MArKArS nrAss JONES AGREES TO PAY FINES

APRIL 26, 1972, stand in trade union history. At General Council complet Industrial Relations Act decided Blackpool last will stand out as a day of out its meeting ye ely violated which were overn September.

In one fell swoop leaders decided to: • Co-operate with the Tory-appointed National Industrial Relations Court. • Recommend to the Transport and General Workers' Union that it pays the £55,000 fines imposed by the court. • Visit _the Tory Prime Minister, Edward Heath, at No 10 Downing St to resume talks on the state of the economy• Victor Feather said after an emergency meeting of the TUC's Finance and General Purposes Committee that the decision to recommend the payment of fines had been reached unanimously which means Jack Jones agreed to it.

The TUC has no right whatsover to take this decision to go before the NIRC. It totally defies the overwhelming decision at the Blackpool conference last September.

What is the NIRC? It is ment of the Tory Industrial It was established by the ment and staffed by it.

Its task is to reorganize the trade unions in line with the crisis requirements of British capitalism.

This wholesale interference into trade unionism and bargaining leads the way, if the Tories get away with it, towards company unionism and corporate statism. Its findings mean, in effect, rule by decree.

With the successful ending of the railway work-to-rule and the swingeing fines eve the player into coes are to stin kicking the trade unions and shop stewards in the teeth.

It should be clearly understood that British law, which has been so piously applauded by the Tory press for the past couple of weeks, is in no sense neutral. and prope tied hassa it is miered eved the oppressed class, the working class, in order that wealth and privilege can be preserved.

The T&GWU is Britain's biggest union. Today its policymaking committee meets to consider the three actions facing the union in the NIRC.

If the union agrees to cooperate with the NIRC it will be not only a historic setback for the 1.6 million members of Jack Jones' union but for the whole trade union movement.

The case, we repeat, is now overwhelming for the recall of the delegates to the September Congress.

PRODUCTION of fork-lift trucks and mining equipment at a factory at Kirkby near Liverpool has been halted by a sit-in of 100 workers demanding a pay rise from Wingrove and Rogers.

treachery helmingly a legal instruRelations Act. Tory governAn hour and climbdown on Victor Feather residence.

APRIL FUND WITH ONLY WE KNEW that this month would be a tough struggle for our Fund. We have raised our target up to {1,750 to help us overcome the difficulties that we had to meet during the rail work-torule.

However the Tory government's use of the Industrial Relations Act to intimidate the unions, makes us more determined than ever to step up the fight to make this government resign. a half after announcing the Industrial Relations Acl goes into the Tory Prime Mi NEEDS £925.86 FOUR DAYS LEFT centre of this struggle. We urge you all therefore to campaign as never before for our April Fund. There are only four days left.

With a great all out effort we are sure you will raise the final £925.86 before Sunday. Do your best. Rush all donations immediately to:

April Appeal Funa, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG.

TUC's smiling Inister's •.. Lesser of two evils says Feather THE TUC yesterday abandoned any pretence of opposition to the Industrial Relations Act and then took off from Congress House to visit Edward Heath at No 10 Downing St.

Following the General Council meeting, an emergency session of the Finance and General Purposes Committee recommended that the Transport and General Workers' Union pay £55,000 in fines imposed by the National Industrial Relations Court.

La press conference after the historic climbdown, Victor Feather said the payment of the fines voluntarily was considered the lesser of two evils.

The TUC leaders took the view that if the T&GWU submitted to sequestration - the court seizure of all its assets and property — it would not solve the problem they faced.

T&GWU general secretary Jack Jones was present at the meeting and was in favour of the decision.

When he left the meeting yesterday Jones would not comment on his union's future action.

But presumably he will press the TUC line when top union officials meet today to decide on the issue.

At yesterday's TUC meeting a move to cancel the Heath meeting lost by 21 votes to nine.

Only Richard Briginshaw, the print union leader, said he was withdrawing from the delegation.

The council also defeated a move to stop the TUC from changing its policy over non-cooperation with the court by 19 votes to nine.

Now a special meeting will be called on May Day to draw up guidelines for unions who want to appear before the court.

A call for a special fund to pay fines levied, made by Len Edmonson of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, was also rejected. • Serious concern at the £55,000 fine imposed on the Transport and General Workers' Union by the Industrial Relations Court was expressed in an emergency resolution passed by the Labour Party National Executive Committee yesterday.

Party's support for the TUC's party's support for the TUC's fight against 'this vicious and useless Act which aggravates disputes rather than resolving them more rapidly.

It says the Industrial Relations Act must be repealed by the next Labour government