Italy faces national strikes

To me the opposition as it stands now is no opposition. How can Barbara Castle stand in opposition to the bill when she tried all of it in her own 'In Place of Strife'?

How can Wilson criticize Powell, when they stopped the Asians coming in even though they had British passports?

How , can they criticize the rising cost of living when they were the ones to give it an uphill start.

The first step I would HI!!' BACKING for the Charter of Basic Rights has come from the Sheldon branch of the Amalgamated Engineers and Foundryworkers.

say should be to get rid of Wilson, Castle and the others in the leadership and replace them with real socialists-then we have an alternative to the Tories.

The only thing missing in the present campaign against the Bill I think, is the lack of criticism of the leadership and the TUC. To let the TUC sleep is to let sleeping dogs lie.

NO 23 SOSPESI PER RAPPRESAGLIA FALGK Mi la Milan metalworkers and rubber workers on the march on IN A marathon sitting of the Italian parliament Christian Democratic Prime Minister Emilio Colombo yesterday continued his attempt to force through the amended economic 'decree' on which the life of his centre-left coalition depends.

During the session, running continuously from Monday, the only real opposition has come from small leftwing centrist party, PSIUP, and the deputies of the 'Manifesto' group, expelled from the

Godks

Communist Party during the last year.

The Stalinists have obliged the regime with a 'gentlemen's stiff tax and price rises in the 'decree'.

A new threat to Colombo's majority emerged on Wednesday as 35 Christian Democratic deputies threatened to obstruct passage of the Divorce Bill now before the Chamber, despite the danger to the coalition.

Pressure

Obstruction on the issue will also come from the fascist deputies.

But underlying the parliamentary schism and manoeuvres is the growing pressure of big sections of workers with claims pitched in the teeth of the government's economic policy.

Leaders of state employees have set down an ultimatum démanding satisfaction on retirement and pensions, failing which they will call national strike action on Monday and Tuesday.

Postal workers and railwaymen are also due to back their claim with two-day national strikes next week.

Promises

Wednesday's démonstration by 50,000 metal and rubber workers in Milan (see photo above) was followed by a day's strike of building and ancillary workers in the Milan region.

They are demanding the application of government promises of an expanded programme of working - class housing, which would alleviate the growing unemployment in the building industry.

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