Peterborough parity talks on Monday

PERKINS ban which More than diesel engine refusing to nine weeks demand for workers at Coventry. yesterday in retaliation against an o 5,700 men at the plant have been do overtime for in support of a pay parity with Massey Ferguson, which owns Perkins Diesel, operates a wages system based on Measured-Day Work at Peterborough and although they are trying to bring in a similar structure at Coventry workers there are still paid piecerates.

The two systems are responsible for dramatic pay differentials.

At Coventry top earnings total £54 a week compared with £32 at Peterborough. At the other end of the scale, lowest paid workers at Coventry take home £37, compared with £26 at Peterborough.

AUEW convenor Mr Reg Briars told me they were not asking the company to equalize the payments immediately.

The men will accept a commitment to iron out disparities over a period and consistent with the Tory pay laws.

The Peterborough men ask for parity every year, but works deputy convenor told me: 'This year the determination has come from the shop floor. I've never known it so strong.' The plant normally produces 1,300 diesel engine units a day, but the spokesman said he doubted if any had been made this Management has been laying off up to 5,000 men at a time, but works leaders claim the only effect has been to strengthen shop-floor solidarity.

A crucial meeting with management takes place on Monday and the men's leaders are optimistic that management will make some new proposals.

Up till now they have been unresponsive to all calls even to consider the parity claim.

But last Wednesday a seven-day strike notice by men at Coventry against the proposal to introduce Measured-Day Work there was withdrawn after the company asked for a meeting with shop stewards.

Peterborough workers believe this may indicate a softening up of the company's previous tough line, likely to be reflected at their meeting with management on Monday Engine Company, Peterborough, they claim has slashed production. aid off vertime Powell sees crisis deepening race conflict ENOCH POWELL, the right-wing Tory MP, has said that future conflict over the race issue is a certainty in big cities like Birmingham.

In a speech prepared for delivery to Conservatives in Birmingham last night he warned:

'Where profound and • undisguisable differences divide, on such a scale as I have indicated, the population of a city like Birmingham, an outcome conflict is not merely probable Reyrolle-Parsons strike voted into fourth week A MASS meeting of about 2,000 men and women at ReyrolleParsons, Hebburn, yesterday voted to continue their threeweek-old strike.

The management refused to meet the pieceworkers' demands for direct increases in piecework rates.

Instead they offered to conGEORGE HENRY INCE (35) was yesterday refused bail on a bullion robbery charge.

Ince, recently acquitted of the Barn Restaurant murder, applied to the Old Bailey for bail. His lawyer, Mr Robert Flack, said that Ince had the opportunity to be involved in this week's breakout from Brixton jail.

TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE Central London 'A MANIFESTO FOR SUNDAY 7.30 p.m.

London Film School

24 Shelton Street (corner Langley St)

pp. Covent Garden Tub ipeaker: Corin —it is, humanly speaking certain.' This latest outburst marks a new stage in Powell's propaganda campaign. The Tory who once said he 'thanked God' for capitalism usually uses lurid statistics to excite feeling over coloured workers in Britain.

Now he appears to be anticipating possible outbreaks of racial conflict as the economic and political crisis in Britain get worse.

Powell added that race trouble would not be avoided by people being nice to each other. sider increases in minimum ear ing levels.

Skilled men were offered rise of f3, semi-skilled £2.75, unskilled and women £2.50.

The mass meeting carried a shop stewards' resolution rejectthe management's offer and asking for Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Union district officials to be called in.

It was in the wing in which Ince was held, he said. 'His cell door was open and he could have escaped, Flack added.

'This man has spent six months in prison awaiting trial for just about the most grievous murder in the last few years and he was proved innocent.

'But for six months this man TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE Public Meeting STAL WORKER MEETING off secret talks the Tories!

Force the Tories to resign! the Tories to re Sunday, June 3, 10.30 Conway Small Hall, Red Lion Square, olborn (admission 10 'Indeed, he said, 'were I not certain my motives being represented if I did so, I would certainly acknowledge the fact that the difficulties are likely to be made greater rather than Jess The application of specialized policy of niceness, a Powell returned to the West Bromwich by-election where the extreme - right National Front took 16 per cent of the poll after a racialist campaign.

"There actually was an immigration issue in West Bromwich after all. The electors were worried about it-to the extent BSA merger DOCUMENTS relating to the proposed merger of the motor cycle interests of BSA and Norton Villiers in the NVT group will be posted to shareholders of BSA and Manganese Bronze Holdings on Thursday June 7.

This was their present intention, announced Kleinwort Benson, acting for the Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd, and the Federated Trust and Finance Corporation Ltd, acting for Norton Villiers Triumph yesterday.

has been kept in Brixton Prison under antiquated circumstances, locked up for 19 hours a day and now, during the last three days, has been locked up for 24 hours undergoing a strain which to those of us who have not had • lace it, can barely be conemplated.' Ince's trial will start in September.

SOCIALIST LABOUR

LEAGUE LECTURES Merthyr Tydfil Given by Gerry Healy national secretary Wednesday June 6 7.30 p.m. uestions and Answers Marxism, Philosophy Economics and History St David's Church Hall Church Street, Merthyr that nearly 5,000 of them for a way-out candidate.' The 'way-out' candidate was Martin Webster, leader of the National Front who paid tribute for Powell's intervention in the campaign. Powell refused to support the Tory candidate David Bell because of his failure to make immigration an important plank in his programme.

The Front will be further encouraged by Powell's outburst. They too talk of the inevitability of racial conflict if coloured workers are not banned from Britain.

Builders

seek parity METAL WOR KERS' union members struck at four London building sites yesterday over a bonus claim.

About 200 men are involved in the strike, which is over a claim for £12.50 a week guaranteed bonus. They have been offered £3.

The strike-hit sites are McAlpine's, at the Temple; Costain's, at Lime Street in the City; Wimpey's, at Victoria; and Willett's, at Hammersmith Town Hall.

The men, members of the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers, are demanding payment to bring them in line with Lovell's site at Knightsbridge.

SOCIALIST LABOUR

LEAGUE PUBLIC MEETING Wythenshawe Wednesday June 6, 'The Cock O' Th' North' Portway, Wythenshawe, Manchester Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office, Published by Workers Press, 186a Clapham High Street, Printed Plough 01-622 7029.

Press,