Bus workers back Leyland strike call

A MASS MEETING 5,000 workers at Briti Leyland Motors, Leylar yesterday decided by four-to-one majority strike on Monday.

The men congratulated the workers at Thornycroft's, Basingstoke, for taking over their factory in defence of their jobs. gation from the occupied factor. In London, meanwhile picketed the Leyland headquarters in Berkeley Square. They later visited Leyland's AEC plant in Southall.

The Leyland Motors workers were told by engineers' union convenor Len Brindle: "This is a fight for job security. One thousand jobs have gone here in two years which future generations will not have.' He explained that management had agreed that outside contract work would end as soon as possible, but now they had reneged on this written agreement.

He attacked the capitalist press for saying that the one-day strike was only in support of Thornycroft's.

It is our conclusion that British Levland Motor Corporation, at their highest level, and specificaily in the truck and bus division, have decided on polic rationalization,' Brindle told the meeting.

'Maudslay and Thornycroft's have gone. Management have totally ignored our written agreement for full and frank discussion before closures.

'Thornycroft's gained this agreement after a seven-week strike. Now this plant has been sold to Eaton's of Ohio.

'We will only co-operate in progress if job-security is guaranteed.' He said Monday's strike was THE WAY FORWARD 'the beginning, not 'Look at the miners, dockers and textile workers having to stand up to protect their jobs. In the interests of profit jobs go to the wall.' The meeting passed a fourpoint resolution which calls for: • 'Blacking' of all Thornycroft materials; • A one-day strike on Monday; • A meeting with union officers to discuss the company's rationalization programme; and • A lobby at the British Leyland headquarters in London on a date to be fixed.

After the meeting Len Brindle told Workers Press: "The TUC should take co-ordinated and militant action over the issue of the right to work.

'The TUC should be the vanguard. These issues are no longer emotive phrases. The membership is ready to fight.

'We couldn't have got vote four years ago.

WEATHER AN ANTICYCLONE is slowly moving over Scotland as a depression moves northwards towards South-West England. North and East Scotland and North-East England will be dry with sunny spells.

South-West Scotland, Northern Ireland and North-West England will be rather cloudy with perhaps some rain later. Eastern England will have sunny spells after early morning mist and fog patches. Wales and SouthWestern districts of England will be cloudy with thundery showers at times.

It will be warm in central and eastern districts of England. Elsewhere, temperatures will be near the seasonal normal.

Outlook for Sunday and Monday: Sunny intervals but also some thundery showers, heavy at times. Temperatures mostly near normal but warm in the east at first.

USURES CONTRACTIONS EWAR OF U.C.S TTEE Stalinist work-in policy at UCS led to loss of jobs programme and policy, while at the same tıme making no adaptation to spontaneity nor to political backwardness.

This will involve conflict with many workers as established ideas are challenged and distributed. This disturbance is a necessary and unavoidable part of the struggle to create revolutionary consciousness.

Workers' Press plays a central role in the conflict and strife TONT UNEN OCCUANTION COMITTEE SAY Wo have to win or a Thorneycroft picket 'Strike on' vote in Glasgow BY STEPHEN GLA W Corporation building workers yesterday dealt a crushing and humiliating blow to their union leaders by deciding to stay out on unofficial strike.

When officials put the vote to return at the carefully stage-managed meeting in a Glasgow theatre only a handful of the 4,000-strong audience raised their hands.

After the decision a deflated Joe Murphy, secretary of the official West of Scotland action committee, said: 'Naturally I am disappointed. I thought there would be more in favour of the official line.' The confrontation marked the climax of a week-long bid by union leaders to get the corporathrough which consciousness is developed.

The organized strength of the working class can only be developed and expressed through struggle against the lory government to force it to resign.

We call on every trade unionist and Labour Party member to begin this fight and we urge every reader of Workers Press to join the Socialist Labour League.

August 25, 1972 Fi EYLAN WORKERS and up Jolning the one million jobless, 'orkers Press at Berkeley Square yesterday. tion workers back before talks with Scottish building authorities start next Tuesday.

They have been aided by the local "Scottish TeSsai especially the Daily Express', who have launched a vicious campaign of vilification against the strikers.

But both the Tory media and the union bureaucracy were unable yesterday to break the resistance of the militant Glasgow workers.

Speaker after speaker appealed against a split in the ranks. Only one man - a national executive member of the Transport and General Workers' Union building section-spoke up for the platform and he was drowned by boos and shouting.

The meeting began with a pleading address from Murphy— a T&GWU official. tant; he said, you have to know going to be miliirst who you are fighting against.' He said building workers were not in dispute with local authorities. Then uproar broke out as he threatened: If Glasgow Corporation building workers stay out and other departments stay out on this particular strike it could be that the local authority council would not want to meet us on Tuesday' At this stage the meeting broke down as men shouted: "That's the bosses' line', 'Are you selling us out, Joe?'.

Finally Murphy was forced to come clean and put a straight recommendation for a return to work.

But speaker after speaker got up and attacked the platform. The overwhelming consensus was that a return to work would split the strike and demoralize workers out on private sites.

Mick Kane, a UCATT member, made a passionate plea for unity.

"The overwhelming spectacle of seeing 10,000 to 15,000 hands raised at our Glasgow Green meeting for an all out strike for a half-decent living wage is what is motivating me.

'The Labour Council in GlasAUGUST FUND DAYS LEFT THIS IS our last weekend and probably our last chance to raise large amounts for our August Fund. Let's grasp the opportunity and collect most of the £667.70 which remains outstanding.

We know you will do It. In this political situatlon when Workers Press, alone, stands out clearly against the treachery of both the reformist union leaders and the Stalinist bureaucracy, we are confident we have your growing support.

Help us, therefore, with a very special effort to keep our paper out in front. We are now at the last lap of the fight. One more spurt and you can do it.

Post all donations Immediately August Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG.

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE MEETINGS MUST BREAK OFF TALKS WITH HEATHI MAKE THE TORY GOVERNMENT RESIGNI NOTTINGHAM: Tuesday August 29, 7.30 p.m. People's Hall, Heathcote Street. "Victory to the building workers'.

PRESTON: Wednesday August 30, 8 p.m. Railway and Commercial Hotel, Butler St_inr railway station). "The Tory government and the building CAMBRIDGE: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. Red Cow (behind the Guild Hall). 'Lessons of the dockers and Builders' strikes'.

SLOUGH: Tuesday September 6, 7.30 p.m. Slough Community Centre, Farnham Rd.

'Force the Tories out! Expose the traitors in the labour and trade union movementl' Speakers: Frank Tomany and Brian Bailey, both in a personal capacity.

Lessons of UCS and Strike.

ABERDEEN: Monday August 28, 8.00 p.m. Trades Hall, 24 Adelphi.

DUNDEE: Wednesday August 30, 8.00 р.m. YMCA Constitution Room.

Soclalist Labour League FOUR LECTURES THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXIS given by (SLL national 1. Marxism as the theory knowledge Tuesday September 5 2. Development of Marxism through working-class struggle Tuesday September 12 3. Nature of the crisis Tuesday September 4. Historical materia Tuesday September AEU HOUSE Mount Pleasant Liverpool 1, 7.30 01-622