Workers Press no. 979

workers press

MONEY MARKETS

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMIT

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

PANIC GRIPPED the continental money markets yesterday after the shock decision by the Swiss authorities to float the franc Er ope's strongest currency. The big banks and speculators waited tensely for an announcement from the Swiss National Bank on the next move of their war against the dollar.

In London, the centre of the Euro-dollar market, the price of gold rose steeply by 15 points and the dollar slipped down 21 points against sterling. The rapid events of the last two deficits who both refuse to release what remains of their precious gold assets.

days, started by the effective devalua- Meanwhile the Americans have tion of the Italian lira, spell the com- res- plete breakdown of all monetary ponded with an open declaration Of trade war. relations inside and outside Europe.

At his inaugural ceremony on Saturday A mood of economic nationalism President Nixon made clear that sweeping the main financial America would look after her own interests centres. and the encourated ov the big banks in the internauonal economy authorities. watchword His coincided with the declaration economic war now unleashing itself across decision of the American airlines to under- capitalist world the every mine the French and British aircraft in- himself. dustry by placing the future of the Con- The down crisis began count in corde in jeopardy. 1971 when Nixon removed the But the renewed currency war on the

A URIST

gold backing from the dollar and left dollar will mean an acute crisis for the Europe stranded with $70,000m of the in- Germany European capitalist nations. creasingly worthless American currency.

alone now maintains fixed rate of ex- a the holy grail of world capitalist heads of the world The Chance • once trading relations. attempted to restore some semblance order in December 1971 with the Smith- This means the German Bundesbank will have to bear speculation sonian agreement where new currenc the brunt of rates against the dollar were agreed.

against the dollar float the or mark. The crisis on the But this bid failed. The new "official' front is already spilling over onto the price for gold of $38 an ounce could not stock markets. wave of speculation in favour contain the After Monday's record 18-point collapse of the yellow metal-gold has continued up and up in price on the free of share values, shares fell once more London Exchange. The industrial market. capitalists, know that they face hammer blow delivered Another was future of economic intensified by war, the ten big world act November when worst crisis or monear value since banks officially buried the two-tier gold 1929. of debts settlements sustem by allowing Gold is now the only stable basis of paper currency. applied particu- hic larly to Britain and Italy with big trade exchange, which means that the future of all becomes more paper money and more speculative. The crisis has profound impli- cations for the working class of economic Hirone he thrant ot disintegration will set the capital- clamouring for dictator. ST Class ship and methods of government THE PURCHASING power of the pound has suitable to the drive to impover- dropped by 18p since the General Election, MPs ish workers and rob them of basic were told Labour members groaned democratic rights. yesterday. when the Financial Secretary Terence Higgins The only answer to this offen- said that assuming the purchasing power of the struggle sive 1s a revolutionary pound was 100p in June 1970, its value last to expropriate the means of pro month was 82p. Joe Ashton (Lab.

the of Bassetlaw) and creation workers' states. commented: The last three occasions on which you have answered this recurring question, the The facing immediate tack pound has gone down by Ip per month' And British workers is to build the Socialist Labour League added: *When is the freeze supposed to into start working?' revolutionary party to lead this fight. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 1973 No 979 • 4p

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

ITALY'S NEW

FASCISTS

See centre pages A series of special reports on the fascist movement in Italy starts on the centre pages today. Reporter Stephen Johns and staff photographer Martin Mayer flew to Rome to investigate the resurgence of the heirs of Mussolini. Who are they? Who them? What is their strength?

finances What is their meaning in the Common Market? This is a series no worker can afford Telephone: 01-622 7029 miss. Order copy now. Engineers protest pay law at parliament

INFLATION

WORKER'S INJUR

Doc HEATHS REMED

FREEZE

INKATION

WERE BROKE

AT A STROKE

LECTION PROMISE

THAT TRY

.. 3.

BLOKE

HE FIRST MOVEMENT WAS

DIS DAN FULL

BEEF OR lo

HE SECOND VERY

WE CANNOT

PAINFULL

"AFFORTO

FlE LORD HELP US

IF WE HAVE TO

THE RicH ARE

THE ONES

WHO HAVE REALLY

SCORED

placards SEVERAL hundred en- of Shipbuilding and En- carrying con- gineers from London and gineering Unions. rocketing demning Sune the lobbied Among them food prices. south-east were a MPs at the House of large group Ford bill Mckougnin, divi workers, who are on the of yesterday. sional secretary the Commons Workers They protesting brink of major pay

CSEU,

told were clash with the Tories. Press that the lobby was against the Tory pay law.

Most factories Women workers from the start of a campaign major the in the area were repre- Hoover тастогу moDive engineers in sented the lobby Perivale (above) formed the area against the pay at called by the No. 8 divi- a lively contingent chant- and the Industrial sion of the Confederation "Heath Out' Relations Act. ing and

workers press

MONEY MARKETS

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER & WEDNESD

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTI

BY STEPHEN JOHNS

PANIC GRIPPED the continental money markets yesterdav after the shock decision by the Swiss authorities io float the franc _ ope's strongest currency. The big banks and speculators waited tensely for an announcement from the Swiss National Bank on the next move of their war against the dollar.

In London, the centre of the Euro-dollar market, the price of gold rose steeply by 15 points and the dollar slipped down 21 points against sterling. The rapid events of the last two deficits who both refuse to release what days, started by the effective devalua- remains of their precious gold assets.

tion of the Italian lira, spell the com- Meanwhile the Americans have ponded with an open declaration of trade breakdown of all plete monetary war. relations inside and outside Europe. Saturday At his inaugural ceremony on nationalism clear A mood of economic President mace sweeping the main financial centres.

America would look after her own interests by the big banks and encouraged in the international economy.

The althorities. water. The His declaration coincided with ThA the capit aist world is hevery elan tor decision of the American airlines to under- capitalist British mine the French and himse ti dustry by placing the future of the Con- corde in jeopardy. count "Tha onwin. crisis began August Nixon removed the But the renewed currency WAr gold backing the dollar from dollar will mean an acute crisis for the Europe stranded with $70,000m of the in- capitalist nations. Germany European creasingly worthless American currency.

alone now maintains a fixed rate of ex.

change the holy grail of world once The capitalist heads of the world some semblance of attempted trading relations. order in December 1971 with the Smith- This means the German Bundesbank will where currency sonian agreement new bear the brunt of speculation have to rates against the dollar were agreed.

against the dollar or float the mark. The crisis on the trade and monetary this bid failed. The new 'official' But tront is already spilling over price for gold of $38 an ounce could not stock markets. contain the wave of speculation in favour metal-gold has continued After Monday's record 18-point collapse of the vellow the tor dolesces. to go up and up in price on the free „charac tell once more on market. London that they industrial capitalists, know face too. Another hammer blow was delivered economic war, intensified by future ot t November the ten big world last when the worst crisis of monetary value since gold officiallv buried the two-tier hanke 1929. system by allowing settlements of debts This Gold is now the only stable basis of applied particu- naDer curenev which means that the future of larly to Britain and Italy with big trade exchange, paper money becomes more and more speculative. The crisis has profound impli- cations for the working class of Europe. The threat of economic disintegration will cet the canitai.

ist class clamouring for dictator- ship and methods of government THE PURCHASING power of the pound has cultane to the drive to imnaver.

dropped by 18p since the General Election, MPs ish workers and rob them of basic Labour members groaned democratic rights. were told yesterday. when the Financial Secretary Terence Higgins The only answer to this offen- said that assuming the purchasing power of the revolutionary struggle sive is a 1970, its value last pound was 100p in June expropriate the means of pro.

duction and the creation of Joe Ashton (Lab. Bassetlaw) month was 2n. workers' states. commented: "The last three occasions on which you have answered this recurring question, the The immediate task facing And pound has gone down by Ip per month.'

British workers is to build the he added: •When is the freeze supposed to Socialist Labour League into revolutionary party to lead this start working? fight. DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE illi

• FIRST MOVEMEN'T WA

HE SECOND VER:

PAINFULL

"'! LORD HELP U:

WE HAVE H

SEVERAL hundred en- gineers from London and the lobbied south-east House MPs at the of Commons yesterday. They were protesting against the Tory pay law.

Most factories major in the area were repre- the lobby sented called by the No. 8 divi- sion of the Confederation

ITALY'S NEW

FASCISTS

See centre pages A series of special reports on the fascist Italy starts on the centre movement in pages today. Reporter Stephen Johns and staff photographer Martin Mayer flew Rome to investigate the resurgence of the of Mussolini. Who are they? Who heirs finances them? What is their strength?

What is their meaning in the Common Market? This is a series no worker can afford Telephone: 01-622 7029 Order copy now. mIss. Engineers protest pay law at parliament

INFLATION

INU

WORKER'S

Doe HEATHS REME

FREEZE

WeRe frene AT ASTRoTE LECTiON PROMISE OF THAT ToRY

BLOKE

BEEF.OR ICA

WE CANNOT

THE RicH ARE

THE ONES

Ho HAVE REALLY

SCOREO

placards of Shipbuilding and En- carrying con- gineering Unions. the rocketing demning food prices. Among them were a of Ford Bill McLoughlin, divi- large group who are on the of the workers, sional secretary Workers brink of major

CSEU,

told pay clash with the Tories. Press that the lobby was Women workers from the start of a campaign the mobilize engineers Hoover lactory Perivale (above) formed the area against the pay Industrial a lively contingent chant- and the ing 'Heath Out' Relations Act. and

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday January 24, 1973 Battles in Union chiefs in Cabral protest assistant general secretary Ernie Roberts (left) DEMONSTRATORS gathered outside the Portuguese Embassy in London on Monday and NUM general secretary joined the vign ina front of a giant portrait ly Lawrence readiness night in a two-hour vigil against the assassina- of tion Amilcar Cabral, the leader of the Cabral. Guinea liberation movement.

Two further meetings will be held next week. On Monday night at 7.30 a memorial leaflet distributed at the vigil said: 'Inspired by Amilcar Cabral's example, let us meeting will be held in St Pancras Town Hall for peace' fight together in 1973 to end the evil alliance and. on Friday, February 2, journalist Basil the British Davidson will talk about the African libera- between government and the Portuguese colonialists and avenge the death tion struggle at a meeting at 7 p.m. at the of him and all those militants who have fallen reading room of the School of Oriental and on the battlefield.' Below left: AUEW African Studies, Malet Street.

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

A BITTER

struggle for territory is going on in South Vietnam as the possi- bility of a cease-fire agreement again

KLUNG

looms.

BRTUGUESE

The corrupt and brutal regime of President

FASCISM

ONE MAN

Nguyen Van Thieu, fighting for its existence, EN D has issued orders to wipe out the National - ri

MURDERE

WILL NOT

ANGLO-

Liberation Front after a cease fire.

PRTUGUESE

lARC New laws give police and soldiers the right

LEADER

KLL

ALLIANG

to shoot on sight anyone suspected of rebellion.

A Defecting soldiers and civilians can be marily executed. The use of banknotes issued

MOVEMENT

bv the NLF brings an automatic death sentence Thousands of political opponents are being tor- tured and Thieu's jails massacred in and more

ANGLO-

arents we deny we du we be there are at least 75,000 political in South Vietnam.

HORTUGUESE

fire will bring no let up in the struggle cease

ALIANCE

until the Thieu regime is swept away.

and the The North Vietnamese NLF have con- = tinued to make progress in the ground nonting and

MURDER

hold more territory than they did at the time nOW the abortive October peace Other agreement. while firmly no longer al cas. control, claimed bv Saigon either.

cannot de Heavy fighting has been the on area south of the demilitarized zone where the South vielnamese nave been trying to extena their nold- ings of territory. In the fighting. around Michelin rubber plantations miles north been South Vietnamese units badly Dalton. nave mauled. Small NLF guerrilla units have been moving into the Hally Dalla County forming nuclei of control from which cease re Top negotiators Dr Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam

TONEDUTO

member Duc ho met in Paris. for crucial talks yesterday. The South Money talks set three targets Vietnamese Foreign Minister Van Tran and Madam Foreign Dull.

NICH

Minister, also arrived in Paris.

AS THE disintegration of unwanted dollars choking vertibility have been fol- the world monetary system.

Loe surovedi curences lowed by a wnole series or Spain reaches reached a further stage, top such meetings, of • Means to bring international has monetary ex- which able foreign exhange adjust- to

UCCI.

make any progress. ycolcrudy France's Licito Paris Inree-day meeting in The discussions will con- Against a background to discuss reform for Market lira devaluation and the monetary aCute divisions syoucill. not only between the floating of the Swiss franc, Known the "Com- oh so loyal Americans and the Euro- this will be of 20 Deouties'. this peans. but also among the exception. specialist THE PRESIDENT of the National Council of panel will con- Europeans themselves. sider: is chaired by Jeremy Employers Spain, in Conde Bandres, vanue President Nixon's Morse, former left has given his full support to the integration of • The role of gold. of August 15, director the Bank of Spain into the Common Market.

• The huge volume of ending dollar con. Ht or has europea the fulfil- 'European

FRANCOIS

MITTERAND,

President who ality' of Snain meant the intensi- leader of the French Socialist fication of corporatism within Spanish factories. Party, held a joint Press con- The employers' policy must aim ference with Georges Mar- the couldn't crush of al a grealel. laterallon chais of the Communist worker in the factory, the labour absentee- Party and Robert Fabre of fomented by 'reforms 10111 the 'left' Radicals on Mon- Vietnam weapon, which he described as day: 'We are not asking for a a 'primitive form of coercion'.

new Constitution' His audience of Valencian em- LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON, the former Evidently with the support of couragement from Bandres Stalinist Marchais, Mitterand US President who died on the step up their attacks on the illegal Monday night President of the 64, caled aged will go down in history as the to 'respect the Constitution' Spanish working class. who tried and failed to crush the of victory for the even: Their prize could be the huge Vietnamese revolution. coalition of the three parties Ford or Toyota factories planned Tell in the March general elections.

Spain United for Johnson was respon-

BY JOHN SPENCER

Signing civil rights Bill, 1968 The States Stee for the taked-up sible Marchais gave his own guaran- already involved at the 1968 presidential He later boasted that Corporation Tonkin Gulf Incident Baker imprisoned of good behaviour in an tees with negotiations his Intervention there top-level August way convince the aimed to exercise Spanish cuse for a massive in. for his deputy Huber had saved the Carib- Johnson built up Minister middle coalition's class oI the Lopez de Letona aimed at build- US Humphrey, bean same Way as cnga. from the multi-million dollar for. flux of ground who was respectability. plant in ultra-modern South troops at tune in the course of his cisively laid Much emphasis was on Sagunto in Valencia province nam and for bombing 37 years in Democratic At home, for the be The Government Party politics. fact that it would Once the North. Johnson's counter- Ilked to pose as a re reports that difficult to finance the reforms Foreign machine He leaves a huge former, on the basis GOTe in the pro Spain- proposed poll prominence by the Indo-China earned him ranch, 11y collie 'civil rights' logis- gramme. Marchais said that small more cent of capita the the hatred commercial radio sta- than uper prominence by millions different projects- -amounted investors held only 20 per cent world. tion and other big busi of Presi. all over the 88888801 900 million pesetas 1972. But his White House the shares of the 1 per dent John In the last days of his of firms which it is proposed to the massive Johnson out presidency he did not It is #Sony represcalo set ment officially authorized by the ting that Ngo Cao dare venture out nanome COmE cities, fuelled by regime. South should using In a statement read before the unemployment 40 per cent of the Switzertand 11971, ta pas the full might of the US travelled from one army describe the Press Marchais claimed that the 14 pe sharp from to as 'a combatant who military machine. base another. programme did not propose ans Ented States Com 15he cented cent from the JoVinsons only imperiat had Vietnam money 1806, nowever, une changes

TOT

Wilde The before he be- famous Tet offensive of efforts alongside the could not be found. The CP and the Vietnamese libera- Ist adventure. came Vietnamese people'. its partners were ready to carry Kingdom 197), Wese able reputation for grat.

earned unenvi- per cent), 1965 he This tribute from sen Cities out tnese retorms in order and cent peo from Germany bankrupt troyed Johnson politi Marines one liberty. cent cent); per cally and reduced his Dominican Republic and arm-twisting. The France (1971, 10.5 per coalition partners from coul to revolt narrowly avoided boot) to another The startsy themselves as loyal managers o European personality' shambles. against the extreme an end to his type-just Franco's regime seems to be quite capitalist The economy The President right-wing military political career when about puts Johnson in forced to stand dows the framework of the Bonapartist flexible from the his protégé lapla dall case perspective. of 1958 which gives Us investment in spain over the last year! • vast powers to Pompidou...

Workers Press, Wednesday January 24, 1973 PAGE 3 Fighting the Tory rent Act Clay Cross councillors talk new rent tactics THE COUNCILLORS of embattled Clay Cross were meeting last night to decide what action to take to defend themselves against the Tory rent Act. The 11 coun- cillors have each got a bill for £635 when they became the first in Britain to be 'surcharged' for refusing to implement the Tory Act. Yesterday a small delegation from Clay Cross visited Transport House to seek 'legal advice'. Several of the councillors have given their views on the Tom Swain MP, Clirs David Nuttall and David Skinner from Clay Cross going 1o Labour Party headquarters to discuss struggle to Workers Press.

their next move in the rents fight.

Charlie Bunting Midlothian caves in Just coming out of the THEy Lust S nots olly of ted to Scottish rent Act first corner fighting the government. I've been -only coming thinking about it. We've chal- We've corners. letters. It's so encouraging.

the

U LICI

5. authority to tell wnat Is right and what is wrong. objectors business. dragged us

MIDLOTHIAN

County Council Monday's special meeting «EC allowed Chal- wars and We're live in couple of lente supposed lo murdered ented

ITS

denance followed a default order on the principle and in all conscience democracy. Death Pays one Dividend ess rent Act. reh, it decided be special but at This stage Dividend' council, one of the few remain- Clay Cross implement isn't. can't be Pays Edinburgh, still used to show ing defiant local authorities in where be the Act to upset or people penlalize lt Call vules lo. lo. Scotland, tenants and they say: you can't noited. t is as nai and simple implement the Housing Secretar me. u showeri wnat huge pronts capitalist State for Scotland after a public do that. as that. (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) This is the old firm back in Act. In peace we're penalized for system out of wars. I ally. Arthur Wellon George Hudson We're punished 11 councillors for fighting rent iniquities have lit national fuse CLAY CROSS has a history Sometimes moral of the working class. do exactly Then start col- or 10,000 people VOUl They can light che use have said we will do. obligations are has laborating. They get their we shall Tar greater sventav cals movemenı strite and the legal obligations. consolidated and, with the been as i calis t minded fat commandeer than chairs and though then don't unification We've been elected by the the working people in Wall ally If the don't fight staff under our jurisdiction now, a as the Labour Party.

Clay play it down all the time. DeoDe o CrOSS Class. d movement sen Cannot com- collaborate them until such time as pledge that we will not in- prehend Tory. they throwing stead, instead Since period riodified thought They're Tories will run restrained rents and brick using tron us as •uivoically of their term. Labour has through enol entering the the Housing rinance Party , If they can bear pIe 1 V sel would

LCOU

Case. the other hand General Strike mises. Act by every means in our help, they would do it. they've think excess Is non. could get a representative of the work- Tories the power. There's no power in ing class and the people. The people of Clay Cross alit cause renin land- -moral physical— quietly and not Sine whole smalon but us te Labour Party. which will force us virtually the same as when reached stage wve ve In Le Could the labour movement first robes previe con head The Labour Party leader. this vicious Act. cullors. But nistory 1s re. itself with It could spark off a chain politics ship accept roots is no help. It's like Starlea Sullall being bought out acting illegally and would leaders being will nght lne iniquides Socia 1 callivi JOLe union. deny But we the state and are punished change in the labour move- people That's what we re victimized and finding no onel country. Britain. more. hoping. Eleven councillors help from the union. for fighting for the rights ment in are moral dale Port employers press fight Right-wing MPs over registration attack IRA interview LIVERPOOL port employers have launched a new propa- ganda offensive against docks

BY A WORKERS PRESS REPORTER

shop stewards over a mann- discuss scales for the way for backdoor attack on which ing dispute at Seaforth grain BACKBENCH Tory MPs have tabled a Commons motion censur- Termina as woote Contrarion is settled to underpins dockers' •t p security. terminal. In number ports em- ing an interview on television between Provisional IRA leader satisfaction. They are trying to put pressure labour Registration is now a key issue ployers' strategy is to David O'Connell and journalist Mary Holland The interview through for the dockers. created „stewards. shortages gones. was screened last Sunday on the London Weekend Television union's national officials, to drop The special Aldington bring in casual .terms that the Jones-Aldington which not enjoy the offered the labour, does programme Weekend World'.

control manned have already Scheme's full protection.

reDon paved Sponsors of the motion include redistered

COCKEN.

like Refusal to accept non-registered right-wingers John Biggs- Teesside teachers back

ACTS,

Davidson Dame Patri Transport and General Hornsby-Smith, Philip Goodhart John Union, workers

HOSINO

une anu will pay them Titled 'IRA propaganda on UK port work to Germany according of inquiry for the autnority the the Teesside teachers' dis- period they did not work.

TV' the 'deplores the employers. The failure the to begin meeting in teachers, who were of

IBA

Talks emplovers pute is due the between LO dischart and the are due demanding Television 30• Wheel Lner national level within the next few Yesterday schools in the area the changeover to comprehensive Acts in that it allowed Mr David back normal following education, offering O'Connell incite days. were now murder So far the docks stewards, who and of the WOrK 170

WOLK

overtle Wlake vivience agalist n rorces have seen 2,000 registered jobs teachers dismissed or suspended lessons lost by 6,000 children subjects anal • Oval the uk.' disappear from the port over the during a three-month due

GCE

and The motion "further regrets the row government of the affront to the exams this summer. IdoL monas, lave escala cuucallun 1 1LC Irish co-operator which essential the With defeat terrorism in

PAPERBACKSECENTRE

holding of where mis oran ation is illegal and Mr O'Connell by the law Torces ot David O'Connell and order 28 Charlotte St Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs CLERICAL workérs on strike at Personnel were staging a one-day 9 aim.-6 p.m. London W1 Fri 9 a.m. the London. 'Evening Standard' Stoppage —7.30 p.m actuations Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. pay agreement. picketed the paper's offices yes- pen NATSOPA clerical chapel officer:

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

terdav. The 200 members of the later Newspaper met Publishers National Society Operative Associauon reoresentanves Printers, Graphical, and. Media discuss the dispute.

PAGE & Workers Pross, Wednesday January 24, 1973

GEC MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LTD

GLASS TUBES A COMPONENTS LTD

LAME METALS LTD

But have not been The General Electric things Neither good for the workers. Company Limited is the Department Employ- £1,000m 'electrical col ment nor GEC issues a full ossus' with public list of redundancies, but extensive since the GEC-English Electric world-wide interests, with merger in 1968, the following subsidiaries and associ- have certainly lost their jobs: ate companies in Africa, 1968 north America, Asia, February: Woolwich 5,500 Australia, south America Sydenham 400 and western Europe. Blackheath/Harlow 200 Harlow 400 It ranks eighth in the world May: and electrical corporations Witton (B'ham) 1.650 third in Europe, superseded by Wythenshawe 300 of Holland Sie- Philips and Aldridge 80 of Germany. It is the mens Coventry 1,650 fifth largest in the Willesden 1,200 company United Kingdom and employs 1969 211,000 people throughout the February: world. Rugby 140 GEC has just announced its Newton-le-Willows 1,200 half-year profits. Pre-tax profits 1,200 Witton are up one third, while sales Liverpool 200 May: have risen by only f5m. Stafford 300 The reason for the marginal Birmingham 570 increase in sales, alongside the Cross Heath 150 in profits, has vast increase 135 Kidsgrove ruthless closing of been the Watson & Sons 100 factories which failed to show August: a high enough profit. Manchester 50 140 Since the triple merger of Ashton-under-Lyme Chesham 40 GEC, AEI and English Electric Whetstone 230 in 1967-1968 the labour force Walthamstow 810 has fallen 265,000 to from 1,400 Netherton 211,000, a loss of 54,000 jobs.

285 Accrington Between 1969-1970 and 1971- Stafford 305 1972 the labour force in the Bradford 50 UK has fallen by 25,000, from Liverpool 305 206.000 181,000. Manchester 810 to At the Napier 1,400 same time trading profit per Trafford Park 200 from £455 employee has risen in 1969-1970 to £588 in 1971- 1970 1972. (The 'Sunday Times' July 4 The salient details shown in 1971 further 8.000 estimates a the table below: redundancies in 1970) Year ending March 1969 1970 1971 1972 Sales (£ m) ... 921 891 924 975 Profit (f m) 49 58 63 77 Number of Employees 230.000 206.000 195.000 181.000 Sales per Employee (f) 4.004 4.325 4.738 5,386 Profits per Employee (£) 213 281 323 424 In 1972 the average gross wage per employee was £27 a week (this includes management incomes).

The six months after March 1972, were even better: Per cent Profits — 6 months to September 30 1971 1972 change fm Em Sales 447 452 Pre-tax profit 31.5 42.5 + 34.9 April: Witton Moulded Plastics Ltd. 60 May: GEC Power Eng Ltd, Reactor Equip Div, 60 Whetstone July: GEC Semiconductors Ltd Marconi Elliott Microelec, Witham 65 Trafford Park Research Lab 55 October: GEC Elec Components Ltd Thermal Control Div E Kilbride & Motherwell Marconi Elliott Computer Systems Ltd,: 50 Borehamwood November: Accrington Bushings Unit GEC Transformers Ltd, 750 Wythenshawe 1971 April to November: Witham 300 269 Harlow Stafford 238 241 Hersham Glenrothes 150 520 Rochester Slough 280 Willesden 210 200 Amersham Winsford 90 Hammersmith 65 Lincoln 50 Liverpool 350 Trafford Park 775 Whitton 80 270 Bridgend 230 Kidsgrove 200 Rugby 80 Basildon 290 Walthamstow Bradford 70 1972 January: 605 Chelmsford 150 Coventry Wembley 500 492 Stafford 100 Greenwich & Lewisham 450 Hersham 500 Wembley 550 Stafford March: Swinton 620 Maryport 40 Lewisham 60 Newton-le-Willows 160 April: GEC Automation, Statiord 500 June: 100 GEC Fife Computer factory July: Dorman Diesels. Lincoln $380 Others to lose their jobs be- tween April and August last year include: Accrington 325 Rugby 100 555 Kidsgrove Manchester (Barton) 60 If the workers have not done well, the GEC sharehold- ers have done superbly. 100 GEC £1 shares purchased in 1960 would have cost £214; through free share issues the shareholders would now have 1,089 25p shares worth £1,742 (160p per share on December 14). And the 16 directors also do very well. Between them they own £37m in shares. Chairman Lord Nelson of Stafford - a director of the Bank of Eng- land and eight other companies — was paid £40,000 in 1972 and owns £102,000 worth of GEC shares. Other directors include Lord Aldington (of the Jones- Aldington docks report, who holds £52,000 worth of shares) and Sir Jack Scamp (industrial 'trouble-shooter' under the Labour government, who holds of GEC £126,000 worth shares). One director was paid be- tween £32,500 and £35,000 in 1972, three were paid between £20,000 and £30,000, and four paid between were £10,000 and £17,500. GEC does extremely well in South Africa, where the com- pany employs about 4,000 staff.

The reason is not hard to discover-the African worker receives between £4.81 and £9.49 for a 45-hour week. All GEC black workers fall below the official poverty line set by the South African Chamber of Commerce. While the labour was being reduced in force Britain, profits had gone up by cent in the last three 48 per years. GEC South Africa also pays the minimum rates laid for the electrical industry in the In- dustrial Council Agreements, authorized by the South African State. The lowest grade of pay for Africans doing general labour- ing, scrap recovery, or sealing ends, as laid down in June 1970 was 10.7p an hour. The top rate for Africans was 21.5p an hour. The South Africa Chamber of Commerce poverty line for African industrial workers, amounted to £10.50 a week, in 1972, with the proviso that 'the minimum budget should be increased automatically as the cost of living spirals: GEC South Africa (Pty) Ltd, one of the 27 South African subsidiaries and associate com- panies of GEC-EE, is the electrical engineering largest group in the Republic with major plants in Benoni, Ger- miston, Wadeville and Springs.

It employs 4,000 people and has a turnover of £25m a year.

It has several major operating companies:

GEC-AEI

(Pty) Ltd, (Domestic appliances to light electrical goods); GEC-EE of SA (Pty) Ltd (Industrial electrical equip- ment); GEC-Elliott Automation in- (Pty) Ltd (Technical formation on automation); Endean Manufacturing Co (Pty) Ltd (Switchgear and equipment for mining indus- try); Marconi South Africa. Among the major subsidiary is the African companies Cables and Telephone Manu- facturers of South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Through such companies

GEC

supplies the South African state corporations.

In this connection, it is worth remembering the laws which are in operation against African workers in Vorster's police state. These include: 'An African factory worker who calls on other workers to strike for an increase in pay commits a criminal offence punishable by a fine not ex- ceeding $700 or imprisonment for not longer than three years, or both such fine and imprison- ment.' 'An African whose employ- ment has been cancelled may be removed from the town where he worked and pro- hibited from returning to that town for such period as the labour officer specifies.'

'An African worker who neglects any work it is his duty to do, in addition to being • dismissed, a) may be fined by a government inspector an amount not more than $2.80 which is withheld from his wages, and b) is guilty of a criminal offence punishable by a fine of not more than $70, or imprisonment for not longer than three months.' GEC benefits indirectly through arms contracts to South Africa. For instance, the Marconi 920B Elliott com- puter installed in all opera- tional Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft, which are sold to South Africa. Marconi-Elliott Avionic Systems produce flight control systems for Lightning and Buccaneer aircraft, which feature prominently in the African Air Force. South Through its 40 per cent hold- Aircraft ing in the British Corporation, GEC profits from Vampires, the sale of and Viscounts, Skymasters Buccaneer aircraft. GEC also did well out of the Vietnam war. For Elliott Auto- mation (now GEC-Marconi) gained a contract worth $402m with the United States Air Force. No examination of GEC is possible, however, _ without looking at the record of the Labourites. In 1966 the Labour government formed the Indus- trial Reorganization Corpora- tion, with £150m capital.

, was part of Harold This Wilson's much-vaunted 'tech- nological revolution'. The merger of GEC and ABI in 1967 was largely brought about by the Labour govern- ment. George Brown talked at the time of 'a great and fruit- ful partnership between private enterprise and government' After this merger English Electric was given £15m IRC money to encourage it to take over Elliott Automation. In 1968 the Wilson govern- ment endorsed the merger be- GEC and English tween Electric. Apart from the GEC-AEI-EE merger the IRC was instru- mental in reconstructing the British Nuclear Design and Construction, to which it sub- scribed £260,000. GEC has a 25 per cent holding in BNDC.

It was also the IRC in 1968 , 'to per- that gave a f17m loan suade IC & Tabulators, English Electric and Plessey to pool their computer interests in a single new computer group called International Computers Ltd'. (Labour Research 1968.)

GEC has a 20 per cent hold- ing in ICL. The Labour govern- ment gave ICL £13.5m in deve- lopment grants, while in July 1971, the Conservative govern- ment declared that it would pay the outstanding balance of its shareholding in ICL next year. The sum would amount to £3.15m. The government would also "place contracts to assist the development of new products and applications'. ('The Times', July 31, 1971.)

GEC is also assured a market by the state in nation- alized industries, i.e. British Rail, Central Electricity Gener- ating Board, the Post Office and the Ministry of Defence. Its relative share is as follows: Traction Equipment 90% GRID Switchgear 70% Turbo Generators 50% 50% Defence electronies Transformers 45% Small Switchgear 40% (IRC Statement 14.9.68) One of the conditions the IRC made for support of the merger was the promise by the company 'to confer with appropriate trade unions and government departments about any matters arising from the merger which would • signifi- cantly affect the workpeople and with appropriate govern- ment departments about other action having an important bearing on the government's regional policies'. (IRC state- ment, September 13, 1968.)

To pursue these regional policies government gives firms investment, retraining and development grants to move to areas of high un- employment. In 1968, GEC promised to create 4,000 new jobs in Scot- land, the north east and south Wales. The state provided £400,000 for this "service' under the Development Grants Scheme. In addition GEC got £5 a each person week for it trained. Total government 'aid' to GEC in 1968 amounted to £1.7m. No money was refunded by GEC after redundancies.

At the time of the an- nouncement of redundancies government reaction was as the 'Economist' put it on February 8, 1969: 'Already there are rumblings around Whitehall about Arnold Weinstock not "playing the game" the way the govern- ment wants. As the Industrial Reorganization Corporation instrumental in the was i aggrandisement of GEC, some MPs feel that Mr Weinstock should show a proper degree of gratefulness.' It was, of course, a bit late in the day for the Labour MPs to start 'rumbling'. It was because the Labour government was concerned to protect the interests of the capitalists at the expense of those of the workers that the Tories won the 1970 election.

Now the task facing the working class is to force the Tory government to resign and put in a Labour government to socialist policies pledged which will include nationaliza- tion of all major industries- including electronics-without compensation and under workers' control.

GUESTS FROM CHINA

BY OUR FOREIGN CORRESPONE

Ping-pong with Nixon, now an orchestral even- ing by courtesy of Edward Heath. The Chi- nese leadership moves in strange ways to reach diplomatic objectives with the imperialists. In terms of reaching an understanding' China, with Britain is way behind the field. The pace is being set by France, Italy and the United .

States. Still, last week, a leading Foreign Minister was given a grand tour in Britain inspect- ing factories belonging to Air- British-Leyland, British craft Corporation and Rolls- Royce. Mr Pai Hsiang-kuo was the first Chinese Minister to visit this country since 1949. He will be followed early next

ESPONDENT

month by Mr Chi Peng-fei, a Foreign Minister. He was the guest of the Cabinet's aggressive most capitalist, Peter Walker, the newly-appointed Secretary for Trade and Industry. The Chinese delegation also had an audience with Heath at No.

10 Downing Street, though it was overshadowed by news of the state pay plan. Britain is making a belated attempt to impress the Chinese leaders. On March 26 a British industrial exhibition will be staged in Peking. This will be the largest foreign trade show in China since the cultural revolution. In the same month the London Philharmonic Orches- tra will tour China as part of the 'Buy British' campaign. Britain's trade with China rose about f4m last year to £32m, but its relative position with other countries worsened.

By June 1972 it had slipped to fourth place in Europe be- hind Germany, Italy and France. Britain's trade balance re- unfavourable, mained but there is optimism that this will change with the sale of aircraft.

Italy is currently receiving the favours of the Maoists. The Italian government set off the diplomatic recognition band- wagon two years ago and has sent a series of trade and cul- tural missionaries. In 1971 it became the first European country to sign a trade agreement with Peking.

Since then it has shown the sharpest rise in trade with China in 1972. In the first six months of the year its exports to Peking shot up 73 per cent, producing a 40 per cent in- crease in two-way trade. Last week the Italian gov- ernment received a new prize —an agreement for the …ex- change of air services. This should enable Alitalia to be- come the first western airline to run scheduled flights to Peking. (Air France, which has Workers Press, Wednes Above: Mr Pai Hsiang-kuo, China's Foreign Trade Minister on a tour of Britain which in- cluded visits to British-Leyland, •BAC and Rolls-Royce factories and a visit to Mr Heath at No 10 Downing St. two flights a week to Shanghai, is the only European airline which now flies to China.)

Signor Medici, the Italian Foreign Minister who signed the agreement, was the fourth Foreign Minister of the en- larged EEC to visit China in the past six months. Commenting on the visit the 'Economist' said: 'The Chinese are the cheerleaders of the Common Market. No other country on the sidelines has shown as much enthusiasm for the enlargement of the community, and the degree of Chinese fervour never ceases to amaze.' A member of the Italian delegation • is said to have re- I've seldom heard marked: such encouragement.' Meanwhile the British Maoists maintain a discreet silence ... 3, Wednesday January 24, 1973 PAGE 5 "The German farming families in Kazakhstan are prosperous, says Alex Debolsky, editor of the weekly German-language published in the Kazakh Soviet Republic, writing in 'Soviet News'. According to the article some 840,000 Germans live in the region. Some had been settled there for a long time under the Tsarist regime, but most are former inhabitants of the Volga German Republic, once a favourite subject of Soviet propaganda. According to Debolsky these Germans 'were evacuated in 1941 from the western regions, then threatened by occupa- tion' by the advancing Nazi army. The fact is, however, that the Volga Germans were not forcibly 'evacuated' but deported to Kazakhstan and other distant regions where, in most cases, they were simply dumped and told to fend for themselves. Many had to dig holes in the ground for shelter or died of cold and hunger. What crime had the Volga Germans committed? According the decree to signed by the Soviet President at the time, Michel Kalinin, there were 'among the German population living in the Volga area thousands and tens of thousands of diversionists and spies who on a signal from Germany are to carry out sabotage in the area inhabited by the Germans of the Volga.

'None of the Germans living in the Volga area has reported to the Soviet authorities the existence of such a large num- ber of diversionists and spies among the Volga Germans; German consequently the population of the Volga are enemies of the concealed Soviet people and of the Soviet authority in its midst.' The entire population, Com- munist Party members in- cluded, were ordered to be deported. Until after Stalin's death, the Volga German exiles were treated with mistrust and sub- ject to special control by the security police. When released from these disabilities by a decree of the Supreme Soviet December 1955 is in was expressly laid down that 'the revocation of the restrictions on the Germans... does not imply the return ot property confiscated in connection with the deportation, and further that they do not have the right to return to the regions from which they were deported.

While it may be true that those who survived the many hardships were able to rebuild their lives, become relatively farmers prosperous as or secure a place in Kazaklistan industry, this is hardly a triumph for the nationalities policy of the Soviet Union as presented in Soviet it is News' In fact the bureaucracy tries to gloss over the tremendous injustice done to the Volga Germans and the other nation- alities deported savagely during the Stalin period as a form of collective punishment.

To describe the deportation of the Volga Germans as 'evacua- tion' is a travesty of history.

The story of the Volga Germans is one more con- demnation of Stalinism. The way in which it is treated by the bureaucracy today bears witness to its own guilt.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday Jan

BY STEPHEN JOHNS.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

MARTIN MAYER.

Italy is on the brink of a crisis which may end in civil war. The ruling class is preparing to destroy the trade unions and the left by force. Already the army, police and many monopolies have declared allegiance to fascism— once more a powerful force in Italian society.

The focus of this dramatic ideological shift is the MSI (Italian Social Movement). Led by Giorgio Almirante, the MSI has 56 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and is the third big- gest party in many areas of Italy, notably Sicily and the south. The MSI is a fascist party.

It cannot call itself such, since fascism is 'illegal' in Italy (as are gestures, speeches, uni- forms, meetings, etc, of a fas- cist character, regulations the police consist- para-military ently ignore). In public the MSI maintains a cynical front of ultra-conser- vative respectability. The dup- licity that pervades the move- ment was best expressed by one supporter who remarked, when Almirante became leader in 1969: For 15 years under 'conserva- Michelini [the old tive' general secretaryl the dead. We fas- party was cists ... excuse me ... we of the national right were dead...

then he came and we all woke up. He was right when he said "less stuffed shirts and more stick"• Almirante, who plasters his walls with pictures of Il Duce Mussolini, says he is now leader of the 'national right'- destra nazionale. In fact MSI members are responsible for bomb attacks, terror against militants and the systematic murder of left-wing activists which generally take place be- neath the loving eyes of the police. To carry out this work, the MSI leaders and deputies con- trol bands of armed 'squadristi -youth fired by the example of the Black Shirts and the Nazis who are pledged to the physical destruction of com- munists and • socialists. (The connections between the MSI and the fascist terror organi- : will be revealed in to- zations morrow's article.) But it is the carefully-con- trived sobriety that is the most sinister aspect of MSI. This image is a deliberate ploy by the fascists to reassure their supporters within the ruling Christian Democratic Party, the state and big business. The esday January 24, 1973 capitalist class, as always, is a squeamish over little methods of fascism. It knows it needs the thugs but does not like their activities thrust under its nose. 'Respectability' also provides a convenient cover for the rapid developments towards fascism within the police and the special detachments of the army. support for fascism (The within industry and the state will also be analysed in a later . article.) growth of Italian fas- The cism is connected directly to the crisis of imperialism and the chronic malaise that grips capitalism in the Common Market. Investment in Italy is stagnant. Unemployment gets higher every month. The home economy is unable to sustain the lira, which was devalued two days ago. This will mean bankruptcy for many small firms which depend largely on imported raw materials. The monopolies, for big their part, are keen supporters of the MSI idea of a greater European economic commu- nity. This will embrace fascist Spain and the colonels' Greece.

MSI wants to smash all resist- ance to capitalism by destroy- ing free trade unions and con- structing a corporate state on the Hitler-Mussolini model. This is sweet music to indus- trial giants like Fiat, Pirelli and Montedison. The story of the Italian fas- cist revival is a grave warning to British workers. The very forces preparing the reign of terror in Italy are present in the UK and the Common Mar- ket. Alarmed by the fear of crisis, they are also baying for action. Italy proves the imme- diate prospect in Europe either fascism or socialism.

The origins of the MSI are to be found in the remnants and relics of the Mussolini era.

The few fanatical fascists left after the execution of Musso- lini in April 1945 regrouped and formed their own party in December 1946. Many of these men now hold high MSI office. Almirante himself had to wait until the end of the war before Mussolini rewarded him with a post. The defeated die- tator had taken refuge at Salo, by Lake Garda, in the north.

From his depleted forces he formed the government cf the so-called 'Social Republic' The important post of Min- ister of Culture and Population went to a pro-Nazi, Pavolini Mezzasoma, who appointed in turn a keen fascist journalist called Almirante as the chief his secretariat. Almirante of went to work with gusto. One of his jobs was to call for the execution of partisans and all Italian soldiers. who refused to fight the Allied armies. In May 1944, he issued an order giving all Italians 24 hours to rally to the doomed Salo Republic. He warned par- tisans and soldiers: 'Those who do not present themselves will be considered outlaws and executed by shooting in the back. Almirante always tries to cover up his service of fascism.

He was desperate and outraged when this information was posted over wide areas of Italy by socialist councillors a year They called him ago. shooter, massacrer and tor- of the turer' Italian people. Almirante took them to court and pathetically denied signing the infamous execution order.

thought The judge otherwise and found that the words com- plained of were true. Other Mussolini men include Pino Romualdi, MSI president in Italy's upper and senator He is an house of parliament. illegitimate Mussolini son of and organised Il Duce's retreat Switzerland- into -not very efficiently Romualdi Since quickly surrendered the to communist-led partisans. MSI senator Araldo Di Crol- was Mussolini's Minis- lalanza ter of Public Works and must have had a hand in building exhibition the centre outside Rome-a temple to the fascist mystique-where the MSI held its congress last week. Many other fossils of the Mussolini era hang around the fringes of the movement. They make appearances at MSI gath- and play hero to the erings youthful 'squadristi' who thrill at the days when the jack-boot ruled Italy. One of these fascist pension- ers, General Bergonzoli, in an impromptu address to an en- thusiastic crowd last week, re- discovered some of his male- volent spirit as he spoke.

His flushed and his face white sponta- beard wagged at the neous applause (Bergonzoli Pound, looks like Ezra the broadcast poet who for the fascists in Italy. Pound is an MSI cult figure and his works do a brisk sale at the big meetings). These connections with the that fascism past show really died in Italy. After the collapse of Mussolini the Com- munist Party and the partisans effectively held the power. But under Stalin's orders, the CP and held back the worked for a coalition with the reformists and the social democrats. The coalition made no real effort to destroy fascist the 1946 In movement. secret negotiations took place with fascists and they were allowed to stand for parliament. In Almirante and Kome Arturo Michelini were elected deputies in 1946 and in Naples Roberti, Giovanni now the of the leader fascist union CISNAL, was returned. The 1950s and 1960s saw a gradual growth of fascist influ- the middle class. ence among Extra-parliamentary activity included campaigns to secure the release of the few remain- ing hardcore war criminals and the odd bomb explosion. One notable development, was the formation in however, Fossils of the Mussolini era visit the big 1950s of the several para- the jack-b round and thrill over the time when fascist military who groups General Bergonzoli-nicknamed fascist, boasted their overt allegiance bers at the Rome Congress last week. (Abov tactics. to Nazism and terror and the leader Rome strong-arm support after the Italian elections last May.

These were later to play an im of Sp re th va wl at ne th ye vo 8, lat wi th mi pr so fo ph to RE pc el ga dr th st de Cla pi la de of an hi big fascist congress. The 'squadristi' gather sa the jack-boot ruled all Italy. (Top) One old pr red 'Electric Beard'-poses with MS| mem- lat ek. (Above) Giulio Caradonna, MS| deputy Gi arm squad. He planned a coup with army

important role in the re-birth of MSI. Within the MSI there was a split between the general sec- retary Michelini, who stood for the 'stuffed shirt, ultra-conser- and Valua 18 9 Amirante who called for more 'stick' and attracted a big following new recruits, especially youth.

1968 was the watershed for the MSI. In the elections that 1,415,000 year the party won votes, compared with the CP's 8,500,000. MSI was still a re- latively small party, substantial pull among Will the the smaller employers, middle class and the sub- proletariat of the impoverished south. But the events of the next four years were dramatic. MSI was transformed trom a pert- extreme-right oner dia tendency to a major political force. Reuter's dispatch captures mood of

MSI

in May 1972, poised on the threshold of its electoral breakthrough. Over 20,000 •fascists had Rome. A. banner gathered in draped the platform on which the Il Duce, Almirante, new stood: 'Marxism is the system, death to the system', it pro- claimed. Fascism and all its pings are banned under a 1952 law,' Reuter's Rome correspon- dent wrole, but a sprinkling be seen of black shirts could and one youth jubilantly thrust his hand upwards in the fascist quadristi' gather salute Signore Almirante as One old (Top) party's proudly presented the latest convert. He is General na, MS! deputy Giova De Lorenzo.' coup with army Fascism had arrived and the election returns proved it. The MSI doubled its vote to 2,894,000 and won 56 seats in the chamber of deputies and 26 in the senate. In the regions it had 32 deputies and 151 county councillors and 2,953 town councillors. It boasted a membership of 400,000 and 7,560 branches all over Italy.

In the south and Sicily it had formed a pact with the the right-wing Mafia and Christian Democrats. MSI now an important say in the had running of half Italy. Almost all the landowners were sworn fascists. Even more important, big business was swinging rapidly behind the fascist movement. The success of the MSI can- not be simply explained by the attraction its policies obviously had for the capitalist class and frustrated section of the mid- dle class. Back in 1968 support went overwhelmingly to the Christian Democrats-the party officially blessed by the Catholic church. Deeper forces were at work within the country. Italian capitalism is an extremely shaky institution. It has never been able to survive without massive state support. Public trusts, controlled by the Chris- tian Democrats 'mother' most industry and ensure that pri- vate enterprise does not face bankruptcy. This structure was always unstable and became more so as the effects of the post-war boom were dissipated and within the competition EEC grew fierce. The crisis measurably worse surge. oi working class. 1968 were full class struggle. followed General the talinists' policy o ctions to protest, t class inflicted on the monopolies. In the northern new unity workers migrant and south the trialized proletariat The develop. stripped of reformist from bitter rural p

MOST

production mass adopted consciousness. violent clashes bet kers and became daily occur same tensions led of student protest. This was the the rise of MSI whi ne populat

CT V

as the for with communism. There was anothe factor. In capitalist crisis (an refusal of Party to mobilize political action) led to th coup All the eyes of ruling class Greece. Here example of how to the working class- fascists never home. Support was made was im- worse by an militancy by The years since continuous Strike Strike and CP contining protest, the working serious damage northern factories a between the im- the trom indus• newcomers, any Stalinist ideology, plunged r rural poverty into of vicious regimes roduction, rapidly militant socialist Strikes anc achec nerween wor- the military police ily occurrences. ions led to a wave s the background to : MSI which adopted of order and force to deal as another significant Greece the same the Communist mobilize the asse. and industrial colonels' Tne of the Italian were turned to living W do f how to deal with -a point the failed drive port was two-way. Workers Press, Wedness Pino Rauti, now an MSI deputy and one of the most hardened fascists in the move- ment, went to Greece at the invitation of the colonels and welcomed by Prime was Minister Pattakos. The Greek leader allowed the fascists to organize military training camps on their ter- ritory, while in Italy their Constantiono Plevris, agent, channeled funds into the MSI and put the Greek pro-fascist student movement at the dis- posal of the extreme right.

Under the impact of these upheavals the Italian govern- ment became a regime of per- crisis. Government manent followed government, almost as rapidly as strike followed strike. The Communist Party's refusal to mobilize the work- ing class and campaign for power, strengthened the forces of the right. Amidst the anarchy, the ruling class began towards the MSI for to look salvation. This was the background to the fascist success at the elections. The situation now is very grave. a third of the by Vatican reactionaries, want to see an MSI victory. There was and is an agree- ment between these right-wing forces and the fascists over terror. The argument they use is that bomb attacks and other be blamed on outrages can the left and stampede the middle class into accepting a colonels' regime in Italy. One highly-experienced observer in Italy described the policy as one of 'creeping coup d'etat'.

major example conspiracy was the murder of Feltrinelli, the left-wing 1972 election. Feltrinelli's mutilated body was found by an electricity pylon. The remains of a bomb found nearby. The sug- was gestion was that Feltrinelli had in a left-wing been engaged terror attack. The evidence police offered to support their conclusions was exposed as totally incon- sistent by several journalists.

Feltrinelli had been mur- dered by the fascists, the police, or a combination of both. No one was surprised when, days after the body was right-wing discovered,. Press published lurid stories about two 'Red Brigade' hide- outs discovered in Milan. Police conveniently found Feltrinelli's identity card in one of them.

But in April 1972, more evidence of this concrete alliance between the fascists, the Christian Democrats and particularly the army and police, came to light. published Pictures were showing Giulio Caradonna, an MSI deputy and leader of the Rome strong-arm squads, be- fore maps of the Rome region Lazio. Symbols showed troop concentrations and Com- Party strongholds munist marked with a hammer and sickle. With Caradonna were three of his 'adjutants', Mario Narduzzi, Fernando Philippi and Bernardo De Palma-an ex-graduate of the aeronautical college. A letter sent to the magazine 'Panorama' explained the plan.

It said that a big MSI success in the May 7 elections would lead to demonstrations by the working class. These would be countered with an occupation of points in Rome by key fascist 'commandos'. The army would be held in reserve ready to crush any popular rebellion.

Control of Rome would give the fascists the television net- work, the ministries and all of The centres power. letter explained in detail how the operation would take place over three days. Arrests of left-wing politicians and trade union leaders would begin at an early stage. More- over the NATO command had given an assurance that it , Wednesday January 24, 1973 PAGE 7 would not intervene. For foreign consumption the 'coup' would be presented as a legal operation to restore order.

If election success did • not produce the predicted disorder, the plan would change slightly.

Squads of fascists would go attacking trade union out leaders and party headquarters to provoke a reaction. Caradonna's excuse was that the picture was deliberately taken by the MSI for 'election purposes'. . Later it was pointed out that the hammers and sickles and the names of the army and. police garrisons clearly visible hardly were consistent with this explana- tion. He then changed his line.

said, The evidence, he was 'photographic' falsification.

The Caradonna affair was concrete evidence that the fascists, the army and police working to create the were conditions for a coup. But more startling relevations were to come. incidents that sug- More year and, in November, Arnaldo Forlani, who held the important post of secretary of the Christian Democratic Party, made a remarkable statement. He claimed that during the last election Italy had been in grave danger of a right-wing coup 'This divisive attack,' he continued, 'was prompted by a plot which has substantial financial and organizational roots, arising probably not only from internal, but also from international solidarity.

"This attempt is not finished.

We have in a documented fashion and in the areas of our responsibility that this attempt is still under way,' he added. The statement caused a public outcry. Forlani was pressed to reveal more, especi- ally about the international solidarity'. But he refused. His outburst caused great turmoil within the Christian Demo- crats, a party split into about nine factions. Originally the party attempted to censor the key phrases, but was forced to admit that Forlani had in fact made the accusations, but only after they were published in the left-wing Press. It is worth dwelling at length on these conspiracies. They illustrate one important factor in the development to- wards fascist rule-the con- nections between the fascist movement and the state and, through the state, the ruling class. In Italy it would be both foolish and indeed lethal to imagine that fascism must wait for the emergence of some mass black-shirt force. That force is already waiting in the wings within the army, within the para-military police and the Caribinieri (the armed 'national guard'). That is not to say either that fascism can suddenly "emerge' as a system from a coup d'etat. A seizure of power by the fascist forces, supported by the forces of law and order, would unquestionably lead to civil war. All over the north, the home of one of the most militant sections of the Euro- pean working class, the banner of resistance would be raised.

The working class would have to be defeated in battle, their organization destroyed, their leaders murdered before a second Il Duce could rule Italy.

But it is true to say, that while the Communist Party calls on the state to put down the fascists, advanced prepara- tions for a coup are underway.

This is the acute crisis and danger that faces every worker in Italy. As always it expresses itself as a crisis of working- class leadership. TOMORROW: The 'squadristi' murder and terror squads of the right. THURSDAY: The people who back the fascists.

JIM SLATER RIDES AGAIN

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Wednesday Jan

BY PHILIP WADE

Once upon a time Jim Slater, the head of Bri- tain's most powerful and diverse conglomerate, was a quiet man. Rarely in the news. He was seen (everywhere) but not heard. More and more frequently, however, Slater is venturing into journalism to put the point of view of his section of British capitalism. Recently he wrote about the things going on with so-called 'insider' deals on the Stock Exchange-transactions made by those with the advantage of knowing company results be- fore anyone else. A few days later it was a call for 'socially responsible' capitalism which • struck the headlines. Now, the head of Slater Walker Securities has seen fit to advise his old partner in business. Former SWS partner Peter Walker (he quit to join the government in June 1970), is head of of course, now, Britain's most powerful gov- ernment ministry-the Depart- ment of Trade and Industry.

As such he is considering, in line with British capitalism's the reform' of requirements, monopoly legislation. As chairman of a £150m group with interests as far away as Hong Kong, Slater took time out to write a half- page article in 'The Times' Business News advising the esday January 24, 1973 government what to do rext.

But what he made a plea for was nothing less than a more efficient system where go-aheads are rapidly given for conglomerate takeovers of other industries, and mergers.

Undoubtedly Slater spells out in so many words that the policy changes are needed be- British capitalism is cause breaking world under up competition in a trade war situation. The best thing to do, therefore, is to salvage, through ruthless rationalization, what you can and dump the rest.

"The most important single consideration of the govern- should be ment to ensure economic survival national within the context of the EEC and in the face of increasingly international competi- strong tion,' wrote Slater. He says one of 'the most difficult problems facing the government is to determine its policy on conglomerate mergers', roughly translating into the takeover of indus- trial companies by firms like Slater Walker. Naturally enough, chairman Slater makes out a 'case' for allowing such mergers. Unless they were given the go-ahead, 'the largest and second largest companies in industry an would literally be safe from takeover' And if this happened it 'would surely be against the national interest', he argues. Just to illustrate what new monopoly legislation should enable the conglomerates to do, Slater supplies details from a takeover his company made in May 1968. At the time Critial-Hope was taken over it was, admits Slater, by far the leading metal manufacturer in the window United Kingdom. In the three years the company was wholly owned by Slater, Crittal-Hope underwent a dramatic trans- formation in its assets position and many workers got the sack.

First Slater decided . to do something about the business which 'cried out for the rationalization which we car- ried out'. After selling up loss-making companies and selling a profit- able, independent subsidiary America, 'the proceeds of rationalization liberated approximately f10m'. A further £9.3m was created by the development of Slater- Walker Securities (South Africa) from the assets of Critall-Hope's quoted sub- sidiary in South Africa. The original investment there has increased in value, reports Slater, from £1.2m in May 1968 to £10.5m today.

Profits in the company have gone up £800,000 in four years with 'a much reduced capital employment, and turnover per has employee than more doubled from £2,250 to £5,150.

'There were, of course, re- dundancies resulting from the closure of some duplicated activities, explains Slater.

This sort of operation, he adds, is what life should be all about. Rationalize, hive-off, create capital, sack more workers and force up profits.

Suddenly Slater has become morally upright about these questions. 'It is alarming that, in the present emotive climate surrounding mergers, there is a little distinct possibility that might this type of acquisition be described "asset- as stripping" or dismissed as be- ing an undesirable conglomer- merger,' "The he telis ate Times' readers. Asset-stripping, 'a relatively rare occurrence', according to Slater, should not be confused with 'industrial rationalization and putting assets to much better use'. For much • of his article Slater talks of the need to be sober when deciding on allow- ing the formation of monopo- lies and the need for legisia- tion 'aimed at better protect- ing the public interest. Well, there's nothing like the old master handing out a few salutary warnings to anyone who wants to climb the ladder.

In about nine years, Slater has progressed from being director deputy sales at British-Leyland to the chair- man of a company capitalized on the stock market at almost £200m. In a short period the com- pany—with Peter Walker as deputy chairman — passed through the control of an estimated 500 companies leaving both men millionaires.

Slater moved faster than the City was used to in making the deals. It's like a knife and butter and we're the knife', , he once said. The period 1964- 1968, Slater describes thus: 'As soon as the ink was dry bid we launched on one another.' Slater emerges today as a public relations man—in effect -for the Tory government, trying to allay the fears of Peter Walker (left) and Jim Slater, partners and millionaires.

middle-class, potential Con- servative voters who think that everyone in the City is specu- lation mad. But in fact Slater makes out the best possible case for the expropriation of companies like his own and the socializa- tion of the entire means of production. Much of industry is today cle in the hands of industrial and financial conglomerates like Slater Walker Securities.

The question to be asked is: what right have a handful of multi-millionaires and big companies to break up the lives of thousands of workers through an accelerating suc- cession of takeovers, mergers, rationalization and redun- dancies? Such people cannot be left to control the means of pro- duction. The anarchy of the system which, capitalist through incessant searching for profits, brings misery to millions of workers, must be ended. The Tory government which represents the Slaters and the British capitalist class must be forced out of office through the mobilization of the entire working class. A returning Labour govern- be made ment must to nationalize all the basic indus- expropriating without tries, compensation companies like Slater Walker. With all the factories under the control of the working class, the basis will be estab- lished for a planned socialist economy run not for profit but for the needs of society as a whole.

Yugoslav law allows groups of private individuals set to up their companies. But own according the country's to deputy public prosecutor, Muhamed Mirica, this is of wholesale corrup- source tion. He told the Trade Union Federation Committee for Social and Economic Rela- tions that the majority (!) of such private enterprise com- panies were corrupt and urged that they be banned from most forms of business activity.

They should not be allowed, he said, to practise trade or commerce, to act as mediators, representatives or agencies to take part in the provision of services. This view was accepted by the body, union but in the resulting discussion, a Belgrade professor said it remained to An unusual type of speed-up be whether such seen com- seems to be taking place panies served any necessary Catholic Church. within the economic function. Pope Paul (75) has streamlined He felt, he said, that society the administration of the had suffered enormous damage extreme unction. at the hands of these com- This rite-usually reserved since panies they were first for Roman Catholics on the They legalized in 1967. had point of death-consists of caused social inequality and a anointing the subject five times flow of socialist capital into with olive oil (symbolizing the private pockets. five senses) and repeating Now the prayer each time. whole business is to be made quicker and simpler. sample oi 5,000 random Institute The wording of the unction members of the of is to be made plainer and, if Directors, published in the necessary, only anointing December issue of The Dir- one will do. ector, shows that they manage And if the priest can't lay fairly well. his hands on some ready olive Sixty per cent of them have two cars in their household and oil any other plant oil will do.

19 per (But it must be plant oil-as cent have than more (79 everyone knows, this closely two cars per cent are resembles the matter indicated provided with a car by their in the Holy Scriptures.) company). Most convenient of all, the Sixty-five per cent of the needn't total have a colour TV; 51 per priest until wait the cent possess a deep freeze; 50 member of faithful is actually dying. As soon cent an automatic dish- as per washer; 44 per cent hi-fi equip- anyone starts getting sick or old he qualifies, if he 17 cent even ment; per have holiday home in the UK or might not be dying right then.

Obviously, this abroad; 14 cent means that per own 8 if a priest has a spare after- yacht power boat; per _Or cent have a swimming pool; 6 noon he can just dodge out and and perform a few per cent caravan; extreme unctions in order to get a bit fortunate 1 per cent a private ahead. aircraft. Where is Britain Going? Paperback 37гp • Problems of the British Revolution Paperback 35p Lessons of October Paperback 60p In Defence of the October Revolution Paperback 15p Marxism and the Trade Unions Paperback 25p Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International Paperback 10p Postage: 10p per book. Order from:

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The French electorate is due to go to the polls on March 4 to elect a new National Assembly and the public opinion polls predict a victory for the parties of the left. The latest polls put the front of Socialist, common Communist and Left Radical parties 8 per cent ahead of the Gaullist UDR, which at pre- a majority of sent controls seats in the parliament. The prospect of ministerial office almost within their grasp has whetted the appetites of the common front leaders, par- ticularly the Stalinists.

They are determined to appear as men of moderation who have no intention of upsetting the established order. The left parties are united by common programme which consists of a number of mild reforms, including nation- alization of 1 per cent of in- dustry, a national minimum wage and retirement at 60.

The Gaullists are trying to paint the common front as a 'red menace' which will have dire consequences for the mid- dle class. They are trying to stampede the small business- men and farmers with memory of the May-June 1968 General Strike. Revolution, however, is the last thing the Stalinists and the social-democrats want. They have spent the past few months proclaiming how modest and. reasonable their demands are. Most of their effort is de- voted to holding back the workers, staving off strike actions and assuring the em- ployers that their interests will not be jeopardized if the CP- SP government comes to power. They have made it clear that they will accept the rules of , game and the parliamentary seek to impose any will not form of dictatorship. They have indicated they will serve loyally under President Pom- pidou. In their eagerness to con- vince the French employers that their system can safely be entrusted to a cabinet with CP Ministers, the Party has run Workers Press, Wednes into trouble with the reformist CFDT trade union confedera- tion which is subservient to the Catholic hierarchy. Georges Séguy, leader of the Stalinist-dominated CGT trade union confederation, the largest and most influential in the country, recently attacked the CFDT for its mild criticisms of the common programme. In an article in the Stalinist 'L'Humanité' he referred to those who falsely claimed that the unions would 'paralyse the government with an avalanche of wage claims which would, if conceded, weaken the public finances and ruin business'.

Nothing of the sort would happen if the CP had any say in the matter, the Stalinist union chief implied. He re- ferred to certain union leaders (meaning the CFDT) who had 'announced in a tone contain- ing an element of menace that they intended to claim this or that demand from the left gov- ernment. Séguy said they were bring- ing grist to the mill of the opponents of the common pro- gramme and described their as 'cavalier'. In any action case, he said, these leaders were pushing against an open door because what they were asking for was already con- tained in the programme. CFDT leader Edmond Maire replied that political any power, whatever its intentions, had need of 'the driving force of the popular will' to put its programme into operation.

If the action of the unions is to be made dependent on the action of the government, if the workers are passive the unions are partners with the government, if everything is dependent on political ac- tion, 'then a left government will be impotent.' Maire's opposition is not in the least principled. He no doubt fears he may be too deeply compromised if he com- himself to full support mits before the left government is even elected. What clearly emerged from this controversy, however, is the extent to which the Stalin- ists intend tying the unions to they win at the the state if elections. This is a task French capitalism has been trying to tackle since Gaullism came to power 14 years ago. Séguy said that on the day s, Wednesday January 24, 1973 PAGE 9 list after the left victory, the unions would consult with the government to work out the details of how the 'great eco- nomic and social reforms' were to be brought about. This would usher in 'an era of new ties between ine state and the trade union move- ment', which Séguy justified on grounds that it would make things harder for firms which wanted to avoid imple- menting the new social legis- lation. The would be new era marked by the prevalence of 'discussion negotiations' and which would be used to settle all vexed questions, 'by dealing with the causes which give rise to them'. Georges Séguy, leader of the CGT. Above: Events in France, May, 1968. The Gauflists try to stampede the farmers and middle class with memories of the General Strike. The Gaullists had never been able to involve the unions in their schemes for 'participa- tion' because they were only interested in class-collabora- tion, making the unions their super- accomplices in the exploitation and alienation of the workers, Séguy said. He added that the advent to power of a left government would invest, for the first time, the idea of participation with 'a progressive social signi- ficance'. The CGT and Communist Party leaders, in other words, are bidding for the support of the middle class on the basis that they alone can destroy the independence of the unions and get their full collaboration with the state. Once again the CP is posing as the 'party of order' and trying to out-do the Gaullists at their own game.

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday January 24, 1973

TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

9.15 Schools. 12.30 Nai zindagi jeevan. 12.55 News. 1.00 naya Pebble Mill at one. 1.30 On the farm. 1.45 Made in Britain. 2.05- 2.50 Schools. 3.00 Sunday debate. 3.30 Young scientists of the year.

4.00 Deputy 4.10 Play school. 4.35 Jackanory 4.50 Thursday's dawg. child. 5.20 Screen test. 5.40 Magic roundabout. 5.45 News.

Weather.

THE

TOMORROW'S

6.00

NATIONWIDE.

6.45

ASK

FAMILY. 7.05

WORLD.

7.30 NOW LOOK HERE. New series with Ronnie Corbett and Rose- mary Leach. SOFTLY: TASK FORCE. For Love or Money.

8.00

SOFTLY,

BY 8.50

WEEK

WEEK.

9.00 NEWS.

Weather.

SPORTSNIGHT.

England 9.25 world cup soccer, international tennis, The All Blacks v Neath-Aberavon.

10.45

MIDWEEK.

11.30 LATE NIGHT NEWS.

11.35 Weather.

ITV

9.30 Schools. 10.35 Yoga (London Rupert Bear. 12.40 First report. Settlers. 1.30 Crown court. 2.00 Harriet's back in town.

2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 Whose baby? 3.25 Saint. 4.20 Get this. 4.50 Arthur of the Britons. 5.20 Survival. 5.50 News.

TODAY.

6.00 6.35

CROSSROADS.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE.

7.00

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

8.00

THE

FIRST OF LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR.

NEAREST AND DEAREST. The One That Got Away.

8.30 9.00

PUBLIC EYE.

It's a Woman's Privilege. 10.00 NEWS AT TEN. 10.30 A PLACE IN THE COUNTRY. Waddesdon.

11.00 LATE NIGHT THEATRE: MELODRAMA. The Gypsy's Revenge Wrath The or of the Romanies. 11.30

FILM:

'HUMAN

DESIRE'.

Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Bro- derick Crawford. Love and 1.05 Epilogue. murder. Do you get WORKERS PRESS regularly? If not, why not take £20.28 for 12 months (312 issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to : Circulation Dept., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press

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Name.. Address Beatrix Lehmann plays Mrs Fennel, a s her son in 'Is Nellie Dead?', , BBC 2's I has 'mother' trouble in the first of a n

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL: 9.30-11.55 London. 1.15 London. 2.30 News. 1.30 Galloping gourmet. 3.00 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 Hogan's heroes. 6.35 London. 7.00 7.30 London. Treasure hunt. 8.00 This is your life. 8.30 London. 11.30 News, weather.

WESTWARD.

Channel except: As 12.05 London. 12.25 Hammy hamp- ster. 12.37 Gus Honeybun. 12.40 Lon- don. 12.57 News. 1.00 London. 6.00 News. Diary. 11.30 11.33 Generation three. 12.00 Faith for life. SOUTHERN: 9.30 London. 12.00 News.

5.20 Cartoon. 6.00 Day by day. 6.30 5.50 London. Survival. 7.00 London. 11.30 What the papers say. 11.45 News. 11.55 Guide- Shirley's line. 12.00 world. 12.30 Weather. HARLECH: 9.30 London. 2.30 House- party. 3.00 London. 4.50 Rainbow 5.20 Chuckleheads. 5.25 country. Crossroads. 5.50 London. 6.01 Report West. 6.15 Report Wales. 6.30 Arthur 7.00 of the Britons. dodor. 11:30 8.00 London. Pathfinders. 9.00 Cinema. 12.00 Weather. HTV Cymru/Wales above except: as Miri 4.35-4.50 Cantamil. 4.20 mawr. 6.01-6.15 Y dydd. HTV West as above except: 6.15-6.30 Report West. ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 12.04 News. 12.05 London. 2.30 Houseparty. 3.00 London. 3.30 Odd couple. 3.55 Rom- room. 4.09 News. 4.20 London. 5.20 Lom. 5.50 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.35 London. 8.00 Survival. 8.30 London. 11.30 Spyforce. Prayer.

Fight Rising Prices Force the Tories to Resign Support the Engineers GLASGOW: Wednesday January 24, 7.30 p.m. Room 3,. Partick Burgh Halls. LEICESTER: Wednesday January 24, 8 p.m. Queen's Hotel, Rut- land Street. FELTHAM: Thursday January 25, 7.30 p.m. The Co-op Hall, Bath Road Bell Pub), (near the Hounslow. WILLESDEN: Thursday January 25, 8 p.m. Trades and Labour Hall, High Road, NW10. HACKNEY: Thursday January 25, 8 p.m. Parlour Room, Central Fine Tubes THE Plymouth seven months on strike. These men have waged a bitter struggle for the most basic right worker can a possess—the right to belong to a trade union. Strike committee members have travelled 100,000 over miles to sustain their fight.

These latest months have been the hardest of all for the men, their wives and 53 a senile but non-stop talking old lady who becomes a burden BBC 2's Thirty-Minute Theatre at 10.15. Ronnie Corbett also production rst of a new series 'Now Look Here' on BBC 1 at 7.30.

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.25 Open University.

MAN AT WORK. Be Your Own. Boss.

7.05 NEWS SUMMARY. Weather. 7.30 ALL IN A DAY. The Match. Ipswich Town football team before 7.35 a game. MUSIC ON 2. Michael Ponti plays works by Scriabin, 8.05 Schu- Blumenfeld and Stravinsky. mann. 9.05

OSTERLEY PARK HOUSE.

9.25 MAN ALIVE. Not on Speaking Terms.

Break-up of a marriage. 'IS 10.15

THIRTY

MINUTE

THEATRE:

NELLIE

DEAD?'.

By Tom Woodall. With Beatrix Lehmann.

Philip Latham. Robert Powell. 10.45

EDITION. 11.15 NEWS EXTRA.

Weather. ATV MIDLANDS: 9.30 London.

12.00 the 8.30 London. 11.30 What To Say. 5.30 London. London. the papers say. 6.35 8.00 Please Odd 11.00 Lon- on 11.30 coupl

TYNE

TEES:

9.25 Prologue. 9.30 Lon- O'Hara US

LULL

2.30 News.

CON.

Weather. Champions. 4.20 London. 6.00 8.00 London. 10.30 Tour. 11.00

ULSTER:

London. 11.30 11.45 Edgar News. 3:90 Romper room. Wallace. 12.40 Lectern. Harriet's back 6.00 News.

SCOTTISH:

Reports 6.35 9.30 London. 2.30 Date- Protectors. 8.30 3.00 line. …london. Crossroads. 5.50 Today. 6.30 Sur- 7.00 8.00 Pathfinders. 9.00 London. Sound

YORKSHIRE:

9.30 London. Be- 11.30 What the papers say. 5.50 Calendar 11.45 Late call. 11.50 Blue Witened London. 0.00 weather. 6.35 London. 8.00 Anna and the king 8.30 London. 10.30 Adam 11.00 London. 11.30 Spyforce.

GRAMPIAN:

10.58 London. 1.38 Weather. 2.45 12.25 Schools. News. 3.00 London. 3.25 3.55 back Harriet's town.

GRANADA: 9.30

London. 3.25 Yoga. 6.00 News. 6.05 "homoson 3.50 Stuart Gillies Thare. on. 60ndLucy. 6.00 Newsday. What's show. 8.30 London. 11.30 kind of 6.30 7.00 London. 8.00 living. 12.00 Meditation. Hall, opposite Hackney Town HARROW: Tuesday January 30, 8 p.m. Labour Hall, Harrow Hall. and Wealdstone. LEEDS: Thursday, January 25, Peel Hotel, Boar Lane. p.m. CLAPHAM: Tuesday January 30, 'The state pay plan. Clapham Manor p.m. Baths, Clapham Manor Street, SW4. MIDDLESBROUGH: Sunday Janu ary 28, 7.30 p.m. Settlement Com- WANDSWORTH: Tuesday Jan- Centre, Newport Road. munity 30, 8 p.m. Selkirk Hotel, wary Tooting Broadway, SW17. PADDINGTON: Monday January 'Dudley Arms', 29, 8 p.m. corner February North Whart and Bishop's Bridge KINGSTON: Thursday 'Liverpool Road, W.2. (corner p.m. Arms of Road/ Cambridge

ROCHESTER:

Tuesday London Road). The 30, 8 p.m. Rochester Avenue. CAMBRIDGE: Thursday February BARKING: Tuesday January 30, 1, 8 p.m. "The Rose and Crown', 8 Co-op Hall, corner of corner of Newmarket Road p.m. Fanshawe Ave./Lagbridge Road.

East Road. children. Common Market entry, lose. That is why the Socialist and the with rapidly rising prices, has Labour League Workers Press wishes to make imposed severe financial all trade burden. The 37 strikers face a special appeal to unionists to take collections in the challenging months ahead and with depleted strike fund- their tactories branches Fine the Tubes in this is in a period when meat tor men and order that their heroic has now become a luxury for paid determined action can be car- all but the highest ried forward. All money should January always ditficult be sent to: month to raise money to fur- ther their fight. Fine Tubes Treasurer Yet they are determined to c/o 65 Bretonside fight on. This is a struggle the Plymouth, Devon. working class cannot afford to

DAVID MAUDE, our industrial correspondent, in an on-the-spot assessment from Merseyside THE FIGHT against the closure at CAV, Fazakerley, is at a turning point.

After 14 weeks of sit-in strike, the strikers are in urgent need of support from the wider trade union movement.

The future of the sit-in is balanced on a razor edge. Key questions are raised for every Merseyside trade unionist.

Last Thursday a mass meeting endorsed a recommendation from the occupation committee to relax control of the site. It agreed to call off picketing of three other factories in the area.

"NO"SUKRENDER""

Since week three of the sit-in, the strikers have been regulating all movement of supplies and the site, operating all

J.LUCAS - CAV

on-sile services goes and out with an effective system of passes. The Lucas combine, which

CAV

and a smaller factorv not Toe sance site. Would accept this. So workers at

THIS FACTORY IS NOW

smaller factory, Lucas Industrial This had several contradictory effects. lever notching pressure on Lucas. since it tied up combine's central trans- _the ort system for the whole of the This meant that the Fazakerley transport arivers, now ald on. could appeal to their numbers headquarters, at Lucas Diack normally carried by them. Since loads to and from Merseyside and Lucas group factory open and preserve factories would discussions nave Fazakerley veen carried ov however. men, this should, theoretically, oncias becan towards have reinforced the the formula that alternative work occupalion cullilice s ceneral can lor on Lucas products and pack colonie. stop the car factories. At the same time the officials effect

LIE

Another of the ignored calls-even when made lay-offs was to cut off jointly by the

CAV

and

LIE

valuable support sit-in. to the stewarus lu allalse The

LIE

workers had been leaderships Une

SHOD- TOOT

weekly operating which levy, at Ford, Standard Triumph and paid and Lucas aerospace. staff, in support of CAV:

T&GWU

Franny Martin, con- But more important, the lay- venor. explains importance off set potential counter- pressure against the st-in among who simply secuons workers wanted to start drawing wages again. this point that was at Lic role or ne amon leadersnip officials became crucial. Marked time The question was: would the take firm action to back the sit-in strikers, and hence the whole struggle azallist employment merseyside deliberate refusal would they virtually mark time and allow the company unlimited to nelp make tne black enrectve strengthened the hand of those, develop ume budleyes

TOI

for instance, on Merseyside docks undermining the sit-in! soo• stewares contree. In the event they marked time.

preferred sceptical comment Although the possible of outcome sit-in, they refused last November the sit-in to action in its support.

support a strike in solidarity So docks' stewards throughout tar the on Merseyside. nave countered calls to black all Lucas products by demanding a The executive of the engineers' pledge that car and engineering union, which organized a majority workers will back them of the 1,000 workers facing the run into trouble with the Indus- dole, sent a message 'sympathiz- trial Relations Act. ing' with the strikers' aims.

At the same time there was support for the blacking No accident campaign or the picket of three Merseyside factories which con wetner they Wil noree to a unuca to use Lucas products in new proposal that they black defiance of the black. just products normally made John Ht CAV,

AUEW

deputy Fazakerlev remains to be seen. convenor at described the What has so far been missed demoralizing effect of by the foot-draggers and sceptics, pickets sumph all day and at Ford however, is that the sit-in remains Standard Victor and capable works [Lucas' "space acrosoace posing serious problems for Lucas lactor owe me cock. if the combine proceeds with its 'People were on for two hours closure plans. at a time. and It was aesome •emoralane. in

COWER ORI

_oressure The ser they'd severe

SIOT

SOD

Ste and office picket line. with,

THIS

Tse venor aosen not compete winour components local care

TUL

the cast components been ndent, in an on-the-spot as hird week of the 15-week sit-in, the workers the Lucas-CAV Fazakerley com dispute at

CAV,

Acton, in London, last year, Lucas is badly behind schedule vith: pump designed to replace the Fazakerley product. It was when this situation became acute and Lucas faced the loss of both money and markets that the combine manage- ment threatened to close LIE in two weeks unless the occupation committee loosened its grip.

Reaction The reaction of the majority union of LIE stewards, with officials in the background, was to call for all measures 'within movement to get the labour their factory open. Some stewards began touring branches to whip up support for this policy. They now want the district committee to contact the engineers' union executive to ask that financial aid to the sit-in strikers should be with- drawn. John Howe, deputy convenor week ago the Tust over a company made its move. Seven- teen clerical workers who had been taking part in the sit-in eight weeks' were offered full pay, their redundancy money and promise of jobs at other the factories in the Lucas combine including LIE. On Tuesday of last week the occupation committee met to consider the new situation. By 15 votes to eight they decided to allow the reopening of LIE under the conditions which had first three existed during the elax weeks of the sit-in.

Through the officials came word that this was acceptable to the management. But at ook mass meeting on Thursday some- remembered that these one conditions included the operation of a pass system by the occupa- tion • committee and insisted this be spelt out. By Friday morning the manage- ley. ment had informed Gerry Russell, ived AUEW divisional organizer, that it would not accept this. Its will proposal was the opening of an old gate well away from LIE ers' and the separation of the two wh Workers Press, Wednes ot assessment from Merse!

workers have controlled the gates to erley complex. 7 in factories to allow free movement adly of transport. At a stormy meeting of the LIE stewards on Friday morn- ing, one steward who supported sit-in throughout was told the that he was excluded from stewards' future meetings for allegedly working against the policy of the stewards' com- mittee. This was done despite the fact that the committee has no stand- ing orders and that it is question- able if such a move will be upheld by either the district committee or the steward's own section. Some CAV stewards are also reflecting similar and pressure talking about a 'rethink' of the whole policy on which the occu- pation has been conducted. But what stands out is that the sit-in is now at a point where it can be won. The reason for the heat in both factories is that Lucas is on the spot. The combine management wants to clear CAV Fazakerley off the agenda before major struggles break out in the car and car components industry. It knows that such struggles are inevitable. Basic rights Workers in the Lucas combine are in the cockpit of the struggle for the defence of basic demo- cratic rights. • Defence of basic trade union rights. Engineers in the combine have recently staged countrywide strikes against the £61,000 fines imposed on their union by the National Industrial Relations Court. This followed the pro- secutions launched on the union by CAV worker at Sudbury, Suffolk, Mr James Goad. • Defence of the right to work.

The sit-in strike at Fazakerley, which began almost 15 weeks ago, shows the determination of workers to resist closures and massive redundancies. The pat- tern of close downs by the big employers will be stepped up now that the Tories have joined the capitalist in conspiracy the ame Common Market. As CAV and other firms re- move their capital to countries like Spain, the fight for the right to work will be a key rallying point against the Tory govern- ment. • Defence of a decent standard of living. Heath's new state pay laws are designed to completely undermine the relatively high earnings in car and car components industry. Engineering workers who previously relied on the 8, Wednesday January 24, 1973 PAGE 11 Verseyside reformist gravy train to get a few pounds' extra each year have seen wage-bargaining abolished and pay increases limited to fl 4 per cent. This a week plus . possibly compensate sum cannot for the soaring cost of living.

To defend these . basic rights requires a political and industrial labour struggle throughout the and trade union movement against the Tory government. There is no evading the issue the Tories have to be removed from office if rights are to be defended and the standard of living of the 'working-class pro- tected. Socialist policies for the future must also be hammered out. The land, the banks and the basic industries must be national.

ized without compensation and under workers' control. In the struggle for these twin policies-forcing the Tories out and the preparation of a socialist programme — the right-wing traitors in the Labour Party and the TUC must be roundly ex- posed before the masses. The returned Labour government must be forced to implement socialist policies. This struggle against the Tories and the right wing is inseparable from the urgent task of trans- forming Socialist Labour League into a revolutionary party.

Workers being thrust into the struggle, some for the first time, om- must immediately join the SLL the All Trades Unions or Alliance and help this historic campaign.

HULL

Wednesday January 24 Marxist theory and the revolu- tlonary party

WHITE HART HOTEL

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

GLASGOW

Sunday January 28 The Communist International in the Days of Lenin and Trotsky.

Sunday, February 4 The Left Opposition's struggle against Stalinism.

MID HALL

Partick Burgh Halls 7.30 p.m. Lectures by Tom Kemp, SLL Central Committee member

DONCASTER

Sunday February 4 The crisis and the socialist answer. Sunday February 11 The revolutionary party in Britain. Lectures given by Cliff Slaughter.

SPREAD EAGLE HOTEL

Westlaithgate 7.30 p.m.

TODMORDEN

Monday February 5 'Trotskyism'

THE WEAVERS' INSTI-

TUTE,

Burnley Road, 7.30 p.m. ... 31000

Labour-TUC chiefs PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday January 24, 1973 THE PARLIAMENTARY Labour Party Harold yesterday backed its leader, Wilson, and decided not to impede Heath's state pay legislation.

The party gave 'unqualified support' or inhe tory bequestent would make trol for Wilson's policy of 'opposing' the

BY JACK GALE

wage-control

SCUUCOL

legislation with a 'reasoned amendment'.

It seeks to hide the real nature of the eco- legislation. Wilson these because The amendment is a procedural method wants he 'unhappy', state of the the economy, that inflation not some passing Knows of denying a Second Reading.

of "serious and legacy document reformed out of exist. says, phase wnich Can damaging mistakes' by the Tory government.

ence, but an indication of the deep economic In other words the Labourites pre- dangerous nonsense. crisis of capitalism. to go through a parliamentary charade Industrial Relations the Darli The wage out trade war This crisis has led to an all in which there wil be no cerne rinance ACI European capitalism by lne United Tory attack on wages and the standard and entry into the Common Market were not of living of the working class.

'mistakes' deliberate policies consciously industries like cars, motor-cycles, Robert Mellish, the Labour Chief Whip, the working class Carlice OUl

LOOIS.

behalf of monopoly capitalism.

tronics and textiles come under increasing told the meeting taere woula be no question Bill busch the go thement ian st com of ted Since the Tories took office, food prices completed rates government wants have more goan 25 percent, fares 35 percent ates cent, and of millions lobs and living standards bv the end of februarv. of workers are at stake as capitalism is forced our tnere was Dienly which could occupy their attention without house prise as be that per me.

them in its desperate effort deliberate delaying tactics, he added. about by was government ally measures. including the floating of the pound Press Associallon political

COLICS

s une economic real wich creates poetic car melod *Left-wing last June was designed to create political crisis in Europe. The When i particular welcomed the party line in the inflation. soaring Labour leaders document tries to paper this debate which followed. the Tories hoped to be this situation, over. joint it teeny see ourse Tore collabore Salement 'Economic Policy and the Cost of Living' is a Now the

TUC

and Labour Party leaders ated every stage Tory offensive to hide the complicity this be reversed by deliberate attempt pretend that all can against the working class. few tax the Ine wilson government pavea the way toi Tory government's attacks on the working changes and some unspecified "selective' the Tory measures by its prices and incomes class. policy and its attempted legislation against the powers. It also aims at persuading workers that it Yet only one day before the document umons. I nanaca power to neall In 19/0 by appeared, Labour leader Harold Wilson was is not necessary to fight these attacks now.

disillusioning hundreds of thousands of Labour voters. leaders continued talks with the Tory chiefs while being hined ulllulls were wage-control legislation enacted.

In fact, the TUC-Labour Party document does П0! compial about tne anti-trade union legis- lation, but about the fact they weren't allowed even mOrt come over The document says: It was certainly unprecedented for covernment introduce legislation intended to transform the entire legal frame-

WULK

arcalesi society with- InsTitutions out any attempt serious dis of the principles.' cussion Bv telling workers not to fight.

by coming forward with not single proposal against the Tory Senten employers against the working class. In this situation it is urgent to Councils of Action to fight the Tories now, launch to make the Lalilyalsil aestroy the lory pay law Cano to expose the Labour leaders by forcing the Tory resian arol electe government pledged socialist policies. Central to this is the forma. Sacked UCATT steward Peter Carter (left) in London yesterday for a joint conclliation council hearing on revolutionary party TIOn

ATTA

to prevent a sell-out which would 1926 eclipse 1931 in its ABOUT 500 builders marched through Birmingham yesterday in a demonstration against the sacking of Peter Carter, chairman of the UCATT shop stewards, and three others by C. Bryant and Sons. Later they held a protest meeting outside the main Bryant office in Small Heath.

Socialist Labour League Yorkshire R On the way they stopped

FORCE THE TORY

outside the Birmingham City

YOUNG SOCIALISTS AND SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

Council headquarters and were

GOVERNMENT TO RES

addressed by Stan Yapp, leader Council of the Labour who said:

BUILD THE

1978 *Thẹ Labour Council is going to reintroduce direct

REVOLUTIONARY

scheme again. We have no inten.

tion of removing our council

PARTY!

minute which refuses to give contracts to hrms who use lump labour. though

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 7.30

1882 moment Birmingham is suffering from this by having less houses Great Northern Hotel, built.' Wellington Street (near Leeds Shilvock told Workers ress: Forty Press: sites have stopped

LEEDS

Two three thousand 1868 work. men have taken the day off. The main sites affected are Laing's, McAlpine, Wimpey, Gilbert Ash, Cubitts and Bryant

FILM: THREE

'These big firms have up to ten to 15 sites apiece.

OF WORKERS

"This attack on Carter designed destroy the union to here bv the use of lump labout If the employers can get with it, all the reactionary tendencies country would be reinforced' Speakers :

DEFEND ALL DEMOGRATIC RIGHTS

DEFEND TRADE

HEALY

(SLL

National Secretary)

UNITY

UNIONISM AND BASIC LIVING STANDARDS

WHETSTONE (Young Socialist:

PAUL

IN ACTION

TO MAKE THIS

Press, In personal capacity:

THE ROAD TO POWER IS THROUGH

THE BUILDING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PARTY

GEORGE LUBY

(U.P.W.)

ROBBIE ROBERTS (N.U.M.)

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IT IS now getting close to the end of the month and we are a long way from completing our £1,750 target. Let's step up the fight immediately. This month our Fund is needed more than ever before. political situation, this In Workers Press is vital. Our paper is needed to give a clear, firm against the lead in the fight Tories. As share values fall dras- tically an even bigger economic crisis faces this Tory government.

Only our paper warns workers everywhere of the dangers of their even greater attacks on living standards and basic de- mocratic rights. The onslaught by this government has only just begun. There is no doubt that trade unionists everywhere will fight Let us back as never before. show all our determination with a big campaign for our January amounts must be Fund. Extra raised. Do all you can and com- plete our target in time. Rush every donation immediately to: Workers Press January Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG STUDENTS are joining manual picket line workers on the at Warwick University, Coventry, in a dispute over pay. The 300 ancillary staff went on strike last Saturday demanding parity with workers in local authority estab- and lishments. A Transport Workers' Union official General tried to persuade the strikers to return to work. But Mrs Sparham, one of the strikers, told Workers Press: 'We feel as though we are in the in long right. This claim was before the freeze.' UNIONS in South Wales are being asked to consider strikes in protest at rent rises due for tenants of two Housing Finance 'rebel' councils. The rises, Act due in about three weeks, were fixed by housing commissioners appointed for Merthyr Tydfil and Machen councils Bedwas and after they refused to implement the rises under the Act. orkshire Rally

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