FROM STEPHENI JOHNS balsaaNto No

in Shock short-time at Albion Motors short-time working.

four-day working week i axles and gearboxes for the British-Leyland combine. THE MOMENT of political truth is only days away for the embattled workers of Upper Clyde Shipbuildersnow in the eighth month of their fight for the right to work.

Towards the end of this week the feasibility study which will decide the future of Govan Shipbuilders and its bid to start operations at the Govan Scotstoun divisions of Linthouse and POsthe consortium, will be published.

Then the executives of the company will demand negotiations with the unions and UCS shop stewards Govan's new chief, Lord Strathalmond, has pledged that proposals will be laid before the government in two weeks. These, as Tory Trade Secretary John Davies never tires of pointing out, must include possible orders and wages and conditions.

It was this prospect that brought boilermakers' chief Danny McGarvey to the Clyde last Thursday, where he finally declared an open breach with shop stewards' policy of 'four yards or no talks'.

Throughout UCS history he has always made his standard 'half - a - loaf - is - better than-none' speech and pushed through more cuts in the labour force.

This time, however, the exClydeside boilermaker came unstuck.

He told a packed meeting of stewards in Clydebank Town Hall on Thursday that the speeches of six months ago were not appropriate to the current situation. UCS workers would have to be 'men' and face up to redundancy and recognize Strathalmond's company without a guarantee for the Clydebank yard.

He found himself in a minority of one. That same day's newspaper headlines spelt out the reason why they proclaimed a 154,000 unemployment total in Scotland, the highest for 32 years. In the very shipbuilding town McGarvey was speaking In, the male unemployment rate had risen to above 12 per cent.

'Dan, Dan the redundancy man found he couldn't do it. We told him "you're not on"', one shop steward neatly summed up the confront:tion.

The upshot was weak compromise designed to buy time for the union officials.

A holding operation was suggested from the floor. If McGarvey could persuade the liquidator or the government to reprieve the men at Scotstoun and Clydebank due for the dole until a firm buyer for Clydebank was found, then talks with Govan would be considered.

McGarvey went to the liquidator and came back with his proverbial half a loaf.

No men would be sacked at Scotstoun for six weeks, but after that the axe would have to fall.

Commented Bob Dickie, convenor of the key Clydebank yard: 'Naturally we were looking for a freeze of redundancies until the American position is made clear. But it does not alter our insistence THE FABRIC of the Scot- enter their third week of tish economy continues to strike for wage increases of disintegrate. The latest between £8 and £9. workers to be hit are 2,500 day to get 1,000 boilermakers hourly-paid employees at at the Yarrow's naval yard or Albion Motors, Scotstoun, the upper Clyde back to work. Glasgow, who have been The men are on strike in deasked to accept immediate increase of £7.

he management has said :

necessary because of a slump market.

The shock decision comes a week after figures showing one man in nine is unemployed in Glasgow.

The Albion Works, which stand next to the Scotstoun division of the bankrupt UCS consortium, makes trucks, Meanwhile 1 C000000. car workers at Chrysler's Linwood plant and the British-Leyland truck division at Bathgate MINERS' ATUA MEETINGS OLLERTON: Thursday, January 27, 1 pm. 'The Plough', Forrest Rd, Ollerton, Notts. NUNEATON: Thursday, January 27, 8 pm. 'The Angel', Atherstone, near Nuneaton.

COVENTRY: Sunday, January 31, 11 am. "Golden Eagle", Howatt Rd, Kerseley.

Registered newspa sublished 1 Press, 186 Clapham F don, S.W. rinted by ough Press 80b Claph High Stre You're not on Dan worker!

We say of saving the four yards. Once there is a definite American bidder for Clydebank, there will be no problem in recognizing Govan Shipbuilders or anyone else.' The question now is: will the Communist Party members who lead the UCS struggle use the moratorium on redundancies to begin talks with Govan whilst the search for an American buyer This is a possibility, because of the confusion generated over the exact meaning of the McGarvey compromise.

At the Linthouse mass meeting which followed the Town Hall confrontation leading CP Stalinists Jimmy Reid and James Airlie reiterated their determination to fight for the four yards.

But they have not yet made Talks were going on yesterfiance of their union for an £ POWER DROPPED 11pc PURCHASING power of the pound dropped by llfp between the election of the Tory government in June 1970 and mid December last year. Financial Secretary to the Treasury Patrick Jenkin yesterday rejected Labour claims that workers' real incomes had been hit by the fall. FATHER N ENGLAND, N Ireland and Scotland • will have sunny periods and showers. The showers will be mainly in the W and heavy at times. They will fall as snow over high ground. Wales, S and SW England will be rather cloudy with rain at times with hill fog. E districts will be bright at first but cloud and rain will spread E later. Temperatures will be slightly above normal in S England and near normal elsewhere.