DANGEROUS DOUBLE-TALK

Workers Press no. 49, 4 December 1969 · scan page 2

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THE LABOUR PARTY and Stalinist - influenced shop stewards in the British-Leyland factories are preparing to retreat in the face of the offensive now under wav from the motor emplovers. Tan.. _...

Meeting in Birmingham yesterday, they overwhelmingly decided to give serious consideration in principle 'to forming a national joint shop stewards' committee for the entire British motor industry.

It was argued that the employers were now organizing on • an international scale.

In this light, the resolution said, that 'bearing in mind the prospects of Britain joining the Common Market there s also a need tor an interna onal motor committee This now goes forward for discussion by the BritishLeyland Trade Union Committee's executive.

Having made this correct decision they then went forward to reduce it to the status of 'left talk'.

Voted down

They voted down, after stormy debate, a resolution proposing the setting up of a permanent strike fund throughout the combine. Sixteen votes were cast in favour of this resolution, 150 against.

"Words, words, words', was the comment of one shọp stewards' committee chairman.

'It's amazing,' added a senior steward. 'As the working class moves forward, some sections of the combine leadership seem to go more and more into retreat; it's as if they are afraid to have money.' The resolution, put forward by BMC Service, Power Jacks and Leyland (Scotland), urged that all British-Leyland kers 'pay 6d. a week levy to Central Fund, BritishLeyland Shop Stewards' Committee, to be used to help strikes within the BritishLeyland group' and that the conference 'consider a policy for assistance for any plant within the group it assistance is requested by trade union representatives at the plant'.

Another resolution dropped from the agenda, proposed from Southall's AEC plant, condemned 'the attitude of our unions in not making the dispute at Standard-Triumph, Liverpool, official'.

During . the. debate on the strike fund levy, the Leyland committee's joint secretary, Dick Etheridge-re-elected to the CP's executive committee at the Party's recent Congress - defended the AEF executive's decision not to back MDW This is the kind of doubletalk which is responsible for the introduction of MeasuredDay Work into several of the Leyland factories.

What use will a national shop stewards' committee of the motor industry • be if it is not going to fight?

So far as the Stalinists and the right wing go, they. obviously want such a committee in order to gag any militant development in the Leyland group—we have been warned. massacre. devo Though he did not name the publications, Bailey