AUEW National Committee-Eastbourne Shift this Tory gang say

AHER union president Hugh Scanlon, the fight against the Tories yesterday took the centre of the stage. at the engineers' National Committee meeting Scanlon drove back to London for an emergency meeting the TUC Finance and General Purposes Committee. And today he flies to W Germany for the funeral of metal union leader Otto Brenner.

As a consequence, the next question of the union's wages policy will not be discussed until Friday at the earliest, since delegates were anxious that the AUEW president should attend the full debate.

Failure to attend the TUC meeting on the railwaymen's work - to - rule could 'completely misunderstood and misrepresented perhaps, Scanlon told the National Committee.

No doubt he had in mind accusations levelled at him after a similar incident at the start of the miners' strike.

On that occasion, he missed a F&GPC meeting to fight for the abandonment of the national claim at recalled National Committee.

Yesterday morning, the National Committee carried without opposition a call from the AUEW Manchester district for the TUC. and for sthe Labour Party to 'unite in a pro gramme of activity that can bring fresh elections now and the return of a Labour government pledged to socialist and progressive programme'.

delegates also condemned the Tory government's creation unemployment, demanded a propaganda campaign designed return Labour and instructed the union executive to ensure that such government was committed to Clause 4 of the party constitution.

But nowhere in either resolution or speeches on the issue did the committee say how the Tory government was to be removed.

No left-wing delegate succeeded completely separating himself from the statement of Jim Brearley, a Leeds right winger, that the only way to Labour government was 'on the knocker' Len Miseldine, from SE London, said that the committee would support a government • dedicated to socialist policies, not one that simply followed on mid-morning departure by The National Committee In session from what the Tories were doing.

'From the grass roots of the trade union movement to the grass roots of the Labour Party, there must be an understanding of the kind of policies we want to see carried out, he said.

'Don't elect people whose sole objectives will be the preservation of the capitalist structure.' The practice of voting in MPs with 'elastic consciences', he said, had contributed to the political apathy of the workshop floor.

Manchester delegate Bill Anten, whose Hawker Siddeley, Woodford, plant is currently occupied bylits 2,000 workers, said that there should be a unity of the working class and the TUC and the Labour Party. He insisted:

"The downfall of this present government must be brought about first before we get to grips with the programme that the Labour leadership must implement.' The unemployed were no longer looking for the old solutions of demonstrations and marches, said NE coast delegate Les Allen.

The present actions by workers in a number of inquits: '£35m dustries showed that they were determined to end unemployment once wand for all. not enough' At Sharston Engineering, warned a second Manchester delegate Stan Cole, the employers had shown their determination to use the Industrial Relations FROM STEPHEN PROSPECTS for shipbuilding on An enthusiastic - campaign was needed to shift Upper Clyde blackened yesterday with 'this Tory gang', he said. But trade unionists did not the resignation of Govan Shipbuilders' want to see them shifted by people like Roy Jenmost experienced executive, Kenneth kins MP who had ensured the continued existence of Douglas. His decision to pull out of the the Tory Party with their votes on the Common company, which is expected to begin Market. trading soon, is bound to be interpreted We must fight and organize to get the Labour as a no confidence vote in its future. government committed to socialist principles, he Douglas was the old managing director of said. Upper Clyde Shipbuilders and was considered Right wing AUEW general secretary Jim-Conway to be one of the few men who had genuinely later hit back at this improved the bankrupt consortium's survival attack with a claim that it was a "tragedy' that Jen- prospects. kins, Dick Taverne MP and He and another ex-UCS executive have rented a others had been driven out 25,000 sq ft factory in E Kilbride where they hope of their jobs.

He asked where the Of sudden departure Douglas said: 'I have labour movement would done balancing act for too long. I'm getting out find men of this calibre again. while still active.' UCS chief to produce high-class kitchen furniture.

Douglas says the f35m that toe goan Shipbuilders will bel insufficient to keep the company afloat.

Over £17m of this money will go to make up losses on the six orders the new company hopes to inherit from the UCS liquidation. Four of these are to be built at the UCS Govan yard and two at the Scotstoun yard—-these are two bulk carriers for the Harrison line just released by the liquidator. They are expected to incur a f2m loss.

This will give Govan Shipbuilders, who will take over two of the old UCS yards and the steel fabrication unit at Linthouse, just under a year's work:

Beyond this there are no firm prospects for orders. The market for the 26,000 ton bulk carrier range which is Govan's staple ship is almost non-existent and news of Douglas' resignation will be a further blow to the company's credibility.