As dockers are forced to strike Heath cracks the whip

this, as it surely must, THE BRITISH ruling class is getting ready for open and direct attacks on the work- implementing Devlin Phase ing class and its trade Two by the employers and unions.

the government in 1970.

The N Ireland crisis, in which workers have already been SECONDLY, the trade union killed by troops, points the leaders, having failed to put future for the rest of aside the question of the basic Britain under the Tory wage and rush through the government.

The fight for Marxist prin ciples is essential to pre- and will certainly sound the pare the working. they 1o retreat at the first opportunity.

answer these attacks.

That is why the Socialist Labour League, through the decéssor Newsletter' to use all and every means, ernment is equally determined has demanded the withrawal of all British troop se of the trade union bureau rom the use of troops to th om Ulster, even before th first reinforcements were a pro-condition for the enactsent by Wilson last August ment of the anti-trade union That one all mop legislation and the massive rationalization of industry this nad the Commit ra national autumn.

were all saying that British Army would protect the lives •of Catholic mittee on Thursday night But today, after the troops in the Tory Party 'while the Somenant measure to bring the serialist army to be inflation under control'. Yesterday's "Morning Star reports statement from 'unpleasant' when he referred CP's London District to the dock strike threat Committee demanding 'which we shall have to handle *Army protection of all sec- with coolness and determinations of the Ulster community'. these matters in the way in which we mean to go on'. I also calls for cial disarmis forces', and 'the banning of the Orange parades and other parades'. (Our emphasis.) In fact he cannot afford to. Here is the outcome of the 'peaceful-road-to - socialism' line peddled by the CP for Fortea is shat the state is not an instrument violent oppression of one class by another, as Marxists under. profits.

stood but 'neutral' institution, Which can be agahst is ation means.

'democratically' used in the interests of all sections of 'the community. 1967 strike In 1970, the full meaning of this anti-Marxist "theory' can be seen in N Ireland. oo well that the 1967 strik With their 'shoot-on-sight' sas, the troops play the role orders and their poison Many other occupation army.

They heve tuster, terrorize the people because ome ports that is how they ensure the maintenance of imperialist Wage barrier effectivel!

'law and order' and its instrument the Unionist This is the force that Stalinism appeals to to disarm the Orange Order and the Unionists. tainly raise Meanwhile, the working class is to be held in check by the Ulster trade union leaders, many of whom are more critical context.

This treacherous policy must be seen by workers every. strike over more pay, but a where as a warning.

It shows just what Stalinism and its hangers-on will do tion policies.

to cover up the actions of the employers and their CTOTA For than to ran he do thi to grasp the depth of Stalinist betraval is vital. ruins the prospects of Two, have shows no phae tion to fight the government THIRDLY. and this is the most significant aspect of the present crisis, the Tory govcracy, to defeat the dockers as A section of the CAV Acton workers at yesterday's meeting. The Minister Heath's ad Acton CAV men dress to the Tory 1922 Comwhen he appealed for steadivote for August unity and determination doubt that they would be His audience was in no SEVERAL THOUSAND workers from London's Acton CAV plant voted overwhelmingly yesterday tion. We have to set about morning to strike from August 18 unless the company concedes their factory-wide pay claim.

Mr Heath was not bluffing. strike BY A WORKERS PRESS REPORTER STRIKERS from Kent's Sovex elevator and conveyor plant at Erith continued their • strike for a £6-a-week pay rise into its ninth week yesterday with official backing frem the Amalgamated Engineers and Foundryworkers.

News of the union executive's decision arrived shortly before a mass meeting which workers involved voted unanimously to reject a 'no strings' management offer of £2 5s 10}d—wrung out of them after eight hours of negotiations on Thursday— and to carry on their fight.

Executives of the Transport and General Workers and Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, whose Sovex members are also on strike, are now expected to follow the AEF's lead.

This largely unreported strike, which began over 15s management good will offer linked to a swingeing six-point productivity programme, has helped to focus opposition to engineering industry speed-up dealing oth in and around Erithan area hard hit by factory closures and rundowns-and nationally.

Strengthened

'Our district committee has always been opposed to productivity deals,' AEF convenor Laurie Smith told the Workers Press, 'but the strike really strengthened this feeling in the area.

'We've visited many factories who've already sold things and are now bitterly regretting and a lot who've had these deals slung at them and are now determined to stand firm.

well-organized strike committee has sent out well over 5,000 appeals for support and financial help trade union branches, shop stewards' committees and factories committer country.

'We've had a response from places as far away as Redruth-in Cornwall-and even Aberdeen,' says Smith.

At Sovex, where custombuilt conveyors, mechanical handling systems and selectors for concerns including the Post Office, various airports and some of the national newspapers are made, the pay of the highly-skilled labour force is made ight due at Dungeness BY A WORKERS PRESS CORRESPONDENT pipes already laid.

Capper-Neill have moved all foremen to other sites in what strikers say is expectation of a prolonged stoppage.

A member of the strike committee said that they would not go back until the full demand was met and there would be no further meeting until next Wednesday.

Appeal Fund £29 2s THE FUND campaign will be tough this month. About that we have no illusions.

We are now at the peak of the holiday season and our readers are quite rightly looking forward to a well-deserved rest.

We know that you appreciate that we cannot have a rest over our fund. The possibility of a dock strike makes it vitally necessary for our paper to continue with its work of building and organizing the revolutionary party.

We are sure you agree with us over this. Now let us all go into action together.

send us every donation yor an as soon as possible for the fund.

Post them to:

Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4. AEF convenor Laurie Smith speaking to yesterday's meeting. up of a f20 17s 6d flat rate and bonus earnings of usually £3 or f4 a week.

Those involved in the strike include platers, machine-shop workers from the factory and fitters and platers engaged in outside aimed at averting the strike.

Arriving at the DEP's St James Square headofficials - was because of thé justified suspicion and fear of most dockers that modernization meant productivity deals, an end to piecework and a virtual wage freeze once consolidation had taken place.

The officials and the employers were not opposed to this. No mention The Communist Party's 'Morning Star' avoids any mention of the political origins of this dispute because do so would bring the Stalinists into conflict with the Transport House officialdom and with the CP's pet concept of productivity deals collaboration with the employers and their governThat is why the 'Star' editorial (Friday July 10), while pledging support for the dockers says nothing at all about Devlin, and instead appeals to 'people' to 'help the dockers to compel the employérs to meet their wage demands'.

We brand this as conscious treachery to the dockers.

We are absolutely certain that if the strike takes place on Tuesday then the Toriés and their press and TV will unleash an unprecedented campaign of distortion and witch-hunting not only against the dockers but particularly against the Socialist Labour League and the Workers Press because of our principled opposition to Devlin, to productivity deals and to the Tory government.

The Tories will use the witch-hunt to embarrass the trade union leaders and some of the weaker elements among the shop stewards as part of a campaign to force a retreat on the wage claim and accept Devlin Phase Two.

Serious

While standing firm against any such intimidation we urge all SIL supporters, Workers Press readers and all sections of the working class to treat the Tory threats with absolute seriousness and to support the dockers in every possible way.

Any attempt to use the Army to break the strike must be resisted to the end by demands on the trade union executives to not only 'black' all supplies going or coming out of the ports, but follow the call of the London telephonists and 'black' anything coming or going to the Army in Ulster as well.

There must be no return to the 1927 Mond-Turner era of open class collaboration and compulsory arbitration.

Driven back

We are confident the employers and the Tory government can be driven back and defeated, but only if the dockers and their rank-and-file leaders refuse to be lulled into any complacency by the DEP intervention, the assurances of the trade union leaders or the false optimism and advice of the Communist The wages struggle of the dockers is an integral part of the political struggle to defeat the employers' offensive on wages, employment, social services, education, civil rights, trade unions and colonial freedom.

That is why it is even more urgent than 1967 that dockers link the wage demand to the demand for the nationalization of all the ports without any compensation and under workers' control and the complete rejection of Devlin 'modernization'.

We urge all dockers to attend the All Trades Unions Alliance National Docks Conterene in Liverpool on Saturday, July 18.

• No compromise in the £20 !

Reject Devlin now !

Campaign for the Tory government to resign!