AUEW retreat would be A stab in for miners

Winat

we think Miners go into battle THE MINERS declare war on the Tories arst midnight. Then men leave the pits and start the General Strike oughest battle since Francis gave resis messa Dai gaged in cent Paunions more Over hoping DAVID MAUDE ON leaders will recommend their members virtually at national level for their Two thousand in work-study walk-out TWO THOUSAND workers at one of the biggest factories of its kind in the world walked out yesterday after management at Courtaulds Ltd. Greenfield. Flintshire. tried to introduce a work-study team.

In an instant tough-line statement, the general manager of Courtauld's viscose division, Dennis Warren, said the factory would not be reopened without guarantees from the men that similar walk-outs would not occur again.

He said: It is now up to the people employed at the works to decide how best they can convince the comstarting the plant at al? reWarren admitted that the viability of the factory had been in doubt for about a year.

T&GWU branch secretary Jack Jones said: 'The management has been itching for a ANANALY fight for a long time and if it did not happen on this issue, it would happen on another Linwood walk-out THE 6,500 workers at the Centrewshilent yesterday walked out in support of an £8 wage demand because rejected a £4 offer 'there were too many strings attached'.

At a mass meeting convenor John Carty, said: 'We were told the company would consider wages comparable to the higher levels in England, but these would not be implemented for about four years.' in the future.

'We have to face the fact that the company intends to cut manpower, and our lives in this factory will not be worth living if we back down now' The men will not meet again until Tuesday and meanwhile pickets will be on duty at the factory gates.

Transport THE LARGE 6/559 Liverpool Transport and General Workers' Union branch has pledged its support for the Young Socialists 'Right-toWork' campaign.

The branch, with a membership of 1,000 carworkers, is one of the most important in the Liverpool area.

Pointing out that they recognize the Young Socialists' fight expressed in their 'Right-to-Work' campaign 'is a fight against the Prison break in Karachi POLICE opened fire and used tear gas on about 1,500 inmates of Karachi, West Pakistan, jail yesterday when they made a mass attempt to escape, first reports said.

The reports said rioting AUEW president Hugh Scanion speaks to the press.

January Fund THE MINERS' decision to strike must receive enormous support throughout the trade union movement. The Tory government will never beat back the determination of the working class to fight. Now this enormous strength must be mobilized so that the government is forced out of office.

decisive role amongst miners, and all those coming up behind them, in the struggle against the Tories. Help us therefore, keep the paper right out in front. Push ahead over this weekend for January's fund and let's make it record month! Post all donations immediately to:

186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG union branch •Right to Wol Tory government policy of creating unemployment', the branch says it will support such a fight for a basic right in any way it can.

FORD, Dagenham, carworkers have also added their powerful support to the campaign.

The 1/667 T&GWU Automotive Group branch at Dagenham, representing began in the jail as prisoners overpowed some wardens and moved towards the main gates to try a mass escape.

reinforcements rushed to the spot and Even safety men join coal strike PHILIP WADE COAL PRODUCTION in Britain will comi a halt today as the miners launch their : official strike since 1926.

News from the coalfields yesterday was that the men Third BSC are 100 per cent behind the executive decision to reject closure the Coal Board's derisory offer and proceed with the BRITISH STEEL Corporation action. yesterday announced ad Derbyshare, some Wales closure of its Newport tube sure they đo not works by the end of the year. It employs 1,120.

Earlier this week, the Corsat oining the strike. poration the closure of a medium plant And miners' leader Law- mill, employing 270, at the rence Daly warned that Appleby - Frodingham • works, Scunthorpe; and of the further industrial action woul be launched if the Board tried Hill, Staffs, which employs Cookley rolling mills, Brierley to close any more pits.

170.

His threat follows press rumours that the NCB is preUSSR 'sick from paring to close 30 mines after Mr Daly claimed that coal was not necessarily at the Stalin fear'places where it was needed and that industry would run short very quickly.

This was a hint that the miners could be immeasurably strengthened if other unions refused to move coal stocks.

Speaking at NCB headSOVIET society is still 'sick from fear which lispite, on the eve of the has come down to us from the Stalin era', Derek Ezra said the Board's dissenter Vladimir Bukovsky told his judges latest 7.9 per cent offer was an 'honourable compromise'. before being sentenced to seven years' jail and The miners are demanding five years' exile by a Moscow court. up to 47 percent.

His statement was circuA grim-faced Ezra added: lated by friends who said that "Now an entirely new situa- he had brought a copy to the tion will arise and we shall be courtroom. He declared that bound to withdraw all offers.' he would continue to fight for Ezra claimed that the 'legality and justice'. majority of miners would He claimed that the court lave accepted the new offer had failed to specify what ut admitted that was a 'desk anti-Soviet information he opinion since he had not taken a sudse ismissed the the trouble to visit any coalfield. juridical basis of the prosecuCoal Board representatives tion as groundless. met officials at the Department He claimed that a stoolof Employment yesterday. On pigeon had been put in his Monday an emergency meet- former Friend her no ring ing of the TUC's inner cabinet will meet to discuss the strike.

To provoke him into smugglin les behind printing equipment into th 'None of the eight witnesses •k' campaign he asked for had been allowed To give evidence about the revented a mass escape Democratic Repudie of Viet v opening fire and using tear gas.

In the meantime, other prisoners managed to escape capreal tat one levech o ens from 1 ,a side gate. Initial reports put their numbers bassies with effect at between 100 and 200. Bukovsky Forward to a weekly 'Keep L ANNUAL GENERAL