Rank and file force the pace for builders' strike

MINERS' LEADER WARNS OF JOBS CRISIS IN PITS Pay rise could shatter CAV peace MANAGEMENT hopes of a year-long peace at CAV Acton, West London, could be shattered in three ways following the post-holiday return to work this morning of the factory's 2,700 workers.

Shortly before the holiday management conceded an all-round pay increse of £3.25 in reply to the engineers' pay claim.

An extra £1 was granted for skilled timeworkers under the 12-month deal. Semi-skilled timeworkers are to get an extra 50p.

The first source of trouble could be the fact that workers do not yet know whether they will get the increases immediately.

In Birmingham, main centre for CAV's Lucas parent, workers who accepted similar increases have been told that they will CIRCULATION 01-622 NEWS DESK 01-720 out strike action is being called all over Britain. By the end of the week the number on strike could reach 500,000 as the movement for a total, national strike, gathers pace.

Tomorrow the building union further strategy on the claim.

struction, Allied Trades and opposed to a national strike. British yards.

In the mines, the Tory pressure for more unemployment is a direct retaliation for the pay defeat inflicted on them by the miners earlier this year.

proved right in its warning when the NUM leaders settled on February 18 that the Tories would hit back with unemployment.

Here is a vital lesson for all dockers.

The engineers' leaders refused to join the miners in the struggle with the government, preferring instead to adopt a plant-byplant pay struggle which has still not been brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Jack Jones, the leader of the Transport and General Workers' Union and a supnot be paid out until they agree a new procedure agreement.

The procedure would allow the company considerable control over the election and functioning of shop stewards. CAV stewards who have seen the proposals say they would virtually wind-up effective trade unionism at Acton.

Even if this hurdle is cleared, CAV management faces discontent at Acton among skilled pieceworkers whose earnings are restricted by 'permanent sign-up'. These sections do not qualify for extra payments on top of the basic £3.25. They could soon start pushing to close the gap this has opened up with the timeworkers.

The most serious threat to the new pay structure embodied in the 12-month deal, however, lies in the fact that on the last day before the holiday a lengthy laboratory workers' strike was settled on the men's terms, giving them £3.36 on top of the general increase.

This gives the lab workers, whose struggle was fought against by right-wing union leaders in the factory almost up to the last minute, total increase of £7.6l. Arthur Mason, the leading lab steward, told Workers Press at the weekend that the company had had to concede his members' demands and agree to pay out the £3.36 'as a right.

He said: "The management has had a lesson here that even when they have the support of some elements in the unions, when a group of workers dig their heels in they can't be beaten.' Registered as a newspaper at the Post Ofia Clapham High Street. London, Published by Workers Press. SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London. SWA 7UG. leaders meet in London to decide IN Preston, Led by George Smith, general unity as they secretary of the Union of Con- stop the last three days they have Technicians, they are firmly called out 22 more sites. There Instead they will try and move strike in Preston now.

have found a porter of the plant-by-plant strategy, did equally little to support the miners' officially.

The miners' leaders settled fl short of their pay claim when they could have brought down the Tory government.

The chief argument of these leaders-and of many of their supporters in the Communist Party—was that to stay out longer would have lost them public support.

As a consequence, the government was left in office with the power to hit back not only against the miners, but the railwaymen and the dockers as well.

This week it is virtually certain • to move troops onto the docks in a bid to break their struggle for the for further escalation of the abortive selective strikes. In this they will be backed by the Comnunist Party, which, while paying lip-service to national strike calls, does nothing about it.

new strength and go for an all-out are 750 building workers on right to work.

There are clusions which drawn from this: • There can be no reformist solution of the fight for jobs. Any solution which does not begin from the struggle to force the Tories to resign from office is under these conditions • Purely sectional struggles by any group of workers today are suicidal.

With the dockers, miners must demand that their leaders mobilize action to force the Tories to resign.

The NUM must be committed to a policy, not just of extending nationalization to the mining machinery and coal-distribution industries without compensation, but of full OVER 100,000 Coventry worker against the £55,000 fine imposed o General Workers' Union and the two coneasier than we thought. They just wanted asking.' Another picket, Alan Moon, new delegate to Preston council, said:

"This is really • great—the majority are willing to come out. They just wanted the leadership' THE Southampton regional action committee has set up a sub-committee with the task of bringing new sites out on strike.

More than 20 sites have joined the stoppage in the area in the last three days and 2,000 men are on strike. Two small factories which supply sites with window frames are also out.

control throughnationalized coal There can be no union agreement to any further redundancies in an industry whose labour force has been halved in the last ten Any closures through exhaustion must be dealt with by work-sharing with no loss of earnings by any miner.

The Tories must be forced to resign.

A Labour government must be elected which, immediately on coming office. would nationalize machinery and distribution and place the whole industry under the control of workers' committees which will plan it on socialist lines. is will strike today in the Transport and Industrial Relations The one-day strike was called by 1&GW shop stewards in the city. It has been backed by the district committee of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions. £500.16NO TIME TO WASTE WE ARE now almost halfway through August and still some distance from reaching our £1,750 target. We have not a day to waste. Let's change the position at once.

Dockers and bullding workers out on strike need the fullest support of the labour movement. However much Jones and the union leaders try to reach a deal with the Torles, a head-on coll!sion cannot be avoided.

mobilize workers everywhere. The Tory government must be made to resign. Our Fund this month, therefore, Is doubly important. At the moment we have outstanding £1,249.84. Make sure this is raised by the end of the month. Collect as much as you can. If possible, raise extra amounts. Post all these immediately to :

August Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG.

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE MEETINGS EAST LONDON: Thurs, August 17, 8 p.m. The crisis of capitalism and the docks struggle Festival Inn, Market Square, Chrisp • St, E.14.

Support the builders and dockers. Force the Tories to resign.

WILLESDEN: Monday August 14, 8 p.m. Trades and Labour Hall, High Road, NW 10.

PRESTON: Wednesday August 16, 8 p.m. Railway and Commercial Hotel, Butler Street, near railway station. 'Support the dockers and building