Workers Press no. 999

workers press

THE TUC LEADERSHIP AND THE

INCORPORATING THE NE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTF

BY ALEX MITCHELL

IN THE first stage of his preparations for a snap General Election, Heath has presented an ultimatum to the trade unions. Either stand aside, he has told the TUC leaders, and let me smash the gasworkers, or we will take the lot of you on. His statement to the TUC General Coun- cil and his presidential-style Press conference at 10 Downing Street could not have been clearer or biunter. The Tories mean business.

They are at battle stations with all their emergency powets and special squads of riot police. But the reply of the trade union leaders in of no way matches Heath's bluntness. Instead immediately mobilizing in full support of the gasworkers and other sections of workers fight- they have called a Congress ing the pay laws, ... in three weeks' time!

Workers Press has been in the forefront of the campaign for such a special Congress.

We insisted on its immediate recall when Feather and the Gen- eral Council entered the Tory trap of the tripartite talks last October. But instead of consulting union leaders are complying their members about the with Tories' timetable rapidly-maturing political for a snap General Election.

and crisis, the economic In this the trade unions.

TUC leaders turned their "militants' and 'reds' will be bandied backs and marched off to around to frighten Downing Street to see Heath the middle class into voting big business for Tory candidates. and leaders in

CBI.

the GASWORKERS who haven't The Communist Party's been on strike for 50 years 'Morning Star' supported the and whose industry has tripartite talks just as its been hit by 25,000 redun- members unanimously went dancies in the past five years TUC decision along with the the are straining at to continue collaborating their leadership's selective with the Tories at the Sep- strike action. tember Congress. TOMORROW the executives What a changed Morning of the six hospital workers Star' it was yesterday! The unions meet fix a date to headline front-page said: for their indefinite strike 'Special

TUC

will answer supported which has been Heath'. overwhelmingly by members The paper's editorial says: who are traditionally docile.

"The decision by the General

SUNDAY

ON in Coventry Council call special to shop stewards representing Congress Trades Union is 52,000 hourly-paid Ford not a moment too soon.' workers meet to draw up But the Stalinists go on their struggle for a f10 wage imme- to make no other increase. diate demands to meet the The danger is that this Tory attack. To onrushing meeting, which will also wait another three weeks have delegations from would be the most abiect Vauxhall's, British-Ley- cowardice. land, Chrysler's and the Are workers in wages gasworkers, will be turned struggles abandon their to into a talking shop in- fight until March 5 to wait stead of

FIGHTING

what the to see congress shop. comes up with? The urgent need of the Yesterday Of course not. hour is for the working the it became clear how class to call Heath's bluff.

trade bureaucrats union He his says state pay would like to use the spe- laws 'fair', that his are cial Congress for their own Industrial Relations Act has cynical ends. 'worked', that his Common At the end of the miners' Market been entry right-wing executive, presi- 'fair to the consumer' and dent Joe Gormley said the that the country is behind was postponing union any him. action until after the pay The task of the Labour March 5 Congress. and trade union leaders It's either a General Strike must be to create the poli- or nothing, Gormley said.

tical and industrial condi- So he is telling the miners Heath tions to compel to to hold off for a month dur- this at the polls. test ing which the Tories will be blasting against the gas- workers. hospital workers and lorrv drivers dav in and day out in the capitalist Press. The recalled Congress must not become a post- ponement of the mobiliza- tion against the govern- but a call all ment. to members of the labour and trade union movement to start campaigning now for a General Election. the At the moment, Labour Party and trade INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16, 1973 • No. 999 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

WORKING CLASS

WHAT

Dangerous delay by gas union chiefs

NEXT?

BY DAVID MAUDE

OUR LABOUR CORRESPONDENT

GASWORKERS' MILITANCY grew yester- day following Heath's arrogant ultimatum to the union leaders that they must give in.

Alf As Anderson, leader of 250 striking gasmen in St Helens, told Workers Press: 'We realize this is the crunch. The gasworkers are in the front line of the struggle. The government will either have to be defeated, we will go under.' But despite Heath's clear ulti- chiefs con- union tinued their dangerous hesitation David Basnett, secretary of the Workers' General and Municipal Union, said independent ECLeVISIOn yesterddy Lunchume government prepared the show flexibility will to we talk them." And writing in Rupert Mur- doch's "Sun' yesterday newspaper said: "We have no decided to "take on the govern- The government alternative but

USC

Industrial accon ..• The "Sun" yesterday called men" "moderate Sc %aS WOrKerS we are Cabinet meeting Downing Sureer nowever, mained deaf to these pled enry from proposals Jones, former head of the Council, for a narrow-based in- quiry into the dispute. be Ministers it were letting known that, while no decision introducing a state of emergency.

been reached about they are ready take such action at any time. In the northern region, where there are you gasworkers on fortnight's strike, about 80 firms had their supplies discon-

OFFICIAL

gas restricted. ane nearly workers were laid off. 380U0

STRIKE

Over 800 gasworkers were involved in the industrial action soul Lancasure. More mar these - from service depots Helens, Widnes, In Warrington, Runcorn and Wigan -were on stuke At the South Lancashire Gas Board headquarters at Helens, a 100-strong picket led Con venor Anderson was mounted throughout the day prevent A picket by drivers at a North Thames Gas Board depot yesterday.

service work being done the area. Unite in action to defend basic rights

JARROW

WATFORD

NORTH KENT

SUNDAY

MONDAY FEBRUARY 19,

MONDAY FEBRUARY 19.

FEBRUARY 18

8pm 8pm 7 p.m. The Shakespeare, Trades Union Hall Civic Centre, Jarrow Powis Street near Watford Junction stn Woolwich Speaker: G. HEALY Speaker :

MIKE BANDA

(SLL national secretary) Speaker

G. HEALY

(SLL Central Cttee). (SLL National Sec)

workers press

THE TUC LEADERSHIP AND THE

INCORPORATING THE NE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTF

BY ALEX MITCHELL

IN THE first stage of his preparations for a snap General Election, Heath has presented an ultimatum to the trade unions. Either stand aside, he has told the TUC leaders, and let me smash the gasworkers, or we will take the lot of you on. His statement to the TUC General Coun- cil and his presidential-style Press conference at 10 Downing Street could not have been clearer or blunter. The Tories mean business.

They are at battle stations with all their emergency powers and special squads of riot police. But the reply of the trade union leaders in no way matches Heath's bluntness. Instead of immediately mobilizing in full support of the gasworkers and other sections of workers fight- ing the pay laws, they have called a Congress ... in three weeks' time! Workers Press has been in the forefront of the campaign for such a special Congress. We insisted on its immediate recall when Feather and the Gen- eral Council entered the Tory trap of the tripartite talks last October. But instead of consulting union leaders are complying their about members the with the Tories' timetable rapidly-maturing for a snap General Election.

political and economic crisis, the In this the trade unions, TUC leaders turned their 'militants' and 'reds' will be e backs and off marched to bandied around to frighten Downing Street to see Heath the middle class into voting and big business leaders in for Tory candidates. the CBI. GASWORKERS who haven't The Communist Party's been on strike for 50 years 'Morning Star' supported the and whose industry has tripartite talks just its been hit as 25,000 dancies in the past five years redun- members went unanimously along with the TUC decision the are straining at collaborating to continue their leadership's selective Tories at the Sep- with the strike action. tember Congress. TOMORROW the executives What a changed 'Morning of the six hospital workers' Star' it was yesterday! The unions fix a date meet to front-page headline said: their indefinite for strike 'Special

TUC

will answer which has been supported Heath'. overwhelmingly by members The paper's editorial says: who are traditionally docile.

'The decision by the General ON SUNDAY in Coventry Council call to a special shop stewards representing Trades Union Congress is 52,000 Ford not a moment too soon.' hourly-paid workers meet draw to up But teSt linies some their struggle for a f10 wage to make no other increase. diate demands to meet the The danger is that this Tory attack. To onrushing meeting, which will also wait another three weeks have delegations from would be the most abject Vauxhall's, British-Ley- cowardice. Chrysler's land, and the Are workers in wages gasworkers, will be turned struggles abandon their to into a talking shop in- fight until March 5 to wait

FIGHTING

stead of a what the congress to see shop. comes up with? The urgent need of the Of course not. Yesterday hour is for the working clear how the it became class to call Heath's bluff.

trade union bureaucrats He his says state pay would like to use the spe- 'fair', laws that his are cial Congress for their own Industrial Relations Act has cynical ends. 'worked', that his Common At the end of the miners' Market has been entry executive, right-wing presi- 'fair to the consumer' and dent Joe Gormley said the that the country is behind anion was postponing any him. until after the The task of the Labour pay action March 5 Congress. and trade union leaders It's either a General Strike must be to create the poli- or nothing, Gormley said.

industrial tical and condi- So he is telling the miners Heath tions to compel to to hold off for a month dur- test this at the polls. ing which the Tories will be blasting against gas- hospital workers workers, and lorry drivers day in and the day out in capitalist Press. The Congress recalled must not become a post- ponement of the mobiliza- tion against the govern- but a call to all ment, members the labour and trade union movement to start campaigning now for a General Election. the At the moment, Labour Party and trade

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16, 1973 •

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

WHAT

NEXI?

A picket by drivers at a North Thames Gas Board depot yesterday.

JARROW

SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 18

7 p.m. Civic Centre, Jarrow Speaker: G. HEALY (SLL national secretary) Y FEBRUARY 16, 1973 • No. 999 • 4p

OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BY DAVID MAUDE

OUR LABOUR CORRESPONDENT

GASWORKERS' MILITANCY grew yester- day following Heath's arrogant ultimatum to the union leaders that they must give in.

As Alf Anderson, leader of 250 striking gasmen in St Helens, told Workers Press: 'We realize this is the crunch.

The gasworkers are in the front line of the struggle. The government will either have to be defeated, or we will go under.' But despite Heath's clear ulti- the chiefs matum, con- tinued their dangerous hesitation.

David Basnett, secretary of the Workers' General and Municipal Union, said independent on television yesterday lunchtime: •If the prepared Coverine n show flexibility we will to some talk to them.' Rupert Mur- And writing in doch's 'Sun' newspaper yesterday morning, he said: 'We have not "take the govern- decided to on ment". The government has left no alternative but to use 11C industrial action "Sun" "The yesterday called "moderate men". So gasworkers we are ' Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, however. TP. mained deaf to these pleas -and Sir Henry to proposals from former head of Tones. the Gas Council, for a narrow-based in- quiry into the dispute. Ministers were it letting be while known that. decision no has been reached about yet introducing a state of emergency, they are ready take such at any action time. In the northern region, where there are 2,300 gasworkers on a fortnight's strike, about 80 firms discon- had their gas supplies nected or restricted, and nearly 1,000 workers were laid off.

Over 800 gasworkers were involved in the industrial action in south Lancashire. More than 500* of these _ from depots St Helens, Widnes, Warrington, Runcorn and Wigan -were on strike. At the South Lancashire Gas Board headquarters at St Helens, a 100-strong picket led by con. venor Anderson was mounted day throughout the to prevent any service work being done in Thames Gas Board depot yesterday.

the area. in action to defend basic rights

WATFORD

NORTH KENT

MONDAY FEBRUARY 19.

80m 80m Shakespeare, The Trades Union Hall Powis Street near Watford Junction stn Woolwich Speaker:

MIKE BANDA

Sneaker:

G HEALY

(SLL Central Citee) (SLL National Sec)

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Friday February 16, 1973 ACCORDING to "The Times' yesterday Tory premier Edward Heath is 'pursuing the agreed obiectives of the community' and 'supported by public opinion'. Heath is country' himself claimed that 'the was behind government policy.

These are brazen lies. The Tory government has no mandate for rocketing prices, soar- state control of wages or Com- ing rents, mon Market entry. No one 'agreed' to these policies except the handful of profiteers and capitalists which Heath and "The Times' represent. Heath's pledge at the 1970 election was to 'cut prices at a stroke and not to enter the Common Market without consulting the electors. If he is so confident that 'the country' behind him why did he not put this to the test by holding a General Election on the question of EEC entry as he had under- taken to do? Heath's references to 'the country' and "The Times' talk of 'the community' and 'public opinion' are abstractions. Who are these people? The truth is that millions of men united against and women are now the government as never before as a result of the state pay laws and anti-union legis- lation which turns every worker into a potential criminal. Even a Gallup Poll conducted by the Daily

NIXON ADMINISTRATI

Telegraph'- - and such polis traditionally distort working-class opinion - shows a 9 feared Trade Bill - alread over the Tories, er cent Labour lead approval on minor points- -per-cent rise in a month. The most out- spoken opposition to the government was The Bill will be unique in on the prices question. many years it will empower th In the face of this reality, the Tory claims authorizing legislation has of support in 'the country' amount to given the US negotiators confidence trick to prepare the way for permission to lower dictatorship. This must be exposed and tarifts, not raise them. answered. President Nixon said on Immediately workers must demand that the Wednesday this power was trade and the Labour Party call unions that the mass demonstrations all over the country moussary could government bargain directed against the Tory government. As from strength on behalf of "The Times' said yesterday, the government American business. has no room for manoeuvre and is not going to yield. Access The demand be for a General noW must Election. It Tories the are so sure the In the words of Treasury people are behind them, then let them put Secretary George Schultz, t to the test. this power be used Will *when such action would To wait for an election on Tory terms-with contribute to arrangements scare stories about strikes and a mounting that American ex- witch-hunt panic the middle ports have fair access to class~ foreign markets'. would be playing into their hands.

The Bill i also provides The time for the labour movement to go on of system safeguards

TOI

the offensive is now. . US particular markets and

NORTH

VIETNAM

has of bomber raids on oil ports to trickle Hanol banned a Labour Party storage tanks in through the imposition which said: of a racial test. fact-finding mission, headed by shadow 'Our reservations It was Callaghan who Foreign Secretary James will British 10 about this operation sent troops Callaghan, from visiting not affect our continu Ireland In August 1969 support with Instructions the country. ing for your carry out a policy of re policy over Vietnam. Party headquarters The hypocrisy of pression. North Viet- contacted "fact-finding' On a visit he boasted after mll- namese ofticlals in Lon- lions ha been that he 'had very close don yesterday in an with slaughtered result connections the the situ effort to clarity of US ession police for aggr many years. ation. Calla- paralleled Indeed, he had Hano hasust ghan's role In Ireland seat the National on Dr Henry Kissinger and Common- Executive Committee and over his honoured party as wealth Immigration the Labour Party with guests. he Consultant when was Home post Callaghan sat in Secretary. to the Police Federation government Labour responsible years. which supported US for the passage of the lt not surprising Vietnam. policy in Immi- that Hanol Commonweath

H•IC

He endorsed Harold grants Act of 1968 In- siders Callaghan and his tended reduce the friends, Mikardo

WISON'S

President Johnson entry of Asian holders and. Thomas McNally, as .... of United, Kingdom pase- lune, 1965, at: the time ,,undesirable Immigrants.

CHOICE? OF COURSE

THERE'S A CHOICE.

EITHER YOU EAT IT OR

I RAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!

TRATION officials have indicated that the much- - already drawn up and only awaiting presidential oints-will be before Congress by early next month.

unique in recent US trade legislation. For the first time in power the country's negotiators to raise tariffs. All prior

BY FOREIGN EDITOR JOHN SPENCER

The Tokyo central bank industries threatened with foreign competition. took in over $200m to main- tain the rate on Wednesday. The system in effect would Japan registered a $610m such imports 'tem- restrict deficit on its balance of pay- porarily while affected the ments last month—a record industries 'made the tran- low caused mainly by a sub- sition to other. more com- stantial outflow of long-term petitive production'. capital. With unexampled cynicism The fact that the yen the US is proposing that this is still in heavy demand form of crude protectionism after an effective 13-16 per be 'policed' on an inter- cent devaluation foreshadows national basis by the General further the convulsions on Agreement Tariffs and foreign exchange markets.

Trade established to bring non-tariff There was also consider- down tariffs and able selling of dollars for barriers to trade. Frankfurt marks on the Existing trade relations are exchange. to be completely overturned It is clear the dollar de- with a determined American is designed valuation to assault on destroy the oh. barriers to the entry of US remaining stacles to international trade goods. and the destruction of war Schultz has already ready pro- fictitious capital on a vast mised that the scale. "bargaining hard' the at September multilateral trade talks for the removal of import quotas, customs re- and gulations government buying policies which dis- criminate against American goods. STATHIS PANAGOULIS, whose sentence for trying to Prong leader George Papadopoulos, fac on charges of desertion from tl The Trade Bill is the next was sentenced to 4t years' of the American prong plotting to hijack an airliner ar attack on Europe and Tapan.

mats to bargain for the It stands alongside the of Greek release political devastating 10-per-cent de- prisoners. of the dollar as valuation Nixon's part of economic Mrs Athina Panagoulis. war against his competitors.

26-year- told newsmen her Nixon will certainly not old would be son court be satisfied with his cur- martialled today. rency "bombshell'. alleged to have es- He is The Americans consider caped abroad and failed to that far too many countries in the army at the have evaded the full effects time of his call-up in 1968.

of the dollar devaluation by Panagoulis could be held also devaluing. in military custody rather Nor are they content with than in a civilian iail as at the 'floating' ven. which present. He has already been is quite clearly being manipu- put into uniform. lated by the Japanese govern- His father and eldest bro- ' ment in' a "dirty" manner.

ther dead, and his "ara FIDEL CASTRO is work- ing his way •back to the United good graces of the States. This is the message of the anti-hijacking agree- and Cuba ment between the United States signed yesterday. The agreement is a very one-sided affair intended to deal with planes hijacked to Cuba. Castro has agreed to bring American hijackers to trial or to extradite them. It is very much to Washington's taste, since Cuba has for long been the hijackers Mecca. By falling into line with US demands, no doubt with support from Moscow, Cas- tro takes a step towards normalization of relations which open the way for US business to resume opera- tions in Cuba. A balance sheet of Cuba's 'idlers and crackdown on absentees' which began in April, 1971 has made. It shows that over 50,000 people had been prosecuted under the law. About two-thirds had left their jobs without valid rea- The rest were those son. who neither studied nor worked. Those convicted are liable for up to two years in a labour camp. IS, whose brother is serving a life assassinate the Greek colonels' bulos, faces a court martial today 1 from the army. Last month he ears' imprisonment on charges of irliner and kidnap foreign diplo- brother Alexandros is in the hands of the military who have severely tortured him.

His friends say Stathis was lured back to Greece from exile in Italy by provocateurs acting for the colonels' re- gime. FIFTY students were arres- ted on Wednesday at the Athens Polytechnic Engi- neering School after a clash with riot police. They were demonstrating against instant compulsory call-up for students taking part in demonstrations, pro- his test meetings or boycotts.

Pageant a dress rehearsal

FROM STEF

THE PAGEANT of Work dress rehearsal for the enc Gerry Healy, national sec workers, youth and hous was the main He speaker of the first public meeting of the north- west Pageant campaign on Werinesday night. He reminded the audir ence that the re-creation of the early struggles of the Manchester working class was taking place in a situation of unpreceden- ted crisis. The actors leading the campaign had not come to Manchester to win applause or approval. Oppressed 'These people not are coming here as individuals, but because as actors they of the most are one oppressed groups of workers under this Tory govern- ment. They were the first group of workers to sustain an actual wage cut under the Tories' state pay laws. "They are part of the new forces in the working class coming into battle and they are here to help prepare the fight against the Tory gov- which is deter- ernment mined to destroy every basic right of the working class.'

He went on to underline the political importance of the Pageant. 'What we are doing is to take the past of the work- ing class —the bitter political struggle for basic rights- and place it in the context of the present crisis. 'We have to make the working class understand its history, to present to as many workers as possible this history as a living thing by presenting it in today's situation of struggle against the Tory government.' This, said Comrade Healy, was not merely acting or a cultural event, but a political preparation for bringing the government down and pre- paring for workers' power.

Recession He warned that this was perspective facing the very the working class. The econ- omic crisis was now leading to the greatest recession known to mankind. The US capitalist rulers had declared trade war on Europe and Asia. In perhaps the next three to five years the working class had to make up its minds whether to take the power or to face fascism.

'We must speak frankly and say that during the two and a half years of the Tory government time has been criminally wasted. 'On occasion after occasion there has been the opportun- ity to bring down this dis- credited Tory government,' he said. The worst culprits were TUC leadership, the the Stalinists and the revisionist groups like the International Socialists who trailed behind them." . •

ROM STEPHEN JOHNS IN MANCHESTER

f Workers' Rights was a revolutionary event and a the enormous political battles immediately ahead, nal secretary of the Socialist Labour League told d housewives at Middleton, north Manchester.

They argued that pressure the question of power was the government posed once more before the could make working change its spots, but the class it was vital understand like tiger they their his- Tories were tory. caged in by the economic crisis. Manchester had been the Chartism and were forced to birth place of They rob the working class of all their the scene of Peterloo when basic rights. workers demanding their basic rights had been mass- Only the SLL had warned acred by the military in and warned on this point. 1819. Now there was SCaL the working class danger was walking into the trap, of Struggle Election General snap which the Tories were pre- This history showed that paring under the most fav- rights were never won ourable conditions to them- peacefully: they were fought SLL national selves. chester on Wednes for and cost lives and once Now that Pageant director C must say the workers had them the battle is in front. It is a they had to Malcolm Tlerney struggle every revolutionary battle in which Fahey. Below: Son day to keep them. 'This Pageant is a call to enormous political questions are raised. action. There is no way out 'Workers cannot take for the working class. It must take the road to for wage. increase duOl without fighting bring power.' to down the government be- Connie Fahey, Manchester cause the ores have made tenants leader reminded the all workers fighting for their working class that all the rights law breakers. 20 yeos es to now been 'We must out with been have years

NOW

these young actors into the declared illegal. housing of a on Heath has made it illegal for stroke Sures. estates, in the pubs, in the clubs and say, "Stand your husband to fight for up, stand fight! Make and the wage increase. this Pageant the Despite fog, snow and ice, greatest yet delivered the lively audience attended

DIOW

the meeting and a collection Tory government. Pageant director, Corin of £12.23 was raised for the Redgrave, said that now that Pageant.

BY DAVID MAUDE OUR LABOUR CORRESPONDENT

IF THE UNION chiefs are tiations in a bid to hold down the dockers' defy pay. planning to state pay In order to bump up the offer, the docks, they control on union negotiators asked that the are certainly going about it employers pay to the levies ine crabwise and very slowly.

Dock Board be National Labour included the reall Only in one major port- which London-are there serious pay calculated. talks under way. And by the This would have increased the time a recommendation is put possible offer its present

TOMO

to dockers, the union will have £2.60 level to £2.79. spent weeks haggling with the It was at this point that the Department of. Employment employers over pennies. in- No tervened. such The 8,000 London dockers in- would be allowed, said the men volved should get their chance from the Ministry. decide fight with the Yet in the London earnings Tories next week. docks are next to bottom of the Currently the employers' wages big to according staff are crouched over their add- the National Dock Labour Board. ing machines giving the govern- Where the 2,000 Southampton ment's Phase Two formula a final gross wage once-over. stoppages of £52.04 Delore Union want them negotiators week, Londoners get £45.76. They fraction of a to squeeze the last only slightly Liver- come above of the formula-the pool, where a 7,800-strong labour Denny intend pest per cent. force earns £44.22. result The Liverpool pay-and-hours will arithmetical jiggery-pokery claim, which has been held up be made known to the union by pay-control •laws since the possible early as last November, is still making no

OUCU

11 cal week. progress. Then it will be up to an 18- Agreement to start a 35-hour committee of lay delegates man week in the port was reached in to decide if it is enough to avoid and should principle last April, a clash with the government. The have started operating from employers believe it will.

November 25. But there have so far been no, But in fact the Tories have already intervened in the. union moves to force settlement.

Workors Pi Q. Hosty and tenants' elow: Some members audie Dotend trade unioni Unito in action to ma The road to power is through

I APASEANT OF HIST

EMPIRE POOL.

I would like to take part in the Please send me further details

NAME.

ADDRESS

No. of tickets required Complete form and return to : Pageant Office, 34 Hamilton G 3, Friday February 16, 1973 PAGE 3

BY A WORKERS PRESS

CORRESPONDENT

SIRLOIN is finished as Britain's traditional Sun- day joint. The prices of are now be- sirloin cuts yond household most budgets. Mr Richard Cawthorne, managing director of the North Devon Meat Limited, said the problem of falling beef sales was 'adverse pub- licity. Cawthorne must be joking.

It's not bad publicity which is stopping housewives from sirloin, it's buying the fact that it is about 90p a lb.

Prices of basic materials and fuel bought by manufac- turing industry have risen 167 per cent in the past 12 says the Depart- months, ment of Trade and Industry.

The increase for January alone was 3* per cent. "Though there was a con- rate of in- tinued strong in prices of food crease materials, which accounted for about one third of the increase in the index of all manufacturing industry in lan- January, 0 г) there were more substantial increases in nan of two important anie prices non-food materials, wool and copper,' says the Depart- ment. The provisional price index for home sales of manutactured products rose * per cent in January, about the same as in December. In both months most of the change reflected in- creases of about 1 per cent in prices of manufactured foods. • A house in Kentish Town, bought for north London, £7,000 in 1971, is being offered for sale at £112,000, a Labour MP told the House of Commons this week.

POOL NOW

and basic living standards this Tory government resign • building of the revolutionary party

ND SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

-THE ROAD TO WORKERS POWER

Y.

SUNDAY MARCH 11

3 Р.М. geant/come to Empire Pool.

Amount enclosed (£1 each f lens, London, NW8

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Friday Februal Jack Jones, leader of Britain's largest union, the Transport General Workers' Union, and is honorary vice-president of Workers' the Institute for Control. This body has pretensions to being 'left'. Its leading lights include Ken Coates, the revi- sionist academic associated with the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation. Through the good graces of Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Coates has recently been re- admitted to the Labour Party.

of Jones's One "left' guises has been to talk about participation' and the Insti- tute has proved an admirable sounding board for his 'theo- ries. In the past few weeks we to get a clearer have begun idea of what, in practice, Jones means when he talks about 'workers' control'. He and Hugh Scanlon, Presi- dent of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Unions, ay February 16, 1973 are both members of a special TUC study group which has been looking into Common Market legislatión on industrial democracy. When the Tory government received the draft laws from Brussels it passed them onto the TUC. This apparently formed part of the notorious tripartite hag- gling at No. 10 Downing Street and Chequers which paved the way for the state pay laws.

Now Jones and Scanlon have reported to the TUC that the legislation should be adopted.

In other words, the trade unions should appoint worker- directors to the boards of pub- lic companies which employ more than 500 workers. This boardroom collabora- tion is being supported by the Communist Party. It is in line with what the Stalinist parties in France and Italy already practice. The policy of class collabor- ation which Jones is now pur- suing is a total and damning indictment of reformism. At the point when the capitalist system in Britain and interna- tionally is in such a desperațe the reformists rush to state, shore it up. The reformists like Jones and Scanlon are tied hand and foot to the capitalist system.

They have no fundamental dis- capitalism. agreements with They wish it would have a more human face. So when the capitalists system reveals its true, ugly 'face', they have no policy-except class colla- boration. Leaders like Jones are now clearly exposed in the workers' movement for what they are.

The Jones-Aldington commit- tee set up after last year's strike in Britain's ports proved this to the dockers. In this special article ALEX MITCHELL looks at another dimension of Jones's collabor- ation with the ruling class.

In case you didn't know, the Iransport and Gen- eral Workers' Union celebrated its 50th anni- versary last year. You probably didn't notice it-unless you were a trade union bureaucrat and attended the monster beanfeast which the union held at the Royal Festival Hall in London on the Thames Embankment. Hundreds of officials and shop-floor representatives were brought to London with fares paid to spend a day eating and drinking at their union's ex- pense. Nobody noticed that the union, in conjunction with the big monopolists, also took the decision have a lasting to memorial to the union's strength-the Ernest Bevin International Study Group Scheme. It sounds like a one-man desk in Transport House, doesn't it? But, in fact, the group has built up a consider- able powerhouse of support. Not, we hasten to add, among she rank and file. The funds are tumbling in from some of the country's most powerful industrialists. The group's activities in- clude the arrangement of short-term educational visits by employees to international institutes concerned with in- dustry or industrial relations and encouraging or undertak- ing the examination of indus- trial relations and trade union trading. Its first project will be to send a large group of British shop stewards to visit and study the International Labour Organization in Geneva'. What this wretched body of state-financed bureaucrats can tell British shop stewards about 'industrial relations' is not re- vealed. The whole scheme reeks of a stunt one would ex- pect from Moral Rearmament or the CIA! But this junket to Geneva is being sponsored by both the T&GWU ... and top management. The employer who is giving most vocal backing to the group is Lord Watkinson, the chairman of Cadbury Schwep- pes. He is a former Tory War Minister and the man who said recently that 'the era of cheap food is over' Watkinson has this to say about the scheme: I have always believed in the concept of a working partnership be- tween employers and em- ployees in industry. I wish it all possible success and we are glad to have had the chance of contributing to it? The other major backer is also a former Tory Cabinet Minister in the Macmillan gov- ernment — Lord Thorneycroft, now chairman of Pirelli Gen- eral Cable Works Limited, a subsidiary of the Dunlop- Pirelli monopoly. The others on the group's managing committee make a Who's Who of top manage- ment: • A. J. Nicol, deputy manag- ing director of Joseph Lucas Limited, the company which has just closed down its Faza- kerley, Liverpool, plant, mak- ing 1,200 workers redundant.

• G. Gilbertson, general man- ager, personnel, at Imperial Chemical Industries, another group which is in the process of carrying out large-scale re- dundancies. ICI's chairman is

Above left: Ernest Berin, who took part in the TUC sell-out of 1926, and would be well pleased Jack Jones's performance with today. Right: Jack Jones, Frank Cousins and Harry Urwin at the monster feast last year in Lon- don's Festival Hail. Michael Clapham, president of the CBI, who helped formulate the Phase One and Two state pay laws. • D. E. A. Pettit, chairman of the National Freight Corpora- tion. Pettit is a Tory appoin- tee. Lorry drivers at a state- owned subsidiary of the cor- poration, British Road Ser- vices, are at present engaged bitter fight in the Mid- in a lands to get a £2.50 bonus for working heavy vehicles. • G. B. Thorley, chairman of Allied Breweries. Other big financial con- tributors to the scheme are: Charrington Limited, Bass British-Leyland Motor Cor- British Insulated poration, Callenders Cables, Delta Metal Company, Dunlop Holdings, China Clays (Lord English Aldington is a director), Ford Company, Motor Arthur Guinness Limited, John Laing and Son, London Brick Com- pany, Rank Hovis McDougall and J. Sainsbury. The trade union bureau- crats who are serving on the committee with these unrepen- tant Tories are: Jack Jones; Harry Urwin, the T&GWU's assistant general secretary; Len Forden, I&GWU chair- inevitably, Victor man; and, Feather of the TUC. Jones is on record as wildly enthusiastic about this collab- oration with top management.

"This scheme will present an opportunity to many active trade unionists to study indus- trial relations' problems in other countries, to learn what they can, as well as explaining system from a trade our own union point of view. 'Ernest Bevin put into prac- deep-rooted under- tice a standing that the interests of ordinary workers could be defended and new opportuni- ties created, only through col- lective organization. That is as true today as it was 50 years ago? Jones's reverence for Bevin is understandable. After all, he is walking in his footsteps.

But his description of Bevin is quite misleading. He played his part in the the 1926 TUC sell-out of General Strike as a member A of the General Council. notorious right-winger, he was an enthusiastic member of the war time coalition government under Churchill. As Minister of Labour in 1940, Bevin was in charge of the strike-break- ing laws passed during the war.

On the docks, overtime was made compulsory and the Dock Labour Scheme intro- duced. Appropriately named by the dockers as the "slave scheme', , it involved the direc- tion of labour all over Britain.

The regulation 1305 made all strikes illegal and arbitration compulsory. Bevin, a stout believer in corporatist relations between unions and government, would be well pleased with Jones' performance. The fact that the union bureaucrats are adopting these corporatist-type positions does not mean that their members are drawn into the same con- spiracy. On the contrary, Workers Press. Fridav Februarv 16. 1973

PAGE 5

although Jones accepted the seek the "peaceful road, for the immediate agenda class- Relations conscious trade unionists, their collaboratior role with Court the Tories and their backers in children and paid its fines, his wives and the five docks members went to industry Pageant of working-class his jail in opposition to the Indus- This fight against Jones and 'Road to Workers' Power'

LON

trial Relations Act. is inseparable from at the Empire Pool, Wembley, company With the determina- the fight to build an alternative on Sunday, March I1, and the sammie workers transformation of the Socialist tion, must also revolutionary leadership in the leader- repudiate the present working class. That is why the Labour League into a revolu ship of the trade unions who most important events on the tionary party. (1938-21

WRITINGS OF

LEUT

LEOn

TROTE A

TROTSKY

Trotsky—a documentary by Historv of Russian Revolutior •ix volmes o Trotsky's writings during _special gift pack Francis Wyndham years 1933-1940 of three volumes and David King £8.00 including postage £1.65 including postage £1.70 including postage Please tick those you require. Amount enclosed Name Address Complete form and post to: New Park Publications, 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG A New Park Publications Booklist is a vailable, free, on request.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Friday Febru

BY DAVID MAUDE

The sit-in strike at CAV Fazakerley, Liverpool, is It was betrayed. over. After four months fight- ing against closure the sit-in strikers have left the factory. To many of them, it seems that all that has been gained from their struggle is a mar- improvement in ginal the redundancy terms they rejected last October. Men and women who formed the backbone of the strike now sit at home with only Il weeks' pay and a few pounds from the govern- ment between them and the dole. They are • and angry bitter, as the interviews below reveal. The Liverpool diesel-pump factory they occupied has been awaiting empty for a week, moves by owners, the Joseph Lucas combine, to shift its machines and materials else- where. Meanwhile those chiefly re- sponsible for betraying the occupation, the trade union leaders, remain in their com- fortable centrally-heated offices.

And their paid officials and centrist hangers-on on Mersey- side remain silent about the lessons of the betrayal. On Tuesday of this week, shop stewards from all over the Merseyside area should have gathered at a hall in central Liverpool to discuss the fight against unemployment.

The date had been fixed by leaders of the Liverpool Trades Council. Main topics for dis- cussion were to be the threat- ened closure of Shotton steel- works... and the struggle at

CAV.

But circulars for the meeting never went out and it did not take place. There are good reasons why the Trades Council leaders do not want to discuss CAV. No other event has sharply SO exposed the fake 'left' policies of the council, which one minute is calling for a General Strike, but the next is proving incapable of defending itself a single job. If anything is to be gained from the occupation, its les- sons must be discussed. There can be no serious fight against unemployment in area unless they are not only dis- cussed, but learned. Occupation of CAV Faza- kerley began on the day the 'work-in' at Upper Clyde Ship- builders ended. But there was little comparison between the two events. The CAV occupation was neither a work-in, nor a search for a new employer. It was a head-on struggle against unemployment, clash- ing with the entire Common day February 16, 1973 V Market strategy of the Tory government and one of the top 40 companies in the country. From the outset, therefore, big political issues were at stake. As Paddy Mullane, a CAV shop steward who was to play a leading role in the occupa- tion, said before the led workers sat in: 'We should leave no stone unturned to keep the site open, the big question is but political one. If we succeed and stop the closure here, it has to be part of the fight for the right to work which can be carried through by bringing the Tories down and getting a Labour government pledged to socialist policies.'

This was a quite different perspective from that of the campaign to 'save jobs' at

UCS.

The Communist Party leaders of the UCS work-in placed the shipyard men in a posture of pleading with the Tories, let 2,000 of them go down road and ended up selling vital union principles for trade pitiful amounts of cash. Conducted with fulsome verbal backing from the TUC and Labour Party chiefs. this Stalinist-led campaign was a fraud on the working class.

Paddy Mullane's statement, on the other hand, was entirely genuine. But this kind of thing was not at all popular with the union and Labour leaders.

The CAV occupation began just two weeks after the announcement of Heath's Phase One pay-control planthe £2 ceiling on wage increases-and time when the TUC at a leaders were desperate to avoid challenging the Tories. And six days before, Harold Wilson had addressed the Labour Party conference with- out once mentioning the un- employed. The arch-reformist, Wilson, no doubt watching the was official unemployment trends as given out by the Depart- ment of Employment. When joblessness had topped the 1.5 million mark at the height of the miners' strike in February 1972, he had verbally lashed the Tory job-assassins.

But after their hammering at the miners' hands, the Tories had changed tack and the reformists had eagerly fallen into their trap. The Tories' temporary re- flation, of course, was quite the opposite of a concession to the working class. So when the unemployment figures began to fall (see graph), it was really a preparation for working-class living war on standards, organization and rights. War was declared when Th Above: October 1972. CAV workers at ti Heath put his f2 ceilig to the TUC leaders. But the reformists preferred illusion to reality. So, like Pavlov's dogs, they went on nuzzling up to the Tories long after the hand that had thrown them a few crumbs became a bunched fist. Unlike the dying UCS work- in, therefore, the CAV occu- pation was distinctly unpopular with the bureaucracy. First of all it was a strike.

en The workers sat in, threw the

"NO SURRENDER"

J.LUCAS - CA.V.

OFFICIALSIT

SHISTORY ISN

TWORKE

the main gate during the sit-in. The factory now stands empty, awaiting moves by the owners and took which amounted to a threat to management out 30 control. They declared: we're get out lactory In budging until hours, was typical of its atti- not Lucas stri decides to stay or find tude throughout. qui open 1,200 So while giving official back- us alternative jobs. Secondly Lucas's attitude ing and words of support, the much too much like the union leaders marked time in Was Dial real face of the Tories for the crucial first weeks. cult just comfort. maintained unev In the face of all the semblance of activity, for argu- arrang- ments a succession of MPs, ing meetings with Lucas chief rea Kenneth Corley and the Tories' officials and senior union could stewards muster, the Minister for Industrial Develop- pla ment, Christopher Chataway, at ( combine remained adamant for closure. The final ultimatum, but took effective action. Wol

SURRENDER"

T.LUCAS - CA.V.

NO

ÖFFICIALSIT IN

SIS STORY IS NOW

*WORKERS

Above: October 1972. CAV workers at the main gate during the sit-in. The factory now stands empty, awaiting moves by the owners, the Joseph Lucas combine.

aiting moves by the ow i to 30 tti- ck- the in ing- hief ies' op- ray,

SIT IN

IS NOW

RKERS

aiting moves by the owners, the Joseph Lucas combine.

This was criminal. For there little doubt that the sit-in could have been strike quickly. The strikers were in a ›owerful strategic position. kept its closure Lucas had plans, which had been in exist- ence at least since April 1972, closely-guarded secret-and for good commercial very reasons. Although it planned to re- place the type of pump made at CAV with a new type, which would be produced at factories in the south-east, the replace- ment pump was seriously be- hind schedule in its develop- ment because of a long dispute involving laboratory technicians at Acton, west London, earlier in the year. Therefore it has a continu- ing need for components from Fazakerley in order to com- plete its stocks of the older- type pumps. So when the CAV workers found out about the closure plans, and occupied six months early, Lucas faced considerable losses of both money and markets. It was the union leaders who let the company off the hook.

The Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers' executive refused to support even token strike action against the closure by Lucas workers on Mersey- side. The Transport and General Workers' Union leader- ship refused to instruct driver members not to cross CAV picket lines. Officials of all the member-bodies in the Con- federation of Shipbuilding and Engineering refused Unions requests to help repeated blacking organize effective action at car factories. So Lucas was given all the time needed to organize alter- native sources of supply and means of delivery. This foot-dragging set up its own counter-pressure against the occupation. For after three weeks the committee occupation was forced to close down the Fazakerley site completely, in- cluding the smaller Lucas Industrial Equipment factory which occupied the same site at Fazakerley. This hit Lucas hard. But it had two other effects—cutting off valuable financial backing from LIE and creating a dis- contented laid-off group of workers there who would later be used to blackmail the sit-in strikers. Here the role of leadership was again decisive; the black- mail threat could have beer dispelled by a determined fight for the occupation as the key to the fight against unemploy- ment in the area. To explain why this did not take place it is necessary to say something about the nature of centrism in the Liverpool area. After the lengthy dockers' strike against Devlin in 1967, a wave of militancy swept Merseyside industry. Busmen, lorry drivers and engineering workers all took action to push up their wage rates. At the same time Merseyside came to the fore in the fight against successive attempts by Labour government to the impose pay restraint; the era of the one-day protest strike began. But despite a growing rank- and-file consciousness of the betrayals of the Labour and trade union leaders, the cen- trist leaders of the trade union movement in the area fought desperately to prevent a real break, and with the advent of the Tory government this brought new problems. The dockers did not win their 1970 confrontation with the Tories. The T&GWU top brass sent them back to work with little gained. Although Liverpool Ford workers put up massive re- sistance to the 1971 secret- ballot settlement, they too were forced back to work.

The miners' leaders failed to go all the way against the Tory government. And then came another retreat on the docks, opening the way to a huge cut in the labour force inside six months. At first, support for the ure CAV occupation was general in the area. LIE convenor Ray Reynolds, whose members were soon to be laid off by the occupation, said: 'We have got no alter- native but to back this kind of action.' But there was a significant incident during the first week of the sit-in. Although closures and redund nationalization control, the engineering motion calling for 1 tion of Lucas when combine shot in the north-west m Tuesday, Octobe The same motion the defeat of the for the election policies. Its defeat by a t majority, was indicated that a these stewards truggle against une and b

TAV

could be generally, a relormist context. And it was this fu confusion that and officials fed attempts to undermi come lot - Lucas. From this followe the betra! points in sit-in strike: • A one-day strike workers in the nort the support strangled by the unir

AUEW

The pathized, but refuse port the action. • 400 shop steward over together Trades Council to di port for CAV. The outcome? stration Secember 2. No serio was made to the strike at the thr side factories still Triumph's and works—0 aerospace docks. • November 26. A m strikers the sit-in for blacking called dockers, senior stew factory une enthusiastically stewards P dockers' commendation of finally when they to à December 6, crucial proviso. This other trade area must pledge t if action lations Court. No 1 blacking action • On December 17 'ing of

CAV

stewards called officials to organize Standard a of Ford, works stewards case for blacking ac be was a powe to the company's at threats use to blackmail the But the officials call. By January 5 be factory to

CAV

sit-in place in what the claiming as a period unemployment. 1971 each lessness 834,200, while by November it had 780.800. And there can be 1 that this was a powe conditioning the attit centrists and reformi This is a damning i Instead of basing on the insoluble capitalist system, week of the is again threatening of millions, their lead from of manoeuvres government. Thus the real less is this: the employment is now i from the fight for revolutionary the Socialist Labour conducting that figh opposition to d redundancies, and under workers official policy unions, ling for nationaliza- defeated bine shop stewards h-west met at CAV October 10. of a Labour t pledged to socialist it by a three-to-one important. It majority of thought the ainst unemployment implication could be settled ir ras this fundamental leaders on in undermine the sit- me to terms with is followed the key the betraval of the lay strike of Lucas the north-west, was strikers 'sym- executive but refused to sup. were Liverpool incil to discuss sup- demon- . No serious attempt backing for it the three Mersey- es still using Lucas Ford's, Standard- Lucas's Victor works—or on the er 26. A month after strikers had first blacking action by nior stewards from were allowed hough they the no re- put ion of support and got round decision on contained a This was that unionists in the to support was taken in Industrial Re- urt. No pledge, no ember 17 and on union organize a meeting tandard and Victor vards so that the acking action could • a powerful reply pany's attempts to close

LIE

sit-in strikers. ficials ignored the 5 a LIE mass called for ine be reopened. strike took at the Tories' were period the season- d average for job month was September- it had dropped to e can be little doubt as a powerful factor g the attitude of the d reformist to CAV damning indictment. of basing themselves crisis of the which within sit-in ending reatening the jobs the centrists, took strategic the Tory real lesson of CAV e fight against un- t is now inseparable ight for alternative, ry leadership. Only it Labour League is that fight. Workers Press, Frida

STERSAL F

SMILIES

FIGHT L

W05%

CLOSUR

RODUCTS

OUR TODAY

MAYBE YOUR TOMOR

It would be totally wrong to blame the working class for what happened at CAV, says Jimmy O'Hanlon, an ex- member of the occupation committee at the factory. The blame for the winding-up of the fight against closure rests with those in positions of responsibility in the working- class movement, who failed to rise to the occasion and back us.' A member of the Transport and General Workers' Union, Jimmy is particularly critical of the role played by his own leaders and officials. But he believes the sit-in strikers also let down were terribly' by Liverpool's Labour MPs, trades council and local union officials. These people could have helped settle this fight on our terms, but they just walked away? Jimmy said of the decision It is to end the sit-in: …a travesty against the working inspired by people I class, belived in. It's totally repug- nant to my beliefs. Now it's time to tell the truth. 'We weren't fighting for our- selves, but for our families and children who aren't even born yet. 'What Lucas's have been allowed to do is throw Mersey.

side on the scrapheap. They've found some area where labour is much cheaper and shifted their operations there. Unless the working class on Merseyside shows the em- ployers pretty quickly they won't stand for this sort of treatment, it could happen again. 'Our leaders talk about "redundancy". There's no such thing. What they mean is the sack. always I've considered myself a democrat, I really believed in it. But people who tell you you can change quietly are wrong. 'If a revolution does arise as I've no doubt it will—I hope the young people who will come along and lead it get all that they deserve? Sit-in striker Jimmy McVeigh stresses that the behaviour of union leaders and officials to- wards the occupation was 'con- trary to expressed trade union policy against closure and redundancies. The main lesson for trade unionists all over the country from CAV Fazakerley, he says, must be: 'Intensify the struggle ress, Friday February 16, 1973 PAGE 7

IGHT LUCAS

CLOSURES

BE YOUR TOMORROW

MERSEY"

against unemployment. Don't accept the blackmail of the employers. Fight the union leaders to make them carry out the policy they preach Jimmy condemns the failure of the union officials locally to give the sit-in strikers the backing they were entitled to.

"This led to a dropping-off of support amongst the trade movement on Mersey- union side, which is why we went down? he says. "They also failed to mobilize support inside the Lucas combine.

I believe the reason why the union leaders pulled back because our fight was was against the government, as well as the Lucas combine. They were scared of the Industrial Relations Act. This fitted in exactly with the gor- ernment policy, which is frightening trade union leaders' engineers' Jack Bramall, an union member at CAV, insists that the Lucas combine has won because of the 'lack of support from union represen- tatives and officials. I am disgusted, he says. "The officials never gave us a lead or a guideway. This is an experience for the future: you can never accept just words of support. 'We were fighting for jobs, not just for ourselves. •What happens to our child- ren? They will be looking for work in a situation where they have had 1,200 jobs stolen from them. For myself, I am going to try and get another job and take up the fight to further the ends of the trade union movement.' 'We need a new and virile leadership in the trade union movement, says occupation committee member Tommy Dunne. 'The CAV struggle was sold out because of lack of leadership. It was no fault of the people who sat in. "The present leaders of the unions express the been proved by our experience.

'It's no good having leaders who say they've got no poli- tical ties. The struggle is political. It's against the Tory government. 'What's more, I believe that movements like the Com- munist Party turned their backs on the real struggle as far as we're concerned. It's by building the Socialist Labour League and the All Trades Unions Alliance that we'll get a. real movement against the Tories?

WE WILL GO ON FIGHTING'

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Friday Februa Journalist Fernando Paulo Nagle Gabeira was arrested in Sao Paulo on January 28, 1970, by the Operacao Bandeirantes. He was tortured in February 1970 at the military hospital of the Second Army and at the OB by two OB units com- manded by Captains Mauricio and Albernaz. He was injected with 'truth serum' (penthotal) at the hospital and underwent electric shocks at the OB head- quarters. In February he saw other people tortured at the OB headquarters, at the DEOPS in Sao Paulo and on Ilha das Flores by OB and PE teams under the direction of Captains Mauricio, Albernaz, Homero Paulo) and Gomez (in Sao Carneiro (in Rio de Janeiro).

Various methods of torture were employed, for example, in the case of Corporal José Mariani, the 'dragon chair' (electric chair): the victim is held head downwards while the testicles are crushed. He several cases of torture, saW nearly always involving electric shock treatment. Mr Gabeira arrested was after being wounded in the stomach, liver and kidneys. He operated on and cared was for at the military hospital and then at the naval hospital.

He was imprisoned in the OB, then at the DEOPS in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, at Ilha das Flores, in the 31st police district, at the Presidio Policial da Penitencia Lemos de Brito on Ilha Grande and at the PE of the Army in Barão de Mesquita. He did not receive legal aid until after the second month and even then contact with his lawyer was difficult. Visits from his family were inter- impossible during the rogation stage and afterwards, Ilha Grande, rules per- on mitted only one visit a month.

was brought Mr Gabeira before a judge at the military tribunal for the first time two months after the beginning of his detention, but he was not tried. He was released in June 1970. The torture to which Mr was submitted, a Gabeira combination of physical and psychological factors, was car- ried out in conformity with a strict "technique'. He was twice sent to hos- pital for treatment of his stomach wound and of kidney haemorrhage caused by machine-gun fire. He was held incommunicado for 45 days, without seeing his family, or his lawyer, in 'surdo' a dungeon known as where he was given nothing but rotting food. He says that the lack of a bed caused him to haemorrhage, which in turn prevented him from urinating.

In addition, he was subjectea to further ill-treatment at the hospital where he was brought for so-called 'medical examina- tions'. January 23, 1972 two On peasants were arrested in the municipality of Pindare-Mirim, Maranhao State: Manoel da Conceicao and Luis Dos Santos.

with Both charged were promoting political agitation in the interior of the state.

Conceicao is one of the main peasant leaders in Brazil.

The arrests were carried out by the private agents of a plantation owner sugar-cane without any warrant. Both were taken to Sao Luis, the capital of the state, where they had been illegally detained for a half weeks. two and On February 9 they were taken : barracks of the 24th to the Cavalry Battalion, located in Sao Luis, where they were interrogated and harassed by a Federal police agent, one naval and two army officers.

Manoel and Luis stated that they had fought, do fight and will go on fighting until the end for the interests of their people against imperialist lay February 16, 1973

BY JACK GALE

Above: Brazil's Costa e Silva and his military dictatorship. Right: murdered peasant. oppression, the monopolistic bourgeoisie and the archaic latifundia land property system.

They are now in the hands of the Military Court of Fortaleza, Ceara, where they have since been transferred. Manoel da Conceicao has peasant leader in been a Maranhao for many years. In 1968, on the occasion of a peasant struggle to defend the right of land for those who work on it, the police put down the peasant uprising and shot Manoel in the leg and took him to prison where he stayed several days without any medical care. Gangrene set in his wound and because of this he had his leg amputated.

This generated a show of solidarity of peasants, workers, students and other democratic sectors of the population who quickly rallied to his defence.

They initiated a campaign to buy him an artificial leg and they held a demonstration in which about 2,000 people turned out to receive him back to Santa Ines, Maranhao. From that time on Manoel has been constantly persecuted by the military dictatorship.

list CONCLUDED

In its Michaelmas term pro- gramme of last year, Oxford University Labour Club stated under 'Our Politi- cal Role' that The Club was a founder member of NOLS (National Organization of Labour Students) and is active within the organization. NOLS Y is a channel through which the influence Labour Club can Party policy, etc... It also displayed on the front cover the 'famous' Clause IV No. 4 of the Labour Party Constitution. Now into Hilary, the first term of this year, the new programme drops Clause IV and the heading 'Our Political Role' to 'Club Activities'. The programme now states that 'The Club was a founder mem- ber of NOLS and has done its best to avert complete Trotsky- ite domination of that body.'

Above: Digby Jacks, CP Speakers for this term, no doubt to help them do their best in their activities, include His Excellency the Israeli Ambassador, Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson, Vic Feather (vice president of the Labour Club), Digby Jacks of the Communist Party and finally the Inter- national Socialists! On questioning the Club's trade union liaison executive, Mike McMahon, he said: 'It's changed? I wasn't aware of that!' Order fron

WORKERS

NOTEBOOK

SIGN

OF THE YEAR

It is not only in Britain that hospital workers face a struggle decent for wages against reactionary government. In the United States, one of Nixon's first acts after being 1C- inaugurated was to pay New increase due 33,000 York hospital workers. Meanwhile, over in St Louis, Missouri, members the Service Employees' Union were strike recently, with the result that this really classic picket sign was carried out- side a city nursing home: 'Our Lady of Perpetual Help'

ON STRIKE

Service Employees' Union Local 50

APL-CIO

NOWADAYS..

The reported recent case, in Workers York- Press, of the sentenced to 12 shire miner months' imprisonment for poaching, was. readers re marked, like something out of then, it the th sentor, But then, past ghosts wrongs are being awakened, it is perhaps because the results of those wrongs are still with us, in the Tory ruling class and its logat powers... Around middle of the the last century, a Cumbrian who was jailed for snaring food for his family, John Denwood, issued a broadsheet giving his view of the matter, in poetic form. Its hirst part goes: 'Oppressors of the poor are our police, Their leaders are our Magis- trates of peace. Far worse than Colon thieves, yea tentimes worse; Police and cobblers pilfer from my purse; Nor recompense is left, submit I must, For Magistrates idiot pro- nounce it 'just' For six long months to jail I'm doomed to go, When it may please the press- gang of the _Law: Miscalled policemen, these nave our to swear No matter true or false, and I am there.' Of course, that's not the sort thing that happens nowa- days... is it?

BOOKS

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Where is Britain Going? Paperback 37₺p Problems of the British Revolution Paperback 35p Lessons of October Paperback 60p In Defence of the October Revolution Pamphlet 15p Marxism and the Trade Unions Pamphlet 25p Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International Pamphlet 10p Postage: 10p per book, 5p per pamphlet.

Order from: NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG 'A Life Apart'. Produced and Directed by Mike Grigsby. Editor Tom Scott Robson. Granada.

The convulsions of the current crises with the capitalists fighting for their lives against econo...

mic catastrophe and the working class preparing to fight for their lives against the ruling class and capitalism, provide the sharpest possible con- text for some remarkable filming shown on the documentary 'A Life Apart-Anxieties in a Trawling Community'. Within its carefully-defined limits the film revealed the kind of explosive situation, in microcosm, that exists in every industry across the country today The trawling industry hap- pens to be one of the most nakedly exploitative in this country (a death risk 40 times higher than in mining; a basic pay of £20 a week for what the owners estimate as a 64- hour week and the deckhands give as a minimum 100-hour week). Because of this and because it is a relatively small industry employed -885 men on trawlers in Fleetwood, Lan- cashire, where the film was set —liberal opinion no doubt deemed it a possible comment for the small screen, on balance. Fleetwood is a grim fishing community.-The men are en- tirely dependent on the owners.

The owners are entirely depen- dent on the men. Fish makes a 90.4 per cent profit between dockside and shop. But it's a chancy busi- ness—a gamble. As the men pointed out: 'We're nothing but casual labour-as good as our last two trips.' And at the end of their pro- ductive life they're thrown on the scrapheap like Skipper Westhead--at sea 52 years-- and old Skipper Batty.at sea 56 years. The dangers are immense: loss of digits and limbs is commonplace (there is no in- jury compensation); rheuma- tism is an occupational hazard Workers Press, Frick -death imminent. The condi- tions are unspeakable; the work gruelling and back- breaking in icy water, knee deep in dead fish, gutting and cleaning. Clearing the nets this way and that while huge seas roar past threatening to take the men at work over the wall'. All this was shown with film of rare quality and the men, the managers, the skip- pers, the union boss, the wives —all were allowed to speak for themselves. Apart from a brief• introductory word two, or Fleetwood, the trawler men and women made their own hardened commentary. The role of the union was sourly exposed as a paternalis- tic sham—a bankrupt scheme (the men are attached-60 per cent) with no leadership but still their only hope. The wretched, waiting, watching, drab lives of the listening for ships' women, blowers and watching for the next tide, playing darts and bingo, enduring the constant their men's anti-climax of shore leave (72 hours on shore, three weeks at sea) when the first day 'he's too exhausted for anything', the next is spend running round the offices, collecting pay and sorting out paperwork and the third day he's depressed at the thought 'every- the morrow's : trip thing tastes of the sea' And above all the director/ producer Mike Grigsby and his editor Tom Scott Robson captured the great contradic- of the working class tion. themselves: the men's sheer desolation and their awareness of wasted lives. 'What's it all for?' asks the old Scot in the pub. 'Nothing- nothing' At the same time there is a real ferocity, a hatred of what's done to them, a recognition of the power of the class, especi- ally among the young (with en- couragement from the old who realize 'we stood for it-- because we had to' who are preparing for the big bust up they know has to come. We saw the determination in the boy who said: 'If we're we lose but they lose out, and others like him: more' 'We must stand together-it's the only way? Meanwhile the managers r028, Friday February 16, 1973 PAGE 8 uneasily faced the camera and parried the questions with myth and evasion. 'There's no profiteering in this business,' said one. The only sure invest- ment he said was in something like gilt-edged. No, the men had always provided their own entertainment-after all they went to sea to work. The men, locked in stifling, ill-equipped, confined quarters on board would bitterly agree with that at least. And insult to injury the employers claim it's a calling-'going to sea' 'there's a freedom about it' and 'it's always a fresh adventure' Poison like this seeps from management, keeping men in their place, making sure fresh layers of youth are drawn into the chains that bound their fathers. The film, with its excellent tight-framed photography by Ivan Strasburg, caught the essential force of the working class in crisis from which there is no escape. What it could not do was to carry this to the explicit conclusion that there is noth- ing but a political answer to be made by the class, under the sort of pressures, which in one degree or another are be- ing inflicted by the ruling class in every industry. To the manager, desperate for secure profits in a hazard- industry which is not ous reaping the rewards it used to do, 'it's a problem of com-.

munication'-a matter to be resolved by 'educating' the men. But the men have other ideas. 'The ordinary working man in the street has reached point where he thinks-this is the end. We're not going to be knocked around any more. For him the These days, television is not inclined to give anything much away about the real struggles of the hour, the political im- plications of the classes pre- paring for war. 'A Life Apart' was significant both for effort to go against the tide and for its attempt not just to something away, but to give positively illumine the real problems which face the work- ing class and -the force with which it intends to tackle them.

BY ANNE BLAKEMAN

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Friday February 16, 1973

TODAY'S TV

12.25 Y garej. 12.55 News. 1.00 Pebble Mill at 9.38-11.45 Schools. Teddy Edward. 1.35 Television one. 1/30 1.45-2.00 2.25 Children talking. 3.35 doctor. 2.05 Schools. Parkinson. Tomorrow's world. 4.00 Clangers.

4.10 Play school. 4.35 Jackanory. 4.50 Deputy dawg. 5.00 Crackerjack 73. 5.40 Wombles. 5.45 News.

Weather.

6.00 NATIONWIDE. 6.45 TOM AND JERRY.

7.00 THE VIRGINIAN: MEN FROM SHILOH. Tate: Ramord.

8.15 THE MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW. Guest Anita Harris.

9.00 NEWS. Weather. 9.25 PLAY OF THE MONTH: 'CANDIDE'. By Voltaire, translated and adapted by James Mactaggart. With Frank Finlay, lan Ogilvy.

11.00 THE DIMBLEBY TALK-IN. 11.45 NEWS.

FILM: 'THE BORGIA STICK'. Don Murray, Inger Stevens, Barry 11.50 Nelson. Crime thriller.

ITV

9.30 Schools. : 12.05 Mr Trimble. 12.25 Happy house. 12.40 First . 1.30 Crown court. 2.00 General hospital.

2.30 Good afternoon. 3.25 4.20 Junkin. Marcus Welby MD. Elephant boy. 4.50 Magpie. 5.20 Nanny and the professor. 5.50 News.

6.00 TODAY. 6.35 CROSSROADS.

7.00 THE PROTECTORS. Your Witness. 7.30 HAWAII FIVE-O. Per- centage. 8.30 ON THE BUSES. The Perfect Clippie. 9.00 JUSTICE. Malicious Damage.

10.00 NEWS. 10.30 POLICE FIVE.

10.40

FILM: 'BLIND CORNER'.

Elizabeth Shepherd, Alex Davion, Mark Eden. A blind man's lite Sylvester, is in danger, but from whom?

12.10 PIONEERS. Nature Conservancy.

12.15 JASON KING. Buried in the Cold, Cold Ground.

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.25 Open University.

7.05 HAMMER IT HOME. Laying tiles and carpet.

7.30 NEWS. Weather, 7.35 GARDENERS' WORLD.

8.00 MONEY AT WORK. The French Dream. Does French economic power depend on the right remaining in power?

9.00

FILM: 'THE_TIGER OF ESHNAPUR'.

Directed by Fritz Lang. With Debra Paget, Paul Hubschmid. A Maharajah and a German architect fall in love with the same dancer.

10.45 FILM NIGHT. Luis Bunnel. 11.15 NEWS. Weather.

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Or Full subscription (six days) for ..months. Name Address Amount enclosed E BBC 2's World Cinema presentation ton and Walther Reyer.

REGIONAL TV

CHANNEL: 9.30-12.00

London. 1.15 News. 1.30 London. 2.30 3.00 Film: "Congratulations It's Boy. 4.23 Puffin. 4.25 Flintstones. 4.50 London. 5.20 Junkin. 5.50 London. News. 6.10 Report. 6.35 London.

6.00

7.30 FBI.

8.30 It's all in life. 9.00 London. 10.35 Film: Inside Detroit'.

12.00 News, weather. Channel

WESTWARD.

As except: 12.05 London. 12.57 News.

1.00 Lon- don. 4.23 Gus Honeybun. 6.00 Diary.

6.25 Sport. 10.32 News. 12.00 Faith for life.

SOUTHERN:

9.30 12.00 News. 12.05 London. 2.30 3.00 Galloping 3.25 only. gourmet. Weekend. Saint. 4.20 4.25 Pebbles and Bamm Bamm. 4.50 London. 5.20 Crossroads. 5.50 Lon- Cartoon. 5.25 Scene SE. 6.35 It's all in life. tury. 7.35 Film: The People'. 9.00 10.30 Weekend. 10.35 Film: London. House'. News. 12.40 "Full 12.30 Weather. Guideline. HARLECH: 9.30 London. 2.30 Women.

4.50 Lon- 3.00 London. 4.25 Rovers, 25 Cross- don. 5.20 Chuckleheads. 5.50 London. 6.01 Report West.

roads. 900W the Pink Panther? Doctor 6.18 charge. 7.00 Film: 9.00 London. 10.30 It's all in life. call. 11.30 • UFO. 12.30 11.00 Press Weather. HTV Cymru/Wales as above except: Fight rising rents and prices Defend basic democratic rights Force the Tories to resign GOOLE: Sunday February 18, 7.30 p.m. 'The Buchanan', Wea- therill Street. SOUTH EMSALL: Monday Feb- ruary 19, 7.30 p.m. Westfield Social Centre, Westfield Recrea- tion Ground. BRIXTON: Tuesday February 20, Brixton Training Centre, 8 p.m. Control Room. 'No state control of wages'. LIVERPOOL: Tuesday February 20, 7.30 p.m. AEU House, Mount Pleasant. DAGENHAM: Tuesday February 20, 8 p.m. Barking Co-op Hall, Fanshawe Avenue. 'Defend basic rights' SKELMERSDALE: Tuesday Feb- ruary 20, 7.30 p.m. Quarry Bank.

'Forward to the Pageant'.

EAST LONDON: Tuesday Feb- ruary 20, 'Festival Inn', Chrisp E.14. 'Common Market Street, Conspiracy. LANCASTER: Wednesday Feb- bruary 21, 8 p.m. Trades Hall, Fenton Street (near GPO). 'Stop on Rents. Defend the retreat basic rights.' WINSFORD: Wednesday February 21, 8 p.m. 'Wheatsheaf Hotel'.

LANGLEY: Wednesday February 21, 8 p.m. 'Cardinal's Hat', Wood Street. 'Defend Democratic Rights.

Forward to the Pageant. PRESTON: Wednesday February 21, 7.30 p.m. 'Waterloo Hotel', Friargate. The Road to Workers' Power'. 00 BIOl tation tonight is Fritz Lang's 'The Tiger of I 4.25 Stesion cantamil. 6.01-6.15 Y dydd. 10.30 Sports 11.00 Lion arena• UFO. 12.45 and the dragon. 11.45 Weather. HTV West as above except: 6.15-6.30 Report West. ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 12.04 News.

12.05 London. 2.30 Women. 3.00 Lon- 3.55 Rom- don. 3.30 Dick Van Dyke. per 4.20 News. 4.25 Merrie room. nelodies. 4.50 London. 5.20 Elephant 5.50 London. 6.00 About Anglia.

boy. 6.05 London. 7.00 Sale of the century.

7.30 O'Hara. 8.30_ It's all in life.

9.00 10.30 Probe. 11.00 Film: London. 'Hell is for Heroes'. 12.40 Epilogue.

Today. PLAN London. and Danger Today. 12.05 • London. 4.20 Forest rangers. 4.50 Lon- man. don. 5.20 Flintstones. 5.50 London. 5.00 Today. 6.35 London. 7.00 Sky's he limit. 7.30 It's all in life. 8.00 Protectors. 8.30 Adventurer. 9.00 Lon- don. 10.30 Film: 'Judgement at Nurem- berg'. Weather. ULSTER: 11.00 London. 1.32 News. 1.40 Schools. 2.40 Romper room. 3.00 London. 3.25 Women. 3.55 Yoga. 4.23 News. 4.25 Rainbow country. 4.50 London. 5.20 General hospital.

5.50 London. 5 the Rimir 3.30 Pathindor: London. 7.00 Sky's the limit. 8.30 It's all in life. 9.00 London. 10.30 Spectrum. 11.00 Name of the game.

YORKSHIRE:

9.30 London. 3.30 Merrie Danger 4.25 melodies. man. 6.00 Calendar. 6.35 Lon- 4.50 London. don. 7.00 Sky's the limit.

7.30 Lon- don. 8.30 It's all in life.

9.00 London. 10.30 North country. 10.55 Film: The WOOLWICH: Wednesday Feb- Hig 'The Castle' ruary 21, 8 p.m. S.E.18. 'The Crisis Powis Street, of leadership'. TOTTENHAM: Wednesday Feb- 8 p.m. 'Bricklayers ruary 21, Arms, High Road, near White Hart Lane. 'The case for a La- government pledged to bour socialist policies' LEWISHAM: Thursday February 22, 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers (opposite New Club. Cross station). HACKNEY: Thursday February 22, 8 p.m. Parlour Room, Cen- tral Hall, opposite Town Hall, Mare Street. WILLESDEN: Thursday February 22, 8 p.m. Labour and Trades Hall, Road, N.W.10. 'Road , High to Workers' Power'. SCUNTHORPE: Sunday February 25, 7.30 p.m. The Kingsley Hall, Cole Street. BASILDON: Sunday February 25, 5.20 p.m. Barnstable Community 'Road to Workers Centre. Power'. WANDSWORTH: Monday Feb- ruary 26, 8 p.m. 'King's Arms', Socialist Labour Le NEWCASTLE: Monday February 8 p.m.

FORD

ARMS,

19, Shields Road. 1933-1938—From the German defeat to the founding of Fourth International SHEFFIELD: Monday February 19, 8 p.m. YS PREMISES, Tiger of Eshnapur' with Debra Paget Mummy'. 12.35 Weather. GRANADA: 9.30 London. 12.00 Hand- 12.05 London. 3.25 songs. Shirley's world. 3.50 Cartoon. 4.00 Crossroads, 4.30 Merrie melodies. 4.50 don't London. 5.15 Please the eat daisies. 5.50 London. 6.00 News, 6.30 Sylvester. 6.35 It's all in life. 7.05 "Hell Film: and High Water. 9.00 London. 10.30 Kick off. 10.55 "My Gun is Quick • TYNE TEES: 9.25 Songs from. the London. heart. 9.30 2.30 News. 2.31 Yoga. 3.00 London. 3.30 Danger man.

melodies. 4.25 Merrie 4.50 London. 5.20 Me and the chimp. 5.50 London.

6.00 Limit London 6.35 London. 7.00 Sky's the limit. 8.30 It's all in life. 9.00 London. 10.30 North 'Where Bullets Fly. 12.35 News. 12.40 Lectern.

takes London. thief. 4.20 Nanny and the professor. 5.25 Crossroads. 5.50 4.50 - London. 6.00 Today. 6.30 Doctor London. in charge. 7.00 Sky's the limit. 7.30 Film: "The Black Knight'. 9.00 London. 10.30 Friday 11.05 night. 11.00 Late call. Hawaii five-o. 12.00 Love American style.

GRAMPIAN:

10.58 London. 1.38 Schools. 2.40 Cartoon. 2.52 News.

3.00 London. 3.25 Good afternoon. 3.55 Shirley's world. 4.20 Dave Cash.

4.50 London. 5.20 General hospital. 5.50 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 Grampian 7.00 Film: week. 6.35 London. •Go Go'. 8.30 It's all in life. 9.00 Man London. 10.30 Points North. 11.00 he Film: "Scandal Sheet'. 12.25 Epilogue.

eb- High Street, S.W.18. 'Defend the right to work' WATFORD: Monday February 26, 8 p.m. Trade Union Hall, Wood- eb- ford Road, near Watford Junc- ers tion Station. 'Rise of fascism in hite Italy' ACTON: Tuesday February 27, Co-op Hall, High Road, 8 pm. 'Forward to W3. the Pageant -The Road to Workers' Power' CLAPHAM: Tuesday February 27, 8 p.m. Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor Street, S.W.4.

'Defend Democratic Rights'

PADDINGTON:

Tuesday Feb- 'Artesian' ruary 27, 8 p.m. corner Chepstow / Westbourne Park Road. CAMDEN: Tuesday February 27, 8 p.m. 'Prince Albert', Wharfe- dale Road, Kings Cross. 'Les- sons of fighting the Housing Finance Act'. HARROW: Tuesday February 27, 8 p.m. Labour Hall, Wealdstone.

'All out for Wembley Pageant'.

TOOTING: Tuesday February 27, 'Selkirk Hotel', Selkirk 8 p.M. Tooting Broadway. 'The Feb- Road, ms', rise of Italian Fascism'.

our League Lectures Portobello (near Jessops hos- The economic crisis pital) and the socialist answer'.

SHEFFIELD: Monday March 5, 8 p.m. YS PREMISES, Porto- bello near Jessops nospita!)• 'The Revolutionary Party in Britain'.

Three-line whip against jury system What is an HGV SIR ROBERT MARK, the Metropolitan Police Com- missioner, has joined the Chancellor, Lord Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery, in attacking the jury system. The statement from Scot- land Yard forms part of the growing campaign to under- mine the present trial by.

jury system. This campaign can be im- mediately traced to the result of the Stoke Newington Eight trial. The state spent almost THE MIDLANDS motor in yesterday as lorry drivers fr continued their fight for a Resumed talks will be held at today between BRS manageme Transport and General Workers the dispute. The men are claiming the bon Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) licence which came into operation on Feb- ruary 1. About 170 private hauliers are already paying the bonus and so is a BRS subsidiary.

But the BRS management will not pay the bonus be- cause it comes into conflict with the Tories' state pay laws. Two and a half weeks ago the 1,300 BRS lorry drivers holding HGV licences han- to shop ste- ded them in wards. In this report Workers explains the back- Press ground to the licence. Certificate The three-year transi- tional period for the change over to HGV licences came to an end on February 1. Anyone now driving a heavy goods vehicle hold must either a full or provisional HGV drivers' licence as well as an ordinary driving licence. The regulations provide that an applicant for an

HGV

send licence must with his application a certifi- cate that he has passed the HGV driving test on the class of vehicle for which he seeks a licence to drive, unless he can satisfy the

ACTON

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 8pm Woodlands Hall, Crown Street speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

WANDSWORTH

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22,

8pm Wandsworth Town Hall Wandsworth High Street speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee)

BRADFORD

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22,

7.30 p.m. Central Library Top of Hall Ings. Speaker: Cliff Slaughter (SLL Central Committee) Workers Press, Friday February 16, 1973 PAGE 11 dor prople hot a cords Mark of the Yard joins with people records serious crittes asked further has political campaign on trials "impartial and extensive re- search into this 'controversial sinned. If the Tories get their way Elm in a six-month trial against At the end of the trial the they will introduce the type eight defendants accused jury acquitted four being tried out

COULS ION

bomb explosions at the defendants, including causing Stuart Northern Ireland. There is had been judge, isn't WInO cluding Robert Cer Ravoh- all along that he been what he told IS charged with Davies and Sir framed. Peter give tnelr evi- mony lobby Mark to fuel dence from behind closed

SOL

_lIc The bomb attacks began just anti-jury unpre- The screens. at the time the code nted. is openly It the evidence is considered political bringing forward field and da security matter', the accused

WELC

statistics advice acquittals is taken from the while pared by the Yard's solicitors Act. the jury system. He claims that the police officer testifies. Cambridge students sit-in for THE MIDLANDS motor industry remained in havoc yesterday as lorry drivers from British Road Services driver? continued their fight for a £2.50 bonus payment.

reforms Resumed talks will be held at a Stratford-upon-Avon hotel management and Mr Alan Law, the Union official in charge of

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

are claiming the bonus because they hold the new STUDENTS at Cambridge University yes- continued sit-in protest terday their Facts behind the BRS bonus dispute against the Inversity's High Steward.

the findings of a report Lord Devlin, Eight hundred students began the e prestios Wednesday following publication Devlin's ing Test' (DLG68) available report on a sit-in last February.

Licensing Authorities' "the numbers Irom offices. dwindled yesterday and the remaining occupied the economics faculty, may be handed building, the day of the test over this morning. candidates required to are Last February's occupation of the Old School was roadworta in against the refusal the university venice ana nave witn them their provisional

HGV

dri- the authorities to implement reforms structure ving icences well as proposed by examinations Lore ordinary driving licences.

Faculty. Lorry As result duct an lage sit in red of was Lord Devlin drivers have also par invited to conduct for the licences and also examination have just been published.

medical which goes with it. It is an exceedingly reactionary document which, while making criticisms of the university Rigmarole recommends. amongst other things: BRS drivers, who could be working, have to keap warm by a dents Union. Continued non-recognition of Cambridge Stu- brazier. lorry driver told As one • Rejection of the Economics Faculty proposals.

Licensing Authority that, in have been conducted. Workers Press: 'This is the the year the only job I know which you before scheme • Continuation of the disciplinary system whereby The most common faults, which particularly nave to pay to get. Was reD- unversity proctors nave grealer powers man ponce WeLC constables. ruary L. 19/U, ne was inte road паткес Having been through this habit of driving heavy goods (including cross roads and He "student relations officer' vehicles of that enormous class or 2 roundabouts) occurred: and a 'Reporter' (an official junior version role, the drivers rightly feel Icasu

SLA

MOLLIS.

that they are entitled to a university publication). touch make The Department of the croper use of mirrorsnaispe bonus. sit-in was made on 1ne decision to Take Thic Environment savs before signalling Wednesday packed meeting, basis being the rejection of Decin and the implementation ne They have been made cations for driving •urecuon should however. that ther Weeks beforehand. aware. speed and before over- the reforms. have state pay laws to con-

SIX

taking). Icabl So far tend with. there have been several meetings, but Lite gonene the min by came sudents concrete emerged, During 1972, 43 per cent • In the selection of gears.

support There is no round of all HGV driving tests re- Way these The governmen laws. sulted in failure. in Through wrong position- brought that them lil musi Communist Party Stalinists have done their best Surveys showed that the hold back the Proposals sit-in at every • stage. main reasons for failure had The requirements of the anti-trade union legisla- booklet tion repealed by the incom- made that the sit-in should be linked to the grants the during test are given remained sallic campaign, and that the demands made on the tests ing Labour government ine tree years should university be Habie, were opposed by ur mem- bers on utopian ond s the that théy Socialist Labour League Public Meetings and little to do with mass politics. However, their attempts

UNITE IN ACTION TO DEFEND BASIC RIGHTS

block the lectures strike and picket were Gees ver at a mass meeting on Wednesday night and these are going ahead

CASTLEFORD

MEDWAY

HULL

There much idealistic talk about alternative universities, bul TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27, 8pm THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY

230 p.m. so far the concrete demands Windmill Hotel' lurora Hote before the university are: Castleford Civic Hall rompton Roa Sceaker:

CLIFF SLAUGHTER

• End to classing in Part One Gillingham (SLL Central Cttee) Speaker:

SLAUGHTER

examinations. speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Committee) (SLL Central Cttee) • Rejection of the Devlin recom-

WEST LONDON

mendations. THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8 p.m. Recognition of Cambridge

SLOUGH

Lyndhurst Hall

BIRMINGHAM

Union. Grafton Road

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28

• Implementation of the Econo SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25, 7pm Speaker: M.

BANDA

8pm (SLL Central Committee) mics Faculty reform: Digbeth, Civic Hall Britwell Community Centre Mike Gradiner, President of the Digbeth,

IKE BANE

Long Furlong Drive Cambridge Students' Union, says:

LUTON

canci. vill britwell estate (SLL Central Cttee) FRIDAY MARCH 2, 8 p.m. 'This sit-in is more politically (SLI National Sec

G HEALY

Hall than the Assembly mature last The

OLIC.

long-term Malu noels

…TOT

Speaker: M. BANDA commitment to the ideals pro-

SOUTHAMPTON

(SLL

Central Committee) posed.

DAGENHAM

MONDAY FEBRUARY 26, 8 p.m.

Dave Pollard, second-year THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8pm Marlands Hall

TOTTENHAM

modern languages student, says: Havelock Road Manor Park Library TUESDAY MARCH 6, 8 p.m. *The political role of the unis Civic Centre Romford Rd/Rabbitts Road opp. Lora Morrison Hall to reinforce the versity 1s Speaker: ALAN THORNETT ernos unesnul carove class. univer- rulling 1ne (Deputy Senior Steward Morris speaker: G HEALY. Speaker: G.

HEALY

sity will try to get us The out. Motors in a personal capacity) (SLL National Sec) (SLL National Secretary) last time they gave us a court:

'General Strike to force a General Election' PAGE 12 Workers Press, Friday Februar

BY ROYSTON BL

THE MINERS' union leader ] facing the working class into the Tory line. The NUM presi tical confrontation after anno what the emergency TUC Con own attitude on their pay clain FACTORY delegations lobbying

TUC

the March 5 from the Reading, Portsmouth and South- ampton areas will be demanding a national strike to defeat the Tory and its anti- government legislation, working-class an union leader said engineering yesterday. Hundreds of workers in these areas have had new pay claims, or the second stages of previous deals, stopped by the Tories' pay.- control legislation. A militant meeting of stewards' chairmen and sec- , committee retaries called by the No 9 dis- trict of the Confederation of and Engineering Shipbuilding Unions on Tuesday unanimously demanded that the TUC General Council recall Congress and re- commend 'a national strike to freeze, defeat the the wages Industrial Relations Act and the Tory government'. It was agreed to stage a token strike in the district on the day Congress was recalled, and to liaise with local trades councils in making May I a total strike.

Pat Farelly, CSEU district sec- retary, said yesterday that de- spite the short notice at which Congress had been recalled, large delegations from factories in the to district could be expected lobby on March 5.

FEBRUARY

FUND REACHES

DAYS LEFT

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You, dear readers, are rallying and fighting for your paper.

In Nottingham our readers collected £16.50, In Bradford a reader sent £10, Banbury read- ers sent £1, Swansea supporters collected £7.50 and a Bracknell reader gave £1.25. Readers and supporters throughout the Lon- don area raised amounts which together totalled £121.25 And from Middleton a good collec- tion at a local Pageant meeting raised £11.73 for our Fund.

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front of the struggle against the Tories. Your magnificent support convinces us that you will do everything possible to ensure that this is done. Keep It up.

Post all your donations imme diately to: Workers Press February Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London, SW4 7UG y February 16, 1973

YSTON BULL OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

leader oe Gormley yesterday brought the positior M president spoke at length about the coming poli- r announcing that the miners would wait and see JC Congress does on March 5 before deciding their ay claim. THE TASK now before The Jones by 14 votes Neither the NUM nor any other union on its own the special 16 Tealo could defeat the Tory pay laws, Gormley said. Either Call •a snecal c

TUC

the unions had to unite and bring down the govern- gress to unite the mo 5 to debate the General in opposition ment ment or else they would have to submit to the fl plus trike and une bringing government d 4 per cent formula. the Tory control government as the only maintain trade The Tories would not alter their policies by persuasion.

forward the negotlating rights.' way for They would have to be forced out of office in a General But it goes working class. Election which the unions could only insist on by means gress and the TUC threatening a General action Hernan leaders are trying to food member of the Labour Party Ising prices prevent such a debate. explained execute. quickly The NUM will hold a spe- the reasons for his own less The TUC hierarchy cial executive in two weeks' Even the Jack Jones determined than full-hearted call consider presented their atti- individual motions arms. tude towards the special Comer: before 'I am not sure many poli- ing TUC Congress. But whatever Council meeting, which the Labour Party ticians in it at all can, posed the Gormley said question more the TUC docum nabocus lucic. the rejected Coal Board pay shar Congress than debate. terms of a General Strike' offer would still be put The Having stated the case ment, merely expresses a miners' ballot in the end.

were used at the spe chen tailed the retormist leader 'sympathy' with unions But clearly Gormlev then on the crucial Halls, Croydon, walking away from a repeat test. What kind of leader- Two. last year's mighty strike ship will he and years ago on we his CO- leaves the danger trial Relations Act. which de- leagues give to the working of no action at all being The successfut feated the government's then class in such the decided. motion wage-control with Tories? (loaved tation Answer: NONE. ror one union to take or year government would be damned suicide. Last the year government did the LaW behind it' he commented. 'Government will only be this time by the result of united trade union action. *That calls for all unions to be involved in a cencial stoppage and for the govern- to call General he added. Election, not by mamby-pamby. We should not keep kidding. 'If there TUC For feeling 10 within the with the gov- ernment, then a lot of unions have with the situation Tof Phase movement trade union could, cause wanted, S General Election next few months. The that's what want, let's we do i vou are cerermined as trade unionists, you have to do something about it. Being Deleve doing something about it.

don't mind which go, we have We Cong definite.' But Gormley, a prominent

THE

UNITED

States building up expe- a new of 10,000 ditionary Torce civilian advisers to the South Vietnamese armv in order to maintain its pre- the according Hanoi broadcast. The party 'Nhan Dan' the US claims that is the Ovel Dases Saigon forces instead of dis-

TRADE

UNION leaders Alan Sapper of ACTT; Eddie them and is also Marsden CEU; Bill of the and rank-and-file members the mine-sweeping delaying Simpson AUEW; Jack Jones operaton vet- picketed South Africa House namese waters.

T&GWU;

Lawrence Daley in Trafalgar Square yesterday These NUM; Ray Buckton

ASLEF;

complaints came in support of the strikes by while President Nixon's and Bill Kendall CPSA. Dr Henr Specal ao viser. black African workers in The letter reaffirmed the Kissinger, concluding of talks Durban. days unions' condemnation North Prime Vietnamese After difficulty, the of apartheid and full some gave Minister wong support to the black workers apartheid representatives before going on to Peking.

In Britain fight for human agreed to accept their They agreed joint signed by rights. commission to develop eco- protest petition motion, maining opening. It calls for a special meeting of votes to the Congress General special Con- Purposes Committee to ite the move- draw up proposals in pposition to addition to those in the Congress document. ment's wage to To avold a repeat of union the bureaucratic sell-out at Croydon, trade union- es on: 'Con- Ists should now bom- to consider bard the committee against with resolutions calling for firm General Strike prices and action to get rid of the hierarchy is government as the only to prevent way of getting rid the state pay laws. notions com- Congress If Feather was wrong n, and leave when he said at his JC document post - Downing Street Press conference that tactics neither the government at the special nor the TUC was seek- at Fairfield | ing a confrontation. The Torles' two arbitrary laws in defence on the Indus- of capitalism are forcing an all-out collision with the essful Jones ves one re working class.

BRIEFLY • BRIEFLY

POLICE ringed a court building at Woodside, Salop, yesterday in a security operation for the ap- pearance of six men accused conspiring to intimidate workers during the building strike last year. After the hearing, the assis- tant Chief Constable of Mercia, Mr Alexander Rennie, said sum- monses were to be issued against another 18 men. The six were arrested last night. They were each remanded on £50 bail to March 15. FORD pay talks will be resumed today to try and find a way out of the collision course with the state pay laws. The company has offered £2.40 in reply to a £10 claim by the 52,000 hourly-paid workers. BRITAIN faces a massive upward prices spiral if the British Steel Corporation has to raise its prices Anthony by 19-20 per cent, Wedgwood Benn, Shadow Indus- try Minister, said yesterday. He told the Commons Standing Com- mittee on the Counter-Inflation Bill: 'If the European Commis- sion is now asking the corpora- to raise prices tion by this the beginning of amount at Phase Two, it will add something like £200m to the cost of indus- try at a time when the govern- ment is declaring it is engaged in a serious war against rising prices. It is obvious that if such an increase in the cost of steel to our users in this country is now injected into the economy •.. we shall be faced with a massive upward spiral in prices at a time when the government appears to be making the battle against inflation its major theme.'

CAMBRIDGE

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25

Mawson Hall Mawson Rd

SPECIAL SHOWING OF

'RIGHT TO WORK' FILM

RALLY, 3 p.m. Speaker: Maureen Bambrick (YS Nat. Citee) Office. Published by 186a Clapham High Street, London.

SW4 7UG.

Pindapha High Street, d, (TU). 180b Clapham London, Street,

SW4 7UG.