Workers Press no. 963

workers press

TUC CHIEFS RUSH

CLAY CROSS was the centre of the rebellion against Tory rent increases yesterday as tenants surrounded the town hall to pro- test over Tory intimidation.

Our housing correspondent, Philip Wade, was there to hear the 'Red Flag' being sung. See picture and full story page 12.

Meanwhile in South Wales, 1,700 tenants at defiant Bedwas and Machen say they would rather be evicted than pay the Increase. Their council is still holding out against the govern- ment.

APR 30 1974

VER

INS

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY JANUARY 5, 1973• No. 963 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

TORY MINISTERS are delighted with the news that the TUC is ready to co- operate with plans to run down the steel industry as part of the Common Market strategy. They consider that TUC general secretary Victor Feather's offer to form a joint committee on steel sackings is a major move by unions in favour of Tory industrial policy.

Feather has invited Tory

TALKS ON STATE PAY

Peter Industry supremo, Walker, and steel chief Lord Melchett, to form a com-

LAW AND STEEL JOBS

mittee to help bring industry affected by the • to regions 60,000 jobs cutback in steel.

poratist-style legislation propses At the same time Feather nis is ine backerouna to un

BSC

he TUC cuts. by initiat- introduce permanent offers assistance in the biggest stale control Unions over wares. Ine une paoney moves to bring jobs onslaught since single one tory of ms will who defy hey abs to these sharing boy the Tories 'norms' sub- to power, ne accept sackings also goes to 10 Downing Street and Jected _to unes accept me capitaust swategy lor to discuss phase two of Heath's ment. Europe. state pay plan. The government sees Feather's The miners' leaders are already first offer on steel jobs as clear deeply involved devising Workers Press was the in that the ruc and steel Common Market plan with newspaper to warn that this cor- National will Coal leaders anOn

PUL

to the enor- the complete serious

ODDOS SOR

opposition to mous redundancies. EEC expressed by the member- ship at the union's conference.

A spokesman for the TUC said were in a tricky The kind of future the Euro- yesterday they working class can expect position. pean been

VIPLEMENT

dramatically illustrated •We are trying to help workers general ov the demands. ol tne pressing industries Thyssen to to nna new Jobs Wille the Minister to slow down the

THE

almost closures as much LaLC (sce p. 4). possible.' This kind of ruthless perspec- He said a conference of all tive is shared all the unions in the monopolies in Britain and on the stee -marine areas would be held soon to discuss Continent. the crisis. The TUC and other unions has Another man of col can- are now aiding these interests idea collaboration to make sackings on the scale vassee une Leader •Dous sen planned by BSC and Thyssens ware onsien where Michael Foot. He has in- a reality. Ebbw of where one This class-collaboration goes the biggest cut-backs will occur.

hand in hand with talKs Over phase two of the anti-inflation The far issue involved goes policy which proposes perman- beyond the steel industry, ent state control of wages sackings announced by Bri- Steel Corporation part Steel workers facing an attack

LISA

dIC or une common Marker Da on on their went to work ane ware the industry. earners facing laws which attack the right to a decent. standard i old proces in ren where This involves TUC's Ivine mUSL

SLOD

une treacherous manoeuvrings with where the Tories. investment Is DIace. _шке Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, redun- The TUC should be stopped dancies are planned (see p.3).

from giving comfort and aid to The European Economic Com- the Heath government. mission has already said that The leadership must be forced Britain should steer mausury to recall a special congress confined large oe several prepare for of the groupings-five in fact are en- and the election Lories visaged. La Dour government Dicasca It that should be socialist policies of nationaliza- says plans 'ordered tion the basic industries and worked out to allow the control of those already national- large integration TeW Con- Boisterous 'welcome' for rents auditor cerns into the West European 12e0l to be placed In WOrKerS hands. industry.

YOUNG

KEEPLEFT

BUILD THE WEEKLY KEEP LEFT

SOCIALISTS

BUILD THE YOUNG SOCIALISTS

OFFICIAL

STOP RISING PRICES

WEEKLY

FORCE THE TORIES TO RESIGN

PAPER

Next Saturday-January 6, 2.30 p.m.

ANNUAL GENERAL

East India Hall, East India Dock Road, London E14

SPEAKERS:

MEETING

GARY

GURMEET

1st not onal seere

GERRY

national secretary)

HEALY

(YS Student Society)

SHANKANCE-

and National Speaking Contest Dance 8-11 p.m.

workers press

TUC CHIEFS RUSH

CLAY CROSS was the centre of the rebellion against Tory rent increases yesterday as tenants surrounded the town hali to pro- test over Tory Intimidation.

Our housing correspondent, Philip Wade, was there to hear the 'Red Flag' being sung. See picture and full story page 12.

Meanwhile in South Wales, 1,700 tenants at defiant Bedwas and Machen say they would rather be evicted than pay the increase. Their council Is still holding out against the govern- ment. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY JANUARY 5, 1973 No. 963 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

TORY MINISTERS are delighted with the news that the TUC is ready to co- operate with plans to run down the steel industry as part of the Common Market strategy. They consider that TUC general secretary Victor Feather's offer to form a joint committee on steel sackings is a major move by unions in favour of Tory industrial policy.

Feather has invited Tory

TALKS ON STATE PAY

Peter Industry supremo, Walker, and steel chief Lord Melchett, form a com- to

LAW AND STEEL JOBS

mittee to help bring industry affected by the 'to regions 60,000 jobs cutback in steel.

poratist-style legislation propses This is the background to the At the time Feather sallit The TUC. by initiat- offers assistance in the biggest permaneal stale CuLs control Unions over wares. ing the pnoney moves to bring single jobs onslaught since sections of workers who defy they obscept he stareass hand 'norms' will be sackings the lories came to power, ne the sub- accept and I to fines and also goes to 10 Downing Street accept the capitalist strategy for to discuss phase two of Heath's ment. Europe. stale pay prau. The government sees Feather's The miners' leaders are already offer hat steel iobs as clear deeply involved in devising 1 the Workers Press was the first the

TUC

and steel Common Market plan with newspaper to warn that this cor- National leaders will Coal ouL serious opposition to the enor- the complete opposition to

(TRA

mous redundancies.

EEC

expressed by the member- ship at the union's conference.

A spokesman for the TUC said The kind of future the Euro- were in a 'tricky vesterday they working class can expect position'. pean has been dramatically illustrated 'We are trying to help workers by the demands

MPLEMEN

oi the to find new jobs while pressing industries indust all the This coat close Thyssen

THE

the Minister slow down the of closures as much Lalc (see p. -). possible.' This kind of ruthless perspec- He said a conference of all tive is shared all the maol steel-making areas monopolies in Britain and on the would be held soon to discuss Continent. the crisis. The TUC and other unions has Another man of co can- are now aiding these interests collaboration idea to make sackings on the scale vasse• une of labour's the Sender planned by BSC and Thyssens wing' Michael Foot. He has in- vited Walker to visit his Ebbw one of vale Consuluchey class-collaboration the biggest cut-backs will occur.

hand in hand will laks cover anti-inflation The issue involyed goes far policy which beyond the steel industry. announced by the Bri- ent state control of wages sackings Steel

LISA

corporallul al c Steel workers facing an attack or tne common Markel plan lor on their ront to work ane wace- the industry. earners facing laws which attack he right to a decent standard This involves massive or aliza procese she pen phasing out

SIOD

Lne treacherous manoeuvrings where

DIOCCOSCO

investment Is lane bace, uke Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, redun- The TUC should be stopped dancies are planned (see p.3).

comfort and aid to from giving The European Economic Com- the Heath government. said that mission has already The leadership must be forced should Britain. steer inausury to recall a special congress confined large he several prepare for of the groupings-five in fact are en- and the election visaged. 1 UlICE LaDour covernment pleased should be socialist policies of nationaliza- says that plans the basic industries and 'ordered tion worked out to allow the integration' control of those already national- tew arce COr Boisterous welcome' for rents auditor into the West European 17e0 to be placea in workers industry. nanas.

YOUNG

KEEP LEFT

BUILD THE WEEKLY KEEP LEFT

SOCIALISTS

BUILD THE YOUNG SOCIALISTS

OFFICIAL

STOP RISING PRICES

WFEKLY

FORCE THE TORIES TO RESIGN

PAPER

Next Saturday—January 6, 2.30 p.m.

ANNUAL GENERAL

East India Hall, East India Dock Road, London E14

SPEAKERS: *

GARY

GURMEET (Editor Keep Left)

MEETING

national secretary)

GERRY HEALY

BRIAN PRANGLE (YS Student Society) and National Speaking Contest Dance 8-11 p.m.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Friday January 5, 1973 THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions charges against has decided not to lay Special Branch officers involved in last June's Saor Eire arms trial at the Old Bailey. The case against four Irishmen and a woman collapsed after four days when took the extraordinary the prosecution step of asking for the charges to be dismissed. When the trial opened the defence alleged 'planted that their clients had been with guns and ammunition by a police provocateur. Solicitors for the members of Saor Eire said two informers had been infiltrated into their group 'work- ing in collusion with the Special Branch'.

case collapsed Three days after the Workers Press presented the findings of a special investigation which identi- fied two men 'Mr Parker' and 'Mr Lee'. (Workers Press, June 15, 1972). From interviews we conducted it seemed clear that if there were police informers in the Saor Eire ranks, these men were the offenders. Two days later the 'Sunday Times' Insight detailed evidence to produced team and substantiate what the lawyers Workers Press had said. The Sunday Times' tracked down John Parker, a in his forties who lived in the man Essex countryside. He admitted working for the Special Branch here and abroad for the 20 years. He also told past time in jail. Insight he had spent some He gave the reporters a detailed account of how he had been instructed by Special Branch detectives to infiltrate a

THYSSEN'S GIANT THREAT TO W

BY JOHN SPEN

WEST GERMANY'S biggest heavy industrial company has put forward plans for closing down the vast bulk of the country's coal industry on the grounds that it is uneconomic.

drawn up by Dr Hans- The plan, Guenther Sohl, chairman of the Thys- sen empire, is being studied by the Economics and Finance Ministries of the social-democratic government.

Thyssen was one of the firms which backed Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s.

Socialist Labour League North West Rally

FORCE THE TORY

GOVERNMENT TO RESIGN!

BUILD THE

REVOLUTIONARY

PARTY!

SUNDAY JANUARY 14, 7 p.m.

The Everyman, Hope Street,

LIVERPOOL

• •

'RIGHT TO WORK' FILM

• • • G. HEALY (SLL National Secretary) CHRISTINE SMITH (Young Socialists) In a personal capacity: CONNIE FAHEY (Manchester Tenants) ALAN STANLEY (Vauxhall Shop Stewards)

BRIAN GEENEY (U.P.W.)

WALLY FOUCHS (CAV Occupation Committee) group of Irishmen suspected of running to the IRA'. He claimed that guns detectives had arranged the installation of a phone in the Saor Eire offices and tapping the line from the start.

were He said the Special Branch photographed the defendants on several occasions with a concealed camera. •Parker told us how a detective, using the false name of David Lee, accompanied him when he first made contact with the group' Although it appeared that both Parker and Lee were involved in 'setting up' the discovery of arms and ammunition in a house in Wick Road, neither Hackney, was arrested nor brought to trial. But five people were—Patrick O'Sullivan (20), Edmund Petticrew (37), Lawrence McGrandles (23), Donald de Faoit (25), and Miss Marjorie Allen (30). Their arrest was the occasion for sensational newspaper publicity: 'LONDON HUNT FOR IRA TERROR GUNS' and 'ARMS

CHARGE-GUN GUARD FOR FIVE'.

('Evening Standard'.) The accused were refused bail and held months before in custody for seven coming to trial. When the prosecution suddenly abandoned the case, Mr Justice Bean, the trial judge, commented: 'For only to themselves the reasons known prosecution have decided to offer no evidence against the accused.

further In those circumstances my duty is to direct you to return formal verdicts of not guilty! Defence solicitors, Simon and Company, issued a statement: 'During the trial it

I TO WEST GERMAN MINERS

OHN SPENCER

It is now the largest producer of steel on the Continent. Thyssen also owns a considerable slice of the West German coal industry through its holding in the Ruhrkohle combine, which has been losing money heavily des- pite government subsidies and emergency financial injections. The firm argues that the steel com- panies cannot afford to continue paying above world prices for coal in order to support the German coal industry.

It claims that the present price of Ger- man coking coal—over 78 marks a ton— is 10 marks more than its foreign com- petitors-including steel makers in other EEC countries—pay for im- ported coking coal. Thyssen wants a quick government decision allow coking coal imports •United States, : from the Canada and Australia at competitive prices. Otherwise, it says it will have to divert investment abroad and cut down its labour force in Germany. In other words the gov- ernment is being faced with ultimatum to an choose either sackings in coal or sackings in steel.

in Plans are already hand to sack 8,000 of the existing 200,000 mining workforce. Thyssen has said it is prepared to pull out of the Ruhrkohle combine which owns two-thirds of the West German coal in- dustry. The German steel baron's desire for cheaper coal and more rationalization is dir- ectly linked to British Steel Corporation's entry to the Common Market scene. Thyssen's crude ulti- matum indicates where the power really lies in the EEC—with the barons of heavy industry who remain as predatory and dicta- torial as they were under Hitler. saying that issued a statement no had found to warrant evidence been criminal proceedings against any of the Special Branch terse state- officers. His of COLance ACTIOn informer, John Parker. The Saor Eire Parker's for all groups on the lett.

story is true-and There has seen official rebuttal of it-then it is clear prepared the Donce ale agents provocateur to infiltrate move- ments. In recent issues of the Workers Press we have been deliberately drawing attention was alle dads bert of tane ence that increase in this form of Wick police to the weapons idioter Road, Hackney, by two men. was It acuivity. alleged that these two a budge allowed el the police men were police rights; should not allowed to intormers and hale been useles collusion with the Special Branch. It provocateur set alleged that was in connection with a drugs ring.)

the was to Wab frame the accused who were innocent.'

This kind of sinister repression goes hand- Immediately the 'Sunday Times' article in-hand with the rest of the Tory attacks was published, the Home Office ordered basic rights of the working class. an inquiry into This the conduct the was announced two days ago 11 Special was scarcely an that the police intend to equip of insair deputy Two 'independent selves with a or slotdesi ced 'police W. Kelsall, police officers-Mr capable shotgun gull, a type chief and Detec- firing CS gas canisters, rubber bullets tive Chief Superintendent G. Horan. and plastic projectiles. head of Manchester and Salford CID They new issue of are were put in charge of investigating other automatic revolvers. Are these weapons nolice officers. to be used for weeding out corruption Their inquiry was inordinately. long. It Ene police took six months. This is surprising since reached scandalous proportions? Of 'Sunday The Tories know that it took workers Press and the course not. they Times' only four days find tace mass struceles Wilsone Parker and the facts behind the arms class. These weapons systems are aimed trial. at pickets and strikers. couldn't have been difficult too to To wage this fight the Tories will throw elucidate if there was anv blame in the in all the forces of 'law and order's Special Branch since all the detectives police pimps, bugging devices, concealed with the inquiry associated appear on Tane recorders. das. water The main officers in and a special CRS-type 'heavy mob'. charge were Detective Inspector James Pittendreigh and Detective Inspector The illegal activities of the faceless men Wilson, John who made the swoon police must Wick Road, Detective Sergeant Geoffrey to all workers and professional people Curtis Tutt, Peter defend their basic This can Detective Constable rights. of and lan done bv «owan Detective konstane sole Skinner. revolutionary party and a campaign Wednesday Tory government out of On the Director of Public force the Prosecutions, Skelhorn, Sir Norman office.

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

AUSTRALIA'S 200,000-strong Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union has demanded that if the Vietnam war is not ended within a week it will call out its New South Wales members and shut down many factories, including the American-owned General Motors, Ford and Chrysler plants. Working-class opposi- tion to the war is causing serious concern to the Australian Council She hos- "The as shobin his rawk- hawk said the shown by five Nixon has Trade Unions' right-wing successive

JACO

nature leaders. Secretary Harry She having hundreds of B52s on Souter said the ban was the centres of carpet-bomb had seen of the big Hanoi and Haiphong. not authorized. 'The Nixon clique The US ambassador in 28 ordered bombings been but even Walter Canberra, Rice, has Christmas. It killed people people WArA Australian nrotectar to the destroyed ing staff and injured Foreign Affairs Department were attend- BaCh nospital US against the bovcott of even bombed US prisoner- ing. ships by Australian dock- of-war camps.' and the threats against ers

NORTH

VIETNAM

has

INTERNATIONAL

other US enterprises.

THE

hailed the Americans' heavy the furore over terror Two weeks ago the new as *a strategically losses Australian government sent homhing has shaken some significant victory'. US congressmen and Strong v-worded MOTe In a military analysis the senators. President Nixon to pro- paper 'Quan Doi Nhan Dan' the Democratic Senate leader test against bombing, said that Nixon hoped mass Mike Mansfield accused the rapidly over-

TOTAL

malc of 97 airmen President Shre na power the air defences of Vietnam are reported devastation in to missing the country. save his face. cantured during the 1l dav Instead the defeat of the offensive bombing against Democratic congressmen B52s had been defeat North Vietnam made a move towards accord- have for Nixon's ing to US sources in Saigon.

Te-A menicaM. off funds

TOT

ized war at its peak and is likely that over war if it is not settled by crushed US major been lost. time of Nixon's planes have the counter offensive effort at 22. January a very important time. the sea near Da Nang after fully capable of We are

THE

PARIS

being hit raid. peace talks in defeating all the Americans' second supersonic swing- racilmer

VASTATO U

war escalation steps and FIlI fighter-bomber week suspension. wing two Nixon's is admitted to have their military adventures in special adviser, neen all forms. lost over Hanoi on Decem- Henry Kissingpr and North "The ber 22. of farces Vietnam Politburo member halanca on the battlefield has de- Duc Tho, The efficiency of Hanoi's Le who returned irreversibly in our veloped raid precautions are alter a visit to Peking, are casualties shown by civilian expected meet on rA_ A MARI.. canization and the most -1,318 killed 1,261 Monday. extensive escalation, there wounded despite the fero- city of the which States

PLEA

the United way Nixon can save and North attacks the Americans and their Vietnam flattened whole puppets from defeat.' the town. Over 40,000 tons to end the war is contained of bombs were showered Liberation Radio head com. the mentary said: canita sne Nixon A French woman doctor "The Administra- agency, TASS, published in working at the Bach Mai tion has become a symbol the newspaper 'Sovietskaya has Russiya'. treachery. Incicv International denied the preposterous Nixon's actions have dis- He charges the Ameri- claim by US Defence De- appointed the US people cans with sabotaging the Jerry the world nariment cholasman and October ceasehre agreement Friedheim that it had not people's indignation and supporting President been devastated. objections. disdain.

Workers Press, Friday January 5, 1973 PAGE 3 North-east closed shop attacked

TWO

THOUSAND

prepared to it a Two opt out of unions national issue. workers at Thorn Radio will not be coun- Valves and Tubes Ltd,. tenanced all by the Sunderland, have im - membership the area One of the The ex-G&MWU The company has asked He added: 'We don't posed an overtime ban suspended , just not in the ber recently won an indus- to reconsider Mr the want these men back because two men oseph Young of two men being nonsensical who nica. habit of here the AUW, sala vesterday: a etnes miel aden left their unions have •We the fought his the unions. They were due The management can repetition of what's to report their decisions to have the 2,000 and been sent home on tull with intention all ally impeneo In The vadanos pay. getting meeting on get rid not going happen a golden yeolcrudy. nave shake. Wednesday the m e n But this will not satisfy and do without the Them here. The unions concerned 'If we are decided that they the Thorn workers. 2,000. sacked, as the Bill Harrison, dis- the Amalgamated Sunderland "This with area secre- bloody-mindedness trict organizer of the

WOLA

Union of Engineering will have no option and no tary

G&MWU

whose member neltner -nen Jumping Tne Workers and the General hesitation would that Wilkinson said the unions bandwagon- going going Mr Terence ataval LaS and Municipal Workers' be determined become a all over Rela- they should suspended keep disease resigned, Nallula Lausulal Union. tions Court? on pay. 'We have our problems, une cosed suod Lie but we get well

YCL

ences with the Busy body Feather 11a1ae

RETURN AT SCUNTHORPE

amicably. ment the 59-year-old Chrysler, Cov- Steel entry, won an industrial tribunal decision certainly gets around olle the is t04.11 today collect his is receiving while which he talks suspended by the firm. VICTOR Feather is It is supposed to be so he also rubs shoul- union offi- cials haye boycotting all the Tory ders with busy body. Yesterday the ruling rubbish' Tory load marking off functions class at their gala afternoon he was MP's allegations that mem- West planned to No 10 entry. evening in the Downing bers only struck over Street to see Edward End. €55,000 fines on the union The TUC is over- Heath. In our picture below because were whelmingly opposed ened. Feather The previous even- is seen with to entry and Feather, Mr Robert Redmond, ing he went to Covent (from left) Lord the Tory MP for Bolton West, as its general secre- Garden to (C.P.) attend the Snow, Lord vice-chairman THE 6,000 strikers at the British Steel tary, should be obser- Tories' 'Fanfare Goodman, the party's parliamentary for chair- ving this policy. ployment committee, Corporation's Scunthorpe works in Lin- Europe' man of the Newspaper opera and :laimed i he received Publishers' concert. But just as Feather Associa- colnshire began a gradual return to engineering

BUONI

to tion Mr C. Downing Officially, of course, goes and D. union members. work yesterday to allow negotiations Hamilton, claims the Labour and trade Street, in spite of the editor in the letters had 'from between management and unions.

of the wishes chief of Times News-

CULLEC

union movement op- poses Market entry. try's trade unionists, papers. ency'. The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation has given the management 28 days to settle their demand to represent middle management in the Yesterday the returned plant. most men determined to win their case.

Trouble began when workers under union in- Anchor site struction refused to operate against boC's dorotest allow union representation for manage- mioce Eventually 30 steel workers were sent home led to a strike of 1,000 men.

and this

ISTC

chairman Scunthorpe, Harry Skinner, told Workers Press the men had acted constitution- ally throughout the dispute.

of the new Anchor 'During the commissioning site no member of the union was Lupoiale not-steel Triais. meenne Decender between the

BSC,

the union and the Department Employment, he agreement was reached,' said. the However union has already litted the ban on working the Anchor site pending negoti- Tne ations with Talks

ISTC

and

BSC

will begin London January 9. Profits boom in cash and textiles A NEW £3m increase in profits from £4.2m to £7.2m before tax, was announced by the finance and insurance Hodge Group yesterlay.

Chairman Sir Julian Hodge predicted further sub- Halewood again 100 in stantial progress Wigan plants to

LAUS

vedr Total exceeded assets now day-shift in CAV claim £165m, he said. far during the current close on 400 jobs year which started November Noued bt a high tevel, Sir I con activity con- DAY-SHIFT workers at the Ford representing Halewood factory Merseyside about works engineers

CAV

acca.

WUIKCU

¡utIlally Dlalll.

ACLOR.

nave dispute led registered a failure to agree with Lending is running at a level ALMOST 400 workers are the directors disclosed on Wed- to a walkout of 1,700 night shift manne men, orer claim than 50 cent higher men Wednesday night.

LU1C

mesoae mat une crono a al men, are responsible to lose their jobs following managed to break even for the modo os bune last ycal. The over plans walk-oul drose olanu Installauon and malt - second months blaming a decision by the Central On the stock market, the position to re-ostroute men on the trim tenance, are in a key in line with expecta- losses on Heatstore and Pitts.

assembly lines. Production the plant have often taken results were. Wagon group to stop produc- about 500 finished vehicles worth industrial action past. redundancy They say the

TONS

une snares stayeu about £500,000 tion at two of their Wigan, 534p. the mores ensure that was develoomen WIll 10 - group was not create problems for enters 1973 'on a fully profitable remainder or the lactory Counted v Hodge recently launched which Lancashire, plants. affected. management who maintain- Wales basis'. Ford merchan Dark spokesman said that ing that no negotiations call has former Labour Chancellor Central In the next six weeks the Wagon employs a the day-shift take place untı lulv Was wner Cune the Exchequer Callaghan total of 1,500 workers. normally. current site agreement expires.

cose is lanel onl- on the board of directors.

shoot- Trailers Company- -Pitts which has made big losses in the

PROFITS

textile in 1972 in the oast vear. accorame lo lue con-

PAPERBACKS CENTRE

dustry swelled to £ 20m pany. -£30m up on the previous year, Wigan Also the group's according report Heatstore subsidiarv. which now LUddY. produces night storage heaters, W. 28 Charlotte St Tattersall, firm switched into carried marketing and service organiza- said the higures Survey. ton. io nearly companies London W1 Altogether about 380 workers ged in textiles, clothing and rn 8 4m.-1.30 D.M. will be made redundant. allied industries. Sat 2.a.m.-5 p.m. Central Wagon Total net earnings after was in debt to

BOOKS • PERIODICALS •

among the firms was £120.2m the tune of £350,000 after compared with €90.6m months' 1972. trading in Despite consacrave imorovement.

PURSUING A PROFIT

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Friday January Thalidomide and the power of the Drug Companies' by Henning Nisson. Slöström and Robert Penguin Special. 40p. By a guest reviewer It is now about 12 years since the world was shocked to learn of the hundreds of children being born with missing limbs and other horrible internal and external de- formities. It has been estimated that about 8,000 to 10,000 children were affected in this way, although there were probably many more who were never reported, particularly in poorer countries such as those in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The lack of medical facili- ties in those countries has en- sured that not only did such births go unnoticed, except by immediate family the and neighbours, but that little or nothing has been done to , alleviate the sufferings of the children and their parents.

The cause of the widespread tragedy was, of course, no act of God, but the result of a man-made drug, thalidomide.

Given to pregnant women as tranquillizer which, it was a claimed, was completely safe for both mother and child, it has blighted the lives of thous- ands of families. Those children who survived their first few years, about 60 per cent, are now approaching adult life with the most appal- ling handicaps, often enduring dozens of severe operations and painful and exhausting Many of their treatment. mothers have had to undergo prolonged psychiatric treat- for depression, and ment several have tried to commit suicide. Not a few families have broken up under the strain. which first The company manufactured thalidomide was Chemie Grünenthal of West later sold Germany. It was under licence in a number of countries by various other national drug firms. Sometime later, when the full terrible effects of this 'completely safe' drug were known, law suits were brought by West German and Scan- dinavian parents against the trials nanufacturers. The dragged on for years. Parents in other countries began to follow suit. In Britain the case of the 370 affected children against the Distillers Com- pany, the licensees here, is still in progress. "Thalidomide ind the Power Drug Companies' is of the written by two Swedes who were closely connected with the thalidomide trials in both Germany and Scandinavia. / January 5, 1973 Robert Nilsson is a promi- nent scientist who was the main scientific adviser and technical co-ordinator for the plaintiffs in Scandinavia, as well as technical adviser for the prosecution in Germany.

Henning Sjöström a lawyer who helped the parents with many of the trials in both countries. Both men have made a close study of the background, documents and scientific data which were revealed in the course of the trials. The picture which emerges from their book is one which fully exposes the greed of capi- talism in its endless drive for profits and its brutal disregard for human suffering. The drug companies, like any other business, operate for profit. Health and life have a price. Their job is not to find ways and means of combating disease, but to make money.

As Dr Console, former chief medical director of E. R. Squibb & Sons in America, explained: A company develops a new drug for which it receives a patent and which turns out to be highly profitable. Immediately, its research competitors put their staffs to work on devising their own versions of the drug.

This may or may not result in improvement but, in any case, a point is soon reached where the successive modifications repre- sent no further improvemeni in utility. Yet, part of the industry's limited supply of skilled re- searchers continues to be directed to the development of further minor varants ... If one as un- lucky, and this is usually the case in this empirical approach, the best compound created may still be no better than, or even in- ferior to, the parent com- In drus research as practisea by the industry, commercial suc- cess is the primary goal. If re- search success and commercial were identical, success there would be no problem. Unfortu- nately, in this industry research failure can be turned into commercial success. Chemie Grünenthal had a curious history long before it notorious as the became manufacturer of thalidomide.

It was formed in 1946 as a subsidiary of a larger company which manufactured soaps, detergents and cosmetics. It was one of a number of new drug companies which started up in West Germany at that time. Following on the dis- covery of new antibiotics dur- ing the last world war, and the fact that the living conditions of the German working class in the immediate post-war period gave rise to fears of wide-spread epidemics, a num- ber of astute businessmen jumped on to the pharma- ceutical bandwagon to supply the new market. Business went on as usual In 1950 Chemie Grünenthal announced the creation of Pulmo 500, a variation of penicillin G ester which was claimed to be far superior to any other known drug in the treatment of certain types of meningitis and pneumonia. It was four years before the manufacture of Pulmo 500 was discontinued, although there had been reports of serious side effects, including several fatalities, since shortly after it came into use. Patients died, but business went on as usual. In August 1952 announce- ment was made of the devel- opment of another new drug, Paratebin, which was 'the first highly-effective penicillin against tuberculosis bacteria'.

Tests by other scientists, how- ever, showed that not only did Paratebin have no medical value at all, but that in those patients suffering from tuber- culosis who had been treated with the drug, the disease had been allowed to run its course unhindered. Thalidomide opened up an entirely new field of opera- tions for Chemie Grünenthal.

For the first time they were progressing from antibiotics and entering the new-and by now much more profitable- market of sedatives and tran- quillizers. the trade name of Under Contergan, thalidomide was unsuspecting launched on an West German public on Octo- ber 1, 1957. It had, however, tried out in Hamburg for been almost a year beforehand- not as a sedative, but for the treatment of respiratory in- fections! By 1958 the company's had publicity department swung into its stride with a massive campaign aimed at both the medical world and the public. Hundreds of thous- ands of circulars were sent to doctors and pharmacists. Dozens of advertisements were placed in medical journals.

Soon the new 'wonder-drug' was being extended into the world market and was even- tually sold in 11 countries in Europe, seven in Africa, 17 in Asia and 11 on the American continent. Sales of thalidomide soared.

By 1961 the total sales value in W Germany alone amounted to DM12.4m. Exports of the drug amounted to at least a further DM3m. Realizing they were on to a good thing, Chemie Grünen- thal began combining thalido- chemicals mide with other and issuing the resultant mix- tures as new drugs for the treatment of such diverse con- ditions as colds, flu, nervous- neuralgia, migraine, ness, diabetes and liver asthma, complaints. A liquid was made specially for children and was so widely used that it became known as "cinema-juice', mothers as would give it to their children to help them sleep well when the parents were going out in the evening. Hospitals gave it to frightened children to calm them down before treatment.

Many a pregnant woman en- joyed a good night's sleep, thanks to thalidomide. When the law suits started police and the went to the company's premises to seize the relevant correspondence, they were surprised to find very little. A few days later, however, they received an anonymous telephone call tip- ping them off that more docu- ments were in the offices of an associated company. A police raid confirmed this. A further anonymous call stated that more papers would be found in 'the bunker'.

Not knowing where to look, a police officer called on one the company's directors and, in the course of general conversation, casually • asked for the keys of 'the bunker' Caught off guard, the director Barry Lennon of Liverpool a thalidomid keys. The produced the bunker' proved to be a well- concealed underground room beneath the factory. More papers were found relevant there. It would appear, how- ever, that some of the evidence is still missing. The rest of the story is taken which from the documents were used in evidence in the Scandinavian German and trials. Hunt to find To boost their exports, Chemie Grünenthal felt it would be wise to get scientific support from the doctors in the various countries they were aiming at. A hunt was started co-operative local find to physicians. The way in which this was done was revealed in to their Portuguese letters company in relation to another drug: To be quite frank, quick publication (perhaps in three months), with the case history of 15 or 20 successfully treated cases which tolerated the drug well, is more important than a large work which will with a broad Drst bases eight to 12 appear months... for this reason we would ask you to find a suitable researcher. .. who would pro- duce a favourable report on this preparation. There will, of course, suitable remuneration (we should like you to suggest terms). It was not long, however, before the first disturbing re- ports began to come in. Doctors began notice to certain symptoms in patients who had taken thalidomide.

There were reports of loss of balance, giddiness, severe con- stination, irritation of the skin, memory, decreased loss of blood pressure, trembling of the limbs and loss of sensation in hands and feet. The com- pany assured doctors who raised the matter with them that these side-effects were not important and suggested they were due to overdosages or allergic reactions. No attention was paid to Chemie these reports by Grünenthal, but in October 1959 a Dusseldorf neurologist wrote to the company saying thalidomide victim, now 12 years old.

he had observed a case of polyneuritis (damage to the central nervous system) which could possibly have been due to Contergan. He was told no side-effects ever been had observed before. It is worth quoting from the book in order to give a picture of just what side- effects were beginning to come to light, which the company was so concerned to cover up: After continuous use of thalid- omide over a shorter or longer period (two weeks and up to three years) a prickling feeling appears fol- of the extremities lowed by a sensation of numb- ness (paraesthesia) and coldness.

begins The numbness usually in the toes and is not initially noticed by the patient. The numbness then spread to the ball of the foot, then to the ankles, and finally to the calves, but no further up than to the knee.

Many months later, hardly ever at the same time, numbness be- gins in the tips of the fingers. After some time the complete picture of a toxic polyneuritis develops,. including severe mus- cular pains and cramps in the extremities, weakness of the limbs, disturbances of the re- flexes and co-ordination of the limbs (ataxia). The patient is un- able to judge the position of his legs by feeling; consequently his becomes unbalanced and gaut unco-ordinated. In its fully-developed form, partial paralysis may occur and in the majority of cases even un- exacting forms of manual work impossible. The victim become becomes permanently disabled ... Apart from the polyneuritis, severe symptoms of effects of the central often nervous system appeared. Involuntary twitchings of the facial muscles occurred, trembling of the muscles of the entire body, abnormal bodily sensations and severe disturb- ances of the ability to concen- together uith speech trate, difficulties, double-vision and in some cases even epileptic seizures. Furthermore, it became clear that the damage caused by thalidomide is permanent and does not improve once the patient stops taking the drug.

More and more unfavour- able reports were reaching the but sales company, were booming.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

NATIONAL UNREST

Claims have been made in the Soviet Union that the 'nationalities ques tion' is all but solved. But this is a mere pro- paganda lie. Early last year troops were out in Kaunas, in Soviet Lithuania, to repress a nation- alise demonstration following the death of a political pro- tester who had burned himself to death. National feeling and arrests of nationalists have been reported from the other Baltic Hundreds of arrests of alleged nationalists have been made in the Ukraine. There has been trouble in Stalin's home state of Georgia, as well as in the Republics of Ajerbai- jan, Kazakhstan and Armenia.

The use of anti-Semitism by the bureaucracy as a weapon against its critics and oppo- nents and a means of deflecting anger from its own misdeeds has forced tens of thousands of Soviet citizens with Jewish origin to decide where their loyalties lay. Many have already taken refuge in Israel.

Armenians have also left the Soviet Union and joined exiled communities in Europe or the

USA.

The bureaucracy's repressive methods, as well as its pre- ference for Russians as opposed to members of national minor- ities, has kept alive nationalism in many parts of the Soviet Union. The Revolution has brought undoubted benefits to pre- viously backward areas, but these are attributable to the abolition of landlordism and capitalism and the establish- ment of a planned economy.

The usurping bureaucracy, by trampling on the rights nationalities, these negates conquests. Stalin posed as an expert on the nationalities question and his propagandists actually convinced many people outside 'Do I look like a bandit or a murderer?' veteran Stalinist Jacques Duclos recently asked audience of bankers and an businessmen invited to hear speakers from the three mem- bers of the left-wing electoral coalition. 'Before criticizing, Duclos appealed to his audience 'try understand us. You to are bourgeois. I am a proletarian', said the one-time pastry cook.

'Your bourgeoisie is one of the most intelligent in the world.

Your forefathers made the French Revolution. But they made one great error, that of believing it to be the last.?

But he re-assured his lun- cheon audience of the French of City gents: equivalent "Transformations can be made today by peaceful means. 'Do you take us for under- takers; for burglars who want to open your safes? Look at me: İ don't look like a bandit you Duclos has had many years experience on the benches of bourgeois parliaments and is noted for his suave and witty debating style. He is also hard-line Stalinist, a certain supporter of every zig and zag and able and ready to do what- ever dirty work the Communist Party requires. What effect his legendary bonhomie had on his well- heeled audience is not known, but at the end of the luncheon Socialist Party he and the speaker, Claude Estier, said that they had not been out vote-catching. che Soviet Union that there was no longer a national prob- lem. In fact, although himself a Georgian, Stalin acted accord- ing to the most barbaric practices of Great Russian chauvinism. Indeed, he had begun to do so in his native Georgia even when Lenin was alive and had to be brought sharply to heel.

But his treatment of the national minorities during the last war had no precedent in modern history. It was based on the guilt of entire peoples and collective punishment of all, including Communist Party members and loyal Stalinists.

Stalin abandoned the nation- • per alities policy of Lenin and the Instead of the Bolsheviks. equality promised when the Soviet state was formed in 1922, there has been blatant discrimination on grounds of nationality and the promise of self-determination remains a myth. At the height of Stalin's reign of terror over 1.5 million belonging people many different national minorities for allegedly were deported having pro-Nazi sympathies or actually collaborating with the German invaders during World War II. For many years, not only while the old dictator was alive but also after his death, the men who now rule in the Kremlin accepted this policy of national discrimination and oppression. Thousands of Tar- tars and others who were deported have still not been • permitted to return to their homelands. The fate of the Meshetians, a people of 200,000 from the Caucasus who were deported to remote parts of Siberia, was 1970 only made known in when they were 'rehabilitated'.

The award of the Order of Workers Press, F the October Revolution to the Checen-Ingushi peoples for part in their i the struggle against Nazism comes over a after quarter of century a they all deported for were collaboration! The struggle against the bureaucracy often takes a con- fused nationalist form just as the methods of the bureaucracy provide grist for the mills of reactionary nationalists the with connections outside : the Soviet Union. The events of the past year show that despite its anniver- sary speech-making the bureau- cracy remains the accomplice of Stalin's crimes. It continues to trample on the rights of and to exploit nationalities national antagonisms to main- tain its own rule. In many parts of the Soviet Union the speeches and toasts will be greeted with more than the usual cynicism. • Press, Friday January 5, 1973 PAGE 5 Huey Newton, leader of the American Black Panther Party, has now denounced the work- ing class in the US as poten- tial fascists. Speaking to a 350-strong student audience at Santa Clara University, California recently, Newton said that the Ameri- can Communist Party had grave illusions that the prole- tariat, which he defined as white factory workers, would some day. carry. the red flags of revolution. Newton said that actually the working class would be carrying the flag of Franco in Spain-the fascist flag. This statement paves the way for very dangerous divi- sions between sections of op- pressed workers—both black and white-in the US. At a time when Nixon has his attacks on all redoubled sections of American workers, Newton makes a statement which can only serve to create divisions, when what is most needed is a mass urgently: mobilization of American wor- kers to form an alternative Labour Party. The present deep crisis of the world capitalist system no longer allows American or any other section of capitalism the its luxury of concentrating attacks on one section of workers alone. Today they have to destroy all rights and conditions won by every section of workers.

Huey Newton That is not to say, however, use racia- that they will not lism as part of their strategy for undermining working-class rights and conditions. more so then does Even Newton's policy play directly into the hands of the American bourgeoisie-whether it be of the Republican or Democratic variety. Huey Newton's black • na- tionalism today can never hope to solve the problems facing black American workers. It can only cut them off from their only source of victory— unity with their brothers in the working-class movement, matter what creed or colour.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Friday January By ALEX MITCHELL Hampton Court, on the banks of the Thames near Kingston, was the scene of legendary orgies thrown by Henry VIll. The tyrant king would re- move himself to this country retreat to satisfy his ferocious appetite for hard-drinking and wenching. The colossal palace, set in acres of rolling parks and a deer forest, was built in the 16th century by Cardinal Wol- sey, Archbishop of York and the king's chancellor. (Wolsey was a kind of early version of Henry Kissinger.) During the protracted hag- gling with Rome over his divorce from Catherine, Henry moved his mistress, Anne Boleyn, to Hampton Court.

Wolsey failed to get When divorce satisfactory terms, Henry had him convicted of high treason. But he died be- fore he reached the gallows.

Henry was excommunicated and in retaliation established his own Church of England. His troubles weren't over, however. Anne bore him a daughter, not a son and heir.

The day after Anne's execu- tion, he married another of his mistresses, Jane Seymour.

She died at Hampton Court giving birth to Edward VI in 1537: The palace was to have associations: two continuing other marriages—to Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr— were consecrated in the Great Hall. It was to this hall, with its magnificent hammerbeam roof, Heath, senior that Edward members of his Cabinet and the leaders of British industry went on Tuesday night. Shortly after nightfall and as the fog settled, the 250 guests made their way through the Trophy Gates, built by George II, to a banquet marking entry into the Common Market. Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Jag- uars—limousines of every des- cription-swam Silently to- wards the palace like a shoal of sharks in the shallow.

The security precautions were stringent. Uniformed police patrolled the grounds while Special Branch men stood in overcoats recording the faces of everyone who went in. Only six handpicked jour- capitalist nalists from the Press were invited to attend.

And one photographer. A tele- vision crew from the BBC was permitted inside to film Heath's speech and the open- ing remarks by the guest of honour, Dr Sicco Mansholt, retiring president of the EEC Commission. As the cars drew up, liveried footmen opened the doors. The chauffeurs then drove to the rear of the palace where, as the invitation cards stated, 'refreshments will be provided in the depot canteen'.

It seems clear that the food consumed by the guests was not from the canteen. They began with turtle soup, followed by lobster, then phea- sant with asparagus and finally y January 5, 1973 a giant icecream cake. This feast was demolished with no less than four wines (two red, two white), champagne, port and brandy. Free cigarettes and cigars were on every table.

Of the 250 guests, only about 20 were women. Young girls presented the representa- tives of the other eight EEC countries with expensive pieces of china. As one woman com- mentator said acidly: 'The pre- sentation ceremony. revealed the first of the Euro-bunnies.

Little sex kittens made their and then dis- appearance appeared off-stage.' During the two-hour meal, minstrels played folk music from the gallery. They wore fancy costumes as if to des- perately recreate the former grandeur of the state occa- sions in the Great Hall. In his speech Lord Harlech, the former UK Ambassador in Heath arriving at Hampton Court. Abov Hampton Court Dr Sicco Mansholt, pres who retires today, gives his speech wel left: Lord Harlech Harshident of the E Chancellor, Mansholt, Lord Manzini and Walter Behrendt, presiden Washington and the chairman of the British Board of Film Censors, also harped on the the 'emotional and theme of in 'historical' atmosphere which the banquet was being staged. Nobody could deny the his- tory which has been enacted at Hampton Court. It was behind those walls that Henry con- spired to start the Anglican the and seize Church to powerful land holdings of the Church of Rome. He also planned the construction of the Royal Navy which enabled the expansion of British im- perialism to the four corners of the world. But at the end of Victoria's reign she threw Hampton ourt. Above right: In the Great Hall at sholt, president of the EEC Commission peech welcoming British entry. From the the Lord of the European Movement, Mansholt, the Italian Ambassador, Mr , president of the European Parliament Court open to the public.

Since then probably millions of tourists and sightseers have picked their way over the buil- famous hedge ding and in the gardens. They maze have viewed the State Apart- ments, the Great Kitchen (where a whole ox can be roasted), the cellars and the tennis court built for Henry VIll-the first tennis court in the world. All these treasures of bour- • for geois history can be seen 20p. For children under 14 it's 5p. You can get there by catching any of the following buses: 72, 111, 131, 155, 201, 216, 264 and 267. 206, 211, Heath's show of ostentation at Hampton Court has got to be seen in this context. The venue for the banquet was deliberately chosen to impress the television audiences and to convince the bourgeoisie itself of its own history of greatness.

It is the depth of the econo- mic crisis facing British capi- talism which drives Heath to the Tudor fortress on the Thames and to summon these ancient trappings of power.

as one of the guests But noted: 'It was very dull really.

Nobody got drunk, nobody said "Boo" to anybody. It was very formal and unbending. In fact, everyone seemed a little bit on edge. A bit nervous.'

I bet they did! Heath and • idlers who stuffed the rich themselves with lobster and pheasant know that they still have to settle accounts with the working class. The Tories have passed legislation and signed treaties—none of which is accepted by the working class. The working class will fight his anti-union laws, his state pay laws, his attacks on coun- cil housing, his deliberate crea- tion of mass unemployment. If there was 'edginess' on Tues- day night, it was because the ruling class knows that it has to do a lot more than make bombastic speeches and wear Tudor fancy dress.

WHO

Bu op

THREW

th

THE

sic Lo

BANQUET?

de kil Harold Wilson, the ke Labour Party leader, did attend Tuesday not Pa night's banquet at Hamp or The Court. Tory da ton Press made huge play of ce the fact that Wilson had 'snubbed' the festivities.

co It presented to the working class as though Wilson was carrying out Labour Party and TUC policy by not having with the Tory anything to do 'Fanfare for Europe' (FFE). th But Wilson's non-appearance at the Thamesside palace is the most monstrous piece of Why? We shall hypocrisy. explain he banduet was organızec and paid for by an organization called the European Movement.

This is a body largely un- La known to the mass OT population. Its publications an favour of the EÉC are prolific.

th

But about its own finances and operation, little is made public.

Its patrons are none other Jeremy than Edward Heath, Thorpe and ... Harold Wilson!

While three of its five pre- sidents are also Labourites- Lord George-Brown, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, his successor Roy Jen- kins, and Sir Frederick Hayday, the ex-national officer of the General and l Municipal wor- kers' Union. In other words, the Labour Party is up to its teeth in the organization which ran Tues- day night's gala evening to celebrate entry. There is another myth that must be nailed. The Tory Press said that the Labourites 'boy- cotted' the function. This is untrue. Labour Party members who included: Lord were present Shackleton, Labour leader in the Lords and a member of Shadow Cabinet; Lord the Chalfont; Sir Frederick Hay- day of the G&MWU and former chairman of the TUC inter- national committee; Mr Tom McNally, head of the Labour Party's international depart- ment at Transport House; Mr a former Jim Cattermole, Labour Party regional organizer.

and now full-time director of Committee for the Labour and three Scottish Europe; MPs Dr I. Dickson Mabon, MacLennan and P. Mac. kintosh. The centre-piece the Labour collaboration was, how- the Mr ever, presence Ihomson. member of Wilson's Cabinet Tory-appointed Commissioner to Europe. The beaming Thomson received special blessing from Heath. In his speech Heath pressed his gratitude all those who had made entry dos sible. He specifically thanked those 'the political older parties'. It was an oblique but well-understood reference Roy Jenkins and his 68 right- wing friends who voted with Tories for entry on October 22, 1971. Tory By trooping into the lobby they not only secured British membership Heath's

EEC,

but also saved If from falling. covernment Wilson, Jenkins, George-Brown, Stewart, Shirley Wil- Douglas Houghton, liams, and Harold Lever Anthony from Crosland were absent the banquet, they were forced the strength do 01 the working class ago Jenkins and his year friends able flaunt were views their pro-European the face of the Labour and trade union movement. When- ever Heath needed votes dur- ing the passage of the EEC legislation, they would oblige.

Now, however, the meaning is becoming of the Market clearer. The working class sees that entry is bound up with the whole Tory strategy to link up with the West European monopolists in a last-ditch stand. Entry is a desperate bid by the Tories to regroup their dwindling strength in an effort to smash the trade unions and take away basic rights of trade unions, a decent standard of living and decent housing.

That Labourites belong to the European Movement is an act of flagrant class-collabora- tion. This body, which had an income of some £500,000 last by Sir was founded year, Winston Churchill in 1946.

Not long ago it took up plush new headquarters in Europe House in Whitehall Place, which places it within a few hundred yards of No 10 Down- ing Street. Its financial resources come almost entirely from big business. Its backers include the big banks — Barclays, Lloyds, Midland and National Westminster - the influential Workers Press, Fr merchant banking fraternity, Rothschild, Warburg, Sassoon, and . the big Schroder Wagg British monopolies: Sir John Partridge's Imperial Tobacco, British Petroleum, Burroughs Machines, Lord Limited Kearton's Courtaulds (George-Brown is a director), Distillers Limited (the mar- keters of thalidomide), Dunlop (Reginald Rubber Company Maudling used to be a director, Esso Petroleum, F. W. Wool- worth, H. J. Heinz Company, IBM (UK) Limited, Johnson (Lord Matthey Company Robens is a senior director), British Ropes (Anthony Bar- ber's Yorkshire-based firm), Kellogg Company of Great Britain, Kodak Limited, Lord Sieff's Marks and Spencer (which contributes to Tory Party funds), Robert Carr's old firm, Metal Box Company, Crucible Limited, Sir Morgan Clark's Plessey Limited John (another big contributor to the Tory coffers), Rank Hovis Mc- Rentokil Group, Dougall, the Rowntree and Company, Shell International, Tate and Lyle, the sugar monopoly, Watney Mann and W. H. Smith and Company (which gave £22,775 to the Tories in 1970). When the European Move- ment began its £100,000 adver- tising and poster campaign for • Pross, Friday January 5, 1873 PAGE 7 the Market, 71 leading indus- trialists signed manifesto which appeared in "The Times' *mighty from this Apart backing, the European Move- has another intriguing ment source of revenue-the Foreign Office. When Lord Chalfont a junior minister at the was Foreign Office in Wilson's administration he had the subsidy to the movement raised from £2,500 a year to £7,500.

It is also interestnig to note that when you join the Europe House Club, which is comfort- ably installed in the new Whitehall Place address, you pay your membership cheque Coutts and Company, to No. 21495670. The account account is in the name Euro- Movement (British pean Council) Limited. And we all know what the British Council gets up to!

Despite the Press and tele- vision ballyhoo and despite the two-faced manoeuvres of its leadership, the rank and file of the Labour and trade union movement remains implacably hostile to the EEC. As the cost of living con- tinues to soar, this hostility can only intensify. The Tories may have signed the Treaty of Rome, but they've sigried the sentence of British death for capitalism as well.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Friday January 5, 1973 On November 13, 1972, Workers Press published the full text letter' sent to us by the organizers of the Con- of an 'open ference of Radical Scholars of Soviet and Eastern European Studies held in London on October 20-22. This letter replied to our earlier criticisms of the conference and we duly replied to it in the same issue of Workers Press. Now Workers Press has come under fire in 'Intercontinental Press' (December 18) from George Saunders of the United States Socialist Workers Party, an organization politically sympathetic to the Pabloite "Unified Secretariat', of which Tariq Ali's International Marxist Group (IMG) is a section. Here we publish the full text of Saunders' attack, together with our own reply.

The Workers Press attacks on Presumably, Ali and Black- failure display the conference contain such burn's to deliberate distortions as might sufficient lack of social grace is a manifestation of 'Pabloite be expected from sooner bourgeois journal, or from the revisionism'. To support this bureaucratized Press of the thesis, and to extend it to the proceedings, the

SLL

communist parties themselves.

entire The glaring Workers resorts to some very tortured most argumentation - and Press fabrication appeared in in the its original article on the con- unwittingly condemns process ference. Between photographs itself. of the Trotskyist leader Ernest New Left Review'. of The Mandel and the Czech oppo- which Blackburn is an editor, has published Johnstone. sitionist Jiri Pelikan - both An- keynote speakers the editor of

NLR,

Perry at con- other ference-the Workers Press Anderson, is a member of the printed a photograph of the jury that selects the Isaac Deutscher British Stalinist Monty John- Memorial Prize, stone. For added effect, John- which jury also includes John- stone. Here we have two firm stone depicted standing was before a microphone and was links the British between Communist Party and someone described as one of 'three main attended the conference. participants' at the conference.

who The article made much of the The British CP is now present at the conference several times fact Johnstone had that 'appeared' at the conference, over. But that is not all. advanced evid- At the conference, a pub- which was as lication of the Committee ence that the gathering served to the interests of Stalinism.

Defend Czechoslovak Socialists In point of fact—if the SLL was displayed. (Leave aside the will fact that the and allow descent into committee empiricism-Johnstone had no- the conference are two different thing to do with the conference.

things. The former was present He did not speak there; the at the latter, caught at the Workers Press photograph was scene of the crime, so to speak.)

not taken at the conference.

Included in the publication in clippings The conference question from organizers were British CP explained this in their the newspaper, reply Workers Press article. 'Morning Star' to the 'Morning Star' had But the SLL is not fazed. In The printed some articles criticizing its answer to the open letter, Workers Press does not the repressive trials conducted organizers' in Czechoslovakia last summer.

acknowledge the statement that 'Johnstone was By reprinting such statements not invited to speak', nor does that is, by trying to utilize divisions in the world Stalinist it explain its fraudulent photo- defend the graph. Instead, the Workers movement to

VIC-

Press author tims of Stalinist repression— seizes on some one is supporting the Stalinist damning evidence. The conference bureaucracy, according to the organizers, it seems, stated that the

SLL.

This position 'only is quite It is, in fact, basis for these accusations is interesting. the that Johnstone arrived on Sun- essence of the political sec- day, after the final paper of tarianism that underlies the conference'. Thereby, Workers Press lies about John- the exults the sectarian polemicist, stone's influence in the con- they admitted that Johnstone ference. Is it permissible, we might was at the conference. We can only heave a sigh of relief that ask, sections of to quote Khrushchev's 'secret speech' to no campus policeman appeared at the gathering, thus subject- the Twentieth Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, the ing the conference to

SLL

accusations of alliance with the speech that revealed, if even truth of armed bodies of the bourgeois only in part, the Trotsky's assertions about the state. of Stalin? Certainly there is more. Two But crimes participants at the conference, qualifies Khrushchev as Tarig Ali and Robin Blackburn, much more dangerous Stalinist both leaders of Inter- counter-revolutionary than the the national Marxist Group, British rather insignificant Johnstone.

section of the Fourth Inter- Would quoting from the 'warmly national, greeted' secret speech constitute Johnstone. If only the SLL 'totally unmerited boost' to the Khrushchev leadership? reporter had paid as much Workers Press attention the conference We urge the to to ponder the answer carefully.

proceedings as to the alleged Not merely because the entire social observances of its parti- Trotskyist has cipants. movement Small matter that the con- recognized the Khrushchev valuable tool ference organizers deny speech as in ever exposing Stalinism and in gain- this little detail of the Workers Press ing fresh recruits to Trotsky- report. view but also because the SLL Johnstone's revolting political ism, itself once published the entire record this is not small Workers point, insists the text of the Khrushchev speech.

No, the alleged influence of Press. Jiri Pelikan. Workers Press sald: the fli fate of the wing of the bureaucracy of !

the Communist Party has no- thing to do with the SLL's • to this conference. hostility Its participants came from at least seven British institutes of Soviet and East European studies; several trade unionists attended, and interested per- sons came from many countries, Mandel: characterizes the USSR as a 'transitional society' among them Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United States. The conference represented the first such radical organ- so long ization in this field dominated by imperialist in- agencies. telligence-gathering 'stimulate a Its aim was to wide-ranging discussion of the social structure and of social question change in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from a critical left-wing Marxist and view- point'. The each Olic followed by an of dis-

CISSOR.

issues of society from capitalism socialsm. Moreover, the debate theory that system pre- vailing in the states and Trotsky's of tran- sented by When Peter leader of the Socialist group, ne was whose rebuttal showing ours of clearly that majority the audience shared the Trotskyist Jiri Pelikan, Kremlin also comes of denuncia- in Ior the Dubcek result. that his speech Cale the workers' are tran- socialism, he stressed bureaucratic revolution in world. To be Trotskyist. evolon Stalinism SLL's Pelikan's. The enrace Vietnamese imperialist its refusal debate Witn Trotskyism American which Fourth SLL is explain the Tne anti- in the the capitalist Pelikan is no the

SLL

political work ne 1s of of victims the OI and the Socialist Its refusal to action to engage to defend the Its refusal per- Trot- Word Slander and genuine its sect, the and a few So pre- are importance.

REPLY

The political tendency which dominated the 'Ra- dical Scholars' Confer- ence was that of Ernest Mandel, Tariq Ali, the Paris 'Unified Secretariat' International and the Marxist Group. This ten- dency we call Pabloism; because it originates in the split from the Fourth International led by th Michel Pablo in 1953. George Saunders very care- fully avoids answering the political question central raised by our criticism of the conference. We condemned a fake protest against Stalinist repression which does not start from the struggle to de- feat the Stalinist bureaucracy.

We condemn those who encourage the lie that the Stalinist movement itself can provide allies and even leader- ship in the fight against the Stalinist bureaucracy and ignore the main question of building independent revolu- tionary parties of the Fourth International. This was the essential dif- ference between Trotskyism and Pablo, who capitulated to Stalinist bureaucracy. the When Saunders tells us that Mandel was applauded for de- fending the view that the USSR is a "transitional society' 'state capitalist' he and not ignores the very question that we had raised. We said in Workers Press that the conference organizers 'exclude the main question facing the working class of East Europe and Russia, as well as the capitalist coun- tries: the construction of alter- native revolutionary leader- ship .... We countered the earlier claim that most of the conference participants 'accep- ted the analysis by Trotsky of the Soviet Union as their point of departure' by saying that Turkey's fight against Stalin- 'was based on the Bol- ism Party, shevik the October Revolution and its gains, and the first four conferences of the Communist International.'

How is it that Saunders ignores this? It is because it would upset his relations with the centrists and Stalinists like Johnstone, and because it drives at the heart of Pabloite politics. Saunders wriggles and writhes over the relation of his own leading members, Tariq Ali and Robin Blackburn, with Johnstone. But nothing can obscure the fact that John- stone, an avowed anti-Trotsky- ist who puts his services at the British the disposal of Stalinist leadership as well as the 'New Left Review, is wel- comed by the Pabloites as some sort of liberal' Stalinist.

These Pabloite revisionists are playing the very definite role of providing a cover for Stalinism and centrism in the coming decisive political strug- in Britain. Saunders gles makes a 'debating point' in re- lation to the Committee to Defend Czechoslovak prison- ers. He calls us sectarian for condemning their use of four articles from the Stalinist 'Morning Star', and asks: 'Is it permissible to quote sections of Khrushche's "secret speech" to the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party?' And he reminds his readers that the tire text of What speech. argument! Khrushchev's with which had and with eaucracy's the Soviet the the members from we published 1956 by Khrushchev's neither ments within history bureaucracy.. and parties. I Was on question that cauliary. linism betrayals perialist crisis ism, worked through dent Saunders pressed aims 'to ence ranging change in the Hastern anel viewpoint. sent the

SLL

Press as East there is the Pelikan, on ieadersnip OI gime. quotation suggested kan, with the linist rule (2) Dubcek's road Czech the Socialist Labour • published the en- Khrushchev at an unprincipled along nents from Lenin suppressed introduction ysed and explained for the Soviet bur- of Stalin exposure the struggle of class and I contradictions of phlet was used as ent for fighting the and winning om it to Trotsky tion is not whether Khrushchev or mething else, Isaac indeared himself to es in the years after concluding from that reborn ol Stalinist nor a basis, but from ele- both He saw through' the intervened smash the bureau- build Trotskyist n this fundamenta revolutionary and working class it of the role of the bur Deutscher and nd later Johnstone) with Sta the are test matures, this Pabloism to Stalin- out precisely men as John- struggle against no for the indenen. leadership the of the Confer- stimulate a wide. of the ture and of social Soviet Union Europe from -wing and Marxist is at pains to pre- Workers and and are the IMG and scores OI militants and Pelikan, alle simonpure talk to anyone. the case o Saunders which ferring to Workers elected to the Czecho- the undergroun Krem The also comes in for His having been Dubcek d 'crime' put in as if that is But haracterization. such thing. d to Pelikan in the hree passages: Jiri Peli- to break have had obvious and question to be Pelikan is the fate of the wing aucracy of which he Alexandr because did not break ism, did not turn to class working • building of a party independent of cracy, it led where lead defeat at the the Kremlin bureauc (3) 'Pelikan is but only through t struggle for Trotskyi him can nebe other road.' this is all. And completely ignores t question once again of the relatio tion the crisis of Stalinis uilding of indepe utionary leadershi The role of the l to assist the Stalinis ing this question in ground and fighting Saunders says Pelikan's political ment with scorn'. taking the we are ponsible and seriou The real contempt by those who do n •these principled diff According to Sal attitude towards paralleled by engage in united ac fend the Vietname tion'. This hoary answered before. the International fought against refo Stalinism tory Vietnam Solidarity At the foundatic the SLL was prepar cipate in imperialist because excluded sistance that an 'ant which barred from fighting Stalin unprincipled VSC finis enough, direct alliance with ist peace campaig lied. Now the Pat themselve excelled coming Nixon's nouncement peace as proof of he Vietnamese rev As for Saunders' ference to world movement, this is blatant lie of all Saunders' Workers Party (though US law affiliation) in the fo 1963 of the riat', consisting existing Pabloite or and of some groups Internationa in the tee of the FI. In doing so, the would be a full Conference and sympathizers ( was) before any 'r congress. Furthermore, the concluded tion was plicit basis of not the long-outstandin epitomized in CeS split of 1953. issues explicitly exc discussion was section' (the LSSP paring entry into coalition governmel The SWP broke IC in order to avoi cussions, knowing would insist Later, from the IC to orga clusive discussion puted questions in skyist movement w by the Pabloite Sec There is nothing Saunders' identification As political crisis matu independent working class pendent revolution ship, revisionists al are drawn of Stalinism, pole counter-revolutiona the world arena. It is this which I ders and his sensitive to the the Workers Press. the bureau- the hands of is not Ota Sik, hrough the hardest Trotskyism against shown De any all. Saunders ignores this central nce again; the ques- Stalinism and the i independent revo- of the Pabloites is e Stalinists in keep lestion in the back- I fighting against it. that we view develop- scorn'. But surely king the most res- nd serious attitude? contempt is shown vho do not take up ipled differences Saunders, our Pelikan is our 'refusal united action to de- Vietnamese revor. lie has been The SLL and Committee and inst reformism "Vic- before the Workers Press, Fi

HUGHES ONLY

It was Thursday and Howard Hughes had just zoomed into Britain—no passport, no per- mit-to find exclusive an motorcade of Rolls-Royces manned by advisers and Special Branch detectives to escort him to his exclusive hotel. In the far north Sahib Dad stood before Bolton magis- trates' court. The 51-year-old Pakistani facing deportation after was and a half years in four Britain. His counsel pleaded: 'Howard Hughes has come to this country • without a pass- port, apparently without much difficulty' The magistrates fined Mr Dad £50 and recommended that he should be deported.

CLUB SHARES

is benefiting Someone from Manchester United's collapse to the bottom of the first divi- sion, but it's not the players fans-or the or new manager Tommy Docherty. British football, remember, is big business first and sport second, as recent events on the Northern Stock Exchange have shown. The shares of United doubled last week. Before Docherty's appointment they offer at £25. On were on Thursday however a mystery buyer had pushed the price up to £50. : Press, Friday January 5, 1973 PAGE 9 The United directors must approve any transfer of shares and for the present they are keeping the name of the take- over king secret. But he is understood to want a £50,000 stake in the club. The biggest shareholder is a Mr Louis Edwards with 2,187 shares. Until last season held more than 50 per cent, but since then the issue has been increased by 500. United is worth a great deal.

The break-up of the team would realize an estimated Elm for the players. The club also haş holdings in land and property with, say the direc- tors, a book value of £458,744 —which is far, far less than the market value. One evil-minded stockbroker on the northern exchange sug- gested that the man behind the take-over was George Best.

TRADITION

The savageries of the English public school are well known- the fag system, where younger boys are made the slaves of their seniors, the ritual beat- ings etc., etc. The American ruling class, however, train their recruits in a far more barbaric manner, as a recent incident at Pierce College, California, showed.

Fred Bronner, who was short-sighted and overweight, was the butt of the Pierce College wags. They called him and a 'momma's' boy. 'fatty' But mere psychological war- fare did not satisfy them.

They hauled Fred out of bed at 2 a.m. and drove him into the Snowy Mountain forests dressed only in his gym kit then left him without his glasses. Fred could only see a dis- tance of three feet ahead as he stumbled to find his way home in the snow. Eventually he was recovered by the police at the bottom of a cliff ... dead. The murder was called 'hazing' —it's one of the college traditions. The three students who initiated him will not be charged by police, though have pro- college authorities mised a 'clamp-down'. Moscow Trials Anthology Paperback, 62}р

MAX SHACHTMAN:

Behind The Moscow Trial Paperback 75p

ROBERT BLACK:

Stalinism In Britain Paperback £1.122—cloth £2

LEON TROTSKY :

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

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Friday January 5, 1973

TODAY'S TV

crusader 10.25 Unsolved 9.55 Captain Pugwash.. 10.05 Desert 10.50-11.00 Huckleberry hound. 12.25 Ryan a ronnie. 12.55 mysteries. News. 1.00 Pebble Mill at one. 1.30 Teddy Edward. 1.45 Television doctor. 2.00 Out of school. 3.35 Tomorrow's World 4.00 Clangers. 4.10 ay school, 4.25 Jackanory. 4.50 Help! 5.15 Record breakers. 5.4 rystal Tipps. 5.45 News. Weathe 6.00 NATIONWIDE. 6.50 DROOPY. Flea Circus.

7.00 THE VIRGINIAN: MEN FROM SHILOH. Nan Allen.

8.15 THE MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW. Guests Cliff Richard, Vikki Carr. 9.00 NINE O'CLOCK NEWS. Weather.

.25 PLAY: 'THE SNOW GOOSE'. Richard Harris and Jenny Agutter n Paul Gallico's play set during the years just before World War II. 10.20 CANNON. Flight Plan.

11.10 LATE NIGHT NEWS.

11.15 FILM: 'MEET ME IN ST LOUIS'.

lood musical set inst D'Brien, Mary Astor, Leon Ames. Hollywood musical set in Louis at the turn of the century. 1.05 Weather.

10.00 Film: 'Petticoat Pirates". Charlie Drake, 9.30 Some great painters.

11.35 Galloping gourmet. Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker, John Turner. 12.00 Cartoon. Pipkin. 12.25 Happy 12.40 First 12.05 Inigo house. report. 1.00 Time was . . 1.30 Crown 2.00 General court. hospital. 2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 3.25 Marcus Welby MD. 4.20 Junkin. Elephant boy. 4.50 Magpie.

5.20 Nanny and the professor. 5.50 News.

6.00

TODAY. 6.35 CROSSROADS

7.00 THE PROTECTORS. A Matter of Life and Death.

7.30

IT'S ALL IN LIFE.

Al Read with Design. 8.00

UPSTAIRS,

DOWNSTAIRS. The Fruits of Love.

9.00

HAWAII FIVE-O. 10.00 NEWS AT TEN. 10.30 POLICE FIVE

10.40 FILM: 'DIAMOND WIZARD'. Dennis O'Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, Philip Friend. A Treasury agent working with the FBI chases a of crooks.

THE FUTURE OF THE FUTURE.

12.10 12.15 JASON KING. If it's got to go-lt's got to go.

11.00-11.25 Play school. SEARCH FOR THE IDEAL. Reflections on Neo-Classicism.

6.05 6.30 RIPPLES IN THE ETHER. Vision of the Future.

7.30 NEWS SUMMARY. Weather. 7.35

COME FISHING.

For River Trout.

MONEY AT WORK.

8.00 The Great Air Race. 9.00 SIX FACES OF ROYALTY. Henry VIII.

FILM: 'PERSONA'. Liv Ullmann, 9.15 Bibi Anderson. Ingmar Berg- man's film about a nurse trying to make contact with an emotionally disturbed patient.

10.35 FILM NIGHT. Films of the month. 11.15 NEWS. Weather.

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Or Full subscription (six days) for • months. Name Address Amount enclosed £ Judy Garland and Margares O'Urian in directed by Vincente i 2.30 Let's face it. Film: Refun 4.25 Finestones, "4.50" London.

Puffin. 5.20 Junkin. 5.50 London. 6.00 News.

6.10 Report. 6.35 London. 7.30 FBI.

8.30 It's all in life. 9.00 New Scotland Yard. 10.00 London. 10.35 Film: Sun- Campobello'. rise at 12.45 News, weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 9.25 Let them live. 9.55 Treasure island. 10.50 Rainbow country. 11.15 Jackson five. 11.40 Katie Stewart cooks.

12.05 London. 12.57 News. 1.00 London. 4.23 Fight Rising Prices Force the Tories to Resign Support the Engineers BRADFORD: Sunday January 7, 7.30 p.m. Talbot Hotel, Kirkgate.

SWINDON: Sunday January 7, 7.30 p.m. 'Locomotive Hotel'.

COVENTRY: Monday January 8, 7.30 p.m. 'Elastic Inn', Cox Street (opposite Theatre One). ACTON: Tuesday January 9, 8 p.m. 'The Rocket, Churchfield Rd, W3. WOOLWICH: Tuesday January 9, 8 p.m. 'Queen's Arms', Burrage Road. 8 p.m. 'The Red Lion', Street. 'Build Councils of Action.

Defend Democratic Rights.'

SOUTHALL: Tuesday January 9, 8.00 p.m. Southall Library, Oster- ley Park Road. (Please note date change.) The Plymouth Fine Tubes Strikers, their wives and 53 children have just spent their third Christmas on strike with very little money. These men have waged a bitter struggle for the most basic right worker car a possess-the right to belong to a trade union. Strike committee members have travelled 100,000 over miles to sustain their fight.

HARLECH:

30 London 2:30 W London Women them live. 3.00 4.25 Rovers. 4.50 London. 5.20 5.25 5.50 London. Crossroads Report 7.38 Film: poe 6.35 Bonanza Wales. 7.30 Runners'. Yard. New Scotland London. 10.30 The all in chae e 12030 rescal: in life. 11.00 11.30

HTV

4:254.50 mru/Wales as above cantamil. 6.01-6.18 Stesion 11.00 dydd. Sports arena. 11.30 UFO. 12.30 Weather.

as above except: 6.18-6.35 Report West.

HTV

10.35 Film: «Echo

ATV

MIDLANDS:

mast 12.00 Mizzen, i2.o5 Lin and London. 3050 Dan man. Danger rangers. 5.20 Flintstones. 5.50 _LOnGOn 6 0 Today, 6.35 London. 7.00 London Sky's the Bo Tis i Protectors. Adventurer. life. 9.00 Filma Whatever Yard. 10.00 London. 10.30 Happened Baby Jane?'. Weather.

ULSTER:

12.00 12.05 London. 2.00 Women _Cartoon. 3:20 London. omper n003.53 Y0450 News. onlv. Funky 4.25 london. pnantom. General hospital. 5.20

UTV

6.00 reports 6. 65F0.8.30 7.00 Sky's the • 9.00

UFO.

It's Yard Scotland London. 10.30 11.00 Spectrum. Name of the game. Gilbert need 3.30 4.25 4.50 melodies. 5.50 Hogan's 6.35 London. London. 6.00 7.00 Cales 7:30 6.35 the limit. Hawai five-o. 8.30 9.00 downstairs. Upstairs, 10.30 10.00 London colorra •Beserk'. 12.40 Weather. 10.55 Film: 11.03 Felix the

GRANADA:

cat 1000. 4.03 Shirley's 3.50 Crossroads. world. Cartoon. Sky the Timid 5.40 4.50 London. 5.15 Sky's London. 6.00 News. 6.30 It's 7.00 Film: T. 10.55 10m 10.00 Londor 10.30 Kick BC 1, on off. 'The Ghost Train,.

TYNE TEES:

the new begins. need 11.20. 10.50 and Sullivan. 2.30 News. 2.31 Lon-

CON

3.25 Danger man 5.2.2 Mennie Gon. Me melodies. London. and 5.7.00 London. 6 the chimp. 6.00 6.35 London. 78030 les all limit. 9.00 Hawaii five-o. • life. (0.327 2 News. 12:45 Fa Dia For Gize Sport.

London. Upstairs, cows airs. 10.55 Film: "The 10.30 North country: 15 News. Brain Machine'. 12.40

SOUTHERN:

T00.00 We 10.00 need Lectern. Gilbert and other. 30.Sl 12.00 Sullivan. 12.05 London. 2.30 Women. 3 20. Weal

COTTISH

11.20 Katie Stewart cooks. Saint. Sky 12.05 2.30 hawks. London. 4.50 Cartoon. 3.00 3.30 It takes nantom. Dateline. one on. nann Crossroads. 5.50 London. 6.00 Day 4.25 Nanny and Scene South East. 6.35 7.3s Pilm: 7.05 Sale 9.00 Up. 1.00 Film: roads Today "The S. 10.00 Lon. On. Claw' Moses'. 10.30 10.00 downstairs. Upstairs, idow downstains. on. 10.35 F 12.30 Weather. Frozen Veekend don. 10.30 nisht. Late Dead'. 12.20 News. call. 11.05 Cimarron strip TONBRIDGE: Thursday January 11,8 p.m. "The Foresters', Quarn Hill Road KINGSTON: Thursday January 11, 8 'The p.m. Liverpool corner of Cambridge Road and London Road.

HARROW

AND WEALDSTONE:

Tuesday January 9, 8 p.m. Labour SLOUGH: Thursday January Hall, Railway Approach, Station 11. 7.30 Community Centre, Class Room, Famham Road. Road, Harrow. ROCHESTER: Tueaday January 9,

LEEDS:

y50 p.m. Peel Hotel, noar Land B p.m. 'The Greyhound', Roches- ter Avenue. EAST LONDON : Tuesday January HULL: Wednesday January Street Market. E14. 'The crisis of White Hart Hotel, Alfred leadership in the working class'. Bridge). WATFORD: Monday January 15 8 p.m. Watford Trade Union Hall EFFIELD: Wednesday Janua Woodford Road, opposite Watford 'The 10, 7.30 irape Inr p.m. Junction station. Trippett Lane, Sheffield 1.

HOLLOWAY: Thursday January 18, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall. Seven HACKNEY: Thursday January 11, Sisters Rd near Finsbury Park 7.30 p.m. The Parlour. Hackney Central Hall (opp. Town Hall).

tube). se press wishes mate This Christmas has been the hardest of all. It has imposed special appeal a areat financial burden. Now unionists to take collections in and branches the 37 strikers face the rest of their factories deleted for the Fine Tubes men in the winter with strike fund. January is always order that their heroic and a difficult month to raise mone determined action can be car- ried forward. All money should o further their fiaht determined to be sent to: Yet they are fiaht on. This is a struggle the Fine Tubes Treasurer cannot afford to class c/o 65 Bretonside lose. That is why the Socialist Plymouth, Devon. Labour Leaque and the Work

Industrial 'peacemakers' Bitterattack on opposition in PRODUCTION workers at Rolls-Royce, Willesden, north-west London, are facing management attempts to con- trol their wages. These in- volve a serious threat to the factory's piecework system.

A three-day special meeting is in Reading this to be held month to discuss new manage- ment pay 'proposals' • Although these do not specifically mention Measured-Day Work, most workers recognize an attempt to fix ceiling on piecework earnings. Figures for present earnings show how completely the Willes- den men have relied on piece- work to maintain and improve their living standards. A skilled man averaging just under £50 a week, makes up almost two- thirds of his wage packet from piecework bonus: the basic rate is in fact under £16.50! The new proposals include a £52.50-a-week ceiling for skilled production workers and £51.50 for semi-skilled. stewards believe Some shop that a dangerous retreat has already taken place in the fight against the proposals by even agreeing to the Reading talks.

While leading stewards claim they will only talk and agree management has nothing, a different view of the forthcoming discussions. The three days, it says, will consist of "two days of domes- tic discussions on the basis of management proposals with the intention of reaching agreement, to be ratified on the third day in presence of trade union the officials. still faced with While the prospect of 'floating' the com- publicly—now scheduled pany for February-the management is hoping that a guranteed wages bill would be an added incentive to prospective buyers. This strategy of speed-up and productivity which has followed the collapse of the Rolls empire has already been successful in two areas of the Willesden fac- tory. Indirect workers have 'sold off' their bonus system and cleri- have motion study. So far only the draughtsmen have tempts at speed-up.

TODMORDEN

Monday January 8 "The economic crisis' Monday January 22 'Stalinism' Monday February 5 Trotskyism'

THE WEAVERS' INSTI-

TUTE, Burnley Road, 7.30 p.m.

SHEFFIELD

Monday January 8 Marxism and the revolutlonary party

YOUNG SOCIALIST

PREMISES

Portobello, Sheffield 1 (near Jessop's hospital)

HULL

Wednesday January 17 Stalinism and Trotskyism Wednesday January 24 Marxist theory and the revolu tlonary party

WHITE HART HOTEL

Alfred Gelder Street (near Drypool Bridge) 8 p.m. ....

CORPORATIST-

THE

minded Industrial Society is claiming big 'improve- ments' in industrial rela- tions at the Vauxhall Motors, Ellesmere Port, Merseyside plant after Society among the survey plant's 12,000 workers. According to the Society's December 1972 issue of its 'Briefing', newsheet senior mat as s resulte of their finl managers at the their in- quiry and recommendations "have relations significantly improved'. The Society was brought into Vauxhall's in July 1972 at the management's request to 'con- duct of industrial relations at the plant and to make recommendations for improvement, back- against unofficial ground of stoppages. 'With the support of the unions and convenors, says the of report, tour members the-Society's staff.. inter- viewed .: managers, shop foremen stewards, and in- dividual employees and invited complete written Industrial Soclety director John Garnett ( questionnaire'. last year. When the results of the written survey were they Also included was a recom- UD "industrial included a list of seven recom- for mendation re- mendations for 'improvements' lations training' for managers one of the in 'communication and con- and shop stewards- sultation' to bring unions, man- Society's main sources of agement, and shop stewards conome of the Society's recom- closer together. SPANISH Communist Party leaders have launched a bitter attack on a ten- Congress dency at last year's Party raised the need to fight for which socialism. According to the December 18 issue of Mundo Obrero', several opposition members attacked the policy of the 'pact for freedom'.

They argued that the bourgeoisie was intro- ducing formal democracy in Spain and the working class should concentrate primarily on the preparations for socialist revolution.

The report misrepresents the opposition tendency not the overthrow of as wanting Franco's fascist regime. It goes on to claim that to make socialism, main goal for the working class, is hinder the fight for democratic rights in Spain.

This policy and the pact are extended version an Popular Front which led to the

BY JUAN GARCIA

defeat of the Spanish revolution in 1939. The Stalinist leadership of the capitalist institution with which CP® maintains that the first task be but in we must involved, for the working-class in Spain is which each we discuss measure to join hands with progressive will be a real battle to defend sections of the (Communiqué Spanish national interesțs.' bourgeoisie to establish bourgeois from 8th Party Congress.)

democracy. This treacherous policy has In this way 'democratic' unity meant that the important strike is being established with sections movements against the European of the church, and the Fiat-Seat army monopolies, in in the apparatus of fascist state Barcelona and Citröen Vigo, in itself. and many others, have been subordinated alliances to with Spanish CP secretary Santiago local bourgeois 'progressives' or Carrillo has far gone as even bishops pleased to praising the head of the Spanish exchange a gentle pulpit protest armed forces, Diaz Alegria, for against police brutality for the introducing modern techniques. rapid termination of strikes. He described him as a liberal in search of modern, truly The peaceful evolution to national army independent of democracy has not taken place, 'Yankee imperialism'. repression has intensified as the Franco regime welcomes more Similarly, he calls for and foreign investment,

NOTA

'strong, national democratic and the Soviet Union has now government... which is urgently established full commercial order necessary in to negotiate relations with Madrid. with the EEC ... We must not that the

EEC

a forget Above all, the Spanish working Workers Press, F The Industrial Society Britain's leading training and advisory body in * management lustrial relations Garnett (centre) at a Press conference mendations have been rejected at Vauxhall, but the broadsheet hasn't informed us what these were. In the three months since the survey,' we are told, 'there class, which already suffers in- by tense exploitation the European monopolies, has remained unconvinced the EEC's "progressive' role.

There were more strikes last I would like i FIll in the form below an

SECRETARY,

SOCIALIST

186a CLAPHAM HIGH ST, Name Address. 8 Press, Friday January 5, 1973 PAGE 11 has been withdrawal not labournoticial labour by group of men and that was brought to end within an few days with the support of the union? (Our emphasis.)

One of the main features of the Industrial Society's very lavish conferences and dinners is the wide spectrum of per- sonalities it embraces, ranging from union leaders like Jack Jones, Hugh Scanlon, Lawrence Daly and many leading right wingers, to the Royal Family (the Duke of Edinburgh is a patron) and right-wing Tory MP Enoch Powell. photograph A in the December 'Briefing' shows the Society's Gar- director, John nett, lined up on a BBC 'Any Questions?' with programme Transport and General Workers' Union leader Jack smiling Jones sitting happily alongside other than none Enoch Powell. First thing on the Society's agenda for 1973 is its largest- ever conference, expected to be attended for two days by almost 1,000 managers and trade union officials, entitled 'Into Europe': One of the highlights will be a session led by Confederation of British Industry president Michael Clapham, on the action to management should take respond to the challenge of entry to the EEC'(I) Employment Secretary Maurice Macmillan is another star speaker. The Spanish CP's general secre tary Santiago Carrillo. year in Spain than in any year since the Civil War. It is this independent working- class movement which is reflected by the tendency attacked by 'Mundo Obrero'. The call for socialist policies is described as a *right-wing, reformist development'. The Spanish Stalinist paper continues: "To say today-how- ever leftist the language and healthy the subjective intentions —that the destruction of the dictatorship is the job of the ruling classes and what that interests the working class practice, socialism, means, in and from a class point of view, support for the bourgeoisie.'

Conflict with the traditional preoccupation of Spanish Stalin- ists with bourgeois democracy in the name of a struggle for social- ism is a most healthy develop- ment in the crisis of Spanish Stalinism. It means that a most favour- able situation exists in Spain for the destruction of Stalinism and the building of a section of the Fourth International as part of the struggle for the United Socialist States of Europe.

ike information about elow and send to NATIONAL

CIALIST

LABOUR

LEAGUE,

GH ST, LONDON SW4 7UG.

'Red Flag' chorus in Clay Cross as auditor opens case Merthyr Tydfil resistance begins to wane PAGE 12 Workers Press, Friday January 5, 1973

FROM PHILIP WADE OUR HOUSING CORRESPONDENT

HOUSEWIVES sang the 'Red Flag' at Clay Cross town hall as the Tories began the second stage of their investiga councillors defying the rent increase laws.

council house tenants packed the Angry council chamber of this small Derbyshire community which has refused to surrender to the government Housing Finance Act and charge the working class higher rents.

Earlier housewives chanted 'Heath Out' and sang the 'Red Flag' Labour councillors as filed into the town hall where district auditor Charles Lacey began his investigation of the housing accounts. The demonstrators draped an anti-Tory banner behind his seat and tenants paraded with placards supporting the Il councillors who will not imple- ment the Act. People stood on ledges and sat on tables while others climbed into the chamber through open windows. Eventually the auditor was surrounded of bodies and the cameras.

tenants and the councillors were lost in a sea These scenes, the most extraordinary wit- ever nessed at Clay Cross town hall, show the massive and determined support every Labour council would have got from the working class if they had stood firm in opposition to the Housing Finance Act. Instead only a tiny handful like Clay Cross are still resisting, but getting massive backing for their principles and courage. Cross The Clay auditor has been given direct instructions from the Tory government to find out how has been the council's much money lost by failure to if charge higher rents and also to see the councillors personally tre responsible for the deficit.

the hearing When eventually under Tom Swain, got way, Labour MP for North East Derbyshire, representing the MERTHYR TYDFIL'S opposi- said that £6.985 councillors, the tion to the Tory rent Act is figure arrived at by the auditor was 'hypothetical and 'would not almost certain to collapse after stand up in law'. a meeting of the housing com- He added: 'It is an intelligent mittee today. suggesting, guess and _ no more. therefore, that the audit as con- Tory housing commissioner ducted was invalid. Geraint Walters, who took res- contended that the Swain ponsibility in the borough £1,000 deducted the auditor by council for only 'an after the refused to rent rebates had estimate' because tenants implement the legislation, re- consulted. not been At the end of Swain's speech -punctuated by cheers from the tenants-he declared: 'On this basis we cannot accept yourself findings of the court' higher month's He asked for adjournment and the appointment Housing Commissioner of a the government. Lacey- But auditor Charles jeered who occasionally was arguments ruled that Swain's were wrong. 'I am fully satisfied I am right in law, 'My decision is he said. not told I'm what decision. my do by the Secretary of State to and I have never met the Housing Commissioner. Lacey added that were there many precedents in law for using when making an extra- estimates ordinary audit. Later Mr Swain told the auditor that none of the councillors had legal for refusing to excuses implement the Act. The auditor refused a request for month adjournment a one would reach his said he and decision within ten days.

East Greenwich workers returning to th SIX LONDON dockers have been NATIONWIDE industrial action summoned to appear before the the Tory block against Transport and General Workers' on pay called for negotiations was Union finance and general pur- yesterday by leaders of the 600 committee next Wednes- poses Greenwich. gasworkers at East day. following by scenes angry With 500 others at Croydon, lobbyists who invaded Transport Greenwich dele- the East House when the national gasworkers have been working to rule and gates called off the docks strike Pentonville Five banning overtime for just Two of the over Cornelius Clancy and Tony Mer- a week. rick are among those summoned.

Now the shop stewards want their fellow workers all over the country to follow suit with offi- at the Post cial union backing. Press, Their call for action came 186a High Street, Clapham a two-hour after mass meeting

SW4 7UG.

gasworkers'" the in sports club, Ltd. ondon, Printed by Plough Press (TU), Greenwich East near the works. 180b Clapham High STreet. Stewards called the meeting The Clay Cross auditor Charles Lacey wn hall yesterday (centre) is surrounded by local tenants their banners during yesterday's avestigation into and boisterous demonstration.

BY IAN YEATS

standing of the council's posi- vealed on Wednesday that rent in 1973 would tion. rises average only 55p. 'Our opposition was never total, he said. Now an emergency meeting of the housing committee has 'We told the Secretary of been called to discuss the new State for Wales that we were position. disposed to talk to him about a level of rent increases appro- Committee chairman Tal priate to Merthyr. Lloyd said yesterday there may The announced have been misunder- increases ning to the plant after their meeting yesterday half-empty gasometers. duct action within the

BY DAVID MAUDE

limits of safety to the general Ted General and wave of anger swept the public', Green, after a Municipal Workers' Union works following Tuesday's state- con- Workers Press after venor, told ment on the unions' 'substan- the meeting. tial' Minister for pay claim by Industry, Tom Boardman. 'But Boardman's statement Boardman chiefs told union shows that the government is not there would be no reply to the So concerned about safety. this claim until after the government had aspect we have to an had produced firm guidelines on to take care of our- phase two pay-control selves. Its legislation. Jimmy deplored Boatewads stewards' heard deplored The meeting bitter secretary, attacks both on Boardman and statement as 'highly provocative'.

Tory Edward Heath's . He was convinced Monday's premier

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original December 15 directive delegate conference call blocking would have national negotiations. to 'We have been trying to con- action. Press

JANUARY

FUND £51.60

STEP UP

CAMPAIGN

TODAY

LET'S MAKE a really great effort over the next few days to give a boost to January's Fund. So far you, dear readers, have collected {51.60. But following the great success of December's Fund, We are determined not just to raise our £1,750 target, but to try and reach a record total. We are sure we can do it.

Hardly a day goes by without more sections of trade unionists joining the battle to defend their wages. On prices, rents and the anti-union laws, the fight coming to & head with the Tory government. More than ever the issue re- mains to force this government Press is, to resign. Workers therefore, more decisive than Our paper must give a ever political lead to all those taking up the fight today. very speclal Help us with effort for our January Fund. Add a bit extra if you can. Post all your donations immediately to: Workers Press January Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London, SW4 7UG this week are slightly above what we had in mind. But per- haps we shall look at them more rationally than we have done before and perhaps we shall accept it. "The importance of accept- ing is that there is still the manner in which the 55p rise is applied to be decided and some of us are of the opinion that it will be better to do this ourselves? SIX HUNDRED workers at the SU Carburettor factory in Bir- mingham are backing 100 women pump-assemblers in their fight against a piece of 'petty' manage- ment red tape. The women workers-members Transport and General of the Workers' Union-are up in arms because the management docked them two days' holiday pay for holding a Christmas party early.

On Wednesday they returned to work after striking since the previous Friday, but yesterday they walked out again. It was the

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then other 600 members joined them. One shop steward at the fac- tory, which supplies fuel pumps carburettors to its owners and British-Leyland and other car firms, described the manage- ment's action as 'both petty and vicious'

BRIEFLY • BRIEFLY

THE FOUR people convicted in the Stoke Newington eight trial conspiring to cause ex- plosions are to appeal. James Greenfield (25), John Barker (24), Anna Mendleson (23) and Hilary Creek (24), have all lodged notice of appeal against their conviction.

They are each now serving a ten-year sentence. A REPETITION today of last Friday's demonstration against Chrysler worker Joseph Langston has been averted. Langston said in Coventry yesterday: The company has made other arrange- for me to receive my ments weekly wages.' • See p. 3.