Workers Press no. 759

workers press

4,000 MARCHERS

DEMAND RECALL

INCORPORATING THE NEV

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTI

BY.OUR OWN REPORTER

to the streets in London yesterday to join the biggest ever May Day march organized by the Young Socialists and the Socialist Labour League.

At Centre Point in the heart of the West End the column stretched half a mile north to Euston Road.

who Sightseers applauded and cheered the marchers demanded a recalled TUC Congress on the anti-union laws and preparations for a General Strike to force the Tories to resign.

Workers on several building monopolies would move their capital from Britain to European sites joined in the chanting as where the trade unions the demonstration. passed.

weak suppressed by or were Once more a big attraction dictatorships. floats. This time were the "This will rapidly transform there were seven mounted on Britain into a depressed area with all the suffering that was the hall- lorries depicting the fight to mark of the 1930s. That is basic right of the why defend the this government is getting ready (See working class. picture, for a showdown.' p. 4.) railwaymen, The engineers, The marchers made their way dockers and the overwhelming warm sunshine a rally majority of the electorate had St Pancras town hall where they served on the govern- notice were welcomed by Gerry Healy, ment to quit. national secretary of the Socialist But and trade the Labour Labour League. union leaders refused to mobilize He said the only force capable the class, the working using of defending the working class fraudulent excuse that the Tories' the Tory onslaught was against term of office must constitution- the Socialist Labour League and ally' run for another three years.

daily paper Workers Press.

its *We see here the real treachery *Four years ago, in this very of the reformist leadership.

At hall warned that the Tory we the moment when the working government if elected would be class faces its most critical different kind of an entirely the Tory challenge from enemy, than those which government the reformist followed the end of World War it is deserted by class-collaborators, said comrade II: he said. Healy. *It would, we said, be more in 'This was the case in 1926, and the of Bonapartist nature in those vital years of the early government-that is a govern- 1920s and 1930s, before Musso- ment balanced between the lini and Hitler came to power.

extreme right and the repressive The most vital task before the powers of the state. labour movement today was to and the "The reformists mobilize the organizations of the sniggered these revisionists Tory working class against the remarks. claiming that we had enemy. exaggerated the serious nature of This was why the SLL and the the economic crisis. Young Socialists the were in *These gentlemen, as always, do forefront of a massive campaign everything in their to Dower

TUC

to recall the campaign disarm the working class in its already supported by 3f million hour of need. But we were right trade unionists. and right now when we are we League de- say that Heath and his clique are He said the manded the TUC reaffirm its out to smash the working class September policy on because their economic crisis is mon-co. the Industrial operation with much worse now than in 1968 Relations Act and go forward when we issued our warning.

preparation of with the *Political crisis today is more General Strike. This would and more directly determined by create the conditions to make the economic crisis. Healy the Tory government resign.

Comrade warned that Tory Within this the SLL the government had no context, over the task that lay saw the possibility of electing illusions whose right- before it. Labour government wing leaders would be thoroughly They knew the price for exposed under pressure from the entrance into the rich men's club of Europe was an all-out attack masses. The fight to force this Labour the working class. on was achieved, the Once entry government to carry out socialist : THE NEWSLETTER • MONDAY MAY 8, 1972 • No 759 • 4p

E CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

Banners and flags flutter in the the breeze as march moves through London's West End

MAY FUND NOW £

policies would draw tens of A BIG effort is needed to push thousands of workers and youth the figure for our May Fund right behind the leadership of the We have set our sights high.

up. revolutionary party.' Once again we are trying to It was in preparation for these £500 raise an extra over our very events that the campaign to usual £1,250 target to help with transform the League into increased overheads. party this year had revolutionary In a situation where the Tories been launched. to meet railwaymen He ended with this appeal: dockers head-on, the build- and 'On this May Day we ask Workers Press every single member of this 186a Clapham High St, audience with to join He in fulfilling this historic task W £190.25 ing of a revolutionary leadership essential. In this, Workers is Press has a major role to play.

are sure that you, We our readers, will do everything pos- sible to develop our paper. Therefore make It our best effort so far. Go all out today. Collect as much as you can. Post all donations to: ess May Appeal Fund gh St, London, SW4 7UG.

workers press

4,000 MARCHERS

DEMAND RECALL

INCORPORATING THE NEV

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTI

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

OVER 4,000 young workers and trade unionists took to the streets in London yesterday to join the biggest ever May Day march organized by the Young Socialists and the Socialist Labour League.

At Centre Point in the heart of the West End the column stretched half a mile north to Euston Road.

Sightseers applauded and cheered the marchers who demanded a recalled TUC Congress on the anti-union laws and preparations for a General Strike to force the Tories to resign.

would move their Workers on several building monopolies capital from Britain to European sites joined in the chanting as countries where the trade unions the demonstration passed.

weak or suppressed by were Once more a big. attraction dictatorships. This time the floats. "This will rapidly transform were there were seven mounted on Britain into a depressed area with all the suffering that was the hall- lorries depicting the fight to 1930s. That is why defend the basic right of the mark of the this government is getting ready (See working class. picture, for a showdown.' p. 4.) The railwaymen, engineers, The marchers made their way dockers and the overwhelming in sunshine a rally at warm majority of the electorate had St Pancras town hall where they served notice on the govern- Healy, were welcomed by Gerry ment to quit. national secretary of the Socialist But the Labour and trade Labour League. union leaders refused to mobilize He said the only force capable the working class, using the of defending the working class fraudulent excuse that the Tories' Tory onslaught was against the term of office must 'constitution- Socialist Labour League and the ally' run for another three years.

its daily paper Workers Press. 'We see here the real treachery 'Four years ago, in this very At of the reformist leadership. hall we that the Tory warned the moment when the working elected would be government if class faces its most critical an entirely different kind of Tory enemy, challenge from the than those which government the it is deserted by reformist followed the end of World War class-collaborators, said comrade Il,' he said. Healy. 'It would, we said, be more in 'This was the case in 1926, and Bonapartist the nalure in those vital years of the early government-that govern- is 1920s and 1930s, before Musso- balanced between the ment lini and Hitler came to power.' extreme right and the repressive The most vital task before the powers of the state. labour movement today was to "The and the reformists mobilize the organizations of the sniggered these revisionists working class against the Tory remarks. claiming that we had enemy. exaggerated the serious nature of This was why the SLL and the the economic crisis. Young Socialists in the 'These gentlemen, as always, do

INATA

forefront of a massive campaign everything in their power to TUC-a to recall the campaign working class in disarm the its already supported by 34 million hour of need. But we were right trade unionists. and we are right now when He said the League de- say that Heath and his clique are manded the TUC reaffirm its out to smash the working class September policy non-co- because their economic crisis on is with the Industrial operation much worse now than in 1968 Relations Act and go forward when we issued our warning. with the preparation of •Political crisis today is more and more directly determined by General Strike. This would the economic crisis. create the conditions to make the Tory government resign.

Comrade Healy warned that

SLL

the Tory had Within this context, the government no saw the possibility of electing illusions over the task that lay before it. Labour government whose right- wing leaders would be thoroughly They knew the price for exposed under pressure from the entrance into the rich men's club of Europe was an all-out attack masses. the working class. 'The fight to force this Labour on Once entry was achieved, the government to carry out socialist

THE NEWSLETTER • MONDAY MAY 8, 1972 •

• CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOC

Banners and flags flutter in the breeze as the march moves through London's West End policies would draw tens of thousands of workers and youth in behind the leadership of the revolutionary party? It was in preparation for these very events that the campaign to transform the League into a revolutionary party this year had been launched He ended with this appeal: 'On this May Day we ask every single member of this audience to join with us in fulfilling this historic task?

8, 1972 0 No 759 4p

HE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

MAY FUND NOW £1

A BIG effort Is needed to push the figure for our May Fund right up. We have set our sights high.

Once again we are trying to extra £500 over our raise an usual £1,250 target to help with increased overheads. In a situation where the Tories ready to meet railwaymen are and dockers head-on, the bulld- Workers Press May Af 186a Clapham High St, Lonc W £190.25 Ing of a revolutionary leadership is essential. In this, Workers Press has a major role to play.

We are sure that you, our readers, will do everything pos.

sible develop our paper. Therefore make It our best effort so far. Go all out today. Collect as much as you can. Post all donations to: 38 May Appeal Fund h St, London, SW4 7UG.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Monday May 8, 1972

ATTEMPTS

drawn up Social Unior led Democratic chancellor compromise beoween reach note by Willy Brandt. the Moscow deputy opposition leade sent to West of the Warsaw side is sure German Bundestag over treaties. of an bundestas of absolute The note is intended appeared to treaties. indicate that West LICaLCD Germany retains the down yesterday. government, Wilen right wing of the likely to be asked unification of Germany. Indicate of the Christian approval

OUFUDILIOLI

The right wing of the mote before the treatie: democris opposition, including determined attempts are rallned undermine the proposed number of former inhab Moscow is desperately ratify anxious to the СОШОГОШВС expelled after the which be tralies. demanding now the fied if the Soviet Union crucial to its drive for publicly commits itself Conference European Security

NOVICI

cates its approval of the note to Moscow note before the treaties revision aready oi the treates. are ratified. Three Strauss had previously considerable concessions This backed shadow chacellor to West German capital. composed group has won and support from the Dr Kainer barzel in the lol l cae urcalico lcl representatives have Bavarian-based Christian selves.

AROUND THE WORLD

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

NORTH

Viet- of the and air offensive has been taking

THE

oresent orreusive, Amon: the 10,000 prisoners taken were place in the bast nive days. Mor division which namese hundreds officers planes have been sent to Thailanc US and Guam fleet of about crack French and and a defeated Saigon

101 LEN

advisers. of the vesses Is operauns troops at Dien Bien Phu Vietnamese coast. destruction While marines go in to cover 18 were capture years ago yesterday 2,300 Dunkirk-style 750 tanks. and IruCKS clarkallul celebrated the occasion 460 guns. A total of 530 aircraft Nixon shot down or destroyed on could order a total destruction with a fierce attack on an were the North the operation against ground artillery base between With This could also bargalning TrON De usei Kontum and Pleiku. position strength there to induce bring the „MOsCOW TO could be no place for North Vietnamese back to the Ameri- Paris conference table Meanwhile US Secretary can presence in Indo-China Confronted with possi- Foreigi tais velamese State William Rogers was Penta- bility, the "hawks' in the Ministry statement accuses Nixon ordered to abandon his nine- drastic Paris peace talks gon are pressing for day tour of Europe yesterday because the had failed This medl mass Nixon President by and fly area bombing Hanoi and strength secure back America immediately Haiphong, tactical from which to bargain. It said that the US was for discussion the nuclear the field 'spreading UIl wcapuls Ill tounded Ine destrucuon cams anc rumour. convale wall. dykes to lay waste whole areas meetings in order further North Vietnamese forces are of the country. obstruct and spoil the negotia- Administration The Nixon on Hué, which is expected to now faced with the total collapse an ealtorial commemorating one of the decisive battles of the of the the Dien Bien Phu victory the by failure North Vietnamese •Nhan Wal. Dan' accused the US of escalatin and infantry from Tanks the comece North and South expected It is recognized in Washington the war. frantic military 1 he with heavy artillery support.

that the Thieu government could adventures of the enemy The North Vietnamese Com- withstand a shattering only lead them defeats, to new ucleal "The mano caims at hue wnich could lead to the sale viet wounded or captured 90,000 demand for a negotiated peace namese the end people will struggle to enemy soldiers in the first month The build-up for a huge naval

THE

European Common petitors if they failed to accept under-Secretary of State for said quotas. Affairs, foreigr economic Market, Britain and Japan which 'rather deal-the first in exporters wer resisteni have agreed 'voluntarily' to at first' until they realized Con- Britain has participated—will cut US steel imports by about 10 gress might take açtion to pro- limit their exports of steel with a corresponding tect the home industry. products to the United States This is calculated to save jobs reauchon mn Imports of stalniess in US steel plants. over the next three years.

steel and alloy products.

Under the pact, exports from The agreement, announced in Market Britain and the Common another Washington at the weekend, is a trend towards trade war betweer ove victory for the big American steel million short tons, rising at a the capitalist states and must demanded combines, who had yearly rate of 2.5 per cent. increase unemployment in Britain, stiff tariffs against foreign Nathaniel Samuels, deputy the Common Market and apan.

BRIEFLY

CZECH chess champion KGB swoopers searched of 4 leading Dubcek supporter Ine nomes ane oppositionists on Friday

ARAB

Ludek Pachman walked heads of state he present situation i a drive out of a Prague court a night ir Nuo e ras the underground after press Libya meeting in Algiers with Israel, which was 11cc illal. . Maville guilty have pledged to mobilize blocking Egypt's peace ocer Events'. Sobre Me and other all Amory tho searrested received the ware

ISRAELI

Pyotr sources de- battle of destiny against two year bu historian and leader Israel. They clared themselves in was releaseo the fight against Stalin- fied with the results of the the Palestiniar whose father, Mrs Golda Meir's talks months .had already Organization ares stance Bucharést, general, was jail and with 'everything which but have his others can strengthen its liber- poor state

WILO

sever Stalin's orders in agreement has been 1938. Also concerned

MADRID

have police was Stalyona Armand, a IN

TUNIS,

after the Rumanian President leaders Nicolae summit. President Sadai had including an 18 year old ano e cen ol inesse Armand, a close friend said he was convinced ten hours of talks witł girl of the illegal Revolutionary Lenin her Middle East 'United on tne Only the astronomer inch Both situalion Maoist Israel. He apimed that agreed Atonia LuDarsKy Coleo work Ior „Tne known have been Israel. peaceful settlement Marxist-Leninist arrested in Moscow. the responsibility for Party. acceptable political lines.

munist THE 14-day 'cooling-off' period imposed on 200,000 railwaymen ends at midnight tonight, with the Jarratt arbitration offer of 124 per cent still rejected by the unions. This reflects the determination of the working class to fight for wage increases to keep up with the soar- ing cost of living. The union leaders are haggling over details. They are prepared to accept the offer with effect from May 1, or even-as in the case of NUR leader Sir Sidney Greene — from mid-May, while the Railways Board offers the increase from June 5.

But whatever the outcome of today's brinkmanship, the government is preparing a showdown with the working class. The Tories and their agents have reacted to this dispute in a highly political way.

Employment Secretary Maurice Macmillan's claim that the Railways Board was being 'gazumped' reveals the class hatred felt by the Tories for the entire working class. He equates a legitimate wage claim, with the most blatant profiteering and exploitation of people's needs! If a Tory minister can say this openly, what is being said behind the scenes? It is obvious that the ruling class is becoming more and more frenzied as union after union moves into action against it Ex-Labour Minister Richard Marsh, the Railways Board's chairman, expressed his masters' fears when he declared: 'The unions have decided to take on the state. This has not been a negotiation, it has been a hold-up. We are in a very dangerous situation.' The Tories know this. The meeting over the weekend between Prime Minister Edward Heath, Transport Industries Minister John Peyton, the Minister for Industry Tom Boardman and Solicitor-General Sir Geoffrey Howe was clearly concerned with what measures the state could now take against the unions. This is a dangerous situation for the working class.

What is at stake is not a few pence or a few days, but the entire future of the trade unions. This govern- ment is determined to smash the working class.

Whatever the Tories decide today, a decisive con- frontation cannot be long postponed.

The building of a revolutionary leadership in the unions and the launching of the revolutionary party to fight for a General Strike by the unions to force this government to resign, are becoming ever more urgent tasks with every passing day.

UNEMPLOYMENT

among NEW TORY laws are turning 18 year olds is rising at a 'Big probation officers into record rate—it has more than Brothers' instead of the doubled from the October 'caring' guardians. 1968 high of 28,000 to 64,000 The probation service is being last October. transformed into symbol Figures released the controlling rigid authority over weekend also show that more wrongdoers', savs L F. Soften in people are staying on the young the journal 'Justice of the Peace' dole for long periods. The num- stated Mr Soften ber of boys and girls unemployed said the duty of probation officers was to over eight weeks was 6,774 'advise, befriend' assist and in October 1968. This total has offenders. But officers were now three times to 23,388 increased required to see offenders that by October last year. are keeping to their parole con- A warning that the outlook is ditions. 'grim' for school leavers comes Hurst, writing in the The situation may from Ray get National Union of Teachers' The Criminal Bill before Justice Careers', ( 'Guide to be pub- parliament 'will cast the to proba- lished today. tion officer in a more authorita- Mr Hurst, a careers officer for tive and controlling role, allied Teesside, that ever more closely with the fear warns unemploy- means youth develop 'un- of punishment'. ment acceptable attitudes Many officers, he to society probation generally'. said, 'view the future develop- All the agreed experts ment of the service along these were on one thing, he says. This was lines with misgiving'. that irrespective of the pace of improvement in the rate of eco- Narrow Rolls nomic growth, the overall levels of unemployment are going to continue to remain much vote on deal higher than those previously experienced in the 1960s'.

A MASS

meeting of manual at Rolls-Royce THE 1,400 members of the tech- workers Ansty, Coventry, has voted by a narrow nical section of the

AUEW

(TASS)

majority to accept the company's working-to-rule at C. A. Parsons, latest wage structure document. Newcastle, are expected About 100 men in the tinsmith to ignore request from and semi-skilled cleaning sections officials of Commission on the of Industrial walked the Relations to take part out meeting because, they said, they would in confidential postal survey not be bound by the document's into bargaining rights the at productivity and penal clauses.

firm.

WORKING TOGETHER TORIES'

BY ALEX MITCHELL

The Working Together Cam- paign, backed by a number of right-wing employers, is finding advertising space in lesser journal than no 'Record', the newspaper of the Transport and General Workers' Union. The campaign has taken a half- page advertisement in this month's issue urging workers to get together with the employers so that 'we'll make it together.

A similar advertisement for the campaign appeared in a recent issue of 'Tribune'. Many of the main people behind the campaign are very reactionary. publicity men are The chief Geoffrey Tucket, former Tory Trevor officer, and press Wilson's press liaison man at St. Industrialists supporting the organization are Sir John Reiss of Associated Portland Cement, Frank Taylor, chairman of Taylor Sir Joseph Kagan of Gannex, former GKN director, Michael Ivens of Aims of Industry. It is Iven's association with the campaign which provides the overt political flavour. of Industry is Aims an avowedly right-wing group which fights against nationalization and shop-floor militants. At the launching press confer- ence at the Savoy Hotel on April 10, Ivens confidently predicted: believe we are going to gel brisk, trade some really good, union leaders on the committee fairly soon.' , fact that the campaign's The advertisement promi- appears nently in the 'Record' does not mean Jack Jones is necessarily lining up for membership.

above the advertise- In fact, union's assistant ment, the general secretary, Harry Urwin, contributes a 'disclaimer' to the campaign. Urwin is quoted as saying the campaign is 'making a nonsense of the very complicated business of industrial relations, and the motives of those financing the campaign are highly questionable' Urwin admits that backing for the campaign is coming from big firms who gave record amounts to the Tory Party to help them win the last election and impose the Industrial Relations Act.

But all these admirable points still don't explain why the 'Record' chose publish the to campaign's nauseating publicity material-and probably charged the appropriate advertising rates, too. 'Working Together' The people. Left to right: Sir John Relss, Sir Joseph Sir Anthony Bowlby, Frank Ivens. Below: Geoffrey Tucker and Sir Trevor Lloyd Hughes Workers Press, Monday May 8, 1972 PAGE 3 The Tories' 'fair rents' those people seeking multi-let accommodation Bill could increase the financial resources. miseries of multi-occup- Dr Burns believes controlled ation of accommodation. with the prospect of the Bill This. is the view of Dr Carl becoming law in the summer, Burns, Islington's director | there is no incentive for land- ments to obtain a higher rent.

expressed his fears in a report At present a landlord want- on how the Bill will affect the controlled rent has to carry out improve- Dr Burns pointed out that ments. But under clause 35 of for multi- the main demand the Bill, properties will become occupied accommodation came 'members a certain date. would otherwise Dr Burns said: "This there- be unable to afford any accom- if an owner fore means that modation at all.' of a controlled property wishes 'He said: Into this situation a higher rent, but does not Act will introduce a wish to carry out improve- general increase in rent which ments, he may be content to irrespective of rebates is likely wait until the to put the greatest pressure on Transport Minister John promised Peyton has parliament an early state- ment on the proposed Channel tunnel. keeping Peyton has been parliament in the dark about for the project some time. only project. A private con- Recently British Rail sent a sortium headed by Rio Tinto Zinc is to provide most of the circular to top executives finance and 'know-how'. setting out precise details of the scheme. The blueprint If the consortium's plan is included such details the accepted, it seems that British as of the termini, the Rail will use the facilities and location costs and the freight possibili- fee the pay to private ties. If this is the Tory backers. But perhaps most interesting government's privately agreed of all is the news concealed in scheme, it's no wonder Peyton confidential a full the circular that is reluctant to make it will not be a government- statement to the House. employment; 2,463 porary were believed unemployed and the destination of 4,912 were 'unknown'. The conference has written to 100 industrial asking concerns them to employ graduates in Britain's industrialists are jobs not previously considered traditional university fields- being asked to employ cost clerks, buyers, graduates in more menial computer programmers, salesmen and jobs to help ease the grow- foremen. ing unemployment amongst Firms have been told that university students. there has been massive in- The crease in the number of 18-year- Standing Conference of University Service olds who now go in for full-time Appointments 50.555 has announced that of higher education, from 6 per 1970- cent in 1955 to 19.2 graduates first degree in per cent 1971, 8,840 And were believed not today. university career have permanent jobs by the heads have pointed out to that end of 1971. industry can benefit with better- Of these, 1,464 were in tem- trained minds at the lower levels.

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PAGE 4 Workers Press, Monday May 8, 11 By Sarah Hannigan Cook's Mrs Daphne reaction to the four new tower blocks off Wood. pecker Rd, New Cross, South East London, is the same as that of the area: I wouldn't move into one of them. If you have children it's like a prison for them. 'It's not fair on the children and I don't approve of these anyway,' Mrs Cook went flats on. 'I don't like them being built here and we're trying to can't But then you get out. pick and choose where you want to live nowadays.' flats off The 24-storey Woodpecker Rd are part of £5m development scheme for the area by the local Lewis- ham council. But the council has now tactically admitted that people are not in the least enthusi- astic about moving into the new blocks. They said as much when they waived the one-year waiting-list rule to try young married encourage couples and single people to take the one-bedroomed flats.

Above: Mrs Cook. Right: the New Cross tower blocks which no one wants to llve in Workers Press spoke to other local residents, all of whom shared Mrs Cook's feel- ings about the flats. Maureen Cowley, who Mrs lives in a new maisonette across the road from two of the "towers' said she 'wouldn't give them a penny for them'.

Her friend Mrs Lorraine Dwyer pays £6.50 a week for two-bedroomed maison- her ette. The rent has already gone up once since she moved in five weeks ago! She pointed out that with waiting list for the long houses in the area it was non- sense for the council to decide to build blocks which were useless for families. Both she and some of her friends had had to wait for as long as five years before they were entitled to a coun cil house, she said. Yet now single people and childless couples could move in with- out any delay at all. r May 8, 1972

R MARA RESTAURAN

Mrs Margaret George will be 65 in June. At present she pays £12.80 a fortnight for her maisonette. two-bedroomed When she moved in six years ago the rent was £3.40 a week.

She wasn't happy about the rent, but she wasn't prepared to move into one of the tower blocks. You're boxed in', she said.

'That's why people don't like them. They might be all right inside, but what if the lifts down. Who's going to broke children all the carry little way up to the top of that?

sent my granddaughter one of them, but she after said "No thanks". They told her she would have to pay £7.

a week to live right at the top of one of those things. She has one kid and would only have been prepared to live on the ground floor. 'There's only corridors up there. And there's no facili- ties for the kiddies or for any- one. We need a club for the children and a hall for bingo.

They've already taken all our shops away. 'The kids have nowhere to play and that is why the win- dows get smashed. They say that there's a new building round the corner there that's going to be a church. We've got one church here already.

That's enough churches.' A, curate who lives on the centre of the estate surrounded by the 'towers' calls them 'vertical prisons'. The Rev David Everett (27) says: 'I feel strongly about tower blocks. I was working for the social service just about quar- ter of a mile from Ronan Point when it blew up and I helped deal with the families who were affected.'

He went on: 'However, I don't think that it's because of Ronan Point that people don't like living in these blocks. It's the feeling of being trapped. It's the new way of living evolve, that people have to Why did he call them 'ver- tical prisons'? 'You only have to look at them. The most obvious thing is that they have no balconies.

WINE SHOP

COIN

LICE

Nowhere you can get air or dry washing or anything like that. Over the next 12 months upwards of 2,500 people are move into the four due *blocks and the four tower the smaller towers on the estate.

Social amenities at the mom- ent are confined to one com- munity centre. Plans for others are in the pipeline. This, however, is no help to the children of the area who are now being accused by some peuple of 'vandalism' As Mrs George said: 'If the kiddies had somewhere to play, then they wouldn't have to around smashing win- hang dows.'

HISPANIOLA:

UNDER THE US BOOT

Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, is ruled by an even more dictatorial regime. It is the fiefdom of 'Baby Doc, youthful, overweight Jean-Claude Duvalier. A year ago he inherited the dictator- ship on the death of his father, Francois. Now 'thanks to the oppres- sive regime built up during 14 years of terror by Francois Duvalier with support from the United States', the dictator- ship rolls on. Our quotation is taken from clandestine communique a published in the capital, Port 'Jacques au Prince, by the Heannot Committee for Patri- otic Action', an anti-Duvalier group. The document analyses the first year of Jean-Claude's rule as lifetime President. 'Jean-Claude's playboy character has not been changed by government leadership. He still loves the "dolce vita" , fast cars and motorcycles, the document says. 'Real power continues to lie in the hands of the big men "crime of the syndicate": Interior Minister Luckner Canbronne, former head of the secret police; the brothers Adrien and Claude Arymond Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief of the Army High Command respectively; Luc head of the Desir, present secret police; Gracia Jacques and Breton Claude. The military chiefs who were most hated by the people and 'Papa Doc' took most loyal to control of the police over apparatus. 'Hundreds of political Top right: 'Baby Doc' and Luckner Canb prisoners are rotting in prison without i ever having been brought before a court, not even their families are allowed to visit them. 'Some exiles who came back to the country on the strength of the government's so-called amnesty, were arrested and submitted to terrible torture' The document states that 19 from Valle de peasants L'Artibonite were shot at the end of January, after they pro- tested that their lands were being plundered by a rich landowner. 'The massacre was carried by the Tontons Macoutes out and The Leopards, a new terror team created by lean- Claude, the document says.

It adds: 'American support regime is for the Haitian stronger than ever'. Clinton Knox, American ambassador to Port au Prince is 'the •éminence grise who hands out orders to the gang in power. The communique recalls that on March 15 American Secre- tary of State William Rogers and assistant Defence Secre- tary Warren Nutter 'received • Washington a government mission from Duvalier's dicta- torial regime, and they received them with embraces, smiles and tributes' representatives Duvalier's • Canbronne, Luckner were Foreign Minister Adrien Ray- mond, and Finance Minister Eduard Francisque. 'The State Department and US Defence Secretariat ratified support for its unconditional the Duvalier clan, the docu- ment states. 'Despite police state repres- sion, and growing illiteracy, poverty in Haiti, resistance to the dictatorial regime is grow- ing too. 'The people are beginning to realize that the gangsters at present in power aim to go even further than "Papa Doc" in internal repression and the handing over of national terri- tory and resources to Ameri- can imperialism', the document concludes. kner Canbronne, Above : William Rogers

ARMY

ON THE

CAMPUS

The military have moved onto the campus of the of San University Domingo and look set to after driving stay there the students off the uni- versity premises. They moved in last month on the pretext that they were looking for bank robber. blocked They the university a rapid entrances in man- oeuvre which surprised even who at that the rector. was moment in conference with UN oincials. The students were promptly ordered the and oft campus arrested the many were on spot taken anal nearby black marias. Meanwhile the rector called a hurried meeting of the uni- versity council and advised the students not to leave the uni- versity until the military had Workers Press given guarantees about their safety. On the campus itself, stud- ents gathered to shout slogans against the regime. Suddenly, the police opened fire on the crowd, hitting a girl student in the head and wounding ten others. The students flung them- selves onto the ground and the army moved in as if they were storming a fortress. Everybody, including the UN officials, soon found themselves lined up against the wall with armed soldiers standing menac- ingly behind them. The police took them away in trucks.

Since the occupation, the army has set about systemati- They are said to have caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage, smashing typewriters, destroying files and library books and stealing what they can. The rector is now out of prison, but 50 others are still The girl held. who was wounded is still in a critical condition. If she lives, she will be permanently disabled.

The 'robber' they were looking for is still at large.

This is not the first time university been the has viciously attacked in San Domingo. In 1970, tanks were ad brought onto the campus and kers Press, Monday May 8, 1972 PAGE 5 the university was shut down by decree for three months.

Then the police at least had the 'excuse' that there were demonstrations the among students. Nothing of the sort happened to provoke the latest assault. for President Balaguer and his henchmen, the stud- ents are 'communist brigands' and enemies of society. He faces a growing popular movement against his regime.

Textile workers are on strike demanding higher elementary trade union rights, while in the countryside the peasants in many areas have demonstrated demanding the land to the tiller. They too have felt the weight of Bala- guer's mailed fist. Balaguer is simply a mouth- piece for United States inter- ests in the Dominican Repub- lic. He has already sold at least a tenth of the country to various US interests. On the east of the island, the Gulf Western Company is a virtual state within a state.

It is buying up one after another of the best beaches to construct tourist resorts-from which Dominicans are the strictly excluded. Such a regime cannot toler- ate protests or even the threat protest. And that is the explanation for the actions of the army on the campus.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Monday May 8, 1972 "Throughout the whole history of the British labour is to be found of the the pressure movement bourgeoisie on the proletariat by means of radicals, intelligentsia, drawing-room and church socialists, Owenites, who reject the class struggle, put forward the principle of social solidarity, preach co-operation with the bourgeoisie, curb, enfeeble, and politically diffuse This consciously debase the proletariat. formula has as its object the mollifying of the class character of socialism.' Trotsky in 'Where is Britain Going?'

reformism these middle-episo writers and epitomized 'Seven Days', the much- photo-weekly, vaunted was foot-loose people totally five months ago launched bankrupt in this period of the of free amid a shower polarization of class forces.

capitalist publicity in the They are bankrupt because and television. on Dress they do not base themselves on later - the Now-f15.000 Marxism, they do not base announced directors have themselves the working is to that the magazine class. Indeed, one could quote rease publication. example after example where News that the magazine has they show utmost contempt gone broke so abruptly makes for workers and their releases seem problems. If it is not contempt, the early press then it is mindless patronage embarrassingly optimistic. of the working class. Take, for instance, 'The working party has decided They have made no analysis that "Seven Days" should run of this period of capitalist control. world with workers' crisis; to them the sexual and the economic equality monetary chaos, inter- The aim is to make the national slump and the rise of parity. viable, commercially unemployment in all the without being capitalist-any maior capitalist countries, is just an interruption in capital- be automatically will surplus ploughed back? ism; a sort of hiccough which of 'Seven remedied if you stand shut-down will be The coincides the Days' with in the corner with a paper bag the anarchist on your head and drink a cup extinction of of 'Ink', the sacking of backwards. And water Daper Dichard Crossman as editor of politically, that is just what all Statesman' and the 'New of them are doing. the plans to kill off 'Race Today' Of publications, all the the journal of the Institute of 'Seven Days' is the one most Race Relations. deserving of specific study it declared simply because itself to be 'revolutionary'. One

ANXIETY

of the main publicity brochures carried advertising gim- this

OF THE

mickery: 'You mean to say we can

MIDDLE CLASS

have a revolutionary weekly in of vibrant Britain with ideas clarity, fresh incisive prose,

LEFT

of brute immediacy pictures from the corners of the globe.

available at every bookstall. at the modest price of 15p?' And The collapse and crisis 1n then, underneath the these publications is causing reply: 'Take a look for vourself.'

middle considerable anxiety in 'left' circles in London.

brochure. Inside the the class "Seven Days' promotion experts The bars and drawing wine proclaimed that the magazine echo with chat about rooms would 'help to build a coherent whether everyone came to grief of printing costs or critique of British society because distribution problems or adver- which is scarcely revolution- ary'. tising revenue. how- The brochure revealed Such contemplation, in ever. is a complete evasion of other ways that the overriding the real behind the ethos of the magazine was anti- reason The these publications. Marxist. key paragraph crisis in boasted: • Seven Days" has its The reasons are political; and and is the politics of centrism and own perspectives existing independent of any group, party or organization.

It went on to state that its aim' was to help people to discover the truth of capitalism and for themselves (!), to realize their own ability to take political power.' How 'Seven Days' arrived at these aims and objectives is readily understood when one the paragraph headed: reads This reveals 'How it started. that the inspiration behind the magazine's policies came from comprising working party the Free from Com- people Women's munications Group, ' 'Black Liberation Workshop, Review' Dwarf, 'New Left Idiot Inter- •Cinema Action, national', Gay Liberation and the 'Cambridge Shilling News- paper'. In fact, every revisionist, re- formist, liberal number in the into the was drawn book 'Seven Days' This milieu. aspect of the paper was most glaringly demonstrated in the presence of the Cockburn family. Claude Cockburn, ex-Stalin- ist and contributor to 'Private Eye' was one of the four directors; his son, Alexander, of 'New Left Review' and the 'New Statesman', was listed as editing the 'capitalism' page, signed articles though no by him during the appeared magazine's brief lifetime; Alex- ander's wife, Emma Tennant, who was formerly Mrs Christ- opher Booker (Booker was a •Private founding editor of Eye') contributed articles; and towards the end the paper also Andrew carried articles by Cockburn, Alexander's younger came to 'Seven brother, who Days' via 'Ink'. Without a vestige of political 'Seven Days' principle, was launched in venture an almost champagne atmosphere.

subscribers and Potential journalists thought to be sympathetic were invited to a cocktail party in Hampstead while others received a leaflet saying: "This document asks you to take out a £100 found- «Seven ation subscription to Days"? on: "The It went second stage of the fund raising as the "Hundred is known Hundreds" 'Those donating £100 to this "Foundation scheme become Subscribers". They will receive "Seven Days" until a full £100 worth of copies has been sent to them.'

DOING

THIER

LIBERAL

THING

Throughout this public re- lations drive 'Seven Days' pre- sented itself as part of the 'alternative' press. It was no such thing. It was simply a diversionary playground for a men and number of young women with some journalistic ability to 'do their own liberal thing'. IPC, publishers of the 'Daily and probably the Mirror world's largest newspaper and printing monopoly, patronized these people by placing adver- tisements in their publication.

Isn't it a perfect tribute to 'Seven Day's' 'alternative' poli- tics, that it received subsidies the jol from of the biggest one bourgeois in publishing? The other hallmark of its flattering launching was tha the and extensive coverage in national press and on the late- night trendy diceuccion Dro• grammes. David Triesman told "The Times': • "Seven Days" will be both informative and propa- gandist. It will be a long way to the left, but will try to avoid the hysterical ghetto of left-wing language some groups. The scholarly Mr Triesman, who is such a long way to the left', became the paper's sports writer informing the 'Hundred Hundreds' (and 'Fighting greyhound Fivers'?) about racing and pigeons. By the time of the 'emergency issue' of the magazine last week, Mr Tries- longer listed as no man "sports editor' but as a 'con- tributing editor'. There other editorial were "The 'The Times' plugs in •Evening London Guardian' Society Standard', 'New and 'Campaien' And the now has out of magazine gone who rushes forward business, with notes of mourning? Why, the bourgeois press. "The Guardian' has just directors, of the given one john Berger, a whole column plead the case his defunct magazine. "The Times' diary, the sump of middle-class prattle. also pleads for the re- tention of the paper. And the chorus was ioined by the 'New Statesman': «The «Seven very of certain Ironically, under- Seven Days' was more consistently given this ludicrous neath praise appeared an advertisement for subiect. Editorial board meetings were frequently 'New the job of editor of the male and female.members Statesman' which itself wracked political with con. following fusion Crossman's dismissal and the ending of the paper's traditional adherence to the Perhaps most revealing aspect of the magazine's the whirlwind bookstalls, was its claim about readership. The brochure clared that the readers would be: students in higher educa- sixth formers and tion, A apprentices; people in creative and arts and design tech- nicians: semi-professional teachers, librarians, researchers; working class activists; housewives and mothers; the middle pro- neone in fessions: medicine, planning, y technology, media In fact, of course, they were writing for and to each other.

The profile readership Con- sciously and deliberately turned its back on the working -indisputable evidence of class- its non - Marxist political approach.

THE

SHARPENING

CLASS

STRUGGLE

From the brochure it can be whom the ancily cean sales pitch was directed-the disaffected middle This class. reflected time and again was e consistently given to Women's Lib than any other in the columns of the maga- ]s were frequently frustrated by rows between. the in its zine, particularly Worke absurdly disproportionate coverage of such subjects as ssman's • Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation. The succession of political crises to hit these journals is direct reflection of the a sharpening class struggle which has characterized the political situation since the government Tory to came office in June 1970. The rise of 'Ink' and 'Seven Days' reflected a mood among a section of middle-class people who moved in a confused way to protesting as the Tories began their offensive in Britain and Ulster. Now that their protest is over and their moods dashed, where will these people go as working the gathers Class ascendancy? a lifetime, spending After albeit 29 years, of lampooning the 'straight' press, Mr Richard Neville of 'Ink' has gone off to join it. He now has a regular full-page column in the 'Even- ing Standard' owned by the Beaverbrook group, historically the most hostile anti-union corporation in newspaper Britain. Another 'Ink' director, Ed who dropped out of Victor, English publishing the business, has dropped back in to Random House publishers in New York. The 'Seven Day's' personnel haven't shown such a blatant retreat into the folds of the bourgeoisie.

But in this period of extreme capitalist crisis, it is unsafe to make any exact judgments on the shifts and turns among the petty bourgeois idealists.

In deing communism an infant- ile Disorder', Lenin says they 'easily go to revolutionary ex- Workers Prose, Monday May 8, 1972 PAGE 7 Jumping the spot: of on one 'Seven Days' big feature articles was devoted to the conference on the 'Politics of Pyschotherapy at the London School of Econo last November. People in- mics terested were advised by reporter John Howe to contact 'Red Rat, Essendine Mansions, W9' tremes' but they are 'incapable of perseverance, organization, steadfastness. discipline and 'A petty bourgeois driven to , by the horrors of frenzy. capitalism is social a which, like phenomenon anarchism, is characteristic of all capitalist countries?

describes the 'in- Lenin stability of such revolutionism, its barrenness, and its tendency to turn rapidly into submis- sion, apathy, phantasms, and frenzied infatuation even a with one bourgeois fad or another.' Those 'Seven Days' writers, designers and researchers who do have a genuine interest in revolutionary politics should study the lessons of the 'Seven debacle. Days' They must examine the Utopian and bourgeois idealist character of their recent political protest- ing and reject this reformist school. Their talents can contribute to the struggle for socialism only in so far as they subordi- nate themselves politically to the requirements of the work- ing class. This can only be done by joining the one organization in Britain today which bases itself on Marxism and fighting for the emancipation of the class-the Socialist working lary ex- Labour League.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Monday May 8, 1

PART ONE

The Tory government has two Rent Bills before parliament, one for Eng- land and Wales, the other for Scotland. Both have the same intention - to enforce the largest in- crease in council rents in history. No soothing words about rent rebate schemes, nor about directing resources where they are most needed, can conceal this. For Scottish workers this aspect of the Tory attack is especially significant. Since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, working - class housing in Scotland has im- pressed even bourgeois com- mentators with its awfulness.

observation of the From Benthamite reformers of the 1830s and 1840s to the statis- tics of the modern census, every type of evidence sug- that Scottish housing gests have been con- conditions sistently worse even than those of the major industrial centres of England. No objective observer sur- relatively recent veyıng even housing estates in Glasgow or Dundee could support the con- tention of the White Paper, "The Reform of Housing Finance in Scotland' (Cmnd 4727, 1971), that the problem of bad housing is no longer general and widespread but is concentrated in increasingly fewer areas The working class has not, and does not, accept any aspect of capitalist oppression passively. The historic struggle for, and defence of, the right to decent housing has a very special relevance in Scotland.

In the 20th century particu- larly real gains have been won -gains which the Tories now seek to destroy. This is the meaning of the often-heard complaint of the capitalist politicians and their Scotland's housing press that problem is caused by un- low The realistically rents. White Paper's version of this fatuous argument is that: "The artificially low rent level in the public sector dis- courages the supply of modern in Scotland for pur- houses or for private letting. chase There has therefore been in- creasing dependence on public sector housing, which is dis- torting the housing pattern and is a discouragement to new firms and new industry...

It's all so beautifully logical, isn't it? High rents, full em- ployment, so what's everyone carping about! The working class, now facing in earnest the struggle to defend its living standards, will not be conned by the bland reasoning of the capitalist eco- nomists. It was the Scottish working class that led the struggle against rent profiteering in у Мау 8, 1972 World War I. And a high point of reformist politics in Scot- land came when, after the war, the workers of Shettleston in Glasgow returned Independent Labour Party member John Wheatley to parliament, and Ramsay MacDonald, against his better judgement was forced to include him in the first Labour government of 1924. None of the Young Social- ists' Right-to-Work marchers came from the vile who Shettleston slumş of today would be sympathetic to the suggestion that Wheatley's parliamentary manoeuvring abolished the housing prob- lem. Nevertheless the Wheatley Housing Act of 1924 was one of the few real reforms which the first Labour government carried through. It established the responsibility of the local authorities for providing sufficient housing, of a decent standard, at reasonable return.

Tory to reverse this gain. Its White Paper Scottish housing on finance clearly states its inten- tion to withdraw all the con- cessions won by the working class in the period following the report of the Royal Com- mission on Scottish housing which sat from 1912 to 1917.

According to the Tories the problems which that commis- sion uncovered have all been substantially dealt with. Now it is only small minorities which require "help'. The great majority of workers must pay 'economic rents' and the main emphasis in housing should be shifteá into the hands of private enterprise. proceeding with their usual arrogant confidence in their ability to reverse the historic gains of the working class, the Tories forget one thing-the working class itself.

Accustomed to identifying the working class with the toadies of the trade union bureaucracy whom they meet over cock- tails, they rest on the theory that subsidized rents, etc., were the products of ruling-class benevolence which can be removed with the stroke of a pen. They are mistaken. The 1912 Royal Commis- sion on Scottish housing itself in the face of was set up massive "industrial unrest', when the employing class was desperately seeking of ways heading off working-class mili- tancy. The first Rent Restric- tions Act was passed under war-time conditions when the whole of British capitalism's 'war effort' was threatened by workers' determination to defend their basic rights, no matter how much patriotic rhetoric was hurled at them.

In 1915 the Clydeside was the cockpit of this struggle. It centred on the key engineering factories which had been con- verted to munitions production with the outbreak of war. The defence of basic rights against Working-class housing In the late 19th ce the vicious speed-up and dis- cipline of the infamous Treasury Agreement and . the subsequent Munitions of War Act, which the reformist trade union bureaucracies со- operated with, was the main issue. As always in periods of sharp conflict between the classes, however, the struggle took a multiplicity of forms.

As the engineers of firms like Weir's of Cathcart, Barr & Stroud, Beardmore's and Albion Motors threw forward a workshop leadership to fight against the betrayals of the bureaucracy, so the housewives of the main working-class areas of Glasgow took up the fight against rent-profiteering.

The requirement of the munitions industries for labour had given the landlords their opportunity to do well out of the war.

In the late summer and early autumn of 1915 notice of rent increases was given to many tenants in areas such as Parkhead and Partick. In both areas rent strikes were decided on. When a factor visited houses in the Partick area to collect the additional rents at the end of September, the local paper reported: 'He was pelted with bags of peasemeal and chased from one of the streets by a number of who women, upbraided him vociferously' Soon hundreds were par- ticipating in the strikes and larger meetings were being organized in most of the working-class areas of Glas- gow. early October,

SIX

districts were on strike, and a mass demonstration was held in central Glasgow. 'We are fighting the Prussians of Partick' and against 'The Huns at Home, , declared the ban- ners. Determined now to press ahead with its munitions drive, which required the 'dilution' of labour and a ruthless attack on hard-won protective practices ate 19th century: the Old Vennel In Glasgow the government adopted a con- ciliatory policy on the rents question and set up an inquiry.

Meanwhile private landlords to evict attempting rent- strikers were met with the organized resistance of the Women's Housing Association, led by Mrs Barbour. The ejection officers got the flour and whiting treatment again.

At a meeting called by the Glasgow Labour Party Housing Committee, I L Per and com- mitted reformist Patrick Dollan (many years later to be Lord Provost of Glasgow) declared: 'The law of eviction is the law of the property class. We of the working class will respect no law which sanctions eviction of working-class the families.' But despite militant state- ments the leaders of this struggle saw it essentially as a campaign. They single-issue suggested reformist "solutions' to the 'housing problem' such as diverting tramway, profits to build municipal housing. They did not see the rents question as part of the whole ruling-class attack on the working class which the war necessitated. One leading rent- striker, Helen Crawfurd even declared that the rent battle 'essentially a woman's was fight'. In reality it was a class fight -and more than that, it was a political fight. Government tactics on the rents question were part of their strategy to contain the militancy of the whole working class and to defeat advanced its most Much against the sections. prejudices of many of its own supporters, it members and introduced the first Rent Restrictions Bill. When the Bill was intro- duced late in November, the 'Glasgow Herald' commented sadly: . . . pity it is that we should have to acquiesce in so much unfairness in order to persuade men to help to win this war, which is their con- cern as well as ours.' The ruling class was well aware of the political nature of the struggle. For the govern- ment the concession wrung from them on rents was also the cover behind which they launched a campaign over the winter of 1915-1916 to break the Clydeside shop up stewards' movement on the key dilution issue. The Clyde Workers' Com- mittee of shop stewards in the leadership of the fight in the engineering factories - en- meshed in the critical theoreti- cal limitations of the socialist parties to which they be- longed-were unable to broaden the fight of the skilled engineers out into the working class as a whole. An important aspect of this failure was their inability take over the • to leadership of the rents move- ment. To have forged the policy to unite the whole working class against the government would have required a ruthless stand against the imperialist war on the basis of Lenin's theory of revolutionary defeatism'-that workers should stand for the defeat of their 'own' capitalist class to create the most favour- able conditions for revolution.

This required a complete break from the opportunism of the Second International of Social-Democracy, which had to the side of the deserted bourgeoisie and supported their respective national governments when war broke out in 1914. Lenin was almost alone at this period in grasping the implications for the working class of what had happened in 1914. No tendency in Britain approached his position.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

BY JOHN SPENCER

Italian Stalinism is fully prepared to see the coun- try remain in both NATO and the Common Market, even under a government with Communist Party participation. This is clear from state- ments by leading CP member Giorgio Amendola in an inter- view with "Times' correspond- last Edward Mortimer ent week. The interview was given only a few days before the General Election on Italian Sunday. position Amendola's own makes it clear that the Italian CP is prepared to co-operate in the operation of the Com- mon Market. He sits as one of the Italian delegation to the parliament - a European rubber-stamp body composed of representatives from the six of the national parliaments

EEC.

He says: 'We find this parti- cipation in the European par- liament useful, even though it We have has powers. learnt a lot from it.' In contrast with his British counterparts, whose propa- ganda is full of references to the loss of sovereignty entailed in the Common Market system, Amendola looks for- to a single European ward electoral law allowing uniform election to the European par- liament. In the meantime, he says: 'All national parliaments should elect their delegations with uniform criteria which would let in all political groups whether of the majority or of the opposition? Berlinguer, present general sec.

retary of the Italian Communist Party moment each At the national parliament chooses its own system of election. Under this system the Italian Stalin- ists have only recently gained admittance and the French CP is still kept out. What Amen- dola wants is a kind of 'Popu- lar Front' regime on an inter- national scale. 'We are not for Italy leaving the EEC', he says. 'We are for transformation of the EEC's institutions. Until now has been held by the power national governments, by the bureaucracy of the community and by multinational com- The Euronean participate in this rubb panies. We want an a real presenc forces: the trade uni operatives, and all political partie extensior Italian CP's domesti of 'structural reforms'. Nor is Amendola of to the British entry Market, unlike British and French 'We says: motives of Labour munist opposition but in spite of this i does come in, that the British will come and bring i bution to the transformation munity Readers will recog familiar Jenkinsite This policy is a decer because, as Amendol admits, there is preci 'democracy' in Market, which by the 'multination panies'. Amendola is to the continuation o He the Italian to move Italy 'from o block wanted to 'go beyond' sion of Europe into t All they want change the direction foreign policy along foreign the Krer think Italy has a gec position which foreign policy of detente in Europe.' This corresponds letter with cracy's plans Parliament in session this rubber stamp body ant an active and popular of the trade unions, co- movement: cal parties.' of the extension domestic policy endola opposed t Commo both the CPs. He understand the and com Britain, in of this if Britain working class d bring its contri democratic of the rill recognize the a deceptive trap Amendola himself is precious little Common the dominated is ultinational com- is quite specific irty's commitment nuation of capital- stressed tha did not want y from one power another' Thes • beyond' the divi pe into two blocs want really lirection of Italian y-along the lines the Kremlin. •We has a geographical requires the 'European It 'useful' to session. Amendola finds op body of European capitalism Security'-joint policing of the working Europe against class by a deal between the powers and the capitalist Soviet bloc. quite blatantly Amendola subordinates the requirements of the Italian working class to this counter-revolutionary aim.

He and his Party are prepared to take posts in a government which is part of a military pact against the Soviet directed of Union and the conquests Revolution. October the Amendola does not even want a left-wing' government. He is quite prepared to support what he terms a 'government of the democratic turning point' (sic) tic based on a majority composed of the 'three historic currents' social-democracy -the and Catholics. No one could accuse Amen- dola of excessive ambition. He says the CP would support government without such a even taking posts in it. They would • be content to remain in the 'area'. purpose of such The a Popular Front, as Amendola himself implies, is to tie the working class even closer to the capitalist state He says that if the Christian Democrats succeed in their plan to have a 'centre' majority, in effect fascist accepting support, 'there will be a period of great social tensions' The alternative is 'a new majority with communists par- in ticipating the majority though not in the government.

Such a regime, with Stalinists officially area government' would, he implies, enjoy the backing of the Stalinist trade union leaders who would undertake to keep the masses quiet. Workers Pres Problems Duncan Sandys, Tory. MP for Streatham, South London, has just taken over as chairman of Lonrho, the mining and trading company which has been embarrassed by a f10m overdraft with merchant banks.

Curiously, however, the £10m materialized the other day from an unspecified deal which the company has just carried out. No sooner had he got one major problem off his plate, than another arose. A few days ago three of his directors in South Africa appeared in court on fraud charges. Co-existence The man who has astonishing amounts of dirt on FBI chief Edgar Hoover is Soviet spy Kim Philby. When Philby was stationed in Washington as Britain's top anti-Russian spy he regularly with Hoover. dined They would meet at Hoover's club and discuss the latest rounds in the Cold War. Hoover was always boasting how he could smell a 'Commie' miles away-which must have caused Philby to almost choke Kim Philby rker& Pro28, Monday May 8, 1972 PAGE 9 Bottled money 'A disappointing £1,150 was paid for a jeroboam (equivalent to six bottles) of Château Mouton Rothschild 1929 at a Sotheby's wine auction recently. A few weeks earlier £2,800 had been paid for a similar bottle of the same wine.' This item on how the rich live appeared in the London 'Evening Standard' the other day. Labour Research Depart- has calculated the ment amount of money spent on these two bottles of wine could have provided a bottle of milk for almost a quarter of a million children. with his amusement. n memoirs, Philby describes Hoover as one of the most objectionable men he ever met.

He had many great anecdotes about the intelligence he used to deliberately 'plant' on Hocver. Unfortunately these stories do not appear in his book presumably because the Soviet bureaucrats did not feel happy about making complete a monkey of Hoover while he was alive and while they were busily pursuing their policy of 'peaceful co-existence Edgar Hoover

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Monday May 8, Chief Lancashire's former Constable Mr William Palfrey, has, over the years, earned himself a special place in the hearts and memories of Lancashire folk. Many trade unionists will un- doubtedly not forget the scenes in St Helens when his boys in blue went into action during the Pilkington glassworkers' strike.

Anti-Apartheid And cam - paigners will always remember fine performance of his the during demon- mounted police strations at Old Trafford.

much-publicized in Recently sensational of. the more one papers for his advocacy Sunday of bringing back the noose, Palfrey is also, of course, a keen Christian. with his friend the Along Bishop of Blackburn, the then Chief Constable was one of the pioneers of the original move- ment of militant Christians that has emerged in the Festivals of Light. Through the grim Lancashire streets, the Man of God and the led their cohorts — Lawman parsons, local the associations, and men's numbers of 'off-duty' policemen, crusaders all, in their 'Act Witness' (not be confused to with a demonstration, of course) against the 'Permissive Society' the altar of finishing up at Blackburn Cathedral! Many people will treasure their little memories of things own that Palfrey has done or said at times. Like that time various when he was asked to explain had, why of his men some allegedly sworn at young girl students in a demonstration, and called them 'something-whores': 'Well,' the Chief Constable was quoted as saying, 'when you hear that the boys and girls at Lan- University like to sleep caster together, what do you expect!'

Although he has now retired as Chief Constable, he is still a

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TORIES ATTACK

THE UNEMPLOYED

The Social Security Swindle ay May 8, 1972 very active man. True, he turned down the invitation from the Conservative Ardwick division Party to become their prospective parliamentary candidate. But he is still determined to do his bit and for the security moral welfare of the people. Lancashire County Council has created a special post for an officer to look after the problems unemployed youth of county. Since there are a lot of and the officer is them, Sup- posed to help them get work, he will obviously have to be quite a busy fellow. The job created, ex-Chief Con- contacted stable Palfrey was straight invited and to away, take it at a salary of £13,000 year. But the appointment has run into some opposition. representing Trade 'unions and local government, clerical administrative staff asked why a policeman was being appointed to this post, particularly when there were an increasing number of people with • better experience and qualifications who were being thrown on the dole in Lancashire and would have been glad of the job. number of people wrote A letters to the 'Lancashire Evening Post' criticizing the decision to appoint Palfrey and questioning whether there was any point in the post being created at all.

'Disgusted Ratepayer' of Long- ridge, near Preston, says: 'When I read your account of the salary and "perks" this post carried, I was horrified at the waste of ratepayers' money.

I do not wish to question Mr Palfrey's qualifications as policeman...However, I do know he has no qualifications for the post he is now taking up?

He goes on to say: 'This is a blatant case of "Jobs for the Boys", with both Labour

A YOUNG SOCIALISTS PAMPHLET

St Helens police 'In action' against the councillors Conservative and not advertising creating a job, the post, and filling it with "an old pal" being 'The ratepayers are "conned" and a sum approaching £25,000 — when administrative costs and other officers' time are included -is being poured down the drain. Well gentlemen, my rates won't be paid promptly this year. 'Everyone knows why there is a shortage of jobs and both this administration and the previous one must take some responsibility, for this is a direct result of government policy. Add to this other factors such as automation and lack of investment, and we situation, main causes of today's have the • Evening ('Lancashire Post', Tuesday April 25.)

Another person signing himsell from Penwortham, 'Ratepayer' has a suggestion to offer Mr Palfrey: 'The unanimous view of many people with whom I have dis- cussed this is that it is an entirelỳ unnecessary appointment.

PRICE: FIFTEEN PENCE

gainst the Pilkington glassworkers escorting s 'If, however, Mr Palfrey con- produce a partial siders he can solution, however small, to the youth unemployment problem, it indeed be Christian would a action to offer his services on a free and voluntary basis. As a retired business executive on a considerably lower pension than Mr Palfrey I would be pleased to support such an ofier with my own free services in a clerical or any other useful capacity.' ('Lan- cashire Evening Post' Tuesday, April 25.) On the other hand, the Long- ridge reader says: 'Really, Mr Paifreyprospec- "Festival Light" MP, of tive walker, broadcaster, chairman of Lancashire Youth Clubs Associa- tion, now troubleshooter for un- employment-please draw your pension, sit back and enjoy it and forget the gimmicks. 'If the county council has any money to spare, forget the "old it to the act" give people who are out of work.' (Lancashire Evening Post', Tuesday April 25.) It now appears that Labour councillors are also expressing

A JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MARXISM PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNAT

Price 25 pe Volume 7 No. 3 Editorial: Class War and the Mass Party Draft International Perspective of the Fourth Internation scorting scabs to work opposition to Palfrey's appoint- ment. But much of the opposition is missing an important point. Not only appointment an to obscure the real attempt nature of the problem of youth employment, and its causes. The appointment of a former Chief Constable to deal with this prob- lem may be indicative of attitude of Tory councillors towards unemployed youth.

It should also be borne in mind that for former Chief Con- stable Palfrey-as a leading spokesman for the Forces of Darkness represented by the Festival of Light, and as a pioneer for the policeman and a vociferous authority on nation's political and moral life —this appointment must mark an important step. If he intends a further political career, then the selection as Tory candidate for Ardwick is not half so useful as being appointed to a post con- cerned with unemploy- youth ment.

BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL

Price 25 pence Spring 1972 Perspectives International

GEC strikers angry over plant-

BY IAN YEATS

THREE HUNDRED workers at two GEC factories made a blistering attack at the weekend on the engineering union executive's decision to abandon a fight on their national pay claim in favour of plant-bargaining.

At GEC Osram, Erith, Kent, the leaders of 200 mainly women workers locked out for three weeks for working-to-rule in support of the AUEW national claim are demanding a strike throughout the GEC empire in a bid to strengthen their position.

South East And at GEC (Elliotts) Lewisham, London, 20 machine-shop workers on strike for three months in support of the £6-a-week claim say that one effect of plant-bargaining is that men still at work in other GEC plants are scabbing on them.

GEC

Osram AUEW Foley convenor Mr Len said: 'The employers can do what they like with one factory at a time, but we have put up a resolution to Erith AUEW district committee calling on our members at all GEC factories to come out.

I think there is a fair chance they will because trouble in GEC all over there is Britain the moment. He added: 'We would not be this position if the AUEW had not executive taken away collective fight the our for national wage claim.' Mr Foley said acidly: 'With plant bargaining Scanlon [AUEW president] has just left us to get with it and on we are sitting ducks.' Men €18.40 and earn about women £14 a week at the street- light components factory where AUEW convenor at Osram, Len there has not been a strike for Foley two decades. Said Mr Foley:

'GEC

are unanimous - after three weeks.

making fantastic profits out.of We will see it out now until the pockets — £80m our last year management make an offer.'

compared about fl6m three Trouble flared in the town on to -and none of it is being years ago- Thursday when the entire work ploughed back to us workers.

force marched the local to I think it is wrong where a offices of the Department of few people exploit the majority Social Security to try and obtain and keep all that money to them- cash. Why selves. shouldn't it be Said Mr Foley: 'Our members ploughed back to the workers?'

When they asked were insulted. GEC management has refused they could be expected to how to even live on thin air, they were told the £6-a- negotiate week claim. But, said Mr Foley: get overdrafts from their 'Our people are on the bread- banks. line. Yet the vote at last Thurs- The Osram workers have been day's mass meeting first again was one of the sections of

BBC 1

9.28 Trumpton. 9.38 Schools. 12.55 How Can You Be So Sure?

Fingerbobs. 1.30 1.45 News, weather. 2.05 Schools. 4.00 Boomph with Becker. 4.15 Play School. 4.40 Jackanory. 4.55 Blue Peter. 5.20 Aeronauts. 5.44

ITV

Hector's House. 5.50 News, weather. 10.20 Schools. 1.10 Remember.

6.00 LONDON THIS WEEK.

1.40 Schools. 2.33 Good After- Houseparty. noon. 3.00 3.15

6.20 ENTERTAINING

WITH

'Girls at Film: 4.40 Sea' En-

KERR.

House. 4.55 Lassie. 5.20 chanted Genie. 5.50 News.

6.45 A QUESTION OF SPORT.

6.00 TODAY.

7.10 Z CARS. Operation

6.20 CROSSROADS.

Ascalon.

6.40 DAVID NIXON.

8.00 PANORAMA.

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

9.00 NEWS, Weather.

8.00 WORLD IN ACTION.

9.20 THE REGIMENT. A Gentle-

8.30 BLESS THIS HOUSE.

man from Europe. 9.00 SIX DAYS OF JUSTICE. AlI

TALES FROM THE LAZY

With intent to Deceive. 10.10

NEWS.

10.00

ACRE.

MCMILLAN

10.30

AND

WIFE

10.40

24 HOURS.

Wives Husbands, and 11.15

CANOE.

Killers. 11.40 Weather.

ONE POINT OF VIEW.

11.55 I would like information about Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

SECRETARY,

SOCIALIST

LABOUR

LEAGUE,

186A CLAPHAM HIGH ST, LONDON, SW4 7UG.

Name Address British industry to feel some of We'l the less well publicized affects of the Common Market. Mr Foley told me that components they normally supplied to a GEC factory in Birmingham were being brought in from the con- tinent. He said: 'We are sending a to Birmingham delegation this week to ask them to black com- they come in ponents if . from abroad or other GEC factories.

•I think we will go back vic- torious, but we will need assist- ance from other GEC factories.

told the Engineering am Employers' Federation has issued instructions to all their members not to negotiate on the national wage claim and the government is behind them. We are fighting the companies and the Tories.

'There is only one way workers can win these days. As I see it, all the trouble in this country is leading up a to General Strike and then this government will have no option but to resign.

'I am not going to say Labour is a wonderful party, but they are the lesser of two evils at the moment.' Those dastardly French have been Lt Richard Gaunt (Christopher Cazenov from Europe' in 'The Regiment' series Gaunt's sergeant.

REGIONAL TV

All regions as BBC 1 except: Wales: 1.30 Ar Lin Mam. 6.00 Wales Today. 6.20 Mynd a Dod.

Heddiw. 10.10 Trouble- 6.45 spot. 11.42 News. Scotland: 1.00 Christianity Grounded. 6.00 Reporting Scot- land. 6.20 Se Ur Beatha. 11.15 Canoe. 12.15 Scope. 11.50 News, weather. Northern Ireland: 6.00 Scene Around Six. 11.42 News, weather. England: 6.00 Look North, Mid- lands Today, Look East, Points West, South Today, Spotlight South West. Weather. 11.42 News, weather. SOUTHERN: 2.30 London. 3.00 Good Cooks. 3.20 Cartoon. 3.30 Houseparty. 4.15 Lucy. 4.00 Cartoon. 4.25 Junkin. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 Day by Day. 6.45 London. 10.30 Afloat. 11.00 Film. 12.10 News.

12.20 Weather. Matter of Life and Death. Workers Pre

PROFITS

UP

WIGES

DOWN

'We've been out for almost 15 weeks I says machine shop worker Fred Chapm Lewisham picket line. AT LEWISHAM, EPTU branch secretary Phil Howlett told me: 'We have been told they are send- ing our work up to Leicester.

They are taking the bread and butter from our mouths to try and frighten us.' Mr Howlett said that abandon- ing fight on collective the a national pay claim meant that one section of workers in GEC was scabbing on another. He added: 'The unions should get on to Leicester and tell them not to take any of our work up there' And machine shop worker Fred Chapman told me: 'It is GEC policy to threaten you with redundancies to try to keep the wages down, but this time they have come unstuck. almost 15 'We have been out weeks now and we will stick it to the end. We are stopping as much as we can going in and out of the factory and eventually been selling guns to the Boers! r Cazenove) discovers in 'A Gentleman nt' series on BBC 1. Roger Nott plays HTV: 10.20, 1.40 Schools. 3.20 Sara and Hoppity. 3.30 Enchanted House. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Theory into Practice. 4.35 Tinkertainment.

Tom Gratton. 5.20 London. 6.01 Report West. 6.22 Report Wales.

6.45 London. 10.30 Film: 'The 12.10 Curse of the Werewolf'. Weather. HTV Wales above except: 4.35 Cantamil. 6.01 Y Dydd. 10.30 The Other Edgar Wallace. 12.10 Weather. HTV West as above except: 6.22 This is the West This Week.

HTV Cymru/Wales as HTV Wales plus: 8.00 Yr Wythnos.

Aid- ANGLIA: 2.30 London. 3.15 Jokers. 3.45 Yoga. 4.10 News.

4.15 Cartoons. 4.25 Romper room. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.45 London. 10.30 Aquarius. 11.30 Theatre of stars. 12.25 Big question. ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Yoga. 3.35 Women. Horoscope. 3.45 4.10 Nanny. 4.40 Nuts and bones.

4.55 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 Today. 6.45 London. 10.30 Chal- lenge. 11.00 Randall and Hopkirk.

orkers Press, Monday May 8, 1972 PAGE 11 R

"MINC

Will stick it out, 5 weeks now and we ed Chapman (second from left) at the anch they will have to lay everyone off.' Thirty wire room workers have already been laid off and about 50 others struck in sym- pathy. Communist Party AUEW con- venor Harry Johnson has refused call out the 1,000-strong to workforce on the grounds that the action of the machine shop will eventually force the men works to a halt. Mr Chapman told me: 'We would have been stronger in numbers and got a settlement a lot quicker if the AUEW execu- tive had not decided on plant- bargaining. 'It has put firms like ours which are not 100 per cent unionized out on a limb. We have complained to AUEW local officials about it, but they just tell us they have got to carry out national executive policy'

BBC 2

11.00 Play school. 5.35 Open University. 7.05 Children growing up. 7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather.

8.00 FILM: 'UNTAMED FRON-

TIER'. Joseph Cotten, Shelley Winters, Scott Brady. Western. 9.15 HORIZON. Rail Crash. An examination of safety- measures taken by rail- ways. 10.10 FACE THE MUSIC. Musical quiz. 10.40

THIRTY-MINUTE THEATRE.

Gun Play. 11.10 NEWS, Weather.

11.15 LATE NIGHT LINE-UP.

YORKSHIRE: 11.00 Schools. 2.32 Good afternoon. 3.00 Matinee.

4.35 News. 4.40 Once upon a time. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London.

6.00 Calendar, weather. 6.25 Under these roofs. 6.45 London.

10.30 Name of the game. 11.55 Yesterdays. 12.25 Weather.

TYNE TEES: 11.00 Schools. 2.30 Common Market Cookbook. 3.00 Film: 'Sleeping Tiger'. 4.35 News.

4.40 Once upon a time. 4.55 Rainbow country. 5.20 London.

6.00 Today. 6.25 Under these roofs. 6.45 London. 10.30 Times four. 11.00 Saint. 11.55 News. 12.10 Epilogue. SCOTTISH: 11.00 Schools. 1.40 Schools. 3.30 Nuts and bones.

3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.10 Date- line. 4.55 Arthur. 5.20 London.

Dick Van 6.00 Dateline. 6.15 Dyke. 6.45 London. 10.30 Univer- sity challenge. 11.00 Late call.

11.05 Marty Feldman. GRAMPIAN: 11.00 Schools. 3.38 News. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Lucy.

4.40 Paulus. 4.55 Clapperboard.

5.20 London. 6.00 News, weather.

6.05 Country focus. 6.35 Cartoon.

10.30 University 6.45 London. challenge. 11.00 Mannix. 11.55 Epilogue.

PAGE 12 Workers Prese, Monday May 8,

THE

GOVERNMENT

expected to declare a state of national emergency if the rail unions do not capitulate and accept the latest wage ofier when they meet this afternoon.

Maurice Macmillan made clear yesterday that he would not intervene in the dispute.

'He considers it is now up to decide the trade unions to their policy. The government what action will decide necessary to protect the public in the light of the union's decision, said a spokesman for Mr Macmillan yesterday. In all circumstances the gov- ernment is now ready to take the unions to the brink and to force them to beyond surrender. An extension of the cooling- off period is ruled out because it would have to be clear that a settlement of the dispute was likely if this was ordered.

is also considered A ballot unlikely. The National Industrial Rela- tions Court could order one only if it thought a majority of the membership were against the decision of their leaders.

The most likely outcome is therefore a state of emergency which would be the fourth in the life of this government. (See What We Think, p. 2.)

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

AMID enormous procedural confusion Britain's top white- collar union yesterday failed by a tiny margin to deregister under the Industrial Rela- tions Act. The 800 delegates at the Asso- of Scientific, Technical ciation and Managerial Staffs conference Bournemouth voted in over- whelmingly for deregistration.

But then they were told by chairman, Ian Mik- conference ardo, MP, that a card vote was from the needed to remove union's rules the words, 'it shall be registered as a trade union'.

This showed a 66 per cent majority for the rule change two-thirds of a per cent below the majority needed. they heard the result When militants yesterday, angry demanded a vote, but new Mikardo refused 'It would establish a precedent,' he said. 'The vote might go just the other way, and we would get a demand for a re-vote from the other side.' result, ASTMS After the general secretary Clive Jenkins, claimed the union would act as if it was deregistered. 'We shall not use the protec- tion of Act, though the we reserve the right to defend our members if attacked, he said.

Saturday, On when the taken, deregistration vote was • passed a motion delegates also demanding the recall of the TUC referred and back documents

LATE NEWS

NEWS DESK

01-720 2000

CIRCULATION

01-622 7029 rent Bill THE EXECUTIVE council of the National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO) has condemned the government's 'fair rents' Bill as 'a blatant attack on the living standard of wage earners'. The half million-strong union said the Bill was an 'attempt to end the social service element in strict housing and to apply principles to it. The market resolution rapped its 'require- ment that tenants unable to pay the increased rents be subject to a means test every six months'.

ay May 8, 1972 E A highlight of the march was the seven floats mounted on lorrles with the themes against the anti-union laws; for a victory of the Vietnamese workers and peasants; withdrawal of troops from Ulster; unemployment and the standard of living; defend basic rights of housing, health and welfare services; no return to the 1930s; kick out the Torles; build the revolutionary party in 1972. from ASTMS national executive on the grounds it allowed for appearance before the National Industrial Relations Court and forms of discussions on new trade union legislation. assured the delegates Jenkins that the union's leadership would, with the 'work in accordance policies which principles and have been adopted by the con- ference this weekend' would not He said the union any references to the make Court, but would defend mem- bers if attacked. He condemned Roy Grantham of the re- -general secretary named clerical union

APEX—

who had accused ASTMS of remaining a registered union in order to recruit new members.

'We shall be complaining to the TUC about Mr Grantham's statement, said Jenkins. condemned Militant delegates leadership attitude of the the which was defeated at last year's conference when it recommended ASTMS remain registered under the Act. Sandy Wilson of Edinburgh said the Act was an attempt to 'smash the organizations and of the working independence class'. • The working class was not in retreat, but its leadership on the TUC were. Hunt from Waterloo Michael said the TUC had sold out the working class in 1926 and this had led to the defeats of the 1930s and World War II. He said the TUC was about to do the same things today.

WEATHER

MOST places will have a brigit day with sunny spells and some scattered showers. The showers will be more widespread and perhaps heavy at times in the west and sunny periods of longer duration in the east. In northeast Scotland, how- ever, it will be rather cloudy with some rain or drizzle for much of the day before an improvement spreads from the south. Temperatures will be near or marginally above normal. for and Wednesday: sunny spells and occasional showers. Rather warm.

Registered as a newspaper at the Post Published by Hili Sork 1 Pres. Workers Office. 186a Clapham

SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU).

480b Clapham High Street, London,

SW4 7UG.

RESTAURAN

ОРЕП

REDITIS

TORIE

BY OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

MERSEYSIDE dockers set the course with the government refused to operate Liverpool's S unless a series of demands were A mass meeting of 5,000 docke stadium yesterday adopted a six-poir demand today. This calls for: • An increase in the port's present £26 basic rate. • A five-hour reduction in the present 40-hour working week.

One week's extra holiday.

• Better sick pay. • Fall-back pay fixed at average earnings for whole port, instead of the present £20-and no redundancies. • All stuffing and stripping of containers to be carried out by registered dock labour. If they don't get what they want they will bring Seaforth—a new container dock due to be opened officially on Wednesday— to a virtual standstill. Militant dockers pointed out after the 90-minute mass meeting that the employers would cer- tainly reject the demands.

I understand that the Mersey port bosses are ready to make Seaforth the major issue in the container row. The port's future is tied up with the success of is a the £60m dock and there possibility that they want to split the Merseyside men from the rest of the country's dockers by getting them strike in to advance of the national stoppage planned in under a month's time.

Paddy Doherty, a Gladstone container terminal shop steward, told the meeting that promised review of the port's Two pay recent Devlin Phase deal was nearly four months overdue. Reporting back from Friday's meeting of the national port stewards' committee in London, he said that a joint list was currently being drawn up of all the firms which are being blacked in the container battle on the docks. Every port would be black- ing all the firms on the list.

Earlier the meeting heard a report from Lew Lloyd, Transport and General Workers' Union dis- trict secretary, on Wednesday's meeting with the National Asso- ciation of Port Employers. They had claimed, he said, they were responsible for not the row which has led to fines of £55,000 on the union. But, he said, many port em- ployers were road hauliers. He pointed out that George Tonge, NAPE chairman, was a director of Hay's Wharf, which had sold up all its dock interests and now operated solely in haulage and warehousing. Tomorrow the National Indus- trial Relations Court will hear the defence of the T&GWU to further contempt charges over the continued blacking of lorries on Liverpool docks.

PONDENT DAVID MAUDE

set themselves on a collision nment yesterday when they pool's Seaforth container dock ds were met. 0 dockers, in Liverpool's boxing a six-point charter which they will

THE

BRITISH

army Ulster is continuing to tor- ture innocent civilians at barracks and the internment camps. The 'Sunday Times' Insight team reported yesterday that not only was the torture still being carried on, but more barbaric methods used. It is clear from three now independent witnesses that the interrogators are using electric shock torture. Patrick Fitzsimmons (22) received the electric shock treat- ment at Girdwood Barracks in January. 'I felt an electric shock my arm' going through He No. 2 Price five pence This Socialist Labour League pocke last year after evidence of tortures e internments. Now more reports reve Commission, the suspension of Storm Westminster Minister for Ulster, the ar The SLL pamphlet is still available f London, SW4 7UG. (7jp inc. postage.

NO RETURN TO

THE THIRTIES

CALLS for a 50-per-cent increase in the basic farm wage will be made at conference of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers which, opens in Weymouth, Dorset, today.

One resolution demands that wages be raised from £16.20 for for a a 42-hour week to f25 40-hour, five-day week. Other delegates seek minimum rates of The 110 £22 and £20 a week. delegates represent 100,000 farm and countryside workers. Their conference is being held in the county where the Tol- puddle Martyrs tried to start one of the first unions 140 years ago -but were transported in chains to Botany Bay. This year is the centenary of the founding of the union by Joseph Arch. in heard a voice say: 'I think he enough Another voice has had replied: 'Electrocute the bastard.'

Other men have complained that soldiers have beaten them in the genitals while a further detainee has reported that broomstick shoved in his was anus. Doctors have corroborated all these statements with medical evidence. Mr Paddy McClean of Co. Tyrone, who was released from Long Kesh last week, has com- plained that two internees are suffering from severe mental dis- orders caused by army torture.

The two men had hoods put over their head to make them 'break down'. Jue pocket library pamphlet came out tortures emerged following the August orts reveal that, despite the Compton 1 of Stormont and the appointment of a ter, the army continues its cruel rituals.

available from: 186a Clapham High St, . postage.)