Right-wing danger grows after Milan explosions

N. Wales strikers win back steward's job Ferranti's over the past months has been in line with the general movement of low-paid workers.

Militant

Workers allege that the real reason for the sackings of these workers as 'unsuitable' was that they had given militant expression to this discontent.

According to the firm's own advertisements, semi-skilled workers are paid £14 15s 6d (gross pay) a week. Unskilled men get £12 18s 6d and skilled setters' wages are £18 2s.

At the mass meeting last Friday, when the strikers decided to return, they were in fighting mood, despite the nearness of Christmas.

There were calls that the strike continue for wage demands.

There were also demands that trade union organization be tightened in the factory and that shop stewards be elected in every section.

There is no doubt that the strike will have big results in building a fighting trade union organization and heightening the struggle to raise wages in the whole area.

land: Sleet or snow showers. Sunny intervals. Wind northwesterly, fresh or strong. Rather cold. Maximum 4C (39F).

Edinburgh: Showers or longer periods of sleet or snow. Winds north-westerly, moderate. Rather cold, maximum 3C (37F).

Outlok for Wednesday and Thursday: Becoming colder in the north with some sleet or snow, continuing rather cold and changeable in the south. an Industrial correspondent FRIDAY'S bomb explosion in a Milan bank which 14 were killed and another 90 injured, enormously increased the dangers before Parity fight Italian working class.

The Christian-Democratic government, the army and the police are now using the incident to begin a large-scale witchhunt of extreme left-wing groups.

A trade union rally called originally for Monday was banned by the government, while the Stalinist other trade unions have themselves called off strikes due to begin yesterday until There are many theories a o the organizers of the Milar bomb explosion.

Blame

he ultra-right-wing grour aturally blame the Maoist the anarchists and even the Communist Party, whose leaders have studiously cultivated an ultra-constitutional image since the war.

Others believe that it was the work of Austrian nationalists from Alto Adige, the Italy, which includes a large German-speaking community.

By far the most plausible explanation is that the bomb the army to establish a miliprevious decisions and en'Negotiate' In pursuing the campaign for parity of wages with Midlands motor workers', the resolution said, 'this meeting of - Ford shop stewards throughout the Dagenham area calls upon the trade union side of the NJNC to negotiate continuously from Friday, January 23, a wage increase of a character consistent with • the £I0 wage demand by Ford workers.

"This meeting also recommends to the national conference of all Ford stewards being held on January 18, 1970, that a date be set for action if no satisfactory conclusion is reached by negotiations.' It is also known that other sections of Ford stewards would favour acceptance of a f4 wage offer in the unlikely event of the company making such an offer on January 23.

These are dangerous trends.

The Workers Press advocates the following programme:

• Scrap the NJNC. End the 'penal clauses' agreed by this body in March of this year!

• Set up a combine liaison committee to call a strike of all Ford plants if the claim is not immediately met without 'strings'!

Resist interference by the Trades Union Congress or the Department of Employment and Productivity!

• Fight for the nationalization of Ford's without compensation and under workers' ary dictatorship on the lines of the colonels' regime in Greece.

Coup

Only two weeks ago documents came to light which suggested that such a coup was being prepared with the active encouragement, if not assistance, of the Athens regime.

Fascist and ultra-right groups are springing up all over Italy, carrying out frequent attacks on trade union offices and left-wing political rallies.

The most powerful of these is the Italian Social Movement (MSI) which has 24 deputies in the Italian Assembly.

Other, 'strong-arm' groups, include the youth group "Young Italy', based on rightwing students, the 'Movement for National Reconstruction', the 'Committee for Public Defence' (which organized the fascist rally at the funeral of the Milan policemen killed in an attack on strikers three weeks ago), the 'Europe Civilization' group (whose members are rumoured to be in military training in the meuntains) and lastly the familiarsounding 'National Front', led by a Roman aristocrat.

It would be a terrible mistake to write off these organizations as crank outfits.

Attacks

Several of them are backed by powerful interests and have carried out brutal attacks on workers over the past weeks.

Only on Sunday, a Communist Party Senator was eaten up by a fascist gang— ust one or manv such i outrages committed by right-wing thugs since the strike wave began three months ago.

When the time comes for a showdown with the working class, these gangs will gain access to arms without any difficulty.

Many • army leaders are openly in sympathy with their fascist aims.

Whichever political group was responsible, the Milan explosion without doubt served the interests of extreme reaction, giving new force to ultra-right calls for a military coup and the breaking-up of the Italian labour movement.

And it is equally true that the reformist policies of the Stalinists, who have used the strike wave simply as a lever to force recognition of their claims to a place in the government, greatly assist the work of the fascists.

Waiting

The extreme right are waiting and preparing for the time when the working class becomes exhausted.

Only then will they strike their decisive blows.

So it was in 1922 with Mussolini, helped to power by the treachery of the reformist and centrist leaders; and so it will be again if the Stalinists are allowed to betray the current strike movement.

We must be prepared to mount a massive campaign of solidarity with the Italian working class it the right-wing unleashes the beginnings of such an attack.

All the signs point to such an offensive in the very near future.

Italy must not follow the path to dictatorship travelled by Greece.