Manchester dustmen

return THERE were again angry clashes between dustmen and union officials after a mass meeting of striking Manchester dustmen narrowly voted to end their three-week-old strike last Saturday morning. " Union offictais totd, the strikers that the council management was not prepared to grant any concessions above the national Edinburgh agreement, however long the men remained on strike.

They then called for a vote for a return to work and asked the men not to be pressurized, but to vote according to their conscience.

A show of hands was indecisive, so the men were split into two groups-those for a return and those against.

The vote was then declared in favour of a return.

As the men dispersed sharp arguments broke out between many of the dustmen and their officials.

Nottingham dustmen also voted at the weekend to return to work.

Australian

Tories split FOLLOWING its very narrow victory over Labour in the recent Australian General Election, the ruling Liberal Party has split over the question of its future leadership.

Several leading members of Prime Minister Gorton's outgoing Cabinet have now either hinted or declared they will not serve under him again.

David Fairbairn, a senior Liberal Minister, sent a telegram to Gorton on Thursday.

During the election • camBy ene riot wine of his pased Gorton was criticised for lack of vigour and of departing from traditional Tory principles.

Young In our view, 'modernization' plans which do not include socialist nationalization of the entire dock industry under the control of those who work in it can only be a blueprint for far-reaching attacks on jobs and confartons This view is completely borne out by. the proposed London agreement.

As one docker commenter at the weekend :

It's almost a carbon-copy of the Measured-Day Work deals the car bosses want to push through. If this is acepted they'll have every hing they want - even strike-breaking clause!' Although a postal ballot on the proposals is due to take place within the next few weeks, few of London's I2,500 and union officials seem to be artıcularly anxious that the hould not be 'leaked Object We reproduce key sections below which show whis the achievement *a balanced labour force' which will eventually become 'an economic and viable labour Just so that there can be no confusion on this point, the employers want dockers to 'recognize that the objective of all agreements on manning arrangements must be to establish • optimum efficiency in the manpower required for each particular operation.

•Manning arrangements within companies will therefore be decided in the light of the amount and nature of the work to be done and the number of men available.

"The observance of the following work practices is a condition of this agreement :

6] Complete acceptance of overnight instructions and 62 Complete mobility and flexibility of labour as Socialists

knacemena the unions which will cover such matters the collective agreements other conditions of employmanhop set organization, and policy insists the wil claus by all exist which final future wilfreements-of they be given copiesbetween the md accept chat they have a special responsibility to ensure that up its basic propositions, to lay framework for further class-collaboration.

It proposes system of councils and committees, required by the employer including movement of employees or gangs to other work on either ship or quay at any time within a shift, ship to quay or quay to ship. 63 Movement of men or gangs from discharging to loading at any time within a shift. 64. Commencement and continuation of work irrespective of the number of men employed unless the employer