Compromise harder, moans Gormley Backing for miners grows

we The Star" covers THE RETREAT of the engineers' union leaders on a national strike from their national pay claim shameless abdication responsibility and an invitation to strike-breaking an unprecedented he employers and their That they should do this when the miners are engaged in life-and-death struggle accurate measure of it eir mensure acquiescence in the policies of the government as well as of their fear of the militant ranks.

Union presidenthis Scanlon summed up reformist "outlook. succinctly at Monthere there meeting in head compromise or a fresh offer and it seems useless to carry on discussions with thẻ employers on the national claim'.

If it is 'useless' to negotiate further take action OT national claim, as Scanlon alleges, then what hope is there be any less un- that the employers compromising at factory level?

If the Coventry toolroom dispute meant anything it was that the employers were as determined on a locat level as they were on a national This is because, first, there is a recession in engineering which is steadily deepening and. secondly, because many factories piecework systems have been replaced Which hate led to redne agreements dancy.

Those mistakenly favour the kind of plant bargaining envisaged by Scanlon would well to ponder the Ford strike February-March 1971.

In this strike the union leaders-Scanlon and Jones -intervened the crucial oint and foisted a secret ballot and a no-strike pledg n the workers and under nined their confidence in this type of bargaining irrevocably.

Today, however, the situation is much, much worse. After February the employers will armed with ower contained in the ndustria Relations Act and there will be a formid.

able drop in investment and increase in unemployment in engineering They intend to turn all this procedures plant bargaining and smashing shop-floor organization in order to introduce the most vicious productivity deals. While there is little doubt that engineers will fight at plant level as tenaciously as ever there is no doubt at all that the reformist one at-a-time ployers have got since the wretched retreat or the last package deal in November The Componsibertor just 'etreat as Scanlon That is whi the 'Morning precedented national of the Star" covers up the unengineers' committee with the break ent title "Engineers break talks' Yet the text of the resolution shows clearly • •Theder to utiteat:

executive council are instructed to initiate nego SOLIDARITY with the throughout the country pickets began their first In London after a twohour meeting with Victor Feather of the TUC, miners' president Joe Gormley admitted that the attitude of his men was hardening.

'It means that the ability to reach compromise going to be damned sight difficult from now on, he added.

He said plan round-the-clock pickets at power stations would mean that the strike would be felt within days instead of weeks.

Atter an executive meeting in London the key Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) decided yesterday to pledge '100 per support and solidarity' with the miners. Members will be instructed not to move any coal or fo cruss pickel lines.

After the Feather-Gromley talks yesterday, miners were still angry that the TUC was not offering any leadership in the pay fight. against the government.

There a lukewarm response to a statement Britain's largest and union, the Jack Jones, leader Transport General Jones said: 'Clearly, no picket lines will be crossed and there will be opposition to any abnormal movement of coal or other fuels in order to try and bréak the strike' Miners were asking yesterday what Jones meant by 'abnormal'; they wanted him to call for a total ban on ALL movement of coal and other fuels.

From Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, PHILIP WADE reports:

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE miners are mounting 24-hour picket around three key power stations in the area.

Already there is no coal moving into the giant North Notts power station at Marnham, which usés 30,000 of coal a day.

'Our aim is to stop all coal moving into the power stations and get solidarity action,' said Thoresby strikecommittee man Paddy Hanley.

Thoresby miners, coal who supply most of the at Marnhamdriven turned away several lorries by T&GWU members yesterday morning.

Police turned up but left soon afterwards. ham, Cottham and W Burton stations liscuss their own pay claim "They should come They've support of us now. got to come If the Tories kick us to death, they won't get anything themselves, said Paddy.

Meanwhile at nearby Harworth colliery. safety men are dealing with a smouldering coal-face, reversing previous decision to such work.

Asked by Workers Press if the decision was taken in the face of threats by •the NCB. a picket said:

They say this is an unproductive pit. And want job to go back to.' From Cardiff in Wales, IAN YEATS reports:

IN WALES train drivers réfused yesterday to move train loaded with coal bound for power Pickets were out station tot5.30 a.m. following up messages that private contractors would be ittemptin/ to move coal stócks Another report said hat ships were about to offload supplies at Cardiff docks.

Lodge officials were meeting yesterday for to discuss arrangements extending the strike. Mass meetings will held at selected towns later this week. striking miners spread yesterday as organized day of action. We've let you down miners'decision to abandon the national pay claim.

Kraft shop steward Les Black told Workers Press: Polish coal:

POLAND'S Stalinist government has no plans to stop the export of coal to Britain during the miners' strike.

A spokesman for the Polish Economic Commission in London said yesterday the Warsaw government's attitude was to 'wait and see'.

Meanwhile deliveries continue despite appeals . from the National Union of MineThe Commission spokesman Union leaders bend in favour of strike A LOBBY of workers from the Kraft cheese and margarine factory, Merseyside, met with limited success yesterday when they confronted members of their union executive at their London headquarters.

Depending on the outcome of crucial meetings this week, leaders of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers have decided to reconsider' the men's applitill being im!

claimed that only 'small quantities' of Polish coal were entering Britain, but could not specify amounts.

Against this, the National Union of Mineworkers says Polish coal is coming into Britain in large amounts, disguised as imports from Holland.

'Imports of Dutch coal are 'far in excess of what the mines in Holland could supply,' an NUM spokesman told us yesterday.

'The Poles have been selling their coal cheaply in W Europe for some years now. They probably want to obtain western currency..

It would be reasonable to say that coal is coming in cation to have their nineweek strike made official.

Yesterday 50 • men from Merseyside arrived at the Peckham headquarters in a bus to start a day-long lobby.

The deputation included Kraft strikers, local shop stewards as well as four delegates from the Liverpool district committee of AUEW.

Théy managed to interview their union leader, Hugh Scanlon,, before the council meeting began (see above).

orted-mine from Poland via Rotterdam in fairly sizeable quantities.' The NUM has written to the Polish mineworkers' union asking them not to export coal. But the NUM said yesterday: 'We did the same when they were exporting coal to Spain during the Asturian miners' strike and got little response.' In another bid to break the import chain, the Mineworkers' International Federation has written to Dutch transport workers asking for a 'black' on coal to Britain.

The coal is carried from Rotterdam in small coasters to ports all along the South Later, Kraft workers who had visited the headquarters on two previous occasions, seemed mildly optimistic. They said ameeting would be arranged between national and local officials and the Kraft company.

At next Tuesday's EC the matter will be 'reconsidered'. Previously, the EC has refused to put the Kraft dispute on the agenda.

The strike started nine weeks ago when the company sacked a man. Immediately 150 engineers walked out.

s' union and East coasts. The biggest quantity of imported coal comes through London and Southampton.

On top of the 'concealed' Polish imports through Holland, the Polish government has a direct contract with Britain to supply nearly 100,000 tons of household The contract was signed after the Tory government had lifted the 12-year-old. ban on coal imports following the 1970 unofficial miners' strike.

A government press briefing at the time made it clear that the chief reason for lifting the ban was the likelihood of further 'industrial unrest'.

Edward Heath has accepted

tiations through district committees and shop stewards with individual employers on the understanding that settlement may be concluded on all OR PART of the claim which is mittees and the members acceptable to district concerned.

This in the Stalinist strategy atomizing the working class and opening the door to wage-cutting by the employers Vorkers Press condemns thi The engineers calle wage claim must be seen as an integral part of the general political Toriele to defeat the and elect a Labour overnmen which will nationalize the engineering industr under workers control and without com we satie all engineers urge to oppose this retreat and begin the construction of a new leadership based on he policies outlined in the Iraft manifesto of the Al Trades Unions Alliance.