INFLATION IS RAMPANT

of a worsening of the inflationary crisis sweeping the capitalist nations of the world was released in their financial centres yesterday.

Reports from New York, London and Bonn show that the so-called boom of business activity is rapidly spilling over into inflation. Prices are increasing at a record rate and already there are moves to curb spending and hit the working class. THE UNITED STATES has been hit with runaway inflation. Output grew by a record $40,000m in the first three months of this year but half of this was due entirely to inflation.

Nixon yesterday was reconsidering bringing back the ban on wage increases abandoned in this present Phase Three policy against the American unions.

But there will be few controls on prices. Right wingers in the US Congress defeated a move yesterday to halt all increases.

The result will be a new round of attacks against the working class and more pressure for trade war against the Common Market and the Japanese.

IN GERMANY five Tories' letter encourages dock 'casuals' DOCKS shop stewards in London are in possession of a letter from Maurice Macmillan, the Tories' Employment Minister, which makes clear that the government is behind moves to bring 'casual' labour back into the industry.

The letter, written early in January to the chairman of the National Dock Labour Board, is expected to arouse considerable anger in the ports.

Already Liverpool and Hull dockers have made clear that of economic experts/ have announced that the government war against inflation has failed. The economy has grown, but prices are still rising at record rates-7 per cent a year.

The call here too is for deflationary measures against the working class and an independent float of the mark which will hit Germany's foreign competitors, including Britain.

IN BRITAIN the situation is most serious of all. The economy is on the brink of a £1,000m trade debt and the continued inflationary increase in the monetary supply is threatening to make this worse.

W. Greenwell, top City stockbrokers, say the government will not be able to curb the situation and that the wages and prices policy will be undermined by the rapid rise in prices and costs.

'The crunch will come in capital markets when a "stop" is forced on the authorities, they warn.

This latest information is proof that even the small upturn in the level of economic activity presents enormous problems for the capitalist authorities.

They can only strike back at inflation by curbing spending and particularly the wages of the working class. These will be held down while prices rocket upwards. BY DAVID MAUDE OUR LABOUR CORRESPONDENT they will have nothing to do with "casuals' - supplementary dockers who can be sacked at a week's notice by either their employer or their local Dock Labour Board.

And there is widespread hostility elsewhere in the industry to the idea that the labour shortages caused by the Jones-Aldington special severance scheme should be filled by a system which undermines dockers' traditional solidarity and could Their other strategy is to pass laws to favour their own exports, so accelerating the pace of the trade war.

Two important conclusions must flow from this latest evidence. One is that the inflationary crisis is worldwide and hits workers from Tokyo to New York. And they will all come under the same fierce attacks as each government grapples with the problem of stabilizing shaky economies.

The continuing inflation also exposes the rubbish churned out by organizations like the TUC, which 'welcomes' the increase in business activity. This "boom' will end in the greatest attack on the working class since the 1930s.

The latest crisis shows that workers can do nothing to 'solve' inflation.

Price rises and the rapid erosion of real value is an inherent part of the capitalist Inflation will be with us until capitalism is expropriated by the working class and socialist planning introduced.

This deep crisis has secuences Coolaust system moves ever towards dictatorship and to deprive the working class of all its basic rights.

The construction of a revolutionary party in every capitalist country is now the most urgent task before the working class.

undermine their job security under the 1947 Dock Labour Scheme.

Macmillan's letter, written on January 12 to NDLB chairman P. G. H. Lewison, followed consultations with both the National Association of Port Employers and the Transport and General Workers' Union.

It forecast that the dockers' response to Jones-Aldington severance scheme would 'greatly exceed our expectations'-in fact it reduced labour force nationally by 8,500 or more than 20 per cent.

Macmillan also allowed himself the 'prudent assumption' that the process of technological change in the industry would wipe out even more jobs.

His solution was 'casual' labour.

told Lewison: It seems sensible that the NDLB should guide local boards towards dealing with individual proved labour TURN BACK GOOD news. Socialist Labour League branches in Willesden donated £5; Tottenham £27; Brixton £1.25; Leeds £6.50; Todmorden £1.12; Luton £6.50; Ebbw Vale £10.41.

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Party Building Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG YOU will be a Pensioner Pensioners lobby to support Bill A GROUP of old-age pensioners from London lobbied parliament yesterday in support of Southall Labour MP Sidney Bidwell's Bill to upgrade pensions. At present pensioners are paid only one fifth of the national average wage and the Bill would peg them at one third of the average. The lobby was organized by Task Force.

800 at joint meeting in London THE CAMPAIGN to defend members of the left and labour and oppression by the state began before a capacity audience in Labour League call for the defence of neeting movement against police attack London on Monday.

Well over 800 people packed the Conway Hall to hear speakers from the International Marxist Group, the International Socialists and the Socialist democratic rights.

The joint meeting follows the rapid escalation of police and Special Branch activity directed against the left and particularly the raids all over: Britain against Irish people and members of the IMG last Friday.

OPENING the meeting Gerry Healy, national secretary of the Socialist Labour League, said that the SIL had been concerned with the increase of police and state activity for some time.

The Workers Press had initiated a campaign against this on January 20 aimed at warning the left and the working class of the great dangers of oppression ahead.

He said the basis of this mass intimidation was the deep economic crisis faced by the capitalist system.

"The question of basic democratic rights is now an urgent one for the Tory government and the capitalist class. They have to deprive the working class of all their rights. The legislation of this government, the Industrial Relations Act, the wage laws and the laws banning picketing have made 20 million workers