Workers Press no. 801

workers press Sterling flop creates panic

WALL ST-1929

TOKYO-1972?

Scottish YS Right-to-Work march begins

TORY CHANCELLOR

Exchequer of the Anthony Barber will be in Luxembourg today to give an account of his panic devaluation to Common Market Finance Ministers. He will face a chilly reception and hostile criticism in view of the monetary chaos which it has caused. Foreign exchange markets remain closed throughout the world while bankers and monetary authorities anxiously gauge the extent of the crisis.

The electrifying effect pro- duced by the Tory decision is an indication of how far the international monetary situation has deteriorated since Nixon's measures on August 15, 1971. It has destroyed at a stroke the agreement on exchange rates worked out last December 18 at Smithsonian Institute in the Washington. Now that sterling has flopped, the whole monetary is put in doubt,' com- regime a leading New York mented banking expert. expression of the Sharpest crisis came in Tokyo where a wave of sell-at-any-price orders stock market and flooded the brought the biggest ever plunge in prices. The weekend meeting of cen- tral bankers from the Common Market countries and the four seeking admission only revealed division and disarray in the face of the threat to stable ex- change rates. Throughout the world bankers and top executives a grim weekend passed trying to decide what to do next.

With international agreements once again being flouted, a re- to competitive exchange turn depreciation reminiscent of the 1930s seems to be on the cards like Japan Countries Germany fear an upward valua- tion of their currencies which would undermine their export trade by raising the prices of their products in terms of other currencies. The relentless laws of capital- ism are closing in on the once booming Japanese economy.

Based upon a continuous growth of exports, a stream of credit has been pumped into it- dustry by the banks to finance long term investment as well as short term needs. Dependent upon this bank credit rather than upon share capital, Japan's giant firms must sell abroad in order to pay interest on existing loans and raise new ones. A further revaluation of the yen of the order of 10 per cent against the dollar which is now being spoken of, and the retalia- against tory measures

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • MONDAY JUNE 26, 1972

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIA

Ву ТОМ KEMP

Japanese which Inflationary credit had been invasion increasingly the can be expected, could bring the resorted to as credit pyramid crumbling boom of the 1960s whole ran out. down. Barber's 'reflation' of was part movement this which has now Holders of shares in Japanese off—in galloping paid inflation firms would be the first to and the pricing of British exports with a fall in profits suffer, since of competitive markets out they would sink sharply in value.

making devaluation inevitable.

of this was in anticipation and that there much panic Capitalist governments SO selling the Tokyo stock ex- central bankers are aware that which change. the system of they are the custodians hidden contains The Japanese economy is now charges outside explosive quite the most vulnerable part of the their control. capitalist world system. A panic Tokyo A mass of credit is held by off- on the market will have immediate repercussions through- shore funds of the IOS variety Pacific including could stock the which out area, swamp Australia the US West markets in the event of a panic.

and Coast. Japanese trade and invest- The multi-national corpora- Europe are ment also con- tions throughout the world also siderable. hold large volumes of liquid The precarious situation of capital which be moved Call dis- Japanese capitalism only about from one country to exaggerated form, plays, in an another. holds for what other A large-scale selling of shares true Europe as well as by these concerns could cause a

COUSCS

stock market collapse and bank the United States.

CLAS

SPORADIC bombings and shoot- shots have been exchanged since Friday. The weekend death ings continued in Ulster through- last out yesterday as tonight's cease- toll six including three fire deadline drew nearer.

soldiers killed in the mine explo- In a furious gun battle in the sion. Suffolk of Belfast, Interviewed in the United area ten civilians were reported hit. More States, former Stormont premier 500 Brian *At than shots were exchanged Faulkner said: the between 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.

moment there is a sense of relief thousand that there is a prospect of Altogether several peace No. 801 4p

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

failures in a number of countries.

In 1929, for instance, it was the removal of American funds from the European stock markets which paralysed the whole credit structure and spread depression far and wide. As confidence diminishes with each monetary crisis the volume of hot money' grows, thus making speculative movements more sudden and sharper in their effects, as has been shown in the past week. Without exchange controls of a type which would drastically reduce foreign trade and invest- ment, little or nothing can be done to prevent such movements which threaten to swamp the system. The very flimsiness of the credit system within countries and the large-scale financial operations conducted by doubt- ful firms based on such places as Nassau in the Bahamas adds to the tension. It is. a case where a small pebble could cause an avalanche.

Dundee tracks their Scottish Region first leg of the Work march For a fuller rep • But there is a verv great doubt as to whether it is an unconditional end to the vio- lence. No one should be mistaken about this. If it is not an uncon- ditional end to the violence, then the situation could be very much more serious in the future than it has been in the past.'

TONIGHT THE

PROVISIONAL

IRA'S 'PEACE'

DEADLINE

COMES INTO

OPERATION

SEE TOMORROW'S

WORKERS PRESS

For a statement By the International Committee of the Fourth International on these latest moves in Uister Be sure of your copy now. Tel 01-622 7029

5 DAYS LEFT

JUNE FUND

NEEDS YOUR

SUPPORT

THE POSITION still remains serious for our June Fund. At the moment our total stands at E846.82—a long way from raising our £1,750 target.

This month, it is more vital than ever that our Fund is raised. Workers Press will be decisive particularly in the coming week to explain the steriing crisis. It is the only daily to prepare the paper working class for the next round of Tory attacks that lie ahead. Therefore we appeal to every one of you, our readers.

We have always relied on you and you have never let us down. These next five days will decide. Rally everyone you possibly can to change the state of our June Fund. Collect donations at work, where you live, from our supporters every- where. If you can, add some- thing extra yourself. Rush all these donations Immediately to: Workers Press June Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG shoppers stopped in to watch the Region YS set off on : leg of their Right-to- to Glasgow on Saturday fuller report see P.12 "Sunday" Press' The Irish revealed yesterday that Belfast Provisional leader Seamus Twomey was in touch with Ulster Secretary William Whitelaw and Tory Prime Minister Edward last Wednesday. Heath The direct telephone contacts were set *as yet unidentified up by an semi-public figure'.

workers press Sterling flop creates panic

WALL ST-1929

TOKYO-1972?

Scottish YS Right-to-Work march begins

TORY CHANCELLOR

Exchequer of the Anthony Barber will be in Luxembourg today to give an account of his panic devaluation to Common Market Finance Ministers. He will face a and chilly reception hostile criticism in view of the monetary chaos which it has caused. Foreign exchange markets remain closed throughout the and world while bankers monetary authorities anxiously gauge the extent of the crisis.

The electrifying effect pro- duced by the Tory decision is an indication of how far the international monetary situation deteriorated since Nixon's has measures on August 15, 1971. It at a stroke the has destroyed exchange agreement on rates worked out last December 18 at Smithsonian Institute in the Washington. 'Now sterling has that flopped, the whole monetary is put in doubt, com- regime mented a leading New York banking expert. Sharpest expression of thé crisis came in Tokyo where a wave of sell-at-any-price orders market flooded the stock and brought the biggest ever plunge in prices. The weekend meeting of cen- tral bankers from the Common Market countries and the four seeking admission only revealed and disarray in the division face of the threat to stable ex- Throughout the change rates. world bankers and top executives grim weekend trying passed a to decide what to do next.

With international agreements once again being flouted, a re- competitive exchange turn to depreciation reminiscent of the 1930s seems to be on the cards.

like Japan* Countries and Germany fear an upward valua- of their currencies which tion would undermine their export trade by raising , the prices of their products in terms of other «currencies. The relentless laws of capital- ism are closing in on the once booming Japanese economy.

Based upon a continuous growth of exports, a stream of credit has been pumped into in- dustry by the banks to finance long term investment as well as needs. Dependent short term upon this bank credit rather than upon share capital, Japan's giant firms must sell abroad in order to pay interest on existing loans and raise new ones. A further revaluation of the yen of the order of 10 per cent against the dollar which is now being spoken of, and the retalia- against the tory measures

NIV

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • MONDAY JUNE 26, 1972

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIA

By TOM KEMP had been Japanese export invasion which Inflationary credit increasingly resorted can be expected, could bring the as the the whole credit pyramid crumbling boom of 1960s ran out. Barber's "reflation' of down. was part this which has movement nOW Holders of shares in Japanese paid off-in galloping inflation firms would be the first to and the pricing of British exports suffer, since with a fall in profits competitive markets they would sink sharply in value.

making devaluation inevitable.

of this It was in anticipation that there so much Capitalist and was panic governments selling on the Tokyo stock ex- central bankers aware that are the system of which they change. the custodians contains hidden The Japanese economy is now explosive charges quite outside the most vulnerable part of the their control. A panic capitalist world system. the Tokyo market will have A mass of credit is held by off- on immediate repercussions through- shore funds of the IOS variety out the Pacific including could stock markets in the event of a panic.

which Australia the US West and Coast. Japanese trade and invest- The multi-national corpora- in Europe also ment are con- tions throughout the world also siderable. hold large volumes of liquid be The precarious situation of capital which can moved Japanese dis- from country capitalism only about one to exaggerated form, plays, in an another. for what holds other large-scale selling of shares true Europe well by these countries as concerns could cause a bank the United States. stock market collapse and

CLAS

→ TRADES i SPORADIC bombings and shoot- shots have been exchanged since ings continued in Ulster through- last Friday. The weekend death tonight's cease- toll is Six including three out yesterday as soldiers killed in the mine explo- fire deadline drew nearer.

battle in the In a furious gun sion. Suffolk of Belfast, Interviewed in the United area ten civilians were reported hit. More States, former Stormont premier •At than 500 shots exchanged Brian Faulkner said: the between 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. moment there is a sense of relief Altogether thousand that there is a prospect of peace several 4p 26, 1972 • No. 801 •

• SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

failures in a number of countries.

In 1929, for instance, it was the removal of American • funds from the European stock markets which paralysed the whole credit structure and spread depression far and wide. As confidence diminishes with each monetary crisis the volume of 'hot money' grows, thus making speculative movements more sudden and sharper in their effects, as has been shown in the past week. Without exchange controls of a type which would drastically reduce foreign trade and invest- ment, little or nothing can be done to prevent such movements which threaten to swamp the system. The very flimsiness of the credit system within countries and the large-scale financial operations conducted by doubt- ful firms based on such places as Nassau in the Bahamas adds to the tension. • It is a case where a small ank pebble could cause an avalanche.

Dundee tracks their Scottish Region the first leg Work march For a fuller rep • But there is a very great doubt as to whether it is an unconditional end to the vio- lence. No one should be mistaken more serious in the future than it has been in the past?

SEP 1 9 1972

TONIGHT THE

PROVISIONAL

IRA'S 'PEACE'

DEADLINE

COMES INTO

OPERATION

SEE TOMORROW'S

WORKERS PRESS

For a statement By the International Committee of the Fourth International on these latest moves in Ulster Be sure of your copy now. Tel 01-622 7029

5 DAYS LEFT

JUNE FUND

NEEDS YOUR

SUPPORT

THE POSITION still remains serious for our June Fund. At the moment our total stands at £846.82-a long way from raising our £1,750 target.

This month, It is more vital than ever that our Fund Is raised. Workers Press will be decisive particularly in the coming week to explain the sterling crisis. It is the only daily to prepare the • paper working class for the next round of Tory attacks that lie ahead. Therefore we appeal to every one of you, our readers.

Ne have always relled on you and vou have never let These next five days down. will decide. Rally everyone you possibly can to change the state of our June Fund. Collect donations at work, where you live, from our supporters every- where. If you can, add some- thing extra yourself. Rush all these donations immediately to: Workers Press June Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG stopped In shoppers watch the to | YS set off on • leg of their Right-to- to Glasgow: on Saturday 1 fuller report see P.12 The Irish Sunday: Press' revealed yesterday that Belfast Provisional leader Seamus Twomey was in touch with Ulster Secretary William Whitelaw and Tory Edward Prime Minister Heath last Wednesday. The direct telephone contacts were set 'as yet unidentified up by an semi-public figure'.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Monday June 2

THE UNITED STATES

hopes the 'failure' of North Vietnam's military offensive will persuade Hanoi to 'review its poli- cies, President Nixon's foreign affairs adviser Dr Henry Kissinger said on his return from a five-day visit to Peking. The visit brings to an end the recent flurry of diplomatic activity between Washington, Peking and • Moscow which has coincided with a dramatic drop in the supply of weapons to the Vietnamese from the Stalinist countries. Dr Kissinger said pointedly that neither China nor Soviet Union had any interest in continuing the war. Kissinger made it plain that

AROUND THE WORLD

THE FLOATING of the poun prime minister designate Giuli government seven weeks after Italy's economy is running down-hill fast as the depres- sion deepens and unemploy- ment grows. A devaluation of the lira, now Europe's weakest would currency, seem evitable. The employers' association, Confindustria, sums up its view of the future by saying that the crisis of vast country faces a proportions, which has affected in depth and in its entirety the economy' national A wave of strikes and sit-ins shows that the working class is in a militant mood, only held in check by the opportunism of the Communist Party, which is seeking some kind of left-centre coalition which it could support This policy plays into the hands of the neo- fascist MSI, which increased its vote by 50 per cent in the May elections to become the fourth largest party in the lower house.

The Party leader Giorgio Almi- rante recently threatened to 'take over the state' if parlia- ment cannot control the working class. Andreotti's new ministry is based on the right-wing Christian Democrats and, unlike its pre- decessors, will, for the first time in 11 years, not include Socialist Party members. It will enjoy the support of the Social Democrats, whose leader, Mario Tanasso, stated that 'apart from the government proposed by Andreotti, the situa- tion does not present any way out except new elections, with the risk of total disintegration of democratic institutions'.

T joined Le coalition while also joined the Republicans are supporting it from outside because it is too right wing for them. This gives it an expected parliamentary majority of 19 in the lower house and only six in the Senate.

If Andreotti's new government is approved, it will be plunged immediately into a devaluation crisis and will have to face de- mands for wage increases from over 4 million workers. Its mạin hope seems to be that the summer holiday season will provide it with a breathing space before the big battles in the autumn. ду Липо 26, 1972 By a Foreign Correspondent the Americans realize that they negotiate directly with must Hanoi, but the current linked diplomatic and military offensive is calculated to ensure that the US bargains from a position of maximum strength. Kissinger said the object of US policy was 'to bring matters to a point where substantive diplomatic negotiations could be held'. His remarks were echoed by US Secretary of State William Rogers who said there was evi- dence that more and more coun- tries were urging Hanoi to nego- tiate. He added that there were 'strong indications that the cur- rent North Vietnamese offensive had not been successful' and that they should consider President Nixon's 'most generous' recent proposals, including an peace offer to withdraw in four months if there was ceasefire and prisoners released. le pound could not have come at a te Giulio Andreotti as he struggles ks after the inconclusive General El ISRAEL kept up air and land attacks on the so called 'Fatah Land' in south Lebanon through- out the weekend. Israeli chief of staff General David Elazar warned that if Palestine guerrillas continued their attacks across the Lebanese border into Israeli territory, his would take government action' necessary to restore 'peace' to the area. And Prime Minister Mrs Golda Meir said in Vienna: 'It is abso- us to make lutely essential to that border quiet. We hope the Lebanese government will make it possible to see to it that they themselves do it'. Meanwhile retired intelligence general Hay M. Herzog made it plain that the Israelis might not shrink from occupying this area of. south Lebanon if guerrilla attacks went on. GENERAL elections may be held in West Germany in November according to a statement by Foreign Minister Herr Walter Scheel. The elections could end the situation of virtual paralysis which has obtained for the last two months because neither the ruling coalition nor the opposi- tion commands a majority.

MADAGASCAR has broken off all relations with South Africa.

The weekend announcement by Madagascar's new military regime is an abrupt reversal of the pre- vious government's leading role IN VIETNAM American B52 bombers have been keeping up the heaviest air bombardment of the war. They flew 320 tactical air strikes at the weekend and claimed to have damaged North Vietnam's only modern steel plant near Hanoi as well as fac- tories, warehouses, bridges, vehicles and anti-aircraft sites.

The North Vietnamese have maintained their offensive north of the imperial city of Hué although with heavy air support South Vietnamese units appear to have held their ground.

The only American troops close to the North Vietnamese front line left their camp outside Hué yesterday and returned to the US. THOUSANDS of youths have in joined volunteer brigades North Vietnam armed with picks and spades in a bid to keep transport and communications lines open in the teeth of sav- age US bombing. me at a worse time for Italian ruggles to piece together a eral Election. Referring to the status of 'Fatah Land', he said it was a part of Lebanon which • Lebanese government. had 'aban- doned to the Palestine guerrillas' and, as such, it was a form of 'no man's land'. Jets streaked into south Leba- non on bombing raids at the weekend after guerrillas launched pre-dawn rocket Katyusha on a Soviet attack immigrant settlement close to the border.

While the border was intensi- fied with Israeli raids into both Lebanon and Syria, the Arab asked the UN security states council to give urgent considera- tion to the crisis. United The States senate voted 54 to 21 at the weekend by $85m (£32m). Nixon administration had only asked for $50m (£19m). Elections are not due until next year and Chancellor Willy Brandt is clearly counting on cashing in on the wave of popular support for his 'Ostpolitik' which recently led to the ratification of the two crucial Russo-German treaties of friendship and co- operation. in advocating dialogue with the white supremacist state. South Africa's bitterly opposed by students in Madagascar is one reason for the change. THE DEMAND for the recall of the TUC and for a General Strike to make the Tories re- sign has received added im- petus by the floating of the and pound secretary Victor Feather's implicit sup- port for this reachonary measure decision to float will une assingle problem for the solve working Class. increase the cost living, intensify speed-up and lead soon to a huge increase foreign unemployment as countries take retaliatory measures or slide into financial crisis German banking did in 1929. system Forty-one British years 290. were treated to the workers reformist bromides when Britain pound. All that ucated me happened was that odd countries followed Britain, japan leading the league at a 29-per-cent devaluation.

Far from leading to 'stability and progress' these measures laid the basis for an unrestrained Norld War II. In essence there is no difference between then and now. Nixon's August 15, 1971, meas- ures signified that the value of all currencies would be termined strictly by the level their trade ana payment balances. deterrent for "unrealistic parities' is ruthless currency speculation which no national been able to prevent or contain.

What this means is that every capitalist nation is impelled to export as much as possible- as cheadly as possibie- and import as little as pos- sible. These are the suicidal 'rules' of every trade war.

In the present case, however, they applied in ale being world market in which the conflict between productive forces and private property, as national state, wel have dented rown unprece- an extent. The repercus. sions therefore much willbe more rapid and colossal. For these reasons the treachery of the TUC leaders is far more sinister than even their somer- ce Industrial non-co-operation' Act and their cowardly recog- 111LI01 dustrial Relations Court.

They have now agreed with the Confederation dusted era tend their lish British aloe wnals leit or it patriotic cost-cutting - TO campaign which will seriously undermine wales accelerate the trend towards depression and mass ployment. As the 'Scotsman's' leader writer noted: "The floating of the pound adds government's attempts to contain wage and price rises voluntary means. It was significant that Mr Anthony Barber called in Mr Vic Feather, of the Trades Union and congress, Campbell An of British of the Confederation In- dustry, so soon after the free- pound was announced. 'He impressed upon them the importance of curbing inflation and of using to the maximum nauonal advantage the period while the pound floats. "The government operation of both sides of in- building up The attempts dence mn britain. to get an independent body to conciliate industrial will now receive an putes added impetus.' Barber's advice was well received by these collaborators. After the meeting the Treasury issued a statement which read in part: 'It was agreed that the action which had been taken to float sterling for the time being was the right action in the circum- stances. It would not have been acceptable either to de- flate the economy or to let reserves run down ... to a point at which they would have been ínadequate to sustain the faster growth of the economy which both sides of industry believe to be essential.'

According to the 'Scotsman' the also 1 reasury statement included a paragraph which specifically committed the TUC to a policy of 'good industrial relations and competitive costs' as a basis for reducing infla- tion. No worker should be taken in by this cynical piece of decep- tion, which is designed to secure total Labour-TUC colla- boration in entering the pro- tectionist racket called Common Market. The hypo- critical concern about the run- down of resources and the necessity for 'growth' is laugh- able from this standpoint.

The whole purpose in protect- ing. is to cushion reserves British entry into the Com- mon Market and has little to do with creating employment.

While-it is true that floating. the pound will affect Pompidou's grand strategy of creating a new monetary union against the dollar, it also indicates of the Tories' urgency desire to get in the Market before the Market itself dis- solves in state of mutual- a hatred and rivalry. The 'Scotsman's' diplomatic cor- rescaled at twas so concerned to bury beneath Featherisms: "There is also a feeling in Brus- sels that if Britain had to it is better that it devalue, should happen before we become formal members on January 1, 1973. 'After that date a devaluation, whether or not it came in the form of floating period, would seriously disrupt the means of calculating Britain's enormous contributions to the common agricultural fund' The story of reformist treachery is not exhausted by the role of Feather alone. His job of selling Barber's float- ing pound to the working class is facilitated by the patriotic buy-British flag-wagging of the Stalinists who oppose the Com- chauvinist Market on mon grounds and who recently joined the protectionist band- wagon by supporting an 'anti- goods' Asian motion at the CSEU conference. They now find themselves in the odious company of the medi- eval Scottish Nationalist Party which is seeking to control the influx of Japanese companies into Scotland. Social-chauvinism which is being whipped up by these reformists is the greatest enemy of the working class. The British working class can and must give a lead to the international working Class by implacably opposing all the measures of the Tory govern- ment and its reformist agen- cies in the trade unions and the Labour Party. No support for trade war! No support for devaluation! Force the Tories to resign! These must be the rallying calls from the recalled TUC.

DEATH OF

THE PIG

IRON

BUSINESS

The Stanton blast furnace furnaces staggered until on 1925 when the first major re- plant at Ilkeston, Derby- construction took place. shire, is the last survivor Very small of those works built in the Midlands to produce demand high phosphorous irons. At the end of the 1920s the As it nears Common Market old furnaces British capi- were replaced however, entry, with five mechanized units, talism is desperately attempt- putting Stanton in the fore- ing to rationalize production front considerable among methods. works had And that the basic num Der Woldh was been built up to produce high reason for the phospł.orous iron for the 14 une that major foundry industry from local part of the Stanton works was or is. to close, putting 1,500 workers Ar Stanton today there are on the dole over the next two two blast furnaces in opera- yeais. tion at the New Works with a Autumn of combined annual capacity 450,000 tons. announcement 1945, however, Since

CON-

siderable technological develop- Announcing the news, direc- ments in the foundry tor David Atkin said the Bri- industry have reduced the tish Steel Corporation demand for this type of iron was going to close two blast fur- Today small figure. naces, the ore preparation and is for low- the main demand sinter plant, coke ovens and a phosphorous iron which has to slag plant. be produced from imported The plants produce foundry o Blast furnace after blast fur- Dee iron, eo maic Stanter for nace in the Midlands has closed supplier maln because of these developments.

many years. fore- They furnace closures were the at une include the shadowed by shut-down Renishaw, Sheepbridge, Stav- last autumn of the Old Works eley, Clay Holwell, Wel- Cross, The 200 work- blast furnaces. lingborough and Kettering were absorbed other Capitalism can only modern- parts of the plant. ize itseif at the workers' ex- Over 25 per cent of the why BSC bosses pense. That is will now lose their workforce decree that 1,500 Stanton jobs jobs, leaving 5,000 hanging on have to go. at the Stanton works. These workers do not intend The

BSC

to let BSC trample over them

SUO W

OHO DOSeS concentrate production of inke that. Thev are Planlilllg Work- march through foundry pig iron at its Ilkeston and ington works in Cumberland.

anther march on 10 Downing Street. As Mr R. Dunbar, blast- The first ironmaking in the Ilkeston district began around furnacemen's lodge secretary, 1788. But it was in 1846 that a put it: We are not going down family tirm without a fight.' was grantea oy Earl Stanhope a lease of iron- stone, coal and fireclay in the parishes of Dale and Stanton- (left to right): Mr Dunbar, Top by-Dale. blastfurnace- Stanton Ironworks In that year three small blast mens secrelany, furnaces were each producing Latimer, chairman; Doughty, 18 to 20 tons of pig iron daily.

steward delegate; Mr Jack- shop With additions, improvements Rail Traffic from soll. «ciccalt and periodic rebuilding, these section. Rignt. stanton ironworns

WB G

1 3 TIth

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POLICE CHIEF CALLS FOR

TIES WITH THE MILITARY

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Monday June 26

BY ALEX MITCHELL

The former chief superin.

tendent of the Warwick- shire and Coventry Constabulary, Mr J. H. Waghorn, has joined the dangerous clamour for closer ties between the police and the army. Waghorn recommends 'police-military ties involving joint studies and training in, and organization for, aspects of national security'. He adds: 'Police-military experience in this field is not without precedent, British policemen • havıng participated in the Civil Affairs/ Military Government Organization of the Second World War, and in specialist work in Malaya Kenya 1952-1956, 1948-1960, Cyprus 1954-1958 and, more recently, Anguilla. Significant joint security lessons are still being learnt in Ulster Waghorn admits in his article in 'The Scotsman' last week that he is an admirer of the views of Brigadier Frank Kitson. From his remarks Kitson's about methods which Workers Press has examined on a number of occasions-it is clear that Kitson is emerging as the guru of similar elements in both the army and the police. And, as Workers Press has emphasized numerous times, Ulster is the testing ground for military shootings, torture and terror. Throughout his article Wag- horn invokes Ulster as his model. He says: 'But a pre- requisite for civilian-military liaison is the nationalization of the police with a chain of command convenient for oper- ational links with the army.

'Westminster and Stormont were wise when they accepted the Hunt recommendation to retain the Royal Ulster Con- stabulary as single force, thus ensuring with the army a united security front.' Like Kitson, Waghorn bases his call for a united security the prospect of front on massive working-class resis- tance to the ruling class.

He says: 'Is the organiza- tion (not the spirit) of the British police adequate for present and future needs?

'The inability of the police to contain the miners' hastily- pickets, which mobilized occasioned public dismay, re- vealed a structural weakness in that otherwise formidable instrument of the criminal law whose role is to provide the shield under which very society may go about its law- ful business in safety. "The inter-force present schemes (which mutual aid have not yet been used to succour the RUC) do not allow for consolidation in operation unity in times of crisis. Only a national force, regionally Or- more effectively ganized, could cope with major disorder or natural disasters of magnitude.

instead of allowing But national security to relapse into laissez-faire ... the police should be placed under central direction, its commander-in- chief accountable not to gov- ernment, but to parliament and the courts. "Though confidence in the strength of Britain's social fabric remains unshaken, re- cent events in Northern Ite- land and other United King- dom troublespots warn that. in the homeland there is no natural immunity from dis- ruptive influences. 'Indeed, the dangers of lin ly June 26, 1972 internal subversion and civil anarchy begin to justify con- sideration of closer police- military ties ..? Waghorn reveals that senior police already receive modicum of schooling with the military. 'Since 1947 a small number of senior police officers have attended Imperial Defence College 12-monthly courses on international affairs for this country. And since 1969 six- monthly courses at the Joint Services Staff College, Latimer.

"These are sensible moves, but insufficient to attune the attitudes of either service to the value of cohesive police- military co-ordination' 'advantage' as One far as Waghorn is concerned is the fact that this co-ordination would obviate any duplication of the work of Special Branch.

'Establishing police-military of links would render unlikely the army duplicating, still less usurping, the role of the police Special Branch in monitoring people suspected of political subversion. (It is appropriate to recall at this juncture the role of the Special Branch in the Saor Eire arms trial. Five members were arrested last November and, amid press hysteria about 'IRA terror guns, charged with conspiracy and posses- sion. Two weeks ago the charges were dropped at the Old Bailey and the defendants freed after spending seven months in custody. Now, a Special Branch agent admitted being implicated in the arms plot.) Waghorn's notions assume the greatest importance when they are laid alongside those of Kitson and several other military men. In 'The Times' on May 23, after a visit to a number of army establish- Christopher Walker ments, wrote: 'The evidence points to a growing consensus among senior ranks that the army will devote more attention to- countering subversion wards of one form and another. On this there is widespread agree- ment on the ideas of Brigadier Frank Kitson soon to take over as head of the influential School of Infantry at War- minster.' of their thinking, Much Walker said, was inspired by the miners' strike when it was made apparent that police were incapable of handling situa- tions involving mass action by i.e. Saltley trade unionists. Coke depot, Birmingham. As we have said on previous occasions, Kitson's views are heard sympathetically at No.

10 Downing Street; the British ruling class will have no qualms about resorting to the military to preserve its power and privileges; sections of the military are prepared to go onto the streets of Britain against the working class, just as they have in Ulster. In these circumstances it is hugely comical that Waghorn should say: 'Any proposal for police-military co-ordination will be re- on the mainland ceived by impassioned opposi- tion. All the same, the debate should go on for much could be at stake.' His words echo almost pre- cisely the sentiments of Bruce Page, managing editor of the 'Sunday Times', who recently called for an 'informed debate' on Kitson's views. As we said before, and we repeat now, no debate is pos- sible with these people. Only the most absurd liberals could entertain such illusions during this profound economic crisis gripping Britain today.

GENERAL LAVELLE'S

NOT-SO-PRIVATE WAR

How private was General Lavelle's war? That is the question which must be lation that his command carried out offensive air operations against North Vietnam when raids were only supposed to be made in reply to missile or anti- aircraft attack. The General, who was sacked in March, has been retired on a pension of about $865 a month.. Action was taken against him following a letter sent by a US sergeant from an air base in Thailand in which he alleged that a photo - reconnaissance intelli- gence team was ordered to deliberately falsify documents relating to air strikes. Thousands of Viet- civilians namese were needlessly killed during the pacification of South Vietnam in 1968 charges 'Newsweek' reporter Kevin P. Buckley. As many as 100,000 people may have been deliber- ately murdered in a six- month operation code- named 'Speedy Express'. the US Carried out by • Division in the Ninth Infantry Mekong delta 'it makes the My Lai massacre trifling by comparison' writes Buckley. ru Lavelle has admitted order- ing about 20 unauthorised strikes in testimony to a House of Representatives hear- ing investigating his dismissal.

The question remains how he could go on for three months obtaining bombs, fuel and planes for these attacks, which required the co-operation other branches of the service, including Intelligence, without ti- the Pentagon being aware.

The general, who is com- pletely unabashed, has his in the Congress as admirers well as in the armed forces. Was the Nixon policy of limited use of air power at that stage in the war, when the visit to Peking was being prepared or taking place, not another fraud, like so many other aspects of the war?

The Defence Department view is that while General The area was a National Liberation Front stronghold in which the Saigon govern- ment's writ had never run.

There were NLF schools and hospitals and the inhabitants consequently classified were by the US military as 'enemy supporters'. The area was scoured by 8,000 infantrymen and attacked by planes, including the giant B52s. Peasants were gunned down • in their ricefields and peaceful villages were de- stroyed in air strikes. The body huge but few count was captured weapons were most of the victims were un- armed civilians. There were 5,000 people in our village before 1969, said one peasant to whom Buckley spoke. 'Now there were none in 1970.' 'Speedy Express' turned out to be genocide comparable with the massacre of the North Ameri- can Indians a century before.

Animals, crops and trees were swept into the holocaust of fire and high- napalm, explosive which rendered the whole region desolate. The ruthlessness of the sweep Lavelle violated the rules of engagement laid down by the United States itself, he acted within the limits of the 1968 Washington - Hanoi 'under- standing'. Administration's at- The tempts to cover up for General Lavelle, who is on the face of it guilty of gross insubordin- ation, as well as a breach of the constitutional principle of How much discretion was, and is, left to commanders on the spot to disregard public state- ments about the limitation of the war? In any case, General Lavelle sinned by anticipation. only He is not being branded as a criminal and no action other than retirement on a fat pen- sion seems to be likely against him. made even hardened American experts shudder. That there would be heavy casualties was known to the high command.

It accepted that in the Kin Hoa area at least there could be no question of winning the 'hearts minds' and of the people. Commenting on the Buckley exposure, North Vietnam radio said: "The US war of aggres- in Vietnam does not SIon solely consist of the massacres in 1968. By conducting mass killings and launching utterly savage bombardments on both parts of Vietnam, the Nixon clique has got to the top rung of crimes and Buckley's re- velation has given another from side of proof, the Americans, of the genocide and ecocide the US aggressors committing in been have Vietnam for many years now?

'Speedy Express' was microcosm of the whole dirty war in Vietnam, an expression of decaying capitalism. Like the whole American 'pacifica- tion' campaign, it could be aptly summed up with the epitaph: 'I have made a desert and called it peace.' Workers Press, Above: General Lavelle with Air Force Chief of Staff General Ryan during the hearing. Lavelle has admitted ordering about 20 un- authorised strikes North on Vietnam Not long after the un- authorized raids, President Nixon himself ordered the resumption of an all-out air offensive against North Viet- and mining the of nam Haiphong harbour. There seems little doubt who is the greater criminal ' and Lavelle is probably_ well regarded in the White House. Senator Proxmire, a Demo- crat, wants the air force to open court_ martial proceed- ings against Lavelle. The White House is believed to regard the journalists and politicians who have pressed the matter as 'troublemakers'. 018 Press, Monday June 26, 1972 PAGE 5 China may soon be in the market for entire factories to equip her industries, following example of the Soviet Union, according to US experts. Japanese firms are looking hopefully at the prospect of selling chemicals and plastic plants to China. The two giant Mitsubishi monopolies, Mitsul, are anxious to increase business to compensate for depression and trade war in the world market. They are ready to accept China's trade regulations. One of these is that China will not trade with Japanese concerns having ties with Taiwan and South Korea. Firms do have investments in these countries, but they are relatively small. China is known to have built up gold and foreign exchange reserves over the past ten years which could be used to purchase machinery and equipment from capitalist countries. With the price of gold at African record levels. South mining shares are booming. Shares prices of two big mod- ern mines East Dreifontein and Kloof have risen from 134p to 240p and from 216p to 368p respectively. Together their shares are now valued at £200m on the stock exchangewhich is a lot by any standard.

Smaller mines have also been the price of most doing well, shares having doubled while some have done even better.

The giant corporations which dominate the South African mining industry, such as Harry Oppenheimer's Anglo-Ameri- can and the British-based Con- solidated Goldfields, have close connections with the City of London. Profits from gold have helped buoy up profits which have otherwise been cut by the fall in world demand for non-ferrous metals. In fact overseas sales of gold have been a lifeline for the South African economy, which accounts for three quar- ters of the world supply, in a poli- year of depression and tical tension. The Polish magazine 'Sztandar Mlodych' on April 12 pub- lished an article entitled The disease of pulling strings'.

It deplored the practice of payments for acceptance to secondary or higher schools and of favouritism as a result of intervention by acquaint- ances at the education authori- ties. These practices are apparently not uncommon among the country's Stalinist élite. The article complained that they implanted the idea in the minds of the young that success depends on money and influence.

Workers Press, Monday June 26, 1972 PAGE 7 Ails a his pais have been None of the Democrats have anything to offer the. workers but prepara- Bang wor the st by or- they d grooming of McGovern repre- sents the understanding among on all ore stero cious capitalists that of this country heard before.

DAKOTA

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Monday June 26, 1972

SOUTH

FROM

the poli- and the Banks that control he and United States-will hold tions in the midst of the the history of capitalism.

as well as conven- most explosive crisis in grippiy Artician nosen by thie The decisions made at tical spokesmen of and confusion reflect corporations

THE

Democrats political instability national Republicans • he fear The ally.

THE ALL-PURPOSE PRAIRIE RADICAL

Fight: Emund Muski. Above to: ward Kennedy. A Dove Figh: Georgo Walle: Hubert Humphrey. Top All the conditions exist for McGovern sugar- coated speeches Kennedy once described McGovern as a man understanding of farm prob- lems and sympathy for the under-privileged of the world'.

there and When he hoisted his colours of the old Kennedy hustlers again sur- Among tham von lon those Pron mme in thos grinned. All teeth. stood last year some McGovern food of democracy in the strictly fundamentalist Metho- him as 'an updated version of small denominational college, His father was a coal miner McGovern's background is dist-from where he gets his One biographer described those old prairie radicals' who *looks like a professor at a hocoholl which is what he was'. Middle East.') puritanism. the one trenad Senator George McGovern of first believe deeply in the American for the it in January last year-22 months His office-seeking announce- ment was among the more in- He told his supporters: I seek the presidency because I london heard in these affairs. did Democrat to declare of He examples before the poll. South Dakota presidency. sipid law of value, which the capi- talists joyfully ignored in order to rebuild their shattered sys- reasserts • The offensive in Vietnam the programme; and in spite of the genocidal warfare waged by Nixon, the social and political crisis that lies at the root of the move- ment of the Vietnamese masses grows • The American working class is bitterly resisting the attacks of the government through the Pay Board in spite of the union smashed trade tem after the war, itself with vengeance. imperialism 'Vietnamization' retreats of the more profound. has completely against keeping any of the promises the I've always thought that I was a pragmatist that would not compromise on essential how to build a political coali- tion that will win, declared McGovern recently. I'm not out to prove that my convic- so fanatical, that I'm so rigid on everything that I do that I cannot function To convince the hold-outs, McGovern took out an ad in the 'Wall Street Journal' in which he completely renounced the economic policies that won principles but that I know absolutely no intention within a political system.'

which he won tions are primaries. with between the working class and As for all the talk of reform ureaucracy. A confrontatior also inheritance tax, whatever he staun right-to-work have demagogically inheritance The side of the average Ameri

-ELE

American the pro- bese themselves on tes own labour party. gramme

THIS LAND OF IRELAND...

ANNEXED FOREVER'

PACE & Workaro Preca, Monday Juno 26, 1072.

BOOK REVIEW

Neidenteld and Nicolson. 15.95 By Robert Kee 877 pages. An eight part review by Jack Gale.

PART 6

As everyone knows, the Conservative Party is the Party of law and order. Loyalty, responsibility, duty and honour are the watchwords of every true blue. when their class Excent is threatened. interest And this was threatened in by the no uncertain manner national movement in Ireland that Tories —with the result everywhere cried To hell with the legality and the constitu- tion, we'll make our own law'. from the Protestant Tories of Ulster. As has been shown in earlier articles, there never was a permanent, historical attach- ment between • the Irish Pro- testant capitalist class and England. When it had suited their class interests, they had fought for an Irish Republic.

certainly And they had opposed the Act of Union.

But by the 1880s, this class saw its privileges and power as being bound intrinsically to union. By that time, Belfast, with a population of over 200,000, was one of the leading industrial cities in the United Kingdom. Its wealth was based on linen and ship- building. Thus, when the Protestant ruling class embraced Union- ism it did so not because of loyalty nor even because of anti-Catholicism, but because of the great god of all capital- ists — white, black, green or orange-profit. When the Protestant Defence Association was founded, at an assembly which included 50 peers, 20 honourables, 46 baronets and knights, 36 MPs and 360 JPs, a declaration was passed to the effect that 'the Protestants of Ireland, from their social posi- tion, wealth, intelligence and loyalty [in that order-JG] are entitled to protection of their interests ... and all legislatien aftecting their property, liberty or religion lagain, in that order -JG] should be dealt with not as a separate country, but as an integral part of the United Kingdom'. By 1882 a leading member of this association - Edward Saunderson — was declaring that 'if England in a moment of infatuation, determined to establish Home Rule... (Orangemen) would take up arms' ' (Incidentally, Kee des- cribes Saunderson as 'a jaunty, likeable Irishman, so wealthy, a favourite in London drawing rooms'.) to fight. Lord Randolph Churchill (later to die of syphilis) declared that 'the Orange card was the one to play'. In all fairness, it must be pointed out that Churchill took up this attitude only when the Conservatives had been outmanoeuvred by the wily trickster Gladstone. While there was still a chance of getting the Irish Home Rule for the Tory Party, the vote principled Churchill had flirted with Home Rule himself. But, having lost out in that particular poker game, he was stating openly that if Home Rule was passed and the Orangemen took up arms against it, 'hundreds and thousands' of Englishmen would stand by them. At a mass meeting of Orangemen in Belfast he promised: 'In the dark hour there will not be wanting to you those of position and influence in England who are willing to cast their lot with you' (My emphasis, J.G.) He also stated: Ulster would fight and Ulster would be right.'

Orangemen claimed that if Home Rule was passed, over 1,000 British army officers their side. would fight on Home Rule was not passed in 1886, nor in 1893. But 20 years later, the Orangemen and their English Tory allies were to prove that this was no idle boast. In 1905 an Ulster Unionist Council was formed and five years later its leadership was assumed by Sir Edward Car- son. Kee rates Carson quite highly: 'Courage, single- mindedness, clear-sightedness and determination, but above all an unquestionable and un- flinching honesty of purpose, were his salient characteristics.'

even claims, incredibly, He that Carson had 'a natural dis- taste for lawlessness and dis- order'! In September 1911, Carson told 50,000 Orangemen: 'We must be prepared, in the event of a Home Rule Bill passing, (to) carry on for ourselves the government of those districts of which we have control.'

But Carson spoke not only to Orange masses. He had intimate conversations with leading military figures — in- cluding Lord Roberts, the senior Field Marshal of the British army. And when he took the salute at a parade of 100,000 Left: Lord | Randolph Churchil Right: Edward Carson Orangemen in April 1912, he had standing at his side the new leader of the British Con- Party - Andrew servative Bonar Law. Bonar Law also made his position clear (as leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, of course): "There will not wanting help from across the Channel when the hour of battle comes. month the That same Liberal Asquith introduced a new Home Rule Bill in the House of Commons. In opposing the Bill, Bonar Law declared: 'There are things stronger than parlia- mentary majorities. I can imagine no length of resistance which Ulster will go, in which I shall not be prepared to support them.' noting here It is worth exactly what this Ulster was that the Unionists and Tories claimed to speak for. Its popu- lation consisted of 690,000 Catholics and 886,000 Protes- tants. And not all the Pro- Unionists. In testants were 1910 a General Election pro- 103,000 Unionist votes duced and 94,000 Home Rule votes.

But, in fact, five of the nine Ulster Counties had Home Rule majorities. So, it is clear, Carson and Bonar Law did not speak for the 'people' of Ulster, they spoke for its ruling class.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

THE MINDBENDERS WORKERS

'BEYOND FREEDOM AND DIG-

NITY'. By B. F. Skinner. Published by Alfred A. Knopt. New York.

1971. 225 pages. From Jenson's racist theories of Black genetic intellectual inferiority to Carl Rogers' sensitivity subjectivism, the last several years have seen the development of some of the most reactionary trends in psychology. Skinnerian behaviourism now shows signs of be- coming the next major psychological fad. In this review of Skinner's latest book, we intend to show that behaviourism is a psycho- logical doctrine particularly well-suited to the needs of the ruling class in the present period. Before considering the social implications of behaviourism, the main topic of 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity,' it will be helpful to look at behaviour- ism as a psychological theory.

Behaviourism is a school of psychology which contends that the only legitimate kind of explanation of behaviour is its direct relationship to observ- able events in the environment.

B. F. Skinner is the most well-known modern exponent of behaviourism, perhaps version because his of behaviourism is in some ways the most radically empiricist.

Behaviourism in the past, as developed by Watson and Thorndike in the earlier part of the century, was a theory of learning. with behaviour seen as the result of a system of independent stimulus-response connections. Even so crude a theory was too much for Skinner, who attempted to develop a psycho- logy which made no assump- tions whatsoever as to what went on within the organism, a pure 'technology of behav- iour'. 'When a bit of behaviour is followed by a certain kind of consequence, it is more likely to occur again, and a conse- quence having this effect is called a reinforcer' What must first strike one about this doctrine is its utter triviality and emptiness. It little more states than that behaviour is somehow lawful, which assumption an any psychology must make. The is pure tautology, since rest 'reinforcer' is not indepen- dently • defined. Consequently behaviour can only be ex- plained after it has occurred, there being no way to identify a reinforcer before observing the behaviour which is said to be reinforced. of the main Now one criticisms which Skinner makes of explanations in terms of mental entities, a correct criticism, is that they merely descibe what is already know in other terms. The principle of reinforcement is no better in this regard. Skinner does manage to smuggle a considerable amount of content into behaviourism, but this is not derived from his theory, as it involves making some tacit ad hoc assumptions.

While he has no theory with which to predict what is rein- forcing, in practice he assumes that reinforcers are of the kind the present social order em- ploys. He has thus asserted the impracticability of commun- ism, because there would be no reason for people to work.

You can begin to see how a bourgeois shallow common sense has dressed up a psycho- logy with the introduction of a few new terms. Besides being a trivial and circular conception, behaviour- ism represents one of the most direct assaults on precisely that deterministic account a behaviour. In breaking from learning theory, Skinner was forced to discard the notion of the eliciting environment behaviour in favour of regard- ing the influence of the en- vironment as merely selective.

This means that behaviour can be explained on the level of psychology only in terms of rates and probabilities. It was Freud's monumental achievement to demonstrate, through postulating uncon- scious mental processes, that all behaviour, even the most insigniticant, is psychologically determined. Skinner's position, despite his pretensions to determinism, is just the oppo- site-no individual behavioural act is determined. He thus leaves the door wide open to the 'autonomous man' which he tries to appear to attack.

pivot of The Skinner's application of behaviourism to social questions is his analysis of control. Skinner argues that since all behaviour is under the control of aspects of the behaving organism's environ- ment, a conception of freedom involving dignity the absence of control is meaning- less. What is important to Skinner is the abstract nature of control. Skinner analyses control into three categories: positive con- aversive control, and trol, punishment.. Positive control exists when the reinforcer is a certain stimulus, such as food. Negative control exists when the organism acts to reduce or end a stimulus, such as the hot sun. Punishment differs from the other two kinds of control in that what is reinforced is behaving, refraining from rather than behaving, in certain ways. These distinctions, however.

have logical meaning. no Whether a given state of affairs is called a stimulus or the absence of a stimulus is com- pletely arbitrary. An organism just correctly can as described as seeking the shade as escaping the sun. The same to the distinction applies between behaving and not behaving. These differences are purely verbal. That 'the greatest living psychologist' can base his entire social theory and much of his purely psychological theory on so gross a blunder is understandable only in the context of capitalist the ideology which he is rewriting psychologically. The bourgeoi- sie made its revolution against the kind of juridical controls existing under feudalism, for : the freedom of control by the market. When Skinner asserts the superiority of positive control over aversive control and . of both of the former over punish- ment, he is simply defending the kind of controls used under capitalism, and expressing the ideological illusion that these controls are ahistorically better than those used in other social systems. The categories positive con- trol, negative control, and punishment, just like the category reinforcer, are empty in themselves and obtain their content only from the domi- nant ideology. While behaviourism upholds the kind of controls used under capitalism, it comes into a very limited conflict with the traditional capitalist ideology, which emphasizes the freedom of the individual from all Behaviourism control. was developed during the imperi- alist epoch of capitalism. Its glorification of control reflects the reality of conscious control by the state and the monopo- lies under imperialism. Thus under imperialism bourgeois psychology is forced to concede the control of all behaviour by the environ- ment, but refuses to elucidate the processes by which the en- vironment controls behaviour.

By viewing control mechan- ically behaviourism obscures the reality. Skinner, it might be said, acknowledges the role of consciousness, since he advocates control. conscious Socialist consciousness, though, unlike behaviourism, must be introduced against the domi- nant ideology, that 1s, against 'contingencies of reinforce- ment. Skinner's theory is designed to make impossible this theor- etical fight. Behaviourism reflects the fact that the bourgeoisie does not need a conscious theory. Although it has an implicit theory, as we have shown Skinner has also, it appears to respond directly, so to speak, to the contingen- cies. Skinner, in effect, says that this is the only way to respond.

One of the implications of an empiricist psychology is that empiricism is the only philoso- phy possible. After analyzing control, Skinner turns to an analysis of values and value terms. The conception of good very Skinner defines in terms of reinforcement. Good things are positive reinforcers. Here, as elsewhere, Skinner attempts to reduce concepts to directly observable phenomena. elsewhere And here as Skinner ends up with a hope- lessly empty abstraction. Un- fortunately we find ourselves in a society in which what is a 'positive reinforcer' for one class is a 'negative reinforcer' for the other. A behavioristic analysis of value terms there- fore has no relevance for capitalism. 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity' assumes a particularly pernicious significance today. At a time when the main need of the ruling class is to bring the trade unions under control, to tie them to the state.

Skinnerianism becomes justification for Bonapartism.

Skinner's message is that the working class must give up its freedom (independent unions and political rights) in the interest of the only real values, reinforcement read positive the public interest) and the "survival of the culture' (capitalism). It should willingly such accept arrangements since, after all, they are pre- to punishment ferable (fascism). Skinner his other wrote major social work, 'Walden Two', , in 1948, during another period of working-class up- surge. He now again finds a favourable opportunity to draw out the reactionary implic. ations of behaviourism behind • veil of psychological a thin jargon. Workers Press, Monday June 26, 1972 PAGE 9 Christopher Booker, the 'Jesus but the working class isn't.

Freak' is a close friend The working class is elated.

who of Malcolm Muggeridge, has There are other tortures taken "business' inflicting writing •to themselves on articles in the 'City Press', the Booker. London is collapsing newspaper the City of all around him. London. 'In the past few months, Booker founding this feeling that London was is editor of 'Private Eye' and is being taken over has suddenly of the present schoolmate surfaced before. as never Paul Foot and Almost all the remaining parts team, of Richard Ingrams. old London that are familiar, that give Londoners the sense of belonging to their city, suddenly be seem to threatened in a rush-Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner, Leadenhall Market, the docks, the Strand, Whitehall, remaining Victoria, parts of Bloomsbury' Can Booker do anything to stop the decadence flood of and despondency sweeping civilization? No, he calls for calm. He warns those who might be tempted into harsh judge- ment against the government: 'But one can't help wonder- ing whether we should be tempted to lay quite so much blame for what is happening to Britain today just at the feet of our rulers.' This is the true reactionary of our spirit once-wavward young men of the 1960s. 'That Was The Week The That Was' and 'Private Eye' gents buffeted being are the clash of class around by forces. And as the crunch draws nearer, they rush Top: Booker. Below: Foot.

to defend the master. From 'Private Eye' to 'City The article is an extra- Press'-that's worth noting.

of ordinary expression the of crisis-ridden lives some members of the middle class today. Booker examines the econo- Jack Dash, ex-London dockers' mic situation (very super- leader, is about to open his ficially) and then pours out his first art exhibition. Thirty of "The fact is, as we all 2100m. his canvases will go on show there of know, are plenty In rural Surrey in a... parish despair and dis- grounds tor church. One entitle daintine is of illusion Britain in at the Christ 'The First moment. Socialist'. 'As most of us look round Dash is a life-long member country in this month of our of Communist the British June, we see few grounds for Party! light-hearted optimism. Indeed, wherever one goes, or whoever one talks to, it is not long before a distinct sense of gloom begins to emerge' Casting around for the of his gloom, origins Booker 'the cites latest particularly humiliating instalment is the virtual collapse of the Indus- trial Relations legislation'.

Perhpas Booker and the public schoolboy crowd are depressed the about belting that rank-and-file trade union- ists have given to the courts,

LEON TROTSKY:

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LETTERS

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Monday June 2 Dear Editor, John Mathews (in his book 'Ford StrikeThe Workers Story' reviewed in Workers Press on June 2) certainly covers up for the Communist Party by omission and was obviously misinformed on many details. Writing as a worker who was in the story, I would like to further clarify your industrial correspondent David Maude's report of the collusion of the CP in selling out the strike and in covering the tracks of Scanlon and Jones. On the Thursday morning after the NJNC accepted the Jones-Scanlon secret ballot package deal, stewards report- ing for picket duty found a strike bulletin, prepared by [CP convenor] Harraway and Company, waiting for them.

Printed on the reverse side of a panegyric of praise for [T&GWU official] Moss Evans, after the Sunday Basildon meet- ing, was the claim of a victory for the unions, with a personal statement by Brother Harraway stating why the offer was inadequate and why his vote would be 'No' The resolution of the body plant stewards was as much an indictment of Harraway and the CP as a hostile reaction to the sell-out. Harraway's sub- sequent statements about returning to work were made without the consent of the shop stewards' committee and helped to maintain the split in the ranks long enough to ensure an eventual return to work of all plants. The convenors had no cen- tral strategy to fight the sell- out. In fact, to question the role of Scanlon and Jones dur- ing the strike was considered lay June 26, 1972 high treason. Yet they working of the Industrial Rela- tions Act with everything from a secret ballot to the dis- ciplining of shop stewards. To day the Liverpool stew- this ard John Dillon has not had his credentials reinstated nor has the promised inquiry taken place. The approach of Mathews to the struggles of Ford workers over the years is naive. None tensions of the that exist between the union bureaucracy and the stewards, the stewards and the ranks, live in his book, which couples with admiration of mindless militancy and un- concealed for contempt rank and file, the inevitable scapegoat for the sell-out of the union bureaucracy. (See 'Cracks in the ranks' p. 142.) Mathews is unable to explain the collapse of the parity cam- paign in 1970 except with empty phrases about 'workers' lack of militancy at Dagenham', etc. Ramsey's [Ford official] sta- tement that year was a frank exposure of the problems of capitalism, which monopoly the stewards could not answer and have not answered to this day. The enormous, spontaneous response of the workers in 1971 was a result of the inter- ference of the Tory govern- ment in wage bargaining and opposition to the miserable £2 offer. Mathews' imputation is that the rank and file had 'woken up'. My suspicions that are International Socialists played a prominent part in writing this book. The only steward in Dagenham interviewed by red Mathews is an IS member who Sid Harraway worked might and main to provide Harraway and the Sta- linists with smokescreen during the strike, only to denounce them when the ship began to sink. Mathews, incidentally, did not consult Harraway or any other leading stewards in Dagenham and concentrates mainly on the statements of the Hale- wood convenor, Les Moore.

On top of this, see Sagall's sympathetic review in 'Socialist Worker. June 10.) This book is the worst kind of bowing to spontaneity and the refusal of Mathews to interview the Dagenham con- venors ensures that the essence is missing. The of the story puritanical insinuation of sell- out by the rank and file at Dagenham is a slander and diversion: the outlook of a not too liberal gentleman. Let me leave you with the comments of Sid Harraway on the book: 'They must have shown him round the flannel shop at Hale- wood!' Alan Stares, T&GWU steward, body plant (Dagenham). Dear Editor, Concerning the Lydda airport massacre, John Spencer gave a lucid and cogent reply David Mercer, whose feelings seem to have got the better of his reason, to say nothing of his style. Spencer was accused of 'sick remarks' 'pathologically twisted values'. 'nauseating puerilities, 'mindless infantil.

ism' and Stalinist anti- Semitism. Violent phrases usually cheap emotion; express it would be easy to suspect Mercer of allowing the spurious indignation of the bourgeois media to induce an attempt to prove his humanity.

it would be unfair. Spencer's reply does leave something unsaid. Mercer has confused the issue by denigrat- ing the heroism of the Japanese terrorists. The point is not whether what they did was heroic—it was. The point is whether what they did was horrible—and it was. When Lenin and Trotsky argued against terrorism they had in mind the assassination of Tsarist ministers and the Above left: David Mercer. Above:' John Spencer like. Such actions did immense damage to the working-class movement, but no man of sense felt obliged to waste much pity on the victims.

The classical, strategic argu- apply ments all the more strongly when the intended victims are innocents but in addition one need not be ashamed to register one's attitude to useless brutality.

Indifference innocent to suffering has nothing in com- mon with the revolutionary hardness of the old Bolsheviks.

of It is not a question delivering sermons to guerrillas.

It is a question of stating the whole truth—the unique role of Trotskyism. Even Mercer's indig- so, nation is quite unbalanced. The real crime of petty bourgeois terrorists is to mislead the course of world revolution and even this does not put them on the moral level of imperial- ist agencies like Zionism, which endanger the very safety of the planet. Sally Kershaw

SUPPLES

OARD

A lorry belonging to Panaipinaone of tively through

LONDON

DOCKERS'

stewards meet today to discuss their next moves following the 'complete victory of their five-week blockade at Chobham Farm container depot. The description of the settlement is that of Bernard Steer, one of the three shop stewards who ten days ago escaped jail for picketing the depot. Writing in the Communist Party's 'Morning Star' on Friday June 23, 1972, he says it has established dockers' right to do work which is rightfully theirs.

The 'Star' itself added only the editorial that comment claimed victory was 'historic'. It 'needs to be followed up by a similar outcome throughout the industry', the paper said.

Negotiations completed last the depot Thursday between Transport and management, General Workers' Union officials and the docks stewards guaran- teed that the stuffing and strip- ping of containers there is to be made dockers' work by July 10. The 63 non-dockers currently working there will not be dis- missed, but will be found other jobs. No docker will have to work alongside them on the same displaced will job. The men security, outside trans- handle port deliveries, equipment exam- ination and general maintenance.

London East Inland Clearance of the Depot Ltd, the owers depot, will apply to be licensed within the 1947 employers as Dock Labour Scheme. The calling-off of "blacking' action at the depot-and today's London stewards' meeting--come with just five days to go before a, further key meeting of the national port stewards' unofficial committee. At the committee meeting nine days ago, the stewards threatened they would call national strike if there was no satisfactory settlement of the containers issue within two weeks. That threat may now be deprived of much of its force.

CHANGING of clock card numbers for some workers at CAV's Acton, London, factory have sinister to now appears undertones. It could be the opening of a campaign by the management to force flexibility and mobility across the site.

Many CAV workers have been upset because there was no consultation with the shop stewards; some 'indirect' workers will retain their existing clock -one of the firms still blacked I by northern d mass meeting at Chobham Farn ly through a BY DAVID MAUDE, Our industrial corres And Steer's victory claim amply bears out the warning issued by Workers Press last Tuesday against the dangers of a split between the ports. The Chobham Farm agreement is a clear tribute to the deter- mination of the dockers and those workers who supported them against the threat from the National Indüstrial Relations Court. But to hail it uncritically as a total solution, which now simply be repeated on needs to the same lines elsewhere opens up very great dangers. Chief among these is that under cover of a few sops from dockers' the employers, the galloping unem- struggle against ployment in their industry will be turned into a UCS-style pro- test aimed at "saving' jobs.

The port employers are offer- ing from today better severance terms to dockers on the ports' temporarily unattached register (TUR), £50 disturbance pay- to men on the TUR for ments more than four weeks and a £3 increase in the £20 fall-back rate.

With a joint inquiry into the being dock jobs crisis — con- ducted by Jack Jones of the Transport and General Workers' Union and Lord Aldington of the Port of London Authority-due to report in a month they are aiming to reduce the clearly temperature and avert any strike threat. Further Chobham Farm-type settlements may be another prong of this strategy. Steer's 'Morning Star' article indicates that this may already be working. 'We are ready for action if at the end of these dis- Jones-Alding- cussions [the inquiry] there not an immediate end to unemployment', he says. the national stewards' Yet decision - at a meeting which Steer did not attend-was, as we have said, much stronger than this. Yet even if the inquiry were to recommend that every depot owner in the country behave like the London East ICD board, it provide only about 500 would extra jobs for dockers. This would not even cut by a third the TUR which last Tues- card numbers and piecework operators are not affected.

This issue • will have to be quickly resolved since all changes have been put through the com- pany's computer. This means that wage slips will also bear the employee's new name and clock number: The joint shop stewands' com- mittee called on all workers affected by these changes to refuse to clock in today.

orthern dockers makes ham Farm rial correspondent day comprised nationally (almost in London). But the TUR, in small part of the p Earlier last Dock Labull chat on average on of the total employed at any ved! Allowing for sick industrial brings figure given the port employers. that docker one on the eveil surplus to tneir nee In other words standing between dockers and long On its the stuffing and str tainers is done more than no this proble face of stewares are called that filed ofto pa but with their route. But groupage wo depots per and cent traffic, of part large The amou dockers. the traffic claiming amounts Earlier this the nationaliz entire port ers' control as no Chobham Fa it to be the most a demanas- For the present the an unqualified making utterly 1s Issues But it is entirel the Party's record over the last tied dockers 30,000 JObS agreement union officials. and The standard Tack locks leadership ti eriod was to split ine norter Dorts northern the National Stevedores anc Lord Devlin over tion' schemes. Another tchobham of the would 1 f the betrayal for jobs. Is may lenta. over men problen DUalO revcalcu only 75 per cent register were time one last disputes, near weeksacoo in 5,000 some sack Ovel the statu- contained in Scheme. the demand that of con. by dockers can scratch docks The containers not handled at part-loads along only 14.5 total container proportion this handled of the tota leaders are per ye their mak docks of under immediatel Party success without these to treacherous. with Ine in which years, hands while employers technique

T&GWU

_ The from movement Amalgamated then Dockers basis Farm settlemesis disaster and dockers' fight Workers Press,

BBC 1

9.20-9.35 Mary, Mungo and Midge.

11.25 Cricket. England v Aus- tralia. 1.30 Woodentops. 1.45 News and weather. 1.53 Tennis and cricket. Wimbledon 1972, second test match from Lord's.

450 Magic roundabout. 4.55 Blue Peter. 5.20 Penelope pit- stop. 5.44 Parsley. 5.50 News and weather.

6.00 LONDON THIS WEEK.

6.15 WIMBLEDON 1972.

7.30 TALK ABOUT LONDON.

Tour of the City with Michael Bentine.

8.00 PANORAMA.

NEWS

9.00 NINE. O'CLOCK

and weather. 9.20 DOOMWATCH. Waiting for a Knighthood. 10.10

THE SPINNERS IN SUM-

MER.

10.40 24 HOURS.

11.15 ATHLETE. High Jump.

11.40 Weather.

BBC 2

Play 11.00-11.25 school. 2.05 and tennis. Wimbledon Cricket and second test match from Lord's. 7.30 NEWSROOM and weather.

8.00 HIGH CHAPARRAL. The Widow from Red Rock.

HIS LORDSHIP ENTER-

8.50

TAINS.

Alcock and Gander, with Beryl Reid, O'Sullivan, is on independent channe CHANNEL: 2.55 Struggle for UL China. 4.05 Once upon a time. Ro Puffin. 4.25 Yoga. 4.20 4.50 Cla Rovers. 5.20 London. 6.00 News and weather. 6.15 Pursuers. 6.45 10.30 University chal- London. lenge. 11.03 Marcus Welby. 11.55 Visages de France. 12.10 Weather.

WESTWARD. As Channel except: 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.20 News.

6.00 Diary. 6.20 Sports desk. 10.59 News. 11.55 Epilogue.

SOUTHERN: 2.30 London. 3.00 Tricks of the good cook's trade.

3.20 Bugs bunny. 3.30 Lucy. 4.00 Houseparty. 4.25 Junkin. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 Day by day. 6.45 London. 10.30 GR Afloat. 11.00 News. 11.10 Ques- time. 11.40 tion Odd couple. 12.10 Weather. Epilogue. HARLECH: 2.15 Locker 69. 3.15 En- "Ki Sara and Hoppity. 3.30 chanted house. 3.45 Women ohly.

4.15 Tinkertainment. 4.25 Super- 5.20 TY man. 4.55 Clapperboard. London. 6.01 Report West. 6.22 12.

Report Wales. 6.45 London. 10.30 Film: 'Fanatic'. : 12.15 Scotland Yard mysteries. 12.45 Weather.

HTV

West above except: as 6.22-6.45 This is the West this week.

HTV

Wales as above except: Cantamil. 4.15-4.25 6.01-6.22 Y dydd. HTV Cymru/Wales as HTV Wales plus: 10.30 Sain, Cerdd a chan.

11.15-12.15 Department S.

London. 3.00 Ar

ANGLIA: 2.30

Houseparty. 3.15 Joker's : wild. 3.45 Yoga. 4.10 News. 4.15 Car- Lo toons. 4.25 Romper room. 4.55 ler Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.45 London. 10.30 Ma Show business. 11.00 Theatre.

ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Good after- Wc noon! 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women today. 4.00 Nanny and professor. 4.40 Nuts and 6.0 the bones. 4.55 Forest rangers. 5.20 do London. 6.00 Today. 6.45 London. 11.

ers Press, Monday June 26, 1972 PAGE 11

ITV

11.25 The 12.15 seven 12.40 Freud on Women today. food. 1.05 Bellbird. 1.20 En- chanted house. 1.35 Skippy. 2.00 Castle haven. 2.30 Good after- Film: "Girl In the noon! 3.00 Headlines'. lan Hendry. Thriller.

4.40 Yak. 4.55 Lassie. 5.20 Pardon my genie. 5.50 News.

6.00 TODAY.

6.20 CROSSROADS.

6.40 THE DAVID NIXON SHOW.

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

8.00 WORLD IN ACTION.

8.30 ALCOCK AND GANDER.

9.00 MAN AT THE TOP. No- body Gets in My Way.

10.00 NEWS AT TEN.

10.30 MCMILLAN AND WIFE.

An Elementary Case of Murder.

1.55 BEHIND THE SCENES.

9.20 HORIZON. The Crab Nebula..

10.15 TENNIS AND CRICKET.

Wimbledon and second test match. 11.30 NEWS ON 2 and weather.

11.35 LATE NIGHT LINE-UP.

eryl Reid, Patrick Newell and Richard nt channels tonight 10.30 University challenge. 11.00 Randall and Hopkirk. ULSTER: 4.00 Let's face it. 4.30 Romper room. 4.50 News. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5:20 London. 6.00 Funny face. 6.35 News. 6.10 Cartoon time. 6.45 London. 10.30 night. 10.35 Film: Monday 'Counterspy'. YORKSHIRE: 1.00 Arthur. 1.25 Rainbow country. 1.50 Britannia.

2.32 London. 3.00 Film: "The Toast of New Orleans'. 4.35 News.

4.40 Once upon a time. 4.55 Rovers. 5.20 London. 6.00 Calen- dar, weather. 6.25 Under these roofs. 6.45 London. 10.30 Name of the game. 11.55 All our yester- days. 12.25 Weather. GRANADA: 2.30 Calling Dr Gan- non. 3.25 Towards 2000. 3.55 Camera in action. 4.10 News. Peyton Place. 4.40 Once upon a 4.55 5.15 Clapperboard. time. 6.00 News. 6.25 Your London. right. 6.40 London. 10.30 Film: 'Kiss the Blood Off. My Hands'.

TYNE TEES: 12.20 Forest rangers.

12.45 From a bird's eye view. 1.10 Edgar Wallace. 2.05 Sur- vival. 2.30 Common Market cook- book. 3.00 Film: 'The Toast of New Orleans'. 4.35 News. 4.40 a time. 4.55 HR Once upon Purnstuf. 5.20 London. 6.00 To day. 6.25 Demolition. 6.45 Lon- 10.30 Times , four. : 11.00 don. Saint. 11.55 News. 12.10 Epilogue.

SCOTTISH: 2.30 Class of 72. 3.30 Nuts and bones. 3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.10 Dateline. 4.55 5.20 London. 6.00 Date- Arthur. line. 6.15 Dick Van Dyke. 6.45 University chal- London. 40.30 11.00 Late call. 11.05 lenge. Expansions: Clydefair. 11.35 Marty Feldman. GRAMPIAN: 3.38 News. 3.45 Women "today. 4.10 Lucy show. 4.40 Paulus. 4.55 Clapperboard. 5.20 London. 6.00 News, weather.

6.05 Dr Simon Locke. 6.45 Lon- don. 10.30 University challenge.

don. 11.00 Saint. 11.55 Epilogue.

Scots Right to Work march begins PAGE 12 Workers Press, Monday June : THE SCOTTISH Right-to-Work march crossed the Tay Bridge into the Fife coalfield yesterday on the first leg of its journey to Glasgow. On Saturday the workers of Dundee gave the marchers great official send off. A total collection of more than £16 was made and 150 copies of the Workers Press sold. The 22 unemployed youth set off in high and fine spirits weather. The march includes contingents from Dundee, Aber- deen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Clyde- bank and Renfrew. John Barrie, leader of the recent five-week Glasgow-Lon- BUILDING WORKERS from all over London will rally in Hyde Park this afternoon in support of strike action for their pay claim. At the same time, union offi- cials have called out six sites in London from today as part of their selective strike strategy.

The demand for a £30,, 35- and increased hour week holi- days has been met by an 18- month offer of increases for craftsmen of £5 to £25; and £4 for labourers, taking them to £21. No hours concessions were made. 'This is the last post for the building unions, said James Clarke, Transport and General Workers' Union steward on Wimpey's Waltham Abbey site yesterday. 'We can't let the leadership back down now like they've done A FOUR-and-a-half hour special conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions - representing about 400,000 workers in Eire —rejected proposals for a sec- ond National Wage Agreement at the weekend. The decision two-to-one became almost a foregone con- clusion when the Irish Trans- General Workers' port and Union, with 65 votes, decided last Friday to oppose the agree- ment. - The vote against the new 253 to 103, a agreement was majority of 150. The vote represents working- class hostility to any collabora- FINE TUBES strikers from Plymouth will be at Transport House, London, tomorrow, to meet officials of the Transport and General Workers' Union and the Amalgamated Union of En- gineering Workers. The men are angry at the officials' lack of support for their two-year-old dispute. If they get no satisfac- tion from the meeting, which starts at 10.30 a.m., a protest .

sit-in may be staged.

STRIKERS

at British Steel's South Teesside complex yesterday voted to continue dispute which started after foremen were told their pay would be withheld for refusing to take instructions shift managers. The Iron from and Steel Trades Confederation wants negotiating rights for man- agers at the complex's £8m con- tinuous-casting plant. JUNIOR HOSPITAL Doctors 'dis- executive is Association gusted by the 'derisory 7.5 per cent pay increase' awarded by Lord Halsbury's_ review body. Said Dr Marcus Pembrey, Asso- ciation chairman: House officers, fully qualified doctors, who have done three years' hospital train- ing after completion of their basic degree or its equivalent, are still paid less than many 17- year olds who have just left school.' They are on call more than 100 hours a week at 35p and 50p an hour. BUCKINGHAM Palace, Windsor Castle and the Houses of Par- liament repair and maintenance men will demonstrate outside the Civil Service Department offices day June 26, 1972 don Right-to-Work march said: 'It's great to be on the road again. 'Since our journey to London the working class have demon- strated their ability to stand up to the Tories. Now the job is to mobilize to get them out?

The centre came to a virtual standstill as hundreds of shop- pers crowded onto the pave- ments to watch the column pass by. There was applause when the marchers linked the main call for the right to work with the T&GWU steward James Clarkes Can't back down' in the past. No doubt the Tories will try it on with us. "The problem of the slump and everything else is involved this strike with the employers,' he added. tion with the Lynch government.

The first agreement was sold to the membership, by the union bureaucrats on the basis that it bring price and jobs would stability. cost of living Instead, the soared—chiefly in preparation for Eire's entry in the Common Market - and the number of unemployed rapidly increased.

The dange: of Saturday's deci- sion is that no one has come forward for an alternative to fight the Lynch government. The pay question is now going to be left to 'playing it by ear' with individual employers. in the Mall today following their stewards' rejection of a £1.50 pay offer. TREASURY has imposed string- ent controls on capital transac- tions with overseas sterling area countries. Direct investment in these countries will now require Bank of England approval as will borrowing from the sterling area by British companies. This marks the virtual end of the sterling area since the control on capital movements is now similar to that which applies to However, emi- other countries. grants will be able to take more capital assets than if they were going outside the sterling area.

The main effect of the restric- tions, which are likely to become permanent, is to check purchase shares by UK residents on sterling area stock exchanges.

WEATHER

SCOTLAND and Northern Ire- land will have sunny spells but there will be scattered showers in the northwest. England and Wales will be rather coludy with hill fog and drizzle in the west and coastal fog patches on southern and western coasts. In the east and southeast spells sunny are expected in the afternoon and evening. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Workers Office. Published by Press. 186a Clapham High Street, London.

SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd.

(TU). 180b Clapham Street. London. High

SW4 7UG.

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS IN DUNDEE

government in the slogan 'We demand the right to work-Kick the Tories out.' Dundee, witn one of the highest rates of unemployment in Scotland, has had a bellyful of Tory policy as Saturday's recep- tion showed. The town was originally based the declining jute industry.

on More recently American firms have come into the area, but these have been hard hit by the recession in the United States and one, National Cash Register, declared over 1,000 redundancies STORY of the

THE

Singer factory at Clyde- bank is that of the whole of industrial Scotland in miniature. Twelve years 15,000 ago, workers were employed by the American sewing machine company-making it the big- gest of its kind in the world.

Five years later. there were 10,000 workers and now there are 5,000. Output, however, has remained the same. This vast increase in produc- tivity at the expense of the people of Clydebank is the main reason why the Singer workers, who have just ended a six-week strike, will not accept more pro- ductivity. As it is they will face a new challenge on jobs as they return today. Automation is the new bogey.

After a decade of capital-inten- sive investment which squeezed out jobs, management is launch- ing new processes to eradicate whole sections of the labour force. There has already been a taste of things to come in the power station. The firm recently built a new unit employing 13 men— less than a third of the labour force of the old station.

Next for the treatment was the 'arm and bed' building de- partment. The reorganization led to a surplus of 40 workers. They have been assigned to an 'un- attached pool' ready for em- ployment elsewhere in the huge complex which overlooks the Clvdebank shipyard. But convenor Gavin Laird ad- mits that as the drive for auto- mation sweeps through every department, the unions will eventually face an extreme re- dundancy crisis. "This management is very pro- fessional and very efficient,' he told me in the strike head- quarters. "They introduced things like job evaluation as early as 1950, when it was just a rumour in the rest of British industry.

"There will be more automa- tion. We know that. This is a threat to jobs in a plant real that has been decimated with re- dundancies over ten years.

'The answer is more holidays and shorter hours,' said Mr. Laird. But one of the demands the Singer men dropped during the strike was for a 39-hour week.

Workers blame the union for this. The AUEW advised the stewards days' to give seven strike notice to comply with the Industrial Relations Act.

This gave management a week to prepare. They made a quick wage offer and posted notices up around the factory claiming only • the demand on hours was pre- venting industrial peace.

Mr Laird says pressure built up and the demand had to be abandoned. 'The union policy is confused on this issued. On the one hand there is supposed to be non- co-operation with the Act but on the other we were advised to do this. Anyway we made a tactical error.' The strike was completely We in the town last year.

Dundee building workers, who were preparing for tomorrow's strike, put the marchers up in their hall and food was bought by the city's busmen students. At a pre-march meeting John thanked the Dundee Barrie workers for their support.

This march is politically more significant than the longer one to London, he said. 'Because have political we understanding and because we fight to bring this government Wage increases ranging from 14 t accepted by 4,500 workers at the Manufacturing Company after a six-w £3.75 and £4.25 bring the minimun workers at the factory to £22.16. Bu the work force has another, bigger f redundancies. solid. Last week a mass meeting overwhelmingly rejected a com- pany offer despite the fact that most of the fringe benefits de- manded in the claim had been conceded. The firm attempted to break this solidarity by systematically firing the 1,200 staff. They even hinted darkly that there was no guarantee of re-employment. tactics, however, some- These what backfired. The militant Association of Scientific, Tech- nical and Managerial Stafis re- fused to leave the plant and occupied their offices. is part of The Singer battle the engineers' plant-by-plant cam- paign for better wages and con- ditions. This has got off to a uneven and straggly start in Scotland.

On Clydeside a handful of plants have their claim and are taking action-including one sit- back- in where workers at a shop haver street engineering been sacked for striking.

The Singer strikers were criti- cal of the decision to abandon the claim at national level.

I was on the national com- when it came up, said mittee Mr Laird, and I moved the motion pressing for national action and a ballot. I think it was faint-hearted to believe we would not have won the back- ing from the membership-with a campaign we would have done.

Singers, I know, would have backed out," he said. He declined to comment on AUEW President Hugh Scanlon's decision to go back to the em- ployers with the begging bowl for national talks. But other stewards were more outspoken.

Said John McFadgen: Socialist Labour League Public Meetings

SWINDON

Friday June 30, 8 p.m. 'The Locomotive' Farringdon Road. Make the Tory government resign

DEFEND THE DOCKERS' RIGH

DEFEND BASIC DEMOCRATIC

DEFEND THE VIETNAMESE RE

MAKE THE TORY GOVERNMEI

SUNDAY JULY 2 7 p.m. Acton Town Hall Acton High Street, W.3. Speakers: G. HEALY (SLL national secret SARAH HANNIGAN (London Y CLIFF SLAUGHTER (SLL Cent

CORIN REDGRAVE

LARRY CAVANAGH (Liverpool down, we will make an impact on thousands. This is a challenge before us and I am sure the youth on the march are ready for that challenge! Gordon Bailey brought greet- ings from the Babcock and Wil- coinmittee, cOX apprentices' which has officially backed the campaign, "The message from the appren- tices is to wish you success in your vital task of mobilizing the working class against this Tory government. We will be out next Saturday to greet you into Glasgow? The youth stayed last night in the Boys Brigade Hall, Cupar.

rom 14 to 20 per cent have been the Clydebank factory of Singer six-week strike. Rises of between minimum of the wage lowest paid 22.16. But, as Stephen Johns reports, , bigger fight ahead-the fight against 'I asked Scanlon when he was here talking to the shop up stewards what was the use of this great plant-by-plant cam- paign if we were going to go back to talk. If the employers were not going to give anything after such a militant fight, they would not give it at the con- ference table. Scanlon didn't have an answer? There is, however, a great deal more than pay and condi- tions involved. The Singer com- plex is the main employer in the town. The Clydebank shipyard already suffered 500 re- dundancies and more are certain due to the Marathon take-over.

Pay apart, Singer workers will go on facing a relentless erosion of jobs each week. It's the same story throughout Scotland. Every day • the local press has • the familiar closure or redundancy story. On Wednesday last week it was 7,500 steelworkers who faced the dole, on Thursday it was 200 men at Wickman Lang, Johnstone, the town's last machine-tool works, and on Friday it was 100 more GEC workers at Cowdenbeath. And so it goes on. Apart from the most feeble protests, the union leaders have no answer to this rapid slide into depression. At the recent Liaison Committee for the De- fence of Trade Unions meeting organized by the Scottish Com- munist Party, one man asked how, politically, could workers get rid of the Tory government and save their jobs. The silence in the hall, which held 400 shop stewards, and on the platform which sported James Airlie of UCS, was truly deafening.

OXFORD

Wednesday July 5, 8 p.m. Council Chamber Oxford Town Hall Speaker: G. Healy (SLL national secretary

IS' RIGHT TO WORK

CRATIC RIGHTS

JESE REVOLUTION

ERNMENT RESIGN

al secretary) ondon YS secretary) LL Central Committee) iverpool docks steward)