Let 'the nettle' sting

down 'GRASPING the nettle for the nation's good is a wiser approach than steering clear of a difficult problem in the vain hope that it will disappear, says Harold Wilson's New Year message to Labour Party members.

The nettle, of course, i: the trade union movement Two accounts must br settled by trade unionist: in 1970.

Firstly, with a Labour government firmly committer to keeping the Westminste benches warm for the Torie Our record and mortgaged lock, stock and barrel to the demands of international capitalism for continued attacks on the working class.

Secondly, with a bureaucratic trade union leadership apparently determined-with Trades Union Congress Feath paints union tied t state.

'20 million strike' (November • 20).

Naturally, the historical struggle of Trotskyism against Stalinism dominated our campaign to establish the Workers Press as a national daily paper.

When we secured entry into the Communist Party Congress, the Stalinists conceded a truly historic political defeat.

We prepared for this blow by a series of articles analysing the background to the growing crisis in the ranks of the Stalinists, and on the opening day of the Congress itself, addressed an open letter to delegates 'Stalin lives!" which was bought by over 200 Party members and read by many more.

1969 was for the British— and indeed international -Trotskyist movement a proud year.

It saw the launching of the world's first daily Trotskyist paper, a prelude to other such papers in the advanced capitalist countries as the resurgence of the international working class makes possible the advances we have been able to achieve in Britain.

ASSURED

Our fight for Marxist principles and leadership in the working class stands or falls on how we continue this struggle for the development of the Workers Press, in both its presentation of news and analysis and in the response that our readers give by selling and writing for it.

On the basis of the first three months of the Workers Press in 1969, that future is assured. ORDER THE DAILY Full subscription Two editions (Posted dally) (For any two days £10 a year you select) £2 10s. for three £4 a year months £1 for three months I would like to Workers' Press for Name ost to: Circulation lapham High Street, 'guidelines' on strikes and shop stewards, published this week-to prepare the ground the Tories' anti-union There can be no defence of the unions in 1970 without their complete independence from the employers and the capitalist state.

Yet more and more union leaders-like the Rt. Hon. George Woodcock and former Communist Party member Mr Will Paynter, who yesterday introduced the first three reports of their government Commission on Industrial Relations-have joined state and state-backed trial relationsDay and indusInterviewed on commercial television on Tuesday night, TUC general secretary Mr Victor Feather did his best to paint the unions as—with Wilson-utterly tied to the capitalist nation-state.

Feather's panacea for More 'consultation' with capitalist managements!

"Technological change', said Feather, very welcome. We've been encouraging shop stewards and trade union officials, our members generally, to appreciate that the only way in which we're going to improve greatly the living standards of the people this country is by [capitalist, of course] technological advance.' FORECASTING Of course, some people were going to to be put out ol their jobs-but if we have [capitalist] manpower forecasting and job-forecasting in advance then arrangements can be made through [capitalist] industry and by [capitalist governments and by local authorities (!)'.

Meanwhile the CIR will continue intervening in every industry encouraging, Woodcock put it yesterday, 'people's willingness [under capitalism) to at least work together in industry'.

Wilson's New Year message discerned the beginnings of a reduction in 'the falling away in support for your (!) government which was previously so noticeable' and 'increased morale among our supporters .. due to a realization that the policies we insisted [against massive votes at the TUC and Labour Party conferences] on pursuing were those most suited to the nation's good.

In tact, precisely because of the policies pursued by the Wilsons, Feathers, Paynters and Woodcocks, the reverse is true.

DOES NOTHING The Communist Party, unable to fight either Paynter's guidelines, meanwhile does nothing.

1970 is the year in which trade unionists must settle acounts with all these anti-working class tendencies.

We must put a sharp sting in Wilson's 'nettle'.

NOWI Organizer, Workers Press, 18 London, SWA. (Tel: 01-720-200