RECTOR REID HAS A LOT TO HIDE

James Reid, Rector of Glasgow university and leader of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders' work-in, has promised 'make available the creative ability of the work-force' at Clydebank for the Texan magnate Wayne Harbin of Marathon Manufacturing Harbin is demanding fouryear no-strike pledge and he is currently working out a procedure agreement to accommodate this provision with the shoreid, a member of the natignal shop stewards. executive of the Communist Part honour the agreement we told 'The Times': 'We reach not only in the letter but In the spirit. But always providing it is reciprocated.

He added.. these extravagant words of praise for _the Tory government: 'If Marathon now agrees to take on Clydebank then what has emerged is the prospect of a really modern shipbuilding industry on the upper reaches of the Clyde.

I can only applaud the government's courage [!] in taking these initiatives. It makes economic and social sense.' This is the language of the ultra-right in the Labour movement. Agreement along the lines Reid and Harbin have in mind will make Clydeside the first meration ustry in which the full operation the Industrial Relations Act is. accepted, no-strike clauses and all.

Many workers may be surprised to see that while even his G Coral and Municipal Woll kers' Union back from registration, it should be the Communist Party which steps into the breach and operates the hated no-strike provisions of the Act.

The history of British Stalinism, however, is replete with the most glaring episodes class-collaboration. The most notorious of all occurred after the intain of the so to the aren vasion of the Soviet Union, when 'imperialist' the Stalinists switched almost overnight to a super-patriotic position I use the word 'super-patriotic' advisedly, because the Communist Party's position had nothing common with genuine defence of the USSR. Indeed its leaders frequently went out of their way to disclaim any such aim.

Thus, Party Harry Pollitt in his pamphlet " 1941: Call to Arms', published in 1941:

•It is not a question now of asking any British workers to defend the Soviet Union, but of defending themselves alongside the magnificent defence that the Soviet Union is making.' Before the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Stalinists were among the most outspoken opponents of speed-up and strike bans in the factories. The "Daily Worker', for example, stated on October 8, 1940 that:

"Today trade unionism is at the cross-roads. Strikes are illegal. Wages and conditions are declining In the name of "evil thing against is spreading its wings the war fascism that in Britain just as it did in France' Churchill and the Labour leaders Were denounced, but with Soviet entry into the war, the CP changed its tune with remarkable rapidity. The war suddenly was transformed into a war for democracy and strikebreaking and speed-up became honourable tasks.

Pollitt told the 1942 congress:

«The wave of strikes in the coalfields, while it is the direct responsibility of the coal-owners, cannot be condoned by the miners themselves ... The trade union official who said in Lancashire "Let the strike continue it will help negotiations" was doing disseryice to his own union and to his country J. Rold: 'I can only applaud Note Pollitt's explicitly patriotic formulation la disservice to his country', not a disservice to the USSR.

He went on to praise one particular CP strike-breaker on the Hull docks: I salute our comrade, a docker from Hull, who was on a job unloading a ship with cargo urgently wanted • When the rest of the dockers struck work, he tought against it because he believed that the course of action he recommended would get what was wanted without a strike.

'What courage, what a sacred spirit of real class consciousness to walk on the ship's gangway and resume his job ... This is not strike-breaking...?

As for collaboration with the Tories, Pollitt at the same congress actually called on CP members to canvass for them at the election: 'We want to deal with some of the difficulties that are said to stand in the way of Party members when they take part in by-elections and recommend people to vote for a government candidate who happens to be a Tory. who set them too low [!] Naturally the CP gave its enthusiastic backing to the Tory anti-strike regulations introduced during these years. In • his pamphlet 'Defence Regulation lAA' THE BOSS Workers at British-Leyland's factories at Leyland, Lancashire, who are concerned about the company's plans to attempt to bring off a producLord Stokes: relax with a pint tivity deal this year, will have been consoled, we are sure, by one bright piece of news recently.

They have got something to look forward to. A new pub to be opened in Leyland by Thwaites, the Lancashire brewers, is to be named after Leyland's boss, Lord Stokes.

This is bound to have a great appeal to all Leyland workers. Just think how nice it will be, after a hard day on the production line, to be able to sit down and relax with a pint in the 'Lord Stokes' and be reminded of the man that all your productivity is in aid One bloke we spoke to said it was 'enough to put you on the wagon'. But then he's probably just a troublemaker Ecology and 'the environment' are becoming . 'in' issues for tend to invite sniggers from the professors and careerists. These academic elitists will then go on to complain about how difficult, if not impossible, it is to educate the 'ignorant' masses on the seriousness of the problem (which is all put down to their over-breeding and greed for consumer goods).

A more realistic view, however, is taken by at least one scientist at Manchester University, who recently approached a large Midlands company for financial backing for research on pollution and the environment.

He tells us that the company's reply was short and frank. They were very impressed with the project he had outlined, they said, and wished him every success. But he had unfortunately failed to explain to them of 'what particular value this research could be to our shareholders'.

On the other hand, it seems that ICI ('The Pathfinders') have recently expressed interest in the possible pollution from their chemical plant at Heysham. The company is paying for a PhD student to do some research on this.

Local residents have been aware for some time that since the Heysham plant's chimneys began pouring out brownishyellow smoke, trees in the vicinity seem to be affected.

They have wondered whether the brownish-yellow particles which from time to time waft to ground level might be damaging to people as well as trees.

Why are ICI now suddenly showing concern over this problem? From considerations of genuine social conscience, no doubt. At least, we sincerely hope that it has nothing to do with plans to close the Heysham plant for economic reasons.