great changes which this period saw in class relations. Gladstonian liberalism had been able to collaborate openly with the leaders of the labour aristocracy. Throughout the 1870s, prominent Liberal Ministers-such as A. J. Mun- della - had been regular visitors to the TUC. Agree- ments had been negotiated for a 'sliding scale of wages' in many trades such as hosiery, which in a period of falling prices after 1873 had meant wage-cuts for many workers.

The leaders of the New Unions repudiated such class-collabora- methods as tionist. Liberal Party in The the period of imperialism could no longer pose as the 'friend of labour' . A new layer of leaders - often inspired by Engels and Marx's daughter (Eleanor Aveling) - such as Tom Burns, Ben Tillett, Tom Mann, Will Thorne and Keir Hardie, emerged to do battle with the 'Old Guard' on the TUC General Council. For it would be a serious mistake to think that the economic and political changes which were taking place in the 20 years 1880 in any following way automatically brought a trans- formation in the leadership of the working class.

DINEERS * CONTRACTORS

Great dockers' strike of 1889—in the leadership emerged which turned towar Quite the contrary. tenacious struggle was A waged among the TUC leaders in which the old leaders who clung desperately to their ties with the Liberal Party had to be driven out and replaced by those who fought to establish an independent Labour Party.

The crucial struggle in the initial phases centred on the question of the legal eight- hour day. The old, conserva- tive layers of union leaders bitterly opposed the adoption of this demand by the TUC.

Typical of this old layer was W.. Moses, leader of the Patternmakers, speaking at the

1889 TUC:

"To his mind those who were in favour of the eight- hours movement were putting the Congress a very humiliating position indeed in asking those who had success- fully fought the nine-hour battle without the aid of parlia- ment to vote in favour of call- ing upon the legislature...

Most of the Societies had shown that they were fully competent to deal successfully with the questions as to hours and remuneration.' When it is recalled that the Fabians, led by Sydney and Beatrice Webb, were also hos- tile to the turn to politics and consistently opposed the crea- tion of a Labour Party until they realized the battle was lost, we can see that the new . which the working class turn was able to make in this period was possible only because of a most consistent fight against all the reformists and oppon- ents of Marxism. This is even more true today. The working class will be completely unable to break from reformism and secure the independence of its unions without the most deter- mined struggle against all brands of revisionism and centrism. In this connection we should not forget the key role which.

Marxists played both in the creation of the New Unions and in the break from Liberal- ism and the formation of a Labour Party. Our last article showed the fight which dominated the First International around the question of the legal eight-hour day. The crucial significance of this struggle against the anar- chists was the decisive pre- paration both for the Second International and the establish- ment of a Labour Party in England. The International convened —In the five years following, 'unskilled' worke led towards independent working-class politics.

in May 1889 to celebrate the centenary of the French Revo- lution was organized around the call for the legal eight-hour day. And in precisely the same the unionization of the way, unskilled workers in England also proceed under this same slogan. What at one stage had been a theoretical matter fought out in the 1860s among a relatively small number of people now became the principle around which hundreds of thousands were drawn into politics for the first time. This was nowhere more the case than with the gasworkers.

Here Engels, along with Eleanor •Marx-Aveling, played the crucial role. Eleanor be- came not only an organizer for the union and a regular behalf in campaigner on its the East End; she also drafted its first rule book and • was affectionately known as the 'boss of the gasworkers'.

It was under these new, objective conditions which thrust previously quiescent layers of workers into politics, that the Marxist movement was able to begin to change its relationship to the working class. Although still riddled with sectarianism and other weaknesses that Engels and later Lenin were all too aware of, the 1880s did at least see the creation of permanent organizations formally adhering to Marxism. Chief among these —although it was to split many times—was the Social Demo- cratic Federation, established in 1881. It was from this body that the main force was to come which created the Com- munist Party in 1920-1921 in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. The period of the New Unionism has many lessons for today's revolutionary party.

In the midst of a world eco- nomic crisis, the trade union movement, and indeed the organized working class, can no longer survive under its present leadership, whose con- tinued collaboration with the government alone makes the continuation of Toryism possible. Just our great-grand- as fathers of 80 years ago had to clear out their old leadership and build a new political party, so today's generation is faced with the same task. But our task will be fought out on a far higher political and theoretical level and with immeasurably greater con- sequences for both the British and the international working class.

CONCLUDED TOMORROW

led' workers formed unions and a now

The financial crisis which has struck the French Communist Party daily 'L'Humanité', forcing it to cut its staff, reduce its print and vacate part of its premises, has been looming for many years. It reflects the crisis which, despite appearances, has been the foundations of sapping . Stalinism in the French sup- port of the working class itself.

Although the party has to meet many expenses it has also con- siderable financial resources.

All the press has been afflicted with escalating costs, but the trouble with the Stalinist press is that it has also been losing readers. It is lack of readers, and especially of militants ready to sell the paper and make sacri- fices for it, which is at the root of 'L'Humanité's' troubles.

It is a political not a financial question. The paper was established by Jean Jaurès as far back as 1904 and it passed under the control of the Communist Party after the Congress of Tours in December 1920, when the Socialist farty split and the majority opted to adhere to the Third International. A key administrator who joined the majority decided the fate of the paper. For all its weaknesses as a party paper at this time, which were taken up by Leon Trot- sky, it had a base in the working class. In fact, it con- tinued to enjoy a good deal of support even from readers who were not party members.

Besides being distributed through commercial channels it was also sold by party mili- Itants. Fund drives were organ- a league for the ized and defence of 'L'Humanité' was formed With the revival of the Com- munist Party's fortunes from about 1935, the paper enjoyed a large and growing influence which, naturally, it threw onto the side of Popular Front poli- tics. After the Nazi-Soviet pact it was suppressed and re- appeared clandestine as a organ; but the party concocted forged copies to give it a resistance pedigree from the start. In fact, in 1940, an attempt was made to enable the paper to appear as a legal journal under Nazi occupation.

At the war's end the Com- munist Party was by far the most powertul force in the French working class and attracted wide support from intellectuals,. peasants and middle-class people. Not only did circulation of the 'L'Humanité' to a zoom claimed one million or more, which gave it one of the largest circulations in the country, but the CP also had a number of provincial dailies, each with wide circulations.

At this time many of the capitalist papers, guilty of col- laboration, had gone out of existence. The CP press thus had a clear field. But this did not last. The crisis of Stalinism during the 1950s saw a con- tinuous fall in circulation un- til circulation was topped by claimed party membership by a wide margin. Today the French Com- munist Party claims to have about 460,000 paid up mem- bers. An opposition group, using the published balance sheet of the party, recently the figure at nearer put 200,000. Even so, this exceeds the daily sale of 'L'Humanité', which is stated to be 160,000 and may be an exaggeration.

Above: French CP chief, Marchais Given that the paper is sold to many non-party readers and is shipped in large quantities to East European countries it is obvious that many party members do not bother to buy, let alone read or sell, the main party organ, directed by the Central Committee itself. More, fewer and fewer militants are prepared to fight for the paper as they once did, or organize sales drives for the daily and weekly magazine sister 'L'Humanité-Dimanche'. The party has just built itself ultra-modern expensive and premises. It has various enter- prises which bring in money.

It receives part of the salary drawn by its members of par- liament. It has considerable material means at its disposal.

What has happened cannot be explained by examining the accounts—or only part, because it is certain that they show a real membership well below that claimed. What it means is that although the French working class still votes for the Com- munist Party and accepts the slogans of the CGT because it no alternative, it is ex- sees tremely reserved towards the party and its leadership. This was shown in May-June 1968 when workers were prepared to go forward to overturn the Guallist regime and were held back by the party and the

CGT.

Lack of confidence in the Stalinists and lack of life in the pages of its organs are sure signs of a deep crisis. The need and opportunity for an alternative leadership for the working class is the French main lesson which must be drawn from the troubles of 'L'Humanité'. Workers Press, T The hard road of the Soviet artist who does not accept the dictates of the bureaucracy is shown by the case of Yuri Titov, the 43-year-old dissenter who has been permitted to leave the Soviet Union.

His paintings had so much angered the authorities that the Titovs were given the choice of leaving the country or being sent to a prison or a psychiatric hospital. Knowing what agonies are endured by the victims of the KGB (Soviet political police) they decided to quit. Both had already been arrested in March and Yuri had been put on a course of depressive drugs to break his resistance. Like novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Titov has taken refuge from the contradictions of bureaucratic rule in the bosom of the Orthodox Church. Isolated from the working class and absorbed in their own inner conflicts, many artists and intellectuals have found this way of expressing their opposition. Religious themes predomi- nate on Titov's art since his conversion to Orthodoxy in 1962. But the Soviet authori- ties tolerate other believers.

What disturbed them about Titov was that he took an active part in opposition pro- tests, such as that against the imprisonment of the writers Sinyavsky and Daniel. The arbitrary rule of the bureaucracy and the difficulties of Soviet life have the effect of keeping religious beliefs alive and even driving many sensitive people back to the church. Persecution of those believers who are regarded as oppositionists goes hand-in- hand with support for the church hierarchy which is pre- pared to work with the state as an instrument of the policy of the bureaucracy. And such persecution tends to make new recruits for religion.

By allowing people like Titov to leave Soviet the Union the aim of the KGB is Nearly 10,000 miners in the Bosnian Mines, Central Yugoslavia, have been with- pay for more than a out month as a result of the mines' financial crisis. At the Stara Jama pit, part of the Kakanj mines, 700 miners struck work for two days on July 14 in protest against the non-payment of their wages. Not far the at away, Haljinica mine, 1,000 miners refused to go down the pit for several days. The mines' administration • has stated that for months they have not been in a position to guarantee miners their wages • time, even though the on pits are making a profit.

's Press, Thursday June 22, 1972 PAGE 5 not only to punish him and warn others, but to create the impression that the whole opposition shares his religious and liberal' standpoint. This is far from being the case. The bulk of the oppositionists defend the nationalized pro- perty relations and stand on tne principles of materialism and Marxism-Leninism against the distortions of the bureau- cracy. The punishment of Titov did not end with his exile from Russia. He was allowed to take 50 of his paintings. But when they were unpacked it was found that they had been sprayed with acid and were seriously damaged. Like a number of other oppositionists and Jewish retugees from the Soviet Union the Titovs are now in Rome, where they have no passports and little money. When they make their peace with capital- ism the KGB's work will be done. It will then turn more vigorously to crush those oppo- sitionists it fears most, those who, like Major-General Gri- gorenko and his supporters, call for a political revolution to overthrow the bureaucracy.

Titov with one of his destroyed paintings. The assistant director- general of the Central Bosnia put the problem down to difficulty in collecting out- standing debts. Customers owe the mines over 80 million dinars (£2.2m) while the mines' debts are only 30 million dinars (£830,000).

Among the debtors are several large state enterprises, notably the Belgrade Rail- Transport Enterprise, way which alone owes almost £500,000. The miners decided to call off their strike after two days when the administration promised to pay their out- standing wages by last Monday—ie seven days late.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday June 22, 1972

BY PHILIP WADE (PICTURES BY MARTIN MAYER)

After a year of talks the

AUBTW

(builders); cannot 40 claim more than per workers' building pay cent national rate of union- claim has exhausted pro- ization. cedure. The offers from The employers are also strengthened the by massive the employers have been of unemployment rate among rejected by the unions. building workers. Over 150,000 workers are No progress has been made unemployed in the industry- on the for £30 a week a phenomenal rate about for a 35-hour-week, a reduc- then the one in seven. And tion in the working week to who are organized employers, 35 hours and more holidays.

in the National Federation of On May 18 the employers' Trades' Building Employers, final offer was made. From still have their most explosive June they offered a £2.40 rise weapon-the lump. the craft rate making 1n Over 300,000 workers are £22.40 a week and an increase on the lump. in the labourers' rate by £2 to Labour-only sub-contracting £19 a week. its full title-is it From February they next both a source of cheap labour offered a further £2.60 tor the big for employers and £2 skilled men and another wedge to be for labourers. And it was the bargaining restrict power from obvious the whole of the unions. period of negotiations that the were preparing for employers a showdown with the unions.

George Smith, general secre- tary of the union of Construc- and Allied Trades and tion Technicians

(UCATT),

the The big employers will fix largest of the building unions, a rate with sub-contractor had this about the say for a gang of workers. Often his negotiations in union's this journal this month: cuts out holiday pay, sickness pay, guaranteed time it is by now apparent in bad weather, travel money that the employers at no time seriously listened to the case The sub-contractors- mere made by the operatives' side.

go-betweens supplying labour 'The operatives' side have -will fix a rate with the main considerable acted with contractor and pay the endeavouring lump patience in to workers less, making his profit reach a settlement by ordinary from the margin. negotiations. As a result of the employers' It is reckoned that the attitude through- average employer might save out these negotiations we are as much as £7 now faced with a situation of per man per week when he takes on men deadlock where it seems that it will be necessary for us to on the lump system. In bad weather instruct some of our members ployer saves himself anything •to take that industrial action up to £30 a week. which the employers now seem in the in- be forcing us.' (My Apprenticeships to on dustry are fast declining, emphasis.) em- Next Monday (June 26) is ployers finding it easier to dip the deadline for the unskilled the exhaus- into enormous pool of labour available.

tion of procedure. From that The lump therefore, is no- date the unions including the thing more than the casual, Transport and General Wor- hire-and-fire principle which kers' and the General and Britain Municipal Workers', will take every employer in would dearly love to have.

industrial action. cash-saving However, the unions are pre- This device is reflected in the top building paring in no way for what could be a decisive battle in firms' profits. history of the building Last year was the 50th birth- the day of Taylor Woodrow and workers. profits were a record for the The leadership wants merely and tenth consecutive year. selective strikes up The company owns 84.5 per down the country. This can cent of Mytons and also oper- weaken the only serve to Swiftplan F. Gibson & union when building workers ates Co (Newcastle), Taylor Wood- face their biggest crisis. Construction, Taylor Of 800,000 the workers

TON

Woodrow Property Co and covered by the National Joint Council for the Building Indus- many others. try, no more than 300,000 are the first six months of 1951, bee-fax profits 60 in of the unions. rose any Even UCATT, the result of £1.7m the per cent from between the first half-year of 1970 merger to ASWP&D (woodworkers, pain- £2.7m. and decorators) and Chairman and managing ters director Francis Taylor actu- ally had his salary reduced in 1970 by 8 per cent-down to a mere £35,967 (£720 a week).

Any of his employees seek- ing emulation with the chair- man would have to work over 20 years to earn as much as Taylor did in 1970. The company gave £10,000 to. the Aims of Industry and £5,000 to British United Indus- trialists in 1970. For services to the building industry the Tory Party got £1,825. George Wimpey is Britain's largest construction firm, em- ploying over 30,000 people in the UK and operating sub- sidiaries such Wimpey as Asphalt, The Lothians Quarry Glenthorne Insur- Company, ance Brokers and so on. Over half the company's shares are held by trusts set up by Sir Godfrey Mitchell (the chairman) to benefit his family and various charities.

of Wimpey's One most estates in dham er 832m

SHARES

et licky today would be worth.over £500 McAlpine is of the one Tory Party's most forthcoming benefactors. In 1969-1970, £32,357 was paid to the Tories —about £3 for every one of McAlpine's employees. directors are all The "McAlpines' and between them the company's control all ordinary shares. dividend is Although no paid on the ordinary shares over £140,000 the goes to family because of their large holding of preference shares.

In 1970 the McAlpines took about £250,000 out of the in dividends and company directors' salaries and fees.

second John Laing, largest construction firm can boast that its chairman, Sir Kirby Laing, holds the chair in the NFBTE, the employers organization. The average pay for each of Laing's 15.000 workers about £1,500 a year. In 1970 Sir Kirby was paid £17,125.

In addition the directors own 5 per cent of the shares and control another 68 per cent through various trusts. Bovis June 1970 up to boasted none other than Tory Minister Sir Keith Joseph as a director. The board is probably the highest bred among any build- ing firms. Directors include the Earl of Albemarle (pre- sident), Lady Sharp (ex-civil and of servant member Independent Television the Authority) and two knights.

In 1970 the chairman gave himself an I1 per cent pay inflation and rise to meet received £21,000. The manag- ing director, Mr M. F. Sander- son, got £72,000 in dividends in addition to his salary.

Preliminary figures for 1971 how a 45 per cent growth it sales profits rose from e3.pre-tax to £14m and 1970 to £4.5m in 1971. The building workers are now face to face with some of Britain's richest employers who make no bones about their allegiance to the Tory Party. In this situation, the selec- tive strike strategy is no more than a half-hearted gesture by the union leadership. Undoubtedly the rank and file will raise the demand for an all-out strike for their claim. A battle with the employers will involve a cam- paign on the lump, adequate training and safety provisions.

(Building site accidents account for four out of every ten industrial deaths: And in ten years the injury rate has more than doubled.) These questions will not be solved by militancy alone, of • 30 A which there is no lack among building workers. The elimination of the lump requires liquidation the private enterprise in the indus- try and the public ownership of big companies. For building workers, like other trade unionists involved in combat today, it means that the wages and conditions fight has to be taken up within a campaign to force the Tory government to resign. A Labour government must be committed to socialist policies which include the nationalization under workers' control without compensation of the entire building industry.

Within the building unions a new principled leadership must be built against those reformists like the Communist Party 'Charter' group who will only lead 'Kill the Lump' cam- paigns, all the time preventing building workers from opening up a political struggle. Workers Press, Thurse E.

SOBERS,

UCATT

steward World's End site. at Cubitt's, "The main question facing us is sub-contractors. I think the unions should flush them of out industry. They the. operate in whichever way they want, provoking trouble and worries and seeking to cripple the unions. 'The employers encourage them because the main con- tractors don't want to deal with the unions and call in the subbies instead. 'Now the employers are stepping up their campaign against the militants by mis- using rule 2b of the NJC working rules. This gives them the right to transfer men to man a continuity of work.

'But what they're doing is

JOHN FONTAINE,

UCATT

steward I at Cubitt's World's End site in Chelsea, London: "The best thing about this wage claim is that it wouldn't have happened five years ago.

In the last six years we've only won f6 through the union.

'Now the union-has re- jected £5 and that's not be- cause George Smith _(UCATT general secretary has sud- denly become a left-winger.

"There has been much more pressure from the rank and file. The working class is under vicious one most attacks for years. Prices have risen 18 per cent since the Tories came in and we've seen our wages dwindle. "Then there have been cuts in the social services, the In- dustrial Relations Act and the orkers Press, Thuraday June 22, 1972 PAGE 7 transferring the militants and ' then giving them the sack.

'As as I'm concerned the union leaders have done nothing to fight the lump. In fact by their actions they've encouraged it. I remember a strike at St Thomas' Hospital where we fought the lump.

The executive of the wood- workers' union took a decision to let the lump workers carry and transfer the on trade unionists. 'At the moment it suits cer- tain employers to provoke strikes because they have clauses which mean they get paid for all delays caused by industrial disputes. "The claim we've got now is the most important one we've ever had.' Immigration Act, all attacks on the working class. 'Now we're fighting for a decent basic wage. At the moment men have to work an average of 50 hours a week heré to make a living wage. And at a site at Shepherds Bush they're working 7 a.m.

until 7 p.m., seven days a week. 'You can see the strength this i the employers in country by seeing how ther rallied round in Manchester when some of them were under attack and raised flm.

I know an all-out strike would be the way to take on this claim, but with the union as it is at the moment, selec- tive strikes are probably the until only way we can strengthen the union.'

'THIS LAND OF IRELAND...

ANNEXED FOREVER'

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Thursday June The Green Flag. By Robert Kee.

Weidenfeld and Nicolson. £5.95 877 pages. A six part revlew by Jack Gale The story spread by Craig, Paisley and com- pany that Irish Protest- ants have always loved the union with England is a lie. When the idea of a legislative union was put forward at the end of the 18th century, the strong.

est opponents were the Protestant gentry, who with were concerned their own survival as an élite group. The Orangemen, in parti- cular, were opposed to union.

They held a dominant position things and as were they wanted to keep them that way.

The Protestant lawyers and bankers of Dublin also felt they had a lot to lose. Neither was the Catholic attitude so simple. Laws pre- venting Catholics Irom owning land had gone before the end of the 18th century and in 1793 they were given the vote on the same terms as Protest- ants. But they could not hold or municipal office State apart from being magistrates, in which capacity they per- secuted the Catholic poor with just as much gusto as their Protestant counterparts. They could not, however, enter parliament. But the claim for such rights was obviously of concern only to wealthy Catholics. To the Catholic poor, 'emancipation' was of little immediate value.

Many rich Catholics felt they were more likely to receive emancipation through union with England than through separatism which left their Protestant rivals with all the advantages. Thus, the Act of Union of 1801, was supported by many wealthy Catholics and opposed by many wealthy Protestants.

There was no difficulty, in getting union course, accepted by the Irish parlia- ment. The British government simply handed out 16 English peerages, 28 Irish peerages, upgraded 20 existing Irish peerages and nominated a further 28 'representatives' of Ireland for places in the British House of Lords. Just to make sure, the British 'mother of parliaments' (the cradle of democracy) persuaded a number of Irish MPs who were too honourable to vote for union, to resign their seats before the vote. Of course, they had to receive suitable compensation. The vacant seats were then filled by union supporters, most of them English. Their support was certain, since they also were rewarded for their virtue. Kee states that. over sday June 22, 1972 one-fifth of the Irish parlia- mentary seats changed hands this way, causing one principled politician to ex- 'We have little alter- claim: native left but to reconcile our minds to the advantages of union. While the parliamentarians were earning their pin-money, a new United Irish Executive was formed in Dublin, led by the Protestant Robert Emmet.

In July, 1803, Emmet pro- claimed 'The Provisional Government to the People of Ireland', but the rising was abortive and Emmet was hanged. In the decades after the Act of Union, the conditions of the Irish peasantry were the Europe. Every land- worst in holding was sub-let many times the middle-man over, with taking his cut each time.

The common knowledge that the Irish poor lived off potatoes is not the whole truth—in fact they lived on what was called 'lumper potato', because their land was too barren to grow normal ones. A 19th century Kee. ary report, described entire families living in one-roomed hovels often together with livestock, lying bare floors through which on ran open sewage, without bed- ding except straw, and going to church Sun- alternate Con days because there were not enough clothes to go round. The poorest of all lived as serfs on quarter of an acre plots, giving their labour all the year round wages tor no and in return receiving the right to grow enough lumper Top: an eviction in 1848 during Emmet appearing before the court which potatoes to live on. They were frequently evicted and allowed to take nothing with them except the rotton straw from their hut roofs. When thi potato crop failed —as it did in the Great Famine of 1845-1848—it killed over a million people. It be stressed that must only the potato crop failed. Every other plant thrived. Not one of those people need have died. Instead providing of food for the starving, the land- lords-Catholic and Protestant alike-evicted, murdered and hung. In some country towns the dead lay in the streets for. six or eight days without burial.

Kee recounts the case of a man accused of sheep-stealing, whose wife was so hungry that she had been eating the thigh of her own daughter who had died from famine fever. He was hanged. During the Famine, evictions spread like wildfire. Landlords seized the opportunity to clear their lands of all unwanted they tenants, whether were paying their rent or not. In one set of evictions at Kilrush Mayo, 15,000 in Co people were cleared In out. many cases, landlords burned down peasants' huts and then hired thugs beat out to them of ditches when they tried to live there. Despite all this, Kee can still that say accusations of genocide against the British were 'unjust and government absurd'. And the government, he called claims, ( cannot be anti-Irish because the British lived working class also in appalling poverty! the Great Famine. Above: Robert

CONTINUED TOMORROW

ourt which sent him to be hanged.

BY ALEX MITCHELL

The methods of the capi- talist press were revealed glaringly in a case just adjudicated by the Press Council. It concerns complaints made residents of housing by estate against the 'Kirkby Re- porter' , the 'Daily Mail' and the 'News of the World'. article The first in the 'Reporter' was headed 'Reign of Terror Keeps Family House- bound'. It described damage to a neighbour's home, attacks on children and threats to the Top: Rupert Murdoch occupiers. The story said Cllr James Hackett was trying to get the family rehoused and Times'. For 14 appealed to to stop people 'Observer', owned b attacks on the family and 'live family, has been pi and let live. lease at Printing Ho The second article was headquarters of Ti headed: 'Good Neighbours End Children's Loneliness'. Hap- papers. Under a new ar piness restored, it seemed.

part of the printi But enter the northern edi- undertaken by the tion of the 'Daily Mail' hot on Times' just up the the story. It claimed in a ban- St Paul's and the ner headline: 'A Truce Stops will be done at Le Family's Fear of Torment'.

'Yorkshire Post'. It described how a 'local The idea is to g ban' on making friends with print done in Lond the family's children had been other half transmitt lifted. The following day the by facsimile satelli 'Mail' went to town again with a northern edition

-'THE

ORDEAL-by the same as the link mother sent to Coventry'.

chester and Belfas But it was Rupert Murdoch's 'Mirror' operates. men on the 'News of the World' The Times' who produced the gem of all.

changeover in very 1 They described the story as It's not difficult to Family at War' and the article For one thing the contained the phrase: 'It rivals 'Observer' contract the persecution of Nazism...

This was too much for Mrs cancellation of the printing contract I. Rowe of Burnard Crescent, Times' sorely needs Kirkby, who, with 23l neigh- There is an adde bours, wrote off to the Press burden for Council, a creation, one should compositors, point out, of the newspaper machine men who f proprietors. 'Observer' each wee In its findings the Council ing House Square a said the complaint against the Times' payroll, not 'Reporter' was not upheld. But The loss of t complaints ver's'. the the against leaves "The 'Mail' and the 'News of the prospect of a lar World' were found justified.

redundancies. Referring to the Murdoch That is, interpretation that the feud was unions will even go reminiscent of Nazi persecu- such a massive cutb tion, the Council said it was 'unjustified and in bad taste'.

The new alliance b 'Observer' Which must rank as one of the Times' also spells great understatements. the capitalist sure on the Times But whereas press loves nothing more than group. feuds, sensationalizing family As one remarked: 'As far : it is most reluctant to report similar rows among its own ing revenue is co daily "Financial T fraternity. "Observer" o Take the bland announce- an ment made last week that the could be a serious. "The Times" and 'Observer' is to end its print- "The Times". If such a ing arrangements with t Murdoch. Left: Lord Thompson. Right : Lord ( or 14 years the eloped, we would owned by the Astor because we don' powerful economic , been published on nting House Square, FT group? This is certainl rs of Times News- FT, owned by Loi is Fleet Street's • new arrangement, will be re printing, financial asset. It forms I Pearson empire made Cowdray t up the road near richest men in t and the remainder ne at Leeds at the Apart from the 1 'Economist', the P a is to get half the also owns in London and the bank, which was tl Rolls-Royce transmitted to Leeds for le satellite link for bankruptcy. Cowdray's man • edition much the he link with Man- the mating is chai FT, Lord Droghed d Belfast : that the the chief negotiat reported the Observer Trust in very terse terms. friend, Lord Gor ifficult to see ganging up of thes why. ing the loss of the is sending a shive hension down th contract will mean n of the £200,000 the Times executiv ontract which "The The Times ely needs. rently seeking an added financial build gleaming ne " 'The Times'. The Gray's Inn linotypes "The Times' and and Times'. The schen en who produce the each week at Print- dogged by trouble Square are on 'The ning permission ar roll, not the Obser- idea was first m loss of the contract have soared. With his finance e Times' with the of a large bill for stretched, Lord Fleet is badly pla of course, if the off Drogheda and I even go along with That is, unles sive cutback in staff! agree to get toget! the 'Times'-'Fina alliance between the and the Financial 'Sunday scrap the 'Observe o spells more pres- e Times Newspapers Casting this tho this week Times-man' Workers Press: "s 'As far as advertis- tion is not beyon ue is concerned, a of possibility. The lancial Times" with has never been on Sundays good money-spinn petition and costs Serious challenge to and "The Sunday troublesome, som to give • such a battle dev- ht: Lord Goodman e would have trouble don't have the economic base of the The certainly true. d by Lord Cowdray, Street's wealthiest forms part of the which of one the country. the FT and the st', the Pearson group Lazards merchant ich was the lead bank s-Royce up to its y's man negotiating g is chairman of the Drogheda. By chance negotiator from the is old an Goodman. The ip of these two peers of appre- g a Shiver of the spines ; executives. group is to aming new offices in n Road to house both "The Sunday and 'he scheme has been y trouble with plan- nission and, since the first mooted, costs is finances desperately Thomson Lord badly placed to fend reda and Goodman. all unless es'-'Financial Times' Times' and just 'Observer'. this thought around insider told ot beyond the realms "Observer" The a terrifically ney-spinner. As com- ind costs become more something's got Workers Press, Th The Irish are about to suffer a new invasion—this time from across the Atlantic. In fact, it's already begun in the shape of bronzed and ageing Cary Grant. Last week he sank a spade into the green turf of Co. Clare and sighed: This will be my home. Actually Mr Grant will be sharing his peace and quier with about 2,000 other people —he's building a new town.

Unfortunately Irish the won't be able to live in it.

The 500 hotel rooms and the 1,250 garden apartments that nestle beside the river Shan- non are for millionaires only.

The place will be called Shannonside. There's about 550 acres of real estate in- volved costing a cool £10m but Grart and Co hope to make a lot uf lolly out of the invest- ment. Grant is a director of the the cosmetic tirm Faberge, owner of the profitable Western Airlines and a direc- tor of the famed millionaire holiday town of Treasurer Gaz in the Bahamas. Now he and fellow director Bill McIntosh are turning their attention to Ireland. They plan to fly plane-loads of millionaires to Shannon air- port and then by hovercraft up the river to their modest dwellings. Grant has already been touring the area getting to know the locals. 'You need not fear,' he said, 'we will not destroy the aesthetic or the architectural beauty of the countryside. After all, this is why we are coming here because of the beauty... and the money of course. In their paper 'Monthly News', the Tory Party publish an alphabet of their achievements in the two years since coming to power. At the top of the list? Britain's defence capability i Press, Thursday June 22, 1972 PAGE 9 strengthened by has been raising four regular infantry battalions, retention of five of Gurkhas, a battalions 10,500-man increase in the TA and Volunteer Reserve, an extra five front-line squadrons of aircraft, accelerated an naval shipbuilding programme and the retention of the air- craft carrier 'Ark Royal' in service. Union leaders are beginning to learn a hard lesson in capitalist economics. The boom that they are asking Heath to pro- always duce, if it could happen, would affect the not substantially level of unemployment. Examine these latest statistics.

of food, The production drink and tobacco is much the same as it was at the end of 1970, the same can be sala But employment for textiles. in food, drink and tobacco is down 5 per cent and in textiles 10 per cent. In mechanical engineering, production is down 4 per cent and employment 10 per cent.

City Simon and brokers Coates nail the reason for this.

When they released these figures they commented: Few major sectors of manufacturing industry will be taking on labour until demand is much higher than at present and many capital-intensive indus- tries will continue to reduce employment even on booming demand.'

LEON TROTSKY:

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Miners' families incensed PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday June 22, 1972

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

MINING families in the ment's own records that prove missing the no money was on Cross Keys-Newdigate were searched and day that they area of Bedworth, near stripped. There were no arrests. As a result of the incident Coventry, are disturbed there was a short strike and 13 by last week's events on workers have now left their jobs the nearby M6 motor- at the Trust House-Fortes-owned Corley service station. service way's Corley Our have talked to reporters station. number of the and women their families. 12, On Tuesday June Mrs June Hayes cashier was Southside the between 11 p.m. and mid- on area. She is a mother of five and wife night 11 women petrol pump of a Daw Mill miner. attendants were stripped by It 10.45 and was p.m. we a detective in an attempt to off shift. There were coming four of the south investigate the alleged theft

WOTA

A CID lady came in, closed side. of several hundred pounds.

the door and said she wanted to The women say that manage- I said, go ahead, make a search. The daily paper that loads the fight against the Torles. £20.28 for 12 months (312 lasues) {10.14 for 6 months (156 Issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 Issuờs) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: 186a Clapham High St., CIrculation Depl., Workers Press, London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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Name Address The south side of the Corley service where 18-year-old Pamela Bonham stripped her and even searched her hair.

search a she replied. ne wist "We will your bag, go over to the women's room."

• "Walk across," she told us, "and no silly carry on" • A man detective walked with us. We went in. She searched my hand- bag, them my pockets. Then she wanted off one by my clothes one. As she was doing it, she me where my husband asked worked, how many kids I had.

'I said: "What's my husband and• kids she said. "I'm bored, Miner's wife Mrs June Hayes with four of we have to say something."

'Then she said "Give me your and tights." "Pants and pants tights?" I said. "Yes," she said.

As she stripping me, I thought I'll never come back to this place. 'I was frightened to go to the shops last week in case people had read the papers.' On May 5 employees had been issued with a new contract of employment. Clause 13 was not previous contract. It reads: 'The company may require an employee, their person, their their personal belongings or locker to be searched at any time.' The reason for the new con- tract was said to be the merger of Forte and Trust Houses.

No one remembers being told about the clause. June's husband John com- mented: 'They would not have got away with this in the pit.

Imagine saying to a group "There's dockers: something missing off the ship, strip your clothes off."

ALL TRADES UL

party. LUTON: Thursday June 22, St John Ambulance Brigade Hall, Lea Rd. 'Stalin- SOUTH EAST LONDON: Thurs.

y service station on the M6 motorway onham (above left) says a detective d her hair. 'If there had been a union up there this would not have n." happened.' Team supervisor Margaret Hughes claimed: 'When they gave us the new contract, they told us the only difference was improved holidays.' . Mrs Mulhern, another Daw Mill miner's wife, told us. 'I was only there a week. I never signed a contract. I've never been in contact with the police in my life and I got that. 'We should have finished at Ith four of her children.

11.00 p.m. It was 1.30 a.m. when I got home. If we had had a union I'm sure it would have been different.' Mrs Mulhern's father, Jim Hudson, is an ex-Scottish miner now working in the engineering industry. 'There's no charges, the police are taking it no further. A union agent would have given them protection. I suppose this is another side of 1972. Under the Tories they are trying to make it so as the working class have no say in their lives. When Newdigate miner's daughter, 18-year-old Pamela was stripped 'she [the Bonham detective] even searched my hair.

'We all went to the office to complain at the way we were treated. We were very upset. There was a lot of yelling.

'We made them show us the pump readings. We were not any money down. 'Three times we went back to try and get our rights. The third time we were ordered off the site.'

S UNIONS ALLIANC

day June 22, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club (opposite New Cross Stn.). 'Stalinism'.

ACTON: Monday June 26, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, High Road.

'Support the dockers. Force the Tories to resign'. LEEDS, Tuesday, June 27, 8 p.m. Peel Hotel, Boar Lane.

'Build Councils of Action' EAST LONDON: Tuesday June

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

A NEW roll-on/roll-off ter- minal will be built at Hull for a service to Finland starting early in 1973. The British Transport Docks terminal would Board said the be used by the Finland Steam- ship Company Limited and the Baltic United Corporation Limited. The £280,000 terminal will be sited in the south-west corner of at Hull Queen Elizabeth Dock where extensive shore facilities already exist. This is the second berth roll-on/roll-off an- new nounced for the port this year.

In 1971 traffic passing between Hull and Finland by conventional about vessels amounted to 160,000 tons, but the board says the new scheme will increase this tonnage 'rapidly. Mr J. A. Lacey, port director, Humber, said: 'Hull is increas- for ingly becoming a centre operating unit load shipowners services across the North Sea.

'Since 1969 roll-on/roll-off traffic passing through Hull has increased steadily and over 1.5 million tons of unitized traffic is What Lacey doesn't point out, however, is that with each step taken by port technology, men's jobs are lost. don't resent tech- Dockers but they will bitterly nology, fight the threat to their right to have a job and earn a decent The only solution is the living. of the docks nationalization under workers' control, without compensation to the present owners. Only under this socialist policy can dockers protect themselves from the onslaught of the profit- seekers. THE BRITISH Transport Docks Board made an operat- ing surplus of f7.6m last year —meeting its financial target.

Its report out yesterday showed a 5.6 per cent return • assets of £135m and was on £3.2m up on the 1970 figures.

Interest payments, however, came to f6m and an allowance of fl.2m was made for depre- ciation costs. The transfer to general reserves, therefore, was £400,000. The trade at the board's 6.7 million tons ports was down on the 1970 total at 79.4 million tons. The decrease was caused by substantial falls in the tonnages of several im- portant bulk commodities, in- cluding oil traffic, coal ship- ments and iron ores. Containerized traffic rose last year to the record level of 3.5 million tons. Newport was the most profitable, with a surplus of over £660,000. Hull's deficit worsened from £800,000 to nearly £lm.

ANCE MEETINGS

27, 8 p.m. 'Aberfeldy', Aber- feldy Street, E.14 (nr Blackwall 'Build Councils of Tunnel) Action' SOUTHALL: Thursday June 29, Centre, 8 p.m. Community Bridge Rd. 'Force the Tories to resign'. WANDSWORTH: Thursday June field Pod Balhan Baths, Sui field Road, Balham. Councils of Action'

Industrial correspondent David Maude at the CSEU conference The Clash of giants was as silent

BBC 1

9.20 Mr Benn. 9.38, 2.05 Schools.

Joe. 1.45 11.25 Cricket. 1.30 News, weather. 2.25 Cricket and Racing. 4.40 Magic Roundabout.

4.45 Jackanory. 4.55 Blue Peter.

ITV

5.20 Boss Cat. 5.44 Parsley. 5.50 News, weather. 12.30 Cook Book. 1.00 Remem-

6.00 NATIONWIDE.

ber. 1.30 Challenge. 2.00 Arthur.

6.45 ROYAL ASCOT. Highlights 2.30 Good Afternoon. 3.00 House- of the Gold Cup Day. party. 3.15 Jokers Wild. 3.45 Marcus Weiby. Nuts and Bones.

7.00 SPY TRAP. Who Among Us? Final episode. 4.55 Secret Squirrel. 5.20 How.

5.50 News.

7.25 TOP OF THE POPS.

8.00 THE GOODIES.

6.00 TODAY.

8.30 THE

BURKE

SPECIAL.

6.40 CROSSROADS.

With James Burke. 9.00 NEWS, Weather.

7.00 FILM: 'A TIME FOR KILL-

9.20 ELIZABETH R. Shadow in George Michael Parks. Dissension the Sun. of Us

10.50 24 HOURS.

marine after dropping

11.35 MISTRESS OF HARD-

bomb Hiro-

WICK.

12.00 Weather.

8.00 DANNY LA RUE AT THE

PALACE.

9.25 THIS WEEK.

BBC 2

10.00 NEWS.

11.00 Play School. 4.30 Cricket.

10.30 CINEMA.

6.35 Open University.

11.00 SOMETHING TO SAY.

7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather.

GREAT PARKS OF THE

12.00 IDEAS IN PRINT.

8.00

WORLD.

(New Series) with Anthony Smith. Part Bayerischer Wald, West Germany. 8.30 THE VISITORS. Part 2.

9.20

SHOW

OF

THE

WEEK.

CHANNEL:

2.55 Tommy Tomp-

MORECAMBE AND WISE.

kins. 3.45 Frozen 4.05 summer. Nuts and bones. 4.18 Puffin. 4.22 10.05

YESTERDAY'S

WITNESS.

Veterans Funny face. 4.50 Skippy. 5.20 of the earliest London. 6.00 News, weather. 6.10 London-Paris civil air Hogan's heroes. 6.35 Crossroads.

flights reminisce about 7.00 Champions. 8.00 London: journeys. 10.30 Maverick. 11.20 News,

NEWS,

10.35 Weather, Cricket weather. highlights. 10.45

WORLD

CINEMA: 'THE

WESTWARD. As Channel except:

THREEPENNY

OPERA'.

3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.18 News. First of three films by the 6.00 Diary. 10.30 Report. 10.59 German director Georg News. 11.03 Theatre of stars. W. Pabst. 11.55 Epilogue. IT TOOK the leaders of Britain's 3 million engineering workers just under 75 minutes to decide their pay policy this week... if you can call it a 'policy'.

strengthen' the campaign in all There had been predictions the main engineering centres.

of a clash of giants at the Confederation of Shipbuild- The executive is instructed to 'when in ing and Engineering Unions' resume national talks their opinion the time is oppor- conference. tune'. Union leaders, some said, were move to ditch national claims once and for all was from limb over heavily defeated being alter plant-bargaining Electrical strategy moved by the and which they switched in mid- Plumbing Trade Union. January. The decision is a curious one, No such clash occurred. number of off- about which a cials who have had experience of The eve of conference announ- action at plant level have serious fresh offer by the cement of a reservations. Engineering Employers' Federa- all that tion most of the 'How are we expected to gen- delegates needed to avoid erate enthusiasm for the factory- of the serious review disastrous by-factory campaign when people plant-bargaining which has been know there are national talks in pursued during the past few the offing?' one prominent CSEU months. local leader asked after the vote on Tuesday. Completely the absent from Others voiced different worries.

debate was the immunizing effect this policy has the pay When Reg Birch, the Maoist on struggle. member of the executive council

AUEW,

went to the rostrum he No one admitted that the only said that negotiators could not the thing staring engineers in EEF and settle rush back to the face today is wage-cuts and $20 for the and £25 basic rates unemployment. greater they had put forward as a peace Instead we had more natural formula last December. gas, commodity which is also Now .we our ante', must raise thought to flourish off Llandudno he said. 'If our members say they in the Irish Sea. want £25 and £35 we must say The successful resolution— to the employers that we want it sponsored 12 by the million without trembling. of the strong engineers' section Although Birch is staunch Amalgamated Union of Engineer- plant-bargaining defender of the ing Workers -reaffirmed support

AUEW

president Hugh for 13-point the claim sualtzy, RoDroved by the CSEU I Scanlon immediately launched last July. sharp attack on ... the morality It congratulates union members of his colleague's suggestion.

who taking action on the are

CSEU

claim and instructs the It might be true, as Birch had 'vigorously said, executive to that workers had bẹen June Whitfield (I) and Joan Sims jol BBC 1 tonight SOUTHERN: 2.30 Good afternoon.

3.00 Afloat. 3.30 Bird's eye view.

4.0 • Houseparty. 4.15 Send for Dithers. 4.30 Crossroads. 4.55 Richard Lionheart. 5.20 London.

6.00 Day by day. 6.45 Film: "The Over-the-Hill Gang'. 8.00 London.

11.00 News. 11.10 Film: 'Seven Keys'. 12.20 Weather.

HTV: 1.25

Arthur. 2.00 Out of town. 2.20 Share cut. 3.20 Cook book. 3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.15 Tinkertainment. 4.30 Crossroads.

4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London.

betrayed in the past, Scanlon admitted. But one thing the work: ing class did have was a morality and if the negotiators had said they would settle for £20 and £25 last December, they could not ask for more now. In other words, the basis of the informal talks Scanlon expects may start in London today will not be the 13-point claim but the rock-bottom negotiating posi- tion with which he tried to avoid a breakdown last December.

I talked to two CSEU officials, both full-time officers of the AUEW, about what happens now.

Bill McLoughlin, secretary of the No. (London) district of the CSEU, thought that the plant- by plant strategy had met with 'reasonable success' in money terms, though not on hours.

There have been some settle- ments of £3.50, and in one case, a £5.40 offer had been rejected.

But he admitted that some such rises might have been achieved even without the plant- by-plant action for the national claim. An opponent of the switch to plant-bargaining originally, he had been disappointed by the slow- ness of the campaign in his own area. But now moves were being made to step it up. A meeting of shop stewards will take place ir working hours within the next few weeks to plan the action.

John Tocher, secretary of the division, No. 29 (Manchester) said that the 'first wave' of the struggle in his area was now vir- Workers Press, Sims join The Goodles at 8 p.m. on 6.01 Report West. 6.18 Report Wales. 6.35 Sky's the limit. 7.05 Saint. 8.00 London. 10.30 Gallery.

11.00 Film: "The System'. 12.45 Weather. HTV Wales and HTV Cymru/ Wales as above except: 4.15 Miri Mawr. 6.01 Y Dydd. 10.45 Writers world HTV West as above except: 6.18 Sport West. ANGLIA: 2.30 Good afternoon.

A tually over. second wave comprising factories not so far involved in action-could be ex- pected to start shortly. But he attacked those unions who have failed to pay out strike pay to their members, even dur- ing the first wave. 'The employers have paid out The eight-page youth paper which leads the fight against the Tory government, for the right to work, in factories, schools and on the dole queues. Please send me 'Keep Left' for one ' enclose £2.86 Name Address ra Press, Thursday Juno 22, 1972 PAGE 11 3.00 Lincoln show. 4.10 News.

4.15 Jimmy Stewart. 4.40 Paulus.

4.55 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.20 Arena. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Norfolk in trust.

8.00 London. 10.30 Arts for everyone. 11.05 Cinema. 11.35 Avengers. ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Good after- noon. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Family affair. 4.35 Rupert Bear. 4.50 Pretenders. 5.20 London. 6.00 Today. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Film: "The Gun That Won the West'. 8.00 Lon- don. 11.00 O'Hara. ULSTER: 4.10 Gourmet. 4.30 Romper room. 4.50 News. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London. 6.00 News.

6.10 Partners. 6.35 Crossroads.

7.00 Shirley's world. 7.30 Chal- lenge. 8.00 London. 11.0 What's it all about? 11.20 Avengers.

YORKSHIRE: 2.32 Good after- noon. 3.00 • Lincoln show. 4.10 News. 4.15 Crossroads. 4.40 Nuts and bones. 4.55 Bugs Bunny. 5.20 London. 6.00 Calendar, weather. 6.30 Film: 'Murder at the Gallop'. 8.00 London. 10.30 Yorksport. 11.05 Cinema. 11.35 Scales of justice. 12.10 Weather.

GRANADA: 2.30 Saint. 3.25 Yes- terdays. 3.55 Camera in action.

4.10 News. Peyton Place. 4.40 Nuts and bones. 4.50 Make a wish. 5.15 London. 6.00 News. Police file. 6.25 McMillan and wife. 7.50 Sylvester. 8.00 Lon- don. 11.00 On the line. 11.30 Transatlantic race. TYNE TEES: 12.20 Mr Piper. 12.45 Bird's eye view. 1.10 Edgar Wal- lace. 2.05 Survival. 2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 Lincoln show. 4.10 News. 4.15 Crossroads. 4.40 Nuts and bones. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London. 6.00 Today. 6.30 Smith family. 7.00 Bonanza. 8.00 London. 10.30 Sport. 11.00 Police call. 11.05 Cinema. 11.35 Short story. 12.00 News. 12.15 Epi- logue. ru/ GRAMPIAN: 3.32 News. 3.35 Job look. 3.40 Women. 4.10 Julia. 4.40 Nuts and bones. 4.55 Rumblie jumblie. 5.20 London. 6.00 News.

6.05 Folk afore us. 6.35 Cross- roads. 7.00 Andy. 7.30 Hogan's heroes. 8.00 11.00 London. Viewfinder. 11.35 Survival. 12.00 Epilogue. far more than f2m in order to keep this going in Manchester', he said. 'How are the members expected to fight for 12 weeks in some cases with nothing at all?'

Both men agreed that what the EEF approach has done is to present a real debate on these issues at the conference.

Plenty of news,

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PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday June FRESH TALKS to solve the five-week-old strike at the Sin- ger sewing machine factory, Clydebank, Scotland, began yesterday. If they are unsuccessful,? the dispute is likely to go after annual holidays, which begin next Fri- day. The workers want an improved pay and bonus award on top of à series of fringe benefits already offered by management. If the peace move does fail and the another strike lasts four weeks, then most of the firm's 1,300 staff will be fired.

of the The claim is part national engineering pay battle is now being which , fought in several Scottish plants in Glas- Edinburgh Aberdeen and gow, where 1,700 workers have lodged carbon copy demands for better pay and. conditions. BANGLA DESH has launched its own merchant shipping fleet.

'Vishva Prem', a modern ship, has been acquired from the Shipping Corporation of India Limited. She has been renamed 'Bangladoot'.

JOHN SPENCER LOOKS AT ...

TORY attempts to dismiss the prospect of sterling de- valuation have done nothing to reassure the City of Lon- don or the currency markets.

'Financial Times' share The index dropped steadily yesterday amid rumours that the bank rate is about to be raised. A signifi- cant sign was the continued fall in the price of government bonds index of lack of confi- -a sure in government's dence the pledges. The pound continued close to its parity floor, thiugh dealers said there was slightly less selling of pounds than on Tuesday when the Bank of England and Com- mon Market central banks were forced to support sterling on a big scale. The run on the pound, coming pai after the government's climb- of down in face the the dockers. is a clear indication of extreme weakness. the Tories' Gripped by the world economic crisis and the develop- ment of trade war, they are being forced towards a Step no Tory government has had to take. But this is empatically not for complacency in an excuse workers' With the movement. wall the their backs to the Tories will hit out with all the vindictive viciousness at their command to make the working class foot the bill for devalua- tion. The Labour leaders' position in this situation is extremely dan- At the Confederation of gerous. and Engineering Shipbuilding Unions' conference yesterday two resolutions expressing chauvinis- tic opposition to Japan's trade . drive in Europe were passed with support from the 'left. (See top of this page.) The logic of this position is to line up with the Tories and the 'yellow employers against the the MacDonald peril', just as traitors did in the 1930s.

LATE NEWS

THE CONFED conference at Llandudno went on to defeat a boilermakers' resolution 'appre- ciating the efforts' of unions in complying with TUC non-regis- tration advice. Earlier Hugh Scanlon had des- cribed the resolution as 'an en- dorsement of attendance at court.'

vote against the boiler- The makers' move was 1,284,500 to 582,600. Registered as a newspaper at the Post by Published Workers Press. Office. 186a Clapham High Street, London,

SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London.

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sday June 22, 1972 Bill Blair, for the George Doughty, Len Edmondson of the

IWO KESOLUTIONS

expressing alarm at the fulminated

TASS

general

AUEW

engineers' electricians, secretary, and Bob McCuskel influx oi cheap Japanese "blitzkrieg warnea il would nol De easy to get government Tfre economic wartare. market were he said had been action Said Edmondson: 'The DaboCu bA the

CSEU

delegates. leashed by the Japanese Ken why Baker, reason Electrical and

G&MWU,

The alle Showed prevalell Plumbing 1rades ment. trace of embarrassment come o tese colnse sponsored motion He did not think it Blair's line we are talking about is calling It because they government was much use urging 'unfortu- W 4t unde- buv british. nate he

T0IOY

backwart he said, since experience said, but follow veloped, competition Irom Asian he

DUT

because countries in the radio, had this didn't he did. trade union organization and But the

CSEU

Dixon, repressed television elect- work. Len Com- weak should express гошС maustr. TarL miere.

CSEU

General and favour of some sort of the AUEW executive, he sard the Municipal Workers' against Japan- put the should act in unanimous sup- suppor Union supported by goods. port for Baker's motion of weak unions in their

EPTU,

the Sunport for this line

LIC

Water Inte water struggit and the came from what pressure on the govern- sive legislation and Cola AV Transport and General seemed a surprise for financial improve their members ment Workers' Union-called standard of living the left-wing the bearing qualle the Lor coverment

SUDDORI

and speaker Wal ball and visory Section of the even to nod at an inter- of cheap goods Tor the rinch roller-bearing industry.

AUEW.

nationalist position were would be reduced

FROM DAVID MAUDE IN LLANDUDNO

RAILWAYMEN

an d dockers had answered the Industrial Relations Act in the only way the Tory understood government Hugh Scanlon, president of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers said yesterday. He was speaking at the Llandudno conference of the Against this patriotic flag-way- Confederation of Shipbuilding ing assert the Lital and Engineering Unions in a class working but right here bid to rebuild their shattered Britain. the govern- against lory common front the Scanlon the ment kept uca- Act. reformist union Cien Ine supported by leaders and their Stalinist hang- • thref sections union-the en- ers-on. ot his He whether the questonec gineers, technicians and construc The sterling crisis is conclusive called victorie which had been obtained reaffirm CSEUS tora -sought evidence that In the courts a LnC currency realignment has SO Ved reversal were Act and all its agencies for world capitalism. really victories. moti 3.00 carrarly will be While the es, the ne result on Devaluation of the pound 1,323,100 to repaid its fines, the net result decisive breach the this fragile deal. Denning iudgement had beer to ex- make shop steward the TRe It also makes nonsense of the press its dismay at General most vulnerable of the efforts uf the Common trade coon He e all movement, he said Market countries to weld their recognize the National had Course tucy Industrial Relations Court -and cumencies mio a singie monelary supreme 'good delence block against the United States at its refusal to recall congress. fairy'• —in the shape the Off- and Japan. There had been those who cial Solicitor would have The Common would never be Market central used, Scanton reminded the dele.

bankers now hind they are com- almost to a man. sterling The situation which had faced sales.

DUI

evel mOST ender contins where the Tory ferous critic of the Act could not the dockers, he said, had have envisaged that within weeks government pre- come to the engineers would have imposed complSor introduction

NIRC

But if the decisions which had been taken on wages were British capitalism has already balloting, massive fines brought to conclusion, then lost the first round of the trade eved and threatened three dockers small employers war since 1968 export those suca with have risen 37 the docks The General Council had been might come on the legal scene est. increase for any le di caul compierely wrongin attempung and 4 per cen taust country spirit and inten Scanlon above the world average increase tion of the decisions at be a martyr. But is it not time to over that period. two conferences last year.

ay that there comes a time whe of the 1967 dev- Advantages you have "Thus far, anc aluation have disappeared despite the crippling revalcons It would be highly desirable, he flicted industry last year as a result of American unions could speak one pressure. voice on these Lynicai Ireasury civil servants scanion attacked the claim of reported to be displaying a THE Industrial Tory premier Edward Heath that Relations Act Brazilian interest keen the were overshadowing has a long life ahead of it, says The contro techniques. the like change state the medieval Robert who piloted Tory leadership and their military through the Dal Cas friends doubt also be *If we had that authority, and I I think Brazilian methods can all see now keenly studying sometimes had, that feared the would •i counter-revolulion. not arguing government's infant was going to nave UCCi £15 _basic rate still-born, i they were wrone. cyesicruay a Dout "It is The unirs, in sa. indeed lustv and this unions, fact, had acted in most responsible grow up with a long life way their opposition to the Act.

of it and in due course will have children of its own.

ADVANCE NOTICE

Socialist Labour League Publi

DON'T LET THE DOCKERS

THE

GOVERNMENT

DEFEND BASIC DEMOCRATI

inquiry into Sunday's Trident air disaster

MAKE THE TORY GOVERNM

taking first expected to start SUNDAY JULY 2, 7 p.m. evidence next week. Already the Aerospace Minister's Acton Town Hall, report parlament suggests that a pilot Acton High Street, W3. error in cockpit was responsible.

Speakers will include It now appears, however, that another key factor Secretary), the Corin Redgrave Clall d But this aspect has so far been kept out of the headlines.

COLLABORATION between the trade union • leaders and the Tories took a new step forward last night when the TUC and the Confederation of British Industries met to discuss new arbitration and conciliation plans.

The meeting, at a dinner given by the TUC, is the first at top- level for two years. SOUTH of Scotland Electricity Board earnings last year totalled £29,482,000, it was announced yesterday. But there was a loss over f3m after interest of just payments of more than . £32m. The Board called for a reduction in the price of coal. CHILD Poverty Action Group says deprivation and poverty in Ulster are more widespread than in other parts of the UK. It has called on • the Tory government to introduce a 'new and more generous' social policy. A SITE of just over half an acre in the City of London is chang- £4.25m deal ing hands in announced yesterday. Fast ex- buying the Aldersgate Street HQ of Steinberg & Sons, clothing manufacturers. REPRESENTATIVES of unions in the air transport industry are thought to have had behind-the- scenes talks in a bid to bring in the together the two sides dispute. No new BEA pilots' moves have been made at an ofh- cial level, however, to avert tomorrow's threatened strike.

WEATHER

SOUTH Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England mostly cloudy with will be occasional rain or showers.

North Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will have showers and clear or sunny intervals. Later in the day it may become generally cloudy in the north-west, with rain at times. It will continue cool in all districts. Outlook for Friday and Saturday: Continuing cool, with showers or longer periods of rain but also sunny intervals.

RACIAL discrimination " re- mains widespread, especially in promotion opportunities, white collar work and in private housing, says the annual report of the Race Relations Board out yester- day. Reporting a 5-per-cent increase in unlawful discrimination among examined over particular cases the past year, the Board warns that the Race Relations Act it- self will not stop discrimination becoming from extensive an feature of society. On the other hand, the Board says, there are 'strong reasons for supposing that discrimination in services and in places of pub- lic resort has greatly diminished and that the Act has Made a major contribution to this'.

The report suggests a number of changes in the Act, particularly in relation to its machinery for investigation. The Board want launch investigations powers to without prior need to suspect a breach of the Act. It wants to see an end to the situation where an employer is allowed to discriminate 'in good faith' to preserve a racial har- mony. ue Public Meeting

KERS FIGHT ALONE

OCRATIC RIGHTS

VERNMENT RESIGN

e G. HEALY (SLL National GAN (London YS Secretary,