Glass union bribe'

Workers Press no. 160, 12 May 1970 · scan page 2

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Agro The second of two London lectures to mark the hundredth anniversary of Lenin's birth STRIKERS at Pilkington's St Helens, Lancashire, glass factories are to meet again tomorrow against a background of concerted union, management and government attempts to force a return to work.

These attempts have now been knocked back on two fronts.

Strike leaders yesterday: RETECTED the General and Municipal Workers' Union's ofter of £100,000 for a return to work.

And Sunday's mass meeting: DASHED the company's hopes of re-opening its gates in an attempt to encourage further "blacklegging'.

Rank - and - file committee treasurer John Potter yesterday contemptuously dismissed the union's offer-amounting to £12 per worker 'to relieve hardship'-as 'a bribe' and a last-ditch bid to retain the strikers' membership.

CONTRACT OUT Sunday's mass meeting voted unanimously to continue the strike and overwhelmingly accepted the committee's recommendation to contract out of the G&WU.

Workers also firmly rebutted the allegations of loyalist shop stewards that 'subversive elements are keeping the strike going and that St Helens is - heing 'held to ransom' by a small group • of DONATED £500 Shop stewards at BritishLeyland's bus and truck plants at Leyland and Chorley-who involved in hard-fought and successful struggle against similar odds last year -have donated £500 to the strike fund.

Mrs Barbara Castle's court of inquiry into the dispute, however, remains a threat.

Mrs Castle yesterday appointed Sheffield law professor John C. Wood-described as her most trusted "peacemakers" '—to chair the inquiry, which is expected to sit either at Liverpool o"jast Helens itself several weeks.

A spokesman for the strike committee told the Workers Press after the announcement that while the strike was 'open to any inquiry' there was no question of it being called off.

Strikers should, however, take warning from the experiences of other sections of workers who have co-operated with such inquiries only to find them skilfully turned into platform for anti-union propaganda in the Tory press. londay, May 18, 7.30 p.m. Lenin and the coming English Revolution' Lecture given by HEALY, natlonal secretary of the BEAVER HALL Garlick Hill, London, E.C.4 ar Mansion House tube stati