Workers Press no. 849

workers press

RACISTS PLAN TO

SPLIT WORKERS

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

wing EXTREME right groups in Britain have launched a national cam- paign to whip up racial hatred and split the work- ing class. The first flashpoint will be Smithfield meat market in London. calling itself the A group Smithfield Workers Against Im- migration plans to march on the Home Office tomorrow in pro- test against the entry of British passport-holders from Uganda.

The Ugandan Asians are being expelled by the military regime of General Idi Amin, which is backed politically and financially by the Tory govern- ment. of the Yesterday members organization leafleted London docks in a bid to get dockers to join them. The people behind this move organized a similar campaign from Smithfield in 1968, when a small number of dockers joined the meat-porters and marched in of the anti-immigrant favour views of Tory MP Enoch Powell.

shop But London docks stewards yesterday condemned the latest moves. We won't be there,' said one Royal group shop steward. It is probably National organized by the Front and they will get no support from us.' The Smithfield demonstration is part of a national campaign by forces on the right to whip up racialist and anti-working propaganda the class over Ugandan Asian issue. It is designed to coincide with the first arrivals within the next few weeks. The main aim is to dupe workers into believing that un- employment is caused immigration and not the Tory government and the big mono- polists. A sharp increase in racialist agitation and extreme right reported in many literature is large industrial centres.

A leaflet distributed recently by members of Colin Jordan's British Movement at the Leeds labour exchange is a typical example. Blacks hired and whites fired seems to be the motto of the alien-loving scum who run the system,' it reads. *Unemployment can easily be handled: send the blacks home and give their jobs to white workers. But the first major outbreak promises to be at Smithfield. The campaign there is organized by Danny Harmston and Ron Taylor, two meat porters.

Harmston led the 1968 pro- Powell march and has a history of right-wing connections.

In 1966 he stood as a candi- date for the British Union Move- ment in Islington. The BUM is noted for its anti-trade union

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLET

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRA

propaganda and is led by Sir Oswald Mosley, who organized the fascist and pro-Hitler forces in Britain in the 1930s. After the 1968 march Harm- ston as saying: "Call me a fascist if you like. If being a fascist means wanting to see England back on its feet, then I stand indicted. Harmston, a keep-fit enthu- siast and an ex-boxer was also a member of the National Socialist Movement, the predecessor of Jordan's British Movement.

At Smithfield yesterday Ron Taylor denied there were any political motives behind the march. Surrounded by a group he claimed of supporters, campaign could snowball as other workers joined in. I don't want any politics, he 'We are ordinary English said. workers. There is simply no room in this country for these people with a million on the dole,' he told me. He denied that the Tory gov- erment was responsible for the record jobless figures and said he would not vote for any party since they were 'as bad as each other'. said: "There is nothing racialist about this. We just want to say enough is enough. In 1970 the vice-chairman of Tru-Aim (Trades Unions Against Immigration) was a man called Ron Taylor. He was listed as a Transport and General Workers' Union mem- ber from London. Tru-Aim is a coalition of right- wing organizations which threatened to hold a 1,000-strong march in Oldham, Lancashire, earlier this year. In fact the demonstration attracted almost no support and was called off.

Support for the Smithfield move is difficult to estimate.

The porters held a mass meet- ing on Monday and voted for Harmston, organizer of the 1968 Powellite march. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23, 1972• No. 849 DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE Taylor (in white overall) with supporters yesterday.

But a spokesman for the march. market superintendent said only cent that per dUOUL

LUUU

workers attendea. Almost all the porters I spoke call against yesterday were what 'Asian the organizers and the grou Invasion ten to 15 nen around Taylor vehe mently supported his views at the market a yiel was middle-aged man sequined suit brought news that the "Teds" Dockers condemn Smithfield racists

BY IAN YEATS

SHOP

STEWARDS at Lon ion's Royal Group of docks yesterday condemned • at- tempts to make coloured immigrants for scapegoats the country's economic problems. The dockers were expected to asked to back a march to th Home Office tomorrow protesting against the admission of Ugandan Asiais yve wone be toere sale one probably a march steward. It is organized by National Front they will SUPPOrt Trom us. Some dockers stopped work when a similar four years ago JST 23, 1972• No. 849 • 4p

E SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

supporters yesterday. would be turning , out for the march which starts at Smithfield at 1.30 pm. The rank-and-file of the labour movement and trade unions must declare war on this right-wing propaganda. Racialism feeds off demorali- zation in the working class.

The people who bear major res- ponsibility for this are the union leaders who refuse to lead a fight to bring down the march organized by Smithfield porters to the House of Com- mons stewards claimed yester- day they were totally opposed to the march and that the Tory politicians responsible for the economic crisis were the men who should be hammered and not the immigrants. *They're just -like anybody else,' •We've the steward said. nothing against coloured people but the government creates problems by letting them all get together.' Dockers' pickets at the Mid- land Cold Storage depot, Hack- ney, described the march as 'ridiculous. Bob Moon said: If the dockers marched it would be as if we had gone up one blind Tory government that creates unemployment, bad housing and poverty. Workers should resist this campaign to stop them from fighting the main enemy: the Tories and employers who close down the factories and the docks.

Those who march tomorrow will find themselves with the mortal enemies of trade union- ism-the right-wing extreme Tories in the Monday Club.

alley and were looking for an outlet. The press and the Tories are trying to gee up racialism but it's diversionary just when they're making an onslaught on the trade unions.

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE

MEETING

LONDON

LESSONS OF THE

DOCKS STRIKE

Thurs, August 22, 7.30 p.m.

Lister Room, Town Hall, East Ham High St South. Speaker: Larry Cavanagh (Liver- pool docks steward, in a personal capacity). Adm. 10p.

workers press

RACISTS PLAN TO

SPLIT WORKERS

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

wing EXTREME right groups in Britain have launched a national cam- paign to whip up racial hatred and split the work.

ing class. The first flashpoint will be Smithfield meat market in London. calling itself the A group Smithfield Workers Against Im- migration plans to march on the Home Office tomorrow in pro- test against the entry of British passport-holders from Uganda.

The Ugandan Asians are being expelled by the military regime of General Idi Amin, which is backed politically and financially by the Tory govern- ment. Yesterday members of the organization leafleted London docks in a bid to get dockers to join them. The people behind this move campaign organized similar from Smithfield in 1968, when a small number of dockers joined the meat-porters and marched in favour of the • anti-immigrant views of Tory MP Enoch Powell.

shop But London docks stewards yesterday condemned the latest moves. 'We won't be there' said one Royal group steward. It is probably shop by the National organized Front and they will get no support from us. The Smithfield demonstration is part of a national campaign by forces on the right to whip racialist and anti-working up , propaganda the class over Ugandan Asian issue. It is designed to coincide with the first arrivals within the next few weeks. The main aim is to dupe workers into believing that un- caused employment is immigration and not the Tory government and the big mono- polists. sharp increase in racialist A agitation extreme right and literature is reported in many large industrial centres.

A leaflet distributed recently Colin Jordan's by members of British Movement at the Leeds exchange is a typical labour example. 'Blacks hired and whites fired seems to be the motto of the alien-loving scum who run the system, it reads. 'Unemployment can easily be handled: send the blacks home give their jobs to white and workers' But the first major outbreak promises to be at Smithfield. The campaign there is organized by Danny Harmston and Ron Taylor, two meat porters.

Harmston led the 1968 pro- Powell march and has a history of right-wing connections.

In 1966 he stood as a candi- date for the British Union Move- ment in Islington. The BUM is noted for its anti-trade union

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLET

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRA

propaganda and is led by Sir Mosley, who organized Oswald the fascist and pro-Hitler forces in Britain in the 1930s. After the 1968 march Harm- reported in The ston was Times' as saying: "Call me a fascist if you like. If being a fascist means wanting to see England back on its feet, then I stand indicted.' keep-fit enthu- Harmston, a siast and an ex-boxer was also a member of the National Socialist Movement, the predecessor of Jordan's British Movement.

At Smithfield yesterday Ron Taylor denied there were any political motives behind the march. Surrounded by a group of supporters, he claimed the campaign could snowball as other workers joined in. 'I don't want any politics,' he said. We are ordinary English workers. There is simply room in this country for these people with • a million on the ; he told me. dole, He denied that the Tory gov- erment was responsible for the record jobless figures and said he would not vote for any party since they were 'as bad as each other'. 'There is Не said: nothing racialist about this. We just want to say enough is enough. In 1970 the vice-chairman of Tru-Aim (Trades Unions Against Immigration) was man called Ron Taylor. He was listed as a Transport and General Workers' Union mem- ber from London. Tru-Aim is a coalition of right- wing organizations which threatened to hold a 1,000-strong march in Oldham, Lancashire, earlier this year. In fact the demonstration attracted almost no support and was called off.

Support for the Smithfield move is difficult to estimate.

The porters held a mass meet- ing on Monday and roted for Harmston, organizer of the 1968 Powellite march.

NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23, 1

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCI

Taylor (In white overall) with supporte the march. But a spokesman for the market superintendent said that only about 10 per cent of the 2,000 workers attended.

Almost all the porters I spoke to yesterday were against what call the Asian organizers invasion' and the group of ten to 15 men around Taylor vehe- mently supported his views.

While I was at the market a middle-aged man in a sequined suit brought news that the "Teds'

BY IAN YEATS

SHOP STEWARDS at Lon- don's Royal Group of docks yesterday condemned at- tempts to make coloured immigrants scapegoats for economic the country's problems. The dockers were expected to be asked to back a march to the Home Office tomorrow protesting against the admission of Ugandan Asians. 'We won't be there,' said one steward. It is probably a march organized by the National Front Some dockers stopped work four years ago when a similar • 4p UST 23, 1972 • No. 849

IE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

h supporters yesterday. would be turning out for the march which starts at Smithfield at 1.30 pm. The rank-and-file of the labour movement and trade unions must declare war on this right-wing propaganda. Racialism feeds off demorali- zation in the working The people who bear major res- ponsibility for this are union leaders who refuse lead a fight to bring down the march organized by Smithfield porters to the House of Com- stewards claimed yester- day they were totally opposed to march and that the Tory politicians responsible for the economic crisis were the men who should be hammered and not the immigrants. "They're just like anybody else.' 'We've the steward said. nothing against coloured people but the government creates problems by letting them all get together.' Dockers' pickets at the Mid- land Cold Storage depot, Hack- ney, described the march as 'ridiculous'. Bob Moon said: If the dockers marched it would be as if we had gone up one blind

TAYLOR

Tory government that creates unemployment, bad housing and poverty. should resist this Workers campaign to stop them from fighting the main enemy: the Tories and employers who close down the factories and the docks.

Those • who march tomorrow will find themselves with the mortal enemies of trade union- ism-the extreme right-wing Tories in the Monday Club.

alley and were looking for an outlet. The press and the Tories are trying to gee up racialism but it's diversionary just when they're making an onslaught on the trade unions.'

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE

MEETING

LONDON

LESSONS OF THE

DOCKS STRIKE

Thurs, August 22, 7.30 p.m.

Lister Room, Town Hall, East Ham High St South. Speaker: Larry Cavanagh (Liver- pool docks steward, in a personal capacity). Adm. 10p.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday Augi

AROUND THE WORLD

A SERIOUS grain crisis has hit the Soviet Union as a result of a bad harvest and bureaucratic mismanagement of agriculture. Frequent rain and lack of.

sun have delayed the harvest by one or two weeks in almost all the cereal-growing areas of the Soviet Union. In the northern republics of Latvia and Lithuania much of has been flattened by the crop high winds. In Byelorussia, the westernmost Soviet republic, the harvest is expected to be as much as 25 per cent below expectations.

'Sovietskaya The newspaper Byelorussia' reported briefly and without explanation that the Minister, Stefan Agriculture Skoropanov, had been dismissed. The paper also carried a big front-page article by Byelorussian Pyotr Communist Party chief complaining of farm Masherov organization and management failures. Masherov, a candidate member of the politburo, said the harvest was likely to be only about three- quarters of the planned target for the republic. To offset the anticipated wheat shortage, which could run to as Sri Lanka censorship THE Sri Lanka (Ceylon) press yesterday reacted sharply to a Press Council Bill calling for restrictions on the reporting of government activities. English-language 'Daily The Mirror' said in a full front page editorial that the Bill fis loaded with a murderous bullet in every clause... and seeks to mow every known tenet of down democracy'. 'Sun' English-language The daily called on the press to resist the Bill with all its might to stop it becoming law. strike threat OVER 500 white railway work- have Johannesburg ers threatened to strike-and face jail—in support of wage demands.

The South African government has already told railmen to drop their demands in 'the interests of the national economy'. Staff in Natal have already staged a go slow in support of the claim.

No one can remember a strike by white railway workers and the could invoke the government Service Railways and Harbours Act, under which strikers can jailed for up to a year and fined £200. If the cost of living increase is not granted by September 8, the men will consider themselves in dispute with the government.

AMERICAN boasts thai North Vietnam will shortly be forced to accept terms to end the Indo-China war are now being soft-pedalled by ex the Nixon administration.

The White House announced on Monday that Secretary of William Rogers State was expressing a hope - and not making a prediction - when he stated there would be a nego- tiated settlement before or shortly after the presidential election in November. Nixon's deputy press secretary Gerald Warren said: 'The secre- making a general tary was assessment based on his personal appraisal of the situation...

sday August 23, 1972 much as 20 million tons for the USSR as a whole, the Kremlin has placed very large orders for American wheat. Since the beginning of the year, the Soviet government has spent close on $1,000m to pur- chase grain from the US, accord- ing to the 'Washington The wheat purchases alone are expected to amount to a fourth of the entire United States harvest. When the agreement allowing the USSR to purchase American grain was drawn up last year, President Nixon estimated would bring in over the next three years.

In fact, this figure has already exceeded and there are certain to be further large orders The wheat is later this year. bought from private firms in the US and the sales are subsidized the US Department of by Agriculture. The Washington Post' raises some questions about the terms of the wheat sales, which appear to favour the USSR, ultimately THE Chilean government yesterday declared the whole of Santiago province an emer- gency zone after a strike by shopkeepers against official price rises had escalated into clashes with police. More than 70 people were arrested and at least three wounded when the riot squad moved in against demonstra- tors protesting against the poli- cies of the Popular Unity coali- tion. Over the past two weeks the government has raised the price of beef imported from Argentina by 200 per cent. The prices of sugar, coffee, flour, milk, butter 'He was expressing the hopes of the administration for an early settlement. 'He was not making a predic- tion based on any event or any may or may not by exchange that have occurred' Rogers had said that the Soviet Union and China were both in favour of a nego- tiated settlement in Vietnam and implied they were in a position to force their views on Hanoi.

The National Liberation Front delegation in Paris yesterday dis- Rogers' remarks as elec- missed tioneering. The delegation spokesman, Ly Van Sau, said Rogers had spoken "just before the Republican con- Miami with the vention in misleading obvious aim of American opinion'. at the expense of the American taxpayer. The question is known to have summit been discussed at the meeting in Moscow earlier this year. It may well be that in return for political concessions by the Kremlin leaders-includ- ing, perhaps, pressure on Hanoi to accept American terms over war-the US has the Vietnam agreed to sell its grain cheaply to the USSR. This would explain the air of sales, surrounding the secrecy which have not been publicized by the Washington authorities.

Like every other commodity 'peaceful coexistence' has its price. Unable the to overcome chronic agricultural crisis in the Soviet Union, the bureaucracy is forced to go cap in hand to im- perialism for assistance.

They undoubtedly intend to foist the final bill for these transactions on the peoples of Indo-China and the Europe, Middle East. Allende and margarine have been almost doubled. There is an acute shortage of basic foodstuffs in Chile due in large part to the failure of the coalition's attempts at agrarian reform. The large estates have been taken under state control in such a way that the owners have been allowed ample time to strip them of machinery and stock.

Attempts by the peasants to 'expropriate their land- forcibly lords have been met with repres- sion by the police and the Com- munist Party has conducted virulent campaign against peasants taking the law into their own hands'. The CP leaders are bent on placating the middle class by the revolutionary suppressing upsurge among the peasantry and reducing the agrarian reform to a series of bureaucratic nationali- zations. Through this kind of modera- tion, the Chilean CP maintains, the middle class can be brought to accept the 'peaceful road to socialism'. Their perspective is virtually a carbon copy of the 'British Road to Socialism', the British CP programme originally authored by Joseph Stalin.

Even on its own terms, the Popular Unity policy can now clearly be seen as a failure which has opened the road to the ex- treme right. The shopkeepers and small busi- nessmen courted by the Allende government have turned against it and interpret Allende's 'mode- ration' as a sign of weakness.

In this way they are driven into the arms of the extreme right • the basis is laid for the and crushing of the Popular Unity regime by military force through a rightist coup d'etat. COMMUNIST PARTY members in London's dock areas have now begun a campaign, not against the Transport General Workers' Union leaders who called off the dock strike, but against Workers Press. They are being assisted in this by members of the anti-com- munist International Socialism' • says the Soviet group, which 'state-capitalist' Union is a country. The Stalinists are seeking in this way to divert attention from their own total abandonment last Friday of the national port shop stewards' committee policy of continuing the strike for the four peints on which it was based. They were led to this position by their uncritical support for T&GWU secretary Jack Jones.

particular they refused In to campaign for the recall of the T&GWU's biennial conference.

This permitted the behind-the- scenes dealings of the Jones- Aldington committee to con- tinue under conditions where the T&GWU leaders were not accountable to the union's membership. also enabled the T&GWU leaders to organize a reversal of the original strike decision at the docks delegate con- ference. shelving Behind this lay the some months ago of the key political demand of the stewards' original nine-point charter-nationalization of the docks under workers' control.

Communist Party stewards from insisted on shelving London and other demands- this against opposition from Liver- pool and Hull-on the grounds that it could not be achieved under a Tory government. The implication was the remaining four points could. In fact the Tory government is hell-bent on creating unemploy- ment in order to drive down working conditions and to smash the unions. is the teeth of Unemployment the Industrial Relations Act. To claim, as the Communist Party does, that job security employment can be and full maintained on the docks merely by using workers' militancy to put pressure on the Tories, a sell-out and is to prepare open the door for mass un- employment. Tory policies are determined by the capitalist CriSIS of system. This crisis is so serious that the Tories cannot afford to retreat. Under such cir- lasting gain cumstances, no for the working class can be achieved simply by 'pressure'.

pointed As Trotsky out in 'Lessons of October': 'Someone may at first glance raise an objection: Ought a revolutionary refuse party to "exercise pressure" on the and its govern- bourgeoisie ment? Certainly not. 'The exercise of pressure on a government is the bourgeois road of reform. A revolutionary Marxist party does not reject reforms. But the road of re- form serves a useful purpose in subsidiary and not in fundamental. questions. 'State power cannot be obtained by reforms. "Pressure" can never induce the bourgeoisie to change its policy on a which involves its question whole fate The fact that the ruling class can concede no reforms be- reformist its ganizations into reformist organizations crisis also. The Communist Party would not break decisively from Jones because, like him, it was not for a battle to bring prepared down the Tory government and to solve the docks problem in the only way possible-by returning a Labour government pledged to nationalize all the under transport industries workers' control. Without leadership workers were left frustrated and-after the docks delegate conference had voted to end the strike-they could see no clear alternative.

As we point out in our diary of the docks strike (see page 3), those London stewards who under the ever pu call for a the decision port stewards This was not takes', It meeting. to break union As every the London mous The Shop mittee had Sunday Liverpool stewards pull could on Lord Aldington dockers.No, 'Sunday had thing: 'All we have would be union It is because fearlessly events, lessly for the down Wt the is groupists group. The Stalinists Workers refuse the too of the Henders membership. The tion of the unions and Again 'more The dockers because nor because by their them held Dockers know workers steadily the over ' we and capitalist We intend to all working class based 01 ine class The Communist nail established We dockers port attack: 11UW leaders Arall "Lessons party whole the to be able and rectly event to is 'The tradition DarLy Is Party a clear strike in line witn national 'mis- he u because the st Party does not wish leaders and lead ainst the Tory govern- knows,

HOW

decision led earlier unani- vote in Liverpool. stewares motion night meeting staved out. the given o, the fact is that we improve lance Tral ol could implemented.' arn nothing from such this anne Cal ngthen the position reformist trade seerSorkers Press has the implications of tire. Calllalril fight bring government the sts of the so-called their attacks they, because se to call for a recall wual conference accountable make the vocates of blind trad implac- introduc rincipled politics into Internationa again Socialis paper has merely called for to support ess line of acceptan -Aldington + on militancy use they have faith Aldington actions of th supporte Party, politically Jones and all dalis rainst the Tory govern of presshe increase after continue to build of the sections class based on social- ples. This means unity mobilizing doe worke bring down nunist Party and the International I group fight tooth and being unity on such a pro- however, that everywhere rkers Press against the being siteve to criticize their even though • necessary. October': know of the past, so as estimate it co each 455|21 nace a revolutionar critical clarity evasions

HOL

LET THE RECORD SPEAK

THE NATIONAL docks strike began officially on July 27 after a delegates meeting at Transport House. Port shop stewards' leaders pledged to keep the struggle going until four points were achieved. These were: • All stuffing and stripping of containers to be the work of registered dock workers; • Retention and extension of the National Dock Labour • Scheme to include all unregistered ports; • No misuse of the temporarily unattached register (TUR) and no more redundancies; and • No reduction in the current overall dock workers' register. It ended on Friday, August 18, when shop stewards in London abandoned the fight for the four points.

Then leading stewards in the port—without doubt domin- Communist Party ated politically by the policy of the abandoned their four principles and left the men without leadership. Under these conditions the men had no alterna- tive but to go back. This is a diary of some of the main events of the strike.

Thursday, July 27, 12 noon. Transport House, London.

Delegates reject interim Jones-Aldington Report. Stewards say strike will go on until four points won.

secretary of London stewards' committee, Bernie Steer, 'We couldn't believe the leading Communist Party member: up tight. Now result. We thought Jones had it sewn we strike and we are leading have a the movement. national Isn't it bleeding marvellous.' ('Sunday Times', July 29.)

Saturday, July 29. 'Morning Star'.

Bernie Steer: 'Make no mistake, Britain's dockers are now big one. This is the crunch battle. It's involved in the either our Waterloo or the employers'.

‹The real alternative to the Jones-Aldington report is the port shop stewards programme drawn up by the national which deals with the reality of the situation.

'This is a nine-point programme which raises the need for all unregistered ports to be brought into the Scheme and declares that all stuffing and stripping of containers should be done by registered men.'

Monday, July 31, 9 a.m. Royal group of docks mass meeting, London. Jim Carpenter, chairman of the Port of London Authority 'This is the last fight. If we lose this stewards in the group: one, we're in trouble. Thursday, August 3. Friends' Meeting House, Euston Road, London. Bernie Steer: The next important step in the dockers from the port employers struggle, is to ensure guarantees which we feel would lay the foundation for a solution of the situation on the docks today?

(Compare with the July 29 statement: It's either our Waterloo or the employers'.') Monday, August 14. 'Morning Star'.

Bernie Steer: 'Every day we have been on strike since the recalled delegates' conference has proved how right the dock- ers were not to trust the employers. How right we were.

'Until we can get a secure future in line with the demands of the shop stewards then the strike should continue.

Monday, August 14. Royal Group mass meeting on the eve of the second recalled delegates' conference.

Vic Turner, chairman of London stewards: 'I think we all realize that this is probably the last major battle we shall 'If we do not win this one they might be able to conduct. as well concrete the Royal Albert dock in.'

At the same meeting, Bernie Steer: 'Don't let this be a sell- out. If you do the next inquiry will be for a memorial for the industry to bury us all.'

Wednesday, August 16. 12 noon, Transport House, London.

Delegates accept the revamped Jones-Aldington third of Britain's dockers.

At Friends' House, concede defeat. Stewards refuse to national the verdict of the Euston. Bernie Steer reads stewards' committee: 'Essential guarantees for a lasting solution in the industry are determined the The committee way given. are in no problems in the industry must be solved once and for all.

'This can be achieved only by guarantees on the four points We endorsed at dock gate meetings throughout the ports. recommend to our members in the ports under our organiza- tion the continuance of the strike until our points are met.'

Thursday, August 17. Liverpool and London.

In London no meetings are held. On Merseyside the stewards' policy, decided at Friends' House is put to a mass meeting and carried by 6,000 votes to nil.

Dennis Kelly, Liverpool shop steward and docks delegate, Workers Press, We Vic Turner, Jack Jones, Bernie Steer under the eye of the police last Wednesday. speaking at the Pier Head, Liverpool: In the whole history of the trade union movement I don't think anyone has said chuck the fight when the fight is at its strongest. We're only halfway to ending this battle.

anyone who accepts Jones-Aldington is a lackey of the capitalist system. It is part of the plan to lick our strike, smash our trade union and make us docile workers.'

Friday, August 18, 9.30 a.m. Royal group of docks.

Vic Turner says: Jones-Aldington 'could be the answer if the shipping they could get guarantees from the employers, lines. the cold storage owners and all the other interests. But they can't get guarantees.

'We came out for job opportunities and you have won some of these by your action.'

(Compare this with Vic Turner before the delegates' meet- ing on August 14. No talk about concreting the dock in this time!) Friday, August 18. "The Times'.

"The NPSS Article by. Bernie Steer (national port shop stewards) is determined to do everything in its power to get the four-point policy accepted by the that be as a basis for a lasting powers industry' August 18, 1 p.m. London dockers' mass meeting, Friday, Plaistow. Vic Turner puts a recommendation not to keep the strike going until four points are won, but to keep out until Monday, while discussions in Liverpool are held.

This is the crunch. After a day's delay when maximum officials had despondency spread in ranks, after been the allowed to put Jones-Aldington propaganda over to the men, the London leaders fail to put the stewards' recommendation to the dockers.. What did Bernie Steer on July 29? It's either our What did Been Steers Say And what did he cry on August 14? 'Don't let there be a sell-out."

Sunday, August 20. Liverpool Pier Head.

Stewards recommend a return after meeting Steer and Turner. and we want Dennis Kelly says: 'We came out unanimously a unanimous vote on what we are going to put to you today.

There has been no defeat.'

Kelly changes fastest of all. Two days earlier he was warn- ing of the disaster Jones-Aldington would cause.

Monday, August 21. 'Morning Star'.

'Mr Steer said he was not disappointed at the Liverpool dockers' "return to work" decision.

right to decide for themselves. They • 'The men have a listened to what the shop stewards had to say and voted to follow the official line".

On August 14 he had warned that Jones-Aldington would lead to a situation where the industry would die.

POSTSCRIPT from the so-called 'Socialist Worker' (as always slavishly dragging behind the Communist Party).

Their leaflet issued at the height of the strike said: "The national port shop stewards' committee is a tried and tested leadership. Its four-point programme is really the minimum the desperate jobs crisis in dockland. It should solution to be supported to the hilt.'

have given the record of the docks strike We, however, particularly Turner and Steer in the words of its leaders, Party line limiting followed the Communist who faithfully demands to guarantees within Jones-Aldington and covering for the bureaucracy in the union lead by Jack Jones.

up ditching their own four-point policy and a They ended up series of mass meetings on Friday, August 18.

The lesson of this strike is that the dockers need a new political leadership that is prepared to fight for the only solu- tion to the dockers' problems: nationalization of the indus- try, without compensation under workers' control.

government down This means a fight to bring the Tory by organizing mass industrial action and replacing it with a Labour government pledged to socialist policies.

This is the the Socialist Labour League and the All Trades policy of Unions Alliance. Press, Wednesday August 23, 1972 PAGE 3

BY AN INDUSTRIAL REPORTER

AFTER eight-and-a-half weeks out on strike the assembly workers at Jaguar Cars, Coventry, part of the Leyland group, rejected an- other pay offer by the com- pany by 646 votes to 397.

The offer represented only a improvement on marginal company's offer of the previous week, giving slight improvements to some workers in the form of an interim flat-rate payment of £44 and a lump sum payment of workers already £80 to those getting £44. But included in the terms of the offer was a clause saying that there shall be discussions on a new flat-rate system of payment.

Jaguar workers came out on strike for a straight increase of pay without any strings attached in the form of commitment to productivity deals or Measured- Day Work. Whatever promises the local Fred Palmer officials, the Transport and General Workers' Union vehicle section and Andy Boyle of the engineers' union might make to the contrary, the majority of workers saw the opening of discussions on a flat- rate payment system as the thin end of the wedge for MDW.

The company's offer was arrived at after last week's over- whelming rejection of the pre- when national vious proposals, officials intervened and arranged a meeting with Leyland's top management representative, Pat Lowry, the local officials and the stewards: The offer that came from this meeting was put with the re- commendation of the official and the stewards. 'The stewards had massive re- servations,' said Andy Boyle, 'but this is not a bad deal. It is the best we could get at this point in time. There has been very heavy hardship' An angry questioner asked what was the point of the strike for those workers on the trim track who were already receiving £44 flat rate. 'We came out for nothing if we accept this,' he said. One of the last points made before the vote was taken was: "The same union officials stood up last week and told us that this was as much as we could get from the company. In two days they were back in negotiations' Leyland workers who have started collections for the Jaguar this fight strike, seeing as a against Leyland's intention to get MDW accepted in all their fac- tories, will have been strength- ened by the rejection of these latest proposals. clerks meet LIVERPOOL docks clerical work- ers who are still on stike will hold a mass meeting today to discuss the result of further negotiations between their repre- sentatives and the employers.

The 800 clerks-members of the Transport and General Work- ers' Union clerical section (ACTS) -want further assurances on job security and redundancies.

A fresh dispute flared at the docks yesterday as a result of the clerks' strike. More than 100 dockers walked off the SS 'Dido' in Huskisson dock, refusing to work under the direction of a non-staff man who had been put in by the employers to replace men on strike.

HOW HAPPY ARE

THE CLAY WORKERSP

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday Augu Lord Aldington who, apart from sitting English China Clay which over the last The right-wing leaders of the china clay workers in Corn- wall will be happy now that the dockers in Cornish ports have vowed to go back to work after the end of the official dock strike. But the energy that went into their organized provoca- against striking tions dockers might have been better spent in organizing against English China Clay, the mono- poly company that owns their industry. year ECC made Last over 800 workers redundant in a spate of drastic sackings at the close of its financial year on September 30. Now the company has re- leased the trading figures that prompted this. Sales up from £72m to £79m; profits up from £16m to £18m; dividend constant at £3,453,000.

LEADERSP

Where are the bold union leaders on this issue? Against the company that made 800 of their colleagues redundant and now declares increased profits - no action. Against dockers on strike to prevent redun- dancies in the ports—a protest march and an approach to day August 23, 1972 sitting on a committee with Jack Jones d r the last year has made over 800 workers r Jack Jones. Lord Aberconway, chairman of ECC, is still justifying the sackings. 'Conservation of cash was ancillary purpose of the an redundancy operation, • sub- ordinate only to the preserva- tion of the future health, strength and efficiency of the operation,' he says.

REDUCTION

clear This seems like a invitation to the men's leaders, in case it escaped their atten- tion in organizing the stunt against the dockers, to look to their own actions to preserve the future health and strength of their members, especially bearing in mind the high and growing unemployment in Britain. But His Lordship reveals more. In answer to the many share- holders who, learning of the redundancies, wrote suggesting that the dividend should per- haps be reduced, he replied: 'A reduction in dividend is unfortunately not a substitute for an operation to reduce an organization to a size consis- tent with current and prospec- tive market conditions. The fact is that a proper return on Jones discussing formulas for dock jobs ( workers redundant capital is as essential for a healthy business as is an or- ganization of the right size.'

In plain terms, sackings are preferable to a cut in dividend for shareholders. It is not hard to see why Lord Aberconway thinks this way. le personally owns Chine 1,744,273 shares in Clays—-worth today £2.25m— which put £45,000 into his way of dividend in pocket by the last 12 months, and a 2,489,757 further shares as a trustee, worth £3.25m, which Paid • out a cool £65,000 last year. As chairman of two engin- eering companies as well as of ECC, and as a director also of National Westminster the Bank and Westland Aircraft, Aberconway is not exactly hard up. His salary from China Clays went up 50 per cent last year from £5,000 to £7,500—or £150 a week. Out of his dividend alone from China Clays, he could have personally paid each of the 800 workers made redun- dant last autumn £3 per week for a whole year to tide them over. We doubt that he did.

But what is more important, we doubt that the organizers k jobs (above), Is also a director of of the anti-docker stunt asked him to. The point is this. The real enemy of the china clay workers is not dockers or others on strike but the com- mon enemy of all working men —the grasping capitalist.

If the ECC employees in Cornwall want further proof, Lord Aberconway supplies it.

Last year, the company made a £4,000 donation to British United Indastrialists, the viru- lently anti-union organization which is firmly behind the Tory government. The Aberconway money, déclared, went 'to further the cause of private enterprise.'

Somewhat less went to the men who were sacked. "To those in particular who had to be made redundant we give our thanks, our sympathy, and our very best wishes, His Lordship commented. FOOTNOTE: One other thing china clay workers do get, apart from their chairman's they sympathy when are sacked, is pneumoconiosis, the disease of the lungs caused by dust. Woolley and North Gawber branches of the National Union of Mineworkers have declared that they will sup- port any action taken by the Athersley Tenants' Associa- tion, Barnsley, to resist rent increases. Over 700 Athersley tenants have declared they will not pay the £1-per-week increase im- posed by the Labour-controlled Barnsley Council, which is to implement seeking Tories' 'fair rents' Act.

Labour alderman Brian Var- ley has said that 'parliamentary decisions are supreme'. He told tenants: 'It is the duty of citizens to carry out the law? Come off the Kick Out

THE TRIES

Rent Act

KON THE

AYMENS EY

THAT ANY

Brian Selon: Athersley tenants' secretary Not a single Labour coun- cillor voted against the rent increases, though two of them did screw up enough courage to abstain. the Athersley By contrast, Tenants' Association, which has passed a resolution calling for a Council of Action to be set up in Barnsley, is-to or- ganize a demonstration against the increases. NUM branch delegates will attend meetings of the associa- tion where the fight will be developed. The recent spate of mergers and takeovers continues un- abated. Imperial Tobacco have swooped on beer with a takeover of Courage and P&O Shipping are moving for Bovis, the building and civil engineering group. Now a giant combine in the electrical industry is in the offing. Thorn Electrical Indus- tries are in the process of com- pleting an agreed takeover bid for Plessey. When the deal goes through, it will create Britain's tenth largest company, with sales of profits of f70m a £725m and year. In addition, Thorn-Plessey will be the fifth electrical group in Europe. The cost of Thorn's bid is likely to be well over Plessey's stock market value of £300m. The £412m sales of Sir Thorn's empire are in Tules television and lighting, retailed in Britain. Plessey—led by Sir John Clark-sells telecommu- nications and capital electronic equipment, much of which is exported. The merger takes place in Preparation for Common Mar- entry. Both companies have been worried by competi- tion from the Dutch giant Philips, which has always been in a position to take over one or other of the British com- panies.

THE SMELL OF OIL AND REPRESSION

'The issue l've raised is not the result of Utopian thinking or political naïveté. It represents the only genuine democratic solution there is: the alter- native would be a dictatorship of an unforeseen nature. And we shall reach such a dictator- ship within a short time if a solution such as the one l've described is not reached.

'The problem exists and we cannot avoid it. Let's try to in a cool-headed resolve it manner while we are still cap- able of reasoning and not in the midst of chaotic situations when irrational factors impose their law? — Alvaro Alsogaray, April 22, 1972. Alvaro Carlos Also- garay's solution to 'the problem which exists and from which we cannot escape' is the resignation of the two presumed candidates to the 1973 Argentine presidential election: former Peron and current presi- dent Alejandro Lanusse. The dictatorship of 'an unforeseen nature' suggested by Alsogaray-three times a in government Minister Argentina — has all the signs of the Brazilian model. It smells of oil, it smells of Bunge and Born, it smells of Swiss and American pharma- products and other ceutical economic pressures. But since none of these factors could be mentioned publicly (it would threaten the unity of the military, the spectre of a Peronist triumph in the elections was raised instead, along with other ghosts which usually find an echo among the military: the growing power of the General Workers' Confederation (CGT), the politization of the univer- sity students and their pro- pensity towards the urban guerrillas and the government's apparent lack of ability to those hypothetical resolve dangers. Alsogaray brothers The the authors of were, in effect, the June 1966 coup which brought the military govern- ment to power in Argentina. A large part of the planning was in their homes and an made journalist astonished heard from the head of the Palermo barracks himself the announce- ment that the presideni would be toppled a month later.

North Korea's political par- ties proposed last weekend that a joint conference of all organizations political North and South Korea be tion. They said details of the agenda and date and venue of the conference should be decided by mutual consulta- tions. According to the North Korean central news agency the proposal was made public political parties and by 16 public organizations in headed by the Pyongyang, ruling Workers' Party. The two presidential candidates: Juan Pe between The friendship Alsogaray and the economic theoretician of the Brazilian 1964 coup, Manuel de Oliveira explains the ever- Campos, present possibility of an iron- fist type dictatorship which would the few evaporate remaining freedoms such as the freedom to unionize, freedom of the press and expression of political opinions. And in that case, if elections were to be held in Argentina they would be like Brazil's, for special echelons and with- out the opposition participa- tion. Alsogaray's alternative subtly suggests the cancellation of the elections should Peron present himself as candidate, a possibility which the Peronist grassroots movement is raising as its banner, though Peron has not spoken openly about it. But Alsogaray's suggestion is not new; the same idea was expressed by his brother, Gen Julio Alsogaray (then charge of the army's First Corps, with headquarters in Palermo) which translated itself into the defeat of Presi- dent Arturo Illia in the June 1966 coup. It is not by chance operation is called that the "The Alsogaray brothers' coup'.

Julio Alsogaray led the mobile units which took over the key spots in Buenos Aires that evening. Later he personally offered A joint statement issued by the parties said: 'North-South negotiations dialogue and should not be confined to the authorities in power or specific persons alone but be paved broadly by embracing all circles and strata, all parties and groupings.' The statement hoped for a from the 'positive response' South Koreans. Stressing that the nation's could not be reunification accomplished by the efforts of a few specific persons alone, the statement said: 'We sin- cerely propose to all the poli- tical parties and public organ- izations of South Korea to hold a joint conference of all poli- 3: Juan Peron (left) in earlier days. Right: presi the presidency to Lt-Gen Juan Carlos Ongania, after failing to obtain a formal resignation from President Illia. Later he was Chief of the Army in place of his colleague Pascual Pistarini (a pawn used during the coup but later dis- carded). Alvaro lasted longer with the Argentine revolution.

He was the theoretician of Article III in the Declaration of the 1966 revolution which did not revolutionize anything, but which confused every- thing. Later, perhaps as reward, he was appointed United ambassador to the States. Does Alsogaray hope to obtain enough votes to become president? No. He's not so foolish, and knows perfectly well that in present-day Argentina political tuture does not lie to the right. He knows he would come last in any confrontation with Peronist and Radical parties. It happened to him once before when he only obtained the votes of the aristocratic 'Barrio Norte' (northern neighbourhood). What does he hope for, then? First of all to continue in the political limelight and become a candidate during any emergency situation where the decisive arbiter would be the new military sector. Alsogaray's entire speech of April 22 is directed at the army, whose working he has tical parties and public organ- and izations of the North South. In view of the prevailing this conference situation, should. be convened as soon as possible and the detailed agenda, date and venue of the conference may be decided through mutual consultation.

"To this end, we consider it necessary for the representa- tives of all political parties and public organizations of North and South Korea to have bilateral or multilateral con- tacts at any place convenient to both sides. Top: Kim Il-sung of North Korea.

Right: President Park of the South Workers Press, Wedne Ight: president Alejandro Lanusse. Alsogaray is known inside out since officer days. All his advice, admonitions and rationaliza- tions are directed at his ex- comrades; his language is plain, direct, and very persuasive whether on a person to person level, or in TV broadcasts.

It convinces those who are easily convinced since the schemes are simplistic and his language full of technocratic terms. It is rumoured that his brother Julio can listen to him for hours; he actually thinks for both of them, as well as for many of his followers within the army. - An expert in empty diatribe, this captain-engineer has one thing against him: when he was Economy Minister-a post he held on repeated occasions —all his panaceas turned out to be completely fruitless and his totally programmes incapable of solving the coun economic try's fundamental problems. But when he realized that were no longer his services required, as he expected, he became a conspirator and changed from economic theo- retician into a pragmatic, if at times pedestrian plotter who finished off the constitutional governments of Presidents Frondizi and Illia. Alsogaray • has the habit of proposing great solutions; the difference now is that he's proposing a solution not only 35, Wednesday August 23, 1972 PAGE 5 ogaray is proposing that they both resign.

groups supporting to the General Lanusse — and to Lanusse himself—but the dis- tant Juan Peron, living in exile in Madrid. His is a combination of pro- posal and threat: If it is not me,' his proposal seems to say, 'chaos will take over. 'Lanusse the Weak will fall and he will be replaced by some strong guy, as strong as the Brazilians; and then we'll really have to say goodbye to the elections.' The elections are the key issue. does Although Alsogaray not 'dot the Is', it is obvious that he doesn't want them to take place unless they lead to a candidate of his choice and possibly himself (he has always been ready to 'sacrifice' himself for his country...)

Alsogaray doesn't approve of Lanusse but and Peron, rejects the latter in particular.

Not because he doesn't iike him personally (he once worked for Peron), but simply because he's aware that a people's government would postpone for many years the economic and social policies which are his raison d'être and that of his party 'Nueva Fuerza': The 1966 coup was, in effect, coup against Peron even a when, paradoxically, the exile in Madrid did not oppose the fol- coup and ordered his lowers in the army to 'lay-low'.

In the near future there could be another coup to prevent Peronism from taking over. The Islamabad government has activated the Pakistan Essen- tial Services against Act strikers in the telephone and telegraph offices. The Central Communica- tions Minister, Chulam Mustafa Jatoi, announced last weekend that to prevent 'dis- location' no staff would be allowed to go on strike and those already on strike must work within 24 return to hours. Earlier he had met repre- of Pakistan sentatives the Telecommunication Line Staff discuss their Union to demands. The Minister said he had tried to be as sympathetic and considerate as possible despite the fact that the union had not responded to his appeal to call off the strike in the national interest'.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday August 23, 1972

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SEAN HUDSON

happened in an interview with It is officially known as the "Bulletin', newspaper of the the Manhattan House of Workers' League. Detention for Men. It is before the day we released the Lindsay hostages situated at 125 White went on the made a air ana Street in lower Manhat- statement to the effect of "let them go, etc., etc." tan. 'We had meeting with Lindsay after the hostages That's about four blocks were released. We went down from City Hall where John to the dining room and we had Lindsay, the Republican- with two-hour conversation turned-Democrat Mayor ef him. And in everything that New York, holds court. we asked and spoke of. he was But to the inmates it has a cemen, even on alues y more evocative name. They call right! it the Tombs. * But the statement which It acquired this name in the 'I do not was the catch was power" 19th century when the pre- have the judiciary to building was still stand- "totally decide whether there To them it resembled an should be any indictments or Ing. Egyptian with win- tomb not stemming trom this or any 110 dows, no light and Bronze Age other criminal actions". "They didn't indict in Octo- amenities. When they ber. Then they came up with a pur up lie new building the 76-count indictment in January Backudile caracu on-and appropriately so. 1971. building During their long incarcera- 1v-slorcy whose design is reminiscent of trial Seven awaiting LIon Third Something out and many colleagues une Their Reich school of architecture. been drawn have into the There is virtually no natural study of Marxism. light inside. The corridors and Classes held are whenever cells are filthy; rats and vermin possible. Stanley King says: 'Here in gallop through the kitchens and recreation rooms. prison the brothers are strug- The prison's public relations and they're gling to know department admits that things struggling learn a lesson to aren't as modern as they per- that means life. haps should be. was 'A worker is struggling to designed during 1933-1934 He the live. has way to 'during the Depression', they struggle if he has a vanguard and party that can go places say. The Tombs what wie knows what to look for, how that will actions would laid remanu prison.

Like Brixton. It where allow the worker the oppor- held tunity to really transform him- prisoners pending are self and grow. trial or sentence. 'The between And like Brixton defendants is be for the prisoners and work- are supposed held only about 30 days. In fact it ing Cass unal one you spend that employed and work out Call up to a year behind bars just ployed. 'The system tries to tell you awaiting trial. The prisen has a capacity of that it's the criminal who tries 920, but it now holds from But steal you. The inmates are on charges reality the snatching of the goods is by the system. robbery to ranging trom petty although 55 per murder, cent The struggle of the inmates Marxism Eighty- understand are on Claces five per cent of them are black ceeds under the worst possible conditions. or Spanish-speaking. In October 1970 The whole might of the state inmates is bearing rioted against the appalling down on them conditions in the jail. all times. Guards are brutal. inflame After disturbance was They ine brutally quelled several of the with racialism. prisoners were framed and put Punishment is of the worst brutal order; the on trial for attempted murder, most insig- misdemeanour kidnapping and coercion. These nificant can mean isolation and the loss of men are known as the lombs Seven. all privileges. In this of letters They seized the auditorium selection grappling for five days and finally won the difficulties of of seeing with political questions their main demand are Mayor Lindsay. revealed. We have chosen from One of Tombs Seven, three for reproduction King, revealed what the 'Bulletin'. Stanley Comrades. My condition is only part of the struggle that other politi- cally conscious people in this country share in. conditions. Quareenwding excessive bail. at repression the hands guards, inadequate medical attention. inadequate tional and law facilities and the suppression of human dig- nity. All this is exposed by the Tombs Seven brothers and they are now on trial for their lives because they dare expose it.

think that reforms Do you should be initiated? Reforms have been theorized till they have been made to all on deaf ears. We must hange, but change what? Change that system allows underemployment, un- equal education and housing facilities; also allows racialism, drugs and profit for a few to ride the crest of a seemingly insurmountable while wave, labour cannot get a reasonable increase in wages; where war is now an everyday term, taxes skyrocket and military expen- ditures in excess of billions are made to seem reasonable; where the richest nation in the so-called free world allows hundreds of thousands of mas- ses of oppressed to remain ill- fed and poverty-stricken.

Is there any real wonder that there are overcrowded jails, courts and prisons?

Should the be system allowed to function where it jails teachers who strike for wages or incarcerate better men who oppose a morally un- just war? Left and below right: the Tombs are on the by a series of fortified footbridges which son the Tombs in October 1970 to break the occ Above: the windows are blackened so that v the Tombs is provided by the New York D Should not we be allowed our human dignity and pursuit of life, liberty and happiness?

Or should we just be slave wage earners so that the cor- porate capitalist monopoly pig can continue to make vast pro- fits off of the blood, tears and sweat of oppressed masses.

Those of that have us become aware of the problem also seek to answer it with a concrete solution. We must commit ourselves in all walks of life to changing this decadent system of capi- talism so that there will be freedom, justice, and equality for all. Oppressed people unite in the struggle for victory. Power to the Oppressed James Clark, 8th floor co-ordinator. Power Comrades, As one of the Tombs Seven, who is now on trial for a 74 stemming count indictment, from the protest of October 2-5, 1970, I take this time to question the so-called public who has protested the slaughter of the Vietnamese people by the racialist elements in this country, I question those who march, in the name of peace and justice for all the oppres- sed people of the world. • Tombs are on the right, the Criminal Courts building on otbridges which some call the 'Bridges of Sighs'. Beiow fa 70 to break the occupation of the auditorium which the pri so that virtually no natural light can get in. Be oy the New York Department of Correction in vans such My question is this: how do you find it possible, to protest injustice throughout the world, with over 100,000 marchers in New York alone, and yet you can't even find time to attend a trial that is a people's trial?

Yes, we who are incarce- America's con- rated, within centration study- camps are ing Marxism and Leninism, changing our outlook towards life, bettering our mental con- ditions, so that when we do return to society we are no longer the robbers, rapers, murderers and the abusers of the people. For we now know what the problem is, and why we have acted as enemies of the people!

There are two systems in play today: one for them, one for us. Then our comrades say to us, the working class is our salvation! We have must patience, when the working class are fed up with their persecution, then and only then, will justice be served!

But we who are truly op- pressed say 'No'. We will not wait until all America is op- pressed before gain we our freedom. White America is too contented with their lot to consider our plight. nooday Augual 23, 1972 PAGE 7 | Courts building on the left. They are joined • Beiow far left: armed police enter itorium which the prisoners held for five days.

light can get in. Below left: travel to or from as these Are we to wait for our op- pressors to prepetrate a uni- fied oppression, before we can be free? Must all the working class become dissatisfied before the chains of slavery are removed?

These are profound ques- tions. They are asked by us the the slaves. What are answers? Bro. Curtis Brown Dear Editor. I write this letter to ask for the people, the poor people, my people, to render help in these trying times... I have had enough. I am on the verge of a com- plete mind-blowing, and when that happens I feel somebody is going to pay. They are killing and ciding my brothers and sisters.

a person who keeps I am my cool. But the time is run- ning out. All I want is revenge.

This concentration camp of this fascist government is up- setting me. Help me not to do anything out of the way. For if I go and lose my cool now they will and that is what they win want. Your brother in struggle, V.S.

From the Dockers' Tanner Strike 1889 to Devlin 1967. An historical series on the organization of the dockers by Jack Gale

DOCKERS IN WAR-TIME

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Wednesday Augu From the Dockers' Tann

PART 6

Between General Strike and the outbreak of World War Il, the employers held the whip- hand on the docks. Unemployment among dock in the 1930s labourers hovered consistently between 30 and 40 per cent. By 1931 dock registers had been savagely reduced from their 1925 figures. In Bristol the register was reduced by 17.8 per cent, in Cardiff by 33.8 per cent, in Grimsby by 12.9 per cent and in Liverpool by 13.2 per cent.

In Newport the cut was 14 per cent, in Southampton 10.1 per cent, in Swansea 16 per cent and on the Tees 7.1 per cent.

The biggest reductions of all were in London and Hull- 36.2 per cent and 34.2 per cent respectively. Only once in the 1930s (in 1937) did total tonnage handled in the docks exceed the 1929 figure. What this meant to the bosses was gleefully explained by one of their representatives: 'During the morning I would tell the foreman that we should need another gang at 1 p.m., and at 12.45 p.m. there would be several hundred men fight- ing tor the 13 Jobs on ofter.'

When war broke out, of course, dockers were vitally needed. But far from being able to achieve lasting im- provements in their conditions, they had even more of their rights lightly thrown away by their union leaders. The union rule-book was torn up. _ compul- Overtime became sory. Dockers were often made to work from 8.00 a.m.-10.00 p.m., sometimes for as many as 16 consecutive days. Piece-rates were often cut— for example in 1942, rates on London docks for unloading petrol cans were cut from 5s to 2s 4d per 100. Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin's wartime Dock Labour Scheme-—introduced in June 1940—placed the men at the mercy of the bosses and the Port Labour Authorities. It was known to dockers every- where as the 'slave scheme'.

For one thing it meant that men could be directed at a moment's • notice from, say, to Swansea, London, Man- chester, Hull or Southampton.

If they refused, they were suspended without pay. Conscious efforts were made to split dockers from different ports or even within the same port. instance the Essential For Work (Dock Labour) Order gave a minimum wage of £3 6s.

But Merseyside and Clyde- side was placed under the Ministry of War Transport Scheme and got a minimum wage of f4 2s. And the essential Works Order divided dockers into three categories. was required to Grade A complete 11 turns per week £3 6s minimum. got Grade B had to do nine turns and got £2 4s. Grade C had to do six turns and got El 16s.

Altogether there were some 30 strikes per year on the docks during the war, despite the wartime regulation 1305 strikes illegal which made pending binding • arbitration through the Ministry of Labour. ( The union leaders con- sistently sought to betray these struggles as, for example, in the Arbitration Award dispute on the Tyne. This award, signed in th sday August 23, 1972 's Tanner Strike 1889 to Devlin 196 December 1941 (Tyneside dockers were organized in the General and Municipal Workers' Union), cut the lieu' rate which had been established by custom at 23s per shift, down to 16s 4d. The men struck work during May 1942, but were defeated due to the collaboration of the union leaders with the govern- ment and the employers. Following this dispute the union agreed to a reduction in the size of shore gangs on Tyneside. When a further dispute broke out in that area in 1944 ships' over the removal of hatches, the union disbanded the local branch and with the co-operation of the employers only allowed back men who agreed not to act against the leaders' 'advice' Another major dispute was on Merseyside in 1943 where dockers struck work over the suspension of 34 men for refusing to work more than hours' overtime. (By a two of local complicated system payment, men who worked more than two hours overtime actually got less money than if they didn't work it!) The Merseyside dockers were also incensed because they had received no wage increase since June 1940.

The Merseyside battle raged around the issues of the port authorities dictatorial powers and a demand for a basic wage of fl per day. Again this struggle was sold out by the union leaders and the Com- munist Party. Throughout the war the coalition government-with the support of the Communist Party-was ready to use troops against the dockers. Indeed in 1944 a Private Lambert of the Pioneer Corps was sentenced to 16 months' 'desertion' imprisonment for because he refused to scab on striking Cardiff dockers.

As the war drew to its close, the employers sought to tighten their grip on the dockers.

In particular they tried to reduce the piece rates granted during the Second Front campaign and revert to the pre- war rates. Three weeks after VE day, the employers sought to revise tonnage scales to a level below anything paid dur- ing the war. The government, of course, was only too ready to assist the port employers-as they did by introducing the 'continu- ity rule' in 1944 on the London docks. This gave the employer much tighter control over the dockers in his gangs. But the dockers were deter- mined to fight back. March 1945 saw the London dock strike-the biggest since 1926. dockers, who had The only Is per day received increase in wages since the war were demanding started, an inquiry into mal-administration of the National Dock Labour Corporation. and General Transport Workers' Union officials who sought to get a return to work.

were howled down at mass meetings at Canning Town Hall. The government brought in 2,000 troops to use on the docks during this strike, which the 'Daily Worker' condemned as 'a tragic dispute' It was during this strike that London dockers produced leaflet declaring that 'Since its inception the National Dock Labour Corporation has been dismissing suspending and hundreds of port workers for the most trivial offences.

vlin 1967. An historical series on th NDLC officials, the dockers• engaged in tyranny claimed, and continual persecution'.

In the absence of an altern- ative leadership, however (the Communist Party was solidly against any strikes, as we shall show later), the battle was lost. But it broke out again in July-this time over employers' attempts to force the London dockers back to pre-Second Front piece rates.

The men refused to work piece rates and reverted to day work. During this dispute the London employers suspended over 1,500 men for refusing to carry out piece work. The Labour government- elected only a few weeks before with massive working class support (particularly solid in the docks areas) sent troops into Surrey docks.

Union leaders and Com- munist Party members did all they could, particularly in pre- venting contact and united action between London and northern men. Especially active in • this respect was the general secre- tary of the Stevedores' Union —Barratt, a member of the Communist Party. During this strike a 'Pro- committee' gressive was formed on the London docks with the avowed intention of starting and working in collaboration with similar com- mittees in other ports. The Stalinists fought bitterly against this committee and after two months the London dockers were forced to return to the old piece rates. In October 1945, 30,000 northern dockers were joined by London and Tilbury men in a strike for 25s per day and a 40 hour week. In Liverpool, Hull and London, monster meetings passed votes of no confidence their union leaders. But, again, these leaders, assisted by the Communist Party, fought to restrain the move- ment. It this strike which was Harry Pollitt was to denounce as ill-advised' at the Com- munist Party Congress. The union leaders collabor- ated with the employers throughout the war and saved ur- them at the end. The Labour government, of course, had such overwhelm- ing support from the working class that within one day it could have nationalized the docks, confiscated the em- ployers' profits and legislated the dockers demands for 25s per day basic pay and a 40 hour week. (The shipping lines —particularly Cunard-had made enormous profits during the war, despite the sinkings.?)

the social democrats But preserved capitalism and, with it, private ownership on the docks. The most pernicious role of all, however, was played by the Communist Party. This organization became a con- scious strike-breaking force.

After at first opposing the war, while the Stalin-Hitler Pact held good, the Communist Party became the strongest supporters of the Churchill coalition government after Hitler invaded Russia. At the 1942 conference of the Communist Party, general secretary Harry Pollitt had this to say about strike-breaking on the docks: I salute our comrade, a docker from Hull, who was on a job unloading a ship with a cargo urgently wanted. When the rest of the dockers struck work, he s on the organization of the dockers The Stalinists became the strongest supi ment. They opposed strikes and urged fought against it because.. he believed that the course of action he was recommending would get what was wanted without a strike. What courage, what sacred spirit of real class consciousness, to walk on the ship's gangway and resume his "That is not strike-breaking.

It sounds peculiar. It can be misunderstood." This attitude was not con- fined to Britain. the Daily In America Worker' proclaimed that strikers were scabs and vice- versa! "Those who violate the no-strike pledge are scabs and should be so treated." This support for the Tories restricted to the was not industrial front. The Stalinists maintained political support for the In Churchill government. particular they observed the political truce (the agreement the main parties by which agreed not to oppose the candidate of the sitting party in by-elections). Pollitt told the Communist Party Congress in 1942: "The stand taken by our party in regard to by-elections has been firm and clear: to support the government candidates whatever their shortcomings. 'We want to deal with some of the difficulties that are said to stand in the way of our Party members when they take part in by-elections and recommend the people to vote candidate for a government who happens to be a Tory.."

This Stalinist policy of sup- porting capitalism—particularly by opposing strikes-continued after the war. It was part of Stalinism's policy of dividing the world with the imperialists and main- taining bourgeois government's in the imperialist half. In "The Problem of Pro- duction', Harry Pollitt de- clared: 'Every man and woman, therefore, who is prepared to fight for freedom from want must regard the wartime increase of production, not as a menace to be feared, but as a great ally on their side.

• 'We believe that the whole of Britain's productive re- sources can be far more fully used even under the present capitalist system of pro- duction . • It demands a complete break with what Mr dockers by Jack Gale Eden rightly called "the economic anarchy of the old days"! What this meant in practice emerged at the Communist Party's 18th in Congress November 1945, where Pollitt faced criticisms of the Party's role during the dock strike.

Pollitt replied: 'On the dock strike, I took the view that if our party had been compelled to stick its head out in difficult situations during the war and compel our comrades to be stigmatized as strike-breakers, we are not compelled to repeat that in days of peace, but we would examine every dispute on its merits' 'The "Daily Worker" re- ported the facts. It is true we gave no lead for ten days, but that is no crime, because we considered that strike ill-advised. If some of our comrades were in diffi- culties in the docks, well, are always in communists difficulties.' None of the post-war history on the docks can be understood except in the con- text of the rescue of British capitalism by the reformists and Stalinists. The deep-felt desire among all sections of the working class to have done with capitalism— expressed in the annihilation of Tory Party in the 1945 election (while the Communist Party was still calling for a coalition with 'progressive' Tories)-shows that the docks could have been taken away from the employers there and then. The dockers' struggles since 1945 could not be resolved— and cannot still apart from the construction of a leader- ship that is prepared to take away this property from its capitalist owners.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

" David F. Wilson, 'Dockers: The iripact of industrial change, p. 63. • Cunard Steamship Co, in the worst year of the war for ship- ping losses, made a profit of £312,127; Cunard White Star increased its profits to £659,000 and paid £500,000 in dividends. 3 Robert Black, 'Stalinism in Britain', p. 171. " US 'Daily Worker' June 19, 1944. Mr 5 Robert Black op. cit. p. 172.

Idi Amin, the blood- thirsty Ugandan dictator and British stooge, is being billed in Moscow as an anti-imperialist defying the British lion. His decision to expel the 80,000 Ugandan Asians was praised in 'Izvestia' last week as a means 'to place the eco nomy of the country under national control and protect it from foreign domination'.

This thesis was pretty thin when Amin was planning only to expel those Asians holding roreign passports. Now that he has decided to expel all the Asian Ugandan citizens as well it is little short of ridi- culous. Amin and his gangster lieut- enants are in any case only interested in the loot. The bene- fit to the African masses whose political and trade parties unions Amin has destroyed will be minimal. This is not how 'Izvestia' sees it, however. According to this official Kremlin organ, 'Uganda has lately been the target for undisguised imperi- intimidation and pres-. alist sure' Western it propaganda, among other things. state', And it adds: 'The situation in Africa today is such that there is little hope of achiev- ing anything by the imperial- ist policy of arm-twisting and waging a war of nerves against countries that are car- rying out social and economic reforms, and conducting vigor- ous anti-imperialist and anti- colonialist policies'. Applied to Uganda this is arrant nonsense. Amin is a product of British imperialism whose 'social and economic reforms' include smashing the workers' organi- zations, banning strikes and making the country safe for the big British monopolies.

The Kremlin is well aware of Amin's record and its state- ments are simply an attempt at ingratiation with the Ugan- dan president. Since their military advisers were rushed out of Egypt the Soviet leaders have been seek- ing new friends in East Africa.

Amin is no doubt a suitable candidate to inherit the anti- imperialist mantle of Sudanese general Numeiry. Like Numeiry he tolerates no 'leftist' nonsense and the Krem- lin can deal with him on a strictly businesslike basis.

The fate of the Ugandan Asians or of the Ugandan trade unionists now in prison is of no concern to the Krem- lin cynics.

HIJACKERS

Ten urban guerrillas from the Argentine People's Revo- lutionary Army escaped from jail last week and forced a hi-jacked airliner to land them in Chile. If they expected a comradely welcome from the Popular Unity government they were gravely mistaken. President Salvador Allende's police threw them in jail and he assured Argentine presi- dent Alejandro Lanusse that he would leave it to the courts to decide whether to give them political asylum. Top loft: Kremlin supported Amin. Rig jailer Allende The court in question is héaded by Judge Urrutia, a notorious right-winger who re- cently ordered the Yarur tex- tile enterprise to be handed back to its former owners after workers had taken it over. Even Allende's own Socialist Party favours giving the ten refugees asylum, but when the Communist Party under- secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, was asked Vergara, about this he said it was not his place to give them the right of asylum. Thẹ Communist_Party has been urging Allende to sup- press the MIR (Left Revolu- tionary Movement), the local revisionist section of the Unified Secretariat, with which the Argentine guerrillas are also associated. They are determined to pre- serve good relations with the Argentine military regime.

Allende recently visited Argentina and Lanusse paid a return visit to Chile. These relations would be endangered if the guerrillas were allowed to stay. The Popular Unity coalition has been hailed by the British Communist Party as a vindica- tion of its 'peaceful road to socialism' policies. This now looks more like the peaceful road to the jailhouse door.

• Amin. Right: Numelry. Above: hi-jacker Degrees and titles will in future be taken away from Soviet academics, including university professors and doctors, if their behaviour is as 'unpatriotic and regarded immoral', according to 'Kom- somolskaya Pravda'. This move follows new ministerial instructions …on stricter measures providing controls on the award of new academic titles and degrees.

The main purpose of these instructions was to eliminate the practice of 'padding' a thesis and borrowing large chunks of research from pre- • vious researchers. A spokesman for the USSR Culture Ministry was quoted by the paper as saying that action was all too infrequently taken against academics who did not behave in accordance position. 'This with their practice must be corrected,' he said. Workers Press, Wednesday August 23, 1972 PAGE 9 More than 35,000 North-East youngsters will leave school next' year and most of them will go straight on to the dole.

House prices as we all know Tob vacancies for boys and over 30 per are soaring by girls are down by more than cent year. But property 20 per cent in the region, com- Ronald Lyon has no tycoon pared with this time last year.

problems where that's con- Already 6,451 people under cerned 18 are registered as unem- The head of the large Lyon ployed in the Northern region has of companies, he group and there are only 1,820 un- home for just bought a new filled vacancies for them in himself. The 3,660-acre Long- youth employment offices.

Estate near Winchester wood Many of those who left cost him the small sum of last year school have yet to £3m. jobs. In Sunderland 720 find The main house, which he youth are without work, will use as a country retreat, Gateshead 242, in South is still being built. It will have Shields 291, and in Newcastle bedrooms and four bath-

SIX

more than 900. rooms. The estate has 30 other In Gateshead, seven boys houses and 2,320 cottages, already chase every vacant acres of agricultural land and job and the 'careers' officer 500 acres of woodlands. says things are getting worse. Eighteen months when ago, the lease of his flat in Gros- venor House ran out, he spent £1m another property on By next summer thousands of Park Lane. people throughout the country, Mr Lyon also owns two Rolls Royces, an ocean-going who it present rely on cheap overnight lodgings, yacht and penthouse may be in forced to sleep rough. Majorca. He is rumoured not Press Workers recently to be a short of a few bob.

reported on the rapid increase in the. number of homeless people the election of since the Tory government (see Note- book, August 18). Other surveys show that the There was quite a party down number of beds available for at the governor's residence in the homeless is just as rapidly Mauritius the other day. declining the building as Sir Len Williams, once the speculators move in to grab the Labour Party's general secre- profits. tary, was welcoming Hu Manchester, which had 1,523 Ching-jui, the chargé new common lodging house beds in d'affaires Chinese at the 1962, now has only 293. embassy. In London, Butterwick Among the sparkling throng House, Hammersmith, which at the luncheon was Sir had 750 beds. has been sold Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the for office and hotel develop- Minister, Prime and other ment. senior government officials.

The London Borough of China aid of came to the Southwark has over one-sixth the Mauritian government with of inner London's . common credits Ram- generous when house beds, but lodging the goolam declared a state of development of the Hay's emergency and put down the Wharf and the surround- site left-wing

MMM

earlier this ing area means that a mass of year. over-night accommoda- cheap Sir Len was well known will be lost through tion the during his period as a Labour building of offices, hotels and Party functionary for his hos- luxury flats. tility to the left, yet he and It is thought that by Hu Ching-jui now seem to get next summer the problem will have on famously. And it's not Len reached massive proportions.

who's changed.

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday August 23, 1972 SEAN COULSTON is a 26 - year - old building in the last two years. worker from Sheffield. In the building trade we're not taking 8 per cent. It is not He joined the Union of sufficient to our needs. Construction, Allied Trades Speaking as young blood ir and Technicians at the outset the trade union movement-and this young blood is beginning to of the building workers' strike and immediately took a lead- back ing role in picketing to extend socialism. the strike. He is now a mem- working class built the The ber of the five-man Sheffield and the trade unions trade strike committee. unions built the Labour Party. He told Workers Press: Socialism is Labour socialism.

This is another thing we've got At this moment things are to establish throughout the trade still not going fast enough union movement once again.

to support building workers out In building My my opinion all aim six or seven weeks. should be contractors nation- site and works to close every alized. and anything concerned with the building trade and materials.

I think it is the duty of the next government to get this done.

dockers and In my opinion I think it Personally, is one Transport of the and drivers the first things that they should General Workers Union should bring into parliament. 'black' all building materials in this country and try to make the While the Tories have tried 100 per trade union movement to split us now by bringing up cent in the building industry.

the issue of the public works if department, we were all If we 100 cent now were per would nationalized all be wouldn't be fighting for £30 we we one and this would unity the y for 35 hours. 'If dockers give us union let's hope that in trade movement. their support, them the future we can give Prior to the strike, Sheffield ours. was not thought to be a strong- hold of building-industry trade The Sheffield public works unionism, Sean Coulston reciled.

But as department isn't out yet.

building worker I feel it a fellow 'But I would like to let other should that includes city be; building workers know we're engineers regardless of who con- job', he said. doing good Tory or Lab- trols the councils, personally hope for 100 per cent our. membership when trade union As we all know it's the Tories' won our claim.' I would like information about Fill in and send to NATIONAL the form below

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Or Full subscription (six days) for months. Name Address Amount enclosed £ The Medway building workers' ac mittee plans to have all sites in th still out TWO HUNDRED men at Chat- ham naval base, who were ex- pected to return to work yester- day are now unlikely to go back until Friday. The men are on waiting time' until safety measures are com- pleted, and are taking the action to back up a national pay claim.

Priority was given to a nuclear powered submarine, HMS War- spite', which was undergoing major refit, but a spokesman for the men said he doubted if any work on the submarine would start until Friday at the earliest.

Talks on UCS work-in TALKS which could lead to the 14-month-old work-in al ending the at the Upper Clyde Shipyards are to be held in Glasgow this evening. Shop stewards have arranged to meet representatives of Govan Shipbuilders, who are_to take over the Govan and Scotstoun yards, and Marathon Manufac- who have turing Company, already taken over the Clydebank yard. Smith, official liquid- Robert ator of UCS, is also expected to attend. aim is to settle a pro- The cedural agreement between unions and Govan Shipbuilders.

A similar agreement with Mara- thon was signed a fortnight ago.

Prison strike over death THREE HUNDRED men at near Lowe- Blundeston prison, stoft, Suffolk, struck yesterday protest over the death of a prisoner on Sunday. The protesters allege that the man, a diabetic, died because of inadequate treatment and lack of a proper diet, said PROP, the prisoners' union 'The strike will continue throughout the day, and the prisoners are demanding the the right be present at to inquest, it said. coroner's an Theserver to det inquest and an independent demand public inquiry into medical facilities at the prison. WORK was normal yesterday at Halewood plant, where Ford's production of more than 600 cars has been lost through stoppages since Friday. The latest interruption came on the night shift early yesterday, when a number of men on the final assembly line repeated their Friday night complaint about safety. While company officials were rearranging work schedules to minimize the number of lay-offs, rkers' action com- within the next tr pulled out sites a tes in the area out READERS may remember that West Bromwich town council was one of the few in the country which came out firmly against implement- ing the Tory government's 'fair rents' Act. At a special meeting on the majority Labour group • reversed its previous antly decision. The resolution passed was in the worst reformist Labourite traditions. 'That the Housing Finance Act, having become operative on August 10, 1972, and in view of the public statements behalf of Her Majesty's govern- ment to the effect that the amount by which the rents of council dwellings will rise as a result of the Act need not exceed, on average, 7% per cent, this council instructs that as a matter of urgency, an approach be made to the government with a view to the implementation in West Bromwich of rent increase for council dwellings, having regard to that statement.

The Tory minority successfully amended the resolution ensure that the council's officers prepare and present the required material the Minister to ensure a smooth transition to implementing the Act. The optimistic figure of 77 per cent is apparently drawn from a passing reference by Heath in an interview with Robin Day on Panorama: it is an aver- age figure, including Scotland and Wales and rent rises in West Bromwich would very likely be higher than this. In proposing the resolution, Labour councillor Dr Roy assured all present that he was acting in the best interests of the elec- torate. To oppose the Bill was said. But the situa- thing he tion had to be reappraised now the Bill was an Act. several hundred assembly-line workers decided to go home about two hours before normal finishing time. Earlier on Monday, 2,000 day- shift workers had to be sent home because of a walk-out by who complained ten painters about the high noise level in the work area. A company spokesman said that the day shift was working normally, including e next two weeks. Yesterday pickets it sites at Sheerness and Upchurch.

He stressed that reappraisal better than having a Tory hous- ing commission set up in West Bromwich. Other Labourites were inspired to defend their resolution by condemning the Tories for not having 'had the guts' to introduce it themselves when they were in power. The disgusted tenants watch- ing this performance were also reminded that the Labour group had every right to ask the Min- ister to be lenient! The general sentiment among the 20-odd Labour members who voted for the sell-out (with full support of the gleeful Tories) was that it was 'better to settle for something reasonable, even if we have to bend our principles a little'. Nine other Labour members the council walked out of chambers before the vote was taken-their abstentions had pre- viously been agreed upon.

Dennis Bufton, Only one, voted against the motion and he will be up for disciplinary action before the local Party executive 'very soon'. According to one executive member the rebel is usually 'a very good solid bloke'.

So will they expel someone who stuck to 'the party's original positimain in the harbe allowed 'Bending' principles had landed the local Labour Party bureaucracy in yet another dilemma which they will have to squirm out of. They will also •have to face increasingly strong and organized resistance from the 30,000 tenants in the area.

The treachery of the Labour- ites is fast increasing awareness that the fight against the Tories and their 'fair rent' Act involves a fight against the leaders of the Labour Party itself.

ITV

9.45 Mr. Benn. 10.00 Robinson 10.50 Film: "Trouble Brewing'.

Play tennis. 10.50- Crusoe. 10.25 George Formby. 12.20 Women 11.00 Noggin and the omruds. 12.45 Freud on food. 1.10 Nai today. 12.25-12.50 zindagi naya Bellbird. Race to the White 1.25 Sean the lepre- jeevan. 1.00 1.40 Woobinda. 2.05 1.30 Pandy chaun. House. Andy 1.45 Castle 2.30 Tale News and 1.53-2.18 haven. of a weather. 3.00 Houseparty. 3.15 Dr 4.15 Play school. tower. Disc a dawn. 4.40 Jackanory. 4.55 Come glid- Simon Locke. 3.45 Tales of Edgar 5.44 Wallace. 4.40 Hatty 4.55 5.20 Little Sir town. ing. women. 5.50 Little big time. 5.20 Ace of Prancelot. News and 5.50 News. weather. wands.

NATIONWIDE.

6.00

6.00 TODAY.

6.50 TOM AND JERRY: "South-

CROSSROADS.

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7.00 WHICKER:

•Within a 6.55 RYAN AND RONNIE. Guest Woman's World'. Ken Dodd.

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

7.25 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:

8.00 THE BENNY HILL

SHOW.

"The Rebel'. 9.00 THE MAIN CHANCE: 'One 8.10

DRAMA

PLAYHOUSE:

For the House'. 'Sutherland's Law'. Man

NEWS AT TEN.

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TONY

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At the 9.00 NINE O'CLOCK NEWS and 10.30 Talk of the Town with Billy weather.

WAR:

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TOTAL

'Grand Eckstine. Strategy'. 11.00

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DOWN

TO EARTH.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

THE RACE TO THE WHITE

11.45 11.00 US Elections Richard Ingrams.

HOUSE.

72.

12.00 CHRISTIANITY IN ADVER-

LATE NIGHT NEWS.

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SITY.

11.35

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.35

9.25 FILM:

"The Southerner. University. Zachary Scott, Betty Field.

Open 7.30 NEWSROOM and weather. A migratory worker de- 8.00

TIMES REMEMBERED ...

cides to become a tenant children from abroad. by farmer in Texas. Directed 8.10

MAN

ALIVE:

The Right by Jean Renoir. Time to Die'.

FOLLOW

THE

RHINE:

9.00 10.55 NEWS ON 2 and weather.

Worms to Rudesheim'.

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Johnny Morris. A MASS meeting of 750 engineers at Scott- holidays. Many at 1 Lithgow's Ferguson shipyard, Greenock, yes- last week's settlem Confederation of S terday voted to continue their I0-week pay ing Unions' claim. strike. Their claim is for more pay and longer

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CHANNEL: 2.25 Fiddler on the road. 3.05-3.55 Hadleigh. 4.05 Paulus. 4.20 Puffin. 4.25 Good afternoon. 4.55 London. 600 Kin News and weather. 6.10 F troop.

6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county.

ST- 9.00 London. 11.45 News and weather French. Epilogue. AY. Weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.20 News News. 11.47 6.00 Diary. 11.44 Faith for life. SOUTHERN: 12.55 News and weather. 1.00 Let them live. 1.25 Hot dog. 1.50 Market Common cook book. 2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 Let's face it. 3.00 Danger man.

4.00 Houseparty. 4.15 Enchanted house. 4.30 Crossroads. 4.55 London. 6.00 Day by day. 6.35 Get this. 7.00 London. 8.00 FBI.

9.00 London. 12.00 News. 12.10 Weather. Guideline. Many at the meeting were critical of s settlement at national level of the tion of Shipbuilding and Engineer-

NOW OPEN

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 9 a.m.—6 p.m. Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Workers Press, Wednesday August 23, 1972 PAGE 11 London. 10.30 Odd couple. 11.00 London. ULSTER: 4.30 Romper room. 4.50 News. 4.55 London. 6.00 News. Viewfinder. 6.10 6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county. 9.00 London. 10.30 World War I. 11.00 London.

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3.00 Sound of 3.15 Delta. 4.10 News. 4.15 Crossroads. 4.40 Sean the leprechaun. 4.55 Lon- don. 6.00 Calendar news, weather.

UFO.

6.05 7.00 London. 8.00 Jason King. 9.00 London. 10.30 11.00 London. 11.45 Blue light. Weather. GRANADA: 2.25 Freud on food.

3.40 Towards the 2.45 Seaway. News. Peyton lace. 4.40 Sean the leprechaun.

2000. 6.00 News. 4.55 London. 6.30 Odd Lancashire artists. 7.00 London. 8.00 Cade's couple. 9.00 London. 10.30 Dick county. 's Law, BBC 1, 8.10 р.m. Van Dyke. 11.00 London.

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Talking 3.30 hands. Locke. 2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 Junkin.

3.45 4.15 Ugliest girl in town. 3.00 Sound of 3.15 Calling : 4.10 News. 4.15 Tinkertainment. 4.30 Crossroads. Doctor Gannon. 4.55 London. 6.01 Report West. Crossroads. 4.40 Make a wish. 6.15 Report Wales. 6.30 On the 4.55 London. 6.00 News. 6.05 buses. 7.00 London. 8.00 Jason 6.30 Perils of Pauline. Shirley's King. 9.00 11.45 Fright- London. 7.00 8.00 worid. London. Jason 12.15 Weather. eners. King. 10.30 Fiddler 9.00 London.

HTV

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6.00 News. 6.15 4.55 London.

ANGLIA: (

1.40 World War I. 2.05 Calendar special. 6.30 Band call. 3.00 Rovers. 2.30 Women today.

7.00 London. 8.00 Cade's county.

3.45 Yoga. London. 3.15 Referee. 9.00 London. 10.30 Festival. 11.00 4.10 Cartoons. 4.30 News. 4.15 London. 11.45 call. 11.50 Late Romper room. 4.55 London. 6.00 McCue's music. About Anglia. 6.35 London. 8.00 Cade's county. 9.00 London.

GRAMPIAN:

3.37 News. 3.45 Yoga. $ 40 4.10 Women today. ATV MIDLANDS: 3.10 Horoscope.

Enchanted house. 4.55 London. 3.25 Paulus. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 6.00 and News weather. 6.10 Women Shirley's 6.20 Canadian today. 4.10 Grampian week. Magic 4.55 6.35 8.00 Depart- world. 4.40 ball. view. London. London. ment S.

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9.00 London. 11.45 Scales of justice. THE NEWALL machine-tool £381,000. A further year £218,000 off was written to company of Peterborough has account for the writing down of just announced a net loss of Turnover slumped unsold stocks. £600,000 over the last year.

from f6.lm to £3.9m. compares profit of 2244,000 for 1978-1971.

This with Newall, which has sacked 30 cent of its labour force in per 12 the past months, is now reported to be short of cash.

Only last September the firm rejected a f2m Tube offer from Investments itself now in cial troublesaying it had 'ex- cellent prospects for the future.'

Now Newall, the latest victım the continuing slump in the machine tool industry, has arranged with its financial adviser, merchant bankers Lazard PRODUCTION of the Man- Bros, for a full investigation into chester 'Evening News' the group's affairs. was The group's high-precision jig- affected yesterday by a stoppage.

boring machines, many of which of 100 journalists. They held a go to the aircraft industry, have prolonged after- noon chapel (office branch) meet- sold well. But the grinding side ing during production hours over machine of the business, mostly servicing the car industry, a pay dispute. The has slumped badly. first two editions of the This is also an indication that paper appeared normally, but a motor manufacturers are not re- management spokesman said only tooling for the future. further edition would be one Newall's trading deficit for the printed. Moscow Trials Anthology Paperback, 62}p

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PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wadnoaday August 23, 1872 No explanation was given as

BY PHILIP WADE

to how the number of four was Police officers said arrived at. more would be considered in- FOR THE second day timidatory. running police yesterday Under the threat of arrest tried to break up a build.

pickets moved away and the elec- tricians went in under police ing workers picket line escort In a few minutes they outside the new Stock were out, however, saying they work while building retused to Exchange building in the were being intimidated workers City of London. by police. On Monday, police had arres- Pickets were out early in ted a picket outside the Stock Exchange, symbol the morning to try and per- the of capi- talism and speculation itself. suade electricians not to Police had the cross their line. But the approached pickets and asked who was in police moved in swiftly, The federation steward charge allowing only four men to forward stepped and was man the line. promptly arrested for obstruction and assault of a police officer.

"The police deliberately are taking away our right to picket,

ALL TRADES. UNIONS

a Union of Construction, Allied

ALLIANCE MEETINGS

Trades and Technicians steward from the Fleet 'Sun' Street and

OFF ALL

TUC MUST

BREAK

'News of the World' told site ere

TALKS WITH HEATHI

He had been in me.

MAKE THE TORY GOVERN-

argument with a police sergeant.

MENT RESIGNI

"They are making laws of their

CENTRAL LONDON:

own where it is our constitu- 7.30 Wed, August 23, tional Police right to picket. have no right to we p.m. The builders' fight. say can have four pickets. It is only Small Conway Hall, Red union policy that this site is Lion Square, Holborn. shut. GLASGOW: Wednesday August 'The police are moving in now 7.30 p.m. Partick Burgh 23, after the docks strike is finished.

Merkland St under- Hall (nr Their hands little a tied WATe

UCS

and the docks. ground). then. But it is also part of the

NEWCASTLE:

Wednesday counter-offensive couvers-federation the em- 7.30 August 23. p.m. Hotspur Hotel, Haymarket. Pickets produced leaflet COVENTRY: Wednesday August given out by the National Fed- Tavern, Hertford 7 p.m. 23, Trades eration Building The Street (adjoining Junction Building Wages. The Employers. Butts). 'The builders' strike Facts', it screams. the fight against the and And the last pro- Tories. sentence vocatively says: AYLESHAM: Thursday August tion may be requested you Burgess 24,8 p.m. The Legion, want to work and are prevented Road. Speakers include Cava- by pickets. steward from Weaver, nagh The UCATT steward told me: Wm. Griffiths, Canterbury "The employers are deliberately Thursday August

SHEFFIELD:

encouraging the Lump among Portobello. 24. Western Works, building workers. When men go 'The builders' strike'. Chairman: for a job they are told they can (UCATT branch Tal Clarke self-employed work without as Sean Speaker: secretary). cards or tax. Coulston (Sheffield strike com- 'This fight has brought every- in a Both mittee member). thing to a head, the question of personal capacity. Lump and trade union recog- nition. •What the union leaders don't Socialist Labour League understand is that this is a fight

FOUR LECTURES

against Social Security cuts and the attacks on the unions like

THE THEORY AND

Transport and fines the

PRACTICE OF MARXISM

General Workers' Union. 'Yet some officials seem too given by embarassed to really lead wor-

G. HEALY

understand this. What's kers to (SLL national secretary) future of involved is the any trade union to go into a struggle.

1. Marxism as the theory of 'Nationalization would be knowledge has been Tuesday September 5 solution, although it shelved by With the our union. Marxism Development of nationalization of land, it would 2. working-class struggle through work for the benefit of the public.

Tuesday September 12 socialized "But it has to be control- nationalization and not Nature of the capitalist the old management like led by crisis it is today! Tuesday September 19 voiced their Other pickets demand for a national strike. 4. Historical materialism today

UCATT

Said Toseph Elias, Tuesdav September 26 steward at the Cubitt's, Arch. should

AEU HOUSE

No be way site: one allowed to work in this strike. Mount Pleasant sticks "If you put two to- harder to break, Liverpool 1, 7.30 p.m. gether they're aren't they? "The only way I think this can be done is by a national strike.

sites But at the moment some East stopped. in are whereas London they haven't. sub- 'We fighting the are and the employers contractors 01-622 7029 Tories' he told The goverment think they are big shots like the policemen with the government uniforms. •d like to get them out so workers can gain the building some dignity. At the moment we 01-720 2000 paid the hardest and get work the lowest wages. work in freezing condi- «We in places without proper tions. at the Post newspapeorders ac a and washing facilities Press, canteens Duhtchari Street. London, and they expect us to put up 186a with it all Press Ltd. We're not here to plat cricket.

We're not here to play Probed Capham Plough Street. London, with police at the Stock Exchange sile Stev AN

IMPRESSIVE

demonstra- chaired by Bert Smith of the tion of about 1,500 building Manchester action committee.

workers marched through Bir- A resolution was carried unani- the call for mingham yesterday to a rally at mously supporting of all building Digbeth Civil Hall. total stoppage workers throughout the country.

UCATT regional secretary Ken Communist Party member Jack and Communist Party Barlow Henry speaking on behalf of the Peter Carter outlined member London action committee said plans to stop all building and that he hoped when the civil engineering in the region. strike finished it would be All supplies and cement depots would be successful-there an be stopped and Birming- were to Lump and end the mal- ham made a no go' Coach building sites. practices on would leave loads pickets If changes be any to after the meeting to enforce this made, he said, it in the was policy. hands of the rank-and-file: 'Never Road-blocks would be mind the executive committee.

set up for if necessary to stop any cement The meeting planned entering Birmingham. squads of flying pickets to cover Barlow that their all the sites in the greater Man- insisted demands could be met by regional chester area. from action, despite cries the Afterwards the men marched floor national off to Social Security office Rank-and-fine workers were ent.

agreement. the demanding single payment tor able to make a call for a national men. the platform from stoppage as the meeting ended with a song

WORKERS

on strike in Preston led by Peter Carter. yesterday demanded the union The regional stoppage will not call eaders an all-out, national for the be complete, however, as council strike claim. UCATT dis- builders Tommy Lawton, were told to work to finance those who were the men trict organizer, warned of splits generated by the press.

out. Basic rates had not gone up

BUILDING

workers 2,000-strong 1971 while since June house through Manchester prices had risen 20 percent.

marched city centre yesterday to chants of Men at the meeting called for 'Heath out'. the rejection of the Lancashire The men, from Bolton, Stock- 'Evening Post' for bias and mis- Burnley and the reporting of the strike. port, greater Manchester area, to From the floor, Alan Moon, went on meeting at the Haldsworth Hall, a member of the strike committee THIS IS the paper which painstakingly followed the court the release hearings, the jailings, tells the truth about our and then the national strike itself.

strike,' a docker involved in today it must come forward last week's lobby outside again to speak the truth to the Transport House said. working class. He waved a copy of Workers We must unmask those in the Press in front of television labour and trade union move- "Why cameras and said: don't ment who sell out struggles and says? this paper say what we will fearlessly carry out this We publicyou put lies over Why do job on behalf of the working- The issues are too class. grave, This was but one of the en- the stakes are too high for any dorsements which Workers Press covering up or soft-pedalling.

received during the dockers' The crisis-ridden Tory gov- struggle over the past few months.

ernment is determined to smash • We weré the first newspaper the working class to preserve its of to attend the hearings the own parasitic existence. National Relations Industrial Anyone who betrays the work- Court and explain thé real sig- directly ing allows this nificance of the Tory court.

class Workers which continue to func- • It was Press government to exposed the private detectives of tion. In Workers Press those res- such Eurotec Ltd, who hired ponsible for treacheries by Midland Cold Storage to spy must and will be exposed.

on dockers and their homes.

We have complete confidence • When the police attacked that Workers Press, engaging in Wharf, an all-round exposure of the capi- pickets at Neap House Scunthorpe, Workers Press and its near talist system agents in described the strike-breaking the labour and trade union move- ment, will build a broad reader- activities of the police.

But just as Workers Press® ship in the working class.

asked: 'Why don't Jack Jone ind George Smith (T&GWI and • and UCATT leaders) stand up say it's a national strike.

'I propose a joint shop stewards' committee like on the docks.'

A union official replied that Jones had sent a message saying 'escalate the strike would become a national stoppage, to • will Preston building workers join other sections in Lancashire Bolton in a march through tomorrow.

WEATHER

AN ANTI-CYCLONE is almost stationary over the British Isles.

Eastern England will be rather cloudy at times, but there will also be some sunny periods.

Central and western England and Wales will have some fog patches at first, followed by a dry day with sunny periods.

South-West Northern Ireland, and central Scotland will be dry, with variable cloud and some sunny intervals. The North and West of Scotland will be rather cloudy with a little coastal drizzle.

Otos for Thys it and En- night. Occasional rain in North-West Scotland and perhaps in North- ern Ireland. Dockers are responding to our no-holds-barred approach to poli- tical questions. And so are build- "ing workers. On yesterday's picket line at the St Thomas's site at Water- loo, John Meehan said: 'I think it's important to have a paper like Workers Press every day. We need something to give the king- facts and put our point of view or we won't get anywhere' Workers want the truth about their political struggles. Workers Press promises to give them the truth. Only if we mount such a struggle can a revolutionary poli- tical leadership be forged in the ranks of the trade unions.

But to expand the daily paper, to increase our coverage all over the country we require greater financial resource. And that can only come from you-our read- ers and supporters. This month's Appeal Fund has reached £833.20. We have nine days left to raise our target of £1,750. Give us your support to carry out the great fighting task ahead.