Productivity threat at airport Stewards speak out on Heathrow contract

NONE OF the real issues behind the contracts award dispute at London's Heathrow airport will be raised during Monday's talks at the Department of Employment and Productivity.

As these talks were being announced from St James' Square on Wednesday, the Workers Press spoke to shop stewards at the airport about what they thought these issues were.

We asked whether the British Airport Authority's decision to issue solicitor's letters alleging the 'black' after striking in support of four of their number sacke on General Aircraft Services was illegal had come as a on Wednesday. shock.

'We weren't really surprised leader of Hackney council, said on Thursday that if the strike continued conbout two weeks before the tractors would be called in vere actually sent out. to clear the rubblish.

'There's no question of us withdrawing the "black". made redundant.

'It's difficult to say where all this started; there's so nen-some of the most mili ant during the recent strik much involved. But if they -took immediate action on want a fight on this, we'll give Nednesday night when alleit to them. gations from the manager of We hope this attitude is a local leather firm led to the also being taken four sackings. union' Allegation P.I.B. link is claimed to have identified four Millfields Road dustmen Did the BAA's award of -back he alled, asked fate 12 a ground handling contract 'back perks' to GAS a Canadian agency, £2 for each of the weeks they have other implications? had been out on strike.

'I wouldn't be at all completely denied by the four prised if this was linked men, who are appealing against dismissal.

believed to have been away ill on the day the alleged request is said to have been made. NINE Palestinian Liberation fighters were sentenced to death by a Jordan state security court on Wednesday for allegedly fomenting rebellion against King Hussein's DAVID Dustmen strike over sackings LONDON dustmen from Hackney's Millfields Roa depot have been threatened with loss of their jok Mr Charles Hegarty, By our industrial The men would then be Jordan death sentences for guerrillas Eight others were sen- By a Middle East correspondent side of imperialism.

There can be no lasting ictories against Zionism and its imperialist backers until regimes such as Hussein's are 'his is another treacherou ab in the back lor in overthrown. Bentley miners fight wage-cut threat periake the regime in tebanon, openly ranges itselt on the FROM JACK GALE TODAY miners at Bentley colliery, near Doncaster, will reject - for the sixth time — management proposals to use outside contractors to do developfacilitate ment work in the pit.

The Coal Board is seeking more and more to give profitable work in the mining industry to private outside concontainer consortia transatlantic service within attempt to open tractors.

These firms employ men who take over work normally done by miners, but for much higher pay.

Already several pits in the strengthen Doncaster area have outside employers' attempts at similar contractors in, driving new Postal ballot papers on building ventilation shatts, roads, constructing new gates, Devlin Phase Two are now i he hands of London dockers etc.

imployers hope the count car The NCB claims that the work gets done quicker with these firms and the Bentley management is saying that the pit may have to close if outside contractors are not allowed in.

Miners who are on development work are saying that if outside contractors come in, they will be given the bestpaid jobs while the miners will become 'dogsbodies' pushed into what is left over.

so the Dervin With the introduction of the new third day-wage structure this could mean many ITALIAN BANK GOVERNOR SLAMS WAGE INCREASES GUIDO CARLI, Governor of the Bank of Italy, warned on Wednesday of the dangers of granting the wage demands of the Italian workers. He claimed that union demands for wage increases and improvements in the social services simply could not be granted without undermining the entire balance of the Italian economy and the value of the lire. Carli's statement helps to explain the stubborness of the employers in resisting the wages offensive of the Italian working class over recent months.

protest of a number of their militants moving towards Trotskyismthe only basis for defeating the employers, and their agents in the labour movement, and building a revolutionary alternative around the ATUA, Workers Press and the Socialist Labour League. ' Alan Wilkins, Aircraft industry shop steward, Coventry. • All this about the circulation of the Workers Press is ridiculous. If this was compared with that of the "Daily Worker" in its early years I'm sure it'd be higher, anyway.

But the real question is what is said in the paper-its relevance to workers in posing socialist answers to the trade union and industrial problems they face. Here you've got a comparison between a fighting paper and a wishy-washy milk-and-water effort.

As a socialist and a trade unionist I condemn the exclusion of the Workers Press from what is supposed to be a public conference. No principled socialist of whatever group can go along with this.

This exclusion flows from the same politics which led Communist Party members to exclude a fellow trade unionist, out on strike and distributing official strike leaflets, from the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions conference at the Seymour Hall in February last year. It's the same concept exactly. y Tom Hilllier, AEF shop steward, • The refusal to grant facilities at the CP Cong whilst granting the same the capitalist organs is, to men being dropped from Grade A (89s. 2d. a shift) to Grade B (76s. a shift).

Including bonus shift, and the 20 per. cent on each shift, this means a f4-a-week wage cut.

Special meeting

The Bentley management first proposed the introduction of outside contractors at a special meeting of men likely to be affected-development workers, contract workers and back rippers.

It was overwhelmingly rejected.

It was then rejected at an ordinary National Union of Mineworkers' (NUM) branch meeting and then at a mass meeting.

Subsequently, Mr Bill Kellher, NUM, Doncaster area agent, appealed unsuccessfully to the Bentley branch to change its decision.

A branch meeting on November 9 rejected the proposals yet again and now Mr Kellher and NCB representatives are speaking to a mass meeting today.

Many miners are saying that the management's closure threat should be met by a determination to stop the pit if outside contractors are introduced. the least, deplorable, It would appear that comment on the Congress is least welcome from Marxist sources.

I think, therefore, it would be right to conclude that the self-criticism of which we heard so much at the time of Khrushchev's exposures of Stalin has gone by the board, as have the rest of the tenets on which the Party was supposed to base its policies.

T. Clark, formerly Southey Hall CP branch, Sheffield.

I will try and find out more about the ban on osed to the exclusion of representatives of any wing organs on the inds of political views. y John Airlie, CP member, AEF convenor, UCS, Fairfields Division, Scotland.

• I do not know the facts, but I cannot believe that political discrimination was involved. All the national dailies will want to be at the Congress since they hope to see a split. I cannot believe that there is a political discrimination against the left.9 James Reid, Former Scottish area CP organizer, now working at Fairfields.

• These things are handled nationally, but I cannot believe that there would be any political discrimination involved in barring the the conference. y George Murray, New Scottish area CP organizer.

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