The Renton boys on the march

AT RENTON in the Vale of Leven the Labour Exchange has given up trying to place young people in jobs.

Instead the 'buroo is festooned with adverts for the army and navy. The clerk behind the desk signs the form and passes it over to the assistant who pays out the money.

If the young worker inquires about a job, the bureaucratic finger points to the Technicolor posters inviting teenagers to join Her Majesty's forces.

Fortunately most of the Renton youth want nothing to do with the services. Most think like Jim Lundy (17) one of the squad of Renton boys on the march.

'I told them I wasn't going to go over to Ulster to get a bullet in my back for the Tories.' Archie Thomson • (17) tells another story. He went to sign up in the 'glamour' regiment, Argyles.

'A year and a half ago I went along. They tested me out and said I was it, then they found I had a record for assault. They said, "We train killers not recruit them". That was enough. I want no part of the army now and N Ireland situation proves it.' Archie, Jim and their mates John Young (16) and Pat Callaghan (17) are part of the team responsible for selling the papers and collecting money on the march. They scatter before and after the column as it passes through the towns and villages and appeal to workers to help the fight against the Tory governI talked to them about place where they live.

Renton an estate that masquerades as a community. For the young, life means hanging around a street corner and dodging the police, who have launched an unremitting campaign harassment.

Andy told me of one incident which he says is 'One night, typical coming home from the youth club. I forgot something and decided to go back. Two cops came and said "Which way are you going?" I told them I was going to the

Farther up the road at Sanauhar Ta Royal Boroueh and 'This figure is despite efforts Always out pacing the column between who sell Workers Press as they reach each youth club and they said would "lift" me if I did.

I came out of the club and went for some chips. Then they moved in. One pulled my hair and made me pick up a chip and then they took me in for breach of the peace.' Archie tells another story of apparent injustice.

He was up on a similar charge as Andy. The JP asked if he would plead 'not guilty. Archie said he would.

'He said I was just wasting the court's time and sent me down to Barlinnie jail for four days to await trial. Then they charged me and found me guilty.' Almost all the lads have been out of work for six months. When they had • jobs it was slave labour.

Archie and John worked local farms.

Farm worker they call it. Farm slave I call it. I got £8 for six days a week. The work was rotten. Scrambling around the field shifting the rocks in the snow to make the ploughing easier?

Two of the other lads worked in a local wool factory.

The jobless rate is 18 per cent, which even beats most towns in that province ravaged by unemplovment—N Ireland. standards of the Vale, but the work is relentless and back'It's profit, profit, profit from morning to night. What they do is to recruit young workers for a short time then throw them out. If a 19-year-old is working and a 16-year-old comes in who is stronger, the older boy gets kicked out,' said Pat.

All these things make these lads march. They all want better life free from the continual pressure of the law and especially the Rookies'-new plain clothes police who are purging the area because of the outcry over 'vandalism'.

You'd call them a rough and ready bunch, but they are always out there pacing the column between the towns.

Already their experiences have made a big impression.

John spoke for them all, when he paid tribute to the workers who have helped us along the way.

"The reception at Kilmarnock and the welcome we got there in Thornhill was really tremendous. It makes us keep going despite the problems and the difficulties. I think if these kind of workers could only get together in a movement we could get the Tories out.' ILASGOW KILMARNOCK CUMNOCK SANQUHAR THORNHILL DUMFRIES TCARLISLE get jobs. Six new factories have two of them on the way inassed One was penned off with barbed wire — Brock's fireworks plant. But the workers came out to greet us all the same-all women and young girls (so much for new jobs).