WORDS MUST BECOME DEEDS

Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers' ference to bar Hugh Scanlon from any further attendance at the Downing Street talks where Heath and the TUC leaders are preparing Phase Three of the state control of wages.

This is an important blow against the pay laws and is completely in line with the policy advocated by Workers Press ever since last September's TUC Congress. We warned then that the proposed negotiations with the Tory government would lead to the loss of free collective-bargaining.

If it is correct to demand now that the trade union leaders should end their collaboration with the Tories, it was correct to demand then that the collaborationist talks should never begin.

But the Communist Party refuses even at this late stage to state unequivocally that Scanlon should quit the talks, or to welcome the AUEW decision instructing him to do so. The Stalinists manoeuvred from the very start to avoid. a clash with the 'lefts' on this issue. This meant abandoning any principled position.

Their formula last September, which Congress adopted, was to let the TUC leaders go to the talks and merely insist that no incomes policy be agreed to.

Yesterday's 'Morning Star', the CP's daily paper, repeated this formula in approving the AUEW demand 'that the trade union movement should withdraw from dealing with the government on any prices and incomes policy.

But they completely ignore the fact that it was the failure to instruct the TUC leaders no to go into the discussions which led directly to Phase Two-and the Phase One three-month standstill before , it—despite all the 'no wage restraint' resolutions.

Although it is headline news in other papers, the 'Star' cannot even bring itself to report clearly the new development: that Scanlon has been told to take no further part in the talks. If it were leít to the Stalinist formula, Scanlon would still be going to the talks and Phase Three would become a reality.

But the Eastbourne vote is only the start. Conference decisions will not defeat the pay laws. Words must be turned into deeds in the form of a campaign Chrysler 'insult'- Stewards Shop stewards representing workers from the Chrysler plant at Ryton, Coventry, went Into conference at Transport House in the city yesterday for a report back on the 17-hour discussion with management. This had ended at 3 a.m. Below: Liam Byrne, deputy T&GWU convenor speaks to Conference: To discuss the Press after the meeting. Most of the stewards considered the company's proposals as 'an insult' which would harden their determination to win against the car glant. Fuller story and another picture from our staffmen in Coventry on page 12.