1970 Labour Party Conference No challenge Tories

organization of ageing young Labourites held together by the fake Trotskyists of the 'Militant' tendency.

According to the report, the Morecambe conterence of this body, held at Easter, drew 126 delegates. The 1969 conference was attended by 149 delegates, comnared with 26 at the 1967 conference.

Since the the number By the summer of 1969, this figure was down to 386, while at the beginning of his year, the LPYS nationa committee claimed 419. Now the Labour Party claims there are 457 still more than 00 below the 1967 figure.

Other statistics relating ThIs organization show fluctuations in the numbers of personnel.

The number of youth officers appointed by conctituener and local parties has fallen in the months from 776 to 348—a drop of more than half over the period inclins the General Election!

None of this cost the Labour Party very much cash.

nearly four times much then did on their rump youth last year as movement.

One of charity towards the LPYS from the National Executive is that they have spared their blushes by not disclosing the circulation figures of the Transport House youth paper 'Left'.

Suharto

visit cut to a day said today the four-day state visit to Holland by Indonesia's President Suharto had been cut to one day.

His announcement came in a statement the 12-hour Amboinese here yesterday.

Earlier it had been announced here that the presi- 24 postponed yester further Be president is now d re on Thursday morni • See page four All Trades Unions Alliance Conference Sunday, September LABOUR'S election defeat will dominate much of the discussion at the Party's Blackpool annual conference in four weeks' time, but there is no sign from the executive report and conference agenda of any serious move to challenge the Tories. Instead, both documents radiate bureaucratic complacency about the future prospects.

Both are a tribute to the complete incapacity of reformism, its inability to solve even the most trifling problems in front of the working class.

As for the major questions posed for workers by the ger of unemployment laws, Tory government-the danthreat of anti-union racialist immigration policy and 'law and order' against the working class-there is nowhere a policy for a real fight against them.

Many of the resolutions call for an organizational shake-up to make the election machine more efficient.

Barnet constituency even goes so far as to 'refute the imagery which has increasingly replaced reality in the electorate's views of the Labour Party and its central and leading figures.' S Buckingham calls for a reputable firm nts management consultants' commissioned immediately with a wide-ranging brief to recommend the future shape of all levels of Labour Party organization'.

Pious hopes Other resolutions, like that from Basingstoke Constituency, express the pious hope that conference decisions will be honoured After six years of a Labour government that paid not the slightest attention to what conference said, there is little The Stalinist 'to Merpret Star' chooses he conference agenda as demand for 'a turn to th left' appears to be on the sens. sive.

This is a complete distortion. Not a single one of the 268 resolutions so much as calls for the removal of Wilson from the Party's leadership, even after six years of a Labour government which opened the door for the return of the Tories.

The "left' talkèrs inside the Labour Party have cohabited quite amicably with the leadership over this period and have no intention of upsetting their division of labour with Wilson.

They know that conferlection result and Labour's 'No strings'Ferodo men unanimous UNION OFFICIALS are pressing hard for a productivity settlement at Ferodo's brake-lining factory at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, where 200 craftsmen are entering their fifth week of strike action in support of a claim for a £10 increase without strings.

The strikers have continued to vote unanimously to continue their fight.

AEF Divisional Organizer, John Tocher, has told strikers that the management's proposals for ending 100 minutesa-week of tea breaks would be acceptable for an increase of 25s.

But this avoids discussing the £10 claim by introducing the possibility of a £2 interim nent elimination breaks, however, lugust 4 proposals. More in. sidious is the attempt to enc the system of mates and set up a stewardmanagement disciplinary scheme.

The tea breaks issue is therefore the thin end of the wedge.

'Schemes'

Tocher has attempted to shift discussion back to the productivity deal by stating that, 'if Ferodo's make a £2 interim payment, it may be possible-if a return-to-work takes place — to negotiate "schemes" which will yield a one-third increase in basic pay'.

'Schemes' refer to the management's latest productivity proposals in their August 27 letter.

Tocher has denied that they imply the application of workstudy methods.

The letter states:

"The engineers would be considered as five separate groups. • • 'An incentive scheme would be devised for the tool room engineers, based on the measurement of the actual work they undertake.

"The engineers involved in installation would contract to do each installation job at a fixed price established in competition with outside contractors.

'A bonus incentive scheme would be devised for the maintenance engineers, based on reducing the amount of

time plant is out of commission.

'The production engineers would have an incentive scheme based on work values arising from a review of work methods and measurement.

'The engineering staff would be offered a higher wage for permitting flexible working arrangements with other stafi. (Our emphasis.)

• Who is Tocher kidding ?

Determined

Although no mention made of the earlier disciplinary proposals, which sparked off the present action, the management clearly détermined to introduce workstudy methods and flexibility.

In fact, one director was reported to met opposed interim payment finally stated £2 might be considered Possible, if it were La loan deductable from wages until paid off by he retoo steakers f Ferodo strikers have the support of all trade unionists in their fight for a substantial increase without productivity strings.

Despite the pleas of the officials, workers British-Leyland, Centrax and Sovex have shown that, givén leadership, victory is. possible.

There must be no retreat from the £10 and every string penal clause must rejected.

WEATHER central southern England, and W Midlands, E England, Channel Islands, central northern England: Cloudy at first with rain at times. Sunny intervals later with a few showers. Winds south south-west fresh, locally strong. Near normal temperatures. 19C (66F). SW England: Sunny intervals and showers. Winds southwesterly, fresh strong, veering westerly. Near normal temperatures. Max. 18C (65F).

England, England, Glasgow area, N Ireland: Rain at first. Sunny intervals later with showers. Winds south to south-west, moderate or fresh, veering south-west to west, fresh or strong. Near normal temperatures. Max. 16C (61F).

Edinburgh: Dry at first with sunny intervals. Cloudy later with some rain. Winds southeasterly, light, increasing fresh strong, backing north north-west. Near normal temperatures. for * Thursday (59F). Outlook and Friday: Mainly dry on Thursday. Rain spreading from the west to most districts later.

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