Workers Press no. 856

workers press

LABOUR RENTS

FIGHT' COLLAPSES

BY PHILIP WADE

THERE IS now a great danger that the Labour Party's policy on the Tory "fair rent' Act will col- lapse just four weeks before the first • fl increases are due. The Housing Finance Act every tenant knows is as designed to destroy the basis of council housing in Britain, a basic right for millions.

Rents will be doubled, sub- sidies slashed and council build- ing wound up. Many tenants face eviction because they will be unable to pay the rents.

More than that it is a wage- cutting device, the rent going up In that sense when wages rise. it is intimately linked to the Industrial Relations Act.

Yet there are only 40 Labour- controlled local councils which are definitely not going to carry out this Tory, class legislation.

That leaves another 345 Lab- our councils which will impose the £1 rent increase on October 1. In the last few weeks the collapse has been startling.

The rot started in Manchester, the biggest council in the North- West, when on August 9 they decided without dissent to use the Act. They were swiftly followed by Liverpool, which voted by a majority of 40 to implement the Act. Like Liverpool, Stockport then reversed a previous decision not to implement, with 11 Lab- councillors and aldermen our crossing over to vote with the Tories. On Tuesday night the debacle came to a head when Sheffield which had made big noises against the Act, even organizing a conference-fell into line.

Some 36 Labourites in Shef- field joined the Tories to ensure the implementation motion was carried. Also in Yorkshire, Labour councils at Pontefract and Castle- NO SETTLEMENT of the ten- week piecework strike at Jaguar's Coventry. factory Radford, emerged from a lengthy meeting between strike leaders and union officials yesterday. A further meeting will not take place until next Wednesday.

Members of the strike committee said nothing had come out of yesterday's discussions to justify calling a mass meeting. • See "Sack from Jaguar', page three.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSI

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRA

ford switched previous decisions to defy the Act. In London the retreat before the Tories has been just as com- plete. Only one London borough -Camden-is still defiant out of 21 Labour-controlled councils.

Yet in July, Anthony Crosland, shadow spokesman, housing called for a 'concerted, collective and furious campaign by local authorities' against the Housing Finance Bill as it was then.

Many Labour councils encour- aged tenants to form associations and fight the Bill when it was introduced last winter. Now they them in have left the lurch, leaderless. leaders' abject The Labour betrayal of the is tenants paralleled by the cowardly retreat of the trade union leaders before the Tory onslaught against the trade unions. With one million unemployed, and the long-term jobless grow- ing, and the Industrial Relations Act used many times against workers, the union leaders run to Edward Heath for consulta- tions. At no time have they led any fight this reactionary against Tory government. They instead path of class have chosen the collaboration with the Tories.

In this situation, where the Labour and trade union leaders away from a fight, the have run Tories will try and confuse and split working class with racialism. Now only the building of Councils of Action in every area can in any way mobilize against the Tories the millions of trade fighting unionists attacks on their rights and to to work strike and tenants facing savage rent increases. Millions of workers have shown determination to fight. Now Councils of Action must unite every trade unionist and tenant and every other section of the working class in action against the Tories. They must lead the fight to halt the retreat and capitulation of the Labour and trade union leaders. These Councils must fight for the TUC to stop running away and call a General Strike until the Tory government resigns.

A Labour government must be elected which will be pledged by the mass movement to carry out socialist policies of expropriation basic industries of the under workers' control and without compensation. PLANS were drawn up yester- arriving day to put Asians from Uganda in special hostels and reception centres. The Ugandan Resettlement Board is understood to be drawing up a register of beds, near London's if possible Heathrow airport, for the Asians who all hold British passports. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 1972 • No. 856 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN

DIRECT LABOUR

Camden council workers leading the march from the Barbican building site yesterday. • See report p. 12 Fines for Clyde shipyard SEVEN workers from the pickets shipyards of the Lower Clyde were fined a total of £35 yesterday after being found of charges arising out guilty breach of the peace when they of a picketing incident. to persuade lorry drivers not break their The men are among the 750 employed by Dicker

ONE

Ine sortium's yards in Greenock Scott-Lithgow consortium who One of drivers lorry ad- been on strike for over nave milled eviaence tual une weeks for a pay increase pickets had been friendly.

ten and a shorter working week.

Counsel for said They arrested were for that but for the awkward posi -Tories will isolate Asians— Reception will St John Ambulance Brigade teams which include a Board representative for help. from wellas someone The From yesterday's two-hour Supplementary Benefits Com- meeting it also discussed was clear that the were Board is isolate planning to Board's hrst meeling al the Asian community in he come since The Board is also looking ferior living accommodation. This is in line towards such with the Tor organzanon. government's own racialist Service, the Red Cross and the approach to the crisis. ilding site yesterday. See report p. 12 tion of the yard gates the charge might have been one of obstruc- tion and not breach of the peace. Counsel for the prosecution said that the men had gone beyond the limits of picketing laid down in section 134 of the Industrial Relations Act.

But in his. verdict Baillie Blair, Liberal councillor for a Greenock, said he had not taken the Act into account. A further case involving 22 pickets was proceeding yester- day. The strike at the yards con- tinues in total deadlock. In- formal talks between unions and management have ended in com- plete failure. The management have not advanced their offer of £2.75. The strikers received a severe blow two weeks ago from the Amalgamated Union of Engin- eering Workers' national execu- tive. They have agreed a national pay deal which offers nothing to all but the lowest paid engineers.

Despite this the Greenock men have voted overwhelmingly to fight on.

workers press

LABOUR RENTS

FIGHT' COLLAPSES

BY PHILIP WADE

THERE IS now a great danger that the Labour Party's policy on the Tory 'fair rent' Act will col- lapse just four weeks before the first f1 increases are due. The Housing Finance Act every tenant knows is as designed to destroy the basis of council housing in Britain, a basic right for millions.

• Rents will be doubled, sub- sidies slashed and council build- ing wound up. Many, tenants face eviction because they will be unable to pay the rents.

More than that it is a wage- cutting device, the rent going up when wages rise. In that sense it is. intimately linked to the Industrial Relations Act.

Yet there are only 40 Labour- controlled local councils which are definitely not going to carry out this Tory, class legislation.

That leaves another 345 Lab- our councils which will impose the £1 rent increase on October 1. In the last few weeks the collapse has been startling.

The rot started in Manchester, the biggest council in the North- West, when on August 9 they decided without dissent to use the Act. They were swiftly followed by Liverpool, which voted by a majority of 40 to implement the Act. Like Liverpool, Stockport then reversed a previous decision not implement, with 11 Lab- councillors and aldermen our crossing over to vote with the Tories. On Tuesday night the debacle came to a head when Sheffield— which had made big noises against the Act, even organizing a conference-fell into line.

Some 36 Labourites in Shef- field joined the Tories to ensure the implementation motion was carried. Yorkshire, Also in Labour councils at Pontefract and Castle- NO SETTLEMENT of the ten- week piecework strike at Jaguar's Radford, Coventry, factory emerged from a lengthy meeting between strike leaders and union officials yesterday. A further meeting will not take place until next Wednesday.

Members of the strike committee said nothing had come out of yesterday's discussions to justify calling a mass meeting. • See 'Sack from Jaguar', page three.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSL

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRA

ford switched previous decisions to defy the Act. In London the retreat before the Tories has been just as com- plete. Only one London borough -Camden-is still defiant out of 21 Labour-controlled councils.

Yet in July, Anthony Crosland, shadow housing spokesman, called for a 'concerted, collective and furious campaign by local against the Housing authorities' Finance Bill as it was then.

Many Labour councils encour- aged tenants to form associations and fight the Bill when it was introduced last winter. Now they left them in have the lurch, leaderless. The Labour leaders' abject betrayal of the tenants paralleled by the cowardly retreat of the trade union leaders before the Tory onslaught against the trade unions. With one millien unemployed, and the long-term jobless grow- ing, and the Industrial Relations Act used many times against workers, the union leaders run to Edward Heath for consulta- tions. At no time have they led any fight against this • reactionary Tory government. They instead have chosen the path of class collaboration with the Tories.

In this situation, where the trade union Labour and . leaders have run away from a fight, the Tories will try and confuse and working class with split the racialism. Now only the building of Councils of Action in every area can in any way mobilize against the Tories the millions of trade unionists fighting attacks on their and rights to work to strike and tenants facing savage rent increases. Millions of workers have shown determination to fight. Now of Action must Councils unite every trade unionist and tenant every other section of the and working class in action against the Tories. They must lead the fight to halt the retreat and capitulation of the Labour and trade union leaders. These Councils must fight for the TUC to stop running away and call a General Strike until the Tory government resigns.

A Labour government must be elected which will be pledged by the mass movement to carry out socialist policies of expropriation basic industries under of the workers' control and without compensation. PLANS were drawn up yester- Asians arriving day to put from Uganda in special hostels and reception centres. The Ugandan Resettlement Board is understood to be drawing up a register of beds, if possible near London's Heathrow airport, for the all hold British Asians who passports.

IE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY AUGUST

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SUi Camden council workers leading the m SEVEN workers from the shipyards of the Lower Clyde were fined a total of £35 yesterday after being found guilty. of charges arising out of a picketing incident. The men are among the 750 engineers employed by the Scott-Lithgow consortium who have been on strike for over ten weeks for a pay increase and a shorter working week.

They were arrested for a Reception teams which will include a Board representative as someone from the as well Supplementary Benefits Com- mission were also discussed at the Board's first meeting at the Home Office. The Board is also looking towards such organizations as the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, the Red Cross and the 1972 • No. 856 • 4p

¡ALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

•I LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN

DIRECT LABOUR

Camden council workers leading the march from the Barbican building site yesterday.

Fines for Clyde shipyard pickets they breach oi the peace when attempted to persuade lorry drivers not break their con- DICKel one Une sortine of are lorry divers One lorry drivers ad- mitted the in evidence Unal pickets had been friendly.

Counsel for the defence said that but for the awkward posi- St John Ambulance Brigade for help. From yesterday's two-hour meeting it was clear that the Board is planning isolate to the Asian community in . 111° ferior living accommodation. This is in line with the Torr government's own racialist approach to the crisis. ilding site yesterday. • See report p. 12 tion of the yard gates the charge might have been one of obstruc- breach of the tion and not peace. Counsel for the prosecution said that the men had gone beyond the limits of picketing laid down in section 134 of the Industrial Relations Act.

But in his. verdict Baillie Blair, Liberal councillor Greenock, said he had not taken the Act into account. A further case involving 22 pickets was proceeding yester- day. The strike at the yards con- tinues in total deadlock. In- formal talks between unions and management have ended in com- plete failure. The management have not advanced their offer of £2.75. The strikers received a severe blow two weeks ago from the Amalgamated Union of Engin- Workers' national execu- eering tive. They have agreed a national pay deal which offers nothing to all but the lowest paid engineers.

Despite this the Greenock men have voted overwhelmingly to fight on.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 Stop criticizing cash policy Trade war warning by Nixon

BY PETER JEFFRIES

PRESIDENT NIXON has formally warned the Com- mon Market countries that further criticisms of US onipouucers cause tor concern. firms considering A mona next week ol lie UsLU

IWORKCIS

repon o dovance ov denseratev co onal alcay over cena A ustanan cove en hilalll yesici dav s workers rress.. halesl lU

CTISIS

Macascar unle Suale AStla. olasi taken in the ot 'the grave ColnLIY S can

TOT

meno vers minalion Touncer. DUSELIUns that tinal Knowin acc olande Tarur vall for WItD• A oricu ture Tesponsioie WItO nis • wite do overseer. unenr views anerenuy.

WOTOS.

W alllo AStTada hiclicals. • ve one utsivl WeeK woro faceda „ severe econoluil told

COCK

Dal Hallicl that te alons berwees ulunles reverseu une lal nsl toreign yapali and one which EurooC. erisis enormousiy which I do not concur' he said.

Into ani anu - america" Europeans in TeDV to ne intertera

WITN

Ter ovem- 4 men Itis „ArSI time wch comınzed evev deck iournalists br starea a sil-uowl piulcol lu President Nixon ana rrme min- treat Tre «emonsuaton take emersency InDILS with bo're carknursl. will lale »u others were Dur on

TCDOI

that apols. imnact on the huge Us denicit bedding and turniture prove prisoners bazane A mercans wi ace •ustudasces he detriment ot them bolt but vesterday Tarkausu men. eurodedo SnoulacIs Prisoners, aunched in Mav dy … the DalIKO mue al. men are dropped. a one-day strike on une Aldany alplil vu vpcid golng

TON

Laos still the. defunct formulae with Chairs at cabinet meetings are still left vacant for the Lao who out since. defence terms of 1970. The Cambodian treaty in the situation between the Americans who prop up and cut supply routes. Prince Souvanna the minister, is facing the prime threat of by even more extreme rightists. be more amenable to their plans.

This would be in business interests, are port- who recently overthrew Thailand. by of the present military coup. premier Pierre Trudeau has announced. immediate to and ordering an Victorian her largely a lecture tour the at This has been attracting PROP's for recognition which has hitherto helped pre- tions. life 'inside' con- numbers of among siderably worse. prisoners. security crime, prison have because They are, of upheavals taking wanted all other side of their walls and that others need not the within de- finement. of and Mitchell in struggle against the Prof Leon Radzinowicz' that the per cent class. same has when, as a first step. inside was succinctly con- to resign elected government is forced to carry out socialist a man drastic

BY A WORKERS PRESS REPORTER

JAGUAR founder Sir Willia pieceworkers' strike at the con a threat that 3,000 could lose t The threat-which screamed from local newspaper headlines as union officials met shop stewards yesterday morning came in a personal statement from Lyons warning that repeated acceptance of wage price the com- claims could pany out of the market. Losses sustained through strikes against a company refusing to concede pay demands could be 'tragically serious', , he said. 'But they do not saddle a com- pany with a permanent increase in costs, whereas a wage demand, if given, in results price increase of the product which is there to stay and heralds dangers for the future! If Jaguar lost out in competi- tion in export markets, he said, the tactory must cut back pro- duction by whatever amount it lost. This could mean 3,000 of the 9,000 workers Jaguar employs in_ Coventry losing their jobs.

Lyons (70), says strove throughout his years as head of the firm against conceding wage increases increase which would costs, and his threat was clearly designed to panic shop stewards into accepting Measured-Day Work (MDW) proposals. the 1,800 The strike followed assembly pieceworkers' rejection would of a pay offer which replace pieceworking with a flat the six- rate system. During month agreement MDW would be negotiated. Last Tuesday's mass meeting turned down the strike com- mittee's recommendation of the £44 flat rate with a lump sum to those earning more. The com- pany has since raised this com- pensation to £105, but has strike turned down com- mittee demands of a £45 flat rate coupled with another £3 after six months. Amalgamated Un i on of Engineering Workers' official Andy Boyle and the vehicle builders' Fred Palmer claim the agreement to take part in dis- cussions was not a commitment to MDW. But past experience has shown at Vauxhall's and Chrysler that once the management has gained an agreement to discuss MDW, they interpret it in whichever way they choose. Through training courses for stewards, film shows, lectures, posters, worker-management dis- cussion groups and the judicious use of the local press, manage- ment can create divisions among the workers involved. Jaguar workers are fully aware of this pressure being applied at Longbridge, Birmingham another section of the Leyland combine-where preparations are in hand for the production the new ADO 67 model. on ending piecework Talks began there a year ago, when management began refusing piece- Labour A reply to some centrist critics By Cliff Slaughter All are avallable from 186a Clapham H Or The Paperback Centre, 28 Charlotte • William Lyons stepped into the the company's Radford, Coventry, d lose their jobs if it goes on.

work increases. After a threat- ened strike on a piecework price was called off on August 18, management attempted to split workers from their shop-floor leaders by 'taking soundings' on the issue. One production worker com- mented: 'Some workers seem to think that Measured-Day Work is inevi- table. This is really a "con trick" on the part of the management to get us to think that way.

'In nine cases out of ten this idea implanted has been in workers heads so that they start thinking "what can we get out of it?" 'I think we should solidly oppose Measured-Day Work and oppose any discussions at this stage. They don't call it Mea- sured Day Work, but that is what they mean. I think the strike committee started off on right note in demanding piece.

work increases, but more and more the question of discussions A series which appeared in Workers Press in June, 1972 is now available as a pamphlet in Socialist Labour League Pocket Library.

'WHY A LABOUR GOVERNMENT?

A Reply to some centrist critles.

By Cliff Slaughter Price 5p Other titles in this series include: The Case for a General Election By Alex Mitchell. The Ulster Dossier The Social Security Swindle which includes the All Trades Unions Alliance Draft Manifesto and the Charter of Basic Rights.

-lapham High St, London SW4 7UG.

3 Charlotte St, London Wi.

Workers Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 PAGE 3 Govan decision today?

THE 4,000

workers during Sep- September 29 em- cone ployed by Govan Ship- tember and October when liquidator will Tnfi They will put this to a vacate the Clydebank yard.

builders will meet today meeting of their members.

to give their verdict He on will employ about unions are ukel a working practices deal 1,000 men to compiete the follow. Govan Ship- two remaining contracts in 24 hours before the fina builders say they will need the other yards. deadline for signing laid 200 extra men by Christ This Will mean almost down bv the company. mas and company chair- immediate redundancy for Prospects for full man Lord Strathalmond ment haces improved rees this pledged to take severa lunared men anc has this total will grow as the week after series men ll tney are liquidator's work meetings between unions 'suitable' after any and Govan management necessary retraining. Lusned. After meeting with The biggest crisis on the over mie 1ssue or lo | stewards and Upper shop unions men still 'working-in' Cyae, nowever, Marathon pledged yester- three divisions of the at Marathon Manufactur- four- ing, the new owner of the everything vard ex-Upper Clyde Ship practicable' to build up builders. fourth UCs yard-Clyde- requirement at Strongest bank. manpower resistance deal had from More than half the cur- che come une vare 1,400 hourly-paid Where possible it would une bollentakers

ICHL

WOrKeIS were insisting that a redundancy operate double shift work who There tace their 77 members in the threat durins the last This production. does quarter of this year. 'work-in' should be the unions' and Hol mcer will company Marathon stewards' latest demand to the when into opera. replo In 700 the New double the yard's labour it tion on September I1 Year. bid to get force by Christmas. But boilermakers' substantial increase in this nOW 1 nere was seem ready number, the unions have threat that the Marathon omicials accept the already offered round-the- would hold situation proposal Shipbuilders clock shitt-working Govar phased employment of re- first crunch will agreement. _ute !! !! I

FOC

at UPI, case to Ken Mark Grantham, explaining his members' in regard to Measured-Day Work Morgan (left) NUJ general secretary yesterday has come into negotiations.'

For British-Leyland, the exten- of

MDW

sion throughout their combine is the

ONV

PRESS

ASSOCIATION

FoC (branch secretary), told of cut-throat competi- ine lace tioThe company desperately needs

INKS

o mie omon once or an workers Press his members were American agency were cut extremely encouraged by the yesterday. solidarity gord trade shown The pulled and were DOUt nere United Press International destroy power after Europe'. delegation

UPI

shop steward, on A PEACE formula to end the official strike visited Ken dispute soeea-uo. culone or manaros which hit oroduction scales and the slashing of earn- the Manchester 'Evening News' ings. Journalists secretary. last week will considered workers Jaguar must Until then 100 journalists Morgan agreed to instruct the todav. anv concessions to the introduc.

PA chapel that copy for trans- who held prolonged union meet- tion of MDW. mission should marked ings disrupted production and tal Graphical Members In an era of rampant inflation, 101 10I days mass unemployment, and legally normally. Nanona at PA were later instructed plan is understood to in- enforceable between intro- that such copy did not get clude experimental the management and unions, only tne oCC removal of the Tory government, and forcing into power of Support for the UPI strikers mediately leading to a four-day yesterday from next also came week year. LaDoul have been nationalize workers motor industry where journalists have control, been asked otereo mereces o arouno el the right to year backdated to July 1, and secure work and copy a further £200 from next July Mark Grantham, the strikers' LE2т: lee 1 3 TIth

PAPERBACKS CENTRE

28 Charlotte St London W1 Fri 9 a.m.-/.3u p.m Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday Augus Part 2 of a series on Picketing b 'There was a time when strikes were forbidden, and every strike was almost in- evitably accompanied by physical conflicts. Then, as the result of the development of the strike struggle, in other words, as the result of the violent onslaught of the masses on the law, or to be more exact, of the masses upon the lawful force, strikes were legalized! - Leon Trot- sky, 'Where is Britain Going?'

The 'Whitehall Evening Post' of February 23, 1768, states: 'Friday and Saturday last a great number of coal-heavers who refused to work at board several colliers lying below bridge, and would not let those coal- heavers work who were the contented with the present wage allowed for working in the Pool. desperate fray ensued, wherein several heads and limbs were broken, but the assailants got the better and brought the others on shore.'

The coal-heavers picketed London streets and stopped coming into coal carts the town. Coal-heavers and sailors also picketed the Thames wharfs in boats , 'and obliged all the men employed at the wharfs to leave off and join them'. All carts of coal, flour or wood met in the same streets escorted back to were the wharfs they from. came Sailors unrigged the ships to stop them sailing and coal- heavers placarded Tower Hill with their demands: The eight- pence for each five tons un- loaded to be increased to a shilling• «Whitehall The Evening Post' commented: 'There was very little corn brought to St Mark Lane yesterday.. The above sailors now take the men out of the corn and coal- ships and oblige them to join their body. 'Orders are said to be sent down to Sheerness etc. for several men-of-war tenders to be manned from the guard ships to protect merchants' vessels in the river from the insults of the rioters.' The sailors and coal-heavers Strand marched through the and held a mass meeting at Stepney Fields. The strikers eventually went in a body from employer to employer, getting them each to sign an agreement to increase wages.

A demonstration to parlia- , made to ask ment was also MPs to ensure that the agree- kept ments were and to arrange better regulations for the seamen's wages. It was well understood that pay was a political question being con- trolled by Acts of Parliament.

Massive concentrations of troops were formed in Lon- don in an attempt to quell the unprecedented political unrest of that year which grew around the Movement for Popular Rights led by John Wilkes. 'Wilkes and liberty' was the day August 31, 1972 keting by Bernard Franks John Wilkes leader of Movement for Popular Rights. main slogan of the weavers, coopers, watermen and tailors as well as the merchant sea- and coal-heavers who men struck work. On May 10 half of the Riot Act was read and troops opened fire on the demonstra- in St George's Fields, tors killing six and injuring 15 of re the crowd. This only raised the agitation to new heights.

Certainly, the authorities found that 'appeals to reason' counted for little. For example the same journal notes that the Lord Mayor of London went up to the rioters in a complacent manner ... intreating them to desist from violence: not- withstanding which of some them cried out "Knock him 'down" and one of them, now in custody, threw a piece of timber stuck full of nails at his Lordship." The events of 1768 and a subsequent increase in ex- amples of workers combining brought vociferous demands from employers for strong labour laws. They especially wanted action against intimidation of "peaceable' businessmen and workmen. These were finally enacted by the Tories in the 1790s in panic legislation . against poli- tical and workers' associations following the French Revolu- tion of 1789, an event which greatly feared by the was British ruling class an an en- couragement to revolutionary action here by the lower classes'. In France, the new ruling capitalist class soon began its repression of workers who had only just thrown off the yoke of feudal and religious oppres- sion. In Steptember 1794, a wage freeze was imposed, strikes banned and a penalty ordered for refusal to work for the scheduled rates of wages.

Ship- In Britain in 1793 a ping Offences Act recalled the sailors' actions of 1768 and penalized 'a riotous assemblage of three or more seamen, ships' and other carpenters, persons obstructing the load- ing and unloading, the sailing or navigation of any vessel.'

Sentence could be up to 14 years' penal servitude. The determination of the ruling class to crush the radi- men's and working societies was reflected in the appointment of a Committee of Secrecy by parliament to investigate revolutionary plots, and in the suspension of habeas corpus in 1794. Members of the London Corresponding Society were held • in prison for several months without trial as 'in- surrectionaries'. they When were finally brought before the courts, the jury found them not guilty of treason and they were re- leased, though habeas corpus remained until suspended 1807. During this period, frequent strikes, food riots and machine-breakings were put down by soldiers, who were often found to be unreliable, because of their however, symapthy for the crowds they were sent to attack. A nation- wide network of barracks was built to keep troops separated from the rest of the popula- tion-formerly they had been housed mainly in private dwel- lings and inns. Industrial areas appeared almost as if con- trolled by an army of occupa- tion. In 1795 the Seditious Meet- ings Act was passed. This severely restricted pub- lic meetings, allowing for the arrest of speakers and making of lecture, political the use and reading rooms dependent on licences. The same year, the Treason Act penalized the writing of material inciting hatred of the Crown. Following the Spithead and the Nore mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy, the incite- ment to Mutiny Act and the Administration of Illegal Oaths were passed in 1797. Act These laws, originally against 'treasonable action', were used later as Labour Laws. The Incitement to Mutiny Act, for example, prevented agitation within the forces against bad wages and condi- tions and also made any worker who picketed against members of the forces acting as strike breakers, open to arrest for sedition. The labour leader Tom Mann and others were charged and sent to prison under this Act in 1912 for appealing to soldiers not to shoot workers during the miners' strike of that year. The Administration of Illegal Oaths Act was used to charge and transport the Tolpuddle Martyrs for seven years in 1834. A further Act, in 1798, re- quired the registration newspapers and punished the editor, printer and publisher and even the casual possessor unlicensed sheet. Also, of an all copies of newspapers were required to carry stamps, the fees for which were at a high level in order to suppress cheap, popular publications.

Finally, in the last two years of the absolute century, powers of repression of the and dissident trade unions political societies were given to the courts by parliament.

The Combination Acts of 1799 and 1800 were drawn up by Pitt and Wilberforce. They Left: a Bow Street Runner who was pa Mann, labour leader sent to prison unde made the workmen to gain wages or hours, or solicit leave work, working with any c nan, strictly illegal months of three months

TWO

Correction'. In prac could impose by tences fendants of conspir Originally the lan aimed at It wrights. 'philanthropi trade who force should be extended all workers would society' 1799 Societies Act was the aimed at pression of the rem cal societies vived the earlier m Five organizati Act: Englishmen, Britons,, the United London further News strengthened measures, to have a licence fr and all publ strate, the printer's have them. The search for, of, all suspected se blasphemous empowered. frightened capitalist bring about all struction of and in any way rule. During the years operate form and organizations. carried out with, often dealt A scab, was called helping only strikers could have them ar worn workers broken families inevitably and pauperism solidarity oyalty ice developed in class during enabling the success of the trade unions cal societies taken measures Luddite this perioa special fear in the machinery, mainly ho was paid according Ison under the Incitement to combination of an increase decrease in solicit anyone else or object to ith any other work- ly illegal under pain In practice, judges sen- naroner the de- accusing f conspiracy. ly the laws had been mill- journeymen was the anti-slave lantropist vulder insisted that extended to include 'and then it that measure Unlawful the Ict was also passed, complete which had sur- earlier measures. organizations were uppressed by name United The United le United Scotsmer d Irishmen and the Corresponding Newspapers Act the previous requiring princels licence from a magi- • all publications to printer's name on ech for, and seizure pected seditious and was material Thus did a capitalist class hope the total de- all organizations which could y question its right 25 the following to ons continued as illegal operate Strikes were and blacklegs often violently. or a knobstick, as to if he chose to name known to him, them arrested and rkers' organizations and their evitably reduced to the work- of lendous spirit and sacri- this period le successful growth e unions and politi- of all spite the em- by "THe COTTO movement of engendered in the ruling class, olent destruction of mainly textile and the number tement to Mutiny Act of 1797 clothing, by thos and ished out threatened working class against the self, rather than ti production and controlled. Eventually, shot down by troo brought was machine-breaking other property the economi lowing the which ended government becam preoccupied . of political bilities revolution. Over half a mil ing soldiers and came on to a lat racked wit already lems of unemployn about by machinery. Informers and sent were tc labour, radical tionary groups' members could prison,

SCHL

hanged. Neither fficia orces much better. early polic The Street Runners, conviction of offer meant the guilt they could the better. called 'Blood Mon One others children to they could be ceive the £40 the breakers. A series of Act during ment brought a new sive by the then in power. In Spencerean societi -regarded as the the radical suppressed by nam Treason Act. Habeas suspended-'a has spiracy purpose the by means of rection the and constitution Act. sion Penalties householde against unlawful premises. one WiThIn minster Hall were Parliament wnen connectior save In liamentary election

CONTINUED TON

i 'Whitehall Evenin 10-12, 1768. of convictions he made. ct of 1797. d out of work. a time when the might turn capitalist class it- er than the means of which it owned were in reaking and damage property punishable economic crisis fol- war with France 1815, in the nt became even more with the alf a million return- sailors now to a labour marke icked with the prob- nemployment brought labour - saving and "insurrec- prison, banished the were eople making up the orces likely to be rly police, the Bow were paid or 1 of offenders which of • could manufacture This was the so- ood Money' system. runner, George discovered with 1816 ncouragin o burgle a house so caught in the then could 1818 new political offen- and clubs n societies d as the left wing of movement-were 1 by name in a new corpus was again -'a traitorous con formed for of overthrowing of a general insur- established laws itution of this king I part of the Suspen s were laid dowr ouseholders allowing West- all were also banned elections

JED TOMORROW

Il Evening Post' Mag he made. Right: Tom

Maulana Bashanl, eran peasant lead‹

BY IAN YEATS

Bengali workers beg in the streets of towns while villagers are forced to live on food normally fed to who has recently returned from Bangladesh. Kaled Yousuf told me that shortages of foreign exchange have paralysed Bangladesh industry and opposition to the Awami League government was mounting. Veteran leader peasant Maulana Bashani has organized nationwide mass hunger mar- ches for September 5. He has also pledged to offer the people a constitution of his own on October 15 if by then Sheikh Mujib has not announced a constitution and returned full civil rights to the people. Meanwhile Mujib's police have stepped up their arrests of left-wing journalists and militants, censorship has been • imposed and strikes are banned. In northern Bangladesh units of the Indian and Bangladeshi armies have been putting down armed rural guerrillas who had set up Maoist-style 'base areas' in which they had redistributed land and set up a system of ha government and education.

Faced with growing despera- tion and unrest among workers and peasants Mujib has given free reign to the Lal Bahini ('Red Army')-an orga- nization of poor and mainly workers led by backward Abdul Mannen, ex-secretary of the UK Bengali Workers' Asso- • pl act as shock ciation-who troops against the protesting organized workers. Demands for workers' con- trol in the state run indus- tries are branded as commun- bader who is organizins ist-inspired and diss the Lal Bahini. Workers' anger fanned by the unrest fiteering of middlem sight of unbridled among whole layers League officials. Mujib gave a limited pay rise wh power given marginal tax co Apart from shorta materials, manufactu about viate the suffering c of landless peasants. Kaled Yousuf tol with mills and facto ing idle industrial wo being forced already hard-presser Among men with lar there were even a fe suicide, In the villages, peasants are living of ghechu roots ture Ghechu is a root no to pigs Áccording peasants actually fou League Awami against Pakistan anc their plight was post-war ravages of the fighti has been intensified. Mujib's base, was largely among th students and the who thought ers would benefit ploiters were In practice foreigr shortages have mean troyed factories can placed nor new plant Sixty-five per cent oil, steel ing below capacity the cessation raw materials. Although jute organizing mass hunger ma and disruptive by has been he unrestricted pro- middlemen and the bridled corruption le lavers of Awami urban workers y rise when he came peasants were nal tax concessions. m shortages of raw nanufactured goods rices have risen by and been made to alle- grown since the i reaches many of them run allegedly allu League officials bro Pakistani employer Instead peasants dlemen who the COss where they can be ment. Workers' protest walled by the if pressed often from detachments Bahini. Yousuf claimed myth of communis which from liberals to Na being used as after the war pe the Biharis was us from attention facing the country. Yousuf said that sive injection of i aid could save peasants ers Desh. Under the ment even the usef was question. 1n never found already rich he cla The Awami Lea a crisis now face they cannot solve Tajuddin Ahmed God 'Before the nation serve of spite neglect and servit on us. Having inflamed millions OI lever passions same Mujib unless the factories and September 5. war little of the silent mills hem run by penniless inept Awami icials brought in after employers left. peasants sell to mid- the carry Jute India bordel y can be sure of pay- protests are stone- the government and often invite visits ichments of the Lal amar Workers Press, Thi Western motor manu- facturers, faced with shrinking markets and increasing competition on their home ground, are looking eagerly at the prospects for expansion in eastern Europe. By comparison with the United States and the coun tries of western Europe, these are virtually virgin markets, offering rich pickings to the motor monopolists. In its latest 'Review', Bar- clays Bank can scarcely refrain from drooling at the mouth.

'Despite population of a 350 million,' it enthuses, 'the Comecon area at present has only on development comparable with the United States of 50 years ago.' It notes with pleasure the increased production of private cars envisaged in the current development of programmes Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and the USSR. 'In Rumania, which has hitherto concentrated mainly on tractors and heavy diesel vehicles, output of Dacias-- manufactured under Renault licence-is expected to reach 50,000 (by 1975) compared with 12,000 in 1969' Car totals within eastern Europe and the USSR are ex- pected to reach 10 million by 1975 and 17 million by 1980.

By comparison, the rate of growth of the West European market is expected to fall by at least half during the coming ten years. To meet their planned tar- gets, the Stalinist bureaucracies in eastern Europe have been arranging with the big capi- talist motor firms to construct huge plants where their cars can be produced under licence.

The prototype of these deals is still the Fiat agreement of 1966 under which the Italian firm built a huge plant on the Volga at a place appro- priately renamed Togliattigrad.

The Italians put up most of the money and trained the staff (now more than 50,000- strong) in return for a $750m share of the profits. The plant at present produces a third of Soviet automobile total output and is not yet in full production. Fiat has a similar agreement with the Polish government to • large factories establish two in Silesia in collaboration with the Pol-Mot corporation of Warsaw. The Silesian factories will produce for the home market and also supply spare parts Fiat's Italian factories. for From 1975, the planned mini- output of the Polish mum factories is expected to run at 150,000 cars a year. To emphasize the potential of the market, Barclays 'Re- view' cites the ratio of cars to people in the various Comecon states. In Poland, two years ago, there was one car for every 66 people, and over the next 20 years this is expected to be for every reduced to one seventh person. Hungary has one car for 35 people and Czecho- every slovakia—with a longstanding domestic motor industry-one for every 15. Skoda, the.. Czechoslovak firm, has a joint arrangement and with East Germany Hungary to establish a factory • a capacity of 500,000- with 600,000 vehicles a year. Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 PAGE 5 Because of the shortage of foreign currency, many of these are ear-marked for export, but Czechoslovakia has contracted with the USSR to take 215,000 cars (ınainly Soviet-built Fiats) over the next five years. These should go some way to meeting the lengthy waiting list for cars, which at present has 300,000 , names on it. The cars go chiefly to the lower reaches of the bureaucracy and the privileged technicians and intellectuals. The price of a car is way out of reach of the average industrial worker: in Czecho- example, slovakia, for the average car sells for 50,000- representing 70,000 crowns, two to three years' wages for a factory worker. The running costs-of the order of 16,000 crowns a year -are a further deterrent to any worker wanting to buy one. same goes for the The worker, Hungarian whose average annual wage of 26,400 forints compares with a price of 120,000 forints for a Zhiguli (Soviet-built Fiat).

As a further deterrent, pros- pective buyers must put down in 50-per-cent deposit a advance for a car built in a Comecon country. Cars im- ported from the West require a 100-per-cent deposit. Even in the USSR, the cheapest car, the Zaz, costs twice the average annual wage.

There, as in the other states, a large slice of each year's output is reserved for the use of the Party and state officials.

Clearly the bulk of the demand for increased car production comes from the and pri- increasingly affluent vileged bureaucratic layers in eastern Europe. For them the possession of a private car is a vital status symbol and a means of further differentiating themselves from the common people. This appetite for highly- priced is consumer goods something the vast bulk of the working class can only dream about; their needs are unlikely to be satisfied even iby the relatively ambitious production programmes en- visaged in the next decade.

But the lucky owners of the new vehicles are likely to find that all their problems are not over when they get behind the wheel. Roads and servicing facilities are still rudimentary extremely and plans to improve them are completely out of line with the car-production programme.

In Czechoslovakia, for ex- ample, there is estimated to be one petrol station for every 800 cars, but the petrol cor- poration plans to expand its facilities by only about 3} per cent a year, compared with 20 per cent annual growth forecast for cars. Garages and petrol stations are also few and far between in the USSR, and only one- sixth of the road network is paved. A whole range of ancillary services, in addition to im- proved roads and service stations, will be necessary to support the new car-owners.

Barclays 'Review' notes that 'western suppliers of plant and licenses may find considerable opportunities to benefit from East Europe's "motorization" during the 1970s', though it fears that sooner or later the increased production will have its effect on the capitalist markets.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday August 31, 1972

BY IAN YEATS

As the Briant Colour work-in drags to the close of its tenth unresolved week and a cliff- new hanger develops at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders the Stalinist leaders of 1,400 engineering workers at Walsall are planning an occupation of their own. Tube Investments, owned by Lord Plowden, have brushed aside all pleas from workers at their Green Lane plant to keep the factory going. During meeting recent with members of the nine-man action committee set to fight the proposed closure Plowden told members their best interests would be served by running the place down in orderly manner. No closure date has been announced, but when it is the will recommend committee occupation until the shut-down postponed or a new owner is found. The plant manufactures stainless steel tubes for use in nuclear power stations. The chances of a new owner being Top: Bill Freeman Brant'& found willing to maintain the work-in. ( Above: Alan Colpitts, existing workforce in the same convenor at Tube Investments.

lines are even slimmer than mass sackings are an inevitable those of a printer taking over of part capitalism's fight for Briant Colour. the Stalinists survival, turn Briant owner Derek Syder inwards on their own individual abandoned his Old Kent Road struggles isolating them from factory after losses of £200,000 the fight of the labour move- over two years. So far most ment and the working Class. have potential buyers either At Briant's, work-in leader convinced been of not the Bill Freeman (the only member possibility of making the works of his family the CP) not in viable or have hinted at the claims the the print CrisIs in need to slash the workforce. industry has nothing do to fight for While the Briant the of his with shut-down Colour stagnates, the so-called factory. victory of the original Stalinist- He blames the whole thing inspired work-in at UCS teeters on the desire of owner Derek brink of disaster on the Syder's chief creditor, paper becomes clear that the merchants Robert Horne Ltd, Marathon Co Manufacturing make a quick profit by guaranteed have not in fact foreclosing on debts and sell- anything like the total number ing the factory to the highest jobs at present existing at bidder. would It also allow Clydebank. Syder to rationalize his own Despite Stalinist claims that printing operation. bad management and profiteer- But the British Federation ing are the root cause of each of Master Printers has made individual shut-down, the fate it plain that the trend is to- of the work-ins points incon- wards larger, capital-intensive trovertibly at the real problem: units with the result that many recession. small firms like Briant Colour have been forced to the wall.

If buyers in the print in- dustry reluctant take to over the plant it must chiefly be because they fear they too Tube Investments, Walsall, could end Syder's up in is obviously a even more position in a very short time.

victim of the slump than Briant Walsall, convenor Colour-the proposed shut- Alan Colpitts (37) is hopeful down directly there being that new talks with Tube related to the fall in demand Investments may reprieve the for nuclear power stations.

factory. Lord Plowden, who was first ince Lord Plowden canno chairman of the British Atomic recession gnore the logic o Energy Authority, knows better the are not bright. yetrospects effects of Colpitts talks only than the anyone of the demand for slump on occupation and, like Freeman, and is least nuclear power that stresses the political swayed against market developments by pres- likely development of workers lags far behind that, SO alicugh sure from workers. the leaders can see the neces- Britain and Europe In sity for a political fight against governments have decided to the employers and their for building slash their plans government. workers will not and nuclear power stations beyond the go immediate Plowden clearly believes that bread-and-butter struggle.

demand can be most existing The views of both Freeman profitably by fewer Colpitts are doomladen and factories. with pessimism. Instead of facing up to the Whether either man admits posed by political challenge it or not, in practice the fight acceptance of the that they are waging turns into its view opposite-looking for prospec- tive employers. This happened at UCS in a graphic way, with the sign- ing of a four-year no-strike pledge and the sacrifice of all traditional trade union con- ditions in order to get a buyer for Clydebank. Like the UCs leaders, Bill Freeman and Alan Colpitts pick their words carefully.

Derek Syder has undertaken to provide the work-in at Briant's with 'substantial' orders and credit. These guarantees were vital if the business was to be built into the kind of viable going con- cern with which a potential buyer might be attracted.

Even though no such orders have materialized, and what work there is has been largely won by the work-in committee or from the trade union move- ment, Bill Freeman is con- fident that more pressure will induce Syder to play ball.

With the firm still in the hands of liquidator P. Gran- ville White this seems unlikely.

Other snags are that pros- pective employers not only want to slash their work-force, but Freeman claims they are worried lest what they believe be communist-inspired to militancy at the factory spreads to workers in their own organizations. He is clear that no victory has been and he yet won criticized the 'Morning Star' for giving the impression that it had. 'We have gained some points,' he told me. 'But that's That is all. While the work- in committee fends off un- acceptable offers and struggles to revive a failed business the liquidator plods on down his inexorable path. Workers Press whole- heartedly supports the struggle of all workers for jobs, but retains the vital right to criticize their leadership and put forward alternative policies which we believe can alone in the long term end the spectre of unemployment for every- one. Those policies turn on kicking out the Tory govern- ment and electing a Labour government pledged to nation- alization without compensation and under workers' control.

We • criticize the Stalinist leadership of the work-ins be- cause instead of beginning the fight with the Tory govern- ment and the recession, they begin and end with a pers- pective of bad or corrupt management and thereby en- courage workers to believe that the corpse of capitalism can be brought back to life. It cannot. Bill Freeman claims it is impossible to raise these either in his factory slogans or within the print unions because on the one hand the men and women he leads don't understand issues the in- volved, and won't look beyond their day's bread and next butter, and on the other the right wing in the print unions is at this stage too strong to be beaten. Alan Colpitts takes the Top: Briant workers and supporters on the London. Above : the Briant work-In.

Commenting view. same on the need for a political fight to kick the employers' govern- ment out of office he told me: 'It's one thing saying it, but it's another thing doing it. I'm left but I know the views of the working class are not. A lot of them vote Tory and support the employers.' By contrast minutes after I spoke to Alan Colpitts wor- kers going back to the factory after lunch told me they didn't think an occupation would get off the ground.

LEADERS

They said this not because they were all Tories but be- cause they thought the closure was bound up with the general trend towards rationalization and the Common Market. Getting rid of the Tories, they said, took priority over any- thing else. These were the very men who minutes earlier convenor Colpitts was telling me were wavering about the forthcom- ing fight. If they were, it certainly I supporters on the march against closure in wasn't because weren't they ready to fight. It might have been because they had their doubts about the kind of fight the 20 CP members at the factory would like to wage.

For both Freeman and Col- pitts the fight ends just where in reality it begins. Once the work-in, or in the case of TI the occupation, has begun, if postponement is effected nO and buyer no appears the workers are left high and dry.

There soon be mur- may murs of dissension among the and women at Briant's men fending largely for themselves with their incomes supplemen- ted by grants from the fighting fund. The process of rallying the labour movement to the work- ins through their contributions to fighting funds is itself a deception, glossing the over fact the political fight that throughout the movement to mobilize it against the true authors of unemployment at Westminster has not even begun. At Walsall, if the 1,400 men lose their jobs, they will join an unemployed register 5,000- and rising, with a strong 'i =

QUEUE'S

ARE TOO

Workers from all over Scotland took part in mas since the work-in began, 2,000 men have left the steely

MERS

THE RI

TU W

ALBION

VOTORS

SUPPORT

OUT

HEATH

massive marches in No I support of O men have left the yards with a prospect of 1,000 Workers Press, Thursda

AND

LIEUES

EMAND

THE I*LE

GHT

E TOO

TIGHT

URK

declining number of vacancies currently pegged at about 500.

A spokesman for the local labour exchange told me that any unskilled men sacked from the factory could be on the dole a long time.- These tidings bring comfort to at the modern no one factory, single storey where new extensions were recently completed and stand empty.

The CP leaders have held public meetings in the town, lobbied MPs, including Tories, visited the Department of Em- ployment and rallied the local council, who claim the pro- jected closure would be a knock-out blow for Walsall.

Said Alan Colpitt : 'We must have made an impact. Be- fore the company would only talk on the basis of closure, but now they are willing to talk on the basis of ties on this site Job opportuni- This illusion that the protest campaign has changed Lord Plowden's mind about the closure, as opposed to the means of effecting it, underlies the popular belief among the men that there will either be a postponement or an alter- native buyer. And many are being allowed to think it is not slump forcing Plowden's hand but merely bad management. But Tube Investments' atti- tude has been uncompromis- ing. If they are willing to talk it will almost certainly be to explore ways of getting rid of a hot potato perhaps by talk- ing about voluntary redundan- cies, phased closure and help to find a new owner. Such a process will not only demoralize the men and dissi- pate their fighting it strength, will pave the way for the day when the site is ploughed up and corn planted. If all fails, says Alan Col- here We might as well sit in as stand on the street corner.' Like Bill Freeman, James Reid and James Airlie before him, Alan Colpitts believes the at UCS'. Yet ns debank. extension of the fight for jobs kers Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 PAGE 7 # * THERE TrEE: at TI throughout the labour against and movement the Tory government and its un- employment policies is pro- blematical. The problem, they will say, is that the working class is not ready for that kind of fight.

'You can only call for what you can expect and not any- thing Utopian', said Alan Colpitts. At the same time the Stalin- .ists point to UCS and Briant Colour as beacons for the working class to follow.

PERHAPS

Said Alan Colpitts: 'What we are fighting is a working- class campaign. We think if everyone stood up and said "we've had enough" we wouldn't have the problems we've got? Bill Freeman said much the thing, adding that if same work-ins spread throughout the working class the movement could reach a point where per- haps Tories the would be forced to resign. While attacking workers for the political backwardness they themselves intensify, the pro- spect the CP leaders hold out is the development of a spon- taneous movement, one of the effects of which might almost accidentally be to bring down the Tory government. Workers Press say there is only one answer to unemploy- ment. The fight for the right to work in individual factories must be carried into the labour movement linked to the struggle to kick the Tories out of office and elect a Labour government pledged to nation- alization without compensation and under workers' control.

Ultimately it is a fight which will not be won without the building of the revolutionary party which alone can provide the independent leadership the working class needs to carry it to power.

Snvlets filled all Germany in the 1918-1919 revolution, yet because their majority followed the SDP they were slaughtered and smashed PAGE 8 Workars Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 revolution of The abortive Bolivian August- September 1971 which brought the CIA-sponsored regime of Col Banzer to power has had a consider- able impact on the Trotskyist movement.

did these events prove the complete Not only bankruptcy of the revisionist forces of the Unified Secretariat in Latin America, but they also revealed the theoretical degeneration and blatant political opportunism of the Lora-Lambert tendency within the International Committee of the Fourth Inter- national (ICFI). These grave events gave a vital fillip to a discussion on the philosophical and of the POR political roots of the opportunism (Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bolivia) and its subsequent betrayal of the Bolivian proletariat.

No development of Trotskyism we believe is possible without an understanding and assimilation of the lessons of the revolution and counter- revolution in Bolivia 1970. In the interests of such a discussion we are publishing this critique of the 'Workers' Vanguard' statement on the POR. It has been submitted for publication by the Greek section of the ICFI. Bolivian miners Part 3 in the series Workers' Vanguard and the Bolivian R WHAT does 'Workers' catastrophic during the was Bolivian revolution. Vanguard' (WV) think It was impossible to build the POR should have this party without a struggle over, to the cause of done that it did not? to win broad the proletariat, the comrades of the • the masses of the peasants. POR omitted their basic duty, The POR did not do any to put forward the slogan of work with the peasants, it has for the to work soviets, no programme for them. From country-wide extension of the January 1971 until August, in their committees, which to its organ 'Masas', the peasants credit only they had built in were referred to only once very the mines and to crown this briefly. embryonic soviet organization To say that the Bolivian a congress of the com- with peasants needed soviets is to a national scale mittees on means with the confuse one and finally, work out to end. The peasants would have soviet constitution.' answered quite materialisti- As far as the peasants are that what they need is cally concerned, what, according to land, an agrarian reform.

POR

wV. should the the The WV, with its drivel have done? 'The poor peasants about the leading role of the their struggle against the landlords, needed peasants' soviets, retrogresses not only to the centrist soviets.' of Germany, but even Thus what conclusion must further to the German KAPD Bolivian we draw from the and anarchosyndicalism. according again to Re Won in WV? conclusion, the Bolivia, as elsewhere, we must [WV's for Soviets struggle emphasis], in which the masses recognize the organ of would emphasis] leadership [our for strikes decisively which power and for a real workers' government.' and peasants' So the panacea has been dis- Anyway we prefer to covered. and see with Trotsky agree "phraseological genuflec- these tions before the soviets' as misunderstanding their D. historical Trotsky, 'Germany 1931-1932').

better how the Let us see inspirer of the Petrograd Soviet 1905 answered the fellow- in of 1932 thinkers of the WV in Germany : 'The soviet per se is not the of miraculous possessor powers. It is the class repre- of the proletariat, sentation and weak with all the strong points of the latter' (Trotsky, op. cit.). When Urbans of the centrist Workers' Party of Socialist Germany cried that the leader- ship of the struggle belongs to elected by the the soviets without any involve- masses of any party, Trotsky ment answered: 'But to declare that the soviets "by themselves" are capable of leading the struggle of the proletariat for power— of vulgar is a demonstration fetishism for the soviets. Every- thing depends on the Party leads the soviets'. which (Trotsky, op. cit.) The WV presents us with its completely soviet panacea, ignoring the dialectic between and the Party, the soviet and between the masses the vanguard. The revolutionary POR as well did exactly that.

It refused to give the masses leadership, revolutionary it refused to build the revolu- tionary party whose absence Snviets filled all Germany in the 1918-19 n miners during street fighting in 1970 ivian Revolution Lenin in 'Left-Wing Com- munism' and the Communist International at its first Con- gresses, and with the words of Trotsky, struck out implacably at the middle class and sec- tarian movement of so-called 'Communism of councils' . This movement not only ignored the dialectic between Marxist con- sciousness and the spontaneous movement of the masses, but turned its back on the also bloody experience of the Euro pean revolutions. Do we perhaps need to remind the WV about the German revolution of 1918- 1919, when the soviets of workers and soldiers filled all of Germany, and yet, because majority their overwhelming followed the Social Democratic Party, not only did they not lead to the dictatorship of the proletariat, but were slaught- ered and smashed? Or must we recall the revo- he 1918-1919 revolution, yet because their major lutionary events in Italy dur- ing the same period, when the factories were occupied by the workers' who took councils down the signs of the indus- trialists and raised placards with the names of Lenin and Trotsky. Must we recall how whole of that terrible the defeated movement was because the leading party of the working class was the Socialist Party, which turned back the masses and gave the country to the fascists? Contrary to the WV, the inspirer of the workers' coun- cils of Turin, Antonio Gramsci, came to the opposite conclu- sions and fought to build the party, leaving us some of the most important analyses of this task of the proletarian grave struggle. Soviet fetishism and a rever- ent attachment to the spon- taneous organizations of the masses are transtormed, when the situation calls for it, into their opposite. The same people who preach the leading role of the workers' councils, are dominated by a fear of the masses. This hap- pened with the KAPD. This happened with the whole move- ment of 'Communism of coun- cils'. Their rejection of the dia- lectic leads them not only to see the role of the party, but also not to see the role of the masses within the fluctuations of the movement. They see their relationship to the masses as a relationship of indoctrination, of propa- ganda. Their organizations are propagandist circles, where, as Trotsky observed, in the name of a demogogy about the lead- role of the masses, the ing begin to play a dis- leaders proportionate role ... The sectarian stand of the WV towards the masses appears at another point, and concretely with regard to the French proletariat. It criticizes the Organisation Communiste Internationaliste (OCI) because in May 1968 it did not advance the correct (according to the WV) slogans: 'Down with de Gaulle! Long live the workers' and peas- ants' government!' heir majority followed the SDP they were slaugh On the contrary, the IC of the Fourth International, not the fact that ignoring largest and most dynamic sec- tion of the French proletariat follows the French CP and the Stalinist CGT, criticized the OCI with the greatest severity for not having advanced the only concrete slogans, the slogans that would have un- covered the counter-revolu- tionary Stalinists and led the masses to their ideological emancipation from their treach- erous leadership: 'Down with de Gaulle: CPF-CGT govern- ment' The WV's criticism of the OCI (and the POR) was not placed on this Bolshevik basis.

The fact that it does not grasp the whole essence of the dispute that brought the OCI into an alliance with the cen- and into irreconcilable trists opposition to the IC does not surprise us. Out of the whole split, it retains only the events in Boli- via. The Bolivian events and the POR's treachery, which found enthusiastic support from the OCI, are only the consequences of a whole trend and method, the fruits of a whole system of centrist poli- tics. From the bitter lessons of Bolivia, Marxists are called on now, in the presence of today's conflicts, to draw the huge scientific conclusions in rela- a whole political tion to methodology, as has happened with the lessons of Algeria, Cuba and Ceylon. The WV does not concern itself with these problems. This is because, for it, they do not exist as problems, but as theses of its own centrist policies.

To Greek Trotskyists it has been well known for a long time that, both as far as the transformation of the 'United Front' from a tactic of a revo- lutionary party into a strategy (liquidation of the party) is concerned, in their anarcho- as well as more generally syndicalist adaptation to spon- taneity, the positions of the WV were and are always iden- tified with those of the OCI and its centrist friends.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

ere slaughtered and smashed

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Just one of the virtues of this column is that we can chart the course of those columnists who titivate the middle class 'heavyweight' press. In this connection we have previously drawn the attention of our readers to the meander- ings of Miss Germaine Greer, author of the Australian-born the Female Eunuch' and the woman described as 'the high priestess of Women's Lib'.

One of the features of the 'Sunday Times' management is its special skill in choosing 'radical' writers and bringing them into the mainstream of 'safe' journalism. For instance, when Miss Greer first signed her contract with the Tory 'Times' organiza- tion 18 months ago there was great consternation that the editor, Harold Evans, had shot his bolt and joined the under- ground press. colonels in The retired Ramsgate, and the 'Readers Digest' crowd in Hertfordshire bristled with alarm at the prospect of Miss Greer's 'revo- ¡utionary' outpourings. But Evans is a much more con- summate member of the ruling class than he is often given notice for. He knows his lef- ties; each Sunday they jump through the hoops for him, keeping the circulation — and thus the advertising revenue -buoyant. Since the publication of her 'Sunday first article in the Times'-it was, I believe, a 'sensational' piece on vaginal deodorants - Miss Greer has in beautifully with the fitted requirements down at Thom- son House. Indeed, her position on the paper was made absolutely clear when the Sunday Times' chapel of the National Union of Journalists investigated her union membership. A delega- tion that went to see Evans were told that she was a union member — but not the NUJ.

Glowing with smug satisfaction he announced she was in the Institute of Journalists (IOJ) which is a professional sect dominated by management, editors and PR men. It then emerged that she had gained membership to this highly Tory outfit by the good offices of Evans who nom- inated her for membership and Denis Healey, who seconded her application. Healey, one of most notorious right- the wingers in the Labour Party - and one-time young com- munist — signed Miss Greer's application as a personal tav-. Jul our for his friend Evans.

Thus Miss Greer got her 'union' membership and her lucrative appointment with the Tory fits press. How this conduct with the 'theory' of Women's Lib has never been explained by ent-to last Greer. by Miss hippies, about how is a 'liberating' fac talist society. In: utterly ludicrous Miss Greer says: 'Phenomena themselves have profound the Canel gentleness (!) broug together so other and ecame possible Peopl made and more of it than which relief many t There is historica long hair has been in other eras; there at all that better l from long hair. is vein: grateful for ThAT were.' This too is attrib spirit of the hippie But having bouquets to allegedly Navie beauty population-and, started the ecology then launches into most virulent attac hippie movement sin Muggeridge and the Light Brigade reactionary campaig Listen to the spc liberatio women's who fled, and homelands to Nepal or Mexi grotesque are who peoples them and have noth from them. 'The smugness communities selves wherever the good, regardless tical climate, is reg the decorum of which they invade than contempt. reverence for the ec cannot see themsel lution.' Without shrill tive and made the same editorial in Worker July 20, 1971. charges baton the island rrancos truncheon-wielding given Ibiza lesson on the real tascism. the pres- column is about factor in capi- of

OCTICS

assertions, which in are may effects. Long mystique unconsciously developments better love the same be are so men passed out hippies for aroused Inclaculany, of the one the their started 'Those flee, their in India Bali or upon afford cannot hippie them- poli- of the and disregard and the civilizations language we point in an OI Following the on no dies said: trigger-happy, savage 'Many of the hippies fleeing from Franco's "island para- dise" received their political education in the student pro- test movements of West Ger- many and the United States.

Their common hallmark was a profound middle-class con- tempt for the history and traditions of the international workers' movement and for Marxist theory. Tired of pro- testing against US imperialism ... they decided to seek free- dom in fascist Spain. 'For years these radical drop-outs' idea of bliss was to smoke pot and sunbathe on the beaches of Ibiza while Franco's police and army crashed strikes, arrested and tortured their leaders and came within 24 hours of executing six Basque freedom fighters. Now that Franco has given them a mild dose of the same treatment, it is to be hoped that they will begin to learn the political facts of life? We have condemned the anti-working-class concepts of the itinerants of the hippie world, but we do so from a political standpoint. And we also attempt to understand and analyse the extreme disorienta- tion that makes American teenagers throw up the afflu- ence of, say, California, to live in the destitution of India.

But having belaboured those who loll in the colonial and semi-fascist countries, Miss Greer does not draw any political lêssons. In fact, her arguments about hippies being "pollution' seem only to extend to those who go abroad. In her view, therefore, it is all very well to free-load in your own country but not in down- town Simla. Miss Greer thus has a neat formula. She can vent her outrage in the 'Sunday moral Times' about the shortcomings of the way the hippies behave abroad, but she gives herself and her cronies a blessing carry on their 'good work' in their own countries of resi- dence. This is a prescription for resentful and frustrated youth to acquiesce under capitalism.

It keeps them from taking up political questions and from understanding the nature of class society and how a revolu- tionary leadership can and be built to end the must exploitation of man by the privately - owned productive forces. No wonder Miss Greer is such a prize catch in the 'Sunday Times' stable. Workers Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 PAGE 9

NON-EVENTS

'scruffy elderly man' and two youths in a City Park. invasion Czechoslovakia 'quietly' This is more evidence of the passed off without public demonstrations in the concerted campaign launched according by main cities, to the extreme right In western correspondents there.

Britain's industrial centres to This is indignantly denied by split the working class and pro- the official tect the real enemy, the Tories Prague Stalinist newspaper 'Rude Pravo. 'There and the employers. was something doing,' says the Recently Colin Jordan's paper: British Movement handed out *In the fields people were literature on the Leeds dole exerting every effort to reap 'White queues. This demanded Bohemian the grain; northern Power' and blamed unemploy- untiringly miners were rec- ment not on the people who tifying the consequences of a close the factories the bosses natural catastrophe; and South Tories-but and the on the Moravian pipe and tube makers coloured workers and un- their pledge to announced employed. shorten the delivery time by 40 It is clear that the labour days for the construction movement in Leeds will have water transit parts for transit to mobilize to root out the in- gas pipelines.' dividuals and people who are The concludes this paper spreading this racialism.

pitiful catalogue of non-events

NIXON'S

with the lame statement: 'And these are not isolated cases

RAT-PACK

of proving the commitment citizens. One of the more gruesome Indeed not! It is reliably re- sights at the Republican con- ported that large numbers of vention-and there were many people ate their dinners on -was that of Sammy Davis August 21 (and in some cases, President Jnr giving Richard breakfast and tea as well). Next 'Genocide' Nixon a bear-hug. time 'Rude Pravo' might con- While protesters were being sider using this fact to 'prove' arrested outside the by necessity the for continued hundred, Davis was inside Soviet occupation. warmly greeting the man who aim of

ROOT OUT

has set out with the North Vietnam obliterating bombs. with More racialist leaflets have been handed round in Leeds in a bid to incite the local popu- lation against coloured workers.

The latest one-headed 'Are You Afraid of a Fight—is a attempt blatant to promote violent attacks against immi- grants. It invites people to join the 'Youth of Leeds' in a demon- stration against the British holders of passport Asian who being forced origin are out of Uganda by the Amin regime. reads: "The Asians and It the Asian-lovers have threat- ened to cause trouble. It wasn't so long ago that But we Davis so-called feel you will not be afraid of was with the Ken- any trouble they care to offer.

'rat-pack' around the 'nedys. He was joined by Frank You advised that you are Sinatra, among others. are legally entitled to use only sufficient force as is required to Davis then made great speeches as to how he defends yourselves defend and your was breaking irom his opulent past anonymous leaflet in- joining the fight for the The and and underprivileged the vites people to join a meeting oppressed. in the centre of Leeds- -in the Now, as if Nixon didn't have vicinity of a number of homes owned by West Indian workers.

a big enough 'rat-pack' of his. One Leeds teenager said he already he is joined by own handed the leaflet by a ... Sammy Davis Jnr. was

LEON TROTSKY:

Germany 1931/1932 Paperback £1.25— -cloth £1.87} Where Is Britain Going? Paperback 37}p Revolution Betrayed Paperback 624p- -cloth £1.05 Problems of the Chinese Revolution Paperback £1.124-cloth £1.87% Permanent Revolution : Results and Prospects Paperback 75p In Defence of Marxism Paperback 75p Lessons of October Paperback 60p Postage 10p per book, 3p per pamphlet. Order from :

NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS

186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG.

Railway workshops, Plessey and PSF slash Scottish east coast dockers want portsregistered PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday Augu

ALL TRADES

UNIONS

ALLIANCE

MEETINGS

CAMBRIDGE: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. Red Cow (behind the Guild Hall). 'Lessons of the dockers and builders' strikes.'

HOLLOWAY: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven Sisters Finsbury Park. "Victory to Road, the builders. For united action and no separate site deals.'

LUTON: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. St John Ambulance Hall, Lea Road. SE LONDON: Thursday August Deptford Engineers' 31, 8 p.т. Club, New Cross Station. 'Les- SWANSEA: Thursday August 31, 7.30 p.m. Oxford Street School, 'Crisis of leader- Oxford Street. ship in the unions.' sons of the dock strike.'

LIVERPOOL: Friday September 1, 7.30 p.m. Common Hall, Hackins Hey. 'Lessons of the docks and building strikes.' Speakers: Larry Cavanagh (dockers' steward), Farley (building worker).

Mike Both in a personal capacity.

CROYDON: Monday September 4, 8 p.m. Ruskin House, Coombe 'Lessons of the dock Road. strike.' DAGENHAM: Tuesday Septem- ber 5, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Fan- Avenue, Barking. 'Les- shawe sons of docks strike, UCS jobs fight.' HULL: Tuesday September 5, 7.30 p.m. White Hart Hotel, near Drypool Bridge. 'Victory to the building workers.'

SLOUGH: Tuesday September 5, 7.30 p.m. Slough Com- munity Centre, Farnham Rd.

'Force the Tories out! Expose the traitors in the labour and union movement!' trade Speakers: Frank Tomany and Brian Bailey, both in a per- sonal capacity. WOOLWICH: Tuesday September 5, 8 р.m. Queen's Arms, Bur- rage Road, SE RHYMNEY: Thursday September 7, 7.30 p.m. Rhymney Working- men's Club, Rhymney, South leadership in Wales. 'Crisis of the trade unions.' SOUTHALL: Thursday September 8 p.m. Community Centre, Road. 'Lessons of the Bridge dock strike.' EAST LONDON: Thurs- day September 7, 8 p.m. Festival In n, Market Square, Chrisp Street, Market, E14. 'What is Stalinism?' HULL: Monday September 11, 7.30 p.m. Church Hall, Wawne 'The Road, Bransholme (opp Swallow'): 'Fighting the Tories' Rent Act.'

SCOTLAND'S

east coast ports were strike-bound yes- terday as dockers continued their blacking action against 'scab' ships which used un- registered ports to dodge the recent national strike. Trouble on the east coast blew up at Leith and Dundee when dockers refused to handle ships, the 'Fastnet' and two 'Paris' because they used the unregistered port of Inver- gordon when the national dis- pute was on. fusing to employ men on black' ships unless the bans were lifted. This caused a walk- out at the two which ports Methil, to Aberdeen, spread Kirkcaldy and Burntisland on Monday. The Road Hauliers' Associa- tion has also taken a tough line.

During the national dispute they not to use the non- agreed but they have scheme ports, made no such recommendation this time. Behind the dockers' action sday August 31, 1972

BY DAVID MAUDE

FIVE HUNDRED and fifty Swindon rail shopmen are to lose their jobs by Christ- mas as a direct result of Tory government policies. The cut-back, which results from the plan to close the town's locomotive works, forms part of a plan approved by the Ministry of Transport to axe 20,000 railwaymen's jobs over the next four-and- a-half years. Since nationalization employment in the industry has been cut by 66 per cent without a fight by the union leaders.

Ten years ago there were 126,000 shopmen at 28 works. Now there are 50,000 at 14. By 1976 the British Railways Board wants to rid itself of at least 5,500 of these ... and so the shadow of the dole has fallen across Swindon.

The railway workshops have always been a lynchpin of employment in the town.

At their peak in 1950 they 10,000 The employed workers. introduction of diesels slashed the workforce by more than two- thirds, but this latest planned attack is even more fundamental.

Part of the railworks It would reduce the workshops being to a centre for servicing diesel These demolished locos. rapidly being units. The replaced by electrical only other activity will be patch- ing up battered, obsolete wagons soon to be withdrawn completely.

There is no reason for believ- ing this would be more than arrangement he. very temporary death-blow. Even fore the final the first stage of ending loco operations would push the already rising unemployment level in the nast the town 3.9 tolerable cent national per Complete closure of the average. workshops would be a disaster.

Yet disaster is the prospect facing Swindon's workers- Not one job or job-opportunity -and not only in the rail workshops.

allowed can be to go. That is With principle. a matter of over The Plessey whose company, 2,000 unemployed in the town, of employment large number no trade unionist? can become enabled of workers has involved in productivity deals, working-class families at reduced short-time working at least to survive the rocketing cost 'voluntary' earnings, severance of living, has embarked on 'natural' These wastage. or 200 major rationalization and cynical horse-trading devices jobs will disappear by next March.

have been for by used years Pressed-Steel Fisher has for employers to get big redundancies some time been a popular source factories. in the but of employment, its Secondly. there be no British-Leyland, faces shrinking Calt the lasting solution to scourge markets home and at overseas of unemployment while the Tory and in deep financial trouble. 1S job-assassins in power. Levland Over 24,000 workers Only the resignation of the Monday the struck on against Tories and the election of Thornycroft the threat close pledged to Labour government Basingstoke. Whether factory at the of industry nationalization Leyland- -and the jobs at PSF without compensation and under will survive entry into the Com- workers' control can provide the mon Market questionable. 18 conditions for halting the march question facing Swin- The big the dole forever. don workers their families and they are going to defend No railway shopman can is how accept either management redun- their jobs.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDEN

lies the fear that unregistered strike would immediately be met by joint action from all the east ports outside the National Dock There are 24 to 26 Scheme can Tahour employ men coast ports. for inferior wages and conditions ships on the blacklist. will eventually destroy job and The employers are tryin® paris opportunities for registered with the and the 'Paris man It is also a clear expression of Dundee and Leith. They seem determined to make a stand. Our dissatisfaction the Jones- with position was that we would work Aldington proposals, which made on the normally until the committee on no pledges non-scheme merely promised the non-registered ports reports ports but an October 31, but won't investigation. on we touch the blacked boats. In a to Workers statement Ernie The unofficial East of Scotland Press, Aberdeen docker Davidson, delegate the committee has been a great gain to un- official East of Scotland strike from the strike. It can unify the a lot committee. warned that a new east coast ports and mean If of national action for the dockers. nothing is outbreak about could occur if Tones-Aldington done these non-scheme did not bring all the unregistered -especially Montrose- -then ports- ports within the scheme. we'll start picketing again whether we're at work or not.

forma- He told us about the and I'm only a docker who wants tion of the strike committee to work, but I feel very strongly the feeling of the east coast men: this It really

(THE

about committee. is present action all the could benefit dockers. result of the policy agreed by The main 1 problem we face is East of Scotland the committee isolation. need national during the strike that any attempt to work ships that used question. on this We gained nothing from the non-scheme during the ports NUR's Sid Woighell dancy notices or union-backed severance schemes designed to reduce manning levels. All redundancy notices must be rejected. Railway shopmen

SPONDENT

strike. The temporary unattached register (TUR) and containeriza- tion aren't at issue here. The non-scheme ports are the ques- tion and we are waiting to see what the committee comes up with on October 31. Montrose must be brought within the scheme and worked registered dockers. We'll by We can't supply the labour. accept anything less. I don't think Jones-Aldington produced much for anyone. In- creased severance pay was cer- tainly a step forward, but Jones will have to come up with far more. He'll have to prove the

TUR

has been abolished, and the non-scheme ports must go.

I think most of the men here have always respected Jones, and I didn't agree with the way he was treated in London. But he'll have to come up with something now. He says the TUR is to go and all dockers will have an em- ployer, but the employers want fewer and fewer dockers so it must insist that every worker is retained at full pay or, if in- dividuals want to take serverance replaced with no loss of earnings to the incoming worker. These conditions must be in- sisted upon until the rest of the transport industry can be nationalized and entire the system of rail, road, air and port transport placed under workers' control. The present union leaders are a million miles from this pers- pective. When the plan to cut back 20,000 rail jobs was announced a year ago, Sid Weighell, assistant secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, declared at the TUC that it was time to call a halt to sackings in the industry.

Industrial action would be used he hinted. The Confederation of Ship- building and Engineering Unions, doesn't make sense. The day after the strike another employer down south announced he was closing down. So far as we're concerned, October 31 is the deadline. If the non-scheme aren't ports abolished, then there could well be national action again. We may decide on some form of action before then to show the execu- tive how strongly we feel.

It would have been best to continue the strike when it was solid and settle this question once and for all, but the leader- ship was lacking. The decision to go back in Hull and London was us. I don't a great shock to understand it. The shop stewards' committee seemed to wield so much power. There's no question that the only answer is nationalization of the docks and transport indus- tries. That's the way to unite the transport workers. But you won't get it out of the Tories.

I didn't realize that the port shop stewards' committee had dropped that from their demands some time back. I can't under- stand that at all.

which brings together the other unions representing shopmen, itself in June this committed year to fighting for 'a campaign, in association with other bodies the labour move- representing ment, to eliminate this scourge based on [unemployment], a of a planned socialist policy economy guaranteeing to all the basic principle of the right to work'. Yet only five days after the CSEU conference broke up, Bill John, an engineers' union execu- tive member who voted with his delegation for that resolution, telling a railways delegate was conference of his union: "The difficulties which we find ourselves in in the wagon-repair side are expressly related to the national economic recession ..

the situation, is that therefore, the contraction in because of BRB repair work, redundancies are virtually inevitable in both the BRB and the private sector in railways? And early July found Weighell a pact with the hoping that British Railways Board for in- would creased severance pay solve the problem—a hope which signalled his complete acceptance of redundancy. anyone who enter- How can tains these ideas lead a fight against closure of Swindon's workshops? Some shop stewards want to redundancy notices, postpone' but the only way to struggle is to demand their complete with- drawal. The joint consultative com- which brings together mittee, works-committee representatives from rail workshops all over the country, is calling for a one-day token strike in support of Swin- don. This is a start-but only a start. What is required is a policy behind which rail shopmen and other workers can rally in detence of the right to work: No redundancies. Complete • withdrawal of all redundancy notices. 'The entire labour force to be maintained at full pay until the industry can be placed under 100 per cent workers' control. • Demand the NUR and CSEU leaders fight in the TUC for the calling of a General Strike to force the Tories to resign.

Elect a Labour government pledged nationalization to under workers' control without compensation. For an integrated socialist transport policy, under the direction of workers' commit- the involving tees, nationalized rail, road, port and air transport industries.

INDIA and Pakistan have temporarily papered over the cracks that appeared in pledges made last month to live in peace and settle their differ- ences without resort to force. But an agreement reached on Tuesday between senior official delegations left many questions unresolved and in most respects was simply a reiteration of the agreement signed in Simla. two outstanding The issues are the fate of 90,000 Pakistan prisoners of war currently held in India and recognition of the new state of Bangla Desh.

Zulfikar Pakistan President given the im- Ali Bhutto had pression at Simla that Pakistan would recognize Bangla Desh. But his representatives now say this will 'take time' China, Pakistan's ally, vetoed entry into the Bangla Desh United Nations last week.

The veto was defended in Rawalpindi on Tuesday by visit- ing Chinese deputy Foreign Kuan-hua, Minister Chiao who said China would do it again if necessary. The Chinese Minister held two days of talks with Bhutto and Pakistan other government leaders. He said the veto had been 'just' and would be re- Bangla Desh im- peated unless plemented UN resolutions calling for the repatriation of prisoners of war and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Bangla Desh.

Bhutto and Mrs Indira Gandhi the Indian premier, are believed to be arranging a further sum- mit meeting in October. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has categorically refused to meet Bhutto until Pakistan recognizes BanglaDesh. PAY RISES averaging 8 per cent have been agreed for Britain's 30,000 firemen, it was announced yesterday. The settlement, which gives some firemen increases of up to £3 a week, was coolly received Fire by Brigades Union rank- and-filers. 'On the whole it's not seen by the men as a bad settlement, it reflects although, of course, pay norm', Workers the Tory Press was told by one London station delegate. are no "strings" 'But if there definite this time there are dangers for the future' The percentage increases range from 7} to 11 per cent, with the larger percentage increases going to the lower-paid. For a 56-hour week, which is worked by nearly all brigades, a will receive qualified fireman £2,010 a year from October 1 as with £1,850 at compared to New recruits will re- present. ceive £1,506, or £28.87 a week, against £1,370 now. as A long-service fireman with 15 to his credit will re- years ceive £40.60 weekly. A leading fireman's rate goes , from £2,010 to £2,184, and up ton sub-officer from that of a £2,170 to £2,352. Members of the receive London Fire Brigade £160 a year more than other firemen. The new scale for officer ranks will range from £2,862 to €3,990. Many firemen believe, how- ever, that their local-authority employers will use the next year to streamline the service along the lines of the Cunningham Re- port published last November.

A particular fear is that next year's negotiations may be used manning extend day to system under which firemen can sometimes be on call 70 or 80 hours a week.

BBC 1

9.15 Along the trail. 9.30 Robin- son Crusoe. 9.55 Magic round- about. 10.00 Olympic grand- stand. 1.30 Herbs. 1.45 News and weather. 1.55 Olympic grand- stand.

7.30 TOP OF THE POPS.

8.00 THE DICK EMERY SHOW.

8.30 HAVING A LOVELY TIME.

Barry Took ... at the Club. 9.00

NINE O'CLOCK NEWS.

Weather.

TODAY AT THE OLYMPIC

9.25

GAMES.

Gymnastics and swimming finals. 12.30 Weather. Brian Deacon as Mr Lewisham and Cal serialized in four parts. Episode 1 is tor

REGIONAL TV

SOUTHERN: 12.55

News and weather. 1.00 Afloat. 1.25 Hogan's heroes. Market 1.50 Common cook book. 2.15 Bellbird. 2.25 London. 3.40 Houseparty. 4.00 Heckle and Jeckle. 4.10 Send for Dithers. 4.25 Crossroads.

4.50 Primus. 5.20 London. 6.00 Day by day. 6.45 On the buses. 7.15 Film: 'The Late George Apley'. 9.00 London. 11.00 News. 11.10 Court martial. 12.10 Weather. Guideline. HARLECH: 2.15 Racing from York. 3.15 Common Market cook book. 3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.15 Tinkertainment. 4.25 Crossroads.

4.50 Little big time. 5.20 London.

6.01 Report West. 6.18 Report Wales. 6.35 Dick Van Dyke. 7.10 Film: 'A Woman Obsessed'. 9.00 11.00 Beside the London. sea- side. 11.30 Spyforce. 12.30 Weather. HTV Wales and HTV Cymru/ Wales as above except: 4.15-4.25 Miri mawr. 6.01-6.18 Y dydd. 11.00-11.30 Songs of the Celts HTV West as above except: 6.18- 6.35 Sport West. ANGLIA: 1.40 Remember. 2.05 Joe 90. 2.30 London. 4.00 News.

4.05 Paulus. 4.20 Giants. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.20 Arena. 6.35 London. 7.00 Sale of the century. 7.30 Film: 'Bad For Each Other'. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Avengers. ATV MIDLANDS: 1.45 Racing from York. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.40 Women today. 4.10 Nuts and bones. 4.25 Forest rangers. 4.50 Pretenders. 5.20 London. 6.00 Today. 6.35 London. 7.00 Sale of the century. 7.30 Film: 'Be- devilled'. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Marcus Welby MD. 12.35 Stories worth telling. Weather. ULSTER: 1.45 Racing from York.

3.40 Gourmet. 4.00 Romper room.

4.20 News. 4.25 Cowboy in Africa. 5.20 London. 6.00 News.

6.10 Partners. 6.35 London. 7.00 Workers Press, Thur

ITV

11.30 Nothing if not critical. 12.25 Women today. 12.50 Common Market cook book. 1.15 Bellbird.

1.25 Zingalong. 1.40 Arthur. 2.00 Castle haven. 2.25 Racing from York. 3.40 Jokers wild. 4.10 Nuts and bones. 4.25 Land of the giants. 5.20 Olympics and news.

6.00 TODAY.

6.35 CROSSROADS

7.00 FILM: IVANHOE: Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams. The Saxon knight Ivanhoe sets about returning the throne to Richard the Lionheart. 9.00

MAX BYGRAVES AT THE

ROYALTY. Guest Anna Karen.

9.30 THIS WEEK.

NEWS AND OLYMPICS AT

10.00

TEN.

11.00

THE

AVENGERS.

The Curious Case of the Count- less Clues. 12.00

EPILOGUE.

m and Carolyn Courage as Ethel in H. G. W de 1 is tonight on BBC 2.

Their kind of music. Film: 7.30 "Texas'. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Champions. YORKSHIRE: 1.45 Scotland Yard.

2.15 Bellbird. 2.25 London. 4.10 4.25 Funky Nuts and bones. phantom. 4.50 Rainbow country.

London. 6.00 Calendar, 5.20 weather. 6.35 London. 7.00 Car- 7.20 Film: 'The Spy toon time. With a cold Nose. 9.00 London.

11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Department S. 12.25 Something to sing about. 12.50 Weather. GRANADA: 1.15 Freud on food.

1.45 Racing from York. 3.40 Pey- ton Place. 4.10 News. Nuts and bones. 4.25 Lidsville. 4.55 Funky phantom. 5.15 London. 6.00 News. 6.05 Amazing world of Kreskin. 6.30 UFO. 7.25 Film: 'The Rookies'. '. 8.50 Sylvester. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Police file. 11.35 Avengers.

TYNE TEES: 1.40 Scotland Yard mysteries. 2.15 Bellbird. 3.25 2.15 Bellbird. 2.25 mysteries. London. 4.09 News. 4.10 Nuts and bones. 4.25 Woobinda. 4.50 would like info Fill in the form below an

SECRETARY, SOCIALIST

186A CLAPHAM HIGH ST,

Name Address Press, Thursday August 31, 1972 PAGE 11

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 4.15 Play school. 4.55 Harlem globe- trotters. 5.15 Blue Peter flies the world. 5.45 Magic roundabout. 5.50 Sounds of music. 6.45 BIRD'S EYE-VIEW. The Is- land Fortress. 7.30 NEWSROOM. Weather. 8.00

HILLABY

WALKS.

On • Hampstead Heath. 8.30

LOVE AND MR LEWIS-

HAM. Dramatization of H. G. Wells story of an assis- tant master at a boys' school who plans a great future.

INDUSTRIAL

GRAND

9.15 TOUR. Bristol.

SHOW OF

THE WEEK:

9.30 'OF THEE | SING'. By George and Ira Gershwin. Irreverent comedy about a presidential election in the 1920s. With Carroll O'Con- Cloris Leachman. nor, 10.35 NEWS ON 2. Weather. 10.40

FILM: PRISONERS

OF

FREEDOM'.

Eli Cohne, Joseph Farah, Jack Cohen.

Israeli film about three prisoners allowed to spend 24 hours at home. H. G. Wells' 'Love and Mr Lewisham' Film: Arthur. 5.20 London. 6.00 News.

6.05 Flintstones. 6.35 London. 7.00 Branded. 7.25 Film: 'The Sp With a Cold Nose'. 9.00 London.

11.00 Sportstime. 11.30 Cinema. 12.00 Police call. 12.05 Calum's ceilidh. 12.35 News. 12.50 Re- chair. volving SCOTTISH: 1.45-3.15 Racing from York. 3.35 Horoscope 3.40 4.10 Nuts and Women today. bones. 4.25 Funky phantom. 4.50 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 News.

6.10 Shirley's world. 6.35 Lon- don. 7.00 Film: 'The Frightened City'. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema.

11.30 Late call. 11.35 Festival.

GRAMPIAN:

Racing from 1.45 York. 3.05 News. 3.10 Job look.

Yoga for 3.45 3.15 health. 4.10 Nuts and Women today. ester. bones. 4.25 Pippi longstocking.

4.50 Ivanhoe. 5.20 London. 6.00 Top News and weather. 6.10 London. 6.55 Film: team. 6.35 'A Ticket to Tomahawk'. 8.30 Shut that door. 9.00 London. 11.00 Cinema. 11.30 Young view.

12.00 Avengers. • information about below and send to NATIONAL

CIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE,

IGH ST, LONDON, SW4 7UG.

Council builders in London PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday Augi moves on

BY WORKERS PRESS

REPORTERS

SPECULATION that the Hays Wharf group might take port employers to court because dockers were blacking their cold stores was described as 'premature' by a company chief yesterday. George Tonge, a director of the £27m group and ex- chairman of the port em- ployers said statements by managing director Geoffrey Bezer were 'perhaps a little premature. On Tuesday Bezer claimed the company's UK Cold Storage complex at Dagenham had been shut because of dockers who had refused to handle all goods bound for Dagenham. Bezer warned: 'We shall use Relations Act the Industrial and have a go at the PLA [Port of London Authority] if need considering going be. We are for everybody' Yesterday Mr Tonge was in a conciliatory mood. He more said the first step would be to insist that port employers use existing procedures to ensure dockers stopped their action. These : would involve discipline procedures under the National Dock Labour Scheme. If legal action were to be taken it might not involve the Industrial Relations Act. The group could bring an action for breach of contract. There is provision however for employers to take another employer to the Industrial Re- lations Court. a recent case involving In blacking on Hull docks, court president Sir John Donaldson indicated that the road haulage firm Panalpina might have a case against North Sea Ferries, not taking action against their docker employees who were blacking Panalpina's lorries.

But the warlike noises from Hay's might also be seen as an attempt to put further pressure on T&GWU leader Jack Jones to clamp down on dockers ignor- ing his call to stop all blacking.

Hay's Wharf is one of the hard-line employers who have steadlastly refused to have any- thing to do with the ones- Aldington proposals which urge the employment of dockers in cold stores. George Tonge gave up his post as chairman of the Port Employers' Association after they had agreed with the interim proposals of the Jones-Aldington report.

LATENEWS

: 01-622 7029 01-720 2000 Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Published. by Workers Press, 186a Clapham High Street, London.

SW4 7UG.

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

SW4 7UG.

sday August 31, 1972 LONDON building wor- kers 1,000- marched strong yesterday to the employers West End headquarters demanding the full claim of £30 for a 35-hour week. They were led by Camden's direct works builders who joined the ten-week dispute on Monday — the first London council workers to do so.

It was the first demonstration of building workers in London since the union leaders tried to sign a compromise deal some five weeks ago. Instinctively marchers took up the cry of 'Heath Out!', while others demanded no separate company agreements and a national strike. A section from the East End shouted for the nationalization of the industry and the resignation of the Tories.

What shouting and feeling a marked there was came as contrast to contributions of the leadership of the London build- ing workers action committee.

Before builders left the Bar- bican in the City, itselt the scene of bitter battles betrayed by the Stalinists, urganizer Alan Tatam apologized for the small turn-out.

"There has been a number of slip ups in the organization, he explained. In fact it is known that many building workers were unaware of the demonstration.

Calling for objective coverage of the strike by television, Tatum said: 'We have to bring demo- cracy and dignity to the industry, carefully avoiding any criticism of the union leaders. committee member, Another Stalinist Pete Kavanagh, was equally bankrupt. 'We want a public inquiry Men trom the Creffield faciory lobby y

BY PHILIP WAD

into the corruption in the build- ing industry. We want some publicity the lid off the Mata, he said. take But building workers on the demonstration were looking for more leadership than that. 'The mistake is that the union MILITANT building workers in the Birkenhead area are angry at what they see as attempts by national and regional union leadership to undermine their strike. Following the August 15 meeting which agreed Liverpool on a full local stoppage, mobile pickets have worked constantly to discover and bring out every site, however small. They have also brought out 'lump' workers.

The last major site, market at Liscard, Wallasey, was stopped last week by pickets and consider there is now they a virtual 100 per cent stoppage in the area. They are maintaining a watch on cement and ready- mix concrete supplies for leads to any sites still working or re- starting. they have now learned But that the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) has reached an agree- ment with four firms operating in the Wirral for an immediate return to work. They have so far found it very difficult to discover what terms y lobby yesterday's Ford convenors' meeting A MEETING of about 20 Ford convenors in London yester- day was expected to back a fight to stop company sending work abroad. The Transport House confer- disclosures in a ence followed Liverpool newspaper of secret ›lans to drasticalv run dowr Ford operations in Britain.

The transfer of work to Ger- many, alleged in an article in the Liverpool Free Press' , would not only directly affect job-opportuni- ties in Ford plants, but would also have severe consequences for sub-contractors. These include companies like Plessey, which has already sub- stantially rationalized its factories throwing hundreds of men out of work. The convenors were expected to endorse a resolution pledging their opposition to any transfer of work from the UK to Europe.

The convenors agreed to black all work from the strike-bound

HILIP WADE

haven't called leaders still a national strike, UCATT militant Terry Smith from the World's End site told me. I don't agree with separate deals. It has to be all-out or No one agrees with nothing. deals because they these can have been agreed with these firms but most of the pickets are opposed to any splitting of the strike by individual settle- even for the full claim, ments, to fight to prevent and intend this happening. The men are sharply critical UCATT regional secretary despite who, Bill Crighton, and left- plenty of militant sounding speech-making, has in from the beginning been favour of separate settlements on the grounds that 'We must break the weakest links in the chain?

Like most of the leadership in the area he was originally happy with the policy of selective strikes. In fact the only site originally asked to come out in Birkenhead Costain's motorway con- was struction unit at Bidston Moss, which had only just returned to work after a six-week dispute.

The massive response to the strike has put the leadership on Many militants spot. are convinced they are now trying to get off by looking for oppor- tunities to split the strike.

has stopped work in support of the demand for union recogni- tion. Ninety per cent of the firm's output goes to Ford's and Bert Saunders, leader of a four-man convenors' to the deputation meting, said afterwards: Now that we have got this support the only thing that can winning is time and stop us finance.' Up till now management has been able to keep the factory ticking over using a skeleton staff of about 70 workers who refused to join the strike. split the membership. The Tory government has ordered the social security not to pay anything to the single under any circumstances. man But George Smith [UCATT general secretary] is chairman of the TUC General Council and also set up this arbitration with the CBI. What use is that to us?

'A new leadership definitely has to be pushed for when this is over? Others drew attention to the building workers' isolation and to support from other looked workers. 'The Tories are deliberately attempting to starve us back.

We need support from the miners, dockers and all others assisted in the past. We we've to come out with want them us member of the strike com- said Aaron McLachie, mittee at the Green Park hotel project. "The general feeling is that George Smith has been dragging his feet. We have to work 60 or 70 hours to make a decent wage and we're not having that any more. "This government is not going starve us back by cutting to We're out until Social Security. we get the £30 basic for 35 No one's interested in hours. bonus agreements' A Camden direct works builder pinpointed the question of leader- ship: 'The leaders don't put up a fight. They are still playing two and ¡ roles-one side on our the side of the another on capitalists. 'If it is to be a success there will have to be a national strike.

Other workers must support us financially and by strike action.'

• The first site to join the strike in Oxford came out yester- Wolfson's Workers day. at College site struck in response to picketing.

AUGUST FUND

WITH ONE

DAY TO GO

SUPPORT is now pouring in for our August Fund. £311.64 arrived yesterday bringing our total up to the grand amount of £1,650.45.

Only £99.55 left to collect by tomorrow and-we're therel We know you will do it. At a time when, on every issue-on rents, wages, the Industrial Re- lations Act-the reformist Labour and trade union leaders back down from every fight. Workers Press stands out firm and clear In the fight for Marxist principles.

We will continue to defend all the basic rights of the working class, by stepping up the fight to make the Tory government resign. Let's keep up this magnificent fight for our Fund. We still have one more day. One last all-out effort and we could go over the top. Rush every donation Immedl- ately to: Workers Press August Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG. Soclalist Labour League

FOUR LECTURES

THE THEORY AND

PRACTICE OF MARXISM

given by

G. HEALY

(SLL national secretary) 1. Marxism as the theory of knowledge Tuesday September 5 2. Development of Marxism through working-class struggle Tuesday September 12 3. Nature of the capitalist crisis Tuesday September 19 4. Historical materialism today Tuesday September 26

AEU HOUSE

Mount Pleasant Liverpool 1, 7.30 p.m.