Tories tamper with gas

GASWORKERS in Stockport have accused local Tories of endangering the lives of old people.

Teams of Young Conservatives have been going around loosening the main gas tap in the houses of some old people in a dangerous attempt to increase the gas flow.

The action is designed to get publicity for their discredited party and to witchhunt the gasmen.

Gasmen on Stockport picket lines pointed out yesterday that the Young Tories had never bothered about the welfare of old people before the strike and London teachers reject their A NATIONAL Union of Teachers' executive resolution merely 'saluting' the 'magnificent response' to their selective strikes campaign for a rise in the London allowance was overwhelmingly shouted down at Westminster Halls on Tuesday night.

All but about 30 of the 2,000-strong meeting persistently howled down platform speakers chanting and clamouring for an alternative resolution drawn up by Wandsworth Association to be put to them demanding an indefinite strike and unity with all workers currently in struggle against the Tory pay laws.

After only an hour the executive was forced to abandon the platform and, with microphones meeting voted on the illegal Wandsworth motion. Nearly eVNUT president-elect and Com 'member Max Morris told the capitalist Press afterwards:

"This was planned disruption by Trotskyites, International Socialists and the Socialist Labour League-and a lot of them were not teachefs.' (Shades of Lord Throughout day one of the Mon s second strike wave almer t persuading the Tories to ex clude the allowance from Phase BIWO of the DaVi laws, frustration at the executive's milk-and-water policy had been building up After 12 hours picketing and leaneling, culminating mass march through the centre London boiling point. anger had reached At Westminster the executive was barraged with exaggerated yawns, jeers and heckles as Morris explained that the campaign would reach its high point on March 8 with a rally and a deputation to Tory Education Secretary Mrs Margaret Thatcher.

'She cannot avoid hearing the nessage of burning indignation hat the deputation will carry on ›ehalf of London's teachers, he said.

'Whether we shall by then succeeded in thawing heartess ine problems of London schools ve cannot say.? Loosening mains taps is 'extremely that their activities could be extremely dangerous.

This kind of provocation has encouraged north-west gasmen to demand all-out strike action.

Stewards at several centres in greater Manchester are now on record demanding an all-out stoppage.

Ron Jones, a militant gas itter at the Stockport depot, hit back at what he called 'vicious lies' over the level of his pay.

He held up his wage slip: 'There is the evidence. £27 a ASSESSMENT Al eschere continually ralsed questions from the floor at Tuesday. night's meating.

But the teachers plainly wanted him to say. And, to be sure, they wanted a lot more than rolling strikes and deputations.

They demanded to know why the executive had ignored decisive rank-and-file calls for an indefinite strike of all teachers?

Why was the Tory 'wage freeze' not mentioned in their resolution? Why was unity with gasmen, civil servants and hospital workers not called for?

Alf Wishir, replying for the executive, said the 'pay freeze' was utterly separate from the London allowance; that they had chosen the issue most capable of uniting teachers; that 'certain facts and figures' showed that backing for an indefinite strike was not there.

Scuffles and fighting broke out £10m LCS pension case to be heard THE COURT of Appeal yesterday decided to allow a full hearing of a writ issued against the London Co-operative Society.

Mr Justice Plowman yesterday heard an application by week for seven consecutive nights. This lying publicity about £36-a-week gasmen 1s even getting me into trouble with my wife. I have never earned or known anybody to earn this amount of money in our works.' Phil Lancaster said the only way to win the strike was an all-out stoppage.

'Heath will not bend to any kind of selective action. It's time now that all the unions got together and broke this government.' union leaders BY YEATS as rival speakers struggled to gain control of microphones. As executive members abruptly left the hall the Wandsworth resolution was put by Mr Fred Scott.

It called for an extension of the teachers' campaign 'of militant action' against the Tory 'wage freeze into and beyond Phase Two' and for a "joint plan of action' involving other unions fighting in support of pay claims.

Not once did it mention the absolutely central question of the role of the Tory government. And not once did it call for the mobilization of the entire trade union and labour movement in a General Strike to bring that government down.

In effect the resolution called for more militancy. to 'substantially' win the £300 London the LCS to have the action against it struck out.

He decided, however, to allow the summons, which has been taken out by Co-op employee Mr Robert Evans, a Transport and General WorkRON JONES . Vicious lles about pay allowance teachers demanding.

But, as one teacher pointed out, Tory intransigence on the allowance is only the first blow in their campaign to limit teachers wages generally.

The Heath government has not 'frozen' wages. It is operating a state pay plan which will continue for the foreseeable future under which the Tories will dictate—without exception - the level of all rises.

The pay laws, together with the anti-union legislation, form part of an unshakable and determined government policy of curbing inflation. The Iories want to solve the chronic crisis in world capitalist trading relationships by forcing down workers' wages and living standards.

To demand unity only among those sections of workers currently in struggle excludes the vast majority of the trade union and labour movement.

London teachers are looking with justifiable concern toward the last phase of the NUT campaign, due to begin on March 6 -the day after the special TUC conference.

There is only one way for them to win. The Tory pay plan cannot be broken or breached any more than the anti-union Act or the rent Act could be 'killed'.

The government must be forced to resign and all teachers should join the mass lobby of the TUC on Monday to demand a General Strike to force the Tories to call a General Election.

ers' Union shop steward.

Mr Evans' High Court summons claims that the LCS lent itself money from the workers' pension fund at low interest rates. The judge said f10m was involved.

TUC must call a General Strike to government resign LOBBY THE TUC MONDAY MARCH5 9 a.m. Central Halls, Westminster (opposite Houses of Parliament) ort back meeting: 2 p.m. orkers Union, Blackfriars Blackfria make the Tory Friars Halls, Sheet Bridge (nearest t