Workers Press no. 692

workers press INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18, 1972• No. 692 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE Division on tactics

REMEMBER THIS?

Cement strike-CP leaders remain silent

MINERS

Polish scabbing in

NOW POLISH

COAL IS

Eire-the

BREAKING

D.E.P.

SPLIT

steps

MINERS' STRIKE

La proof anto

IRA BURN SCAB

TORIES

COAL LORRIES

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Heath is in THE TORY government of Edward absolute crisis. It has lost its mandate to govern.

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

Wherever it turns, the government is faced with

EXCLUSIVE

POLISH COAL is being and disappointment- • from Rhodesia, to disaster taken from the Republic Ulster, to the coalfields, to the dole queues.

of Ireland across the Now these 'errors' and 'miscalculations' in Tory policy are IRA command for Armagh and bourgeoisie-the powerful creating divisions between the big.

border into Ulster to S Down said yesterday: A unit banking groups, the industrialists like ICI, British-Leyland and break the miners' strike.

of our command has hi-jacked Rio Tinto Zinc-and the smaller fry in the Conservative camp, five lorries belonging to Fish- the shopkeepers and the Surrey solicitors.

of ers of Newry The Official wing of the

SUDDOLL

These differences were first ominousiy raised last autumn when striking coalminers in England.

hit back

IRA

has at the into the Common drive to get the tory leadership mounted its strike-breakers by hi-jacking These bates mere engaged in This was undertaken at the behest of the big monopolies Market. taking with —but it sparked off shrill cries of discontent among the petty- lorries scab coal and burning them. Newry and on belne stopped al bourgeois elements in the who saw the greater tions of capital as a huge threat to their economic future.

• concen. the border two the contents of the them A statement from the Official burned and Press, stated in yesterday's Workers but as Europe, real price Britain the entry ticket into has to pay, is the defeat of the working class.

The miners' strike, therefore, becomes a pivotal point in the life of Heath's government. The Tories duty-bound to smash miners of lowering the standard of Ine overall living of millions of working-class families.

The entry of Lord Wilberforce's inquiry into the as a time-gathering scene seen •evice increases today Even if Wilberforce does grant which acceptable to the majority miners. the end of the Tories' battle against will not be a postponement of only It will be une miners. inevitable showdown with.

Clabs

EARLET PONEN STA

Press t London, 'City the authoritative weekly newspaper yesterday carried front- of the 'Tory wages policy smashed.'

defeated the The article went onl The Wilberforce tribunal government. Wil aware in excess of the 7.8 per vastly increases the miners cent inal offer by the NCB days' allowances are made for the five exta holiday and productivity agreements the Wilberforce of 20 per award is likely to be in he region by their are appalled own speculations about the outcome of the strike.

The paper's editor "This is a deadly blow to the government's signal norm of o per cent and will be the danger Award will y increasing inflation. size will be a signal to all other trade unions with government's 8 per to the Dast. Hopes cent norm belongs OL COn taininit inaped are one. miners, who are Just ove that would not matter. force, Der Cent ortIC Work queueing Kult 32,500,000, or 10 per cent of the working benine engineers who The government are now bankrupt of any Populatul instrument to ural muauon. The article goes on to recommend shareholders in GEC, British-Leyland, Dunlop's, Woolworth's, Joseph Coats Paton's, Lucas, Tube Investments, Rank Hovis, Siddeley and sell Metal Box riessey, immediately! The newspaper reveals great bitterness towards Heath's *lack of firmness' with the miners. And this is the nub of the crisis in the Tory Party: between those who Heath want accelerate his confrontation with the working class see and nose more cinous elements

TENE

rising militancy the working class and who argue for a 'softly, softly' line. indecision the leadership the Tory Party for labour provides a vilal opportunity une Coventry with something Behind them Is Earley TWo ut down on Saturday because power movement to press the advantage.

Now is the time station, Reading, which was forced to she dom , transport mount a mass campaign to get this hated govern- driver would their picket. front of them-a wood pass some picket's

HICHL OUL.

them by local students and trade unionists. Both (l.) alle There are millions of people in Britain and Ulster John that Mcconcle. rom Newaigate and coventry colliery InSIST today who are just waiting for such a signal.

Inquiry will have to come up with something good the miners won't go back. ders remain silent Workers Press for July 1, 1970 others emptied onto the roadway for the use of the local people.

•We warn all other strike- breakers* that similar treatment will be meted out to them unless they cease these activities immediately." More details of the daring hi- jacking came from one of the lorry drivers. He told local pressmen that he was stopped at gunpoint on the road between Carrickarnon and Killeen cus- toms post by about a dozen men. They forced him to empty his 20-ton load of coal on the road and then set fire to his vehicle.

Other motorists who appeared on the scene were ordered back at gunpoint. An importer at Dundalk told the local press he had despatched "thousands of tons' of Polish coal to Ulster. He said it was more to sell in the N profitable because of the present shortage caused by the miners' strike.

The Irish Times' said yester- that between 30 and 50 lorries each carrying 50 tons of Polish coal are crossing border into Ulster each day.

Sources in Londonderry told Workers Press yesterday that the imported coal had been in circu- lation for about two or three weeks. This is not the first time Polish imports have been used in Ireland for strike-break- ing. It last occurred in June 1970 during the prolonged strike of 750 workers at Cement Limited in Drogheda and Limerick.

During this Workers dispute, Press obtained unchallengeable proof-we published the cargo manifestos on our front page that Polish cement was being brought in. At the time we demanded: 'When are the leaders of the British Communist Party going to break their despicable silence and denounce the international strike-breaking activities of the Polish Stalinist government?'

We never received an answer.

The British CP and the 'Morn- ing Star' kept their silence.

Today, we ask the same ques- tion and the miners throughout Britain join us: When will Gollan and com- pany denounce this latest strike- breaking by the Polish Stalinists?

workers press INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18, 1972 • No. 692 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE Division on tactics

REMEMBER THIS?

Cement strike-CP leaders remain silent

MINERS

Polish scabbing in

NOW POLISH

COAL IS

Eire-the

BREAKING

D.E.P.

SPLIT

steps

MINERS' STRIKER

is a proof into

TORIES

IRA BURN SCAB

COAL LORRIES

BY ALEX MITCHELL

THE TORY government of Edward Heath is in absolute crisis. It has lost its mandate to govern.

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

Wherever it turns, the government is faced with

EXCLUSIVE

POLISH COAL is being and disappointment — from Rhodesia, to disaster taken from the Republic Ulster, to the coalfields, to the dole queues.

of Ireland across the Now these 'errors' and 'miscalculations' in Tory policy are IRA command for Armagh and bourgeoisie-the powerful creating divisions between the big.

border into Ulster to S Down said yesterday: "A unit banking groups, the industrialists like ICI, British-Leyland and break the miners' strike.

of our command has hi-jacked Rio Tinto Zinc-and the smaller fry in the Conservative camp, five lorries belonging to Fish- the shopkeepers and the Surrey solicitors.

of Newry in of The Official wing of the ers These differences were first ominously raised last autumn when striking coalminers in England. hit back

IRA

has at the into the Common Tory leadership mounted its drive to get the strike-breakers by hi-jacking These bates mer engaged in This was undertaken at the behest of the big monopolies Market. taking with 'scab' coal and -but it sparked off shrill cries of discontent among the petty- lorries burning them. stopped al who saw bourgeois elements in the party the greater concentra- the border two the contents of tre them tions of capital as a huge threat to their economic future.

A statement from the Official burned and Workers Press, stated in yesterday's But as entry ticket Europe, the real price Britain the into has to pay, is the defeat of the working class.

point mine lies ork eathes fove ment the Tortel The miners strike, therefore, becomes duty-bound to smash the miners as part o of lowering the standard of living of millions of working-class families.

The entry of Lord Wilberforce's inquiry into the simply as a time-gathering scene seen dece increases today Even if Wilberforce does grant which acceptable to the majority the end of the Tories' battle against will not be a postponement of only will be inevitable showdown with.

the cass City Pressor authoritative weekly newspaper Saying: or wage poricy shed.

yesterday carried of the pa leice son The miners have defeated the The article went on! government. Wilberforce tribunal will award the 7.8 in excess of per increases vastly the miners cent final offer by the NCB.

days' allowances are made for the five holiday and productivity greements the Wilberforce of 20 per cent. award is likely to be in by their the City Press' are appalled corse. speculations about the outcome of the strike.

own The paper's editor warns: 'This is a deadly blow to the government's signal cent and wil be the danger ford wily be a easial to all other trade unions with inflation. government's ware callis lulue bibelle cent norm belongs ot con- • me osc cove miners, queueen 2,500,000, or 10 pen ant of the working elancers who number The government are now bankrupt of mistrument on to recommend shareholders in The article goes

GEC,

British-Leyland, Dunlop's, Woolworth's, Joseph Rank Hovis, Coats Paton's, Lucas, Tube Investments Siddeley Box sell and Metal „lessey, immediately! The stack of fennels reth bitte miss romard Heath's with the miners. And this is the nub of the crisis in the Tory Party: those Heath want accelerate his confrontation with the working class more cautious see Ce enem 16i - rising militancy in working class and who argue for a softly, softly' line. indecision in the leadership of the Tory 1 his Party provides a vital opportunity for the labour Two miners from Coventry with something Behind them Is Earley to down on saturday powel movement to press the advantage.

Now is the time station, Reading, which was forced to shut down on because transport mount a mass campaign to get this hated govern- driver would their picket of them—a fire, wood picket's pass front some Ilicul vul them by local students and trade unionists. Both Pat Purdy (I.) There are millions of people in Britain and Ulster Wliberforce John McGonigle, from Newdigate and coventry colliery today who are just waiting for such a signal..

Inquiry wlll have to come up with something good or the miners won't back. go ODAY i BATURDAY •'

Y JULYT, 1970 V

ders remain silent Workers Press for July 1, 1970 others emptied onto the roadway for the use of the local people.

'We warn all other strike- breakers that similar treatment will be meted out to unless they cease these activities immediately.' More details of the daring hi- jacking came from one of the lorry drivers. He told local pressmen that he was stopped at gunpoint on the road between Carrickarnon and Killeen cus- toms post by about a dozen They forced him to empty his 20-ton load of coal on the road and then set fire to his vehicle.

Other motorists who appeared on the scene were ordered back at gunpoint. An importer at Dundalk told the local press he had despatched "thousands of tons' of Polish coal to Ulster. He said it was more in the N prontable to sell ecause of the present shortage caused by the miners' strike.

The Irish Times' said yester- that between 30 and 50 lorries each carrying 50 tons of Polish coal crossing the are border into Ulster each day.

Imported Sources in Londonderry told Workers Press yesterday that the imported coal had been in circu- lation for about two • or three weeks. This is not the first time that Polish imports have been used in Ireland for strike-break- It last occurred in June 1970 during the prolonged strike of at Cement Limited 750 workers in Drogheda and Limerick.

During this dispute, Workers Press obtained unchallengeable proof—we published the cargo manifestos on our front page that Polish cement was being brought in. At the time we demanded: 'When are the leaders of the British Communist Party going to break their despicable silence and denounce the international strike-breaking activities of the Polish Stalinist government?'

We never received an answer.

The British CP and the 'Morn- ing Star' kept their silence.

Today, we ask the same ques- tion and the miners throughout Britain join us: When will Gollan and com- pany denounce this latest strike- breaking by the Polish Stalinists?

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Friday Fobruary 18, 1972

AROUND THE WORLD

THE W GERMAN Bundesbank intervened in the foreign ‹ port the dollar yesterday atter it had tallen to its lowest-eve In Britain, the Bank of England declined to say whether i support the rate. Initial trading was reported to be extremely nervous with the market unsure of possible developments following the announcement that American dollar convertibility will not be restored this year. US Treasury John Connally, Secretary, threw "Wednesdas markets into turmoil when he refused to set a time when convertibility of any kind will be considered by the US.

He made clear, in a speech to a Congress Economic Committee that the US deal with what one

CONNALLY

described 'a Congressman as $50,000m overhang foreign in hands'. Americans to raise their interest This refers to the paper dollars rates. held by central banks overseas Connally's statement is one, of which can no longer be used to the harshest-ever public declara- gold from buy the American American tions of economic Treasury. US gold reserves are policy. It must shatter the last below the $10,000m mark. illusions among European em- ployers about the December 18 On dollar convertibility, Con- deal. nally said he had told other gov- It spells a future of ernments at the time of the December 18 Washington realign- precedented class struggles that 'we're not the world monetary system sinks ment conterence to make deeper into chaos. the dollar going con- vertible and if they were asking for convertibility we would have Seamen's strike? for three to times the realignment that we got. 'It would be sheer folly, he

W GERMANY'S 1,200

merchant 'We'd be back in the same ships will be tied said. up by strike trap.' Connally also went out action unless the seamen's his indicate the way to that unions agree to renewed Nixon administration wants US mediation on a pay demand.

interest rates pushed still lower, Both the officers' and the ratings' though existing low interest rates union have rejected are preventing a return of dollars mediator's proposals for rises from Europe. ranging from 2.3 to 6.4 per cent.

'The thing need this Both demanded 10 we in unions per country is continued pressure to officers' The is Cent union bring down interest rates, decide today whether it will After particularly the short-term rates, accept further mediation.

but intermediate four years' able rates and long- service an sea- term which are still too averages about 1,500 marks rates, man high! (£170) month and a first European financiers have 2,800 for engineer about marks months been pleading with the (£336). contre Le

PARTI COMMUNISTE FRANCAIS

les violences De tous les partis d'opposition combat depuis 10 ans aété le seul, DES LE DEBUT, à dénoncer publiquement les agissements, les.

provocations et les violences des groupes ultra-gauchistes, anarchistes, maoistes, ou trotskystes, qui tont le jeu de la réaction. IN PREPARATION for the the parties opposed to the 1973 French Gaullist power, the French elections the Communist Party is hard at Communist Party, which has fought it for ten years, work building itself was

FROM

respectable image. In June, the only

THE

one,

BEGINNING,

1968 it the to denounce put out after publicly, the agitations, the accompanying poster the General Strike provocations and the great which, but for its betrayals, violence of the ultra-left, could have toppled the anarchist, Maoist and Trot- served Gaullist It reads: skyist groups which regime. French "The Communist the of interests reaction

VOTE COMMUNIST.'

Party against violence. Of all oreign exchange market to sup- vest-ever level against the mark.

nether it was buying dollars to

THE ARMY

has seized power in the S American state of Ecuador, exiled the 79-year-old President Velasco Ibarra and annulled next June's elections. Gen The new President, that the country faced strous anarchy'. All members of the former administration and • resident have foreigners been forbidden to leave the country.

Gen Lara, who received part of his training in US military colleges, declared that his regime would military and revolutionary'. He himself as a member of the middle class. The army chiefs had tried to persuade Velasco to scrap the elections and rule by decree for another two years. They feared an electoral victory by opposi- tion leader, Assad Bucaram, who is said to be under arrest. Velasco was thrown out when he refused.

Ecuador which has a popula- tion of about 54m, most of whom are desperately poor, is heavily in debt and has been seeking a big loan from US banks to finance the budget deficit.

IAN SMITH is to bring Garfield Todd and his daughter Judy African and detained two leaders before a special tribunal "as soon as possible'. He claimed on Wednesday that only four people had been de- tained since the Pearce Com- mission had begun its work, but 1,505 had been arrested on specific charges. Of the latter, 415 had been convicted and another 278 were awaiting trial; the rest had been released. In New York, African National Council chairman, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against Rhodesian chrome exports. He said that 99 per cent of Africans opposed the Home- Smith deal, which was racialist in substance and consequence.

He claimed that sanctions were biting deep and 'the- that economy was gradually grinding to a halt for lack of foreign cur- rency. . The Bishop held private meetings with African members to win support for tougher sanctions against the Smith regime.

TAFT AT IT

AGAIN

RIGHT-WING Senator Taft from Ohio wants legislation in the United States a strike occurring. He wants measures to curb strikes which might create Mational emergencies. His Bill would provide for partial operation of essential industries during a labour dispute add an additional 30-day and cooling off period to the present 90-days under the existing Taft- Hartley Law introduced by his father. Senate hearings next month will consider Taft's Bill and proposals for compulsory arbitration for strikes by dockers and other transport workers.

THIRTEEN men were led into court in handcuffs, bail was refused and the public excluded from all parts of the court building when miners' pickets appeared before Sheriff John Mowat at Dunfermline this week.

It was alleged that they 'formed part of a riotous mob of evil disposed persons which, acting with a common pur- pose, did conduct itself in a violent, riotous and tumultuous manner to the great terror and alarm of the lieges, and in breach of the peace did: curse, swear, and utter threats of violence'. This archaic legal verbiage, combined with the harshness used against the men, is an indication of things to come.

The charge against them is not only medieval, but vague, It is obvious that literally thousands of workers could have been arrested under it in the course of the miners' strike.

Similar charges were used during the General Strike of 1926 when 2,500 workers were arrested under the Emer- gency Powers Act. A favourite charge was 'having in their possession documents which were likely to cause grave disaffection among His Majesty's Forces'. Any letter or leaflet supporting the strike came under this heading-and it was enough to have it in your possession.

Another common charge was 'seditious speech'. This could include any speech in favour of the strike. Pickets were charged with 'acts of intimidation', and people were jailed for chalking slogans on walls. Selling political papers became a crime—likely to cause disaffection among the civil population'. There is no doubt that the Tories have once again been thrown into a state of 'great terror and alarm' by the miners' strike, particularly by the support given to the miners by other workers and by the effectiveness of the picketing. This demonstration of class strength has sent the Tories scurrying through the law books. Above all, they are deter- mined to stop effective picketing of the kind displayed at the power stations and the Saltley depot in Birmingham.

The miners' strike has been the biggest scare the ruling class has had since 1926. The forces of the state will be marshalled against the working class as never before in this century. Throughout its history, the British working class has faced the handcuffs and jails of the capitalist state, a system of oppression for maintaining class rule. This was the case when the working class won the right to form unions, when it won the right to strike, when it won the vote. Lenin defined the state as a product of the irrecon- In his classic work 'The cilability of class antagonisms.

Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, Engels wrote: 'The state is a product of society at a certain stage of development; it is the admission that this society has become entangled in an insoluble contradiction within itself, that it has split into irreconcilable antagonisms which it is powerless to dispel.

'But... it became necessary to have a power, seemingly standing above society, that would alleviate the conflict and keep it within the bounds of "order"; and this power, society but placing itself above it, and arisen out of alienating itself more and more from it, is the state?

As the struggle against the Tories intensifies, the courts and the police will be used more and more in a desperate attempt to keep it 'within the bounds of order'. The chains have not disappeared from the British legal system, but they won't be enough to preserve capitalism.

the Common Market

FRENCH

War Minister Michel entry to would further the late General de Debré said in Paris yesterday of Gaulle's i conception of a Europe that with the Britain entry independent of both the United and three other countries to the Common Market, Europe's future States and the Soviet Union.

would be one of struggle.

Britain had earlier hesitated to the Common Market enter Replying in to questions an because of its fear of supra- with the French interview and the importance nationalism "Les Informations', Debré weekly it gave to relations with the US. said it would be necessary for Europe sto struggle for every- But it had learned that thing. It would have to be American policies were increas- Europe of struggle. ingly becoming 'frankly for the Americans', to "The arrival of new members European community Defence co-operation a was going to introduce new factors delicate matter in which things which not strictly speaking are had to be done by degrees.

European he said. •France will While France retained its have to be firm despite all very policies, independent defence the economic and political duties Britain France and were 'two undeniably implied by western which. despite countries their solidarity.' differences. feel near to each The minister said it remained other every time there is a maior be whether Britain's security problem' to seen

DAY TEN-Newcastle shouting for the work WE'VE MADE it to right to and the unseen miners exercising Newcastle. Before us lie their of solidarity own power against the Tory government.

two days of short treks day on the Earlier in the way industrial through the from Hexham (22 miles) we had towns of Tyneside, in- a chance to return some of the miners have hospitality that the cluding the community unstintingly shown to us on our We passed a picket line journey. which came to symbolize and decided to have our dinner 1930s~ the hungry there. We handed the food round so the men from Havanah colliery Jarrow. also got a good feed guarding Horsey They were We in Tarrow to- are open-cast site and they have night for our tea, morrow succeeded in stopping movement in and out. then we will walk on to South At Newcastle good got Shields for the night. class. support from the working The Trades Council paid for a

DRAMATIC

warm church hall near the city centre and two brewery branches of the Transport and General

ARRIVAL

donated £50 for Workers' Union food and sat the whole march a three-couse meal in down The march into Newcastle a Chinese restaurant. One of the the today gave us a big boost. Five men on delegation who outside the town the lads met us miles outside Steel, the city was Gordon the who are joining us at Tyneside of the Trades Council. secretary met the column. had chat with him as we He is a Danny Holland from Renton, marched into the city. member of the Labour Party, but and Keith Rad- Dunbartonshire, him ford, unemployed bus said this not prevent an Tyneside, clasped wholehearted ductor from from giving us we moved off hands and then support. into the city. back 'We decided to you fighting because you Our arrival quite simply are right-to-work' through for he said. dramatic- marched the 'I think it is a fantastic achieve- of old the streets the narrow the ment for have marched working-class quarter near you so far. A lot of organizations and The district centre.. was splinter have mounted blacker than usual. The whole groups their campaign about this hit by a power cut- own area was the combination seemed to typify vicious Tory policy, but yours is by far the most impressive and the slums and today's situation, ambitious so far. the people cheering, the marchers and sleeping bags, but we'll be

THE

Young Socialists most of our food organized nationwide Right-to- Work marches to show working financed Tories working class the not prepared to put up with the way? a million on the dole, campaign Swansea-born Gary Jenner (19), national secretary Clive Norris told a Swansea press confer- BP's Baglan Bay plant, chemical ence on Wednesday. Swansea and of the secretary Right-to-Work committee, said: 30 unemployed More than I'm youth, including five girls, would am marching because of the Tory government's Satur- sick set out from Swansea on and I think this is the day on a 300-mile trek to London policies Empire only way we can fight. the for a mass rally Pool, Wembley, a demonstration 'One hundred and fifty of us Trafalgar Suare and a lobby BP because were sacked by we of Labour MPs at Westminster, for rights, fighting basic

WARO

he told reporters. and better conditions. more pay Said Clive Norris: "The support Because strike they we went on sacked the lot of us. and we've from factories got marches The Swansea march leaves the for our three unions is throughout the country Sunday city on morning after a tremendous and we think support rally demonstration and against of the flow because will in unemployment and the Tories on to of policy correctness Saturday. class and mobilize the working Clive Norris: We hope Said remove the Tories. have trade delegations to union «The marchers will also be say- from Port Talbot steelworks and march off Victor Feather and the Baglan Bay to see the ing to there is the possibility of a Labour leaders either they've got and to get off their knees and fight band. 'All the major factories have the Tories, there are other he be so will take are been contacted for and support dona- of them are giving "The marchers will be taking some collecting in their fac- food, camp beds tions with or two vans

WE DEMAND

THE

RIGHT

10

WORK

MARCHERS SHAR

PICKETS A

Mr Steel told me that unem- ployment in the region has now topped the 100,000 level and the male jobless rate on Tyneside alone stands at over 10 per cent-that's as bad as Glasgow.

I asked him about the deter- mined opposition the Labour Party leadership has mounted against our campaign. 'Whatever the politics of this march, the fact remains that you travelling and only you are throughout the country and campaigning. I back it and I am Il be tories or sending delegations to along the start of the march.'

The marchers set out from University college, Swansea • on Sunday at 10 a.m. on the first leg of their journey as far as Neath. Saturday's 2.30 p.m. rally at Page St YMCA will follow march through the from Calvert Terrace town beginning at 12,30 p.m.

CLIVE NORRIS

Workers Press, Frid

GLASGOW

KILMARNOCK

CUMNOCK

SANQUHAR

THORNHILL

DUMFRIES

(CARLISLE

ERS SHARE THEIR FOOD WITH MINERS'

ICKETS AT HORSLEY OPEN-CAST MINE

speaking member of the Labour Party" as We had a lively meeting in Newcastle. Leader of the Glasgow march John Barrie said that the key issue of the campaign was the very issue of leadership that Mr Steel referred to. 'We in the Young Socialists are determined to build a leader- vou , ship that will be strong enough will have sufficient under- standing of the class struggle to deal with loryism and the right wing in the Labour Party. The fact that youth have marched all the way to Newcastle with such determination shows that win a will great challenge response from sections of the working class.' Unfortunately today we had one casualty. Freddie Meechan, a miner one of the most political marchers, has had to drop out. He went to Newcastle infirmary and they diagnosed a badly torn muscle. He won't be able to walk, but he says he will be rejoining us as soon as he is fit. See you later Fred.

YOUNG SOCIALISTS'

LONDON

Right-to-Work Meetings Tuosday February 22, 8 p.m.

T&GWU Offices, 173, Clapham Road, SW9 Wednesday February 23, 8 p.m.

Woolwich Town Hall (public hall) Market St, SE 18 Thursday February 24, 8 p.m.

Ruskin House, Coombe Rd, S Croydon Thursday February 248 p.m.

Recreation Centre, Old Bedford Rd, Luton. Workers Pross, Friday February 18, 1972 PAGE 3

ANNAN WHISTLE NEWCASTLE

HEXHAM

YOUNG SOCIALISTS

NATIONAL RIGHT-TO-

WORK CAMPAIGN

RALLIES

to launch SWANSEA and

LIVERPOOL

marches

THIS SATURDAY FEB 19

St Georges Hall opp. Lime St Stn Liverpool 3 p.m. Speakers: Gerry Caughey (Pilkington rank- and-file committee) Bill Measures (Pilkington rank. and-file committee) Cavanagh (T&GWU dock Larry steward) Bernard Bradley (Ford's con- venor) Spriggs (Convenor Fisher JaCk Bendix) Cliff Slaughter (SLL Central Committee) Christine Smith (YS leader of Liverooo march)

YMCA

SWANSEA 3 p.m. SLL, YS and trade union speakers Liverpool march arrives in St HELENS for a rally on

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 20

Town Hall, 7 p.m. see our documentary play

'THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION'

Directed by Corin Redgrave Written by Tom Kempinski Tollowea oy a meeting Speakers: Gerry Caughey, Christine Smith and Gerry nealy,Nauonal oec retary the Socialist Labour League)

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Friday February 1

BY BERNARD FRANKS

The Social Security office is allowed to cut anyone's pay- ment down to what a claim- ant's wage would be in his or her normal occupation if this is lower than the scale rates.

By this vicious system, called , the government 'wage-stop' the that the most exploited ensures in lowest-paid workers the occupations are kept down to that level when unemployed. At present, 30,000 households are into a wage-stopped poverty- ridden existence. Workers faced with this iniqui- tous ruling should challenge it in every case and seek trade obtain union a support to reversal. There is no automatic obliga- tion to explain to sick or unem- that the supple- ployed persons mentary benefit scale rates exist and that supplementary, benefit and rent allowance and the other payments are available. It is left to the claimant to fathom out what he is entitled to and put in a claim. Combined with the supply of informa- inadequate tion by the offices concerned, 'saves' this alone thousands of pounds which rightfully should go to those in need.

HOSTILE

Some interviewing officers in both Social Security office and hostile home interviews take a and discouraging attitude. They consider it their duty to cut the amounts paid in any way poss- ible. Deliberately aggressive tac- tics are aimed at badgering claim- 'admissions' that they ants into don't really need the payments— difficult against certainly not someone unused to claiming and feeling bad about applying any- way. Many unemployed workers, not yet understanding some of economic mechan- political and isms of capitalism in crisis are encouraged to see unemployment and even sickness in personal terms as some kind of personal Many officials are only failing. too ready to batten on this feel- ing of guilt and use it to dis- courage claimants. In general also the poorest claimants in the are worst housing and in the worst slum Often physically ill and areas. mentally depressed, they are not able to adequately represent their own interests, so they get worse treatment than others not quite so badly-off. It is true that there are some sympathetic officials behind the and employed on the counters home visiting, but these are so by red tape, 'legal hedged in and maximums' day-to-day doing rulings that they end up very little more than the most officious bureaucrat. A worker who has refused a firm offer of work, who leaves a job of his own accord, or who is sacked for so-called industrial misconduct, is barred from draw- ing unemployment benefit for up to six weeks. He can draw supplementary benefit, but previously this was 75p below the normal cut to for six weeks. The per cent deduction. In other words, they take 40 per cent off is already considered what minimum rate for existence. For example, a single man or woman can have £2.30 removed, leaving £3.50 to live on. This cut in payments is a blatant attempt to strengthen February 18, 1972 In general the poorest claimants are in th the hand of management. It is a victimization of workers direct who fight bad wages and condi- tions or refuse to join a firm I of which strike-breakers, or one pays below union rates. • reduction in benefit is the happen least that can to any- one alleged to be not looking for work. According to the Sup- plementary Benefits Handbook, benefit to anyone accused of so- "voluntary unemployment' called may be 'refused or summarily stopped' and the claimant prose- cuted for failing to support him- self or his family. According to the 'A' CODE such a claimant secretly designated may be as 'workshy' in official documents, and have benefit restricted or stopped on this basis. worker, when The unskilled out of work, gets worse treat- ment than others. If the authori- ties decide there are labouring jobs available in the area, the claimant is paid allowances for s are in the worst housing and slum areas only four weeks and is instructed to get work in that time or lose all payments. Skilled workers are given longer to find work that suits them, but they too can be threatened with loss of benefits after a time.

BATTLE

Workers on the four-weeks rule are entitled to renew their claim at the Social Security office if they have not found a job during that period. This is likely to be a time when a battle over the right to payment occurs if the officials have decided that there is work available. Any worker refused a renewal of a claim should immediately inform the local branch of his or her trade union and ask for action. Usually, union officers are in a better position to give evi- dence of the actual employment situation in an area than Social Security officials totting up regis- trations and alleged vacancies.

The Tory has government backed down on a plan to stop the first six days of unemploy- ment pay for short-time workers from January 1. Social Services Minister Sir Keith Joseph said that this was 'without prejudice merits of imposing the the to restrictions at some future date'.

The rule, which would mean for that someone laid off example for • a week every other week would never qualify for benefit, was provided for in the Labour government's 1966 Act but never used. workers, in Engineering particular, have fought to stop this law being applied. Currently, 80,000 workers are on short time.

Examples are known of bene- fits being refused to unmarried mothers until they disclosed the • of the father of their name child. In general, unmarried mothers and women whose mar- riages have ended in separation, annulment or divorce are dis- criminated against by the rules.

The Social Security department denies that it takes a moralizing This is attitude women. to belied by the system of secret investigators' who spy 'special on women living alone on bene- who stop benefit for so- fit and called 'undisclosed cohabitation', even if no support whatsoever is received from the man con- cerned. In some cases repayment of hundreds of pounds of previousty paid benefit has been demanded on the grounds that cohabitation exists and therefore all tights to benefit have been lost.

In 1970, 4,388 women on sup- plementary benefits had allow- ances reduced or cut by means of the cohabiting rule. Many charity and reforming organiza: tions are now asking that the activities of these officials should be made public and their instruc- tions published. This squad •of snoopers should be dis- public banded and their malevolent instructions destroyed. made at Great play is being the moment of the new Family Income Supplement (FIS), a pay- ment to those in full-time work which goes a long way towards employers who pay subsidizing low wages. It is only a question of time, however, betore a great Fleet St furoré is whipped up against alleged FIS 'spongers' who are too lazy to 'stand on their own feet'-already a peri- odic theme in regard to those on supplementary benefit. The fact is, even so-called frauds is in most cases, not at all cool, calculated deception, but a result of confusion, panic and desperation at receiving a totally inadequate income. On the few past occasions when capitalism has provided enough jobs of every kind, the Labour Exchanges have stood empty through lack of business-either in jobs or money-and proposals for closing some of them have been made.

complete This constitutes a of the claims that refutation unemployment is a product of preference for the dole. workers' Workers have to fight to win rights and allowances due to them and their families. Such action is enormously strength- ened when backed by. local trade organizations union unemployed trade unionist has every right to demand this sup- port. A number of trade unions have officials whose main job is to represent workers at Appeals Tribunals, etc.

UNITED

But only the combined action of the employed and unemployed: working class can defend and right previously: extend the won. Only such a united body can force out a totally reaction- ary Tory government now and elect a Labour government entirely committed to socialist policies. In the field of social security such a government would be required to away the sweep 'discretionary test, the means powers', ', the form-filling, the spy- ing and the concept of minimum it subsistence support. Instead, would make all benefits adequate according to standards set workers' organizations and paid as of right to those who • need them. It would proclaim that as the working class is in no way for creating unem- responsible ployment, it cannot be expected to pay for it. If capitalism can- not supply jobs and wages at a time when so much needs to be built and produced, then this is additional proof of its total bank- The need therefore to ruptcy. nationalize industries the con- cerned-without compensation to the owners-and put them under workers' control, is completely confirmed. The deliberate attempts by the through the acting employers, lory government, to use unem- intimidate and ployment to pauperize workers must be stop- ped by concerted action of the entire working class. This is why every worker in a job or unem- ployed must support the Right- to-Work to London, marches organized by the Young Social- ists, culminating in a mass rally the Empire Pool, Wembley, at on March 12.

BERNARD FRANKS'

next article on Monday will deal with the rights of workers involved in a trade dispute.

CONTINUED

REVOLUTIONARY

On November 6 last year a national conference of the All Trades Unions Alliance decided to adopt a draft manilesto to transtorm the Socialist Labour League into a revolutionary party. Since the conference a country- wide discussion has been initiated in League branches, in the ATUA, in the Young Socialists and among Workers Press supporters.

Until the Right-to-Work rally at Empire Pool, Wembley on March 12, we intend to carry a full page each day devoted to your comments on the Draft Manifesto. We have received more than 100 con- tributions to this vital discussion. Now we want at least another 100. Workers and their families, youth, students and the un- employed are all invited to join in this discussion. If you haven't got a copy of the Draft Manifesto write to Workers Press or contact your local ATUA branch.

SAYZAD ALI

43-yoar-old machine operator, T. G. Brooks, Leicester. He has Ilvald in Britain for 40 years, but has a family in Beane Bayar, Shiher, Bangla Desh I find the Workers Press interest- ing and I think it has always correctly supported BanglaDesh. More than that, it fights not internationally it coreetly points out that the Tories must be forced to resign-they who cause unemployment and redun- dancies. I am very glad and think it correct that India is now help- ing the Bangla Desh people, but workers India and Bengal must be for socialism. This is clearly stated in the ATUA Manifesto. As the Manifesto points out, we must fight against those who should be fighting—like the trade leaders and those Com- union munist Party leaders who refuse to take up a principled stand against the Tories.

BOB THURSTANS

A 29-year-old BSc, MSc Grad.

Cort.Éd., Lecturer in Physics, City of Lelcester Polytechnic I think that the Draft Manifesto by adopted the ATUA con- ference in November last year is a and very clear correct appraisal of the situation, both in its understanding of the way the Tories are moving and the very real treachery of the Labour leaders. But more than that, of course, forward it puts guide to a action that must be taken if humanity is to survive. The crisis is taking its toll now of those trained in science who have been taught to believe they were 'God's gift to industry' and some sort of élite. It was at one time very easy to get a good job with a degree physics. Ten years ago, instance, there were only for three applying men jobs, whereas 18 months there ago 40 applicants for one job were at this Poly. One needs a PhD or MSc now- adays. As graduates being are driven out of industry, wage rates are comparatively lower in institutions such as Polytechnics 'Institute (information from of Physics' bulletin November, 1971). What we have taking place is the disintegration of the middle.

class structure and, of taking changes are now place in consciousness. The build- ing of the revolutionary party is the urgent middle- task; these class forces must be won as their disillusionment can force them to the right in this situation. We must struggle for revolu- tionary Marxist theory for the of successful conclusion the struggle for working-class power.

ADRIAN HELIWELL

Steelworker, G&MWU Firth Brown, Sheffield The Draft Manifesto is a forceful being led reminder that by and stagnant a corrupt that government, government office came into by of means putting into practice the theory that the bigger the lies, the more chance you have of getting away with it. This crew who call themselves a government purposely set out to deny nourishment to children by means of robbing them of school Тор : Bengalis demonstrate for the libera milk, also put a curb on the wel- April last year. of old folk and fare generally Above: At a rally just prior to the victory kick the working in December. class in the

18, 1872 PAGE 5

teeth. They've got to be ousted, and the sooner the better, before they do damage any further to the country and the working hace

CHRIS ANDREWS

Steelworker (AUEW) Firth Brown, Sheffiold The of the Draft beginning Manifesto mind the brings to biggest lie of the many that the Tories fed to the electorate their pre-election speeches. Heath said that no decision would be made to the enter Common Market without first consulting the people. He did adhere not to this he knows that the pledge as majority of the people would have rejected it. I don't understand a few of the finer points concerning this but there's one thing I set up. sure of-if the Tories am are not for behind it, it's definitely the benefit of the working class.

There're no "ifs' and "buts' about far as I am it as cerned. This Tory government is hell-bent recreating on con- ditions that prevailed during the 1920s and 1930s, when gang of men were waiting outside the gate to step into your job the moment you stepped out of line which meant making a stand for your basic rights. As if the vicious attacks by Tories the weren't to enough contend with, you've got the treachery of leader- your own ship the Labour in Party and the union leaders as well. lead- ing you up the creek. certainly think that unless the Labour government is next • the llberation of Bangla Desh in not pledged to years socialism. will have no people the victory of the Indian army choice but to look for an altern- ative.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Friday February 18, 1972

BY IAN YEATS

I've been unemployed three figures were 5.2 per cent and 4.7 cent respectively. per months and I've been up a chance of much number of times for a job, job here,' Garry told getting but there's always 30 or 40 Thousands are unemoloved 1,20 will be sacked from Smites they say by April another blokes at the exchange and they say "Nothing for you".

Industries, Alcoa, Neath Brewers What are you expected to and british Alumınium. do?' 'I've been to a Covericl Twenty-two-year-old Garry 'but training centre,' said Garry, Jenner thought of something.

He I'm a general labourer really. I've decided join the Wales to been fitter's mate, welder's 200- You Right-to-took Socialists their Anything mate and labourer. mile march to anything lay hands Call lily London and he is now secretary the dole dishes out to me.'

of the regional Right-to-Work The highest number of Welsh

COHLICE.

unemployed construction are in He told me nat cater near 8.5 per followed by 3.6 cent first Swansea station: per cent of general labourers and thought three weeks' march to 3.4 per cent of those in distribu- would be great, but London tion. I heard the lads talking when 'The Tories are going to build I looked upon it as something up, said worth fighting for. 'The people in the YS in Swan- Garry. 'That's all they ever do. They're sea are true blokes and I think monev-grabbers. will They're not concerned with the people rally round, especi- working as they ally when they see the march.

I know lot of can do a hard day's work.

people say "They want people in work to a trotskyist movement, bet here don't like us because were work harder and if they. don't there'll be outside the agree with our policies. There people Britain today door ready to walk in.!' other party in Wales 56.334 people are that's putting our policies to the in unskilled categories 2a9 pity working class. unskilled categories. got going vy eve about on the march at the moment and of the jobless are miners, 2.1 per cent transport and it's growing time. And people are politi- communications and 1 per cent getting more For all these cally aware as tney work will us.

'It's a point of thousands jobless there are as only 7,009 unflled vacancies.

far We've as I'm concerned. either got to get the Tories out Even was working I'd only get £18 and that's rubbish.

or they'll hammer us. Garry looked over toward the I might live but not married man with two kids. Hed docks: 'There's not much chance of getting a job in Swansea', he never live on it.' Garry is among the 30 per cent to the wet of Wales' Wales dry a job jobless who are under dock for and 24. With for applications new there were 25 other men in the office for it.' factories falling sharply and daily he others closing Onlv five vears ago-and less— Is com- pletely justified in his pessimism Swansea and neighbouring Port Talbot regarded were wittin capitalist boom areas, part of the Utopian He me. work in this country development which system can t severnside was to rise, phoenix like, along any more. our fathers Severn have fought for we've got to fight the banks of the the ashes of the dying coalfield for again 'The Tories have taken valleys the away the kid's milk and they're having pits have closed, the the right to strike. slashing labour force from go at 100,000 should they'll 38,000, with Imagine Tunne

OVCI

more than 121 mines be away free axed since taking speech as well.' the war, the valleys have died-- but Severnside remains a hope- Commenting on Ireland Garry said: less dream. 'The troops are only there Above Swansea emptied of the to oppress the working class and valley has been the the businessman which threw To they call defe want the Righte it here mines up mountainside villages and only small factories to-Work march the two unite youth in this country-to replaced them. say lo the The valleys of Neath and Tory government that the youth willing to fight, not Swansea became an industrial graveyard of abandoned just the older generation works. 'I think the There are millions will have Meanwhile at Port Talbot the

SNOOTCO

giant steelworks expanded on the a great effect. the dole today and the march complacency generation. Baglan Bay spawned BP's huge will show peope who are on the dole and what they are prepared chemical works and end's and component to do about it' other Garry Down has lost both moved into Swansea. at parents Milford Haven the oil companies living with his uncle on he £4.80 he gets from the dole. set up their sion farm taken its has He said: 'I pay £1.50 rent and recession living on £3 is just pathetic. I've alized evere dar has not materi- farms are enough grub. alized. tank forest of pipes and drums, but cost of living really terrible. is few The change of currency men. was No more factories went Just a larce to pur up prices.

Swansea where yesterday's hopes can't save or get a car. I can't straggle pathetically at the begin- Tories out mysel. of built on have taken all this away ning motorway expectations. And at Port Talbot from the working man. machines and rationaliza- we can build a good new leadership in the tion have formed a grim pattern working class repeated throughout the we can this We area. run country. Unemployment Wales, need those people In and plastics were to €20,000 a year—they don't do the oil where form a science-age base for new work in the country anyway, it's growth industries, has leapt working class. they to do is give productiaisy deals.

Wales' per cent. In Swansea second 5.8 'If we don't fight now, we'll city-it is Der fight. Now and in Port Talbot 5.3 per cent.

never the time Only one month ago comparable to make a stand. It's a known fact in this country that if you want to get anywhere you've got to fight for it. 'You've got to have a Labour government put back to show people who are staunch Labour how they are slaves to the Tories. Give them enough rope to hang themselves. They won't carry out socialist policies and if they won't we'll have to put somebody else in who will!

HEATH'S

DESTROYING

THE

WORKING

CLASS

Porth is in the Rhondda Valley. A town sandwiched between the mountains, was born and will die with coal. Unemployment is at its Highest in the coalfield valleys of S Wales-5.3 per cent overall, but over 10 per cent in specific towns - those totally dependent on black gold. Sharon Seventeen-year-old Wiltshire, who has been out of work practically since she left school, clear about was quite what needed to be done: make a Prime I'd better than Heath,' Minister she told me. 'We want a socialist govern- ment that will fight for us. We don't want Wilson, Heath or anyone else.' Naturally the miners' strike dominates her thinking. miners are not fighting for money any more. They're fighting to get Heath out. When their leaders stop crawling and start fighting, the miners will be a lot better off. 'We've got 1926 here again the only way to today and change it is to get Heath out.

That's why I'm going Young Socialists' Right-to-Work march. Heath's destroying working class and someone's got to stop him. If we don't get him out we're finished. 'The Tories have done nothing for us. Last year's budget only benefited the rich. There was no benefit for the poor at Labour did nothing for us either.

I think the march will have some effect. It will show Heath the working class are doing something. If the Tories could have a war they would. It's the quickest way to get rid of a million.' Sharon left her last job because it was non-union and the pay and conditions were bad. pointed to an ash tray: 'If you make ash trays for a week, what you make in a day pays wages. Who gets the rest? It's about time we had a share in it.'

Sharon's 19-year-old Sandra will be marching with her to London. Sandra said: I believe what we are doing is right. It's about Heath or had time working-class government instead of the Tories.

miners' strike They're middle-class govern- The ment just looking after the rich.

I've been unemployed for eight I months. having was great money in the last job i had (Ell) leaders don't anyone should work for less. better don't want to work 'If you again for what they pay you, they say way to of others get out there's plenty Heath out. around. If the working class the on I think we all together, were Right-to-Work could get the Tories out.'

the

WE SHOULD

GET A PARTY

THAT

WILL FIGHT

There was no

FOR US

all. at have At 20, Alan Saint has heavy responsibilities. He is married doing could with a child and he's been unemployed for a year. il egst told us, he told me at his home forms or forld There are no jobs around here at all bad. and if we and, theyll knocke don't Tories If you us back to 1926. your I'm going the Right-to on Work march, but I don't know if it will have any effect. I read sister the newspapers now, but I didn't use to. 1 want to see about the miners and I want to see about politics. 'Heath has refused to do any- thing He about unemployment. says it's not an emergency, but it is. It should be a General Strike all over the country.

"ff the Tories stay in, it's go- ing to be rough on very workers. When they came into office, they said they were going to do this and that, but they've done nothing. 'Everything has gone up twice much what it was; rent as as food has gone up has gone up, and they've joined the Commor Market when they never should have gone in. Everything's got to go up. 'All we can do is chuck them out and fight for someone who will give us what we want.

'The Tories are not interested in unemployment, yet Heath can go out in his yacht and he's got a few thousand in the bank.

'And I don't think the Queen deserves all that money one bit.

Any person could live on £6,000 or so a year, but she's got millions. If the miners don't go back I think the Tories will stick troops in. Pickets and troops will clash and there will be another Ire- land. "They've put troops in before and I think they'll do it again, but the miners are strong. They'll fight them, and they'll get more support from the working class than they did in 1926. 'I think the troops should get out of N Ireland and leave them alone? very grim indeed. are I've got two 'O' levels

THE MARCH

doing was

IS NOT

Labouring is no good to 1

A PROTEST

I'm cause I left my last job beca

ITS A

18 I was getting £8 a wel

DEMAND

that was no good.' Terry went to training centre on a storek prepared to hang was course, about on the dole for ever, a job. 19-year-old Terry Wilden He said: from Swansea told me. use the people they take centres to training 'But since I met the lads in the the tradesmen so they ci Young Socialists I've realized less. With un- get £5.50 on the do employmesituation ireland, employment and I give £3 to my mother th realize that the Tories are out to got £2.50 to live on. Afte the working class. I've just got to sc cripple day what I can. I thought Ireland was just a but now I know 'Being on the dole is j religious battle, You possible. it's political. With the emergency thing. powers, they could bring in bike, but as it is now or troops against the miners.

I'd be saving up for yea Terry left secondary modern want clothes school only four years ago, yet for months to get anythi he's been out of work for more "The than a quarter of that period. a big step. He said: 'There are just no jobs a demand. We're demand around and employers can be to work, which is right choosy about who they take.

the basic rights the 'If you've got long hair and trying to take away fron someone comes behind you with 'I realize Shant a There you don't stand a something. chance. even choosy back, I'm not about who they have on the walking to London. If it's ash carts. Wines ard walk oichina. "The dole has sent me for things I'd walk to about three jobs in the 14 "The working class I've been unemployed this months about think the youth are doing and the chances of getting work Workers Prose, Friday thing. They'll think "Let's bolt m not leave it to them. Let's get got two 'O' levels and I out far awa shop work and help them get rid of before. this would ring is no good to me be- Tory government. "Thei I'm not built for it. and I 'If we don't get the Tories out eft my last job because at march now, in about a year or so we're was getting £8 a week and youth going to have nothing. to look Everything Young the 'My to a government Socialists have said is truth. It's ig centre on a storekeepers' doing: fact. Everything they've said they , but he still couldn't get time do they will will do, but they says I' can't do it on their own. They've They're trying to 'But got have the working to class the le people they take in behind them.' cause, use against work radesmen so they can pay to. It'

THE

workin et €5.50 on the dole and fight.

SITUATION

€3 to my mother then I've 'My

IN THIS

2.50 to live on. After Sun- army :

COUNTRY IS

I've just got to scrounge be just

ALL WRONG

wouldn ng on the dole is just im- it. Aft can't buy any- army, 'If we don't fight now the I'd like to have a motor situatic but as it is now on £2.50 Tories will step on us, wouldn If I saving up for years 'The Swansea born Peter Peiick 've go to save is all (18) told me. 'A Right-to- onths to get anything. capitali e Right-to-Work march is Work march like this is very want t step. It's not a protest it's urgent. Unemployment gets They r We're demanding the they s higher and higher every day.

which is of one Young Socialists asic rights the Tories are are countr fighting for the right of every to take away from us. to bus we've got to do youth to a future. have It's no ment? use sitting It's grim round here very worried about 'All rving to get a iob. I've been un ng to London. If it's worth- go on moloved 15 weeks. I was a fork and it's going to change and lift driver until the firm I worked China. becaus for put 25 off. class will hear youth, march and they'll "The offered me Everyb exchange a the youth are doing some- job as a roadsweeper and as a what t

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Friday February' railway When American embarked on workers national strike in 1877, pull- ing many other workers- especially miners-in behind them, and even occupying a big city like St Louis for some days, the American employers themselves under the shadow of the Paris Com- mune. The slum population of all the great US cities sank to new depths of misery in the course of which followed the depression the business panic of 1873. On September 18 that year, the Wall St firm of Jay Cooke and Co suspended. This was was followed by a train of similar disasters. 1873-1877 the bank- From ruptcy rate doubled and unem- In mounted rapidly. ployment with unemploy- January 1874, million (with, of at 5 ment course, a much smaller popula- immense than now) i an tion workers' demonstration, led by socialists, was attacked by police in New York City. the nationwide rail- It was road strike of July 1877 that brought things to a head.

The railroads had fallen on avil days. Only one of 15 lines to St Louis, for tributary example, was paying dividends.

As the private empires of the railroad tycoons battled it out, the chief beneficiary was John D.

Rockefeller's Standard Oil Com- pany, the first of the great trusts.

this time, the Civil War over, the conservative white lead- ers in the s were taking their indus- stand with the northern trialists against labour militancy.

was no national workers' There federation in The existence. American Federation of Labour was not formed until 1881. The closest to such an organization was the Order of the Knights of Labour, having about 5,000 members. Thus there was no central direction of the great railroad strike. It was probably the largest spontaneous outbreak of working-class unrest in US history. Working on the railways was then a most hazardous occupa- Railmen were frequently tion. flung to their deaths trying to work the clumsy handbrakes or maimed working the link and pin coupling. The employers seldom, if ever, paid. any compensation. the railroad corporations And made up their losses in the rate wars by shoddy operating prac- tices and ruthless wage cuts.

Earnings were pared down and unpaid labour demanded - fire- men were required to clean the engine (a two-hour job) after each trip for no extra money.

Passenger brakemen the on Baltimore and Ohio line suffered wage-cuts between 1875 three and 1877. These conditions led to several strikes between 1876 and 1877, all of which were crushed by the use of the Pinker- ton and other 'detective' agen- cies. The immediate cause of the 1877 strike was a new 10-per- cent wage cut, which the estab- lished unions-such as they were .. made no attempt to resist.

The strike began on the Balti- more and Ohio line at Martins- burg, W Virginia, on july 17.

Union he trainmens ninet Then a newly stopped all traffic on the Pennsyl- vania railroad. strikers throwing up barricades in Batte were more. The same day, the Mary- militia killed strikers land and injured 18. Within a few days the strike spread as far West as Chicago, St Louis and Kansas City and 100,000 men were out.

Local, autonomous committees of workers sprang up in railroad every rail centre. Frequently the strike spread beyond the railroads — in St Louis, Toledo, Kansas City and February 18, 1972 Chicago it reached the propor- tions of a General Strike.

The employers were terrified —it was only six years after the Paris Commune. When the W Virginia militia refused to shoot down strikers, _ John • W. Garret, president of the Baltimore and railroad, immediately Ohio demanded federal troops who would shoot to kill. One of the famous God-men of the time, the Henry Beecher, told Rev wealthy Brooklyn congregation: 'God has intended the great to be great and the little to be little •. the trade unions, organized under the European system, destroy liberty ... I do not say that a dollar a day is enough to support a working ... Not enough to sup- man port a man and five children if he insists on smoking and drink- ing beer. ... But the man who cannot live on bread and water is not fit to live!' This fear was expressed even more vividly by the two most important St Louis newspapers: Canaille!' 'Reign the screamed the 'Republican'. 'Glut- ted with Gore!' shrieked the 'Globe-Democrat'. What terrified these mouthpieces of respectable opinion, was that in St Louis the strike came under the leader- ship of a socialist organization, formed by German immigrants, called the Workingmen's Party.

This organization included former members of the Interna- tional Workingmen's Association (First International). In Pittsburgh, the military had been overwhelmed by the strik- ers. Railroad chiefs all over the country urged that the strikers should be considered to be wag- ing against the United war States. President Hayes declared that 'domestic insurrections' had occurred in W Virginia, Mary- land, Pennsylvania and S Illin- ois. Within two days all the main railways in the US and some in Canada were affected. As well as the General Strikes mentioned earlier, large-scale strikes were reported in Indian- apolis, Terre Haute, Columbus, Cincinatti, Louisville, Pittsburg and Baltimore. Pennsylvania's Governor said a 'general insurrection' was in pro- gress and the Governor of Cali- fornia urged President Hayes to into San send naval vessels Francisco harbour. The Mayor of Chicago called. for troops with Gatling guns. In New York 14,000 police and soldiers, plus the seventh regiment of the National Guard, were called in to a socialist meet- ing in Tomkins Square, scene of bloodily-suppressed unem- ployment demonstration of the winter of 1872-1873. Some employers began to The Pacific retreat. Missouri granted a wage increase of 25 cents a day. The Iron Mountain line rescinded a 10-per-cent imposed six months wage cut earlier. The Union Railway and Transit Company withdrew a scheduled wage reduction.

The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific also came to terms. The Hannigal and St Joseph line cancelled wage-cuts and made them up for the pre- vious three months. But employers were too frightened, especially when miners joined the strike-as 100,000 did in the northern coalfields Pennsylvania. The thing had to be crushed. New York 'Independ- As the ent'-one of the leading religious journals of the timedeclared: 'If the club of the policeman, knocking out the brains of the does then rioters, the remedy is bullets and ets, canister and grape-with no sham or pretence, but with fear- ful and destructive reality!'

So troops were called in-the ruling class forgot the soon enmity of Union and Confeder- ates; both were united against the workers. Top: President R. B. Hayes. Above: riol recruited, Volunteers were militias formed and government arms provided. The greatest force was gathered in St Louis and E St Louis, which had been entirely in the control of the strikers for five days. The employers were the most up-to-date given weapons from the state arsenal and 3,000 at Jefferson City militia were armed. Two army generals were placed their disposal — an ex-general in the Unionist Army, General Smith, and an ex-general in the Con- federate army, General Marma- duke. In addition, police cavalry was brought in and foot police armed bayoneted with muskets. One thousand federal troops were sent to the area with a further eight companies along the lines of the different railroads to St bove: riots in Chicago in 1877 Louis and one more company at the central relay depot.

The strikers' force consisted of 500 men, mostly unarmed. In this way the railroad block- ade was broken. Although the 1877 strike was defeated, it did have important consequences for the American labour movement. One of these was negative. When the Ameri- can Federation of Labour was formed shortly afterwards, it was rigidly anti-socialist and barred its doors to the unskilled work- ers, especially the Negroes, who had been the most determined in the strike. But the strike also showed workers what they could do, and so made a break in the steady drift to demoralization that growing unemployment and wage-cutting had created.

In 1878 the Workingmen's Party became the Socialist Lab- the right wing was diting ause because collaboration with the employers (mainly a collaboration of work- German origin with ers employers of German origin), the left wing formed the Revolu- tionary Socialist Party. After World War I, many of the best workers in this tradi- tion became founder members of the American Communist Party, itself later to be destroyed by Stalinism.

SOURCES:

'History of the Labour Move- ment in the US', P. Foner.

Reign of the Rabble', D. T. Burbank. '1877: Year of Violence', R. V.

Bruce.

Pit Life In County Durham.

By Dave Douglass. • Workshop Pamphlet No. History 6. Price 60p, 92 pages. Reviewed by Jack Gale. Histories of miners usually centre around the doings of the area executives and the full-time officials whose acti- vities are presented as those of the miners as a whole.

In fact, a three-sided struggle is constantly in progress in the pits between men, management officials who and the full-time frequently negotiate agreements which are unsatisfactory to the bulk men and then spend the of their time trying to ram them down the miners' throats.

In this history of the Durham miners from the formation of the Durham Miners' Association in 1869 to the 1910 strike against the eight-hour day agreement, Dave Douglass attempts to re- dress the balance. He presents some useful material, though much of it is taken from Wel- bourne's 'The Miners of North- umberland and Durham'. From its inception, the DMA conciliation adopted a policy of and was more in conflict with the men than with the owners and their agents. At the first Durham Gala in 1872, for in- stance, the DMA banner carried a picture of an arbitration board with the caption: 'In the past we have been enemies, the future let us be friends.'

(Individual lodge banners car- ried a different emphasis. After the Russian Revolution, some of them bore pictures of Lenin.)

The early DMA leaders were among the most prominent of the 'Lib-Labs'. The first leader of the Association. Methadist Crawford, was a who bit- prominent terly opposed strikes and became a Liberal MP in 1885. One of his John Wilson, successors, was president of the Northern Liberal Federation. These leaders accepted that wages should be subordinated to the market, setting up one of the earliest arbitration boards-the Joint Committee of the DMA and the coal owners, whose decisions were supposed to be binding on the men. They also signed the Sliding Scale agree- ment under which wages were tied to the market price of coal.

During the depression of the late 1870s, the DMA leaders accepted after wage cut for wage cut their members. When the men struck against this, the DMA sent out a special circular condemning them, which Douglass reproduces in full (p50).

It declares, in part: Those who lay down pits [i.e. strike] illegally and uncon- stitutionally . • • [are] laying themselves open to the law. We know of no law which is more equitable than the English law of master and servant, but it treats with the utmost severity those who lay down works in contravention to its provisions.'

Again and again, the DMA attempted hald back to the miners. In 1879, 35,000 Durham miners struck against the owners' attempts to impose a 20 per cent reduction in underground wages and 12 per cent in surface wages.

After nearly six weeks, the DMA accepted reductions of 8.75 per cent underground and 6.75 on the surface, amid a storm of hos- tility from its members. In 1890, when 40,000 out of 53,000 voted for a strike against a 10-per-cent wage reduction, the leadership sold it out after ten weeks. In 1910, the Durham strike against the eight-hour day settle- ment was particularly violent. (In Durham, this involved the intro- duction of night-shift and three- shift working. Also, by produc ng more coal, it would lower prices and, with them, wages.) During this struggle, 10,000 invaded Gateshead miners to demonstrate against John John- a DMA official who son, «was standing in a parliamentary election. Pits which were still working were invaded and smashed up. Despite the right-wing leader- ship, which after World War II became-in the persons of Will Lawther and Sam Watson-the strongest support for the Attlee- Gaitskell leadership in the Labour Party, there is a powerful history of class struggle in the Durham coalfield. Some places were known as 'red' villages—including Thorn- Chopwell, ley, Seaton Delaval and Wardley. The latter was known as 'little Moscow' in the 1920s, while old miners still claim that down Seaton Delaval colliery you could see for many years the heads of scabs who were de- capitated by cables stretched across the roadways! Real hatred for the owners existed in these villages. One of the causes of this was the bosses' haste to seal off a face if a fire broke out. They did this to save property, regardless of whether any men were still trapped alive.

In 1881, riots broke out at Sea- ham when this was done with 30 miners still missing. Douglass' book provides valuable picture of this period.

But the author—a former miner from Tyneside and Yorkshire, now a second year student at Ruskin College, Oxford-really must stop giving himself airs.

For instance, a few years ago he founded a paper called "The Mineworker' • This paper, some- what grandiosely, claims to be the 'Political Organ of the Mine- workers' Internationale' and, we are told, it 'co-operates fully with such revolutionary organizations as the Goole Constituency Labour Party Young Socialists'l (The Mineworker' January- February, 1972.) Douglass is a of supporter Posadas and claims that his is read by miners in paper Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia and other places, 'but chiefly in Don- caster' As to its reception in Argen- tina, Mexico, Bolivia et al, we can say little. But we can say, without fear contradiction, that it is practically unknown in Doncaster. Workers Press, F The W German government its financial has withdrawn support for uranium prospect- ing in Namibia (SW Africa).

The federal government bore 75 per cent of the German share of prospecting • costs which the Urangeselischaft MBH concern in Frankfurt was conducting in collabora- tion with the British firm Rio Tinto Zinc. A spokesman for Urangesell- schaft said uranium reserves near Roessing in the South African-administered territory could total over 100,000 tons, or about 10 per cent of esti- mated world reserves. Exploration has already shown that the reserves could the cheapest be among to mine in the world, costing well under 10 dollars (about four Sterling) per pound (0.45 grammes) of uranium kilo oxide. West German government support for the exploration drew strong criticism on poli- tical grounds, both in Germany and from several black Afri- can countries. A. Wedgwood Benn While the Germans are get- ting out of the prospecting project, not an ounce of pres- sure is being exerted on • the major company involved, Rio Tinto Zinc, head- whose quarters are in London. It was the Labour govern- and in ment, particular Anthony Wedgwood Benn, who gave permission for RTZ to work in SW Africa. And chairman of the company, Sir Val. Duncan, was brought in by Wilson's govern- ment to examine the Foreign Office administration. When Heath was elected he appointed a senior RTZ execu- tive to his Whitehall staff. The RTZ company is described as being 'well connected'. the Peoples' Republic In China, preparations are going ahead swinging y arrival on February 21, of the head of the American lic, Richard Nixon. i8 Press, Friday February 18, 1972 PAGE 9 Part of the ceremonies will be the All-China State Ban- quet—a 20-course eating bon- anza which Chairman Mao will go through with Nixon. As Nixon and Mao chat matily through the courses, American planes will continue to bomb, kill and maim Viet- namese peasants but . . . no hard feelings •.. perhaps just a little twinge of indigestion?

First of all they will tuck into a little something called Ten Variety Tapestry • Hors d'Oeuvres. It will be followed by sweet melon from Sinkiang, sweet and sour crispy Yellow River Carp, Peking duck, braised sharks fin, bird's nest with pigeon eggs Cantonese, Yunnan steam-distilled chicken, braised frogs legs and finally the Yangtse Lion - a giant meatball garnished with noodles and spinach. According to Kenneth H. C.

Lo, a former diplomat and author of Chinese cookery books, the present banquet is not up to the style of the old dynastic banquets which apparently had up to 100 courses. added: 'The He present regime has been trying not to overdo these affairs'. (!)

Faces to pale were seen throughout London's expense- account belt last week even in the candlelight gloom of a power cut. The cause of this sudden draining away of expensive, 70-per-cent proof blood? Kati- na's astrological advice for the day in the Beaverbrook-owned 'Evening Standard'. Some bosses' birthdates was under- taken when a few superstitious idlers found the following advice for Leos (July 24- August 23): 'If you are an employer, check up on your expenses on staff, plant and machinery. It that money is being seems wasted.' 'Standard' journalists The themselves drew sighs of relief when they discovered that neither editor Charles Wintour, nor managing direc- tor Jocelyn Stevens was a Leo.

The closest, they discovered, was Beaverbrook boss Sir Max Aitken (February 15). The following day, however, it was Stevens who announced 200 redundancies on the paper.

Astrologyy is believed to be a not-very-popular conversation topic down Fleet St just at present....

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Incomes smokescreen 'PAGE 10 Workers Press, Friday Februa THE MINERS' strike has produced more talk of a so-called 'National Incomes Policy from both Tories and Labourites. The Tory government, of course, already has an policy. It is to hold comes wage increases in the public sector down to 7 per cent or 8 per cent and to encourage private employers to do the same. All talk of an 'incomes policy' is a smokescreen behind which the government seeks to hold down wages by using the col- laboration of the reformist trade union leaders, while profits, prices and production all soar. Promises that prices could also be restricted under such a policy are fraudulent. Last year the Confederation of Industry 'accepted' British voluntary 5 per cent ceiling on price increases. In lact, prices vent up an average of 6 per cent with some commodities- like vil (17 per cent up), chemi- manufactured food cals, steel, products-in- and engineering creasing substantially more than that. Even this does not tell the which loom whole story. Items largest in a workers' budget have gone up the most. Food prices went up by more than 10 per cent last year and have gone up by 15 per cent since the Tories came to power. means, of course, that (This any union leadership which accepts a wage increase of 10 per or less has agreed to an cent actual decrease in its members' living standards compared with a year ago.) But the flimsy even current 'restraint is unlikely to price Economist' last. 'The reports that the vast majority of CBI members are against renewing the voluntary hold-back on prices when the present agree- ment lapses in July. Prices--.

particularly of clothing - are likely to rise considerably then.

OUTPUT UP

JOBLESS UP

Meanwhile, the latest CBI In- dustrial Trends Survey calls for 'greater moderation of wage de- mands'. The employers clearly intensification of the want an 1971 trend in which output was increased as unemployment grew.

Jobs were wiped out at a rate of almost 1,000 a day last year, while output was up by 6 per cent. And increased production was highest in those industries where the Tory offensive against wages was strongest-gas, water and electricity supply. This is clear proof that wages are not related to productivity, but to the determination with which the worker fights to get a higher price for his labour power. lay February 18, 1972 While the miners have been on s gas supply workers have settled fo cent-less than the Coal Board's unions involved are the G&MWU, and the 'notably unmilitant' T&GW The Tories are already using their inco in London this week in their thousands It has been the collaboration of the trade union officials which has enabled the Tories to hold 'Financial down. As the wages Times' said on February I: 'Until the miners started their strike, had had con- the government in holding siderable success down public wage rises to its This was especially going rate. true in industries such as buses, local government and atomic energy where the Transport and General Workers' Union, which is notably unmilitant at present, and the moderate General and Workers' Union are Municipal strong! (Our emphasis.) Carworkers, on the other hand, have been able to smash through the government's wages policy. To quote 'The Economist' of February 5: 'When a company has its back to the wall as Chrysler has, with its share of the market falling, one of its major plants on strike and men laid off at another, the public interest is not going to figure very much in its calculations of what price is worth paying for peace. 'Chrysler's price, after a four- at Linwood, week shut-down near Paisley, was an extra £5 a week now, with the promise of more later, which is equivalent to a 15 per cent increase in earn- ings? It was a similar climb-down by Chrysler that broke the gov- ernment's wages policy last year, een on strike, leaders of water and settled for increases of 7 and 7} per • Board's offer to the miners. The &MWU, led by Lord Cooper (right), t' T&GWU, led by Jack Jones.

BIHAN 2

their Incomes policy—7 to 8 per cent norm when the Linwood men won a 17-per-cent increase. In other words, wage rates are determined the class through struggle and not through some agreement worked out between the TUC and the government. It is in this situation that the role of the right wing and 'lefts' in the trade union leadership be- comes clear. While the miners have been on strike, leaders of the workers in the water and gas supply indus- tries have settled for increases of 7 per cent and 74 per cent re- spectively-less than the Coal Board's last offer to the miners.

The unions involved have been led the G&MWU, by Lord 'notably un- Cooper, and the militant T&GWU led by the 'left' Jack Jones. The power workers, as every miner knows, got 77 per cent, thanks to the casting vote of electricians' wing union right leader Frank Chapple, while the 'left' Hugh Scanlon pulled out of a fight for a national increase for the engineers. As the 'Financial Times' said on February 16: 'If a really suc- cessful (wages) policy is ever designed it will rest not on gov- ernment fiat, but on the accep- tance of industry and the unions.'

The reformist trade union leaders would dearly love to reach such an agreement. But —as the carworkers and the miners have shown-getting their members to accept it is another matter...'' ness it norm-against the miners who rallied To quote the 'Financial Times' again: 'Even the most ardent proponents of a formal system under which incomes would be decided are unable to demon- strate that anything of the kind would actually work' The only basis on which it would 'work' would be if a vic- torious Tory government could impose its own conditions on a defeated working class: That is what Heath and company would dearly love to do. Make the Tory government resign! Return a Labour government pledged to restore full employ- repeal all against the unions! BARNSLEY: Sunday February 20, 7 p.m. 'The Victoria', , Dar- field. 'The miners' strike and the Tory government'. Speaker: A Yorkshire miner. DAGENHAM: Wednesday February 23, 8 p.m. Room 11, East Ham Town Hall. 'Labour must force a General Election.'

DOCKS UNION leaders have started talks with the em- ployers which could seriously undermine the fight against redundancy in the industry.

On the eve of a national meet- ing of port stewards in Man- tomorrow, the officials chester have agreed to the setting-up of a joint working party to discuss voluntary new proposals for severance. Meanwhile, in London today, the employers" campaign to cut the dock labour force continues; 39 men employed at the Royal docks by. Southern Stevedores could face return to. The port employers, who des- perately want to cut the 44,000; register national strong dockers, have now proposed a two-tier voluntary severance scheme which would improve payments to older or sick men.

maximum At the present, severance payment is £1,800. The for d"new unions are pressing general rate of £3,000, but the employers want £2,800 to be offered only to some men.

If the union leaders agree to this, it would give the employers an agreement in principle to cut the register-an agreement they would make full use of in their campaign for compulsory severance. So far the national port stewards' committee has shown to deal with itself unprepared this kind of manoeuvre. There is to be no repetition today of the token strike which stopped London last Friday dur- ing appeals against return to the unattached pool by 46 dockers' employed by T. Wallis Smith Coggins Ltd. But there will be a lobby of the appeal by the Southern to a four-man Stevedores men joint committee. If, as expected, the committee is deadlocked, a meeting of the London Dock Labour Board on Monday will appoint fivé-man tribunals with a barrister as 'independent' chairman to make final decisions. A decision against the men could lead to a national unofficial strike. In Hull on Monday, 244 men from the now-defunct Cargo Operation Ltd were returned to the pool. On Tuesday the docks stopped for a meeting, but there was no strike. The Hull stewards, however, have added to the general con- fusion with the proposal that they themselves go into business as port employers. Unless such ideas are firmly combated Saturday, dockers will have their hands tied in the fight against the port employers and their own union leaders.

Union leaders are proved to have been in secret talks with port employers since soon after the Tories came to power about possible abolition of the present statutory guarantee of dock jobs.

WILLESDEN:

Monday 8 p.m. Trades February 28, and Labour Hall, High Road, NW 10. 'Labour must force a General Election' W LONDON: Tuesday Febru- ary 29, 8 p.m. Prince Albert Wharfedale Rd, off York Way isis Cross. 'Crisis of capital- SW LONDON: Tuesday February 29, 8 p.m. Small Hall, Clapham Clapham Manor Manor Baths, St, SW4. 'Labour must force a General Election'.

Heavy bombing of N as Nixon heads for Peking

AROUND THE WORLD

Americans vietnam US

AIR

strikes are the and 948 wounded, one- wished artillery supplies third up on the previous seize being and un m means. He called the demilitarized zone for an expected N Viet- namese offensive, are There on the us to accept ln oiN Vietnam as Nixon be only a few hundred seven - point ticularly field North's sets off on his China advisers and American peace plan. visit. US at said the talks sources 1лe are the that raids 'to counter in the northern present held up claimed bombs fell on populated security of boycott of the US and Vietnamese and that two US within who «1C00 bombers against Dianes were

SO HOW

une protesting and some crewmen cap- tion of these new offen- now attacking. holding of a large anti- a Nixon tured. The US accused near Paris last weekend. using heavy claimed five of the further his election using that wal been based in the DOmOCrS land and Guam, as well Xuan Thuy, head of Vietnam planes While American the N Vietnamese dele- claimed US dead that seven Vietnam op Tonikin from the Gulf had lasL

WEEK

blanes been Wednesday only two, peace and Thursday. down The US aim is to halt Vietnam lost 360 dead He insisted that the Bangla Desh Soviet press cash warning = 'criticism' to

KURT

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secretary-general, Naulons ported vesterday large-scale misery and hunger' in Bangla Desh during rest counteract trip will €226m. He

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LATOON

Day day. 5.50 NE: 640 Out ottom 6.00 6.25 place. 7.00 7.00 London. 8.30 9.00 Sonden. 8.30 On buses. Both leekend. ends meet. 9.00 London. 10.30 11.10 night. 10.30 10.35 Fomo The See 12.05 Film: Black Sheep'. News. 12.15 Weather. Tutor the shado 10.20 Schools. 2.30 into ogae Women OnES: 10520 Seronment 3.10 Nom crossroads: only. Newsroom Crossroads Perky. oNes. 5. 5 Tom News. 5.50 News. Today. .30 London 7.00 London. 10.30 On the buses. London. Persauders. Rugby. 11.30 Department S. London 10.30 Film: "The 12.15 News. 2.30 Weather System'. 12.30 Epi- West Wales and the and HTV Cymru/Wales 10.20 Schools. 3.30 *Westo esto10.30 ex- Report Kiri. 3.45 4.55 econd Look. 6.01 6.20 West est 10.*Second News. Report Magoo. 6.30 7.00 6.35 30 Jimmy London. Both end camera. Look. London. 10.30 11.05 3.55 Newsroom. 4.00 Homicidate all ar Late

ANGLIA:

4.55 Bortom of break. 4.25 room Falls the parkland. Anglia. 6.35 Cross- About 7.00 8.30 Both

GRAMPIAN:

roads. London. Schools. 3.38 ends es. 11.00 Film: 9.00 I nobe Patient 10.30 News. Simon' Locke. 4.10 "The Perky, tan. 4.55 Bygones. loga. Flintstones. Tom Vanishes' 5.50 Mor cond

ATV

weather. Horoscope. 00 Stuart Gillies. town. Gillies 1.10 Julia. 9.00 10.30 Lost space. 101.00® Film: hill Space: 12.25 Today. 6.35 Crossroads 7 heroes. 11.00 Comedians. 7.30 Monster from Outer Space'.

Persuaders. Timmy Stewart. 9.00 London.

10.30 Epilogue.

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Friday February SUSPICION is growing on the leaders and Communist Party have done a secret deal with Davies. On Monday, CP stewards Airlie will hold their second n the board of Govan Shipbuild The meeting takes place just a week after Reid, Airlie and boilermakers' leader Dan McGarvey saw Davies in Lon- don. And despite previous assurances from the stewards, it will be concerned with working conditions. Up to now, the official position of the

UCS

stewards' co- ordinating committee has been that there will be no 'meaningful discussions' with the board un- less the future of all four yards and the whole labour force is firmly guaranteed. An 'agreement in principle' on co-operation is already • thought to have been reached, however.

This is despite the fact that the government has not announced its decision on feas- ibility studies Linthouse and Scotstoun yards, that the future of Clydebank is still uncertain and that orders are drying up.

PRESSURE

The stewards are thought to have entered their current talks with Govan chairman Lord Strathalmond under pressure from both Davies and McGarvey.

After contacting the head of Marathon Manufacturing, Texas oil-rig firm interested buying Clydebank, McGarvey. is thought to have held out high hopes of a firm bid. Marathon • would want only 2,000 of the yard's 2,600 wor- kers, however. And there are will demand rumours a legally-binding, no-strike agree- ment. During last Monday's talks at the Department of Trade and Industry, Davies is believed to have told the stewards that the government will not guarantee the £25m needed to start Govan without concessions on wages and conditions. Significantly, of no report Wednesday's meeting between Strathalmond and the UCs stewards appeared in yesterday's 'Morning Star'.

LATE NEWS

NEWS DESK

01-720 2000

CIRCULATION

01-622 7029 DECISION to shut industry from Wednesday if picketing 'in no way continues is Machiavellian', Industry Mini- ster John Davies claimed.

withdrew, but If pickets : "full-blooded bal- NUM calls lot, electricity could still be at essential-services-only level in fortnight. Of particular concern was railwaymen's refusal to cross picket lines-sometimes only 'notional' ones-with conse- quent shortage of lighting-up SUSPICION is growing on the upper Clyde that union leaders and Communist Party shipyard stewards may have done a secret deal with Industry Minister John On Monday, CP stewards James Reid and James Airlie will hold their second meeting in six days with

WIDGERY MEETS

GROWING WALL

OF OPPOSITION

OPPOSITION

the to terms of reference of the Widgery inquiry into the Derry massacre is grow- ing in N Ireland. Lord Widgery's announce- that his inquiry would ment only deal with events iniche ry January 30—in which people were killed a over period of about half an hour- has resulted in a widespread boycott of the inquiry

- •CIL-

cularly by relatives of those killed and eye witnesses Although they consider the

WEATHER

THE EXTREME N and NW of Scotland have occas ona SE rain. England will start cloudy, but sos with in rain places, bright inter-

DULIC

vas are expecreo ater All other areas will be dry with good sunny spells, especially the W, but fog patches Sullc with Irost in places at first. Temperatúres will be generally near normal Outlook for Saturday and Generally Sundav: raLder Cole with mist or fog patches at times and frost also some intervals. scotlana and sulllly N Ireland wil lave sore oykae or rain with near normal tem- peratures. Distere bished wsrr London Street, t, Londo MR JOHN DAVIES, the Sec- retary for Trade and Indus- try, yesterday announced fur- ther restrictions in electricity use from next Wednesday. Under the new Draconian MINERS' president Joe Gormley said yesterday that pickets would be called off immediately if Support for the miners continues to s These youth from Archbishop Temple visited Battersea power station yesterdi pickets and show their support.

of them said. 'They've got to beat this gor nature of the inquiry to be lawyers acting for the hostile, bereaved feel they can get some- thing out of it if the terms of reference are broadened to allow investigation of para-military and government decisions. considering Some lawyers are a High Court challenge over of the Widgery's interpretation terms of reference on the basis resolution of the Commons passed in setting up the in- quiry. They say that since this states: 6 That a tribunal be estab- lished for inquiring into... the Sunday, January 30, events on which led to loss of life include investigation •• it should into all relevant matters con- nected with the events. Others bave pointed out that if the terms are so narrow as to exclude the autopsy and foren- sic test evidence, then any pos- sibility of Derry people regard- ing the inquiry as serving any useful purpose would be non- existent.

IRISH T&GWU

CAMPAIGNS

AGAINST

INTERNMENT

THE 150,000 strong Irish Trans- General Workers' port and Union has launched a campaign to mobilize all its members• to fight to end internment in Ireland. The union has instructed all of its 140 branches in the 32 counties that peaceful marches and protest campaigns be staged to bring an end to the 'corrupt administrations and despotic which have been created and caused the terrible conditions of oppression in the Six Counties'.

measures only essential ser- domestic or industrial'. His drastic announcement on the eve of the Wilberforce findings the Wilberforce report due out today recom- mends enough money. If we decided to recom- nues to snowball in the working class.

Temple school In Lambeth, London, n yesterday after school to talk to the t. 'We are right behind the miners, one at this government.' Vauxhall loses £4.2m VAUXHALL yesterday reported a £4.2m loss in the second half of 1971 as a result of spiralling costs and a 'serious decline' in truck sales. Over the year as a whole the motor company showed a pre- tax profit of £1,810,000, how- ever. And tax refunds lifted the net profit to £2,613,000 compared with the £9,438,000 loss sustained in 1970. Miners march A MASS demonstration of wor- kers marched through Sheffield yesterday of the in support miners. More than 1,000 miners other local trade unionists and joined together to march to the City Hall where a rally was held.

Glass will FORMER chairman of the huge glass manufacturers, Pilkington Brothers Limited, Geoffrey Lang- ton Pilkington, left £820,684 in his will published yesterday. He 1909 joined the family firm in and was chairman from 1939 to 1949. matter what

PRIME

MINISTER

Edward Heath has told 'Le Monde, the French that newspaper Ulster prob miners' strike and will not affect Britain's lems entry into the Common Market.

Heath threatened to resign if the government lost last night's House of Commons vote on joining the community. Questioned about opinion polls supporting the miners and show- his own unpopularity, he ing 'We do not said: give much consideration to opinion polls. If we had done so, we would not have won the last election.'

is a move to pressure the NUM executive into accepting the inquiry recommendations. Whether industry shuts down or not, next Wednesday de- pends on what the executive decides. See LATE NEWS. mend acceptance, there is no doubt that we would recom- mend also that the pickets should be lifted right away,' he said in a BBC-radio inter- view. He added that the union execu- tive would be standing by all day today to decide its attitude to the report. Balloting of the membership could be completed by Sunday week. Union members, however, con- inued vigorous picketing yester- the support of other day with rank-and-file trade unionists.

And last night the Central Generating Board Electricity imposed extra 5 per cent cuts on top of the 15 per cent rota blackouts—cutting off medium- risk consumers. Two outside Ministers were called into a Cabinet meeting yesterday. They were Chief Secretary to the Treasury Maurice Macmillan and Attorney-General Sir Peter Rawlinson. Lay-offs were stepped up all over the country, with the total figure by last night expected to approach 2 million. From tonight 21,500 Ford wor-: kers will be laid off at Dagenham, joining the 23,500 Austin-Morris workers sent home in the Mid- lands by British-Leyland.

At Thames Haven, Essex, rail- men continued to refuse to move oil products from two of Britain's belonging to biggest refineries Mobil and Shell. Six more pickets were arrested at Longannet power station, Fife.

ALEX EADIE (Lab, Mid- lothian) yesterday urged the of Com- Leader of the House mons • William Whitelaw to consult with the Scottish Sec- retary and the Lord Advocâte over the Longannet pickets who were arrested and detained in custody, and the charges which were levelled against these men.

Mr Whitelaw agreed to have consultations, but added: You will appreciate that it is a long- standing position in this country that matters of law are very properly not things which govern- ments can interfere with.'

• SEE WHAT WE THINK p 2. WE APOLOGISE to those readers — particularly postal subscribers — who may be experiencing delays in the delivery of Workers Press.

Despite the government's power-cuts policy, are we endeavouring to get your copy to you at the usual time.

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