Housewives back Bristol decides councilmen

we by the Tories. class see the 1970s in By a polltical correspondent tin:

THE MEANING OF HEATH'S UN SPEECH:

Troops were brought Tower Hamlets on Saturday clear rubbish which had workers' strike. MEANWHILE, the strike in Bristol is likely to spread following widespread public support for their in a march on Saturday (below).

TrADE COUNCIL Dockers halt Mersey today From our industrial correspondent MERSEYSIDE'S nine miles of docks will be at a standstill today after a weekend call by the port's Transport and General Workers' stewards for a 24-hour token strike over the effects of Stewards are demanding that container work is restricted to the port's 10,900 registered dockers only.

One-day stoppages are also planned by the stewards representing employees of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, who are threatened with massive redundancies because of a projected £3 million loss on the board's operations this year.

MD&HB stewards point out that port employers must take the blame for the port's crisis.

Attacked

But using Tory Transport Minister John Peyton's statement last Thursday that the government could not see its way to help at present, Liverpool's Port Employers' Association has attacked today's planned dockers' strike as 'a deliberate refusal ... to face facts.

Both dockers and MD&HB workers attending a conference on unemployment in the city yesterday expressed determination to hurl this statement back in the employers' teeth.

Container work, which brought the Mersey to a halt for four days in July last year, is still very much a vexed issue nationally and is expected to form part of a policy statement soon for the T&GWU's national docks and waterways committee.

The committee recently reiterated its demand for the nationalization of the docks.

Strike to escalate after successful march in city THE COUNCIL workers' strike is likely to escalate further in the next few days in Bristol— one of the few places where all sections of coun cilmen came out on their own initiative when national action began. HOME HELPS SAY PAY Govt cuts WHEN parliament reassembles tomorrow after a three-month summer recess, Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Anthony Barber will announce plans to slash government spending by an expected £400 million within a year.

Increased health and school meal charges are probable, with attacks on student grants and the axing of investment grants to industry and farm subsidies expected . soon.

Allen CHILEAN president - elect Salvador Allende received congratulations and goodwill messages from outgoing president Frei and Catholic primate Cardinal Rau Henriques, i the archbishop of Santiago, after his 15335 victory in the congress election on Saturday.

Allende was the candidate of the United Popular Front—a coalition of Stalinists and Social-Democratsand has announced his intention to nationalize the copper, iron and nitrate industries.

His election takes place under a state of emergency declared after right-wing gunmen shot and wounded Backing the strikers' claim, busmen may be out soon-the closing of toilet facilities has created obvious difficulties for the crews.

Technicians from the city's education institutions are meeting tonight to discuss a campaign to levy members of their union-ASTMS-for the strikers' funds and to approach other unions to follow suit.

Shop stewards répresenting the university's manual workers, who are members of the same union as the majority of Bristol's council workers-the T&GWU-are to decide today on stepping up their present work-to-rule into strike action.

If this strike goes ahead the university will be forced to join the shut down already affecting 200 schools and the Polytechnic for over three weeks.

Fears were expressed at the weekend that attempts will be made today to open sections of the Polytechnic. Recall notices have been sent to students by the director.

STUDENT VOTE But at the Unity St site students have overwhelmingly voted not to return without agreement from the strikers' unions.

Much may depend on whether staff are prepared to teach in unheated classrooms.

Although at the main Ashley Down wing, teaching staff joined the manual workers' picket in the first days of the strike. Bristol Head i Teachers Association has joined criticism Tory council leader Gervas Walker over his suggestion that schools could be reopened at the heads' discretie impressive and continuing backing for the councilmen from townspeople and the labour movement was again evident Saturday's militant 2,000-strong demonstration.

The march, organized by Bristol Trades Council, drew support from Harlech television workers, students, engineers under an AEF banner, ASTMS members and a large contingent of housewives who have given stalwart support to the strikers.

'PAY UP'

Drawn into the dispute by the school shutdown, housewives carried the slogan 'Pay up,. Open up, Walker' and were amongst the most vociférous on the march.

The demonstration paused beneath the windows of the Council House where an emergency debate was taking place on a motion-later rejected by the Tory majorityproposing local negotiations for a settlement.

Some demonstrators forced de ushered in— Church blessing BY A and the Catholic church, CORRESPONDENT rammianian Nananal 1..... army commanaer veneral Rene Schneider, one of the allegedly "Marxist' , president's personal friends.

Schneider died in hospital yesterday. Police and troops are out rounding up suspects and Santiago has been placed under a form of martial law.

The Chilean Communist Party, which has backed Allende for the presidency, hopes, he will usher in socialism with his nationalization programme.

But to judge from his cordial relations with Frei NCB offer next action Daly may call a special conference of the union or give areas the go ahead for official strike action if the Coal Board does not improve its offer at Tuesday's meeting.

'Our decision on further ction will depend entirely oi rhat Lord Robens comes u with on Tuesday, Lawrence Daly, National Union of Mineworkers' general secretary told Workers Press yesterday.

•The results of these talks will decide whether that action means saying OK to areas who want official strikes or whether there will be a special NUM conference to discuss the possibility of industrial action,' said Mr Daly.

Permission

Under the Union's constitution areas can call a local stoppage with national executive permission if a dispute affects their area.

Normally this would mean a strike over' somé localized problem or wage claim.

But Mr Daly said that in the case of the current claim the executive would be prepared to place a wide interpretation on this rule.

'We would say that each of the areas is in dispute individually with the NCB and therefore their executives had a perfect right to call an official strike,' ; he said.

Over the weekend there were moves in several aréas towards unofficial strike action and miners at Monkton Hall Colliery in Scotland, an area where 78 per cent voted to stop work, were planning a walk-out to start this morning.

If Robens does not improve his offer-and this is likely— strikes in S Wales, Scotland, Kent and Yorkshire are considered inevitable.

'I think that unofficial action, as I have said before, will be unavoidable. But it is against the constitution of the union for the executive to sanction these,' said Mr Daly.

Differ

Local rules on strike action differ.

In some cases an area executive can recommend it without a ballot, in other cases a ballot is needed.

But whatever the rules the local leaders need national executive permission before they can go ahead.

'This,' says Mr Daly, 'will be given if the NCB do not improve on their offer of between £2 10s and fl 17s 6d.' The miners are demanding a £5-a-week increase to bring the basic wage to £20 for surface workers, £22 for those underground and £30 for face not to mention his personal friendship with Schneider, ine new president's Marxism is not taken too seriously by the Chilean capitalist class.

After his election on Saturday, Allende said it was his duty to 'create a new society, a new morality and a new economy.

"To make these changes possible and to receive the rewards of them we need the unanimous aid and sacrifices of all Chileans.

• We will make Chile an independent country with regard to its economy and political sovereignty,' he added.

gallery-despite the presence of a large squad of police.

At a meeting following the march, messages of support were brought from Severa unions drawn into the dispute.

But the key question of perspective for. winning the strike was omitted by the peaker None raised the dangers of the union leader acceptance of an inquiry and speakers were content, to leave ocal Tor as the ocus of the fight, ignoring th dominating struggle against the Tory government offensive on the entire working class.

CORRECT

The only correct note was struck by a speaker from the floor who shouted 'Let's have SULLIC leadership from our unions. We don't mind stayIng out for another two months, but all the unions should come out'. • All T&GWU regional secretary Kon Nee com could offer the meeting was demagogic of this city not seen since the 1930s' if the strike continued and his letter to the Lord Mayor asking for negotiations to be opened. This ended A résponse TrOM vour counci will be appreciated'.

Cornered after the meeting by strikers demanding la polic or winning the strike, Nether cott sidestepped with . the remark I'm not the strike committee'. mented of the strikers com'Of course, we should all be out. What we need to do is call on the brothers in the car and aircraft in custnes where the profits are--and hi them where it hurts.