Plant bargains cracking up

FROM PHILIP WADE IN MANCHESTER THE STRUGGLE of the greater Manchester engineers has reached a crisis point and threatens to crumble as the strategy of plant-bargaining begins to collapse.

AUEW dictrict officials are now running from one plant to another to try and prevent wages only settlements being made.

A severe • set-back was the rebuff handed out to district secretary Bernard Panter by 2,000 workers at the Mather & Platt plant.

On Monday Panter appealed to Saigon troops flee central highlands LIBERATION forces with after smashing down S Vie Saigon's troops to flight. them to repudiate a wages only agreement reached by shop stewards. He called for a fight on the district claim for shorter hours and longer holidays.

But they refused to listen to him and insisted on accepting 'It is a set-back all right', said John Tocher, divisional organizer yesterday. "They have been bought with a wages offer and it was attractive in a situation where men were in financial difficulty!

Understandably the Employers' Association were jubilant at the wedge driven between worktanks were heading tnamese defences in ers and district committee officials. • 'Common sense will now gather momentum and those sitting in will now stand up' a spokesman said.

Another blow to the district claim has come from the settlement made at the SimonsVickers plant near Warrington.

Some 500 workers have called off their three-week sit in on the basis of a f2-a-week rise and nothing on hours or holidays.

Although John Tocher managed on . Monday to persuade 2,000 Hawker Siddeley workers at Woodford not to return withS towards Kontum City yesterday the central highlands and putting Hundreds of government troops were hiding in bunkers and refusing to fight as their commanders desperately tried to cobble together a defence line against the advancing liberation units.

Civilians were fleeing out of the town along a road already held in some places by liberation troops. Radio: Hanoi yesterday called on its forces to close in on S Vietnamese troops and prevent them fleeing from the Kontum area.

"All local armed units must co-ordinate with local guerrillas to call all enemy remnants hiding in the jungle to surrender... it said.

Saigon commanders admit that their main units *two resuments from - the S Vietnamese 22nd Infantry Division and one paratroop battalion suffered crushing casualties as the liberation forces struck.

Onlj five battalions of Rangers and one paratroop battalion were in good enough shape to undertake any kind of defence, the S Vietnamese said. Kontum itself is defended only by local militia forces whose reliability even in 'normal' circumstances is doubtful.

The victories in the central highlands indicate the liberation forces' complete mastery of the battlefield situation. They opened up the central front just few hours after the S Vietnamese had withdrawn units from the area to reinforce the defences of Saigon.

S Vietnam's strategic reserve no longer exists and the government is clearly not capable of fighting a war on several fronts.

In the area N of Saigon, the fighting has slackened over the past two days, though the besieged town of An Loc again came under heavy bombardment from liberation troops yesterday.

In neighbouring Cambodia yesterday police and troops surrounded the University of Phnom Penh where rebel students who oppose the Lon Nol regime have taken refuge.

The students are protecting Koy Pech. a 32-year-old student leader •facing military trial accused of subversion and serving enemy interests.

WEATHER

ENGLAND. Wales. N Ireland Mobilize against the Tories Socialist Labour League and Young Socialists Hands off the trade unions! Defend democratic i Withdraw troops from Ulster! Release all interner Victory to the Vietnamese workers and peasants For the military defeat of US imperialism! MAKE THE TORY GOVERNMENT RESIGN ASSEMBLE: 1.30 p.m. The Embankment, Charing Cross MARCH: via Tratalgar Square, Piccadilly, Regeni G. Healy (Socialist Labour League National Secretary) J. Simmance (Young Socialists National Secretary) M. Banda (Socialist Labour League Central Committee out an offer on hours a question mark still hangs over the resumption of work by 3,500 workers at AEI Trafford Park.

The locked-out men. returned to work yesterday on the basis of talks on the district claim. Convenor Bert Brennan said they were being allowed to return on day work and a ban on overtime.

This may be so, but it is far from the victory has been hailed as by the 'Morning Star'.

Although Communist Party members Tocher, Panter and Bernard Reagan are trying desperately to preserve the unity of SOCIALIST LA MAY 1 PUBL Hands off the trade unions Force the Tory government to resign LONDON: Poplar Civil Hall, Bow Rd, 7.30 p.m.

G. Healy (SLL National Secretary); Sarah Hannigan (YS, London regional secretary). LIVERPOOL: Royal Institute, Colquitt St, 7.30 p.m.

Mike Banda (SLL Central Committee); Christine Smith (YS). LEEDS: Art Gallery, Headrow, Leeds 1, 7.30 p.m..

Jack Gale (SLL); Ken Pearce (OTO in personal capacity); Joan Burrows (YS National Committee).

SHEFFIELD: Montgomery Hall, Survey St, opp. Town Hall, 1.30 p.m.

Cliff Slaughter (SLL Central Committee); Frank McCabe (NUM in personal capacity); Ray Jaxson (YSNC).

BIRMINGHAM: Lecture Room 1, Digbeth Hall, 7.30 p.m. Mair Davies (SLL. Central Committee); Alex Mitchell (Workers Press); William Aitken (YSNC). NOTTINGHAM: Co-op Education Hall, Heathcote St, 7.30 John Spencer (Workers Press); Harry Finch (SLL); Steve Martin (YSNC).

SWINDON: Locomotive Hotel, Fleet St, 7.30 p.m.

Ray Howells (AUEW personal capacity); Clive Norris (YSNC). READING: Trades and Labour Sunday May 7 We demand the Right to No retreat from the fight tions Act!

Street, Tottenham Court Road, Euston Road MEETING: 4 p.m. St Pancras Town Hall.

In a personal capacity: Frank McCabe (NUM)

Roy Battersby (ACTT)

A. Thornett (Deputy Senior C. Slaughter (Socialist Labour to the May send me details of trar ete form and send to London. SW4 7UG.

the district claim, the plant-byplant settlements are fragmenting the struggle.

And they are unable to draw any. lessons from this critical situation.

Employers are now beginning to play of the rank and file against. district leaders and engineers in other plants. -.

This dangerous situation flows directly from the retreat made by the AUEW national executive when it abandoned the national claim.

And it was • a move covered up for by the 'Morning Star' and leading CP members.

BOUR LEAGUE IC MEETINGS Hall, Minster St, 7.30 p.m.

Dany Sylveire (SLL); Tony Richardson (T&GWU in personal capacity).

SOUTHAMPTON: Langley Hall, next to St Peter's Church, Commercial Rd, 7.30 p.m.

Frank Willis (AUEW in personal capacity); P. O'Regan (SLL).

GLASGOW: Partick Burgh Hall, Glasgow, 7.30 p.m.

Stephen Johns (Workers Press); John Barrie (YSNC). EDINBURGH: Trades Council Club, Albany St, 7.30 p.m.

Jim Dormer (EPTU in personal capacity); Dave Barclay (YS). MANCHESTER: Wheatsheaf, High St, 7.30 p.m.

Alan Stanley (Vauxhall shop steward in personal capacity); John Simmance (YS national AYLESHAM: The Legion, Burgess Rd, Aylesham, 7 p.m.

Brian Lavery (NUM in personal capacity); Roger Smith (ACTT in personal capacity). NEWCASTLE: Hotspur Hotel, Haymarket, 7.30 p.m.

Dave Temple (SLL); Hugh Nicol (AUEW in a personal capacity); lan_ Yeats (Workers Press); Keith Radford (YSNC). BRISTOL: Çentral Hall, 7.30 Alan Wilkins (AUEW sonal capacity).

Work!

It against Street, Oxford Day sport ar 'angeme nts.

J. Sim mance,