Inspired leak' Ford pay offer ignores parity claim time are regarded with great

parity.

'We won't believe any rumours until until we see the offer in notice-boards', one shop steward said.

One thing can be said witl Any offer For makes will fall far below the existing union claim for a 38 per cent wage rise.

Ford wages are far below the level paid in the Midlands car factories-the £10 claim is or parity with the Rootes Ryton, plant.

Ford's attitude to the £10 claim has so far been a contemptuous refusal of the demand. The claim was first submitted on September 25 last year.

Two months later the comSplit widens representatives on the need 'to keep our heads and make sound decisions on wages and other business costs', he told them:

'You make much of the fact that we are more efficient than our British competitors. We agree with that: we are proud of it and we intend to stay that way?

In other words, the company, in its own good time, would decide.

Moss Evans, Transport and General Workers' representative on the National Joint Negotiating Council, rejoiced after this stinging rebuff with the comment :

"The main thing is that the company has recognized that we have made a wage claim.' Ford's have done nothing of the sort.

The £10 claim might just as well not exist, for all the notice they have taken of it.

In this situation, what is the attitude of the Ford stewards, who meet at Coventry on January 18 to decide the next stage of the campaign for the £10? shackled!

STEWARDS UNION at Dagenham, three-and-a-half month ty claim, has done nothing concrete ti company's arrogant attitude.

The pattern is familiar.

Between now and February 2, building workers will have to mobilize on two fronts.

First, they have to fight the implementation of this vicious agreement. workers in other industries in a concerted campaign against the TUC General Council's 'guidelines' on strikes and shop stewards—which seek to prevent workers organizing against deals treacherously signed above their heads by their union leaders.

New deadlock in Sino-Soviet border THE HONG KONG Communist newspaper Ta Kung Pao' reported yesterday that the ChinaSoviet border talks now recessed for three weeks in Peking are on the verge of breaking down completely.

The report claimed :

'The Soviet side refused to restrain its armed forces during the period when the negotiation was continuing and did not agree to have the armed forces of both sides withdrawn from any contact in the disputed areas.' The newspaper, which regarded as a reliable suporter of Peking, blamed the oviet delegation for the lack of progress made in the talks.

The chief of the Soviet negotiating team returned to Peking from talks in Moscow with Soviet Party leaders a week ago.

Resumption

It was also revealed yesterday in Washington that the United States and Chinese governments have agreed to resume talks on ambassadorial level in Warsaw.

Contact was first resumed after several years on December 11, when the US ambassador in Warsaw called on the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires, Lei Yang.

The talks, which are due to begin on January 20, were made public in a briet statement by a Us diploratic spokesman:

'Ambassador Stoessel received the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China at 3 p.m. on January 8 to discuss matters of common interest.

'By mutual agreement between our two states we do not divulge the contents of our meetings.' Worsens conflict It is clear from these two events-the breakdown in the border talks and the resumption of talks between Peking and Washington-that United States imperialism is using the G.E. talks on NEGOTIATIONS are soon to be resumed between the unions and the US General Electric company, whose 150,000 workers are striking.

The strike, which is seen as a test case in the fight in against Nixon's wage curb policy, is now in its llth Other 'Cuideline' news THE following resolution has been passed by the Sheldon, Birmingham AEF branch:

"This branch calls on executive council to refute the proposed TUC "guidelines" , as they are an attack on union democracy and the shop stewards' moveARTHUR HARPER, convenor of the BritishLeyland's Transmissions Division, Washwood Heath, Birmingham, talked to the talks techniques of secret diplomacy to worsen the conflict between the Soviet Union and China, a clash which serves only the interests of imperialism. ÖRDER THEDAILY Full subscription (Posted dally) {10 a year £2 10s. for three months I would like to subscribe to Workers' Press fo I would like to Address ›st fo: Circulatlon Organizer, Workere Prese, 10 apham High Street, London, SW4. (Tol: 01-720-200 about the 'guidelines'.

Referring particularly to the call for statutory strike ballots, Bro. Harper said:

'As far as we are concerned secret ballots are definitely out. Secret ballots as we well know can be fiddled.

When this factory was right-wing in 1956 the management held a secretballot agreement with the shop stewards' committee at that time, as to whether they should honour an Soviet-Italian spells danger A BIG EXPANSION of trade with East Europe has been announced by the Italian Foreign Trade Minister Riccardo Misasi. magazine Politica, he reveals Writing the that long-term agreements have been concluded with the Bulgaria, while discussions are near completion for a similar 'ANON Two adillane (For any two daye OR you select)

24 a year £1 for three monthe Workers' Prese for official call-out dundancy.

"We shall stick to a show of hands so that we know what is what.

' Carron, right - winger though he was, said, , "The members will decide" and this practice will continue at Tractors & Transmissions irrespective.

"The shop stewards of this factory have won the high wages which exist and not the officials, and that's the way it will stay? deal with the Soviet Union.

Answering critics of this policy, which has been described as a 'weakening towards communism', Misasi pointed out that while there were deep differences between East and West Europe, 'we must not be resigned to the existing situation, but to strive in so far as is possible to consolidate increasingly in this continent the conditions for a real peace and for a pacific confrontation of experiences'. (Emphasis added.)

Closer links This new deal, which according to the Minister will extend over a 20-year period, reflects the Soviet and East European bureaucracies' desire for closer links with the big monopolies of the Common Market.

The Kremlin is unable to combat the distortions within the Soviet bloc economies without leaning heavily on the advanced capitalist powers for trade and the development of the most advanced forms of technology.

In turn, the political line of the western Stalinist Parties becomes more and more reformist.

It is no accident that in Italy the ruling class has the best of / relations with the Kremlin while the Italian CP leaders pursue the most opportunist policies, even demanding a place in the capitalist goverment.

Spells danger

This is the logic of the Stalinist theory of 'socialism in one country', now more frequently referred to as 'peaceful co-existence'.

It spells danger not only for the militant Italian working class, currently engaged in a bitter strike battle with the government of Ricardo Misasi, but the property relations within East Europe and the Soviet Union.

That is the meaning behind Misasi's speech.