workers press

The daily paper of the Socialist Labour League, 1969–1973: a searchable archive of the scans

Workers Press no. 822

20 July 1972 · 12 scanned pages · about 18,022 words of machine-read text

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workers press

MAUDLING-

OF TORYISM

INCORPOF

DAILY ORC

THE EXIT of Reginald Maud- ling, the deputy prime minister and Home Secretary, reveals once again for millions of workers the true face of Toryism. His departure from the Cabinet, co- inciding with the arrival of the Fraud squad to investigate the Poulson affair reinforces the case that the con- ditions are here to make the govern- ment resign. After just over two years in office Heath real and his crowd of merchant bankers, estate tycoons and unit trust specialists, have entirely lost any mandate to govern.

DESPITE election promises to cut prices 'at a stroke', the cost of living is soaring daily. DESPITE election promises to pay decent wages, the Tories have launched the most the working class and vicious attack on the trade unions through their Industrial Relations Act and its court. Indeed, today seven London dockers face contempt pro- ceedings in the NIRC which could result in their being jailed. DESPITE an election promise to seek the consent of the electorate before going into the Common Market, Heath had railroaded Britain into this jungle of monopolists.

DESPITE an election promise of better brought forward housing, the Tories have a Bill which will double council rents while families wanting to homes are purchase faced with the greed of the gazumpers.

the On top of this infamous history, Tories have deliberately increased unem- of their ployment to l million as part shake-out' in industry. The sum total of these policies is that millions of working-class families have had callously impoverished: husbands their lives forced onto the dole queue, and teenagers family made back housewives to cut on educational, medical and foodstuffs, the dental services cripped lack of state by funds and thrown into the jaws of the pri- from vate sector, thus preventing families getting proper teaching and social services.

Have the Tories policies carried these through without opposition? No. Emphati- innumerable occasions the cally no. On working class has shown its determination to fight this government. At last year's TUC the membership voted overwhelmingly to oppose the Industrial Relations Act; the Labour and file voted over- - Party rank against entry into fight whelmingly to Europe; the recent council elections gave a landslide victory of more than 1,000 seats to the Labour Party. In the miners' strike, the railwaymen's ballot and now on the docks, the opposition to the Tories is as determined as ever.

ToTes are able to remainin face, that the Then how To explain this it is necessary to under- a form of coalition politics is stand that being practised betwen the Tories and the Labour Party and TUC leaderships.

Afraid of the growing militancy of their Feather members, Wilson and are own without any mandate whatsoever-engaging INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JULY 20, 1972• No 822 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

THE FACE

resignation the Labourites extend svmpathy to the Tories' leading proponent of law and

BY THE EDITOR

(Maudling hanging) Heath's announcement in the CommOns appalled

WAS

WInG Was CO by the news that he asked Heath if it was in flagrant collaboration with the govern- really necessary! ment. some examples. Just as wilson and the Labour Party came the Whird hea House of Commons to the rescue of Macmillan in 1963 over Third Reading of the Common Market Profumo, today they everything Bill last week it was again the votes (absten.

acoconze me rouison anal

TIONS.

more precise) or Labour MIS which gave Heath his majority, Through- • Just as enthusiastic about helping Bill Victor Feather. the months of debate on the Since the

OUL

SOYCERIICHE

miners strike 12 Si paddied

COWI

provided Heath with the votes he needed No. 10 Downing Street and the

CBI

Market legislation-and to remain occasions than On for more can count. in office! Tuesday and Hugh president leading lights in rounds scanion were The • As the Tories have stepped up their of talks with the Tory leader and heads of military terror in Ulster, and his the CBI, the "TUC of big business. there suadow cabmet nave alau been their blessing. They approved The predominating feature of the Tories' give and the camps, crisis is the economic They can only they created no fuss over Bloody Sunday the working that allacks torture and only two davs ago Wilson again class and the trade union movement.

stepped in as the Tories broker to stage With this huge threat in the air, all with Provisional IRA at a secret must be directed the task of efforts London hideaway. getting the Tories out Implicit in this ight clear the reformist traitors out • Now on the question of Maudling's the working-class movement itself.

TGW

„PICKET

THIS

DOck

IS BLACK

BY OUR OWN

REPORTERS

Lorry drivers yesterday picketed Tilbury and Lon- don's Royal docks in a bid to stop the dockers' "blacking' campaign against haulage and container firms. The move added a new knot to the tangle of conflicting interests which union officials and Communist Party stewards have allowed to develop around the dockers' fight for jobs.

There are fears that the drivers' picketing action could spread today. A meeting of Transport and General Workers' Union drivers' stewards in London has been called tonight 'to determine what steps we will take to safeguard our livelihood and that of other members of our union'. The sequence of events lead- ing to the pickets started late on Tuesday night, when Tilbury to handle a dockers refused Hay's Transport lorry because of its connections with blacked storage depots at Dagenham.

Hay's Transport is a subsidiary of the f27m Proprietors of Hay's Wharf group. Dockers. have been picketing Dagenham Cold Storage and UK Storage, both Hay's sub- Cold sidiaries, because they say the company is employing men who registered dockers to are not pack containers. 100 more than As a result, of the 180 workers at Dagenham Cold Storage are to be laid off because Ford Motor on Friday have transferred a key contract to the Midlands. Ten men at UK Cold Storage have also been given notice to leave on Friday.

So yesterday morning, about 30 drivers, worried about the TURN TO p. 12

POLI

Scan page 2

workers press

MAUDLING-

OF TORYISM

INCORPOR

DAILY ORG

THE EXIT of Reginald Maud- ling, the deputy prime minister and Home Secretary, reveals once again for millions of workers the true face of Toryism. His departure from the Cabinet, co- investigate the Poulson aflair reinforces the case that the con- ditions are here to make the govern- ment resign. After just over two years in office Heath and his crowd of merchant bankers, real estate tycoons and unit trust specialists, have entirely lost any mandate to govern.

DESPITE election promises to cut prices 'at a stroke', the cost of living is soaring daily. DESPITE election| promises to pay decent wages, the Tories have launched the most attack on the working class and vicious the trade unions through their Industrial Relations Act and its court. Indeed, today seven London dockers face contempt pro- ceedings in the NIRC which could result in their being jailed. DESPITE an election promise to seek consent of the electorate before going into the Common Market, Heath had railroaded Britain into this jungle of monopolists.

DESPITE an election promise of better the Tories have brought forward housing, a Bill which will double council rents while families wanting to purchase homes are faced with the greed of the gazumpers.

of this infamous history, the On top Tories increased have deliberately unem- ployment to 1 million as part of their 'shake-out' in industry. The sum total of these policies is that millions of working-class families have had their lives callously impoverished: husbands and teenagers forced onto the dole queue, cut back family housewives made to on medical and foodstuffs, the educational, lack dental services cripped by of state funds and thrown into the jaws of the pri- vate sector, thus preventing families from getting proper teaching and social services.

these policies Have the Tories carried through without opposition? No. Emphati- cally no. On innumerable occasions the working class has shown its determination At last year's to fight this government.

TUC the membership voted overwhelmingly to oppose the Industrial Relations Act; the Party rank and file voted over- Labour against entry into fight whelmingly to Europe; the recent council elections gave a landslide victory of more than 1,000 seats to the Labour Party. In the miners' strike, the railwaymen's ballot and now on the docks, the opposition to the Tories is as determined as ever.

that the Then how is it, you may ask, Tories are able to remain in office?

To explain this it is necessary to under- stand that a form of coalition politics is being practised betwen the Tories and the Labour Party and TUC leaderships.

Afraid of the growing militancy of their own members, Wilson and Feather are without any mandate whatsoever-engaging

NCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JULY 2

LY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF

BY THE EDITOR

in flagrant collaboration with the govern- ment. Some examples: • When the House of Commons passed the Third Reading of the Common Market Bill last week it was again the votes (absten- tions, to be more precise) of Labour MPs which gave Heath his majority. Through- out the months of debate on the Bill the Labourites in the Jenkins camp consistently provided Heath with the votes he needed for his Market legislation-and to remain in office! have stepped up their • As the Tories military terror in Ulster, Wilson and his shadow cabinet have faithfully been there to give their blessing. They approved of internment and the concentration camps, they created no fuss over Bloody Sunday or torture and only two days ago Wilson again the Tories' broker to stage stepped in as talks with the Provisional IRA at a secret London hideaway. • Now on the question of Maudling's

Y JULY 20, 1972

No 822 • 4p

TEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

resignation the Labourites extend sympathy to the Tories' leading proponent of law and order (Maudling favours hanging). After Heath's announcement in the Commons, it was James Callaghan who was so appalled by the news that he asked Heath if it was really necessary! Just as Wilson and the Labour Party came to the rescue of Macmillan in 1963 over Profumo, they do everything today to deodorize the Poulson affair.

• Just as enthusiastic about helping the government is Victor Feather. Since the miners' strike he has paddled down to No. 10 Downing Street and the CBI on than one can count. On more occasions Tuesday he and AUEW president Hugh Scanlon were the leading lights in rounds of talks with the Tory leader and heads of the CBI, the "TUC' of big business.

feature of the Tories' The predominating crisis is the economic crisis. They can only that by the working resolve attacks on class and the trade union movement.

this huge threat in With the air, all of efforts must be directed to the task getting the Tories out. Implicit in this fight is to clear the reformist traitors out of the working-class movement itself.

BY OUR OWN

REPORTERS

Lorry drivers yesterday picketed Tilbury and Lon- don's Royal docks in a bid to stop the dockers' 'blacking' campaign against haulage and container firms. The move added a new knot conflicting the tangle of to interests which union officials and Communist Party stewards have allowed to develop around the dockers' fight for jobs.

There are fears that the drivers' action could spread picketing today. A meeting of Transport and General Workers' Union drivers' stewards in London has been called tonight 'to determine what steps we will take to safeguard our livelihood and that of other members of our union'. The sequence of events lead- ing to the pickets started late.

on Tuesday night, when Tilbury to handle a dockers refused because Hay's Transport lorry of its connections with blacked storage depots at Dagenham.

Hay's Transport is a subsidiary of the £27m Proprietors of Hay's Wharf group. Dockers. have been picketing Dagenham Cold Storage and UK Storage, both Hay's sub- Cold sidiaries, because they say the company is employing men who are not registered dockers to pack containers. more than 100 As a result, of the 180 workers at Dagenham Cold Storage are to be laid off because Ford Motor on Friday have transferred a key contract Ten men at to the Midlands. UK Cold Storage have also been given notice to leave on Friday.

So yesterday morning, about 30 drivers, worried about the TURN TO p. 12

POLI

Scan page 3

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday Juty 20

GEORGE

MEANY, presi- dent of the AFL-CIO, was expected to urge his execu- tive yesterday not to en- dorse Senator George McGovern, Democratic candi- date in the November presi- dential election. With over 10 million members, the AFL-CIO is by far the most powerful United States trade organization. union At the recent Democratic convention in Miami, Meany came out strongly against McGovern, who has a record of opposition to the trade unions. division between The McGovern and the trade union chiefs has already been demon- strated by the Teamsters' Union executive decision to endorse Nixon for another term as presi- dent. Traditionally, the union bureaucracy in the US has sup- ported the Democratic Party and the break-up of this relationship poses forcibly the question building an independent Labour Party based on the trade unions.

Meany, right- extreme an winger, has fought all his life against any such development. But, there is growing pres- from below for a break sure with both big business parties.

McGovern has tried to win back union support tor his campaign by labour picking lawyer Thomas Eagleton as his running-mate. He has also written to 150 trade union presi- dents proposing talks 'about our common interests and THE FRENCH government yes- terday named General Jacques Mitterand, brother of Socialist Party leader Francois Mitterand, to the second highest post in France's air force. General Mitterand_ (54), was appointed Inspector-General of the Air Force. He previously headed France's nuclear strike force, whose development his freeze brother has pledged to under the terms of the Socialist Party's government pact with the Communist Party.

JAPANESE

premier Kakuei Tanaka indicated yesterday that Japan's relations with Formosa remain the chief problem to be solved before the establishment diplomatic relations of with China. In his first formal press conference since his election as on July 5, Tanaka premier avoided clear-cut statements on China. There had been specula- tion that he might announce a plan to visit Peking for diplo- matic talks, following a reported invitation : from Chinese premier Chou En-lai earlier this week.

CORRECTION

IN THE centre pages of yester- day's Workers Press we cor- rectly reported that a Mr Peter Tory Walker, councillor on Bradford council, was northern of one of Mr area manager Poulson's John companies. Inadvertently, however, a photo- graph appeared on the same page of Mr Peter Walker, the Environment Secretary, with a caption stating that he was the 'Mr Peter Walker' on Poulson's board.. This, of course, is incorrect.. ay Juty 20; 1972

FOREIGN NEI

THREE

Czechoslovak liberals were given sen- tences yesterday rang- ing up to 28 months' imprisonment charges of subversion, unofficial courtroom sources said in Prague. Mr Vondra, a former employee of Czechoslo- vak Radio, was sen- NORTH Vietnamese units in deep bunkers impervious to bomb attacks are fiercely re- sisting the attempts of Saigon troops to take the Quang Tri citadel. The offensive against the city has now been going on since May 1, involving at least 20,000 of the south's best troops and continuous US bombing. Saigon claims that a North Vietnamese counter - attack was beaten back on Tuesday after a day of heavy fighting. A LEADING rep- resentative of the 'liberal' opposition in the Soviet Union, the physicist, Andrei Sak- harov, sent a letter to Party Secretary Leonid Brezhnev last month calling for sweeping reforms. attacks what he calls 'our bureaucratic bre system, with its totali- tarian state interference in people's lives' and says that 'Soviet society is infected with apathy, hypocrisy, narrow- minded egoism and bec

MORE FOREI(

WHO, ME?

NEWS

tenced to 28 months in jail, Dr Krisanovsky, a sociologist and former professor at the Prague Communist Party School, was given a suspended sentence of months, and Mr Belda, a historian, was given a suspended sen- tence of 12 months. Hué, 30 miles to the south, was hit by North Vietnamese artillery. Further south, Hanoi claimed. liberation forces had killed or captured 20,000 enemy troops in the last 100 days' fighting around Highway 13. The sustained offen- sive is having a crip- pling effect on South Vietnam's economy which has only been kept going for the past ten years by American handouts and military spending. There was a mush- room growth of every ep- hidden cruelty. 'The majority of the its representatives of upper layer-the Party- State apparatus of gov- ernment and the most successful sections of the intelligentsia — are hanging on tightly to their visible and secret privileges and are pro- foundly indifferent to breaches oi civil rights, the interests of progress or the security and future of mankind.' He denounces drunk- enness - about which the bureaucracy has become increasingly con-

REIGN NEWS P

The trial was the first to finish of a series of three which began at the Prague city courts on Monday. Ten other the supporters Com- Liberal former munist Party leader Alexandr Dubcek were still being tried in two separate groups. kind of business and speculation and appearance of prosperity which was belied by the real the state economy. Since the offensive began there has been a • recession. Trade sharp is paralysed and many firms have collapsed. Corruption and banditry are rife. One South Vietnamese economist has said: 'We witnessing some- are thing similar to what was seen in the army of Chiang Kai-shek in the last stages of the Chinese revolution? An cerned of late-as a sign of moral degradation. He calls for an end to political persecution and the continued confinement of oppo- sitionists like General Grigorenko, Gershuni, Fainberg, Borisov and in psychiatric others hospitals. He claims that 40 per cent ot the national in- on military come goes expenditure while medi- educational and cal services are in a 'pitiful state'. They suffer from what

IS P. 11

BY PETER JEFFRIES

DESPITE THE bland communiqué issued from the Group of Ten Finance Ministers' meeting which ended in London on Tuesday, in reality nothing was either solved or decided. The meeting had been called so that Europe's finance ministers could discuss proposals for the 'reform' of the international money system. It had been hoped that some concrete proposals could be put to the Common Market summit which was originally scheduled for October.

But as the Lancaster House conference was winding up, there was considerable speculation that the summit will not take place.

The political crisis every European which now grips nearly govern- Germany, Holland, ment--including West Italy, France and Britain-now makes the working out of a joint policy against the Americans virtually impossible. The big question that remained unresolved was gold in any 'reformed' the role of When system. Anthony Barber, the conference Shairman eleas asked if there the were views on subject, ally met with a complete and embarrassed silence.

Gold remains the basis of capitalism's money system whatever the 'experts' • It continue to say. was for this reason that the discussion about the role of Special Drawing Rights in a new system were also abortive. The idea is that the Interna- Fund should tional Monetary enlarge the issue of SDRs, which could then be used to soak up the vast pool of footloose dollars in Europe. But there could be no of Shes about the relationship SDRs to gold or the rate at they should exchange which against gold. The could sources In fact there be can no give no other details of 'reform' of the 1944 Bretton identities of the Woods the arrangements. When The convicted men. Nixon broke the dollar-gold link trial which has just August 15 last year, Bretton on ended has not been Woods was dead for all time. mentioned in the official The 'stabilization' of the world Czechoslovak press, and system means the money now forcible destruction of value on western reporters were the an scale which takes not allowed into enormous the form of the excess dollar courtroom. holdings throughout Europe.

Every minister knows the source of the European money crisis. It consists of the $40,000m in the Eurodollar market.

These are the result of vast American ominous remark. and capital exports previous deficits. With the Saigon balance of payments facing regime collapse, Everyone knows that also Hanoi is confident. these dollars are now enormously •The general situation overvalued as against gold. While 'official' Vietnamese war the gold price estab- of the better the Americans, is $38 resistance is lished by than before' an ounce, its 'free' market price ever claims a recent broad- stands at over $65. In these conditions, specula- cast. 'But we have to over- tion against the dollar must con- with the Dutch and West challenges tinue, come many Germans in particular forced to obstacles before and dollar attaining final victory.'

their holding if increase they are to maintain the present The Americans should value of the guilder and mark.

give a positive response In other words, the Americans to peace proposals, the are determined to force a dollar broadcast said. by devaluation against Europe which Vietnamiza- scrapping tion would give them great advantage and quitting the in the developing crade wai as country. vell as force up the price of al imports into the rich US market on which large Common every Market country relies for sur- vival. will take Nobody therefore, Barber's end-of-confer- seriously he calls the hierarchical Group ence statement that the structure class our of Ten were determ- ministers society with its system ined to hold existing rates, what- of privileges'. ver the speculators did Sakharov, whose posi- The hollowness of this declara tion as a leading scien- tion was revealed in the state- tist who helped develop ment of ex-West German Econo- the hydrogen bomb mics and Finance Minister Karl him gives a certain Schiller who said Tuesday on doubt immunity, no 'France that a few weeks ago represents an important appeared to be ready to accept a section of the Soviet joint floating of all European cur- intelligentsia. rencies'. Cut off from the The very best they can hope it fears working class, for is a short period until the their incursion onto the autumn before they are driven but realizes that scene, to 'float' their currency.

the rule of the bureau- The Europeans have been left is preparing the cracy in considerable disarray. Only the way for revolution. most desperate and reactionary policies by the Common Market leaders them can give even survival hope for temporary against America.

Scan page 4

'Selective strikes' action Some of the pickets at the John Lai stick posters up on the hoardings.

noon to hear a report from their ac to demand national action

' LONDON BUILDING

workers yesterday voiced bitter criticism of the selective strike strategy.

At the same time union leaders and national building employers were discussing the wage claim. After four weeks of strike action for the national claim of £30 for a 35-hour week, only 15,000 building workers have been called out on 220 sites all over Britain. That means that the vast majority of the industry's 300,000 organized trade unionists are still on site completing construc- tion work for firms like Laing while fellow workers on other Laing sites are on strike.

As yet there has been no con- tact between unions and em- ployers since the strike began.

But yesterday the wages question was on the agenda for discussion at the quarterly meeting of the building national joint council.

It was thought that the oppor- tunity would be taken to make some moves towards a settlement, although on what terms was not clear No more sites were called out in London this week. And those men on the 18 sites already out in the capital are concerned about the position. They feel that if a decision is taken today by the action com- mittee not to call more London sites out next week, it will lead to bitter disappoinment and anger. The leadership of the Union of Construction and Allied Trades Technicians (UCATT) and the T&GWU-fully supported by Communist Party and its building workers 'Charter' group —say the unions are not in a strong enough position to call everyone out. Such a move would lead to disaster, they say.

John Fleming, picket at the John Laing Gloucester Road hotel site But while the union leader- ships and the Stalinists show no confidence in the rank and file and only concentrate on sup- posed weaknesses, the men on the picket lines feel that the strike has reached a crucial stage and that all-out action is urgently needed. 'At the moment we don't know is going, how anything John Fleming, a picket at the John Laing hotel site in Gloucester Road, told me yesterday. • John Laing, Gloucester Road, hotel site oardings. London strikers meet this after- n their action committee. Many are likely 'We should all be out on every job and not let anyone inside any gate until the strike is won.

I am for a total stoppage. It is not the affording part of it we have to worry about. The men themselves will have to put up with it. "These building employers are the worst type to deal with. Nothing will be done if you don't : into this fight. put your guts There's definitely more now for a total stoppage, feeling Mr Fleming said that the building unions poorly were organized in comparison to the engineers, railwaymen, miners and dockers. 'This can only be changed with good solid leadership-when there are men up there who are not afraid to stand up and speak out to the men. At the moment they are too timid, he told me.

'Our demand is a reasonable one for the times we're living in, where the Tories want to treat us like serfs.' committee Strike member Ossie Kelly said the strike was a crucial one, even though it had come ten years too late in his opinion. We have to call every man out and not give up the fight.

For if we do the employers will never talk to us again.' At the McAlpine hotel site down the road from Laing's hotel, the pickets were again i Over- whelmingly in favour of a national strike. 'We can't afford to lose this one,' one said. 'It would be far better if the whole lot were off on every site. Men have left this site and taken jobs elsewhere which is laughable' The same picket answered in best way union leaders' the claims that a national strike was impossible because of poor organization. 'We have closed down iobs where there are hardly any trade union men at all. he told me.

"The union should have prepared the strike 12 months ago and called everyone out' When London strikers meet this afternoon to hear a report from the action committee I was told that many would raise the demand for a national strike.

IN EASTLEIGH, Hampshire, building picketing workers the new Ford assembly plant have angrily denounced claims made in Southampton byRobert Whittington, a local magistrate and chairman of the wages and conditions of the committee National Federation of Building Trades Employers. He said: "The great majority of building trade workers would be happy to accept the offer that He also said has been made.' that if the claim was met in full the average price of a house would go up by £700. The UCATT and

• T&GWU

pickets at the Tarmac site hit back at Whittington. A UCATT steward told Workers Press that no only did the union men sup- port the strike, but so did many non-unionists, many applying to join the unions. There is obvious feeling for a national stoppage among build- workers in the southern region. This was made clear by UCATT regional secretary Gerry Woolven who said last week that the attitude of men was a national strike should be called to win the claim if necessary.

TSUS

London W1

BOOKS • PERIOI

THE BUILDERS'

VIETNAM DEMO

of their demands 12

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Workers P remo, hous

ON OF CONS

TRADES &

npton bullding workers on demands

LS • NEWSPAPERS

ors Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 PAGE 3 BUILDING workers Leicester's large Taylor Wood- row Haymarket site have now been on strike for over a week in . support of the builders' national pay claim. The men, who were due to come out on Monday, started their strike almost a week early because management tried move labour to from the Nottingham Victoria Station sitewhere the men have been on strike-to Leicester, under the mobility of labour scheme.

Anger mounted the picket line on Tuesday as a privately-owned lorry carrying bricks crossed the picket line and was unloaded by seven or eight staff members, including clerks. The men fear that once the bricks are on the site, sub contract brickies will be invited by management to continue building the £3tm complex, due to open in November this year. Site convenor Brian Walker felt that by affecting the super profits of the property dealers building workers would soon be in the same line of fire as the dockers. 8 on a recent demonstration pport

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.

Scan page 5

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday July 2

BY INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDE

In little more than a month's time, according to the terms of the Wilberforce report pub- lished in February, miners' union leaders are supposed to agree with the National Coal Board a new productivity deal for the industry. There sign of was no frenzied activity towards such a deal as staff at the National Union of Mineworkers' head- quarters sweltered in un- accustomed sunshine and all too familiar exhaust fumes from Euston Road, London, this, week. The NUM has drafted proposals for discussion by the pits unions' negotiating team and this discussion is expected soon. 'Apart to take place from that there's nothing moving', a perspiring spokes- man said. No sudden developments were expected, either, by the NCB, whose public-relations department described the sub- as 'under continuing ject review' But if the Wilberforce time- table is to be kept to, talks of one kind or another are certain take place between the to unions and the board before mid-August. And a statement from the board last weekend, that the NUM's new pay claim would increase its wage bill by 70 per cent, was clearly made with some propaganda purpose in aim The most likely mind. would seem to be to establish the need for rapid productivity concessions from the miners.

Lord Wilberforce and his inquiry team wanted a productivity which scheme would provide for miners' pay 'reflect increases to productivity' While avoiding the dis- advantages' (read horrors) of the old individual piecework system in the pits and being agreed nationally the scheme 'could be : based on increases in productivity nationally or by individual pits or by a com- bination of the two'. Since the • hours of early February 19, 1972 when the miners' leaders accepted the Wilberforce findings after a dramatic Downing Street con- frontation with Tory premier Heath preparations have been going for the forth- • ahead coming deal. A joint working-party was set up in March between the pits unions and the National Coal Board. It is in this forum that the now-completed NUM propos- als, if approved by negotiators for the other, much smaller unions in the industry, are most likely to be discussed.

With output soaring but demand falling off, productivity was a subject very much in delegates' minds at the NUM conference earlier this month.

The "flexible' pay policy day July 20, 1972

SPONDENT, DAVID MAUDE

a decided there (the description is NUM secretary general ng Lawrence Daly's) furthet smoothed the path towards a September productivity deal.

Broadly speaking, the con- ference decisions mean: • The NUM national executive will set its sights on new minimum wages of £30 on the surface, £32 underground and £40 on the surface (rises of £5.50-£7 a week). These figures are desirable targets rather than firm demands. In the 'unsatisfactory' event of an offer the executive will consult the members with a view to taking various forms of indust- rial action. • Included in the negotiations- will be a claim for a so-called 'threshold' agreement, to take account of rises in the cost of living. • The executive has also been charged with ensuring that union members benefit from increases in productivity.

• Further instructions to the executive are that it submit an immediate claim for a 74-hour cut in the working week under- with ground, appropriate reductions in surface workers' improved hours, and seek pay and service incre- shift ments. NUM secretary Daly told the conference that he and the executive had strong reserv- ations about the call for a threshold agreement. In pay terms alone the union's demand is for rises of 30 per cent, and it is doubtful if the militants who proposed resolution envisage the a threshold clause reducing this percentage. The rank and fle certainly interpret it as will a claim for something extra on top (the NCB says the whole package could cost £350m).

Daly and his executive, how- ever, apparently had no similar reservations about the produc- of their tivity aspect con- ference's decisions. is disturbing, since This Britain's miners have paid a particularly high price in terms for the prodigious of jobs increase in individual produc- in their industry. tivity would be a bitter pill indeed if the NUM leaders were allowed miners' to follow the up recent pay achievements by participating in further job- cuts. Since coal was nationalized in 1947 the labour force in the pits has dropped from 703,000 to something over 280,000.

Output per manshift (OMS) has meanwhile risen from 21.5 cwt to 46.5 cwt. The number of collieries has fallen from 958 to under 290. Over the ten years to October 1970 the miner fell from third to 12th rank in the national pay league.

The NUM's own evidence to Lawrence Daly, NUM, examine the res vear. the Wilberforce in provided ment of its leaders policies. war

OMS

at the said, has been pace average since than the productivi This rate been even From years. 1971,

OMS

ized faces rose by of 6 per cent a yea Proceeds selling the coal thus had aso increased. evidence went on. 1967-1968 were £4.93, ton £5.84. For each mechanized period proceed was 35 per cent). The union further that on the basis of increases at the 1970-1971 financial irthe in proceeds the last four years per cent. 55-60 Miners' real earr this same four-year actually fallen however. This the faceworker hard. union's 1 he productivity also further, possibly telling point. In 1971, said, claimed the lives of 598 and reportable serious The number of nev excluding disease, disease 3.153. Pneu totalled claimed 773 new vic The union drew a comment on this ! ble from kner Inspector of Quarries, in 1969 and 1970: there is litt to be drawn from the recent years and it i that widespread mec has slowed down the pneumoconiosis. NUM general ne the results of the miners inquiry. itsel powerful indict s leadership's post- the coal-face, rising ce of 5 per cent 1962—far faster roductivity curing maustry increase had recent on newly-mechan- rose by an average the coal thus produced creased, the NUM manshift faces over the 1 proceeds increased ent (overall the rise n further estimated basis of coal-price the end of financial year and bable increases in the overall increase per manshift over ir years works out real earnings over period had cent his decline hit particularly evidence on made one ssibly even 11101. nancial year 1970- 'coal mining lives of 92 miners orners receive! injuries' of of new cases dust- the neumoconiosis 53. Pneumoconiosi new victims n drew attention to on this last, horri- HM ante Mines and his report for re is little comfort from the figures of and it is apparent read mechanizatior down the decline in secretary, Joe Gormley, president and Sid Sco he miners' ballot which accepted the Wilberfor Dust-suppression measures have not kept pace with pro- duction techniques and if the risk of an increase in the pre- valence of pneumoconiosis is to be reduced in years to come is now a determined effort . to the necessary restore in favour of dust balance suppression.' This, then, is just part of the price the NUM itself says its members have paid for rising productivity in the pits.

Wilberforce by and large had to accept these arguments in granting the miners increases of £4.50-£6, but there was a sting in the tail of his hefty lordship's report. It was only by even more improvements in productivity that further increases in real could be obtained, he wages and his colleagues said. The trend of rising OMS would need to continue. In accepting Wilberforce the NUM executive accepted this philosophy. According to its report to executive, the conference, while committed since 1964 to getting rid of individual piece- work, has 'always been alive to the prospect of some incen- tive scheme which would have national application'. How this fits in with Lawrence Daly's claim, during his coal-industry report, that the union was showing the way to the rest of the trade union movement in introduc- ing 'a truly just and socialist wages policy is not clear.

But Joe Gormley, the NUM's right-wing president, was out- spoken about the position of the still-powerful right wing on the 27-man executive. 'repair There was some work' to be done in the industry, he said, Supplies of coal had to be as far as possible guaranteed to the customer. Ways had to be found to increase productivity from the very expensive and technically-advanced machines d Sid Scofleld, Yorkshire area president Wllberforce proposals in. February this which had been installed in the pits. Echoing Wilberforce, Gorm- ley added, a scheme had to be devised which would provide periodic bonuses as productiv- ity rose. The meat of the NUM presi- dent's main speech to the con- ference dealt with how miners could be vrought in line with the production requirements of the NCB and its big capitalist customers. Many workers in the industry were already involved in double, triple and even multiple shift working, he said. inevitable that the It was Coal Board would want to ex- tend such practices to get the maximum benefit from mechan- ization. 'We must find ways of encouraging the men to accept this fact. As one who experienced a lot of shift work during his miner, as an active years Gormley said, he knew the effect on a man's system of working afternoons, nights and alternating shift-patterns.

But this knowledge did not prevent him unblushingly pre- senting a plan for encouraging men to accept precisely this unhealthy and anti-social way of life. This was that miners recognized as double-shift workers should get a negotiated percentage above the ordinary basic rate, with those recog nized as triple and multiple shift men getting higher per- centages. "These and many other ideas •.. could be utilized to increase the real value of wages instead of having to rely on an annual confrontation,' he said. It was with policies almost exactly the same as these that the right wing-Stalinist axis of former NUM president Sir Sidney Ford and ex-secretary Will Paynter, who left the Communist Party for the Industrial Commission on Relations, held back the miners' struggle against pit closures. Today new voices speak similar words. Miners cannot afford to let them have the same results.

Scan page 6

BY JOHN SPENCER

President Pompidou and his new premier Pierre Messmer have just 're- solved' the scandal which blew up two months ago in the state-run radio and television service. In place of Pierre de Leusse, the former president of the TV and radio chain, ORTF, and director-general Jean-Jacques de Bressin, they have put their own nominee, Arthur Conte.

The new man becomes presi- dent-director-general, filling the posts left vacant by his two predecessors. They resigned on May 13 after the press had revealed ORTF staff were taking bribes from manufacturers to display their products on television programmes. The ORTF has long been little more than a propaganda for Gaullism. agency Opposition politicians protest bitterly that its political cover- age is completely one-sided.

During the May-June General Strike of 1968 the ORTF was occupied by the police after its staff had joined the strike.

One popular street poster said: 'The ORTF brings the police into your front room.' After the return to work the service was heavily purged practically all the producers and other staff who had any- thing to do with the strike replaced • by servile were Gaullists. for This accounts the abysmal quality of the present service, which is far more trivial even than the BBC or

ITV.

It also explains the extensive corruption which was revealed by the inquest into the press allegations. With their new appointee, Pompidou and Messmer have made sure the viewers and listeners will get the mixture as before-with even more virulent propaganda than at present. For this purpose the appoint- ment of Conte is ideal. A 52- year-old former journalist who was interned by the Nazis dur- ing the war as a member of the French Socialist Party, he now sits in the National Assembly as a representative of the ruling UDR Significantly, his conversion to Gaullism is of recent date.

It took place simultaneously with the mass demonstrations of May 1968, which he vehemently condemned as 'in- •packed admissibly with foreigners'. In fact, Conte claims he still isn't a Gaullist. When he stood for the first time as a UDR candidate in June 1968, he said the old quarrels were a ba thing of the past. But he added: I am not a Gaullist and have not promised anything. I am only an anti-communist.' He say that again. In can 1963, three years after a short Socialist Party spell as a cabinet minister, Conte quit the party. disagree most profoundly tous les soirs the police speak to you

MDOVE: (

evening at 8 o'clock'-a every poster from 1968 with the tactic of forming an alliance with the communists which has been pursued by the leaders of the Socialist Party,' he said. His chagrin was doubtless increased by the fact that six months the previously local Communist Party candidate had beaten him in the parlia- mentary election. Conte's claim to a socialist not be past need taken too seriously. was of during 1950s and the attacked de Gaulle for 'betraying' the French Colonial settlers.

He attacked the General as heading 'the group of men who have made use of the confi- dence of the settlers only to lift themselves into office' post is giving Conte's new rise to lively misgivings among the liberal French *Le press. Monde' i commented: 'People will find it hard to that the nomination of believe a UDR MP to head the broad- casting authority the best is way to preserve its indepen- dence months from only the legislative elections. 'In preparation for these elections M. Pompidou has just established a government which is clearly intended...

for combat. "The fear will be, in these conditions, that the appoint- ment of the new chief of the service will tend to put an un- equalled battery of means information and thus of in- doctrination at the disposal of the government for the coming battle.' Top: President Pompidou. Above: new F Workers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 PAGE 5

BALLY

HOO

FROM

MIAMI

Hundreds of young dele- arrived who in gates Miami Beach last week for the Democratic Party national convention soon discovered that the so- called of the people is in fact designed for the very rich Many attending their were first convention and were appalled to find that the for a cheap Miami week in runs at something like $450. When they complained about the prices they told by

WATC

the that or canes they should complain because they were not on holl daSome stayed in cheap hotels often four to a room Others ham sandwiches. were forced to camp out Flamingo Park alongside the Yippy protesters. Catherine Jermany, McGovern delegate quoted in the 'New York Times", said: don't have any money left, but have food stamps some [luncheon Only vouchers. trouble can't find any is l restaurants that will accept food stamps? Her delegation, from Cali- fornia, had been assigned to the plush Doral County Club mainland 15 the about miles from Miami Beach. The cost for there singie room begins at $30 day, wildly beyond anything she could afford. Another McGovern delegate, John Howard (19), who works in a Milwaukee car warehouse, arrived in Miami wit case He ing bag and "$50 in case'. had to sleep on the beach George McGovern The youth who came found themselves faced Miami with 3,000 National Guards- 2,000 backed by 3,000 members Federal troops, of the 82nd Airborne Brigade and the rest of the local and county police. At the convention, the young delegates found that the much-vaunted 'new style' of the Democratic Party differed little from the old unregener- ate style. They were there simply to endorse McGovern's candidature and watch him on the last vestiges of renege his 'radical' One angrily pointed out that in that campaign fed upon the involvement youth and minorities there was no fioor who was Illallas black one under 30. and not The Democratic Party, despite McGovern's cosmetic attempts, remains the second of party big business the United States. It cannot be reformed, but be fought only I Party can building of Labour trade based unions, on the alone offers which the road forward disaffected for the Top: President Pompidou. Above: new French premier, Pierre Messmer.

youth and the poor.

Scan page 7

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972

BY FOREIGN EDITOR JOHN SPENCER

The common programme drawn up by the French Communist and Socialist Parties to fight the forth- coming National Assem- the bly elections recalls worst features of the pre- war 'Popular Front'. It is aimed at deceiving the working class with left-sound- ing phrases while guaranteeing big business a continuation its power. Both parties long ago ceased even to pay lip-service to revo- lutionary struggle. In the great on the Right: at talks Strike Mav-Tune General Georges Marchais nroaramme they proved definitely 1968 (foreground), Communist Party and not for the first time that Mitterand Chief and Crancois for the capitalist they stand the Socialist Party (right). Above: order. Marchais Since that time the leaders Communist Parties have of organizations have and both long vied for influence. devoted their efforts to hold- the pro- In' fact, i however, ing back the workers' struggle, gramme is a bureaucratic pact diverting sectional it into which can only serve to dupe strikes for minimal reformist disorient sections of and demands. policies the workers. Their ancured It reflects the crisis of the of the crisis- continuation leaders of the of bureaucratic Bonapartist regime ridden workers' movement, the Fifth Republic. As we shall French whose position is in danger of is also the aim of this

CAP

being undermined by militancy their programme. at the base. In particular, the programme Party is The Communist continued French guarantees self- loud its Common varticularly membership of the ungratulation, while at pains Market, which is now accepted io assure the middle class that definitely for the first time by fundamental will be nothing the French Stalinists. unanged by the programme.

Their of this acceptance for example, is what This, policy follows the remarks 'L'Humanité', the Party paper, made by Kremlin leader Leonid nad to say about the nation- Brezhnev in March this year, alization proposals week said the USSR was when he alter the common programme prepared 'recognize the to was published: reality' of the Common 'Some people say [we are Market. "an avalanche of French CP has not proposing] The lationalizations". Others say taken long to fall into line.

"It's too little". the programme Equally, 'In fact. the whole of what does not call for France is proposed in the common the Atlantic Alliance leave programme represents as far as (NATO), except as part of a industrial nationalizations are dissolution simultaneous concerned: the Warsaw and Atlantic Pacts • A good deal less than 1 per European resulting from a cent of French businesses.

Security Conference. About 800.000 workers. Meanwhile it will strive for • 80,000-90,000m francs- a policy of independence of all worth of shares. military blocs 'while respect- • 12,000-14,000m francs- present alliances of ing the worth of investments. France'. figures programme has been ... These general The indicate on the one hand that greeted with some enthusiasm the new public sector defined by certain sections of workers the by common particularly in programme industries still only represents a small dominated by the Stalinist-led part of the productive activity

CGT.

of the nation (a large private These workers see the pro- towards sector will remain in existence) gramme sten and on the other hand that the long-standing overcoming divisions in the French work- this part gives mastery over where the Socialist industrial investment... ing class In other words, shareholders need not get too het up about what the CP calls 'a modern democratic econo- means of mic policy' In any case, the programme assures them that 'a fair solu- tion' will be found to com- shareholders in the pensate firms due for nationalization.

This recalls to the letter the rhetoric about the commanding heights of the economy served Labour Party out by the leadership in such copious quantities. And the same reformist line is to be found when the pro- gramme discusses the establish- ment of a minimum wage and the 40-hour week, under the heading Live better. Change life'. talks in of This terms establishing a 1,000-franc mini- mum monthly wage — not a princely sum in present-day France-and a statutory 40- hour week. It speaks of holding down prices as 'a permanent objec- tive', , though it nowhere spells out how this desirable aim is to be achieved. Naturally, it makes no men- tion of the effects of inter- national recession the on which is French economy, expected to go on 'developing' into the indefinite future.

Yet this crisis alone makes of the promise nonsense the treat top priority as a and of ending unemployment chronic under-employment, especially for women and young people. This the programme aim, will be attained thanks says, the new policy of restruc- to turing and developing the eco- nomy, to the new investment the will involved, which reduction in the working day, for the increased facilitiac training and the rise in wages.

Similar promises are made service, for the social health service, housing, youth, sport, education and culture.

The second part of the pro- deals with 'demo- gramme cratization' of the economy, and so-called 'democratic planning' with The section dealing democracy in the factories is thoroughly corporatist spirit. It envisages the creation of what it calls a new right to work' -taking responsibility sackings out of the hands for of the employer and placing it under the control of a factory committee, which must be con- sulted before any measures are taken affecting the workers.

This sounds very 'left', but practice it means that the workers' shop stewards will be drawn willy-nilly into sanc- tioning the actions of the em- ployer against their members.

It has nothing in common with genuine workers' control, which cannot exist without the complete expropriation of the Leonid Brezhnev: USSR Is prepared to recognize employers. togo to enchare the workers and divert them from the struggle for power. The same goes for the pro- envisaging 'democratic posal planning', in pro- tha workers will be gramme involved 'at all levels'.

The proposal is for workers' take part in organizations to 'planning' French capitalism alongside their amnioverd under the threadbare guise 'democracy'. The of the primary aim programme's indus- common policy alarantee national independence' and bring production in line with "social and national needs'.

'National interest, not that of the working class, very definitely priority number one.

The programme lays particu- of lar the defence on atreco the franc. It says: "The support of the people is the first con- defending dition for the against speculation,' currency that adding the government 'will seek economic and mone- agreements tary co-operation defend notably tha frong to with the member states of the

EEC'

The fate of the last

EEC

monetary co-operation agree- ment, signed in May and June by the shattered in sterling float. is tactfully not mentioned in this document.

The section dealing with the Common Market is worth especially outing for the benefit of the British Stalinists, who continue to ared to 'recognize the reality' of the Common Market maintain verbal opposition this monopolists club. 'The government,' the pro- 'will have a gramme says, double aim in regard to the

EEC:

'On the one hand, to par- ticipate in building the EEC, in its institutions and in its com- mon policies with the aim of working towards treeing the domination of big from capital, democratizing its institutions, supporting the demands of the workers and orienting the community deci- sions towards their interests.

'On the other hand, to pre- inside the Common serve Market its freedom of action to put into effect its political, economic and social pro- gramme.' In order to 'free' the EEC from the domination of big capital, the CP and the SP pro- pose... 'a fairer representation of workers on the social and economic committee of the Market. This radical step is hardly likely to send many shivers down the spines of the Brussels officials who run the EEC on behalf of the big steel, chemicals and car combines.

is But what even more significant is that the pro- gramme marks the dropping by Stalinists the vestiges of their opposition to the Common Market. Workers Press, Thursday It is a guarantee to French big business future that a "popular front' government will be no threat to their reaction- ary plans directed against the European workers. a guarantee They even get that the trade union bureau- cracy will participate in these plans. parties the two Equally: have no intention of winding up the standing army. Far from it. The programme calls for the absurd enunciation Gaullist nuclear striking force, the cessation of nuclear testing and the adherence to inter- national disarmament treaties.

But it adds that the govern- ment will define a military strategy allowing it to confront any aggressor whoever it may be. This differs not a whit from Gaullist the slogan tous azimuts, which has been the basis of French military strategy for the last decade.

According to the manitesto, the army will not be required to carry out any mission to maintain order at home or to 'any intervention carry out abroad of a colonialist or im- perialist character'. On this basis it is hard to see what purpose it will serve.

But it is certainly not going to be abandoned. Nor is conscrip- tion: though the programme promises that this will be cut to six months from the exist- ing 12 months' national service.

It adds cynically: "The gov- ernment will count on the un- cers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 PAGE 7 failing loyalty of the officers and NCOs.' It also intends to count pretty heavily on the loyalty of the hated police force. According to the authors of manifesto, the this present turning the government is olice away from their repub- lican role as auxiliaries of justice and • using them for repression. This is creating trouble even among the police themselves, the manifesto claims. Under the new regime, how- ever, the police like every- will be 'demo- thing else, cratized'. Thus, the programme 'As a public. service says. watching over the exercise of liberty and the assuring security • of individuals, the police will once again gain the respect of the citizens.'

Finally, it is worth noting manifesto that though the terms of limiting talks in presidential power, it nowhere mentions the overthrow of the Fifth Republic. Certain constitutional changes to increase the power of the National Assembly at the president's expense are the most that is envisaged along these lines. This common programme is one of the most reactionary agreements ever drawn up by influential workers' two parties. It is a blueprint for a government ten times more treacherous than the pre-war 'popular front.

Scan page 8

LET THE RECORD SPEAK

Birkenhead dockers march for recognition of the 'Blue' union in spring, 1955. Dick Barrett, one-time secretary of NAS&D, Is centre with briefcase.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Thursday July 2 By David Maude Part one Within weeks of the Lab- our election victory in October 1964, Ray Gun- ter, Wilson's right-wing appointee at the Ministry of Labour, had announced the setting up of a committee of inquiry into the docks industry. Its first task was to examine dispute which had a pay dragged on since April, when T&GWU leaders submitted a claim for a substantial increase in the then £9 9s basic rate.

second, But there was a more far-reaching job Lord Devlin and his inquiry team had to do. Since June 1961, the port employers had been lobbying for the decasualization of dockers under conditions which would allow the destruc- tion of job-security under the Labour Scheme, Dock a tightening-up of discipline and, highly- thus, rapid and profitable mechanization. Now they wanted the new govern- ment to implement it. of Devlin's Acceptance 19s 2d award, by a T&GWU delegate conference meeting in mood post-election a euphoria in mid-November, cleared the way for the sec- ond task. "The Newsletter' then a weekly organ of the Socialist Labour League had this to say about Devlin's dual role': 'The Labour government, faced as they are by a serious economic crisis, are desper- ately trying to avoid a dock strike... 'But the port employers have never treated the wage claim as something separate from their plans for reorganiz- ing the whole docks industry.

At every stage of negotiation they have tried to bargain an increase of wages for changes in the working , of the Dock Labour Scheme. It is now quite clear that the port employers are deter- mined to press forward with their plans for the "decasual- ization" of the industry. This is what is behind the appoint- ment of Lord Devlin.' warning contrasted This the attitude of sharply with the Communist Party, which welcomed the inquiry, and the equivocation of the revisionist International Socialism group.

story of how 30,000 The dockers' jobs have been lost in the last ten years is one in which all the tendencies so far mentioned — from the reformist bureaucracy of the T&GWU to IS-played a role.

If today dockers face the most serious crisis in their recent history, these roles must be studied. To do otherwise would be like entering a Cup Final without the faintest idea of either football strategy or the previous performance of day July 20, 1972 Birkenhead dockers march for recogniti members of your own team.

November 1964 was by no ho means the first time the Socialist Labour League had warned dockers of the political character of the struggles they were entering. Two-and-a-half y e a r s earlier, 'The for instance, Newsletter' had this to say: 'Britain's portworkers are involved in a wage now i struggle with the Tory govern- ment. 'More and more firms in dockland are preparing to introduce mechanization and thus rid the industry of thou- sands of workers. Over the past few months there has been widespread unemploy- ment in the large ports. This is indeed a critical time for the industry. 'One would have thought that at such a time the task of trade union officials would be to develop the maximum unity between all workers employed on the docks in defence of wages and condi- tions.' Even leaving aside the employers' casualization proposals of the previous year, there was ample justification for these remarks. In the autumn of 1961, Sir Andrew Crichton, chairman of the National Association of Port Employers, had called for a massive reduction in the docks labour force, at that time 70,000-strong. London's 27,000 men should be cut to 14,000 over the next five years, he said. And when, early the follow- ing year, T&GWU leaders sub- mitted a claim for a substan- tial pay rise and a cut in hours from 44 the NAPE to 40, peremptorıly rejected them both. 'The Newsletter's' April warning 1962 was directed particularly at Liverpool, where officials of the 'White' T&GWU were attempting to whip up campaign their longstanding 'Blue' National against the Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers. .P. J. O'Hare, the T&GWU's Liverpool district secretary a right-wing Labour and alderman, had issued an ulti- matum that his members would refuse to work with 'Blue' cardholders after April 24.

The employers welcomed this splitting tactic with open arms, of course. But when the ultimatum expired, hundreds of 'Whites' joined their 'Blue' brothers in refusing to show their cards at all without guarantees of no discrimination. recognition of the 'Blue' union in spring, 1955.

O'Hare had some supporters, however. The Communist Party had maintained bitter hostility to the NAS&D members in the northern ports ever since the 1954 breakaway movement their ranks which swelled there. And when the O'Hare strategy finally collapsed at a noisy meeting in Liverpool Stadium, leading CP members voted for continued refusal to work with 'Blues'. The rest of the 4,000-strong meeting voted solidly against.

• day earlier, a T&GWU docks delegate conference had voted for strike action over the national pay claim. The Liver- pool docker had thus instinc- tively adopted The News- letter's' slogant: ' "White" and "Blue" unite against the Tory pay pause.' In 1954 the CP had fiercely.

"prison opposed the mass break-out, beginning in Hull, which was largely responsible for the increase in NAS&D membership in the north. When mass meeting of striking Hull dockers decided, on August 22, 1954, to apply for membership of the 'Blue' in protest

T&GWU

against neglect, the late Harry Pollitt, CP general secretary, publicly attacked the move. He called for 'unity in the fight to democratize the T&GWU'. As a result the late Albert Timothy, highly- respected London • docker, and one of those the Labour govern- ment had attempted to jail in 1951, resigned from the Party.

Pollitt failed to stem the tide of what was a popular, basic movement, expressing years of frustration with the bureaucratic, class - collabor- policies ationist of the T&GWU leadership. CP members were persuaded that their main task was to manoeuvre inside the T&GWU to lift the ban on communists holding office (a task which was not completed until 1969).

The majority of trade union activists in the northern ports thought otherwise, however.

Four weeks after the Hull meeting, 1,000 Birkenhead dockers packed the town hall and overwhelmingly agreed to apply for 'Blue' membership. Manchester followed soon after and by the end of the year Merseysiders thousands l of were flocking in. At the turn of the year Vic Marney, a well-known CP member on London docks, used the left-wing Labour weekly 'Tribune' to put the Stalinist position again. "Tribune' itself had given

NAS:D

ing, 1955. Dick Barrett, one-time secretary of N/ sympathetic treatment to the 'prison break-out'. But Marney, who was secretary of the CP- dominated Liaison Committee, at that time an unofficial body operating inside the T&GWU, followed a different line.

The Liaison Committee had decided, he wrote, that 'under no circumstances will they be involved in any struggle for the recognition of the NAS&D in the outer ports' This was clear notice of intention to blackleg on the national recognition six-week strike which began on May 23, 1955. In the event, CP mem- bers refused to scab, but the Party succeeded in undermin- ing the strike more certainly than if they had. Over 20,000 dockers several thousand of them T&GWU-stopped work in support of the recognition demand. Support for the action was 'Blue' , and so solid in the extensive in the ranks of the , that even the 'White's' 'White', Arthur. so general secretary, Tiffin, later revealed that he . knew the battle could (from his point of view) have been lost. The T&GWU leadership declared it would willingly spend f9m to break the strike.

'It was one of the greatest crises we had to face for time', some , Tillin told his union's national docks com- mittee in August 1955. The TUC condemned the strike and demanded that the NAS&D hand back its 10,000 northern members. For its part the CP, through the Liaison Committee, similar mounted pressure. After a few days of strike the committee, with the executive of the lightermen's union, met the London leadership of the NAS&D and demanded it call off the strike. Meanwhile the Party's 'Daily Worker continually gave the impression the strike was crumbling and about to be called off. Two weeks after the strike London executive of the the Liaison Committee recom- mendation at a conference with delegates from the northern ports. The chairman had to ignore the rules and to use both his ordinary and casting votes to do this. Despite the opposition of the northern delegates, the recommendation was carried.

Mass meetings in both London and the northern ports, however, rejected the pro- and a similar motion posals, a fortnight later was treated likewise. The final blow came on July 1, when the London executive met to consider an ultimatum stary of NAS&D, Is centre with briefcase.

from the TUC disputes com- mittee. A CP member of the execu- tive moved acceptance of the ultimatum, which was that the TUC would lift its suspension of the NAS&D only if the union expelled its northern members. With representatives from the north excluded from the the ultimatum vote, was accepted. The strikers were instructed to return to work the following Monday. Under this sort of pressure, the northern leaders had little alternative. They recommended a return also. Mass meetings in all the ports, however, insisted that they would keep their member- ship of the 'Blue'. In June 1956 the TUC Disputes Committee, in which the Communist Party had ur. sought to sow false confidence throughout the strike, in- structed the NAS&D to ex- all members it had clude recruited in the north since August 18, 1954. The union's executive agreed.

But in March the following year a test case in the courts.

forced it to take them back into the . fold. The TUC leaders hit back by demanding, in September 1956, that the 'Blue' did not act on behalf of its northern members, allow- ing the T&GWU to service them instead. Negotiations on this, and on a TUC demand for inform- ation about the union's mem- bership and accounts, dragged until 1959 when the on NAS&D was disaffiliated from the TUC. Unity of 'White' and 'Blue' dockers was, nevertheless, a major factor in forcing the 9.

per-cent pay settlement with which the employers were forced to avert the threat of a national strike in May 1962. But in the wake of that settlement, which undoubtedly blew a hole in the Tory govern- ment's pay pause, it was more than ever necessary to stress the dangers facing the dockers, 'The Newsletter' did which continuously. A dramatic 'Sunday Express' headline four months after the settlement expressed the nature of these dangers: 'Now Cabinet is urged: Do a Beeching on the docks!'

CONTINUED TOMORROW

'November 7 1964. 'April 7 1962. 'April 29, 1962. 'April 21, 1962. 'December 31, 1954. "September 23, 1962.

Scan page 9

BY PHILIP WADE

If one Fleet Street group above all others illus- trates without clothing the intentions of the British ruling class it is Beaverbrook News- papers. For decade upon decade the Daily leader columns of the Express' in the and others same stable have poured forth a continuous torrent of anti- working class lineage. In the past few years it has, for instance, espoused the race policies of Enoch Powell not only in leaders but in paid articles by the ultra-right Tory MP. Power workers will never forget the Jak cartoon in Beaverbrook's London 'Even- ing Standard' depicting them as murderers, which led to an immediate stoppage by print- workers. Now with inflation rampant 'civilization' so-called crumbling from all sides, Beaverbrook chairman Sir Max Aitken has taken space in the front page of his own paper to warn that his wealth is in danger. Last week Aitken made his 'save-the-nation' speech to an obscure meeting of newspaper wholesalers in the south west of England. Inflation is one of the most dangerous things this country has ever seen. It has got to be curtailed, his own staff man reported his as saying. want Beaverbrook 'We Newspapers to be a company which makes a fair profit and gives a reasonable return to shareholders and high wages to employees. "That is my philosophy, but I do not want to be driven out of business, and that is what inflation can do for us all? It was clear, however, who Aitken was gunning for. The working class was un- fortunately not too concerned about the maintenance of his profit margins but more worried about rising prices eating away their standard of living. 'One of the miseries in the country at the present time is ... you get demands coming in which are quite unrelated to the profit potential for the next year,' he said. And what was the role of his newspaper in this situa- tion? Why, 'to tell what is going on in this country, added Aitken, 'who was loudly cheered by the 70 guests,' added the reporter. So what did the chairman Top: anti-Vietnam war actress, 'Sunday Express'. Above left: Sir Max Above right: Lord Beaverbrook.

and director of Beaverbrook Newspapers and director of two other companies, including Associated Television, tell the world about Britain through last week? his newspapers From the beginning of the week until the end the group's millions of readers were told working class — that the whether here or in Northern Ireland-had to be taken on and dealt with. Tuesday the 'Daily On Express' seized upon the end- ing of the ceasefire by the Provisional IRA to scream blue-murder. To the Catholic workers of the Bogside and Creggan the leader writer issued the fol- lowing threat in a fit of un- tempered rage: The no-go areas... should be given a time limit. After which no more National Assistance, no more unemploy- ment benefit, or other service should be supplied. It should that "no-go" be made clear automatically brings "no-hand- outs"? goading on British Then troops to enter these areas in massive force, the leader con- tinued: 'The tepid policy (of patience) while worth trying has failed. Let it now be made abundantly plain to the extremists that Britain is not going • to subsidize private armies' On Wednesday it was the turn of the dockers, fighting for their right to work in every port in Britain. Picketing was suddenly dis- covered to be 'taking the law into their own hands'. Now they were "tasting their own medicine'. 'The time is fast approaching when trade unions Jane Fonda as she Sir Max Aitken, -dockers, otners- Then Calllc Express'. In one anti-Vietnam Fonda was radio. •Plainly Licason. after Hitler's William Amery Britain exactly doing now' Then, will go only partly over foreigners' for 'military intelligence Is more intimate ful,' let treat us foreign Ulster border, fears, appeared in the saverbrook chairman. lorry drivers. and bless the day that nent saw fit to re relations. the 'Sunday editorial, actress lane virtually threat- life for broad- Vietnam North action anted the column. ry days of reveng 's war two men- and in they did Fonda is nost regretfully, it Miss Fonda punished. This because she is was given Tory MP a member of the ub, under the head- bar these unfriendly on Ulster he called action on an and the re. of the notorious 'B' Specials. "Their be nonet. ate and more use- called on the Lynch to take firm action IRA. If that failed it [Eire] as close the repatriate Eire om Britain'. never destroys the empire as Aitken about what's going Workers Press, Remember all the booming forecasts for the Leopold Minerals company in Western Australia? It was to be the nickel find of the greatest century. It turned out to be the greatest nickel find since Poseidon. In other words, it crashed fairly spectacularly.

And this week Mr Brian Cutler (33), a former director of Leopold, was jailed for 3} years for making a false report about the company's assay findings. In his report made in March last year he claimed the com- pany's nickel strike contained 5.33 per cent nickel. It sent Leopold's shares rocketing from 28p to 440p in three days.

The London 'Evening News' carries a regular column called 'Meet your MP'. This week's face belongs to Bruce Douglas- Mann. It's all about the dynamic dimension of Douglas- Mali's attempts to bring happiness and prosperity to his constituents in Notting Hill.

A sample paragraph: • Mr Douglas-Mann keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground. Representing a constituency which contains such • hot potato area as Notting Hill, he jolly well has to. Fortunately, explosive the atmosphere of a few years back has eased considerably.

Racial problems have very much improved. Now the real difficulties between the crop up largely community and the black police, rather between than black and white sections of the local population. Charges made against the usually centre around police allegations of unfair arrest, frequent searching and stop- ping of black youths and claims of persecution against particular black leaders.

It's the type of situation where a solicitor's cool assess- ing brain comes in extremely useful. The article concludes with Douglas-Mann's attempts to fight against poverty, unem- housing ployment and poor ers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 PAGE 9 in the area. It then says: Mr Douglas-Mann meets con- stituents on Mondays at 8 p.m., 92. Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington.' One is certainly left with the general conclusion that he gives unstinting and time labour to his work on behalf of the neighbourhood. Great surprise to learn, therefore, that Douglas-Mann has announced he will not contest North Kensington at the next election. It seems that the boundary changes will mean that his old Kensington will be forced to include much of the wealthy-and Tory- area down to Cromwell Road in South Kensington. His once safe Labour seat is turned into a Tory seat. He's picked up a much safer Labour seat in the council house belt on the outskirts of London. Goodbye to Notting Hill..

STAR

Star of stage and screen department: Stephen Sylvester, 46-year- old assistant secretary of Equity, the actors' and act- resses' union, is to take over as general secretary of the Writers' Guild. He succeeds Alan Griffiths, who is leaving for a new job in America.

The Pentagon has such a dia- bolical genius for nicknaming the most brutal weapons with comic book names. Thus the gadget used to pour CS gas into bunkers is called 'The Mighty Myte' Now meet 'Fat Albert'. This is larger and improved version of the tele- vision bomb. It has only gone into use in Vietnam in the past month. It weighs 2,000 lb.

and a television camera in the nose directs it to the target.

'The primary advantages of "Fat Albert" the new are explosive impact, increased better reliability and greater standoff range--or the ability to hit targets from higher alti- tudes, the most popular feature for combat air crews exposed to enemy ground fire,' a navy statement said.

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 A

BAN

outside On financial interests for all MPs was called for in a SEVENTY highly-skilled Commons motion tabled toolmakers at the CAV en- yesterday by Charles gineering factory at Acton, West London, are refusing to Loughlin, Labour MP for release finished tools to the Gloucestershire West. lines until production Mr Loughlin said no MP or aboratory dispute is settlec to the satisfaction of the strikers. The laboratory sit-in strike is now four weeks old and still the of right-wing factory leadership the Amalgamated Union of En- Workers has gineering yet to organize a factory collection.

The toolmakers, however, have presented £100 to the laboratory men and, have levied each tool- maker fl a week. In addition they are being penalized by under the terms of a site deal agreed last week. This states that any. group of undertaking industrial workers action will not receive back pay COMMUNIST PARTY shop : July 3, but will only receive 265 shopfloor workers and staf their increase on resumption of the number of 'forced' dismis normal working. leaflet distributed by the At a mass meeting of 300 laboratory workers says they are fighting Tuesday, the for the principle of de- workers on fence of agreements. shop stewards made no pro- Under a site pay deal agreed posals to fight the dismissal last year the strikers fell from of a quarter of the factory's second to sixth or eighth in the 900 workforce. factory pay structure. March 1972, In the leaflet Instead they passed a resolu- the said they 'opposition' says, company tion reiterating to would restore the position, but the redundancies and promis- is now trying to avoid its obli- worker ing support' for any gations. wishing to defend his job.

form 'support' What this take made would was never clear, however. The redundancies announced after bitter nine- week strike on the engineers' MINERS at Frickley, Yorkshire, settled the basis of claim, on rise only marginally larger than decided yesterday continue the general run of £2.50.

their 1,200 - strong, week - old part of the Trouble flared This move on the strike. atter

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is direct introduced a management management new AUEW leadership's result of the of working coal face system Barnsley seam. They are in the asking to clean up spil- national basis of the miners encouragement of pure militancy from the face conveyor. lage The daily paper that leads the fight against the Tories. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 Issues) It 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: Circulation Depl., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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Name Address member of his family any should be allowed to receive from any source money or gifts during the time he is an MP, and for five years after- wards. He also urged that MPs should not be financially associated with or own shares in any company or business, have connections no with any trade union or trade I shop stewards at Sheffield's Firth I and staff are threatened with redund dismissals will be 'negligible'.

BY OUR OWN

REPORTERS

at factory level. The real answer to redundan- cies-the fight make Tories resign and for nationaliza- tion under workers' control and without compensation-they have avoided. Albert Knight, CP works con- venor and a member the engineers' union Sheffield dis- report of several meetings with manage- ment than he had thought pos- sible when the redundancies were first announced. I believe it is not going to be anything like as bad as we thought,' he commented after- wards. He said that 128 people had received redundancy notices and most of these were skilled work- ABOUT 175 workers are to be made redundant at the Trans- former Division of Ferranti at Chadderton, Lancashire, the company announced yesterday. Ferranti said the redundancies, which represented a 13 per cent cut in the division payroll, had been caused by continuing a low level of business in the industry.

EUROPEAN

butter surpluses may be dumped in Britain, chair- of the Milk Marketing man Board Sir Richard Trehane has said. The news comes hard on the heels of an announcement that 18 million eggs are to be with- drawn from the market to pre- vent prices falling to unprofitable levels. Common • Market countries in times of surplus. A FORMER Lord Justice of Appeal and chairman of the Permanent Security Commission, Sir Rodger Winn, who died in June aged 68, left £98,556 gross, £96,990 net. Duty was £30,109.

Sir Rodger, of Chester Street, London, SWI, was a judge until he retired for health reasons last year. He was also a governor Thomas's Hospital and of St chairman of its medical school.

He left most of his property to his wife and daughter and to the trustees of a settlement made in 1963. Sir Rodger was a brother of writer Godfrey Winn who died a year ago. take fees for association or newspaper articles, memoirs, or broadcasts. radio or television He said that British public life is 'relatively free from bribery and corruption' and rejects 'the over eagerness of persons, in- cluding members of this House, to exploit any suggestion made that Civil Servants and Mem- bers of the House of Commons are subject to bribery. • Firth Brown Tools Ltd, where redundancy, are 'hopeful' that who no longer wanted to ers work for Firth Brown! Another 82 workers had volunteered for redundancy and their departure would create opportunities for re-deployment for those who wanted to keep their jobs. Knight went on to say they were still 'worried' about 40 apprentices who had received notices and the whole shop floor was determined to fight for everybody who wanted to stay on the firm. The balance of redundancies would be achieved by a 60 to 70 cut in staff and so 'there could be a situation where the enforced redundancies may be negligible'(1) Many of those who face the sack, however, consider their situation far 'negligible'. from One young worker commented: "There is little chance for me to find a job. There's thousands already on the dole in Sheffield.'

FOLLOWING the recommen- dation of acceptance of the new draft National Wages Agreement by the executive of Eire's biggest union—the Irish Transport and General — the union's Galway branch has now voted to accept the deal.

The branch's 3,500 members were represented at the meeting by 60 delegates. Branch secretary Sean Meade told the meeting that the new proposals-made after the Irish Congress of Trade Unions voted a five-to-two majority to reject a new national agreement -had more flexibility in regard to fringe benefits and gave better support to the principle of equal pay for equal work.

The IT&GWU met in Dublin yesterday to vote on the terms of the new proposals and will hold a special delegate confer- ence on Friday to make its final decision.

THURSDAY, JUL

CO-OP HALL, SE

HOLLOWAY

DOWN WITH DIRECT RULEI

UNITE PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC

SOCIALIST IRE

SECURITY

US practices came in for an airing when Daniel Ellsberg submitted his written defence to a Los Angeles court and a former employee of the National Security Agency gave a press conference at Berkeley, Cali- fornia, on Tuesday. Ellsberg, who leaked the 'Pentagon Papers' dealing with war to the press, the Vietnam alleged that there were some military documents which were so secret that even the President and his Defence Secretary were not allowed to see them. He said that he had handled such • documents while working for the Rand Corporation. They included plans for a nuclear war in the Pacific.

he gave the The papers to 'top although marked press, , contained nothing vital secret' to national defence. He claimed that in 1969 he had seen docu- ments which were genuinely top.

on desks in secret lying around the National Security building in Washington. Ellsberg and Anthony Russo, another former employee of the Rand Corporation, face secrets charges which prison carry 35 years- sentences of 15 and Daniel Ellsberg respectively. Selection of the ury has not yet been completed employee of the A former National Security Agency told a press conference in Berkeley that the US had broken the secret codes of the Soviet Union and every major country. The conference press was called by 'Ramparts' magazine following publication of an article on US electronic espion- age by a former NSA sergeant.

He said his real name was Perry Fellwock and that he had worked for the agency for three years.

He said: 'My experience with and the government global mission has convinced me that the most dangerous threat to me, to my family and to world itself, is the American peace military? David Horowitz, an editor of 'Ramparts', said: 'The Soviet Union is an open book to the National Security Agency; that it literally tests, its military muscle by sending sur- over its air veillance planes space; that we monitor the com- munications of allied diplomats the messages of the

ALL TRADES UNIONS

ALLIANCE MEETINGS

The currency crisis and the working class PRESTON: Thursday July 20, 8 p.m. Railway and Commercial Hotel, Butler Street (near rail- way station). DAY, JULY 20, 8 p.m.

HALL, SEVEN SISTERS RD

WITHDRAW BRITISH TROOPSI

CATHOLIC WORKERS FOR A UNITED

ALIST IRELAND

Scan page 11

ITV

11.30 Polarized Society. 12.25 Women. 12.50 Cook Book. 1.15 Bellbird. Zingalong. 1.30 1.40 Arthur. 2.05 Castle Haven. 2.30 Good Afternoon. 3.00 Racing. 3.45 Marcus Welby. 4.40 Nuts and Bones. 4.55 Atom Ant. 5.20 How.

BBC 1

5.50 News.

6.00 WRECKERS

AT

DEAD-

9.45 Along the River. 10.00 Casey

EYE.

3: The of 10.25 If You Me. Legend Jones. Were Thriabbas. 10.50 Tin Tin. Magic 10.55 Roundabout. 12.50 Hen Allorau.

6.25 CARTOON TIME.

1.30 Herbs. 1.45 News, weather.

6.35 CROSSROADS.

3.00 Jackanory. 3.45 Horse Show.

7.00 FILM:

"PAY

OR 5.00 Boss Cat. 5.25 Barrier Reef.

DIE'.

Ernest 5.50 News, weather. Borgnine. New York's 'Little Italy' is

6.00 NATIONWIDE.

terrorized in 1908 by un- 6.55 HE

SAID,

SHE SAID.

known extortionists sign- Panel game. themselves The Black ing Hand.

7.25 TOP OF THE POPS.

9.00 NEAREST AND DEAREST.

8.00 THE GOODIES.

9.30 THIS WEEK.

8.30 THE

BURKE

SPECIAL.

With James Burke.

10.00 NEWS.

10.30 CINEMA.

9.00 NEWS, Weather.

9.20 ROYAL

INTERNATIONAL

11.00 THE

AVENGERS. The

HORSE SHOW.

Rotters.

10.45 DOWN TO EARTH.

12.00 THE COMMON MIND.

11.15 NEWS.

WINDOWS ON THE BRAIN.

11.20 11.45 Weather. CHANNEL: 1.45 Racing. 4.05 Nuts

BBC 2

and bones. 4.20 Puffin. 4.22 Dick Van Dyke. 4.50 Skippy. 5.20 Lon- 6.00 News, 6.10 don. weather. 11.00 Play School. 5.35 Open Hogan's heroes. 6.35 Crossroads.

University. 7.00 Film: 'Donovan's Reef'.

9.00 7.30

NEWSROOM,

Sch THE 10.30 London. Alistair MacLean

GREAT

Cinema. 8.00

PARKS OF

story. 11.15 11.45 News,

WORLD.

5: The Danube weather. Delta, Romania. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 8.30

EMMA.

By Jane Austen. 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.20 News. Part 1. News. 11.46 6.00 Diary 11.43

NOW

9.10

AND

THEN.

With Faith for life. Celestial Robert Erskine.

SOUTHERN:

12.55 1.00 News. Symphony. Afloat. 1.25 Hogan. 1.50 Cooking.

9.20

SHOW

OF

THE

WEEK.

2.15 Bellbird. 3.50 Morecambe and Wise. Cartoon 4.00 Houseparty. 4.15 10.05

NEWS,

Weather. Dithers. 4.30 Crossroads. 4.55 10.10

WORLD

CINEMA:

THE

5.20 London. Stingray. 6.00 Day

LIFE OF ADOLF HITLER'.

6.45 Dr Locke. 7.15 Film: by day. Paul Rotha's compilation House of Numbers'. 9.00 London of the years of Nazi power.

11.00 News. 11.10 Film: 'Don't 11.50

LATE

NIGHT

LINE

Men'. 12.20 UP. Talk to Strange The Plot to Kill Hitler. Weather. Guideline. EGYPT'S decision to expel up to 20,000 Soviet military advisers is a severe blow to the Kremlin's Middle East policy.

It culminates a period of increasingly strained relations, the death particularly since president Gamel of last year and the accession of Nasser Anwar Sadat. his decision Announcing of the the central committee Union, ruling Arab Socialist of Sadat accused the Russians failing to supply weapons when promised. open for But he left the door further talks with the USSR. At the end of last week premier Aziz Sidky paid a flying visit to to deliver the Egyptian Moscow ultimatum. The Soviet Union has supplied large amounts of arms to Egypt, sufficient quantity but never in Anwar Sadat to enable the or quality Egyptians to take on Israel on clined make the sacrifices to equal terms. demanded by their leaders with- bulk of the Soviet mili- The out seeing any results for them.

tary aid is in fact defensive- By the Soviet advisers, ousting of the about three-quarters Sadat may be hoping to force Soviet believed advisers to concessions from the Kremlin. ara be attached to the SAM missile But it also enables him to form sites. closer ties with the imperialists In repeated consultations with Soviet 'good without relying on the Soviet leaders, the Egyptians offices'. have demanded long - range bombers and high-altitude inter- ceptor planes to enable them to fight the Israeli air force. The Kremlin is not in favour of the complete military defeat of Israel and has agitated ever ONE OF the biggest deals ever 1967 Union since for the implementa- made between the Soviet tion of the United Nations reso- and a capitalist firm was initialled lution of November of that in Moscow on Friday by Armand Hammer, boss of the Occidental year. The resolution calls for Israeli Petroleum Corp. of Los Angeles. withdrawal from the occupied The five-year deal provides for as the basis for territories an Soviet oil the supply of and agreed settlement involving Arab natural gas in return for Ameri- recognition of Israel. technology and know-how. can The Egyptian leaders have Occidental's project is being maintained a belligerent posture as part of an inter- undertaken since the June war without the in which national consortium again. means to go to war Japanese and European firms are This has created great strains involved. at where workers and home, American technicians will take peasants are increasingly disin- Tonight Doran • Godwin plays 'Emma', J BBC 2. Donald Eccles (seated) plays h HTV: 2.15 Racing. 3.20 Cook book. 3.45 Dr Locke. 4.15 Tinker- tainment. 4.30 Crossroads. 4.55 Joe 90. 5.20 London. 6.01 Report West. 6.18 Report Wales. 6.35 7.10 Film: 'My Dick Van Dyke. Friend Irma'. . 9.00 London. 10.30 11.00 Spyforce. 12.00 Gallery. Weather. Wales and HTV Cymru/

HTV

as above except: 4.15 Wales Miri Mawr. 6.01 Y Dydd HTV West as above except: 6.18 Sport West. ANGLIA: 1.40 Remember. 2.05 Joe 90. 2.30 London. 4.10 News.

4.15 Jimmy Stewart. 4.40 Paulus.

Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 4.55 About Anglia. 6.20 Arena. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Sale. 7.30 Film: ATV MIDLANDS: 9.00 London.

'Circle of Danger'. 1.45 Racing. Women. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 4.10 Family affair. 4.35 Rupert Nev TERRORISTS have pene- trated into Yugoslavia for the first time in 20 years, according to official reports from Belgrade. identified They were as Ustachi, heirs of the Yugoslav fascists who ruled during World War II in the Nazi puppet state of Croatia. Since the war they have carried out intermittent bombings and other terrorist actions against Yugoslav diplo- matic missions in Europe.

Last year Ustachi murdered the Yugoslav ambassador to This Stockholm. month, the announced, Federal police a Ustachi-fascist group of terror- ists entered Yugoslavia illegally.

They crossed from Austria on June 26 with an arsenal of sub- machine guns, rifles with tele- scopic sights, pistols with silencers and a portable radio station. The Yugoslay authorities said they had 'broken up and de- stroyed' the 50-strong unit, which tried to establish a base in the highlands of central Yugoslavia. Survivors were being hunted down, police said. Presi- dent Tito summoned his closest advisers to an emergency meeting on the island of Brioni. The Ustachi incursion met ver part in a geological survey to locate gas and petroleum deposits in the Soviet Union. They will also set up off-shore and well drilling. Also included in the deal is the building of several hotels with the co-operation of the Holiday Inn chain. The Soviet Committee for Science and Technology has also signed a co-operation agreement with the West German firm of AEG-Telefunken of Frankfurt. It provides for licensing and tech- nology exchanges as well as trade. Workers Press, Thursday July 20, 1972 PAGE 11 'Emma', Jane Austen's heroine, in the first of a six-part dramatization for 1) plays her father and John Carson is Mr Knightley.

bear. 4.50 Pretenders. 6.35 Cross- and bones. 4.50 Make a wish. 7.30 Police roads. 7.00 Sale Film: 5.15 London. 6.00 News. 'Quaran- 'Tomorrow at Ten'. 9.00 London: file. 6.30 UFO. 7.25 Film: tined'. 11.00 O'Hara. 12.00 Stories 8.50 Sylvester. 9.00 Lon- 1.45 11.00 11.35

ULSTER:

Racing. 4.10 don. On the line. Gourmet. 4.30 Romper room. 4.50 Scales of justice.

SCOTTISH:

1.45 Racing. 3.35 News. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 Partners. 6.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Crossroads. 7.00 Shirley's world. Animaland. 4.15 Crossroads.

4.40 7.30 Film: 'Something to Live For'.

Nuts and bones. 4.55 Funky 9.00 London. 11.00 Benny Hill. phantom. 5.20 London. 6.00 News

YORKSHIRE:

Racing. 2.15

6.15 UFO.

7.10 Film: 'A Patch of 1.45 Bellbird. 2.30 3.45 9.00 11.00 Late London. Blue'. London. 4.10 Calendar. 4.15 Ugliest girl. call. 11.05 As others see us. 11.35 Crossroads. 4.40 Nuts and bones.

Wrestling. Funky

GRAMPIAN: 1.45

3.31 4.55 phantom. 5.20 Lon- Racing. don. 6.00 Calendar, weather. 6.30 News. 3.35 look. 3.40 Job Takes a thief. 7.25 Film: 'Apart- Women. 4.10 Yoga. 4.40 Nuts and for Peggy'. 9.00 London. bones. 4.55 Pippi. 5.20 London. 11.00 Mannix. 11.55 Something 6.00 News, weather. 6.10 Top to sing about. 12.25 Weather.

team. 6.35 Crossroads. 6.55 Film:

GRANADA:

1.45 Racing 3.40 'Guadalcanal Diary'. 8.30 In for a penny. 9.00 London. 11.00 Young Scotland Yard 4.10 casebook. News. Peyton place. 4.40 Nuts view. 11.30 Avengers. with hostility from the local ster of the Interior, said last have week foreign people who good reason that intelligence to remember the fascists with services were involved in anti- hatred. But it came Yugoslav activities of at a tense emigrés. time, two days before the Other Yugoslav leaders have scheduled opening of the trial of laid part of the blame on the four young Croat nationalists in press for giving a 'false foreign Zagreb. of last impression' in reports That trial has been postponed December's purge of the Croat for a month, but another trial in- Communist Party that the volving seven other Croat country was ripe for insurrection.

nationalists accused of fomenting The main responsibility for disturbances Zagreb Univer- at the nationalist inside agitation sity last year is now under way.

and outside Yugoslavia lies with Yugoslav media has attacked the Tito bureaucracy itself: some western countries, without naming them, for allowing By opening the door to foreign Ustachi investment and to train on their decentralizing territory. Informants say part of the country's federal structure it the 'invasion' group was trained has tuelled nationalist sentiment in Austria. under conditions of considerable Slavko Zécevic, Serbian Mini- economic crisis. The eight-page youth paper Plenty of nows, views and which leads the fight against features at 3p a copy. Tory government, the tor Order your regular copy now.

the right to work, in factories, Yearly subscription £2.86 schools and on the dole send to koso ten. 186a Clapham High St, queues. London, SW4 7UG. Please send me 'Keep Left' for one year I enclose £2.86 Name Address

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Smith-Coggin strike goes on Stewards not workers' Mersey fight organization-NIRC PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday July: FROM p. 1 future of their own jobs, threw a picket-line across the entrance to Tilbury docks. 'We shall keep this up until the dockers lift their ban on Hay's Transport, their spokes- man, a shop steward, said.

Tilbury docker, Chairman of the Dave Marks, shop stewards' committee, said later: "This is obviously a retaliatory move against us, but it won't difference. We shall make any carry on with our campaign.'

Ted Johns, chairman Drivers Of the recently-formed and Warehousemen's Action Com- mittee, said he thought the situation at Tilbury was certain to inflame feelings at yesterday evening's T&GWU drivers' meet- ing. His committee would be tak- ing up the issue, he said.

Asked about the possibility of talks dockers' with the stewards to try and hammer out settlement, he said: When a the dockers are refusing to talk we obviously have to take the same attitude.' Here is a situation which no amount of diplomatic statements from union chiefs will solve. (Ken Jackson, secretary of the

T&GWU

commercial services group, and Jack Moore, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union, on Tuesday attacked reports of a conflict of interest. 'Drivers are not seeking to take over dock and work dockers are not seeking to take over drivers' work, ; they said in a joint statement.) By abandoning the struggle for entire nationalization of the ports industry without compen- workers' sation and under control, the union leaders have cut dockers, drivers and depot workers adrift without a policy.

The only people to benefit from the resulting conflicts be- tween worker and worker are the port employers, the haulage and warehousing bosses and the Tory government. In helping the T&GWU leaders nationalization de- to drop the mand, the CP-influenced stewards on the London docks have thus they represent a done those double disservice. They have helped prepare the ground for dangerous splits. And they have given credence to the idea of a solution to the jobs crisis in the industry without through the nationalization, Jones-Aldington inquiry. The Tilbury picket again points to the need for an urgent change of policy by the docks stewards.

Cargo operations were slowed down at Southampton yesterday began when 170 checkers 24-hour token strike. members of the The men, National Union of Railwaymen, are in dispute with their em- ployers, the British Transport over manning Board, Docks problems for a new cargo service. | day

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SIX of the seven dockers- including national port stewards' Bernie Steer - were secretary yesterday served with summonses on behalf of Midland to attend the court hearing. - day July 20, 1972 FROM STEPHEN JOHNS Il DOCKERS in Liverpool said challenge by employers to wit Shop stewards told portwork Coggins that the stevedoring management has control over jobs traditionally done by doc Smith Coggins, one of the big f currently engaged in merger talks, three days over a manning disput Yesterday's mass meeting decided that the 1,600 dockers involved—Smith Coggins' en- tire labour force in the port- will continue their action until their demands are met. They will meet again on Fri- day. Shop steward Jack Abbott told the meeting that after five hours of talks the firm was insisting that they had the right to em- ploy unregistered labour on cer- tain jobs and also to work out many men should carry how them out. He reported that Smith Cog- gins has investigated the dispute and had suggested manning than those scales worse even originally envisaged. 'They have us that if told they have a job calling for four men, that they will decide who is going to do it. If they want to put three unregisered men in will put three unregistered they men in,' he said. 'This means they are making a stand against us in our jobs.'

_ jobs in Dockers the say question have always been done by registered labour. They see the move therefore as a threat Labour to the National Dock Scheme which safeguards dockers from redundancies.

The more unregistered labour firms on the dock can employ the easier it will be for them to declarè future redundancies.

Already staff from the firm are under threat of the sack, and the staff unions have called a strike on Monday against these redundancies. They will be joined on Thurs- day by dockers in the port who have called for a one-day token stoppage. This coincides with the dock delegates meeting in Lon- don which will hear the proposal of the Jones-Aldington com- mittee on containerization.

Shop stewards appealed yester- day for men to come forward

WEATHER

THE MIDLANDS, East Anglia, southern England, south and cen- tral Wales will be mostly cloudy with fog patches at first but sunny iniervais will appear by afternoon. In the evening scat- tered thundery showers will develop in these areas. Fog patches near coasts of Scotland and north-east England will clear in most places. It will be generally very warm but north-west England, parts Northern Ireland and south-west Scotland will have a hot day.

Outlook for Friday and Saturday: Sunny intervals in many dis- tricts but some thundery show- ers in the south. Rather cloudy in the extreme north. Continuing very warm.

NEWS DESK 01-720 2000

CIRCULATION 01-622 7029

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• JOHNS IN LIVERPOOL

ol said yesterday they faced a to withdraw their job security.

ortworkers from A. E. Smith edoring firm has warned that ol over who should man clerical by dockers. he big four Mersey dock employers er talks, have been strike-bound for g dispute. and join the Liverpool delegation which will travel by special train to London to lobby the delegates. If this committee doesn't go along with our ideas, we want as many lads to come along and are not prepared to com- Say we promise,' said Jack Abbott. Late yesterday shop all stewards in Liverpool were meeting to decide future action on the Smith Coggins issue.

BRITISH STEEL Corporation in- tends to close a profitable steel works in the West Midlands be- 'too small', it was cause it is announced at a press conference in London yesterday. And BSC will not allow anyone else to buy the Birchley steelworks in Worcestershire which employs 227 because it does men, not want competition from private enterprise, say opponents of the plan. The mill, they say, is so popular - and profitable - that local firms have offered up to £lm to buy it.

REGINALD MAUDLING'S

daughter, Mrs Caroline Mary Thompson (26), was granted an order for the restitution of con- jugal rights against her husband, South African businessman Anthony Thompson, yesterday. The order is the first stage in obtaining a divorce. If her hus- band does not respond to the order by the date set by the Supreme Court Judge J. P. O.

Villiers - August 29 - the order will automatically become a final divorce on September 12.

PAY CLAIM is to be lodged on behalf of London's 23,000 bus- men. Delegates from all London Transport bus garages decided yesterday to go ahead with a demand for an interim payment to bridge the gap between the recent increases won by railmen on LT's underground and those agreed for the busmen in April.

Industrial

THE

NATIONAL

Relations Court did • not con- sider the London dockers' shop stewards' commit- joint tee an 'organization of work- ers' as defined by the Indus- trial Relations Act, NIRC pre- sident Sir John Donaldson said yesterday. Donaldson explaining was why, in the Midland Cold Storage picketing case, the court has twice refused to make orders against the stewards' committee. Campbell, Last week Alan Midland's OC, sought on behalf a change of mind by the NIRC on its refusal to make stop-picketing orders against the committee. The court president was yesterday giving its reserved judgement.

The Act defined an organiza- tion of workers as a body, one of whose principal objects was regulation of relations 'SHOOTING and murder' seemed to pay 'otherwise no one would wish to fly members of the IRA to England in order to hold dis- them' Stanley cussions with McMaster, Ulster Unionist, told the Commons yesterday. A GROUP of engineers backed banker Henry by merchant have Ansbacher, bought their firm government-owned for £100,000 to prevent it being taken over by 'private interests.'

The firm, The National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Service Ltd, has Glasgow, Dundee, offices in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Cardiff. It employs about 100 McLoughlin, people. Ray a mechanical services engineer at the Glasgow office, said the staff got together and decided they would work for them- rather selves than for an outside egency and made arrangements to buy the company from the Depart- ment of Trade and Industry.

CIVIL SERVANTS have been told to stop doing compulsory uvertime-as a protest against 'constant and excessive overtime' The order has gone out to 1,000 Land Registry clerks from their union, the Civil and Public Ser- Association, and the ban vices starts on August 21. DR

HENRY

KISSINGER,

Nixon's chief adviser on foreign affairs, had secret talks in Paris yesterday with Le Duc Tho, a senior member of the Politburo of North Vietnam's ruling party, and Xuan Thuy, Hanoi's princi- pal negotiator at the Paris peace talks, after a month's boycott by the US. workers and employ- between ers, he said. But the stewards' committee appeared content to leave the regulation of employer-worker relations to the unions so long as, in the committee's opinion, unions were being suffi- the ciently forceful. Evidence indicated that the committee wanted a power of veto over particular actions of the Transport and General Union, rather Workers' than to regulate relations itself.

Donaldson went on to make clear, however, that the court's solely to this views related particular committee, and that any future questions relating to other similar committees would have to be investigated within their particular context.

And today Midland will be back in court compaining of contempt of the court's orders by seven named dockers.

AUEI

MORE PAY

ENGINEERS at Goodman's Loud- Hants, Havant, speakers, are 24-hour maintaining picket round the factory in their strike for a £3 across-the-board, cost- of-living rise. The l

AUEW

300 members—who include over 200 women workers - say they will stay out until their demand is met in full by management.

FUND

WILL WE

DO IT?

WE STILL have a long way to go-we need £759.55 more by this weekend. It is now Thursday and time is running out. It will take our biggest effort so far but we are sure you will raise the £1,750. We know that we have set our sights high. Not only are you helping us raise £500 more than usual, but this month we need the money nine days earlier, by July 22, before our Summer Camp begins. At a time when the Maudling resignation demands that the whole of the • Tory government resigns, Workers Press is more vital than ever. We therefore urge everyone of you-we have three days left to complete our target. We need all the support you can raise. Go all out now. Rush every donation Immediately to: Workers Press July Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG.

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