The new battalions in the state pay law fight

SNAP POLL TUC SNORES ON THE TUC's policy document for its special Congress on March 5, published today, contains not an ounce of fight. It delivers the working-class bound and gagged to the Tories.

Even if the Congress tacks on a call for a one-day general protest strike, the trade union movement will be left without an answer to the iniquitous pay laws and the Tories' preparations for the corporate state.

In the face of the most determined onslaught on democratic rights that the ruling class has ever mounted, the TUC leaders are disarming the trade union movement with this politically worthless document.

OUR INDUSTRIAL There is not a word in CORRESPONDENT the whole document about the world-wide crisis of the capitalist system. there can be a real thaw Yet even the dullest our relations with them.' Tory knows it will shortly He went on: 'We are be transformed into an all- looking for genuine underout trade war between standing by the governAmerica, Japan and the ment of the need to reach agreement on policies for EBC.

British industry.' If the working class does Feather spelt out the not act, this trade war wil jingoism latent in the inevitably end in a thir document. 'Britain's workimperialist nuclear war.

people are as patriotic and Not only do Feather and responsible as any in the his friends not warn the world,' he claimed. working class of these 'Given the right approach, dangers, they pledge their it is always ready to make support for 'British' a response.' economic effort, and give The real response the approval in advance to the working class is willing to way that British capitalists make to Tory depradations should survive the trade can be seen in its readiness war-by import quotas! to take up strike action in The theme of the docu defence of basic rights. ment, in short. is: Let Nowhere is the workers' make capitalism work! fight back mentioned in the document. The only referIntroducing the • docu- ence to the great struggles ment at a Press conference, now beginning comes in the be no real Deaner sal on an said: "There can line: 'The government's lack answer to inflation until of flexibility may well lead the proposals of the govern- to specific industrial sit»ment and the unions come ations of some gravity.' closer together. Instead of organizing this 'Let us have a thaw in strike struggle into an government thinking. Then irresistible political force THESE hospital workers in Manchester are among the new battallons of workers coming into the fight against the Tories' state pay laws.

On March 1 their unions will be staging selective FEATHER...' and answering Heath's declaration of class war, Feather announces:

'I am sending this report to the Prime Minister sincerely hoping that there will be a positive response.' Last week, after the TUC General Council went for a talking-to by Hcath at Downing Street, Feather said that neither side was seeking a confrontation.

Even this feeble document gives the lie to that rubbish.

It describes the Tory government's initial policies as combining 'confrontation with the unions on major issues with attempting to undermine the strength of trade unions through the Industrial Relations Act'.

The attack on demo cratic rights has been steadily stepped up as the economic crisis has got worse.

But the document states in the next paragraph that the Chequers talks last autumn 'appeared to repstrikes, overtime bans and work-to-r u l e throughout the National Health Service.

The anger against the pay laws Is so fierce that these workers at the Mancheater Royal Infirmary are not satistied with the roll'Patriotic, responsible' resent a genuine attempt to reach a voluntary agreement on the whole range of issues affecting inflation'.

This confusion being spread by the TUC leaders is Heath's most powerful weapon.

Although • inflation has sprung out of capitalism, the document proposes to continue with capitalism in order to cure it.

'Any policy on inflation must ensure that the real growth of the economy is fairly shared. Thus, profits can increase sufficiently to finance new investment without the share of the profits increasing Boing to The analysis of the cause of inflation borders on idiocy.

'Inflation has hitherto been analysed in terms of sources of income-wages, profits, taxation, etc. It is perhaps more valid to see it as a result of competing needs for uses of funds, which determine the use of resources' And the world crisis given just one sentence a 44-page report!

'There appears to have been, to some degree least, a transfer of inflation across frontiers, which can in large part be ascribed to the activities of multinational companies and international finance' But the idea of doing something about it is not even mentioned!

On the home front, the TUC has finally begun to realize that the pay laws establish 'the framework for a permanent system of statutory wage control.

The report puts these Wing industrial action.

They want an alt-out national strike among the The NHS employees join civil servants, gasmen, rallwaymen, teachers and forry drivers who are already challenging the pay laws. words in italics to indicate how sinister it all is.

The TUC's answer?

*The government must ensure the non-operation of the Industria! Relations Act and statutory control of wages must be removed.' Just like that!

And they add: 'The trade union movement is willing to co-operate in any attempt to find a joint solution to this problem [of inflation].' But Feather, Jones, Scanlon and company, are mistaken.

The working class is NOT willing to have its basic rights and living standards trampled down so that the capitalist system can find a solution to inflation.

And if this offensive does not work, the capitalists are already preparing to unleash a new period of fascism in order to try and forestall revolution.

The betrayals which led to the triumph of fascism and the defeats of the working class in the 1920s and 1930s are being prepared right now with the aid of the reformists and This document is part of such preparations.

The working class must be on its toes to repudiate any treachery from the special Congress, including one-day protest strikes.

Only by building ; a revolutionary party of the working class-—the SLL and the Workers Press-can the trade unions' strength be mobilized to force the Tory government to resign by means of a General Strike.

On March 1 the 52,000 hourty-paid workers of the Ford combine are expected to start strike action in support of their pay claim. • See page 12 for full report of the gasworkers'