Pools picket

FORTY-FIVE strikers arrested four weeks ago on a peaceful picket at the Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, Burmah Oil refinery construction site appear in court today after learning that a convenor at Shell's nearby Stanlow refinery site has been dismissed— the fourth in two years.

Alan McCormack was sacked on Tuesday morning, following Monday's one-day stoppage when he led his section son the 6,000-strong Merseyside demonstration 1n support of the arrested pickets.

Construction workers

Burmah Oil and Shell sites in the area have been on strike for seven weeks for improved pay and conditions.

The management claim that the convenor brought his car on to the refinery site without permission.

One of the construction workers on yesterday's one-hour token picket at the site said: "They Shell] don't like it. He's collected £350 for us in the last three weeks.' At a site-gate meeting, construction workers' stewards called for a demonstration outside the Chester court today.

According to the paper of the Democratic Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Nabulsi, who accompanied Hussein to his Alexandria meeting with Nasser, would head such a 'Nasserite' regime.

Friendly terms

The DPFLP also warns Al Fatah, the largest guerrilla group, that their attempt to keep on friendly terms with Nasser and Moscow will only help this betrayal of the liberation struggle to take, place.

The declaration by Nasser, reported to have been made to Al Fatah leader Arafat in his talks in Cairo on Tuesday, that the cease-fire would not be imposed on the guerrillas, only means that he wants to use them as a bargaining-counter in the New York negotiations.

• See p. 4 interview with Iraqi communist.

now on FIFTY strike pickets manned the gates of one of Littlewood's big football-pool depots in Liverpool yesterday.

About 150 Littlewoods workers — members of the Association of Scientifc, Technical and Managerial Staffs- have been on strike for 13 days over the firm's refusal to recognize their union and to reinstate two dismissed planning officers.

The picket on the pools offices was postponed last week while officials of the Department of Employment and Productivity met management and union representatives.

A MASS MEETING of 2,000 Leyland's Leyland, Lancashir overwhelmingly to support t Pilkington glassworkers for A resolution put to the meeting by convenor Len Brindle stated that Leyland workers "identify themselves with Pilkington workers in their fight for reinstatement' and agreed to work in the union branches and district committees for similar resolutions to bring pressure to bear on the union leaders. made er blacking Pikin ton glass.

Leading members of the St Helens rank-and-file committee were addressing the Leyland night-shift last night and will be speaking at the Chorley factory today.

SILENT

Meanwhile, the TUC leaders remain silent on the Pilkington sackings despite their statement in Mav at the end of the seven-week glass strike that 'there would be no victimization of any kind of any individual or group of individuals'.

Section 72 of the TUC General Council's report to the forthcoming annual conference makes their position quite clear.

In their 900-word report on the dispute, not one mention is made of their undertaking-but that 'agreement was reached on certain issues but not on others'. It goes on :

'In July, the General Council . • decided that the rank-and-file committee should be advised to disband their organization and to pursue