Time to get the gloves off -say glass men

Workers Press no. 178, 4 June 1970 · scan page 5

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PILKINGTON'S 8,500 St Helens glassworkers seethed with indignation yesterday as leaders of their rank-and-file committee returned from a double snub by union chiefs in London.

On top of the General and Municipal Workers' 11th-hour refusal to meet the committee on Tuesday night had come• the threatened redundancy notices for 260 workers at the key Triplex safety-glass works.

Workers say that not onis do the redundancies breach the 'first in, last out' principle which has previously operated _'blacklegs' jobs have been and laws of a semi-police state to 'settle' the problem of the working class and leftwing students.

LINKED

The French Stalinists' refusal to defend hounded students and others is obviously linked directly to the 'traditional bonds and natural sympathy', built up between the French Gaullists and the Soviet bureaucracy over the last decade and now highlighted by Gromyko's visit.

The "law-and-order' campaign of both Gromyko and Pompidou is the combined answer of Stalinism and capitalism to the rising militancy in the European working class. guaranteed-but the inclusion of three rank-and-file committee members among those to be sacked is a direct provocation.

Having spent close on £100 on travel expenses for both themselves and three of the sacked 'truckers' from Pilkington's committee was told at p.m. on Tuésday night that the G&MWU leaders were refusing to attend.

This was 15 minutes before the meeting, arranged by Trades Union Congress general secretary Victor Feather, was due to begin.

G&MWU general secretary Lord Coopér told an obviouslyembarrassed Feather in a last-minute message that the union would not be attending because • The committee would not stop attacking the union • The strike was ovér and the committee should disband.

Incensed, the committee decided to submit their 7,000 contracting-out forms to the management as soon as they could be photostattéd.

It's time to get the gloves off, committee minutes secretary. Mick Tracey told the from all over the country must now come to our aid.' WEATHER London area, 'E Midlands: Sunny. - Wind South East, light. Hot. Max. 24C (75F). SE, SW, and central southern England, Channel Islands, Edinburgh: Sunny. Wind South to South East, light or moderate. Hot. Max. 24C (75F), but cooler near coast.

NW England: Sunny. Wind South Easterly, moderate. Very hot. Max. 26C (79F), but cooler near coast.

W Midlands, central northern England: Sunny. Wind South Easterly, light. Very hot. Max. 26C (79F).

Glasgow area, N Ireland : Sunny. Wind southerly, modérate or frésh. Hot. Max. 24C (75F), but cooler near coast. Friday and Saturday: Dry, hot in most places. Perhaps some rain in W Scotland on Satur-