TORIES CHANGE ANTI-UNION TACTIC

THE RESISTANCE the Tories to re-organize strategy. And their greatest war on the working class ar Afraid of the growing militancy of their own members, these leaders today become the accomplices in the Tory plan to weaken and demoralize the working class.

The first and most pressing reason behind this strategy is to isolate the rail unions.

Following their defeat at the hands of the miners, the Tories are desperate to strike back-and they've chosen the railmen as their chief target.

The trade union collaboration which is hitting the rank and file and isolating the rail workers is exposed on a variety of fronts:

• TUC leader Victor Feather told the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers' conference in Aberdeen on Monday night that he welcomed the continuation of tripartite talks with the Tories, the CBI and the trade unions.

The talks were of 'mutual benefit', he said. 'Our members lose money when there's a strike, employers lose production and orders, and the economy suffers,' he whined.

Not a word, notice, about leading the trade union movement in a fight against the Industrial Relations Act and the government. Just intenser levels of collaboration.

• Hugh Scanlon, president of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, has handed the Tories their biggest bonus.

By abandoning the national pay claim to plant-by-plant bargaining, the engineers' fight has been decimated. In Manchester, the scene of the first major battle, the employers are rubbing their hands as one factory after another collapses in the face of their powerful offensive.

Speaking to Birmingham shop stewards on Monday night, Scanlon showed the extent to which he is prepared to go. 'We don't want strikes, we want settlements' , he said.

Feather: 'mutual benefit' fra talks with Tories. working class has forced their industrial relations allies in this camouflaged the trade union leaders.

• Jack Jones, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, was yesterday to be found sitting around table with Lord Aldington, chairman of the Port of London Authority, discussing a Munichstyle peace agreement to avert a national docks strike. (See profile, page three.)

This comes 'on top of Jones's £55,000 fines to the Na National recent decisions the Industrial Relations Court and to attend the court.

• The new placatory tone 01 Sir John Donaldson, the NIRC president, is also opening up the conditions under which unions will be cajoled into registering under the Act.

Electricians' leader, Frank Chapple, is setting the pace in decided at last September's con retreat from TUC terence.

In his election manifesto now circulating, Chapple says: 'The movement's policy should be to get trade union representatives on the NIRC and industrial tribunals which are going to sit in judgement.

Defence of our members is the overriding principle, and for this reason I am in favour of our remaining a registered union.' These appeasement noises by the trade union leaders are made time when the economic crisis is rapidly worsening.

Gold edged over the $60 • an ounce mark on London bullion markets yesterday. The peak price was $61.50, $22 above the official gold price set by US Congress two months ago.

Herbert Ingersoll, the big toolmaking . consortium, has just been dropped into liquidatior and the Vickers company is threatening to close down its shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness, which employs 8,500 men.

Every economic indicator points towards higher and higher unemployment, accompanied by rises in the price of basic foods— meat and bread—to Common Market levels.

The biggest danger facing the working class is that it could, if not alerted be taken unaware by the Tories' creeping offensive. The collaboration of the trade union leaders is enormously assisting this process.

The fact remains, however, that the government is by no means out of the woods.

Although the trade union leadership may be off into the Tory parlour, the rank-and-file isn't. The strength of the working class can force the Tories to resign.

A campaign along these lines must be initiated at once; an immediate start can be made by building Councils of Action which include all sections of the labour and trade union moveA worried man. Sir Sidney Greene on his way to yesterday's 'no gress' talks with British Rail. Rail showdown may be near IAN YEATS TALKS between British Rail and the three rail unions adjourned yesterday nearly three hours with no new offer from the board.

Leaders of the three unions were told to return to the board's Marylebone headquarters at 2.30 p.m. today for a final decision.

Following last week's ballot of the railwaymen, the unions stood PAPERBACKS CENTRE 28 Charlotte St London W1 BOOKS PERIODICALS —no new offer firm yesterday on May l as the date from which the board's 12.5-per-cent pay offer must be given.

After the talks Sir Sidney Greene, general secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, said: I am very disappointed with the situation. We have made no progress whatsoever.' Asked why he thought the board had asked them to return today, he said: 'I would have thought if somebody says to you to come along they are gorag to

IMPORTANT

FEATURE SERI Starts today Slaughter today commences an important series of articles beginning with 'Why a Labour government?

THURSDAY: Capitulation to bureaucracy FRIDAY: Centrism and the working class SATURDAY: Internat ional Marxist Group (11 writes off the working class MONDAY:

of reformism TUESDAY: The political independence of the workWing class ake sure you follow each instalment of this heoretical series tell you something'.

Ray Buckton, general secretary of mreocomers union Aske told reporters: "They have made no offer whatsoever to us'.

A spokesman for British Rail said yesterday's exchange of views had provided something for both sides to discuss, but he would not say whether this meant any softening of positions.

The executives of the rail unions met yesterday afternoon to hear reports and discuss the situation.

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