Right-to-Work strike closes B-Leyland plants

the Football Association commented: 'If we ask the police tado the as hey do t to do a job we cannot COM if the methods they use are in accordance with normal practice.' He was backed by the 50,000 strong Citizens Protection Society founded a year ago after Blackpool Supt Gerald Richardson was shot. A spokesman said tougher measures were necessary even if the police image had to suffer.

Shackles, concentration camps, gas chambers. Apparently it all comes down to if the public will wear it, it's all right.

CIRCULATION

01-622 7029 NEWS DESK 01-720 2000 Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Published by Workers Press. 186a Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham • High street, London, SW4 7UG. WIDESPREAD strikes closed down the BritishLeyland car and heavy. vehicle groups yesterday as workers staged an unprecedented solidarity action in defence of the right to work.

Major sections of £437m combine were hit.

The company, which attempted for most of last week to foster a right-wing backlash against the strike plans, maintained unaccustomed reticence on the subject. A spokesman agreed they were 'trying to ignore it'.

Good reasons exist for British Jaguar to sell piecework?

THE TEN-WEEK-OLD Jaguar car strike at Coventry will go on-because stewards feel British Leyland is not paying enough to buy out piecework.

Shop stewards hold the dangerous claim that they have no rooted objection to MeasuredDay Work, but they had hoped to win a substantial wage rise first to bring their pay on a par with other workers at the factory.

Although no figure has been named, the stewards are angling for rises which would give all track workers around £48 a week.

So far the management has offered f44—which many already earn-plus a lump sum payment Talks between management and union officials broke down after nine hours on Saturday, although the stewards will not be told what happened until their next normal meeting tomorrow.

Union officials are almost certain to urge that Jaguar's latest offer be accepted and that there is nothing more to gain by staying out on strike.

Less than half the 2,000 strikers attended last week's mass meeting and management are said to feel that a new and better attended meeting might respond more favourably to their new offer.

Teeth talk THE DEPARTMENT of Health and Social Security has opened discussions with the British Dental Association to start National Health Service charges from 18 years of age instead of 21.

Changes would mean • alterations to the National Health Service Act. Leeds women indignant at f2 offer THERE IS bitter resentment among clothing workers ic Leeds about their union's decision to accept a £2-a-week pay rise.

The Leeds workers had been demanding that the union fight for the full claim of f6.

One leading militant told Workers Press that the National Union of Tailors Carmeni Workers and Garment no mandate to settle for anything less.

Mrs Una Ambler, a machinist at C. and M. Sumrie's, one of the largest factories in the district, said:

Leyland's stance indifference.

The strike - in support of 1,200 workers who are occupying Transport Equipment Thornycroft, at Basingstoke-in a bid to save their jobs—was an extremely political one.

Hit by shrinking markets and deep financial trouble, company chairman Lord Stokes plans to sell off the Basingstoke factory to an American firm and its site to a property company (for the detailed background, see page 4). 344 jobs were to go immediately and many more later.

As Thornycroft convenor Gordon Owen-Jones told are doing in this rationalization is carrying out government policy to the fullest extent.' So big issues were at stake for 'The union hasn't the manners even to come and tell us.' And Mary Wood, another machinist, added: "The executive board members should have come down to the factory floors and let everyone vote, but I doubt if some of them know what a factory floor looks like now?

In view of soaring inflation, £2 is nothing these days, said one passer (an employee who checks work).

It's disgusting offer, she went on. 'We'll be on the bread line when we go into feigned London builders to march on HQ Scottlah bullders durina their demeraratit. in Glabegon LONDON building workers— about 20,000 are on strike in the capital-—will march on the employers' federation headquarters tomorrow.

Many of them will have been striking for ten weeks for the claim for £30, 35-hours, and three weeks' holiday.

In this their first real major battle for 50 years, they have been cruelly misled.

The union leaders have refused to call a national strike and now plan to send 20,000 back to work on the basis of separate company deals, many only giving a £25 basic.

This strategy has had the 100 per cent support of the Communist Party, which now describes the 83 deals as 'strike victories' in the 'Morning Star'.

Not wanting to embarrass the union leaders or enter a fight with the Tory government, the Stalinist 'Charter' group has not brought out a new edition of its paper during the strike.

In Hull on Sunday, a mass meeting of 600 building workers, rejecting union officials 'advice' called for a national strike. They also rejected company agreements and decided to call every Hull builder, including, local authority, out on strike today and tomorrow.

Laurie Rice, convenor at spooners, Hull's biggest contractor, told the meeting: 'We've had a the Common Market.' Mrs "said: They machinist, said: haven't given us a rise.

This offer hardly covers the cost of living into square one lust back crease. We're Sheila Wilkinson, a 16-year-old, 22p-an-hour machinist (women over 18 are paid an average of 35p an hour for the same job) said: 'We just can't live on what we get. We're entitled to a decent wage?

Mrs Anne Stead, who was a leading militant in the 1970 clothing strike in Leeds, and who fought against workers being led back to work those workers who answered the strike call of the Leyland combine shop stewards' committee yesterday.

In Scotland, the Bathgate truck and tractor plant in West Lothian was at a standstill, with all 3,400 workers out.

Further backing from within the heavy-vehicles division came from Lancashire and the Midlands. All 8,000 workers_ at the Leyland Motors factories, Leyland and Chorley, were on strike. Also involved here was a domestic manning dispute.

Tractor and Transmission, Birmingham, stopped with 2,000 workers out.

In the key Austin-Morris car division, there was normal working at the sprawling Longbridge, Birmingham, complex yesterday morning.

EAST KILER NI load of codswallop from the platform. My members want to come out but have been told not to do so?

Rice condemned the union leaders for not calling a national strike and for signing company agreements.

Corporation workers at the meeting demand their separate FOUR LECTURES THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXISM given by G. HEALY (SLL national secretary)

1. Marxism as the theory knowledge Tuesday September 5 2. Development of Marxism throigh working-class struggle Tuesday September 12 3. Nature of the capitallst crisis Tuesday September 4. Historical materia Tuesday September AEU HOUSE Mount Pleasant Liverpool 1, 7.30 before an agreement was reached, said: "The £2 was accepted on the basis of the rest of the country having accepted it. But we were never told what other areas said. 'Why should we be dictated to by the smaller towns when Leeds has the biggest tailoring work force in Britain? We want a new executive board. The lowest-paid workers, mainly the women, aren't getting a living wage. Unless women clothing workers are supported by their husbands or 1amılles ther can't live, fămilies they But at the Cowley assembly plant, Oxford, more than half the 8,000 production workers stayed away, preventing any production at the factory. Those who did report for work were sent home.

The BMC Service and KD (export) plants at Cowley were also shut. Body-plant. workers worked normally, however.

At the Thornycroft factory, Gordon Owen-Jones said the sit-in workers were encouraged by the response to the strike call. - 'But this is only the first stage,' he said.

"What we need now is financial backing to keep this action going for ever and a day if need be. It's time for the trade union movement in the combine to show its teeth. If we don't, no one's job is safe.' FETE negotiations be ditched they also be called out.

But J. Mortimer, Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians' regional secretary, said the Industrial Relat one. pree vented an all-out strike. strike is not what we want; it's a settlement, he said to heavy barracking.

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE MEETINGS TUC MUST BREAK OFF ALL TALKS WITH HEATHI MAKE THE TORY GOVERNMENT RESIGN!

NOTTINGHAM: Tuesday August 29, 7.30 p.m. People's Hall, Heathcote Street. "Victory to the building workers'.

WANDSWORTH: Tuesday August 29, 8 p.m. Selkirk Hotel, Selkirk Road, Tooting. 'Lessons of the docks strike!

DUNDEE: Wednesday August 30, 8.00 p.m. MCA Constitution Room.

UCS and the Docks Strike.

PRESTON: Wednesday August 30, 8 p.m. Railway and Commercial Hotel, Butler St (nr railway station). "The Tory government and the building EAST LONDON: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. Festival Inn, Market Square, Chrisp Street Market, E14.

CAMBRIDGE: Thursday August 31, 8 p.m. Red Cow (behind the Guild Hall). 'Lessons of the dockers and Builders' strikes'.

DAGENHAM: Tuesday September 5, , Fanshawe Avenue, Barking.

sons of docks strike, UCS jobs fight.' SLOUGH: Tuesday September 5, 7.30 p.m. Slough Community Centre, Farnham Ra.

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