Workers Press no. 769

workers press

T&GWU AT THE

CROSSROADS

ULSTER Supremo William Whitelaw made it clear yes- terday that he is actively considering the invasion of the Bogside and Creggan 'no-go' areas in Derry. Speaking , in the House of Commons, Whitelaw said that it would be possible, 'at a considerable cost' to go into the areas, but that was only the first part of the problem'.

'Having gone in', he said, 'one in terms of has to stay there, guerrilla warfare, for a consider- able time.' He went on: I am not pre- pared in any way to accept the present situation and I will cer- tainly seek to end it as soon as I can.: In another reference he said: while I have made my position perfectly clear, patience in these matters cannot be inexhaustible, because it is extremely important that these areas do return to democratic rule.' He criticized MPs, some of whom he said, thought his at- titude was lacking in courage.

It is not a question of cour- age. It is simply a question of a common sense approach to the whole future', he told them.

Over 5,000 Belfast workers marched to the city centre yes- terday demanding government action against the shooting four Protestant workers outside engineering Mackie's factory, Springfield Rd on Tuesday.

See What We Think, p. 2.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER •

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMIT

TODAY'S SUMMIT meeting of Transport and General Workers' Union officials will take decisions which threaten the livelihoods of thousands of dockers and lorry drivers. The union bureaucrats who have been falling over themselves to implement the wishes of the Tory National Industrial Relations Court meet in a mood of extreme CrISIS. They are currently in roaring retreat on a scale not seen since Dunkirk.

In the past three weeks general secre- Jones has presided over the tary Jack following retreats: The union has recognized the court and to participate in its hearing—a decided flagrant breach of the TUC Congress decision last September to boycott all workings of the Act. • The union has paid fines totalling £55,000 imposed by the National Industrial Rela- tions Court. This week two officials of the union appeared before Court and the gave evidence. Court president Sir John Donald- son commented yesterday: We have been greatly impressed and assisted by the oral evidence which union officials have given FRIDAY MAY 19, 1972• No. 769 4p

COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Stralis ane as the monoooiss erve into doe Common Market fast, cheap in this case. They have advised their Hull They want to achieve this service at the stewards to cease blacking Panalpina expense of dockers' jobs.

As we showed in figures earlier this week tably without any effect.

London the employers have already doubt that this advice is cut have

LOCKS

WORK

_ Torce and that the officials Sincerely COll 15,433 today cerned genuinely hope that will be 2 Southern Stevedores will close On June heeded.' Royal Docks, 1,100 docker These men, commended by Donaldson yes- шакш" redundant. annual report the Port of Terday. Today meet hugsement on London Authority announced sack and-file members of the union would be stepped up to 2,000 this year They are commende.! Donaldson who has aPse are being made, tere already denvered quagements is also an insidious policy of voluntary redun- to destroy the democratic which attemor dancies ; operating without any objection from respect More than | London registered men decreed: have accepted pay-out severance was increased to £2,300 on March 20 « Unions have been told thev must sack discipline shop stewards defy the now NatonaL Dock -boare has Court authorized further 1,000 or face massive penalties. In short the London

COUTE

asKe

UNION

Headers become industrial "policemen'.

Jones has no strategy to fight this decima tion of docks jobs. And each step he takes • Shop stewards must be disciplined with the Industrial Relations co-operating sacked, even if this runs 'in the the risk, and Cour 1LS union. snort term or a nauonal docks suke.

abIlly OI nIS Rank-and-file T&GWU members are justly • In the case of the rail pay dispute, the alarmed by what is happening at the Court has emerged as a body with the No to demane intimidate and 2. an emergency conference of the union.

demand settlement dictated by Such could affirm conference total the government. alla mobilizing of members in all unions to create The purpose of today's meeting is to find political and industrial conditions to get which will then put to mass the lories out of oince of dockers throughout the country.

DUT

une days • the cones тогтша аге • See p.3: Court order to T&GWU.

over. Nothing that this comes up with of dockers possibly save the jobs • Walter Cunningham, Hull shop stewards and lorry drivers. The economy is in desperate chairman says: "The blacking stays.'—See p.3.

BY IAN YEATS

TWO HUNDRED mainly women

AUEW

Sovex convenor and workers GEC-Osram, Erith, Erith

AUEW

district CommItted Kent. defied their union officials member Laurie smith was loudly yesterday and voted overwhelm- *Whạt ingly reject a derisory €1.20 meeting has consider offer. whether what

GEC

PaThe are overne were locked out equal to the sacrifices being wormer by GEC in April for working-to- made.' in of the AUEW's Eb-a-week pay c He added: "GEC have been claim. forced recoonize Kecommending return have got a labour force at Erith Erith work

AUEW

district that can't be cowed and secretary Albert Handy told back to work.' meeting yesterday: It mass was The Teed Pet отетес far as we have with management."

£1.20 across-the-board rise plus And and Municipal 80p transferred extra from Workers' Union area official Mike bonus pay women- -most whom ariven Tent mozement ones hero bad have had money from any Dozens source since the lock-out began- earlier marched through Erith to almost unanimously against the againses and for a minimam f2- Corinnian Kestaurant shouted, 'No! No! " when union for a minimam asked they whether a-week no-strings pay rise before

workers press

T&GWU AT THE

CROSSROADS

ULSTER Supremo William Whitelaw made it clear yes- terday that he is actively considering the invasion of the Bogside and Creggan 'no-go' areas in Derry. Speaking in the House of Commons, Whitelaw said that be possible, 'at a it would considerable cost' to go into the areas, but that 'was only the first part of the problem'.

'Having gone in', he said, 'one in terms of has to stay there, guerrilla warfare, for a consider- able time.' He went. on: I am not pre- pared in any way to accept the present situation and I will cer- tainly I can Seek to end it as soon as In another reference he said: while I have made my position perfectly clear, patience in these matters cannot be inexhaustible, because it is extremely important that these areas do return to democratic rule.' He criticized MPs, some of whom he said, thought his at- titude was lacking in courage.

It is not a question of cour- age. It is simply a question of a common sense approach to the whole future', he told them.

Over 5,000 Belfast workers marched to the city centre yes- terday demanding government action against the shooting . of four Protestant workers. outside engineering Mackie's factory, Springfield Rd on Tuesday.

See What We Think, p. 2.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER •

DAILY ORGAN

| OF THE CENTRAL COMMI

TODAY'S SUMMIT meeting of Transport and General Workers' Union officials will take decisions which threaten the livelihoods of thousands of dockers and lorry drivers. The union bureaucrats who have been falling over themselves to implement the wishes of the Tory National Industrial Relations Court meet in a mood of extreme crisis. They are currently in roaring retreat on a scale not seen since Dunkirk.

In the past three weeks general secre- tary Jack Jones has presided over the following retreats: • The union has recognized the court and decided to participate in its hearing—a flagrant breach of the TUC Congress decision last September to boycott all workings of the Act. • The union has paid fines totalling £55,000 imposed by the National Industrial Rela- tions Court. • This week two officials of. the union appeared and before the Court gave evidence. Court president Sir John Donald- son commented yesterday: We have been greatly impressed and assisted by the oral evidence which union officials have given FRIDAY MAY 19, 1972• No.769

COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Cris nese monobo rive to und Market they a fast, cheap container service on the docks.

in this case. They have advised their Hull They want to achieve this service at the blacking Panalpina stewards to expense of dockers As we showed in figures earlier this week tably without any effect.

the London the employers have already have that this advice is

COCKS

WOrK Do LO sincere v the omicials cerned genuinely hope that will be heeded.' These men, commended by Donaldson yes- redundant. In its annual report the Port Tereov. wadement on announced and-file members of the union.

would be stepped up to 2,000 this year They commended! bs Donaldson who are has historic allacks are being made, unere arcady denivered muncements is also an insidious policy of voluntary redun- attempt to democratic operating without any objection from respect decreed: accepted to £2,300 on March 20 « Unions have been told thev must sacki or discipline shop stewards who defy the June ANatonal

SHOCK

Soarenas Court or face massive penalties.

In short the Court Herers become industrial 'policemen'.

fones has no strategy to fight this decima tion of docks jobs. And each step he takes Shop stewards disciplined co-operating Industrial Relations be sacked, even if this runs the risk, in the Cour short term', of a national docks strike T&GWU members are • rail pay dispute, the In the case of the Court has emerged as a body with the intimidate workers and an emergency conference of the union dictated by the government. for thi US t mobilizing of members in all unions to create The purpose of today's meeting is to find polițical and industrial conditions to get a 'strategy' which will then be put to mass the Tories out of office meetings of dockers throughout the country 'formula are • See p.3: Court order to T&GWU.

aays or une ones Nothing that this meeting up comes with the jobs of dockers • Walter Cunningham, Hull shop can possibly save and lorry drivers. The economy is in desperate chairman says: "The blacking stays.'—See p.3.

BY IAN YEATS

TWO HUNDRED

AUEW

mainly women convenor and workers GEC-Osram, Erith, Erith

AUEW

district Kent deilied their member NO oners • Laure smita was loudly yesterday and voted overwhelm "What ingly reject a derisory £1.20 meeting has consider whether what

GEC

pay The were ocked ow equal to the sacrifices being by GEC in April for working-to- made.' support of the AUEW's He added:

'GEC

have been £6-a-week claim. torced to necomenome return have got a labour force at Erith work

AUEW

Erith district that can't be cowed and beated secretary Albert Handy told back to work' yesterday: It allans wat ofiered The company BuKe far as we have with management.'

£1.20 across-the-board rise And General and Municipal 80p transferred an extra Workers' Union area official Mike bonus pay. women- -most whom Sale manozement ones they bld have had e the lock-out began? money from any Dozens women, source since earlier marched through Erith t voted against the baiuses and top a d cut in theit Kestaurant shouted, 'Nol No!' when union for a min officials asked they whether would return to work,,

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Friday May 19, 1972 WHILE the political leaders of the Provisional IRA extend the hand of reconciliation to the reactionary leaders of the Vanguard movement their supporters in Belfast are working deliberately to deepen sec- tarian divisions by a policy of indiscriminate terror against Protestant workers.

On Tuesday the Provisional IRA admitted respons- ibility for the bomb attacks which gutted the giant Belfast Co-op store and put 800 out of work. What this senseless outrage against Protestant and Catholic workers' right to employment was supposed to prove we are not told by the petty-bourgeois reactionaries of the Provisional IRA. A little later a bomb was exploded without prior warning in the centre of Belfast which injured 16 Protestants. This was followed by the kidnapping of - three Protestants by IRA men and the wanton shoot- ing of four Protestant workers as they left work at Mackies engineering works.

No doubt there will be more such incidents in the coming period as the Provisionals try to provoke a Protestant backlash in the hope that British army pressure on the Catholic ghettos will be relaxed. Now that William Craig and Brian Faulkner are vying with each other to demand army action against the 'no-go' areas of Belfast and Derry, it seems most likely that the Provisionals will step up the campaign to pre-empt such an attack. This might seem good tacties to the IRA and their revisionist supporters the International Marxist in Group but to socialists in Britain and Ireland it can only appear as appallingly cynical and demonstrably bankrupt. It is the ultimate blind-alley of middle-class nation- alist policies confronted with the prospect of 'direct rule' on one side and a growing working class resis- tance on the other. The Provisionals' policy of provocation is exactly what Craig wants to preserve his credibility among Protestant workers. It will give him an additional argument to convince Protestants that Catholics- and the attacks of the not the crisis of capitalism Tories—are the major threat to their jobs and wages.

It does this at a time when the Tories are preparing vicious attacks against British and Irish workers alike under the terms of Common Market entry.

What is even more reprehensible is that it does this at a time when Protestant allegiance to Orangeisni and the Unionist Party is being seriously shaken and when hatred of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the state is increasing daily amongst Protestant youth.

These tactics will not succeed in protecting the Catholic workers from army-police brutality any more of the Provisionals were than the previous tactics successful in ousting the British military occupation and re-uniting Ireland. The only force that stands to gain from this in- ternecine struggle of Protestant and Catholic workers is British imperialism. Conversely speaking, the only force that can evict the British army and bring peace and unity to Ireland is the joint struggle of irish workers — Catholic and Protestant - and British workers for a socialist Ireland and a socialist Britain.

We appeal to all workers in Ulster to reject the provocative policy of the Provisionals and fight to build the Marxist alternative to Orangeism and Catholic nationalism—the Irish League for a Workers Vanguard.

NEITHER

China the This has become clear in the nor past few davs as Nixon's visit to Soviet Union intends to allow Moscow draws Reuter's the mining of North Vietnam in Tames Pringle Peking quotes the increased diplomatic sources as saying that China, while continuing to supply aid to North Vietnam, would not fere with their policies of off newly-established break its reaching understanding an contact with the US. with American imperialism.

The Russians are putting out

SAIGON

scored claimed that 3,613 of the attack- troops some paper 'victories' yesterday by re- ing forces had been killed.

abandoned US At a hearing in the Philippines, occupying two bases on the front 15 two US air force sergeants northern miles west of Hué. alleged that American air bases Despite heavy US air attacks, in the were "deeply country involved' the North's offensive is now in the Vietnam war. The represented gathering momentum around sergeants and Kontum and Hué. Casualties rose Clark base group from air Subic naval base who wanted 'to according sharply last week to issued Saigon which let the Filipino people know the figures in 'them' in allow- show that 758 of the South's great danger ing their use in the Vietnam war.

died in combat. It men was

JOHN SPENCER EX

THE GOLD RUSH on the London bullion market temporarily slackened yesterday after Wednesday's spectacular price rises. But dealers reported that demand was picking up again in the afternoon. The price was nixed at $57.15 an ounce, 85 cents below previous night's the closing level of $58. When the American gov- ernment stopped selling its gold reserves for dollars on August 15 last year, it destroyed any lingering con- fidence in the stability of paper currency. Since then the gold price has gone in one direction only up.

Even the decision to change the 'official' gold price from $35 to $38 an ounce, taken last Decem- finally implemented this month, earlier has not drift of the stemmed the upward price. Many of the buyers are speculating that there will even- tually be a much larger increase in the 'official' price, enabling them to cash in their gold hold- ings with a handsome profit.

Among the immediate causes in the of the latest increases the resignation of John price, Connally, the US Treasury Secretary, has been cited. That

AROUND THE WORLD •

By our foreign desk THE RATIFICATION by the l German parliament of the treaties Poland was warmly welcomed in Party daily 'Pravda' saw it as 'a those political forces and the peac German Republic which favour a proving a policy of peace with th socialist countries'. A similar welcome was given Nixon's visit Moscow, where the working out of an East-West accord will be high on the agenda. The importance which the Soviet bureaucracy attaches to making a deal over Germany helps to explain why its reaction to the mining of North Vietnam ports has been so mild. stories that sophisticated weapons are getting through despite the blockade. This that in- means creased use is being made of the railway running through Chinese territory. Until the blockade, only about trainloads supplies two week were reaching North Viet- nam by this route. Talks between the Chinese and the Russians have been going on to improve the flow, with the North Viet- namese appealing for more arms and equipment. As far as the bureaucracy in Moscow and Peking is concerned, the victory of the Vietnam Revolution is not an aim. While their pursuing national own interests, both are seeking to do a deal with Nixon which will require a compromise after the style of the 1954 Geneva Con- vention which divided Vietnam into two states, leaving the south under the control of the old, corrupt ruling class.

R EXPLAINS...

Connally this event should spark such a panic on the gold markets is ar the great tension indication .of and uncertainty in top capitalist circles. Connally's resignation does not mean the US will now resume its gold reserves for sales of dollars - the US reserves are the war chest minimum below of $10,000m and the administra- tion has no intention of selling the remaining gold for worthless paper dollars. y the lower house of the West treaties with the Soviet Union and med in Moscow. The Communist it as 'an outstanding success for the peaceloving public of the West favour acknowledging realities, im- with the Soviet. Union and other Ratification of the treaties will way for the final prepare the signature of the four-power agree- ment over Berlin. The bureaucracy _hopes that, in line with its policy of 'peaceful co-existence' with imperialism, it can go forward to the calling of European Security Con- ference to consecrate the existing division of the continent.

The lower house in Bonn only the treaties-Brandt's approved 'Östpolitik'-as a result of the decision by the deeply divided Christian Democrat opposition to abstain in the vote. The treaties now have to be passed by the upper house, where they have a majority. • Christian Democrats can The at least delay the vote in the upper house if not block them completely. The leader of the Dr . Rainer opposition party, to topple Barzel, first tried Brandt's government by mobiliz- ing opposition to the treaties and then switched to a call for a vote in favour. In the end the opposition abstained and his position as leader has been undermined.

The chiefs of the Christian Democratic Party may now try to delay. the vote long as as possible in order to work out a new strategy to re-unite the party and make a big effort to topple Brandt. EGYPT has called on the pro- Israeli United States to cut its mission staff in Cairo from 20 to ten as relations between the two countries reached their lowest i point since 196%.. Other immediate causes cited to explain the rapid increases of the past week are declining pro- duction of new gold in South Africa, and the Soviet govern- ment's decision :to wait for the price to rise before selling more of its considerable stocks.

The gold markets are reported of 'outright to be in a state nervousness' with 'rumour feed- ing on rumour'. Some dealers have predicted that the price will reach $100 an ounce within the next few years, and even the conservative Consolidated Gold Fields Corporation has said the price will reach $85 an ounce by 1980. 'The existence of such a large difference between the official and the market commented yesterday, 'is a standing threat to the understanding that central banks will not deal in the market.' Since August 15, the US has ostentatiously refused to discuss a return to convertibility of gold with the dollar. But successive meetings crisis between world's bankers have been unable to agree on any other foundation for the world monetary system.

Times' As 'Financial the editorial writer notes most western central banks are not prepared to abandon gold; while they remain reluctant to part with their gold at an artificially low price, much their The gold fever, in other words, is a further sign that the Bretton Woods monetary system is gone and that monetary for good anarchy is now predominant in the capitalist world.

GENERAL

Gabriel Rama- nantsoa, chief of the Malagasy armed forces' staff, took over all executive powers in Mada- gascar yesterday. said that President Sources Philibert Tsiranana would remain head of state. General Ramanantsoa will have the title of Prime Minister, they added. The move comes as Madagas- car is recovering from a weekend of violence in which 34 people were killed. It followed the arrest of 370 youths said to be the leaders of a three-week-old stu- dent strike. Although the Indian Ocean island has been relatively calm since the last mass demonstration on Monday, more demonstrations of students and workers were marching yesterday on the presi- dential palace. Radio Madagascar announced that President Tsiranana was to .

address the nation. The parliamentary Malagasy congress was also due to end its discussions on a programme of constitutional reforms. President Tsiranana has indicated these will lead to a 'bending' of the constitution to permit the appointment of a prime minister. Under the present constitution the country is led by a President and vice-President. a large crowd Observers said was advancing on the presidential palace late yesterday afternoon apparently intending to demon- against Rama- strate General nantsoa's appointment and call for the President's resignation.

No. incidents. had been reported.

LABOUR'S new deputy leader, Edward Short, 'flabbergasted' by the speed and decisive- ness of the workings of the National Indust- rial Relations Court. He has also said that it is 'now obvious' that the Industrial Relations Act had created a Court 'which can be used as the tool of the executive' It has taken the ex-schoolmaster 18 months since the Act was first published to reach this conclusion. That's progress!

Now that the class character of the Act is vividly exposed to everybody, what has Short to • offer trade unionists? He told a gathering at the Oxford University Labour Club that trade unions should exploit to the fullest extent any loopholes that could be found in the Act. "The Labour Party will support trade unionists and Labour councillors in every legal means employ to thwart these they Acts,' he said. We advise them, he said, to observe the law in the same way as Mr Heath's friends observe the tax laws'. It is true, Short says, that as Heath's friends employ high- powered tax consultants to help them get as many tax breaks as possible. By various distortions of the tax laws they able to salvage are millions of pounds each year which would otherwise go to the Inland Revenue. These consultants are the skilled servants of the bourgeoisie and they are reimbursed accord- ingly. Short, on the other hand, can scarcely be included in this class. His advice to • the trade union movement is late and it is useless. Since Robert Carr first mooted the Act late in 1970 trade unionists have listened to the 'advice' of Short and his friends at Transport House and Congress House. Their advice paved the way for the Tories to bring the Act onto the statute books. For the working class to defeat the Act it needs a better service than Short can offer.

He is a dedicated right winger who voted with the Jenkinites last October to get Britain into the Common Market. There is only one way to end the tyranny of the Act and that's to get the Tory govern- ment out of ofice by a big political and industrial offen- sive. What has Short to say to that proposition? A CALL for unions to 'dissenters' throw out was made in the Indust- rial Relations Court yesterday when dockers in Hull were found to be breaking the law. President of the court, Sir John Donaldson, launched another attack on the giant Transport and General Workers Union. He said their refusal to sack stewards at Hull who ignored Court orders was a 'negation of leadership' Declaring blacking on Hull 'unfair docks industrial practice', Donaldson warned: •.. the union again claims that stronger action would drive their members to extremes. They also say it would cause a number to resign and join the NASDU.

In giving effect to these con- siderations, they not only con- fuse the short term with the Popularity with leadershi confuse also term. 'Firm leadership will seldom but it will achieve popularity, achieve respect. The line hitherto adopted is the negation of leader- ship and bids fair to loose them both popularity and respect.

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ATORS

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

*Furthermore the strength of a union depends not only upon the size of its membership, but also upon its quality. Every union has its dissenters and they have a real contribution to make, but who act in defiance of members union policy of obeying Court orders are a liability which the union could well be without.'

The Court made a final order banning blacking of the Bradford-based haulage firm Panalpina. It also found the union liable for compensation suffered by the company due to the industrial action. This means that the union will face if contempt proceedings HULL docks stewards' chair- man Walter Cunningham, who heard of the judgement as he cargo into loading was freighter at Hull docks, said: "The blacking will NOT be lifted.' I am amazed at the Court's decision. We do not recognize the Court. I am not surprised at the criticism the Court gave the transport union. "They have not carried out their obligations to the men.

We have been wanting them to do something about the un- registered labour problem and they have done nothing. 'It had been left to the unofficial committees to take the steps to fulfil their oblig- ations to the dockers.' Panalpina fail to get their lorries onto the docks and re-apply to the court. I understand Panalpina will send a load to Hull docks today.

After the case Brian Oxendale, a director of Panalpina (Services) Ltd said he was pleased with the judgement. In accordance with the order of the Court we shall be trying to work normally quite quickly,' he said. Donaldson paid tribute to the two Hull T&GWU officials who broke the union's previous boy- cott on personal appearance by giving oral evidence. The court had been 'greatly impressed and assisted' by them, he said. "They have advised their Hull shop stewards to cease blacking Panalpina, but regrettably with- out effect, said Sir John.

Workers Pre GO 'We have no doubt that this advice is sincerely given and that genuinely the officials concerned hope that it will be heeded. But they consider that any further action would make a bad situ- ation worse' Tilladgement noted that. en disciplinary action taken against the stewards nor was there any suggestion of with- drawing their credentials.

'The union has not even taken the initiative by calling a mass meeting dockers to presided over by full-time union officials instead of shop stewards.

At such a meeting they would have a real opportunity of explain- ing the vital importance of the union's policy of obedience to Court orders. The shop stewards, said Donaldson, were wrong in sup- posing that they carried a man- date from a mass meeting they called on containerization.

He noted that the TUC hand- book for shop stewards made it clear that mass meetings were not entitled to make decisions to take actions which were against union policy. The judge also criticized Hull port employers for not taking action against dockers under the port's disciplinary procedure.

They had argued, he said, that "discretion is the better part of valour'. 'Again what is wanted is courage and leadership and an ability to distinguish between discretion short - term and expediency' Yesterday's verdict was expected, and follows closely the judgement given in the Heatons case concerning blacking on Liver- pool docks. Using the Taff Vale judge- ment, the NIRC then established the principle that union was res- ponsible for action of stewards who disobeyed union policy.

In the Heatons case, the Court gave the union three weeks to put their house in order or face further penalties for contempt.

The union is to appeal against this on May 30. Judge Donald- noted that it might be son desirable to consider the Hull case at the same time if the union wanted this. Walter Cunningham, the chair- man of Hull dock shop stewards, was named in the complaint. But Donaldson ruled that since the union had been held responsible he was 'not a figure of import- ance'. orkors Press, Friday May 19, 1972 PAGE 3

.. IT'S SO

REFRESHING

THESE DAYS TO

SEE PEOPLE

ENJOYING

THEMSELVES IN

A HARMLESS

GAME!

WHILE FORD executives go out of their way to stress the harm done to company profits by last year's nine- week strike, discussions are under way about another big pay claim. Yesterday the Ford National Convenors' Committee said in the 'Ford Workers Bulletin' that they will be seeking substantial pay rises aimed at parity with other carworkers when their present agreement runs out next year. The current two-year, по- strike pay deal signed by trans- Park notes ind fun Scanions, Jones and Hugh. Scanion, despite opposition from some shop stewards, ends in February 1973. The 'Bulletin' claims that Ford production workers are still bot- tom of the pay chart among Britain's four leading manufac- Chrysler turers—British-Leyland, UK, Vauxhall. and Ford. Meanwhile Ford chairman Sir Leonard Crossland has blamed the company's 1971 £30m loss last year's strike which, he on claims, cut production 150,000 vehicles valued at over £100m. And managing director William Batty condemning last year's strike and appealing for the 'in- volvement' of the company's 70,000 employees warned: 'Avoiding another 1971 is entirely up : to us. Nobody owes us a living.' In fact Ford profits have been slipping continuously since 1968 aggravated by massive investment in new plant and lines-f48m in 1971, £67m in 1970. Trapped between the pincers of inflation and shrinking mar- kets Ford are poised for a tough line on wages in 1973.

PAGE & Workors Press, Friday May 1D, 1972 "The Sunday Times' has a reputation as a progressive, liberal and even possibly a 'left' publication. However a study of the paper's editorials_since April 1970 provides a very different picture. In this series IAN YEATS examines the politics of 'The Sunday Times'.

Part three "The Sunday Times' has Times' response was muted. As only the politically followed a more or less naive or credulous might have pro-Catholic line through- supposed, did not the paper out the Ulster crisis. condemn internment. very deliberately But even while, reluctantly, 'Indefinite imprisonment the lid off taking the torture techniques of the British army, it has never departed from the attacked of defending necessity the Tories because internment bourgeois law and order at all out times. legally or wisely. The keynote of its view was It had been used to defend Protestant the status quo 1970: supremacy—no Orange extrem- the collapse of order ists were on the jailing list, it Ulster in is wholly as was one sided and its effect British problem as the collapse had been, naturally, deplorable of order in Yorkshire would in terms of social disruption.

be' This followed of a night gations of army brutality "The fighting Belfast in savage Sunday Times' merely noted: five people died and which done by intern- over 70 were wounded, includ- ment as carried out [implying ing 19 soldiers. that it could have been done ways] exceeds all possible benefits.

London, it added, should be Sunday Times': looking into its 'duration'.

Said The it was worried never- the army throughout has theless about the political wis- behaved with tact and courage.

On Sep- . Now it will not be vulner- tember 5, 1971, it said: able, to charge that its any 'Internment may well have restraint has been excessive.

disillusionment Special clinched the *Along with the bred of their [the Catholics] it is the only agency Branch of bringing long failure to either capable about the equality before the law or any vital reduction in illegal arms and it may well need still more share of executive power. troops to do so.' that has happened then the state of Northern Ireland has of Even after the massacre the Derry 13 on January 30— no future except as a military tyranny" Sunday 'Bloody Sunday'- The Times' still did not call for the And a week later, on Sep- tember 12: 'For the sake of its and it withdrawal of troops own credibility, if nothing else, The gunmen, it has never has. British government should be the always maintained, must Stormont speed up beaten and respect for the law require to the a minimum restored. return legality' It has never held that Tory At all times the overriding violence alone could produce a concern of 'The Sunday Times' solution. see that the law been to has On April 19. 1970. the paper cid. if there is any hope for applies equally and tolerantly N Ireland it lies in the kind of This was its per- to everyone. doubt on slow economic advance which in casting spective the fairness of the 'Oz' trial might one day leave the com- less to quarrel sentences and in its defence munities with of Rudi Dutschke. over' It has been a consistent and Scarfe cartoon A Gerald published September 19 of Protestant on bitter critic intransigence and the rule of showed Heath tearing up the England while Maud. of laws the Orange order: Catholics 'Once evidence ling locked in a there behind him: Contraven- that the N Ireland government cage of tion of the bourgeois laws either could not or would not England was far than the reform programme worse get actions of the British the through in full, the vicious British army. would have government Even in the case of Frederick alternative but to suspend the October 10, •The Ireland Sewell Northern parliament on from Sundav Times' said: the province and run Westminster? the preliminaries have some disturbing aspects which This they affect the quality and amid a growing storm since be IRA bombs and bullets "The of British ¡ustice must Sunday Times' raised now. confined itself the Clearly mob rule by the state periodic sniping at to of Black- itself in the courts Tories for showing much too the prisons and pool or in partiality to the Protestants via camps of Ulster was a certain its unqualified backing of Stor- for There disaster. mont. recipe could be no letting up on the On August 15 - six days Blackpool after internment began—-'The gunmen whether in or Belfast. It was a question But by October 31 Sunday Times' was sickened by Ulster's violence and recommended: 'Britain should take the entire responsibility for security and in particular for managing and reviewing intern- ment'-not its abolition. A good part of this sicken- ing sprang from the mid- October revelations of serious and detailed allegations of the of internees. brutal torture But the well spring of this con- was that the state was cern digging its own grave and with it the grave of the bourgeoisie through its tyranny in Ulster, which ultimately must destroy all of bourgeois credibility justice. On November 21: '... the state is the guardian of law, order and civilization. There is, in our opinion, no situation which justifies a state in per- forming acts of systematic cruelty, still less in performing them against inevitably random suspects. 'Both for self-respect and for the respect of the world, the British must keep clean hands.

Society weakens rather than strengthens itself when it lowers its own standards. British society now stands in such a danger.' But on February 6 this year, after the army had 13 deaths on its hands in one atternoon, the most The Sunday Times would say was that there should be a vigorous review of internment, and added hastily: "That is not to say that murd- erers should be let loose?

But as the paper had argued all along, terror alone was not a recipe for peace. "The Sun- day Times' now began advocat- ing the kid-glove policy inher- subsequent ent in the Tories direct-rule policies. On Feb- ruary 6: 'The army's offensive attitudes in the areas of Bel- fast and Londonderry which it still occupies should stop, at least for an experimental period." (To be resumed later if things got out of hand, pre- sumably.) Block searches and con- tinuing internment operations should be discontinued with as incon- troops assuming spicuous a position as pos- sible. "The Times' Sunday described direct rule, when it came, as a bold and brave move, but warned: "The battle against terrorism must be pur- suea wilh all severity. The premium, it said, was winning the support of moder- ate Catholics. Modification' ... the relaxation of intern- ment is part of a political pro- should which also tallilic include modification of

SULLIC

operations Catholic 1n areas. "The Sunday Times' had urged from the beginning of the crisis either that the 32 counties should be reshuffled to give the Protestants a state of their own or that the two sides in Ulster be brought together. Whatever the solution in the North it when, 1s clear it will, as recession forces Catholic and perhaps Protest- the ant workers onto streets to demand jobs and a decent standard of living "The Sunday Times' response will be sharp and prediclabie Bemoaning the of agonies social upheaval it will, never- theless, hand on with its its defend *law heart, it, bour- through and geoisie's of life to the way

DOLLAR

CRISIS

HITS LATIN

AMERICA

BY JOHN SPENCER

The devaluation of the dollar and the world economic recession is having a catastrophic effect on the colonial The prices of primary and semi-colonial countries. products are falling on world markets and demand for many of the raw materials which these countries produce is slackening. The two articles on this page show the worsening economic situation of the primary producing countries in the face of the economic crisis.

Their consultations produced For each cent difference the early 'Geneva document in the price of a pound of last month-an agreement for coffee the producing concerted try persuade the US to raise the countries - all of them price to overcome the devalua- 'underdeveloped' — earn tion effects. (or lose as is more fre- months of negotia- Arauous quently the case) $73.4m tions had failed to induce the United States raise a base their taking as Its at all. spokesmen price 1969 exports. now claim that the Geneva deal 'contradicts the terms of the On a metric ton of coffee, World Coffee Agreement and difference one pound jeopardizes its renewal cent a $22.05 and 1973'. means precisely since 1969 coffee exports were The US particularly objects 3,365,000 tons the total price to the proposed three stages difference to more negotiation laid in the than $73. Geneva document. This figure, quoted in the The first step will be taken Food and Organ- the second week in May when Agriculture ization's yearbook, is not just of co-ordinating committee a statistic. the producing producing countries meets in ror countries, price fluctuation can "harmonıze and make the difference between ordinate their price policies'.

wealth and penury. Geneva According Their plight has been greatly document the first step will be aggravated by the post-August this co-ordinating committee in devaluation 15, 1971 of the charge of making proposals in dollar by 8.5 per While order to obtain pre-established "remain stable' prices on the price objectives' the amount of hard level will be markets, The second the currency the producing coun ministers' conference has tries get for their crop International Coffee Council.

fallen considerably. The third level will be the This is a means by which the creation of a 'marketing body' - notably guarantee co-operation Consulle Countries the United States which takes among the producers, facilitate world coffee per ot co-ordination their price Cell production - have imposed take part in the policies and drop of prices on the producing marketing of coffee as profitable venture'. countries. estab- The new dollar parity These are desperate efforts 1971 lished in December im- by the producing countries poses an effective cut of about There is no likelihood that the four US, pound in wilch has made no coffee This amounts to cessions even to its powerful prices. over $290m on the basis of the capitalist competitors, will 1969 bow to the feeble pressures of Sees is Coffee of the typical the coffee-producing countries.

primary products produced by This is particularly so as the States the colonial and semi-colonial United dominates the of coffee market and could with countries the capitalist protectionist world. Other staple products, take action ease like rubber, tea, 'revolt'. to stifle the producers' tin and copra. have been equally severely hit.

In addition, despite the The main losers will be the grave threat to their economies, small producers the coffee the producing countries' In new- countries chiefly found unity is fragile at best.

brazıl, Colombia, The cost of the US devalua- Salvador Ivory Coast, Guatemala. tion will be extremely heavy, Angola and Ethiopia. however. Most of these countries are On the basis of 1969 exports, ruled dictatorial by regimes Latin America will lose-unless and the big coffee the Geneva document provides magnates will certainly throw the burden remedy-$185m during of the crisis onto the backs of 1971-1972 coffee year, Africa, close to $87m and Asia, the small peasant farmers who over produce the bulk of the crop.

$214m. The biggest loser would be In an attempt to temper the effects of the dollar Brazil, with $98.8m, followed worst devaluation on their trade, the Colombia $34.4m, Salvador, with main producing countries have Mica's m Guatemala banded together try and and Costa Rica and to wring higher prices out of the Peru, the seventh ranking coffee-consuming countries.

Latin American exporter, $4m.

labourers Involved in the first stage of

TOD :

ing. on the Above: a snanty. town ing countrles which is belng hit by the falling prices

MEXICAN

SLUMP

Mexico has denied an American accusation that she is guilty of 'dumping' sulphur. Mexico points out that the present low prices paid for sulphur in the United States is a conse quence of a slump in the international market. Luis de la Pena Porth, Mexi- can Under Secretary Workers Pro le first stage of cleaning coffee Deans n the outskirts of Rio de Janiero, in Brazll, on hit by the falling prices.

Natural Resources, said the American tariff commission's claims that Mexico was selling its sulphur in the United States at a lower price than that of its internal market were 'absurd'. Sulphur, he said, along with mercury and silver, is among the products which have suffered the biggest drops in international market prices. In 1968 the quotation per ton of sulphur was $50. Right now the price was between $20 and $22 per ton. Pena Porth said that in view of Mexico's position as the world's second-biggest sulphur producer and since the product played a key role in the national trade balance, the imposition of an extra tariff imports coming from on Mexico, as the American Commission for Tariffs had orkers Prosa, Friday May 19, 1972 PAGE 5 19 preparing them for washing and dry.

Brazil, one of the largest coffee produc- wanted, would mean a loss of more than $lm a year. Mexican sulphur output varies betwen 1.1 million and 1.3 million tons a year, of which about a million tons is sold in the States. But in 1971 Mexican sales dropped as market prices slumped. This year is expected to be similar to last year. Since Mexican sulphur is dependent American on the market, which in fact fixes the prices, it is unlikely to come off any better. Although the Americans were responsible for the drop from $50 a ton to about $20, they now say the Mexicans are dumping and threaten the im- position of a surcharge, thus bringing Mexican sulphur into line with that produced by the Freeport Sulphur Company.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Friday May 19, 1972 Crisis, Credibility and the Decline of the West

BY ANNA TATE

previously. Franz Schurman, in The decision of Richard his article "The Waning of the Nixon to engage in mas- Empire, American gives this sive retaliation by the apt analysis: mining of the harbours (a decade ago) it seemed of North Vietnam is the as if American economic and military virtually power were culmination of more than unlimited By the mid-1960s, two decades of aggressive it seemed even more so. The foreign policy planning. American economy was boom- ing at full employment. Ameri- It is based on the expan- feeding can military power, sionist, economic aims of economy, from that appeared capitalist system whose basic capable of meeting all its chal- contradictions steadily deep- lenges and more so. The other ened to the point of desper- (West capitalist countries ate decline by 1970. Europe and Japan) were also From 1941 until 1968 the soaring ahead, while the social- politics of economic liberalism, ist countries muddling formulas neo-Keynesian and along, seemingly incapable of the strategy of geographical of key handling their dedicatedly Sonne containment were economic sectors, notably agri- applied by a ruling class, which But, by the spring of culture. assumed the continued growth 1968, the began picture to of capitalist economies. America was losing the change. During World II, the War Vietnam. The dollar, the war in United States had already world's chief medium of begun its plans for American exchange and liquidity, impreg- ascendancy. Having emerged nable World II, began from that with war over- Patches of unemploy- to falter. whelming power in relation to ment, like early malignancies, the other industrial societies, began to appear in America. the plans could now be imple- Inflation heated up, threaten- mented. of the entire ing the stability US industrial production world Social market system. had increased four times over, discontent erupted on a large while other major industrial scale.' nations had been smashed in administra- One American battle. The aim of creating a attempted, tion after another US post-war economic empire with a greater or lesser degree seemed readily realizable, pri- to hide of superficial success, marily through the Marshall blatantly belligerent, their Plan and the reconstruction of drives behind exploitative Japan industrial as an giant 'visions'. which would dominate Asia.

In 1970, Walter Lafeber, Kennedy's vision was the economist, American rightly New Frontier, Johnson's the evaluated US intervention in Great Nixon's the Society, Vietnam: these Great Peace. Behind 'We became involved in visions lay the classical Ameri- Indo-China 20 years Quincy ago not creed of John CAn| Adams that the United States herance primarily WoTA concerned about that area, but 'goes not abroad in search of destroy. She hecause concerned munsters to about two other problems.

We and vindicator the champion Japan concerned about only of her own' wee because we wanted the Japan- The truth, however, is this ese to become, over a period direct contradiction this the bulwark of time, against moralistic dictum. In cham- Communist and revolutions and vindicating the pioning China. In 1950 we negotiated of their mono-

INTATASIS

with security pact Japan. poly capitalists the US admin- Between 1950 and 1954 plundered those istrations series of intelligent, persuasive nations too weak to resist and statements by President Eisen- in order to do so they erected hower and John Foster Dulles the monster of communism.

South-East emphasized that With the benefits of techno- Asia was important to the logical advance on their side, United States because South- Americans that seemed East Asian markets were country their was 'destined' to Japanese indus- important for world dominance. Behind trial growth. Without a viable 'denial' of this by the seeming pro-West Japan, there could the then Senator, John F. Ken- be no effective containment ot nedy, lay more sinister Asian communism.' admission when he said: US Successive administra- tions have attempted to main- 'We must face the fact that tain that policy capitalist the United States neither expansion and containment of omniscient- omnipotent nor communism with the objec- per cent that we are only tive national and international of the world's population -that forcing conditions them into we cannot impose our will on ever-increasing militarism.

the other 94 per cent- -and that The Vietnam war has opened therefore there cannot be an up the profound contradictions American solution to every inherent this form of world problem? in American imperialism. Nixon, This was regarded by lib- on coming to power, inherited a situation very different from erals truly progressive world it that which Kennedy had pre- view when, fact, sided over less than a decade constitutes the most pernicious pragmatism. Kennedy did not question whether the US had the right to impose its will on 94 per cent of the world—he was merely going on record as pointing out that it might not be feasible i.e. that they could not, not that they would not. During his Presidency the moralist was not beyond massacre to protect minority monopolist interests against the revolt of the masses.

Intervention in Vietnam began with that other darling of the liberal intelligentsia— whose Franklin D. Roosevelt, enormously charitable ideas on Indo-China stemmed not only from his personal distaste for de Gaulle, but from a desire to see an open-door policy estab- lished throughout Asia — a policy which required the co- of Asian operation govern- in ments. It was a period which capitalist nations were locked in deadly combat with one another for the world's resources, while Asian nation- alists exploited the situation to attempt an overthrow of the which colonialist powers oppressed them. shrewd Roosevelt was enough to see that the winds had changed - that unless he intervened on behalf of the natives', colonialism could not be replaced by American neo- colonialism. He said of Indo- China, in 1944: France has had the country —30 million inhabitants-for nearly 100 and the years, people are worse off than they were at the beginning. France has milked it for ioo years. The people of Indo- China are entitled to some. thing better than that? Like all true reformists, Roosevelt was aware that years of exploitation might lead a people to revolution. This he was determined to avoid at all costs by a more gentle form of exploitation i.e. self-govern- ment under the umbrella of US economic hegemony. At the Yalta Conference of 1945, he said: 'For two whole years I have been terribly worried about ... I suggested to Indo-China. Chiang [Kai-shek] that Indo- China be set up under a trusteeship — have a French- man, one or two Indo-Chinese, and a Chinese and a Russian, because they are on the coast, and maybe a Filipino and an American, to educate them for self-government' Roosevelt's 'worry' about Indo-China had, in fact, arisen vital strategic and economic importance of the area in 1941 when the Japanese had invaded the base for their it to set up expansion across the rest of South-East Asia, and in so doing sealed had off that region's supply of rubber which was urgently needed by industry. the us defence Roosevelt then froze Tapanese assets in America, the Japan- ese attacked Pearl Harbour in retaliation and the US was launched into War War II.

The Truman administration which took over on Roose- velt's death at the end of the retained war, precisely the same goal-to deny Vietnam to the people and keep the within the economic country framework of western the world-the only difference lay in a mildly divergent strategy.

There would be no. 'trustee- ship' save that of French dom- but the President would some appropriate time' deem it right that France should 'some show positive indication of its intention in regard to the establishment of basic liberties and an increas- ing measure of self-government in Indo-China'. French, of c The l dis. covered, no intention of relin- quishing their stranglehold over The country. Vietminh, having waged a heroic cam. declared the independ Republic French establish their he dinny.

to re. By the end of 1947, it was increase Vietminh with former Vietnam disper Pas He had figurehead. sup- nort of none but trench colla.

orators. the war spread made or socate feeble noise. Vietnamese peopie. By mid-1949, the Chinese Revolution had been success- The USA now entered the with sense of purpose. The spectre of Chinese communism sweeping South-East Asia hung he State decision now made overi Korean war which followed on the heels of Mao's victory over Chiang Kai-shek, hardened the resolve America. The 'valiant' French were then deemed to be holding • the southern line against Asian communism' i.e. that France was fighting to preserve the rich resources and open mar- kets of that region for western penetration. The US began its military and economic aid pro- grammes to the French in the middle of 1950. This grew from b150m in 1950, to over one billion in the fiscal vear 01 1954. The Truman administration had fallen in the elections of 1952 under the attack of lost China to com- 'having munism', while Eisenhower came to power. due to his image as peacemaker in a Korea. Both the Republican Eisenhower and the present exploited Republican Nixon "peace-making' in their bid to hold power. Eisenhower continued the policies of Truman, with his- torical circumstances forcing an escalation. In 1954, the. US cent of was paying 78.25 per the cost of the Indo-China war.

Dulles justified this by invok- ing the 'yellow peril. In Sep- tember, 1953, he said: Left: defeated French troop Above: Lyndon Johnson (le "There is a risk that, as in Korea, Red China might send its own army into Indo-China.

The Chinese communist regime should realize that such a second aggression could not occur without grave conse quences, which might not be confined to Indo-China' fact that it had The been United States aggression which unleashed Korean the debacle, the fact that up to this very day there are no Chinese combat in troops Indo-China, did not deter the drastic forward move of the US into Vietnam. China was, after all, a mere pretext for the escalation of capitalist war. As Eisenhower himself admitted: .. there was no incon- trovertible evidence of overt Red Chinese participation in the Indo-China conflict.?

At that time the 'doves' were verbally active. As early as the young November 1951, F. Kennedy, John senator, stated: In Indo-China we have allied ourselves the to . desperate effort of the French regime to hang on to the remnants of empire. There is no broad, general support of the native feated French troops at Dien Bien Phu, 1954. Above: Eise Lyndon Johnson (left) and John Kennedy (right). Below : !

[Bao Dai] Vietnam government among the people of that area' This statement, radical and true though it was in appear- conformed with exactly ance, the US view that the time of naked imperialism was over and must give way to a more neo-imperialism. covert The Kennedy's extent to which protest was an adjunct of rul- ing-class policy clearly was manifested in the measures which he adopted upon com- ing to power in January 1961.

Eisenhower's vice-President, one Richard Nixon, must take credit for consistency. As early cating Such a view was even opposed at that time by the army Chief- of-Staff, Matthew B. Ridge- way, who later wrote: 'In Korea, we had learned that aid and naval power alone cannot win war and that a inadequate ground forces can- not win one either. It was incredible to me that we had forgotten that bitter lesson so soon — that we were on the verge of making that same tragic error.' What Ridgeway did not understand, being himself one of their number, is that the ruling class of the leading capi- talist nation in the world does Workers Press, Friday May 19, 1972 PAGE 7 u, 1954. Above: Eisenhower, Dulles and Dlem edy (right). Below : Frankin D. Roosevelt not "forget' the 'bitter lessons', nor does it engage willingly in 'tragic errors'. It is inescapably caught in the most violent con- tradictions in the history of a dying system, determined in its death to extol the utmost suffering from those who oppose it. Liberals have con- fought tinually against this recognition. The John F. Ken- nedy of 1954, who said: I am frankly of the belief that no amount of American in Indo-China can assistance "an enemy of the conquer people" which has the sym- pathy and covert support of the people' was the same John F. Kennedy, who as President in 1961, dis- patched the first US military personnel to Vietnam. The Lyndon B. Johnson, who as Democratic leader of the Senate in 1954, protested that: The United I States is in clear danger of being left naked and alone in a hostile world.'

was the same Lyndon B. who, President, Johnson as initiated the bombing of North Vietnam in August, 1964, and expanded the number of US troops in Vietnam to the gigan- tic figure of 500,000.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Friday May 19, 18 The dogged refusal by to bow to the National Industrial Relations Court is a reminder of one important quality that the British working tin class possesses. This highlighted by was Engels in his 'Conditions of the Working Class in England'.

He said that the peculiar cour- age of the British working man was displayed in the way he built and defended his unions. And indeed, the history of the long and bitter struggle for workers' rights is a testi- mony to this fact. Any liberal who may get a bit squeamish when the every-day trade union activi- ties are declared illegal will do well to remember that per- haps the most vigorous growth of the trade unions occurred between 1799 and 1825. This was the time of the Combina- tion Laws, when trade union organization in itself was illegal. Despite this, the cotton workers of Lancashire, and the woollen workers of Yorkshire built up and maintained their unions. All the power of the state was used against them. Spies and agents tried to break up the early organizations. Bribes were offered to men near star- vation — but rarely could the magistrates get the two wit- nesses' necessary to prove that there was a combination. One mill master complained that it was impossible to root out the combination - even when a strike occurred. Instead of leaving the plant en-masse, men just drifted away-giving their notice one by one. And this was in a period when unemployment often meant starvation. It was also the period of the Luddites — a much-maligned movement. They fought the introduction of machinery that made them redundant. But in that fight they effec- tively built up the mass organ- izations that could meet the threat of the Industrial Revo- lution-so unions were built in struggle. campaign to defend The unions against legislation con- tinued throughout the 19th century. One of the most colourful and courageous episodes was recently recorded in 'The Gar- ment Worker', the organ of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers, by Jim Hammond, who is studying industrial relations at Cardiff University. •He records the long-forgot- ten tailors' dispute which struck the most fashionable quarter of London • in 1867. May 19, 1972 All the characteristic work- ers' display in the big strikes of today were present in this battle which involved 9,000 West End tailors. The London Operative Tail- ors' Protection Association organized it. And for the first these aristocrats of lab- • time our joined with the outwork- ers engaged in the 'sweating' end of the trade. The heart of the action was Regent: St — where London's upper classes flocked for their clothes. The time was Easter the start of the "season' when all the gentry needed gear to face the social new round: • The tailors began with a mass meeting at Alhambra Palace—a famous music hall on Leicester Square. immedi- Picketing started was organized by ately and the Central Committee which met in the 'Green Dragon', off Regent St. The strikers needed to work their regular shift to qualify for strike pay. Like the miners in their recent strike, the tailors used the tactics of turn up outside the premises of an employer who was trying to smuggle work in and out of his business or per- suading blackleg labour work for him. were subjected Customers to a more subtle form of per- suasion. When they arrived in a carriage the pickets would stand close staring at the wealthy occupants who usually departed (so destroying the myth of the servile working man). blacklegs Employers and who braved the picket line were greeted with shouts of 'curs', 'dung' (according to Mr Hammond, ancient term an for lowgrade tailors). the railwaymen Just as faced the feeble protests from the "brolly brigade', the middle about the class action. "The Times' was flooded by letters. One read: 'Sir - For very nearly four daily months I have been annoyed by the patrol of tailors' pickets. Now, although the law may permit persons to watch a tailors' premises, surely it does not countenance the nuisance I am subjected to by the continual tramp of half a dozen wretched-looking individuals smoking and spit- ting under my windows. If pickets are to be allowed, cannot they be compelled to remain opposite a tailors' shop and not among the immediate inhabitants?' • The strikers replied to these attacks by extending their action. They searched the hovels of central London for the sweat-shops and brought the tailors out women on Top: garment worker In Manchester in t successful strikes against poor conditio strike. Not a difficult thing when their wages were often lower than the strike benefit offered. Soon the whole area was immobilized by the stop- page. Mr Hammond describes the scene: 'The area covered by the strike straddled both sides of Regent Street. On the west side there existed the employ- ers' premises in Hanover George St, Maddox Square, St, Conduit St and Saville Row. On the east side lived most of the workers, especially the outworkers who eaked out a precarious living in the Golden Square, Brewer St and Silver St areas. One can imag- ine the atmosphere with 2,000 and or more men women hester in the 1890g. Above: the match girls wh or conditions and low pay in industry.

strikers living and patrolling in the area? Inevitably the law was used against the union. The strike leaders, George Druitt, Matthew Lawrence and John Adamson, were brought to court in a bid to stop the picketing by charging the on organizers with conspiracy.

In a highly irregular trial, the three men were found evidence that guilty, despite showed they acted well within the framework of the law.

The strike was seen as a trial of strength between the rights of workers and the gov- ernment. Money flowed in from all over the world to support the embattled tailors.

But the, of the outcome struggle was a reduction of h girls who took part in one of the firat ing picketing which led to a cam- paign for a change in law.

This came with the Trade Union Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1871, which was passed to appease the working class who won a wider franchise in the Sec- ond Reform Act. These are the episodes of struggle in which the modern working class was formed. Workers fought to defend and extend their right with a cour- age exampled in the tailors' strike. Now, when the rights of workers are under the most serious threat since the Com- binations Act, workers will once again show their old tenacity, which is a part of their history.

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Brigadier Frank Kitson, 'head of military intelli.

gence in Ulster, has at last surfaced as the sub- ject of a profile in a major national newspaper. -The Sunday Last weekend Times' carried a full page on its centre pages devoted to M Kitson-'The Guru of the new model army'. Two senior writers com- piled the article-Bruce Page, who has just been promoted managing editor, and Lewis Chester, award-winning and co-author (with reporter Page) of 'The American Melo- drama', , a history of the US election campaign in 1968, and 'The Zinoview Letter'. The 2,500-word article con- tained only two pieces of in- formation which might be considered 'new'. Firstly they announced Kitson would shortly become the new com- mandant of the School of In- fantry at Warminster in Wilt- shire and secondly that Kitson was on his way to becoming a general. Surprise, surprise.

Page: managing editor (Their 'news' that Edward Heath fully supports Kitson's internal subversion 'theories' has been widely reported in columns previous these on occasions.) The article is therefore in- significant for any great revela- tion—which is what one may have expected from two such renowned fact-hunters. Its importance lies in the fact that it presents Kitson as a military with com- man mendable but perhaps contro- versial ideas. But the authors are not happy with simply describing Kitson's ideas—albeit glibly— they give the impression of approving of them. To put it more • bluntly, Messrs Page and Chester have done a whitewash on Kitson and do not disagree basically with what he's planning with his political mentor, Heath.

After reading Kitson's two volumes 'Low Intensity Opera- tions' published last October and 'Gangs and Counter- gangs', an account of his ex- periences fighting the Mau the Sunday Mau in Kenya, Times' men conclude that Kit- son is 'patently an honourable and sensitive officer' They go on so say that in Kitson 'respect for democracy runs deeper than it does in most of his critics'. As Workers Press would firmly itself as one of its mildest-an áccount of his past and present conduct is necessary. It is worth acknowledging that this 'sensitive democrat' has been the key officer in Ulster during three milestones in British imperialism's sav- agery there: Internment. Torture by hideous psycho- logical techniques-exposed by and large by Chester and some of his colleagues on the Insight team. • The Bloody Sunday mas- sacre. It was the Insight in- into this quiry murderous event which showed that Kit- son had given the orders for paratroops to go in. None of these incidents rated a mention in last Sun- day's article. Neither did this anecdote from his book on Kenya which gives a clear insight into Kit- son's views on "democracy. He describes a secene just before his departure Nairobi: 'I picked up a pamphlet one day Waterloo Station on written by Mr Fenner Brock- way. This did nothing to im- prove my morale because it sowed seeds of doubt in my mind as to whether we were handling the Emergency in a civilized manner. 'Furthermore, after reading the pamphlet, I was not quite sure whether the British had any right to be ruling Kenya order so I suffered very little from the experience. All the same it is not pleasant from a soldier's point of view to have the cause for which he may have to fight called in question by a Member of Parliament.' Throughout the book Kitson reveals his distaste of 'med- dling' politicians, not an un- common characteristic of the military. But Kitson's reply to the politicians is to shift the discussions and preparations for repression out of the arena of public accountability: This is brazenly expressed in his most recent volume when discussing the establish- ment of a 'supreme council' to combat threats of subversion ble and insurgency in Britain.

He writes: 'Having got the machinery established, next task for the military leadership is to present to the supreme council a number of issues of a joint military- civilian nature on which firm policy rulings should be taken before operations against those practising subversion can start.

"There is no danger of poli- tical repercussions to course of action, because con- sultation can be carried out in strictest secrecy.' and Chester Messrs Page acknowledge this paragraph in Kitson's theories and com- ment: "There are, of course, a people whose great many passions would be inflamed if they even suspected that the working might start army with Scotland regularly the Yard Special Branch We are not told whether the the two reporters passions of would be inflamed in these circumstances, but we are left with a gentle panacea: 'What is necessary in fact, is that there should be informed debate.'

This is the hallmark of liberals. Whenever there are fundamental class questions to be met and challenged, they want to stage a debate. No ordinary debate, you under- stand. In the case of the in- 'Sunday tellectuals at the Times' the debate is to be 'informed'. Who qualifies to join this set of 'informed' debaters?

Messrs Page and Chester- that goes without saying. Then perhaps one or two eggheads from the Institute of Strategic Studies and a post-graduate from London University! won't do. The the support he is receiving in high Tory circles are too vital to be left in the debating circles of the liberals in the middle class. Kitson's so-called theories pose a direct threat to the building of the revolutionary party and the ending of capi- talism in Britain. As such they must be ex- posed and resisted at every stage in the revolutionary struggle of the working class.

Messrs Page and Chester with have made their peace and sensitive officer'. We, on the other hand, declare war on everything Kitson stands for.

Workers Prei Letter in the 'Daily Mirror'.

"Thanks again to the Daily Mirror for its report on the horror trade in sheep and other animals to the Continent.

They cannot speak for them- selves.' Go on! Famous last words? Victor Feather speaking at the annual conference of the Clerical and Workers' Administrative Union (now APEX) on April 15: 'The trade union movement has scored an historic and strategic victory over the anti- unic and anti-democratic forces in the last year. Those cynics or wishful thinkers who misled so many people about the seriousness of the. move- ment's opposition to • the Industrial Relations Act, or the ability of the Act to solve industrial problems, have been shown to be miserably wrong.'

Two weeks later Feather led the monumental retreat before the Act by agreeing to go to Court and asking the Trans- port and General Workers' Union to pay its fines. Vic Feather orkers Press, Friday May 10, 1972 PAGE 9 We hope the present leaders of ASLEF do not share their union historians' view of the middle class. Writing in his book "The Lighted Flame, Norman McKillop says of the General Strike: 'Of course I can quite realize that most of the strike - breaking amateur attempted in 1926 was done in the good old spirit of student adventure. 'Young men out for a bit of sport and arrayed in raiment vying with the hues of the rain- bow sported their college colours in the driving seats of buses and trams. 'Nevertheless that the middle class should consider itself apart from the (supposed) lower caste worker-for it is now generally admitted that the professional man is as much a worker as the fellow in over- exhibition of alls-was an middle-class obtuseness.'

We trust nobody thinks Heath and his middle-class friends are out for a bit of sport or that they are being obtuse in actively encouraging the polarization of class forces.

Any who do are in for a nasty shock. Ray Buckton of ASLEF Moscow Trials Anthology Paperback, 62½р

MAX SHACHTMAN:

Behind The Moscow Trial Paperback 75p

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Stalinism In Britain Paperback £1.12;—cloth £2

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Fighting the Tories' Rent Will Coventry Labour use new majority to fight rise?

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Friday May 19, 1972

BY A MIDLANDS CORRESPONDENT

"MODEL'

THE

housing council estates of the 1950s have proved in- adequate housing for the working class in many areas. The degeneration of services and repairs in Coventry's Bell Green and Wood End areas are leading to a virtual Gorbals town on the edge of the city-and rents will be going up by fl in October.

The Wood End estate was built in the second half of the 1950s. At one time it was designated the model are areas in dis- estate. Now there repair. undertaken A by the Town report Planning Department of the Lanchester Polytechnic in 1970 on 'Post-war Housing in Coventry' said: 'In particular there was lack of provision for rubbish, absence of front gardens, allowing by to peer into parlours, lack of passers garages ... etc. A so-called playgroun And indeed, the Binton Road area where blocks of houses face onto each other with a square courtyard strewn with and rubbish in glass between has the earmarks of a future Coventry Gorbals.

Yet rents of these houses have steadily up ever gone built. since they were There is overcrowding as well.

The report says: 'Many of the families living repairs done. I think this Labour in these relatively overcrowded council must make stand conditions are unwilling to move against the Bill, he said dwellings, even if they to large available, this Coventry council swung back are as means higher rents. There is in Labour in the May elections, any to a shortage of houses with but there was statement on no four or more bedrooms the new council's attitude to the Rents Bill. Bill Lyle, an inspector at Alvis Tory Right-wing Labour had few words to say about the spokesmen have i tated Rent Bill they could not defv the law.

felt bitter as he So about all attacks by the Tory That is not what the tenants government: think, especially faced with the It is obvious what the Tories first increase of fl in their rents do in every trying shape in October. and form. Rent Bill Michael Glynn, who works for stinks. It's not just an increase in rents Coventry water works, was -you have to beg to get adamant: any The daily paper that leads the fight agalnst the Tories. {20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: 186a Clapham High St., Circulation Dept., Workers Press, London. SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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Name Address playground in a Bell Lane square reminiscent 'I this Labour council say must refuse to carry out this Rent Act.' He added: "The Tory govern- ment's Rent Bill is scandalous. I only have a basic wage of £18 yet they are putting the rents up £l in October and further amounts each year after that. Prices keep rising, but our wages don't go up with them. 'This Industrial Relations Act is vicious. I'm a member of the T&GWU. It's our money paid in as union members that is being taken away by these fines.

I think all the unions should strike together to force this government out. Then a Labour government must nationalize all the industries and let the workers run them. Yes, take the lot over.

Then wages could be brought up to a decent standard.' Mr O'Shea, a material handler at Auto Works, thought: "The Tories keep down want to us otherwise they wouldn't be able to have all their fancy yachts. But once we give in, we've had it. We have got to fight them.'

Mrs Spriggs, a kitchen assist- complained ant, about the present rents being paid and the "The rent of this house 13s. was £2 Today years ago (with a garage) it is £5.33. Yet the houses here in general are in a poor condition. My walls black with damp. It was are necessary to move the beds away from the walls. "The council has stonewalled my complaints. They said it was to condensation-utter rubbish!' A newer part of the Bell Green housin the Midlands link M6 motorway. But the —reminiscent of the 'greens' in Glasgov niniscent of the Glasgow 'greens' Michael Glynn Mrs Spriggs thought it was caused by thin brickwork.

'All the Tories want is for us exist. None of these people in the Tory government have ever gone in want or had a rotten life. They want to be- little everybody. I was with the miners all the way. We are not going to sit back and let them walk all over us.' Leo Dooley, has been unem- ployed from last December. His rent is £4.59 at the moment. Un- employment is not new to him.

Leo said: 'Since this Tory government has been in, it has never been so bad. We have just en housing complex on Coventry's eastern b y. But the design is the same-squares with h n Glasgow's Gorbals area.

0L Mrs Spriggs got a Labour council in and I think the council has got to re- fuse to operate this Tory Rents Bill, which is nothing more than robbery without violence.

'This Tory government is robbing us of the right to fight for a living wage. Unemployment is part of this capitalist system.

They really work it best in Ire- land. That is why so many of us come to live here. 'The Tory government has tried to make the world believe that it is a religious struggle in Ireland. It isn't. It is a struggle against unemployment and bad housing. Let's get these Tories out.' eastern boundary now hemmed in by res with houses facing in on each other

WORKING - CLASS

families are being pushed out of an entire area in BY PHILIP WADE Our Housing Correspon North London by land- lords who legally put The report predicts that if the 40 in low- rent accommodation cent reduction rents up 400-500 per cent: which has occurred in the last five years Property men have been five is reneated every further able to achieve their object the years, process will be com- by taking advantage of laws plete by 1980. passed by the last Labour Working-class families will be government. These enabled eliminated tenants of the rent increases to be made on property. the basis of In two follow-up studies, the government- 60 that aided improvement grants.

per of moved householuers from Now a local housing group their homes in order to make Colville in the area of North way for conversion then moved Kensington the say whole area other into private accom- will be taken over by the 'trendy' modation. class by 1980. middle The fate of the working-class compounded by 'Losing Out', a study made by tenants was low - estimated the People's Association earnings Housing TaOT four to be less than Group makes these indictments: £20 a week-and the fact that • Since 1967, 40 per cent of all control private landlords most privately-rented houses in the of the housing in the area. surveyed have changed The Royal Borough of Ken- low rent' to 'high rent' Chelsea — Tory- from sington accommodation. controlled for as long as anyone to remember-has cares one The 'conversion' of property the lowest council house building with the aid of improvement rates in the whole of London. grants was the single most Colville But the trends in the significant factor bringing of develop- symptomatic about the Colville area - change ments all over London and other and Tavistock neighbourhood. big cities undoubtedly - were One house in every four in accelerated by the betrayals of Colville and Tavistock has Wilson the government. undergone conversion since 1969 Housing Their Act has 1967 and one in three has of the proved to be one most either been converted of beneficial pieces legislation in the process of conversion.

enacted in favour of the private Rents converted houses and in landlord property man. increased four or five times Passed in the period of retreat and units of from a full programme of council after conversion, accommodation become not house building, the Act enabled only more expensive to occupy, landlords to phase out rent but smaller, too. control on the basis of a generous WESTWARD. As Channel except: 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.18 News. 6.00 Diary. 6.25 Sports desk. 10.32 News. 12.15 Teach a man to fish.

CHANNEL: 11.00

1.40 Schools. 4.05 Zingalong 4.18 Puffin. 4.22 4.50 Flintstones. Jimmy Stewart. 5.20 Primus. 5.50 News. 6.00 News, weather. 6.10 Report. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Sky's the limit.

7.30 | 8.30 His spy. and hers. 9.00 London. Film: 'The 10.30 Caretakers'. 12.15 News, weather.

SOUTHERN: 2.30 Afternoon. 3.00 Kate. 3.55 Weekend. 4.00 House- 4.15 Paulus. 4.30 Cross- party. 4.55 Voyage. News. roads. 5.50 Day Scene 6.00 by day. south- 7.00 His east. 6.40 Out of town. 7.25 7.30 Weekend. and hers. 8.05

FBI.

Sale of the century. London. 10.30 Film: 'Man 9.00 Without Body'. 11.55 News. Weather. As long as you 12.05 live. 3.15 Sur- ANGLIA: 2.30 London. vival. 3.45 Yoga. 4.10 News. 4.15 Cartoons. 4.25 Romper room. 5.50 News. 4.50 Voyage. 6.00 6.35 Crossroads. About Analia. 7.00 Sky's the limit. 7.30 His and hers. 8.00 Combat. 9.00 London.

Film: 10.30 Probe. 11.05 "The Savage Guns'. 12.35 Epilogue.

Ronald Fraser as the Malor and Joan / 'The Man Outside' thriller series on BBC ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Afternoon.

Horoscope. Women. 3.35 3.45 YORKSHIRE: 11.00 Schools. 2.32 4.10 Julia. 4.40 Zingalong. 4.55 4.00 Sound Afternoon. 3.00 Kate. 5.50 News. 6.00 Lost in space. of 4.10 News. 4.15 Cross- Today. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 His 4.40 Zingalona. 4.55 Flax- roads. and hers. 7.30 Saint. 8.30 Shir- 5.20 Flintstones. 5.50 ton boys. ley's world. 9.00 London. 10.30 News. 6.00 Calendar, weather. Film: 'Bitter Harvest'. 6.30 Partners 7.00 London.

10.30 Film: 'Inherit the Wind'. 12.50 Douglas Fairbanks present.

Schools.

GRANADA:

11.00 Schools. 230

ULSTER:

11.00 4.30 3.55 Camera 3.25 Yoga. 4.50 455 Corwin. Romper room. News. Action. 4.05 Pevton Thunderbirds. 5.50 News. 6.00 in News. 7.00 Place. 4.40 London. 6.00 News- Reports. 6 30 Crossroads. Sky's the limit. 7.30 Jason King.

Miss TV Times. 6.30 Rip- dav. tide. Hawaii Five-O. 8 30 8.30 His and hers. 9.00 London.

11.00 Film: His and hers. 9.00 London. 10.30 10.30 Documentary. 'Miami Expose'. Film: 'The Mark'. Correspondent grant trom the government to "improve' their properties.

Discussing the effect of im- provement grants, the Housing Group found that almost every conversion-and • consequent re- moval of workers from flats— had taken place since 1969, when all previous restrictions were withdrawn and more generous grants were made available.

Bill If the Housing Finance becomes law-and it takes the 'fair rents' of from concept Labour's 1965 Rent Act-the sort of situation existing in North Kensington will worsen.

More and more families will be forced on to the private market unable to afford council rents.

A GROUP of London councillors sent a telegram to Tory Educa- tion Secretary Margaret Thatcher yesterday calling on her to take a hard against students stand presently campaigning for more democracy in schools. Charles Paley-Phillips, Tory spokesman education on Forest council, said Waltham the telegram urges Thatcher to make a statement 'and to tell the director of the Inner London Education Authority that tax- payers will no longer tolerate this namby-pamby attitude and kid- glove approach by some head- masters'. ind Joan Hickson as Martha In tonight's es on BBC 1 TYNE TEES 11.00, 1.40 Schools.

house. und 1.25 Enchanted 2.30 Yoga. 3.00 Kate. 4.00 Sound of ... 4.10 Newsroom. 4.15 Crossroads. 4.40 Make a wish.

4.55 Flaxton boys. 5.20 Flint- stones. 5.50 News. 6.00 Today.

Partners. 7.00 Sky's the 6.35 limit. 7.30 Dr Gannon. 8.30 His and hers. 9.00 London. 10.30 Film: "Two on a Gulllotine'. 12.55 News. 1.10 Epilogue. SCOTTISH: 11.00, 1.40 Schools.

3.30 Kiri. 3.45 Crossroads. 4.10 Dateline. 4.55 Skippy. 5.20 Car- toons. 5.50 News. 6.00 Dateline.

Workers Pres A COMMITTEE of inquiry into alleged misconduct by nursing staff at the Bridgewater Hospital, Manchester, last near year, started its hearing in private

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

THE LEEDS Teachers' Associ- ation of the National Union of Teachers has passed a resolution viewing with 'deep concern' the TUC General Council's departure from the policy on the Industrial Relations Act. The resolution calls on the NUT executive to press for the recall of the TUC to re-affirm and strengthen the policy of non- with the Act. It co-operation was passed by 37 votes to 17.

He also claimed that there were left-wing teachers involved in organizing school protests.

They should be told their salaries will be stopped if they persist in this action.' This Tory call for law and order in schools comes after Wednesday's thousands - strong demonstration and strikes throughout London by pupils organized by the Schools Action Union. Some of their demands are for an end to caning, no more school uniforms and no more deten- tions.

BBC 1

9.20 Andy Pandy. 9.38, 2.05 Schools. 12.55 Canu'r Bobol.

1.30 Mary, Mungo and Midge.

1.45 News, weather. 3.05 Play school. 3.30 The Queen in France. 4.40 Jackanory. 4.55 Screen test. 5.20 Right Charlie.

5.44 Hector's House. 5.50 News, weather.

6.00 LONDON THIS WEEK.

6.20 GEORGE BEST.

6.30 THE VIRGINIAN. A Time of Terror. 7.45

KNOCK OUT.

IT'S A

Exeter v Salisbury.

8.30 LOOK-MIKE YARWOOD!

9.00 NEWS, weather. 9.20 THE MAN OUTSIDE. Mur- der Story. 10.10

FORMATION

DANCING

CHALLENGE TROPHY.

10.45

24 HOURS.

11.15 THE MARX BROTHERS:

'Room Service'. 6.20 Cartoon. 6.30 His and hers.

7.00 Sky's the limit. 7.30 Andy.

8.00 Hawaii five-o. 9.00 London.

10.30 In camera. 11.00 Late call.

11.05 Film: 'Beat Girl'. GRAMPIAN: 11.00 Schools. 3.38 News. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Smith family. 4.40 Zingalong. 4.55 Rain- bow country. 5.20 Ivanhoe. 5.50 News. 6.00 News, weather. 6.05 Mrs. 6.35 • Crossroads. Mr and 7.00 Sky's the limit. 7.35 Takes a thief. inn. 9.00 8.25 Melody London. 10.30 Hogan's heroes.

11.00 Film: 'Dracula's Daughter'.

line. 12.18 Epilogue. Workers Pross, Friday May 19, 1972 PAGE 11 Manchester Regional yesterday Hospital Board said it was not known how the long inquiry would take. A statement wi made when the committee reaches its conclusions

ALL TRADES UNIONS

ALLIANCE

MEETINGS

Fight the Tories 'fair rents' BIl

NORTH

KENT:

GA oase

SOGAT

Dartford. BA P.E. CM: T Haday May 23, Co-op Hall, Fanshawe p.m. Avenue, Barking.

CLAPHAM:

23, Tuesda! May Manor p.m. Claphan Small Baths, Clapham St, SW4. PRESTON: Tuesday May 23 'Railway and Commer- aD.' Hotel cial (near Tallwa 'Recall SeTon stel street TÚC, the Make the Tories resign'. WEST LONDON: Tuosday 'Prince p.m. Albert Wharfedale Rd, off York Way Kings Cross. 8 p.m. Pari Thursday May 25, • o.m. Parkwav Rooms (Rent office). Racecourse Estate, Northolt (next to swimming pool).

NORTH

10 N..O. Bri Chuaydr Thurada) 25, pol. Arms'. Tottenham High Rd (nr White Hart Lane)

CROYDON

Thursday May 25, p.m. Ruskin House, Coomb Rd.

LUTON:

Thursday May 25, Hail; Loa Sd. John Ambulance SOUTH EAST LONDON: Thurs Deptford day may lo, Engineers' (opposite New Cross Station).

ACTON:

Monday May 29, 8 p.m. Co-op EAST LONDON: Tuesday 30 "Aberfeldy". Aber- p.m. feldy St, E.14. At 11.15 p.m. on BBC 1 Groucho and his brothers are demanding 'Room Service

ITV

11.00 1.40 Schools. 1.10 Re- 2.30 mowee!. Anemoon 3.00 Houseparty. 3.15 This Week 3.45 Drive in. 4.15 Clapperboard Zingalong. 4.55 Giants. 5.50 News. 6.00

TODAY

7:00

DICK VAN DYKE

SKY'S

THE LIMIT.

7.30 THE FBI. The Flaw.

HIS AND

HERS.

9.00

BUDGIE.

Story So 10.00

NEWS.

10.30

FILM

'SATURDAY

IS LAND'. Linda Darnell, Hunter, Donald Gray. crash-lands British airman island and becomes love triangle vo Vee with nursing sister anc American marine 12.00 OF

JUSTICE.

DUAL-

(New Series). The Guilty

12.30 ASPECTS OF FAITH

BBC 2

11.00 Play 6.05 Open school. University. 6.3 Crime and the 7.05 University. Open vilmine : Weather. 8.00

MONEY PROGRAMME.

In 1975 Wollel alt . •ue equal • Money ecove work The equal looks Programme pro- Fess mce soan HoWare putting the Equal Pay Ac practice 9.00

GARDENERS' WORLE

Prof. Alfred on Bertrand Russell; Ayer Derek South artist; Al Akbar Khan-the music o the sarod. 10.10

BEYOND A JOKE

10.40

NEWS

weather

LATE NIGHT LINE UP.

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Friday May 19, 1

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

UNEMPLOYMENT-follow- ing the seasonal trend-fell in Britain between April and May, but areas like Scotland and the North still have record jobless rates. The jobless figure was 'far and away the worst' for May for over 30 years, Reg Prentice, Shadow Employment Minister said in a BBC radio interview yesterday.

'And it is still intolerably high,' he added. Any figure over 500,000 was intolerable-'both human terms, and in terms of the wasted production that we might be getting if people were getting a chance to work' The total registered number of fell by unemployed workers 103,479 to 901,592. The total excluding wholly unemployed, school leavers, dropped by 89,983 to 821,983. Unemployment in the depressed Scotland areas is still severe. has 6.4 per cent of its working population the dole, the on Wales 5 per cent North has 6.2, the North West 4.9 and the West Midlands 4.l per cent. In Northern Ireland 40,775, or 7.9 per cent, of the working popu- lation are out of work. Workers, however, should not fall into the lory trap and get figures. euphoric about these Britain's trade balance has been in the red for three months and there are signs the Tories are preparing to avoid act to speculation against the pound.

to improve the Measures balance of payments are deflation- ary and therefore involve attacks on the working class. SENIOR Tory government to meet Prime ministers: are Minister Edward Heath at Chequers on Monday to review progress and future strategy.

Main items on the agenda the present economic will be crisis and the fight on the rail- waymen's pay claim. The present situation in Northern Ireland, Common Market entry and un- employment will also be major discussion topics.

LATENEWS

NEWS DESK

01-720 2000

CIRCULATION

01-622 7029 • May 19, 1972

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

HUGH SCANLON, president of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers yesterday rushed to embrace Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath's sug gestion for a new system of arbitration and con- ciliation. Continuing the retreat of TUC leaders before the onslaught of the Industrial Relations Act, he said strike acton should not be taken after exhausting procedure if some agreed form of conciliation is possible.

'Such a procedure must be non -enforceable... legally. and would do more than any other Act of Parliament or penal clauses, to bring about a degree understanding and harmony in industry, said the leader of Britain's second biggest union. While the Tories and their continue their courts savage attacks on the working class, Scanlon could find nothing but words of conciliation. 'The legislative bludgeon needs be dropped entirely. Con- to frontation policies are inherently self-destructive in present circumstances.' And in further appeal to 'misguided Tories: It is doubt- ful whether the government any real way the appreciates in damage the credibility of to law and the disruption to indus- trial relations that will inevitably by its policy of con- be caused frontation' And scraping his knees even to the Tory carpet he nearer added: 'We earnestly hope that, even at this late stage, the gov- persuaded ernment can be to drop its present policies.'

his Was Scanlon i speaking to a union conference? members at Not at all. He chose to make his sickening overtures at the opulent Hilton Hotel in London in front from of businessmen every im- other trade unionist present was in portant industrial concern Tom

UPW

Jackson of the Britain. committed to attending the indus- It was the second of a two-day He trial court. called for an conference on industrial relations, arbitration council. 'Such a body should be called by the ardent organized most Industrial Council defender of British capitalism, the for and Conciliation 'The Financial Times', and made Research, with an attendance fee Arbitration. Its staff should be exclusive £55 (including paid but of by government, no less than appointed by two sides of aperitifs and lunch). the industry, said Jackson. It was here on Wednesday that Employment Secretary Maurice Tasks of this council Macmillan told trade unions should be 'to provide a national, and conciliation they had to register under the regional local Industrial Relations Act and play independent of service govern- ment' the Tories' corporatism game.

and ...to provide a arbitration similar basis, an Scanlon certainly kept some service'. good the speakers' company yesterday. The All Scanlon's bluster of alleged platform one

WEATHER

MAY FUND

EASTERN England, eastern and Scotland will have northern occasional which will die rain out from the south during the day. will have Western showers and sunny spells some of the showers may be prolonged or

ANOTHER

great post of £137.70 heavy. Temperatures will generally brings this month's Fund up to be near normal for mid-May.

the grand amount of £1,108.90. thanksIt really is Many, Outlook for the weekend: many a tremendous effort. Changeable with showers in places but also sunny many We must do our best to keep Temperatures near or a intervals. The fight against this pace up. little above normal. this Tory government has only just begun. The enomous strength of the working class has yet to be seen. We urge all therefore you don't sit back for moment. Press ahead Immediately. We still need £641.10 before the end of Let's try and go over the month. the top. Post every donation to: Workers Press May Appeal Fund at the Pubilabed by 186ạ Alapham High St, 1868 London, Hist

SW4 7UG.

London, SW4 7UG. Scanlon enjoys cock- tails at the £55-a-head 'Financial Times' indus- trial conference at Lon- don's sumptuous Hilton Hotel. non-co-operation with the Act be judged has to with know- ledge of the following line-up at the conference: Roderick Keith, chief registrar of trade unions under the Act; from the Commission on Indus- trial Relations the deputy chair- man, C. F. Heron; from | big business, the deputy director- general (industrial relations) of the Confederation of British Industry, T. A. Swinden. On and on the list went. From the Institute of Personnel Man- Ernest agement, its. director Tonkinson. And from the academic world, Derek Robinson, of the Institute of Economics and Statistics and Professor

OF THE YOUNG SC

The eight-page youth paper which leads the fight against the Tory government, for the factories, right to work, in schools and on the dole queues. Please send me 'Keep Left' for one ye I enclose £2.86 Name Address car A PICKET at the Cleveland Twist Drill factory at Peterhead, 30 miles from Aberdeen, was injured when he was hit by a car driving through the picket line. The man was carried 40 yards on the bonnet of the car. His hands were cut and bruised and his clothing was torn. Convenor Steve Thomson said: "This incited the pickets who retaliated. After four weeks of picketing we are dis- peaceful stressed to see one of our men on strike knocked down.' THE CATERPILLAR Tractory Company is laying off men at its factory at Birtley, four-week County Durham, due to the strike at its Glasgow plant.

Kenneth Walker of the • Inter- national Institute for Labour Studies, Geneva. reactionary nature The of Scanlon's audience was yet a further indictment of his capitu- lation to the Tories over the Act.

Paying £55 a head were repre- sentatives from over 150 com- panies including: Esso, George Massey - Ferguson, Outram, Hoover, Girling's, Joseph Lucas, Chrysler, Hawker Siddeley, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Co. Gestetner, British Shipping Federation, Courtaulds, Rolls- Royce, Ford's, ICI, Delta Metal, the Metal Box Company, and the West Midlands Engineering Em- ployers Federation...

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