workers press

The Socialist Labour League's press: The Newsletter, Workers Press, Labour Review and Fourth International, 1952–1973. A searchable archive of the scans

Unity in action against the Tories

By David Barnes

Workers Press no. 284, 24 October 1970 · scan pages 2, 5

Topics: Tory government, Labour Party

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UNITY IN ACTION of the entire working-class movement to defeat the anti-union laws and force the Conservative government to resign! This is the great question before the working class, overshadowing every other issue. Wilson to bring about i major icicat of living standards, cutting wages while prices rise and destroying the health and welfare Trudeau services.

repression to get their anti-union laws through parliament. They are determined to defeat a numpaid council workers, in the few weeks before the Bill is introduced.

BY A CORRESPONDENT HAROLD WILSON yesterday backed the repressive 30 years. Prices, rents and fares are rocketing. emergency measures taken by the Trudeau government in the Canadian Frenchspeaking province of Quebec.

The Labour Party leader • Thirteen million Labour voters came out was receiving an honorar degree at New Brunswic University in Canada.

"Today, all of us in Britain feel ourselves to be sharing in the anguish, the tragedy, the challenge, which Canada is facing and joining with all Canada in condemning the brutal, senseless act of assassination.

'We know what it means when a country, respected civilized system of society, is itself brought up against this dangerous development which has spread from country to country, in which violence and terrorism invoked weapons in a political struggle.' Ranged By this speech, Wilson ranges himself alongside the big business rulers of the United States and Canada.

Already trade union and student organizations have courageously come out in opposition to the wartime powers taken by Trudeau, and Wilson's talk of 'all in Canada' outside. is a lie.

Trudeau's measures were not taken because of the assassination, but before it, in an attempt to crush the separatist movement and intimidate the whole labour and socialist movement.

The measures are now being used to interfere with Socialist candidates in the Aontreal municipal election his Sunday 'Realities' Wilson ganizat to san: the first shot in the battle. world, apart from the United Nations itself, knows better the realities that lie behind all thé issues which dominate vorld politics today. In all the advanced ('civil laws.

ized") countries, the 'realities' are that totalitarian measures are in preparation to cut down the organized working class.

That is the meaning of bers of the Socialise, Trudeau's repressions, and it is the meaning of Wilson's exPressions of solidarity with overcome the obstacles See LATE NEWS Heath's UN speech The Conservative government of big business and bankers is using every means at its disposal the trade union movement.

They want to solve their crisis by slashing The Tories' main object is the destruction of the trade unions. They are rushing ahead ber of strikes, like that of the scandalouslyUnemployment Unemployment is already higher than for There is no time to lose. The working class, united in action, is the only force to stop the Conservatives and drive them out! How can this unity in action be forged ? Ten million workers are organized in unions affiliated to the TUC.

against the Tories last June. The TUC and the Labour Party must be forced to unite this massive force to stop the anti-union laws and defeat the Tories. In the factories, there must be united action in support of all strikes and Berlin a pawn demonstrations against the In the unions: fight for an in 'co-existence' immediate emergency TUC conference which will rally the entire movement in mass united action against Shop stewards' committees and district commit- manoeuvres tees must lobby their union executives to force united and organized acEIGHT meetings in the four-power talks on Berlin which began in the city last March have Immediately convere mist so far nroduced little concrete progress.

TUC, the National Council of Labour. Instruct the Parliamentary United States, Soviet Union The Ambassadors of Labour Party to challenge ever lite on a n Britain and France are continuing their discussions, howorder to support and win ever, and the United States time for the mass actions is hopeful of achieving compromise settlement over the status of W Berlin.

The Soviet Union is also eager to reach a settlement, as this is the condition for ratification of the BonnMoscow. treaty signed in and force the Tories August.

Added urgency is given to the discussions because the government crisis looming One force over Willy Brandt's Social-Democratic coalition governThe the contre no king co. Three members of the Free Democratic Party, junior partner in the coalition, have defected to the opposition Christian-Democrats, cutting the tore of the woe lad up Brandt's majority down to six. ment in serious dangere. further defections in all-out Special status Love it tacle re The United States wants to preserve the special status of Berlin as a four-power responsibility. But the Soviet Union wants W Berlin to pete Communis Pary, and become a free city, independent of both E and W Germany.

The Ulbricht government in E Germany fears that not only will it lose out if Berlin's status is changed, but TT. A section of the Square D delegation on yesterday's 2,500-strong Swindon march.

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT that ratification of the BonnMoscow treaty. would hurt E • German trade with the USSR, which takes most of the country's exports.

The instability of the Brandt coalition and the fears of the E German government are symptomatic of the problems facing the employers and the Stalinist bureaucracy as working-class struggles mount.

Main aim of the talks, like that of the Bonn-Moscow treaty, is mutual assistance CiVILIGHTO PAY DIRTYEN NOW!

Curfew as Chile THE PEACEFUL road to socialism, as defined by the Chilean Stalinists, has run into difficulties even before it has properly begun.

On the eve of today's congressional election at which Salvador Allende is almost press has been rumbling away certain to be elected president about the imminent triumph with the backing of the Com- of socialism through the munist and Socialist Parties, Chilean ballot-box and exAllende's friend Rene tolling Allende's programme Schneider, commander in chief of mines' nationalization. of the army, has been critically Allende is a wounded in an ambush near "laces Daors. his headquarters.

The capital, Santiago, has been placed under a curfew by outgoing president Frei, troops are patrolling the town and a state of national emergency has been declared.

Topped poll

Allende — who topped the poll in a three-cornered election battle earlier this year— £595 Os 10d to raise.

The Socialist Labour League therefore calls for full support for every militant action against the Tories' plans, beginning with a one-day strike on December 8.

But make no mistake. All such actions are political, are part oi a ngnt against the lory government and the capitalist class behind it.

A one-day strike is not just a protest; it is only a beginaction for their claim.

split US between the W European ruling classes and the Stalinist bureaucracy to hold. the working class in check.

Strategy

The continued division of Europe, and above all the division of Germany, has been an essential element counter-revolutionary strategy since the Second World War.

Now it assumes even greater importance than in the past. That is the real significance of the Berlin four-power talks.

NO LET-UP LEADERS of the 350,000 farm workers, who received a 33s pay rise and a one hour cut in their working week on Tuesday, said yesterday that there would be 'no let-up' in their fight to get farm workers' wages more in line with industrial of bluff on

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