Workers Press no. 861

workers press

BOILERMAKERS

CALL TORY BLUFF

INCORPOR

DAILY ORGAN

BY DAVID MAUDE Our Industrial Correspondent THE 1,200 BOILERMAKERS at Govan have decisively pushed back the plans of ti union leaders and the Stalinist-led shipyar committee on the upper Clyde.

This became clear yesterday when com- pany chairman Lord Strathalmond, oil tycoon and friend of Industry Minister John Davies, was forced to announce that the operating date of the government-backed firm is to be put back. meeting representatives of the Boiler- After makers' Society, whose members have stood out against a procedure agreement which would allow the company to start, Strathalmond told press- men: 1 am letting the liquidator Mr Robert Smith know that Monday is too tight a date for us to start operating. It will be delayed a little bit.

We should be able to start operating no later than a few days after September il.

While Strathalmond and the union men with whom he had been meeting all the summoned geniality they could muster in making their various statements, the boilermakers' stance against the agreement since last Thursday had clearly taken its toll. It is the first time in the entire 15 months since jobs at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders first came under shipyard threat that the naked power of the workers has been brought to bear against their employers. But if the delay is a setback for Strathalmond and the Tories, it is a humiliating defeat for the 'work-in' Stalinists who foisted the disastrous policy on the yards and who have already presided over the loss of 2,000 jobs.

where he has been in Speaking from Brighton, Society president Dan Boilermakers' McGarvey, Stalinist stewards' leader James Reid has hit back spitefully against the boilermakers.

Yesterday's 'Morning Star' approvingly quoted Reid's statement that the Govan men had brought 'the rat race' into trade unionism.

This is not only a slur on the boilermakers.

It ignores the cast-iron case they have put forward for a pay rise to bring them in line with the £l an hour being paid by Marathon Manufacturing at Reid's own Clydebank yard.

The boilermakers have made clear also that they want backdating of the increase to the time of signing of the deal by the other unions on September 1-surely a reasonable enough demand.

Today the boilermakers will face renewed pressure from their union leaders to sign.

James Murray, Scottish executive officer of the union, said after yesterday's meeting that a docu- had been jointly discussed Govan ment with Shipbuilders. He said: In our view it will require to have the very serious consideration of our members and consequently a mass meeting will be arranged as quickly as possible.' (See story this page.)

But what is involved at Govan is far more than a few shillings pay. The Govan Shipbuilders' deal gives no cast-iron jobs, almost carbon-copies the guarantee of no- strike agreement signed by Reid at Marathon and may mean an earnings ceiling.

If the boilermakers have been forced to wage a sectional struggle to raise these issues, the fault lies entirely with the union leaders and the Stalinists.

In the meantime their ultimatum to Strathal- mond is clear: pay up or you won't lay your hands on a penny of the £35m the Tories are prepared to pay for the break-up of UCS.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 1972 • No 861• 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

NEW DEADLINE AT GOVAN-UCS

CHRYSLER carworkers and miners from Scotland joined trade union- ists from Kent and London in lobbying the TUC yesterday. (See report p.3.)

SOLIHULL ROVERBRNINGHAM

CONFEDERATED

RD

SHOP

COMMIFYARDS

FACTION

TALN.5

NaNs

OUDER

THAN

WORDS

SCOTTISH PITE

ALL

CUT

Architect misses first flight for US AMERICAN Embassy government, which is main

BY PHILIP WADE

tained office by Com- officials in London were munist MPs had granted the US govern- accompanied by two New yesterday trying to return Tork derecuve. ments demand for enene.s to the United States a extradition and refused him Cheng had earlier left political asylum. Taiwanese architect who Stockholm following extradition ment has been extradited from About 100 demonstrators and with between clashed police Sweden. swedish rovernments on Mon lockno airport day morning Chen who Ts see narene when one stage was fled the

USA

after being 35-year-old booked on the p.m. convicted of conspiracy denies the conspiracy - was fight New Pan- ran-Am kill the aboard taken York but never checked in American airliner bound chinese nauonals! leadel by departure and the Chiang Kai-shek. for New York. plane flew off without him.

The incident with chiang He was only semi- Chime Minister of Taiwan, who at the time and Cheng arrived conscious hunger had been on all Pol took place when he visited while his Mondav. nient unconscious New York in 1970.

TOT

over d week

BEA

from wife and friends fought the Tight Copenhagen. He The Swedish Labour extradition order.

FROM IAN YEATS

IN GLASGOW

BOILERMAKERS' Scottish executive member James Murray claims to have a peace formula to break the deadlock caused by the Govan boilermakers' refusal to sign the new procedural agreement with the company.

This emerged after an hour- between shop long meeting stewards, union officials and the full board of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd yesterday. A majority of the 1,200 boiler- makers have twice rejected the agreement endorsed by all nine other unions the yard, the at Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions and the joint shop stewards negotiating com- mittee. Wage rates are not mentioned in the deal although there is a promise that a new pay structure will be negotiated not later than next January. Meanwhile an earnings ceiling would be im- posed. stewards have Boilermakers' argued at two successive meet- ings that the agreement should be signed and details hammered out once Govan Shipbuilders gets off the ground. But after 14 months' virtual members are pay freeze their demanding an immediate rise with effect from the date of sign- ing the agreement. Talks between company chair- Strathalmond, trade man Lord union officials and shop stewards, including co-ordinating commit- tee chairman James Airlie, ended Monday after inconclusively on two hours. •Lord Strathalmond said later there was little hope the new claims of the boilermakers would be accepted. He was expected down a sign-or-else throw to ultimatum at yesterday's talks.

Shipbuilders Govan was scheduled to begin formal oper- ations in its own name next Monday, but without agreement from all ten unions in the three yards the E35m government cash needed to start would not be forthcominhem off Until yesterday's meeting the company, the Stalinist-led co- ordinating committee and union officials loudly condemned the boilermakers' stand and warned that unless they swung back into the upper line shipbuilding on Clyde was doomed. But by lunchtime yesterday the threats had disappeared and in a TURN TO p. 12

workers press

BOILERMAKERS

CALL TORY BLUFF

INCORPOR

DAILY ORGAN

BY DAVID MAUDE Our Industrial Correspondent THE 1,200 BOILERMAKERS at Govan have decisively pushed back the plans of t union leaders and the Stalinist-led shipyar committee on the upper Clyde.

This became clear yesterday when com- pany chairman Lord Strathalmond, oil tycoon and friend of Industry Minister John Davies, was forced to announce that the operating date of the government-backed firm is to be put back. of the Boiler- After meeting representatives whose members have stood makers' Society, out against a procedure agreement which would allow the company to start, Strathalmond told press- men: I am letting the liquidator Mr Robert Smith know that Monday is too tight a date for us to start operating. It will be delayed a little bit. We should be able to start operating no later than a few days after September il!

While Strathalmond and the union men with been meeting summoned all the whom he had geniality they could muster in making their various statements, the boilermakers' stance against the agreement since last Thursday had clearly taken its toll. It is the first time in the entire 15 months since jobs at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders first came under the naked power of the shipyard threat that workers has been brought to bear against their employers. But if the delay is a setback for Strathalmond and the Tories, it is a humiliating defeat for the 'work-in' Stalinists who foisted the disastrous policy on the yards and who have already presided over the loss of 2,000 jobs.

Speaking from Brighton, where he has been in Boilermakers' Society talks with president Dan McGarvey, Stalinist stewards' leader James Reid has hit back spitefully against the boilermakers.

Yesterday's 'Morning Star' approvingly quoted Reid's statement that the Govan men had brought 'the rat race' into trade unionism.

This is not only a slur on the boilermakers.

It ignores the cast-iron case they have put forward for a pay rise to bring them in line with the fl an hour being paid by Marathon Manufacturing at Reid's own Clydebank yard.

The boilermakers have made clear also that they want backdating of the increase to the time of of the deal by the other unions signing on September I-surely a reasonable enough demand.

will renewed Today the boilermakers face pressure from their union leaders to sign.

James Murray, Scottish executive officer of the union, said after yesterday's meeting that a docu- ment had been jointly discussed with Govan Shipbuilders. He said: 'In our view it will require to have the very serious consideration of members and our consequently a mass meeting will be arranged as quickly as possible' (See story this page.)

But what is involved at Govan is far more than a few shillings pay. The Govan Shipbuilders' deal gives no cast-iron of jobs, almost. carbon-copies the no- guarantee strike agreement signed by Reid at Marathon and may mean an earnings ceiling.

If the boilermakers have been forced to wage a sectional struggle to raise these issues, the fault lies entirely with the union leaders and the Stalinists.

In the meantime their ultimatum to Strathal- mond is clear: pay up or you won't lay your hands on a penny of the £35m the Tories are prepared to pay for the break-up of UCS.

ICORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 1972 • No 861 • 4p

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE

CHRYSLER carworkers and miners Govan Shipbuilders, Glasgow, from Scotland joined trade union- London ists from Kent and in ans of the Tory government, the lobbying the TUC yesterday. (See shipyard stewards' co-ordinating report p.3.) RD AMERICAN Embassy government, which is main-

BY PHILIP WADE

by tainea in once Lon- officials in London were munist Party votes,

MPS

yesterday trying to return accompanied by two New had granted the US govern- ment's demand for Cheng s to the United States a extradition and refused him Cheng had earlier left political asylum. Taiwanese architect who Stockholm following usmend extradition agre has been extradited from About 100 demonstrators the police clashed with at Sweden. Swedish governments. Stockholm airport on Mon- It is alleged that Cheng morning heen when the day At one stage was fled the

USA

after being 35-year-old —who booked on the 3 of a conspiracy -was convicted denies mie consoilaly Pan-Am fight to New son taken aboard the Toe ran York but never checked in Chinese nationalist leader American airliner bound time and the Chiang Kai-shek. ac parture for New York. plane flew off without him.

The incident with Chiang He was only. semi- Ching-quo, Cheng nOW arrived conscious at the time and Prime Minister of Taiwan M day. Heathrow airport had been on hunger. trike took place when he visited night for week while his inconscious over New York in 1970.

BEA

wife and friends fought the fight Copenhagen. was The Swedish Labour extradition order. He

FROM IAN YEATS

IN GLASGOW

BOILERMAKERS' Scottish executive member James Murray claims to have a peace formula to break the deadlock caused by the Govan boilermakers' refusal to sign the new procedural agreement with the company.

This emerged after an hour- between shop long meeting stewards, union officials and the full board of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd yesterday. A majority of the 1,200 boiler- have twice rejected the makers agreement endorsed by all nine unions yard, the other the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions and the joint shop stewards negotiating com- mittee. Wage rates are not mentioned in the deal although there is a promise that a new pay structure will be negotiated not later than next January. Meanwhile an earnings ceiling would be im- posed. Boilermakers' stewards have two successive meet- argued at ings that the agreement should be signed and details hammered out once Govan Shipbuilders gets off the ground. months' virtual But after 14 pay freeze their members are immediate rise demanding with effect from the date of sign- ing the agreement. Talks between company chair- man Lord Strathalmond, trade union officials and shop stewards, including co-ordinating commit- tee chairman James Airlie, ended inconclusively on Monday after two hours. •Lord Strathalmond said later there was little hope the new claims of the boilermakers would be accepted. He was expected down a sign-or-else throw to ultimatum at yesterday's talks.

Shipbuilders Govan was scheduled to begin formal oper- its own name next ations Monday, but without agreement from all ten unions in the three yards the £35m government cash needed to start them off would not be forthcoming.

Until yesterday's meeting the the Stalinist-led co- company, ordinating committee and union officials loudly condemned the boilermakers' stand and warned that unless they swung back into line shipbuilding on the upper Clyde was doomed. But by lunchtime yesterday the threats had disappeared and in a TURN TO p. 12

PAGE 2 Workers Preca, Wednesday septe A

MOVEMENT

which relies individual exclusively on terror, scepticism towards the working class and an absence of internal democracy is McC immeasurably more vulnerable to the virus cf renegacy than most others. This is the lesson which Maria McGuire's defection and accu- sations must impress on all IRA members who are critical internal of the Provisionals' regime and policy. But this criticism of the radical middle-class leadership does not extend to any solidarity with the charges made by Miss McGuire. Ever since the end of the 'truce' following the Lenadoon inci- But 'Motorman' and the dent operation on_July 29, White- hall and the British army have exerted the maximum military and political force to break crisis-ridden the back of Republicanism. The occupation forces have paid an exceedingly high price for this — the 19 killed and 70 wounded exceeds any other four-week period.

In Britain, France and the US, police have arrested security arms dealers and suppliers and one Irish paper says Interpol has been snooping on various suspected IRA arms sources for over a year. the Republic, Premier Jack In Lynch has supplemented the efforts of General Tuzo with widescale arms searches, des- truction of bomb factories and IRA camps and increased sur- veillance of the border to stop IRA infiltration. And British Edward Heath has PM demanded he steps up this campaign — giving Lynch a Secret Branch list of IRA names and addresses. Paradoxically, the policy of internment, by depriving the IRA of the older and more conservative leaders, created a by which filled void was younger and more intransigent — if also more sectarian leaders who support MacStio- fain and Seamus Twomey. If Whitelaw is releasing internees it is not through any altruism, but because he wants restore the status quo within the Provos which existed be- fore September 1971. There are strong rumours circulating in Belfast that Twomey has been replaced by the more flexible Gerry Adams, a former internee who joined the Lon- don peace talks with White- law. The POLITICAL wing—like their predecessors of 1922 — would like a political solution pre- ceded by secret talks with the imperialists and the Protest- ant Loyalists. The MILITANT MILITARY wing wants the war continued until their demands are met. Their rejection of Whitelaw's over- tures has considerably strength- their position in the ened Catholic ghetto. Their bombing tactics, however, not only strengthen the Ulster Defence Association, but more significantly have reduced their strength because of the number of volunteers killed by their own bombs. This had dis- day September 6, 1972 couraged the flow of volun for this type of opera- teers tion. McGuire's statement only reveals the magnitude of the insolu- ble crisis affecting the Republi- After three can movement. years of heroic sacrifice and blind militancy the

IRA

leaders are faced with the stubborn fact that neither their political nor military strategy can defeat imperialism. Despite the denials of the IRA leaders it is strongly believed that they will abandon the bombing campaign and resort to 'flying columns' of gunmen laying ambushes and making hit-and-run attacks on British patrols and outposts. But these tactics will not stop the political sell-out being prepared by the reformist SDLP, the CP-dominated Civil Rights Association and the Official IRA—all of whom have condemned the Provisionals in order to ingratiate themselves with Whitelaw. The Ulster Unionists in the mean- time have completed their proposals for presentation to the all-party conference on Northern Ireland. The blue- print, which believed to include demands for the restor- of Stormont with full ation security powers and 100 MPs, has already won the approval of the former Cabinet and the parliamentary party. more ominously, is the plan,. also said to cal for creation of special riot police squads. McGuire's allegations that plans to assassinate Mac- laid were Stiofain, if true, do not bring any credit to herself or the political wing which she sup- ports. It only shows the close correspondence aims between herself and the British army of occupation. Her accusation of MacStiofain as a 'bigoted murderer' is just as since the outlook of cynical the entire Provisional leader- ship is dictated by limited nationalist considerations, which is hostile to revolu- tionary Marxism. MacStiofan's bombs do aim- kill individuals, but lessly imperialism, which now pat- ronizes McGuire, deliberately kills the aspirations of whole nations and has condemned the Irish people to endless poverty, degradation for famine and centuries. Between the barbarism of British imperialism and the terror of the Provisionals there is an important distinction. Notwithstanding our serious dif- ferences with the IRA we shall continue to defend the Provo leaders from the imperialists' attacks-and the calumnies of renegades like Miss McGuire.

Only the withdrawal of British troops can put an end to the and destruction in death Ulster. That McGuire should find her- self the unsolicited darling of the 'Observer' is not to be wondered at. But it would be why the to know interesting 'Observer' could not show the same enthusiasm for the enter- prises of former Home Secre- Maudling as it has tary Mr revealed in the internal affairs of the IRA.

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

Bavarian Interior Min THE PALESTINIAN guerrilla group police chief Black September has claimed respons- Village chief Herr W ibility for yesterday's attack on the A list of 200 from Israeli jails has Israeli quarters in the Munich Olympic chairman of the Olyn village. The guerrillas say t non-Israeli aircraft A noon deadline (later postponed to 1700 from Amman or Beir which the hours local time) was set Negotiations for th raiders threatened they would shoot two Israelis the safe departure every hour if 200 Arab guerrillas and political would begin prisoners were not released.

Arab capital. A West German The Black September group takes its name from limited amount of mo the September fighting in 1970 when King Hussein's was rejected out of h troops broke the power of the Palestine guerrillas Two Black in Jordan. are Rima Tannous, (2. life serving At least five guerrillas took part in the raid in hijacking of a Belgian wrestling coach was the early hours. An Israeli The group sprang killed and 11 Israelis were held as hostages.

ber it when Negotiations followed between the Arabs and Minister, Wasti Tell,

AROUND THE WORLD

FACED WITH growing dis- Minister M. Giscard D'Estaing presented his measures as part of content about rapidly rising a move towards a unified Com- prices, the French government mon Market monetary policy.

yesterday formally launched its * ati declared Europeans 18b.

lem' he declared anti-inflationary programme. chance to show that we have the Prices in August rose capacity for a common economic policy in Europe, annual rate of 0.8 per cent, the Pompidou is hoping to win the highest monthly rate since the of West Germany for SuDDOlL early 1970. united the stand against Americans when the Finance The measures include a limit of the Com- enlarged Ministers bank credit, pledge on Market Rome on mon meet freeze prices in the state-run September 11 and 12. till next March 31 and en- sector forcement of price agreements between the Finance Ministry and In addition the government plans to help improve supplies, particularly meat, food whose price has soared rapidly in recent weeks. French Large sections of however business opinion are sceptical about the measures. They point out that many prices in the

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

state-run sector were raised con- siderably during August.

THE

CAMBODIAN

govern- No doubt the Pompidou ment this week acknowledged measures are partly motivated by shortage fol- a national rice considerations. The electoral lowing an estimate by western French go to the polls in parlia- that there is not mentary elections early next year.

economists month's supply of the even a American-Com- The growing staple food left in the country.

Market clash on pronomic and monetary measures is a more Meanwhile, ten miles of High- the French factor in Two, linking Phnom Penh way Finance government's strategy. with the south, still in the is hands of liberation forces.

relief columns Government have made the no progress lo north west where two weeks ago liberation seized forces mile stretch Phnom Penh's

CLASHES

Japanese between only road link to the main rice- and demonstrators left-wing growing region of Battambang Sagamihara police erupted at A state of 'national danger' is the shipment of yesterday over still force Vietnam. in which empowers repaired tanks to Marshal Lon Nol-who became President last month- -to legis- 59

LETTER

signed by late by decree. academics and has politicians Last week's Lower House sent to Russian Politburo been 'elections' historian were a farce in which members demanding Yakir's jail. the government party was un- Peter from

TA PAP

Signatories of the letter include all but ten of the opposed in The two main opposi- Belgian, Italian, French and 126 seats. Parlia- had withdrawn Luxembourg Members of tion parties in ment, American and British uni- the government's protest and American of the constituency versity professors playwright Arthur Miller.

boundaries. terior Minister Dr Bruno Merk, Munich Manfred Schreiber and Olympic f Herr Walter Troeger. 200 names of prisoners to be freed • jails has been sent to Willi Daume, : the Olympic Organizing Committee.

rillas say the prisoners must be flown in li aircraft to any Arab capital apart in or Beirut. ons for the release of the hostages and Munich eparture of the raiders from • once the prisoners had reached an German government offer of an un- unt of money in return for the hostages 1 out of hand. k September members in Israeli jails annous, (21), and Therese Halasseh, (19), for their part the sentences a Belgian airliner to Tel-Aviv last May.

p sprang into prominence last Novem- the Jordanian Prime assassinated asfi Tell, in Cairo. It also claimed responsibility.

for a machine-gun attack in Lon- don last December when Zaid-Al Rifai, former Jordanian ambas- sador, was wounded. Last month Black September members blew a number of oil tanks in up Trieste, Italy. By noon yesterday, the original deadline time, police armed with had ringed machine guns the perimeter fence of the entire Olympic village and groups of riot police trucks stood at every gate and most street intersections in the area. The guerrillas demanded three planes for their escape. Their to be to divide plan appeared their hostages into three groups which would leave in turn to- gether with some of the raiders.

Head of the Egyptian team at the Games Abdel Aziz El Shafie, condemned the attack - named 'Ikrit and Baraam', after two villages on the Israeli-Lebanese border. The inhabitants of these vil- lages were driven from their homes in 1948 and resettled in Israel. A recent request by them to return to their villages was refused by the Israeli authorities.

The West Berlin correspondent of Israel radio reported that West German police had warned Israeli and Jewish organizations on Monday that Arab guerrillas had crossed from Scandinavia into Germany. In Vietnam, northern forces have attacked a government position only 21 miles north of Saigon. More liberation troops are moving closer Saigon to through the Mekong Delta from Route Cambodia along eastern 13, which links the capital with An Loc. have The North Vietnamese withdrawn the veteran 312th Division from Laos in order to strengthen their drive to the south. But the Laotian government's defence spokesman, General Thongphanh Knosky, has empha- sized that he needs more men and equipment if he is to recap- ture the Plain of Jars from the reduced liberation forces.

The government's shortage is very serious, particularly taking into account estimated losses of 15,000 men killed and wounded each year out of a population of 3 million. Diplomatic sources in Laos say that the American Central Agency (CIA) is Intelligence being forced to recruit ten-year old boys among the Meo Hill tribes to fight in the American- backed 'Secret Army' of General Vang Pao.

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS AND JOHN SPENCER IN BRIGHTON

HEADLINES in the Tory press have talked about the big showdown brewing between the TUC and the government because of the policies decided at the Brighton Congress. Some delegates have their doubts.

One is Peter Jones, executive council member of the Constructional Section of the Amalgamated Union of Workers and the union's branch secre- Engineering tary in Cardifi. He talked to Workers Press in a personal capacity about the dangers facing the work- ing class and the way he con- sidered the movement them. He considers meeting unemployment a key issue.

branch in Cardiff. Take my The biggest bulk of the member- out of work and I have ship are finished 14 weeks just on the dole. 'This is bad, but it's going to worse because there no get 1S prob- chance of resolving the lems of this economy within the framework. existing I have men unemployed for 12 months. The main factor is the level of government spending big projects. on Rant have Tory government and this is the main reason why nothing is done to get rid of this massive un- employment. 'This is the political crunch. The TUC nor any motion down this week really makes a stand Peter Jones (I) sitting in confer- against this policy. with secretary ence union 'We all know that despite all Eddie Marsden, who proposed the resolutions the TUC is going the lifting of the ban on the CP.

meeting with the

CBI

to go on Tories and the week so very conference-who after this wing and moderate majority who against this? is speaking out policy during interprets There is not a resolution down next year. this week that makes a challenge 'My fear is that I against this collaboration.

greatest will don't think there be re- 'And how the working class sults from this congress. we all know need this challenge, think to use a Ted Heath nauti- will how high unemployment cal expression the movement will But there to this winter. is rise "come about". no solution posed by the TUC.

The 'What more are we doing than other vital issue, says Peter, suspending these unions? After is the anti-union laws. Again he believes that the lead this do purge are we going to given is inadequate. anything positive? Have we an answer to this government which 'The resolutions that are is going to disarm the trade down, let's say the most mili- movement? doubt designed to union tant ones, are take this conference will come up the steam out of the issue.

There with answer- think the clarity about the future no answer will still be the Official position on the court or fines. Solicitor. Speakers make statements would like I would like to see an all out how they to see resolution interpreted, but in the industrial fight; formulas that final analysis it will be the satisfy delegations not enough.' General Council with right 10% L227.

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Workers Press, Wednesday September 6, 1972 PAGE 3

TRADES UNION CONGRESS 104

THE DOME BRIGHTON

THE

TUC

General Council Was using the Communist Party bulwark offset the Doc alist every union the see whether 'the warned trades abour venue Right-winger William right to elect whatever Communist Party is able council found 'disrup Blair Plumbing the Electrical gate it chose to the elements' to that inside they nas seriously caankca lie ranks Congress tactics'. model rule and TOTe nature and The ban at the trades this was the He keep them out. conference had Connel main reason for support- said the why the been imposed the The General Council ing a motion War was relying on height of the Plation • Wa

SUD POLLINS

: the was Dan On members The (reconnon the allawas sellst delegates to the annual hope that the Com- should be elim- organizations' m e n. conference of trades Party nunist inated. tioned other speak councils. 'offset the problem being ers, he said. He pointed out that Blair's last-ditch stand treated former The job of the trades favour the 22- of the Socialist Labour who year-old League was to Was d Interna overwhelmingly policy in their orime move KeeD. tional Socialists, who, it ban, was now on localities. defeated Ing the

SOW

fell. art treate National danger the trade 'If there Court judging Proposing the lifting union movement than th any repetition of the ban, CP member Communist ou-called the Party'. which curcums ances Eddie mitted trade union- Marsden, the George for about the ban brought ists under the Indus. the General Council, the council Decion trial Relations Act' the Amalga- he believed the sultative mated Union Engi Blair's amendment WaS neering Workers, said troduce it.? asked for a committee the ban. But he nights the better it will night's time whether have to lace legal action fro over the sermen's unon latter's suspension from Con National Union Seamen executive will take September 19 It will be then that the

BOSS IT

legal action will be consideres

NUS

genera secretary William will personally recommend the executive not to take such action. But he said that if it were for taken it would con- The

TUC

alread been National warned by Industrial Relations Court tha the suspension might stitute a contempt. THE IMPOTENCE of protest men out on the enough to get

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

politics was revealed at the basic issues we are fighting on.

Brighton

TUC

yesterday. Less alson Commite es Back pool were than 100 workers responded stewards' committees who took Liaison part. to the call Liaison demonstration last year. trom the Committee for the Defence of monstration boyis the Among those present were Unions Trade the lobby Kent Tilman- demonstration from delegates over the Industrial Pier, , Brighton, to the conference stone compenes Act centre. Relations yesterday a delegation from the Park Royal morning. shop stewards committee in By early afternoon the ranks London and 15-strong group of the lobbyists had been swelled demonstrators lined the from the Briant Colour about conference approach in silence as delegations the chairman the Stalinist- Chrysler's, Linwood, LIOn. and dominated gued itte delegates Kevir The Briant workers were there Halpin. they were both entering the Dome for the morn- supporting support for their own jobs lobby and seek- ing a policy of 120l.

CALL

but made no mention of fighting Notable absentees were ship- to the to yard workers from the upper Clyde. No slogans were carried the of the seven Dallues The consensus on the lobby kers' organization and shop was one of demoralization.

John _Lowe sheet

THE TORY

metal government was 'in worker from London airport, said contempt' open nor- alroorl was working canners. member About 30 out of the 4,000 Civil Service union told con mave to 5,000 workers in the engineer- ference. Mrs Margaret Morri- ing and maintenance section had son, a cleaner in the Devart Employment come lo DuRaLon ment Newcastle, was proposing He why the told me ShOD resolution from her union that committee not stewards recommended the Liaison Com- government cleaning contracts should go only to companies mittee's call for a one-day strike.

which recognized nego. 'We have just had a one-day tiated with trade unions jailing of the strike against the The government. she said strikes on puts out contracts for tender one-day issue and does not concern itself of the orivale barrace nanulls whether firm GAS not the get a fair rate for the inh' i don't think we could nave Pay was frozen because the pulled another one-day strike off.

government agreed to fixed workers' shop building without allowing for from Camden - or steware a cost-of-living increase.

five-strong delegation from the

NOW OPEN

Trades Council-took a similar ask for basic only Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs line. justice opposed to slave 9 a.m.—6 p.m. rates pay. The pay is Si 'I don't support the kind of Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. low that it takes most cleaners demands your paper supports, for Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. all their time to pay for the a General Strike', he said.

bus fares to and from work.

I don't think this is possible The resolution was carried at the present time. I am a build- ing

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday September 6, 1972

POWERS

FOR

VITAL

Part 7 of a series on Picketing by Bernard Franks In 1920, following the British army massacre at Amritsar, angry demon- strations by unemployed ex-servicemen, a spate of strikes including two by and the be- the police, ginnings of a Communist in Britain, the Party Emergency Powers Act was passed. This was aimed at enabling government to declare the 'state of emergency and to break up any large strike said to be 'interferring the will supply and distribution of food, water, fuel or light, with of locomotion. means The powers Act also gave 'for any make regulations to the otner purpose essential public safety and the life tne community The Act contains the stipu- lation that no such regulation shall make it offence an peaceful persuasion strike, or However, of others to strike. the General Strike showed that the rest of the Act was construed by the authorities as Pickets this clause. negating batoned, ridden down were by police, and beaten-up assorted middle- troops and blacklegs. class Sweeping powers to search for and confiscate documents were given to the police by the Home Secretary. The government seized land, buildings, foods vehicles and other essentials, issued licences to take over docks and rail- ways and to control electricity, gas and water. The scabs' Or- ganization for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) told volun- teers to 'hit hard-to hit to kill' according to one version.

1 provocative statement is sued by the government said: 'All ranks of the armed forces Crown hereby the al c notified that any action which they may find it necessary to take in an honest endeavour to ald the civil power will receive, both now and afterwards, the full support of His Majesty's government. strike As result of the some 3,149 for prosecutions incitement to sedition and for violence were made. During the action the picket- take new ing began forms, even in the short period nine days that the strike of lasted. In areas where violence by police and hacklegs workers' defence occurred. squads began to be formed by Councils Action. outside Not just the vaLe but a factory or building site, the streets of entire areas be- came controlled by the strikers.

Blacklegs visited were workers and the situation ex- plained to them. This was only reluctantly allowed abhorred oCa and totally leaders the TUC. by Capitalist property itself was touched and the strike not day September 6, 1972 reting by Bernard Franks leaders did not advocate its expropriation and occupation.

The Communist Party's sub- ordination of the needs of the revolutionary movement to that of the General Council of TUC ensured that the the Minority Movement acted as no more than a 'ginger group' in the trade unions, instead of constructing an alternative leadership. Even so, increasing control of supplies and trans- port were being taken by the strikers when the action was called off by the TUC leaders.

The defeat of the General Strike was followed by vicious legislation which in many ways stands as a forerunner of the Industrial Relations Act. The Trades Unions and 1927 Trades Disputes Act made general strikes and political strikes illegal and made it illegal to picket for, finance, incite, or in any other way further an illegal strike on pain of imprisonment for up to two years. Blacklegs received • protec- tion and compensation . from any union which expelled them.

Other picketing was restricted to one or more persons if 'calculated to intimidate' Intimidation was defined as 'to cause in the mind of a per- apprehension reasonable son of injury to him or to any member of his family or to any of his dependants, or of violence or damage to any person or property' Most sympathy strikes were banned by the Act and Civil Servants were forbidden or- ganizations affiliated to the TUC, Labour Party, or con- nected with any other organ- izations outside the Service.

Local authorities were pro- hibited from operating a "contracting closed shop and out' of paying the political levy paid to the Labour Party by the unions was replaced by "contracting in' (meaning a worker now had to actually apply to pay it whereas pre- deducted from viously it was contribution unless he his stated otherwise.) During the period of mass unemployment and poverty of the 1930s, this and other re- pressive laws were used against any workers who sought to defend rights and improve conditions. Altogether, 1,432 workers were prosecuted between Octo- ber 1931 and February 1933 because of their fight against the government. Of these, 480 were jailed, 734 fined and 130 bound over. One 'law' of this time was the 'Trenchard Ban' which was an order made personally by Commissioner of the the Police, Lord Metropolitan Trenchard in November 1931 meetings prohibiting public near labour exchanges. Work- for this were arrested ers offence even though it existed Top: trade unionists march on London Er Above: hunger marchers in 1932—mass nowhere in the Statutes as an act. Trenchard's word illegal was literally the law and there was no redress. Generally, during this period the police mobilized in a more in- military style and used violence against creasing demonstrators. Major battles occurred, for example, when unemployed strikers and miners and their families fought scab labour and police, to defend their jobs, wages and union against the onslaught of the mine owners. major anti-working- Two class laws of this period were the Incitement to Disaffection and the Public Act (1934) Order Act (1936). The former followed the Invergordon Mutiny and strengthened the restrictions of the 1797 Act against seducing any member of the forces from his duty.

It also penalized any person 'having in his possession or under his control' any docu- ment which would constitute such an offence. The Act empowered 7 judge to authorize a police •aid 'if necessary by force' on any premises and to seize anything or anybody suspected of con- travening the Act. Maximum penalty for the offence was $200 fine or two years in prison. London Embankment against the 1927 Trades Ur 932—mass unemployment was used against un Known generally the as Sedition Bill, countless tests and meetings were held against this insidious attack of printing and on freedom speech. It still applies today.

Public Order Act, The allegedly aimed at the fascists, gave police wide powers to re- strict and prohibit demonstra- tions. From the way the police protected the fascists' meet- and repeatedly attacked Ings • batoned anti-fascist de- and monstrators, it was not difficult to see that here was yet an- other anti-socialist ind anti- trade union lavi. This is also still on the Statutes though with far stronger penalties.

In the years after the Second World War, British capitalism was in no position to impose new strictures on the working class, particularly returning servicemen. On the contrary, the 1927 Act had to be repealed and numerous and improvements in Health Welfare Services were made.

In the United States, how- the notorious Taft- ever, Hartly Act was passed in 1947 a huge number of following stoppages including a 113-day at General Motors. strike Trades Unions and Trades Disputes Act.

against unions during this period called it the 'Slave Workers Labour' law. The Act out- the government 20-day 'cooling' period on strikes and protected scabs' jobs against union attempts to get them out. It arranged for mass picket- to be outlawed, made ing strikes against the government punishable by immediate sack- ing, outlawed "blacking' and sympathy strikes and most allowed damages suits against losses union for assets curred through actions illegal under the Act. Growing effects of the world crisis have eventuaily brought capitalism to similar legislation in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. A ten-day strike by New Zealand seamen, and the union itself were both broken by the joint efforts of the gov- ernment and the New Zealand TUC in November last year the 1954 Industrial during Conciliation and Arbitration Act. This Act compels settle- ment through an Arbitration Court whose findings are virtual binding and enables dissolution of the union. A new union was formed a few weeks later on terms approved by the Ministry of Labour.

TO BE CONTINUED

BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDEN

Long before the first barrel of marketable oil is due to emerge from the North Sea-that event is not expected until 1974- doubts are already begin- ning to surface about the all-embracing benefits which politicians and journalists claim have been opened up for the Scottish economy by the expected oil boom'. The most obvious conclusion to be drawn from the state- ments of leading are anxious to divert attention of the from the realities economic crisis and the class struggle by holding out the somewhat ill-defined prospect that NE Scotland-centred on Aberdeen-is to become the 'New Texas'. And the increasing number of journalists, who are devoting some attention to the chang- ing face of the north east, eager to cash in on the general euphoria and do their optimis- tic bit for the capitalist system, have so far mostly been forced to the conclusion that it's very hard to find out anything con- crete about the 'boom'. Certainly the big oil com- panies are hoping to alleviate their own crisis by taking big profits from the North Sea, and hundreds of small there are firms looking for quick gains.

Weldex (International) Off- Shore Ltd is one of them. It was one of the first North Sea oil service companies set up in

ONDENT

Aberdeen. It has just an- nounced that it has folded, and that the 100 Jobs it had fore- cast this sumer will not now materialize. A director of the firm, Mr.

Graham Alexander, son of haulage boss local road Charles Alexander, announced that all the staff had now been paid off. 'Things are difficult • the engineering field, he said. Nor are the assurances about working conditions on the rigs themselves, given by a Department of Employment spokesman in the Commons on very convincing. August 28, Labour MP Dick Douglas called for an investigation into allegations made to him in Aberdeen over pay, conditions and food on the rigs. He was informed that the turnover of labour did not seem particu- larly high, so presumably everything was all right.

There is very little trade union organization amongst rig workers and, in the words of a recent press report, the T&GWU's interest in organiz- ing rig labour 'has not been encouraged by some rig opera- tors'. This is particularly true of American operators. Wages on the rigs often sound high, as they are usually paid in a lump sum after a two-week stint, during which men may work 16 or more hours a day. But hour-for- hour most sources agree they are low compared with com- parable shore-based jobs.

Robert Skinner, of North- field, Aberdeen, told Workers Press recently that he had gone on the rigs from his previous job as a building worker because he had been attracted by the money. But he did not He had intend to return. worked on two American rigs.

On the first, the men had had to be de-loused after two weeks, and the toilets wouldn't flush-though he believed con- ditions had been improved since he was on that rig.

On the second he had to and was work killing hours, accused of wasting time when he went to clean up after be- ing splashed in the face with diesel fuel. He was subsequently sacked on the grounds that he was not competent for the job, but the management informed the Employment Exchange that he had left of his own accord.

Some of the economic and social are beginning trickle to the surface before the oil itself. Nor do the big companies themselves partake unequivocally of the unremit- ting optimism of the journa- lists and Tory and reformist politicians. Esso announced recently in a staff magazine that some optimistic predictions did not take into account consumption trends, nor the high costs of . recovering North Sea oil, nor the fact that very little oil would be produced before 1975 at the earliest. They forgot to mention that nobody had thought of taking into account the world econo- mic crisis and the effects of developing international the trade war on capitalist indus- try as a whole. Workers Press, Wednes The dollar devaluation and the breaking of its links with gold, has sparked off a deep-going crisis between coffee pro- ducers and the advanced capitalist states. Coffee producc: depend on foreign exchange earnings to finance their imports of capital goods used to develop national economies. When the devaluation took place last August, those coun- tries in South America and Africa which export coffee, sustained losses in real earn- ings.

PRODUCERS

COMBINE

For the first time the pro- ducers combined and pre- sented a united front to the consumer countries, led by the United States which takes 45 per cent of world production.

A demand was put forward for a 4 cents a pound increase in coffee prices. The US and others refused and for the last month both sides have been meeting in an attempt to resolve the crisis. For many backward econo- mies, the coffee exports are the lifeline for survival. But there has been a persistent crisis for them because of the nature of the trading relationships advanced capitalist between economies and the colonial and semi-colonial world. The main problem has been too much coffee coming on to the market at the wrong time, enabling the consuming coun- tries to force prices down.

In the long-term, a rise in the world price will encour- age new plantings as farmers are attracted to higher earn- ings. It may take four or five.

years before these trees bear fruit during which period the high price is still prompting an expansion of the area under coffee. As the new supply reaches the market, the price adjusts itself downwards, but produc- tion continues to increase since new trees only reach their maximum yields 10 to 15 years after planting. As a result crops are often destroyed. There burn- were 3, Wednesday September 6, 1972 PAGE 5 of coffee surpluses by ings Brazil in the 1930s, and even in 1968 the Ivory Coast was forced to destroy 100,000 tons of coffee, more than a third of its annual output. The current crisis over coffee surpluses dates from 1954 when in response to a price boom, Brazil opened up the state of Parana to coffee.

Because it was a lost cost area, there was a real problem that prices would depress and reduce foreign earnings. So Brazil introduced a policy of retention and stockpiling to limit exports, being quickly joined by other Latin Ameri- can nations. Ву 1962 an International Coffee Agreement was signed by most exporting and import- ing countries, aimed at long- in prices. term stabilization Each country was allocated an export quota and prices were guaranteed not to fall effec- tively below the 1962 level.

But if the market prices dur- ing the year rose or fell, a country's quota was accord- ingly adjusted by a reduction or increase. The ICA, however, has never come up with any real solution to this intractable problem.

PACT

SIGNED

Brazil, for example, in a dominant position with one- third of the world's coffee quota, has in the past agreed to supply American roasters at discount prices. On the other hand, African producers facing the accumu- lation of huge surpluses want to enlarge their quotas. They have already reduced Brazil's quota by almost 15 per cent.

The dollar devaluation, how- ever, brought the producers together if only temporarily- in a common front against the United States. In April, eleven of them signed a pact in Geneva to fix their own marketing arrange- ments and quotas. Now they are face to face with America in negotlations which no one can see any end to. Below: coffee surpluses in Brazil, which are now growing due to African competition taking 15 per cent of its quotas

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE TUPAMAROS?

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday Septan

BY OUR FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENT

In June 1968, President Uruguay, Pacheco 11l Areco, decreed emerg ency measures to deal with student violence Constitu- and strikes. tional rights were suspended. Two news. papers were banned and trade-union leaders were imprisoned. weekly 'Marcha' The liberal cried 'What out: are we of our country? A making general prison? A huge con- centration camp? A great barracks?' American imperialism did ladnesday September 6, 1972 indeed require dictatorship in Uruguay, and Areco was the path for destruc- clearing ion of democratic rights and trade unions. Opposition these to measures has been misled by the Communist Party's peace- ful road to socialism and the policy of socialism through a urban barrel of the gun guerrilla band, the Tupamaros.

In the general elections last Party the Communist vear, participated in the Broad Democratic Front which in- cluded the conservative Christian Democrats. The CP blamed the working class when its bourgeois front was defeated. elected President Newly Juan Maria Bordaberry, did not take long to declare a war' on 'state of internal all opposition to government measures on April 15 of this year. Since then, his police force has arrested over 1,000 people suspected of subversion against the state. Communist The Party, through its influence in the unions, has dissipated trade working-class opposition by organizing a series of one-day general against strikes price for increases and wage in- creases. The strikes were supposed to pressurize Bordaberry into stopping inflation and intro- ducing democratic reforms. During one of these strikes, the declaration of the after state of emergency, eight Com- munist Party members were shot dead by the police. The Tupamaros, meanwhile, have their bank- pursued robberies and kidnappıng businessmen, politicians and all manner of well-to-do bourgeois. They have also suffered losses. A Tupamaros heavy spokesman recently stated that 2,000 members are in jail and that 150 hideouts and 500 guns have been captured. Friday, Only Raul last Sendic, leader and founder of the movement was arrested in Montevideo. After a brief gun security forces, battle with Sendic was shot in the face.

The Tupas spokesman had, his previous to arrest, ex- plained how the movement could survive in a city under military occupation: 'their social origin will save them. They are Christian workers, clergy, members of Parliament, poor peasants and even a few ranchers and manufacturers. In other words, arrest to them, would be to attack the whole "community" and that would not be possible. Bordaberry's police have been perfecting methods to penetrate every possible source of opposition and criticism. Daily spot-checks are carried out in the streets of cities like Montevideo. Brutal attacks are launched demonstrators. on Sophisticated torture methods are then used to complete the operation. Bordaberry replied the these to protest over methods: 'I defend the govern- ment's right to rigorous inter- rogation. The police chemistry depart- ment, with the aid of Ameri- can Intelligence, has developed a series of new drugs to break down resistance. One of these the aids to interrogation is drug 'Tachiflaxin' Chis is a toxic which is a derivative of 'curare' a substance used by South American Indians for poisoning and arrows em- ployed in physiological experi- ments for arresting the action of the central nervous system.

This drug paralyses the body within few seconds and a brings the prisoner to the point of death, at which point the prisoner is helped with a bit of enough oxygen. to bring the diaphragm back into action. In some cases. has been applied the oxygen too late and the victims have died. In spite of the sophisticated of repression, and measures the preparations for dictator- ship, in July the Tupamaros did call a truce and, at the request of the army, talks be- between the gan Tupamaros and the military. Negotiations came to an end when the military turned down the guerrillas' proposal plan for structural of a economic reforms and an amnesty based on the pro- the Democratic gramme of Front. The Tupas claim that the military asked for talks be- 'there are military men cause who have witnessed the nationalist of the character guerrilla struggle' These officers, they also claim, are 'from the middle classes which are also affected by the crisis and have dis- covered the venality and cor- ruption of the traditional poli- ticians who have plunged this into the worst country economic plight of its history.

This statement has to be compared to a declaration by an assembly of Naval Officers at the end of August: this refers to their 'profound re- pudiation of any form of sub- be it taking up arms version, cowardly to murder in a way or through the plunder of the national economy, the the people of seizure from the product of their labour, moral, administrative and poli- tical corruption, speculation to the detriment of the populace or the compromise of national sovereignty. Workers Preas, Wadnesday September 6, 1972 PAGE 7 Top: New arrests; and interrogation Sendic, leader and founder treactina

TONOW.

or ine Tupamaros, who was wounded and arrested in Montevideo last week.

PAGE & Workers Prose, Wednesday Sept Part 3 of a series on Science a John Crawford Environment 'No room! No room!' shout the doomsday men. With their computers churning out predictions projections by the and yard, they exhort us to tion which doubles every few decades must soon use up all the possibilities for supporting life on earth. It is true, of course, that the fall in death rates in many col- onial countries since the war, especially among the younger age groups, has meant a rapid rise in population. But, as is well known, improvement in living conditions has generally eday Septomber 6, 1872 cience and the Environment by through better housing and associated been education, with a fall in the birth rate.

The real question to ask is this 'demographic tran- why sition' is delayed in the under- developed countries? The answer, of course, lies with the imperialist of consequences domination of world economy.

Ehrlich and company scream about the limits to foød pro- duction, while miffions of peasants still use ploughs and oxen. No great improvement in agricultural technology is pos- sible because of the forms of land ownership maintained by the imperialist powers for po- Meanwhile, litical reasons. food 'surpluses' pile up in Europe and North America.

The refusal of the popula- tion panic- mongers to face the responsibility capitalist property relations for mass clearly seen starvation is very Meadows' book 'Limits to in Growth'. To make their predictions of disaster puter 'objective', look pretend to discuss the so-called green revolution'. he 1960h technology de- This is the utilize of new vanene. plant, icides and fertilizers to raise productivity agricultural Meadows backward countries. has to admit that it has work- ed in some areas, but, he says, not without 'social-effects'.

'The more patterr „ common in the non-industrialized worlc is a wide range of land owner- ship, with most people work- ing on very small farms and a of the few people in possesior of land. Where vast majority conditions these ot inequaliti the already exist, green olution (renos to cause Large farmers ning inequality. adopt generally the new • Simple eco- methods first nomic considerations lead almost inevitably to the use of labour-displacing machinery purchase of still anu more land. ultimate effects of this feed- socioeconomic postlive back loop are unemployment, mig- increased ration to the city and perhaps increased malnutrition, CYCl since the poor and unemployed do not have the means to buy the newly produced food.'

Professor Meadows' com- puter, of course, does not know how to work out the consequences of a revolution transforming the ownership of land with it the productivity of agricultural labour. So his projections are made — no doubt with great precision— that im- the assumption On perialism will continue for or until everyone has ever, starved to death. In Volume III of 'Capital', Marx shows how Professor Meadows' 'social side effect' is the essential result of cap- italist private property in land Both where there are a few large estates and where there is a large number of small farm- 'private ownership of the ers, a barrier of land appears as production itself.' This is not only in prevent- ing the application of new techniques, but also because: 'In both forms the exploitation and devastation of the powers of the soil takes the place of rational treat- a consciously ment of the soil in its role of an eternal property, of an in- dispensable condition of ex- istence for successive generations of human beings.'

In agriculture, as in industry, it is capital which is the bar- rier, the 'limit to growth' • and only the socialist revolution Dr Paul Ehrilch: screaming about the limits of food production can smash this obstacle out of the path of man's development.

That is why, the further science and technology reach in controlling the forces of nature, the deeper the crisis of modern society. A mere quarter of a century of industrial expansion, from 1945 to 1970, was sufficient to reveal the conflict between the productive forces and capital- ist social relations in new and more horrifying ways. To those who see capitalism as the 'natural' social form, these effects appear as the inevitable results of too much growth in production. On the other side, the more optimistic upholders of cap- italism imagine that a bit of tinkering with the market mechanism-making indust- rialists pay for pollution, for example — will put it all to rights. One side demands that the number of human beings must be reduced and that science must be strangled, the other cannot see any basic conflict at all. If the cheerful idiocy of the second group aims to lull us all to sleep, the shrill hysteria of the first has the most dan- gerous political implications.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

The Grapes of Wrath in River Valley, Connec- ticut, have nothing to do with Californian fruit but the brown tobacco leaf the American bosses puff away in their c cigars. And the oppressed workers there are not the poor farmers from the land by driven depression and the banks but youth, contracted to work in the fields by companies like General Cigar of America.

pick their The growers labour with a keen eye for racial differences which they hope to exploit. But for the first time the youth have begun to rebel. Twenty seven Puerto Rican workers have filed a suit in the US District Court at New Haven against the company, charging ; it with a failure to live up to its promise of three hot meals a day. This first defiance comes from the Simsbury Camp, but it has spread to Camp South Deerfield, Whatley, Massachusetts, where 50 young workers have staged a one-day strike. The two rebellions have un- covered the cruel working and living conditions created by the Cigar Company's ruthless drive to bring in the rich harvest with the cheapest pos- sible labour. Workers are lured into the tobacco areas by recruiting leaflets which proclaim, Nourishing and healthful meals...planned by experts ... The youth pay over $14 a week for what turns out to be a frozen sandwich in the morn- ing and an almost inedible midday meal. In between they work long hours for $1.35 an hour-the minimum legal wage for a young farm worker. Over 1,000 of them toil in the River Valley—a quarter of the total summer labour force

GRAPES OF WRATH

IN TOBACCO COUNTRY

that proauce une waite w Tipperilo and cigars on sale in most American tobacconists.

Up until the Second World War the Connecticut

JOCA

youth would traditionally take jobs in the fields during the Now summer vacations. the companies search the whole of America and beyond for 14- to 17-year-old wage slaves to bring the golden harvest home.

First the companies began in Florida, concentrating their recruiting drive around tobacco centres like Tampa. Later boys from the West were brought Indies work, but in 1964 the US Labour Department decided that Puerto Ricans 'benefit' should the of get employment. Today the labour force com- Ricans, prises Puerto boys and girls from Western Penn- Florida sylvania, West and anel Virginia- 4,000 in all. The companies make their employees in lIve barracks isolated from the influence of workers outside the Industry. wages stay at a thus ensuring pitifully low level. In many cases racial differ- ences are carefully exploited prevent organization ally Youth up from Western Penn- sylvania speak angriv of how experienced black workers were by-passed for less skilful white workers. Racialism, fed by the intoler- "solved' able conditions, is the employers expelling whole sections workers the fate of a group of young blacks Hartford from

WIDO

thrown off the Culbro were Company site this summer The appalling food is one of the chief sources of complaint.

If the youth reject the mid- day meal they must pay ou cents for making up their own sane wiches even then the company insist on one slice of meat per sandwich. In addition workers the must do a turn in the kitchens -duty that is generally kept in reserve for punishing auly young person who steps out of line. The 48-hour, six-day week begins at 5.30 a.m. each morn- ing when the youth are roused from their sleep ready to go out to the field at 7 a.m. The labour is gruelling. It is a hand and knee job, down in the mud stripping the tobacco leaves off the plant. One young worker spoke of the conditions: 'The boss makes us go out no matter what the weather.

On wet days, the worst days because of the mud, we wear lousy thin plastic raincoats that always rip. Boys lose one hour's pay if they are caught pausing in the fields, even one assistant super- visor admitted, 'the kids are treated like slaves by the company. It's push, push, push.

Some farms have ten minute breaks, some don't. This one doesn't because the director doesn't want one' Recreation is limited to baseball, field trips to the sea- shore and two dances a summer with the neighbouring girls' On • Sunday camps. church, to praise the Lord for daily bread, is obligatory.

At Culbro's Camp, Floyd- ville, second-rate movies are shown for 35 cents. This camp is a ramshackle affair. Gaping holes in the window screens let in the stinging mosquitoes and there is no heat and little The boys endure these con- ditions because they have to.

Hundreds of miles away in the towns of West Virginia and Pennsylvania there are no jobs.

Most of their families work in the declining coal and steel industry. hot water. These are the conditions the young American worker under- goes in the 'richest' nation of the world. They are bitterly oppressed, but inevitably the flames of resistance are spreading along River Valley as the inexperi- enced tobacco pickers learn how to fight. Workers Press, Wednesday September 6, 1972 PAGE 9 'Screaming abuse the crowd The cost of living in Chile rose hurled anything available by 27.5 at cent in the first the troops. At least three six months of this year, accord- soldiers were felled by the ing to official figures published barrage, and one, who was hit The cost of living this week. on the head with a golf club, rose by 22.1 per cent in the later underwent an emergency whole of last and 11.1 year operation. per cent in its first six months.

'Western Mail', reporting from Belfast. Prime Minister Edward Heath is keep-fit fanatic. Every evening he goes over to the Hotel A London office worker and Grosvenor swimming the manager of a kitchen fit- pool in London for a 20-minute dip. tings shop in the capital have been walking round with fixed A special gym instructor smiles for the last week and a calls at No 10 every day to put Heath through half saying how happy they his paces. are their younger brother has Then there is his yacht-racing come into a £2.35m fortune.

and finally the piano. The so-happy pair are Chris- He doesn't smoke and bans tian and Gavin Grinling (32 smoking in Cabinet meetings. and 27), whose expressions of explains why some of which fraternal delight on behalf of them are short. farmer Gorm Grinling (26) are, This obsession with fitness of course, entirely untinged by also throws light some jealousy, Heath's political make-up.

sour grapes or any unworthy emotions. other In recent interview with Gavin, older a Sunday newspaper he just one year was than his lucky brother, did let 'The Ger- quoted as saying: his hair down slightly in of money on mans spent a lot Darish newspaper when he sports facilities in the 1930s pointed out somewhat and they have benefited ever aggrie- vedly: 'Gorm is not the eldest since. Of course both he and the of the three sons in the Grind- ling family. I don't know why newspaper fail to point out that it was the Nazis who spent all this large inheritance was left to him. It astonishes me.' this money. The German fas- Christian's comments are not cists were attempting to prove the supremacy of the so-called recorded. The story of Gorm's unex- Aryan race. windfall pected be of may interest patrons of a to any well-known store chain who thought they'd got a bargain only to find the item in ques- tion had fallen to pieces by the aime they got home. Grinling, Benedicte mother of Gorm, Gavin and Christian (and their 23-year-old sister Agstonia), was niece to the late Count Haugwitz Revent- former husband of low, Woolworth Barbara heiress Hutton. Their Lance son, who was dubbed 'The World's Richest Baby' when he was born in 1936, died in a plane crash last year. (On his 21st birth- day, Lance inherited £9.62m.).

The count, who also died last year, left seven estates, 70 farms and several houses on the Danish island of Lolland.

Now the old farm down at Surrey, is Gormless. Ewhurst, He has flown to Denmark to collect.

LEON TROTSKY:

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Fighting the Tories' Rent Bill Wind up fight call a rejected by tenants PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday Sard

ALL TRADES

UNIONS

ALLIANCE

MEETINGS

Sop- LANCASTER: Wednesday, tomber 6, 7.30 p.m. Trades Hall, Fenton Stroet. 'The building workers' strike'. BLOUGH: Wednesday September 6, 7.30 Community p.m. Slough Centre, Farnham Rd. 'Force the Tories out! Expose the traitors in the labour and trade union move- ment!' Speakers: Frank Tomany and Brian Bailey, both in a per- sonal capacity. GREENOCK: Wednesday Septem- ber 6, 7.30 p.m. Salon Hall, Town Hall. The rents struggle and the Scott-Lithgow engineers' fight.'

SUNDERLAND: Wednesday Sep- tomber 6, 7.30 p.m. Trade Union Club, Frederick Street. Speakers: Nicol (ATUA), Ennew (President of Sunderland Trades Council, in a personal capacity) : 'Build Councils of Action. Defend the right to work. Stop rents in- creases. Make the Tories resign.'

SHEFFIELD: Thursday September p.m. New White Lion, 7, 7.30 Wicker. 'The builders' pay claim and fight for the right to work.'

MANCHESTER: Thursday Sep- Basement tember 7, 7.30 p.m. Theatre Town Hall. 'Build Coun- cils of Action. Force the Tories to resign.' CLYDEBANK: Thursday, Septem- ber 7, 8 p.m. Clydebank Town Clydebank. 'Lessons of the Hall, UCS struggle.' RHYMNEY: Thursday September 7, 7.30 p.m. Rhymney Working- South men's Club Rhymney, Wales. 'Crisis of leadership in the trade unions.' EAST LONDON: Thurs- day September 7, 8 p.m. Festival In n, Market Square, Chrisp Street, E14. 'What is Market, Stalinism?' SOUTHAMPTON: Friday September 8, 7.30 p.m. , Corner of 'The Glebe' Brintons Road and Northam Road. Speaker: Alan Thornett (deputy senior steward Morris Motors, Oxford, in a per- sonal capacity). 'The les- sons of the docks strike and the fight for jobs.' BRACKNELL: Monday September 11, 8 p.m: Priestwood Community Centre. CROYDON: Monday September 11, 8 p.m. Ruskin House, Coombe 'Lessons Road. of the dock strike.' HULL: Wednesday September 13, p.m. Church Hall, Wayne "The Bransholme (opp Road, 'Fighting the Tories' Swallow'). Rent Act.' MEDWAY: Wednesday September 8 p.m. "The Greyhound' Rochester. Rochester Avenue, 'Defeat the anti-union laws. Force the Tories to resign.' SWINDON: Sunday September 17, 'Locomotive Inn', , Fleet 7.30 p.m. 'Join the fight to force Street. the Tories to resign.' Fill in the form below and

SECRETARY, SOCIALIST

186A CLAPHAM HIGH ST, L

Name Address 2 в, 1872 A FIFTY-STRONG public r Cumbernauld, Scotland, rents rejected a call by right-wing christ to wind up the struggle port'. Tenants had come to hear local MP Hugh McCartney, but he had another meeting in London. Treasurer Gilchrist intimated that the local development cor- poration was not prepared to continue to receive representa- tions from the action committee, while it advocated illegal action —the withholding of increases.

The meeting was totally hostile to abandoning the fight and in opposing the winding-up motion an ATUA speaker stressed that politics not legal quirks was at the essence of the rents fight.

The constituency Labour Party should have sent a substitute speaker, he said. 'The Labour leadership in the two largest working-class towns in Scotland have refused to im- plement the Act-but nationally the LP is retreating before the Act. 'It is wrong to maintain that the rents action committee is non-political. There are no Tories on the committee and this is not accidental' The drive to force up rents is part of the drive by the T -. У to force duwn government working-class living standards as the capitalist crisis bit deeper.

The only way to oppose this to maintain the rents was struggle as part of the fight for General Strike to force the Tories to resign and to replace them with a Labour government pledged to socialist policies. Gilchrist said if his motion were rejected, he would resign.

Only three votes were cast in favour. The chairman, Communist Party member David Kane, re- fused to accept the resignation.

INVESTMENT

in basic manufacturing industry con- tinues to fall rapidly. This is the most important conclu- sion from the latest Depart- ment of Trade and Industry survey into capital spending trends. Plant and machinery invest- ment fell by £25m in the second quarter of this year. Investment overall was 9 per cent down in the same period compared with three months. It the previous reached its lowest point in any quarter for three years. information about low and send to NATIONAL

LEAGUE,

IALIST LABOUR

GH ST, LONDON, SW4 7UG.

ublic meeting called by the 1, rents action committee has it-wing treasurer Douglas Gil- truggle due to 'dwindling sup-

TOWE

SOME of the 100 tenants and trade unionists who marched through Redditch, Worcester- shire, increases and terms of last weekend against the Tories' Housing Finance The figure would have been even worse but for improvements in the distributive and service sector. Not only have the reflationary and investment incentive mea- sures dating from last October proved a failure. The figures also the reflect the preparations monopolies for their entry into the Common Market as they investment plans into switch western Europe. Times' The latest 'Financial survey of business opinion un- derlines growing business pes- simism about prospects for 1973.

Firms expecting an increase in industrial production over the next 12 months has fallen from 72 per cent to 67 per cent since last survey. They blame in the domestic stagnation market as the main barrier to in- creased production. Molins back MORE than 700 strikers at Molins tobacco machinery factory at Deptford, south London, returned to work on a speed-up deal after a ten-week strike weekly in- yesterday. A £3.35 crease has been agreed for skilled workers and £2.85 for bonus semi - skilled a n d unskilled workers. The agreement with the unions also provides for a pro- gramme recovery bonus geared to improvements percentage on normal output. city council,

BIRMINGHAM

which had asked for a nil in- crease in council rents under the Housing Finance Act, has been told by the government that rents should go up by an average 55p a week. Cllr.

TRODO

силок нака Act. Despite chants of 'Heath out' maintained by many tenants throughout the demon- stration and posters calling for the nationalization of the land and building industry, not one of the speakers at the meet-

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

SOCIAL WORKERS in five Lor Islington, Southwark, Tower Hami involved in a dispute over stand-by to be on call at nights and at weeke The rate of pay in the Lon- don area for each 5 p.m.-9 a.m.

session is £1.20, and £2 if they are actually called out. Since they only get one payment no matter how many times they are called out in a night, total payment works out at about 12p an hour. The social workers are demand- ing a £7 inclusive payment regardless of whether or not they The employers, are called out. however, are insisting on sepa- payments and their last rate increase of the call- offer was an out payment to £4.50. local In the meantime, authority social workers are under attack from a different direction. Both the British Association of Social Workers and the National of Local Govern- Association have ment Officers

(NALGO)

opposed the implementation of the Butterworth Report which, if government decides the to act on it, would mean £170 a year salary cut. The government has agreed to salary increases to social work- ers in the probation and hospital Yapp, leader of the Stanley council's controlling Labour group, described the govern- ment's reply as 'completely un- acceptable'. A special council might be called to meeting discuss the reply. ing which followed called for Тогу downfall of the the Doris government. Fisher, Labour MP for Ladywood, Birmingham, hoped for more make the Tories protests 'to aware' of the tenants' fight.

five London boroughs - Hackney, er Hamlets and Lambeth-are still stand-by payments and are refusing at weekends. services, but it would appear they may be trying to pay for it by cutting the money to those in local authority employment.

NALGO has stated: 'The local government social work service is made a scapegoat for the Home Office and probation committees to pay realistic salaries to probation officers.

Social workers' salaries are low in relation to their qualifications and the responsibilities they undertake' i They also allege that the report is an attempt to introduce wage restraint in recommending salary for newly- a starting qualified social workers of £1,689, about £170 less than the pres- ent average pay. Mr J. B. Butterworth, vice- Chancellor of Warwick Univer- sity, who drew up the report for the Office of Manpower Eco- nomics, says that although this is only an interim figure sug- pending further discus- gested sion, he did have the need for national incomes restraint a policy very much in mind.

I must not make recom- which would be mendations inflationary, he said.

WORK IN the port of Bristol could back to normal soun after seven weeks of industrial disputes. formula to end the latest dispute--an unofficial strike by 160 maintenance men was agreed by shop stewards and will be put to the strikers to- day. The formula was thrashed out at meeting shop between stewards, union representatives and port officials. The strike, £7-a-week over a claim, started on August 21 pay -the day the rest of the port returned to work after the national dock strike. Seven ships have been trapped in the city docks Bristol at because the strikers normally operate the swing bridge which leads to the river Avon and the Ships at Avonmouth open sea. are also affected. A MEETING of about 250 Arm- strong Patents strikers near Hull yesterday voted to to Some of the Corby 'dissidents' after th work this morning. The vote was taken after convenor Jean Jepson had read RESISTANCE to a productivity guarantee that no work Corpora-

OUL

deal at British Steel would be moved from the Grove Corby tion's works has been Hill factory until full consulta- reflected in a growing number of tion had taken place with the unofficial 'dissidents'. union. On August 28, they walked out In the event of disagreement of a meeting in protest against the matter is to go through pro- a productivity agreement put by cedure. their negotiating committee. The management have not Later 102 men signed a letter made that the to George McCart, AUEW full- ally work will not be speeded up, time organizer, asking for further but say they will open discus- discussion and for him to attend on this SIons atter the their meeting last Sunday.

to work. But the officials are not pre-

ITV

Congress. 11.00 Trades Union 12.25 Women today. 12.50 Freud on food. 1.15 Bellbird. 1.25 Sean the leprechaun. 1.40 Woobinda. 2.00 Castle haven. 2.25 Racine from Doncaster. 3.40

TUC. 4.10

Hatty town. 4.25 Little big time.

4.50 Ace of wands. 5.20| Olym-

BBC 1

pics and news. 6.00

TODAY.

9.45 Mr Benn. 10.00 Robinson

6.35 CROSSROADS.

Crusoe. 10.25 Play tennis. 10.50-

7.00 WHICKER.

Within a 10.55 Magic roundabout.. 11.30 Woman's World. Olympic 1.30 Andy 1.45 News a

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

Pandy. News and weather. 8.00

THE BENNY HILL SHOW.

1.55 Olympic grandstand. 5.25 9.00

'REFUGE

PLAYHOUSE:

News. FOR A HERO'. Joan Thaw, Edward 7.00 NATIONAL NEWS. Weather.

Gareth Forwood,

7.25 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

Petherbridge. 8.10

PLAY:

'THE

INCREDIBLE

10.00 NEWS AND OLYMPICS AT

ROBERT BALDICK'. Never

TEN.

11.00 ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Come Night. Robert Hardy, Julian Holloway, John

11.55 WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Rhys-Davies

12.10 ADDICTION.

9.00

NINE

O'CLOCK NEWS.

Weather.

TODAY AT THE OLYMPIC

9.25 GAMES. Athletics, boxing, volleyball, yachting, basket- ball, archery, dressage, cycling. 12.30 Weather. CHANNEL: 2.10 Good afternoon.

2.43 Puffin. 2.45 Racing from Doncaster. 4.10 Paulus. 4.25 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 F troop.

BBC 2

6.35 London. 11.50 News, weather. V1.00-1245 London 20 eus 11.00-11.25 Play school. 4.10 Play 11.00-12.45 London. 4.35 4.50 school. Jackanory. Honeybun. 2.43 News. 6.00 Diary. Laurel and Hardy. 5.10 Story 11.53 News. 11.56 Faith for life.

behind the 5.35 Magic story. roundabout. 5.40 Undersea world SOUTHERN: 11.00 London. 12.45 of Jacques Cousteau. News and weather. 12.50 Let 6.30

BIRD'S

EYE-VIEW.

Inis them live. 1.15 Hot dog. 1.40 Fail: Isle of Destiny. Common Market cook book. 2.10

7.30 NEWSROOM.

Weather. Bellbird. 2.25 London. 3.40 8.00

TIMES REMEMBERED...

Houseparty: 4.00 Little big time. children abroad.

8.10 MAN ALIVE.

4.25 Crossroads. 4.50 London. Eastern Pro- 6.00 Day by day. 6.35 Get this. mise. 7.00 London.

FBI.

8.00 9.00 9.00 FOLLOW THE RHINE. To 11.55 London. What the papers the North Sea 12.10 News. 12.20 Weather.

say. FILM: 'BOOMERANG'. Dana 9.25 Guideline. Cobb, Andrews, Lee

HARLECH:

11.00-12.30 London. murdered public 2.15 Racing from Doncaster. 3.10 under pres- prosecutor is

TUC.

Tinkertainment. 4.15 4.25 to achieve con- Crossroads. 4.50 London. 6.01 viction quickly. Report West. 6.15 Report Wales.

NEWS ON

2. Weather. 10.50 6.30 On the buses. 7.00 London.

10.55 FESTIVAL 26.

8.00 Jason King. 9.00 London. ' after their meeting last Sunday pared to recognize the minority openly. The men not only fear that productivity will cause unem- ployment, but they are also angry over the way they say the docu- have ment appears to been changed without the consultation of union members. Productivity has been in opera- tion in the steel side of the Corby works since 1965. But the recent was taken in the whole vote complex. Tube worker John Smilie (32), Julian Holloway and Robert Hardy are I Never Come Night' 11.55 Frighteners. 12.25 Weather.

HTV Wales and HTV Cymru/ Wales as above except: 3.45 Hamdden. 4.15-4.25 Miri mawr. 6.01-6.15 Y dydd. above except:

HTV

West as 6.15-6.30 Report West.

ANGLIA:

11.00 London. World War I. 2.00 Rovers. 2.25 London. 3.10 TUC. 3.30 Yoga. 3.55 News. 4.00 Romper room.

4.25 London. 6.00 About Anglia.

6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county.

me. 9.00 London. 9.00 ATV MIDLANDS: 11.00-1.00 Lon- don. 1.45 Racing from Doncaster.

her. 3.10 TUC. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women today. 4.10 Rupert Bear.

4.25 London. 6.00 Today. 6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county. 9.00 London. les. ULSTER: 11.00-12.45 London. TYN 1.45 Racing from Doncaster. 3.10 1.45 lon. TUC. 4.00 Romper room. 4.20 Bell Workers Press, Wednesd points out that productivity deals only mean redundancies. Other workers these say be must resisted at all costs otherwise Corby could become another Irlam — the Lancashire plant being run down. The productivity document is careful not to offer any reassur- ances about sackings. It discusses yield speed, stoppages and reduced mechanical engine expen- diture-in other words, higher speed and lower numbers of workers. lardy are in tonight's BBC 1 suspense play 'The her. News. 4.25 London. 6.00 News. 4.09 N 6.10 Viewfinder. 6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county. 9.00 London.

11.55 World War I. YORKSHIRE: 11.00-12.45 London.

1.45 Racing from Doncaster. 2.10 Bellbird. 2.25 London. 4.10 Sean the leprechaun. 4.25 London. 6.00 Calendar, weather. 6.35 London. 8.00 Jason King. 9.00 London. GRANADA: 11.00 London. 12.30 Galloping gourmet. 12.55 Super car. 1.20 Audubon wildlife theatre.

1.50 Racing from Doncaster. 3.10 TUC. 4.10 News. Sean the lepre- chaun. 4.25 London. 6.00 News.

films. 6.05 Newsday 6.30 Odd couple. 7.00 London. 8.00 Nichols 9.00 London. 11.55 What the papers say. TYNE TEES: 11.00-12.45 London.

1.45 Racing from Doncaster. 2.10 .20 Bellbird. 2.25 London. 3.10 TUC. of jus , Wednesday September 6, 1972 PAGE 11

SPECIAL ATUA

MEETINGS

CENTRAL LONDON :

Inaugural meeting of the entertainments and press unions.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER

17, 7.p.m. 'The crisis of technology and unemployment.'

SHAFTESBURY HOTEL

MONMOUTH STREET,

WC2. Speakers: Roy Battersby (ACTT. In a personal capacity). A London docker.

KENT:

WEDNESDAY

SEPTEMBER 13, 8 p.m. 'Victory to the Creffield workers. Defeat the anti-union laws. Make the Tories resign.'

THE GEORGE AND

DRAGON

SHIPBOURNE ROAD

TONBRIDGE, KENT.

LIVERPOOL:

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER

17,10.30 a.m. 'Crisis in the car indus- try. Fight for the right to work.'

STORK HOTEL

QUEEN'S SQUARE

Speakers: Alan Thornett (deputy senior steward Morris Motors, Oxford. In a personal capacity). Mike Banda (SLL Cen- tral Committee). play 'The Incredible Robert Baldick: 4.09 News. 4.10 Make a wish.

4.25 London. 6.00 Today. 6.35 London. 8.00 Jason King. 9.00 News. London. 11.55 12.10 Epilogue. SCOTTISH: 11.00-12.45 London.

1.45 Racing from Doncaster. 3.10

TUC.

3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women today. 4.10 Hatty town 4.25 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 Under these roofs. 6.35 London.

7.00 Band call. 7.30 London. 8.00 Cade's county. 9.00 London.

11.00 Festival. 11.30 Late call.

11.35 McCue's music. GRAMPIAN: 11.00-12.45 London.

1.45 Racing from Doncaster. 3.10 News. 3.20 Yoga. 3.45 Women today. 4.10 Enchanted house. 4.25 London. 6.00 News, weather.

6.10 Grampian week. 6.20 Canadian 6.35 London. vIew. 8.55 Police 8.00 Department S. • news. 9.00 London. 11.55 Scales of justice.

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday So

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

BRITAIN was condemned as TUC in Brighton yesterday by the transport workers. Opening on old age pensions Jones calle of £10 for a single person and fl But the resolution he pro- posed was only a continua- tion of the TUC's as yet phoney campaign on this Issue. Once more any demand for bringing down the Tory govern- which condemns ment, workers to a life on the bread- line was dodged. The strongest action proposed was a joint lobby of parliament TUC and pensioners' by the organizations. At last year's conference it was resisted a demand Jones who for a strike over the poverty in which old people are forced to live. This year he did not even face this opposition. cheer from the Jones got a conference hall when he attacked politicians who complain about poverty abroad while there was such 'abject poverty' in Britain.

I think the efforts of the TUC, the pensioners' organiza- tions and the National Council of Labour have pensions put right on the agenda and we hope to keep it there. 'There is really no question on the agenda of the conference that one feels is more important than this issue. 'Frankly we have got to stop Britain becoming a pensions slum country.' He backed a call for a retiring age of 60 to alleviate employment and mental and physical strain, but warned that this could not be introduced until pensions were increased.* Bryan Stanley, deputy general secretary of the Post Office en- gineers, welcomed the govern- ment's annual review of pensions, but said that this on its own was not enough.

WEATHER

CLOUDINESS, with some rain, will move eastwards into west Scotland and Northern Ireland during the day, reaching most of Scotland later except the extreme southeast. All other and east areas will be dry with some sun- shine. Some early morning fog may develop in patches the Midlands. Temperatures will be near or a little above normal, apart from north and west Scot- land, where it will be rather cool.

Outlook for Thursday and Friday: Rain at times, mainly dry in the Cooler north, south. normal temperatures in the south.

nesday September 6, 1972 ned as a "pensions slum' at the rday by Jack Jones, leader of Opening the conference debate es called for a minimum award n and £15 for a couple. THE RIGHT to work was not Municipal General Workers' Union told the Con- She was moving a resolution aboli- on o employment practices and call- ing for support for any union taking industrial action to achieve equal pay. She said that diserimination was so pervasive that in many areas it had come to be regarded as the norm. The government report on moves towards equal pay showed that a real struggle would be required to make it a reality.

Pay was not the only area in which women were discriminated against. Trade unionists tended to forget unemployment among women though there were many thousands of households where a woman was the breadwinner.

UNIONS representing 900,000 local manual government workers decided in Brighton yesterday to lodge a claim for £4 a week more on basic rates • across the board. in- The claim represents creases of up to 23 per cent in the minimum rates. The unions are also asking for a threshold clause to ensure that pay stays in line with the cost of living and to protect earnings against inflation. They want the working week cut from 40 to 35 hours, four weeks' holiday a year and two extra days in statutory holidays.

Alan Fisher, National Union of Public Employees general • said secretary was not an exaggerated claim but one that could be substantiated. It was so well supported by evidence that strike action would be un- necessary. The unions do not expect to meet the employers until late next month. Jack Jones during yesterday's pensions.

BY JOHN SPENCER

right to work is the 'The right of all workers, men and women, she said. Miss B. Tinton, from the Technical and Supervisory Sec- tion of the AUEW, said the problem of equal pay would not disappear when the Equal Pay Act came into force in 1975..

'Not to fight the equal pay issue is to give the employers a chance to interpret the law as they want. 'Unless there is an attempt to fight on this issue you can forget the idea of equal as our pay movement wants it for many years to come. 'Now is the time for all trade talking and unionists to stop start fighting for equal pay.'

Mrs Irene Swann of NUPE, a Communist Party member, called for action 'up to and including

FROM PAGE 1

Strathalmond atmosphere Lord relaxed told reporters genially that he now expected the agreement to be signed by Mon- day week-seven days late.

He added dates did not make much difference. He said smiling: 'When the signing takes place depends on when Mr Ramsay [boilermakers' district official] wants to drop in and have a beer with me Union officials refused to dis- close details of the Deace formula thrashed out at yesterday's meet- James Ramsay said ing. But afterwards: There are more prospects now than there have been at the last two meetings.' Murray added that the peace solution would need to be given very serious consideration by the GLASGOW demonstrators marched 600-strong yesterday afternoon demanding the repeal of the Industrial Relations Act.

There was criticism by workers on the march of the failure of several large factories in the area to turn out. None of the ship- on strike. yards out came pensions debate industrial action' to secure equality for women. She claimed that the recent concession of 90 per cent of the men's pay for women workers in engineering had been won as a result of the plant-by-plant fight on the engineering pay claim. Mrs Swann attacked the 'extraordinary statement' in the General Council's report advising caution in encouraging girls to 'traditionally train for jobs regarded as mainly suitable for men. 'They appear to be asking the trade union movement to accept limitations imposed by tradi- tional thinking on the question, she said. The Congress passed the reso- but its lution unanimously, acceptance does nothing to alter the TUC's supine neglect of its 24 million women members. No amount of pious resolutions and platform rhetoric have proved able in the past to eliminate the gulf in wages and working con- ditions against women workers.

men at a mass meeting. Ramsay and Murray were given a hot reception at last week's mass meeting when they turned up with nothing but threats of what would happen if the agree- ment was not signed. There are firm indications that over the past 24 hours they may have succeeded in pressing the company to promise a review of wages earlier than next January.

At today's meeting of boiler- at Govan's makers Lyceum Cinema the officials will almost certainly try to convince the men that Lord Strathalmond is show- ing great patience and that they have won enough of a victory to go along with the deal. This would dovetail with boiler- makers' leader Dan McGarvey's view that all that was needed to clinch the men's agreement was a new form of words. BOILERMAKERS in the Swan Hunter shipbuilding yards on the Tyne staged a mass walk-out in a dispute over a cost-of-living claim yesterday. The 4,000 men, who are seeking a 17} per cent cost-of-living rise, yesterday gave 21 days' notice to end their present pay agreement which has 17 months to run, and seek a new settlement.

THE

12-WEEK

strike at Coventry, Jaguars is cars, over. By 723 votes to 579 the accepted the strikers final company offer. This offer gives a f44 flat rate for 40 hours and £105 payment to those who are already earning over £45 and pro rata payments for those who are earning less than £44. There are to be immediate talks on a new flat rate system of pay- ment (i.e. Measured-Day Work).

Vehicle builders' union official Fred Palmer thought that the return to work vote was a result of people being in financial stress.

However, the conduct of this strike has been marked right from the beginning by a refusal of the shop stewards to see the whole implications of British- Leyland's determination to smash and piece-work introduce Measured-Day Work. This is really confirmed by the comment made by Mike Richards, chairman of the strike committee, who in his final state- ment to the men said: 'As far as we see it the piece- work system is now gone ever. At first we took a hard line regarding piece-work prices. Then we brought the issues out by a agreeing to a flat compromise rate increase. 'We took on Jaguar cars and found we had taken on the whole of British-Leyland. We have seen their full might. 'As a combine committee we have to change our may now tactics. British-Leyland could not have won if we had had the com- bine strength behind us. We would have liked to have seen from other British- support Leyland factories who are still on piecework.' BIRMINGHAM building workers marched through the city centre yesterday to mark their 11 weeks still on strike. The men are tremendously confident of vic- tory.

IN LONDON

the workers' the National Joint Council for the Building Industry named more than 90 firms they claim have signed in- dividual deals with the unions covering 20,000 men. All the deals, they said, gave craftsmen a £30 minimum wage.

SEPTEMBER

FUND £36.25

LAST MONTH you raised a record amount of £2,160 for our Appeal Fund. Each month you, our readers, remain firmly behind us.

Without magnificent your sup- port, we would never have been able to maintain our paper and expand in the way that we have.

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