Council builders join strike for first time

still aim of builders UNION officials and shop stewards met manage. ment at Molins Machine Tools Ltd, Deptford, south-east London, yesterday to try to resolve the nine-week-old sit-in at the factory. The strike was called in support of the engineers claim for a 35-hour week and a £6 rise.

Molins have offered average increases TRIKE DA G with grade differentials, but the 900 strikers have About 600 men at Molins' Saunderton, Bucks, have already returned to work and the settlement of the AUEW national claim was also expected to affect a decision of whether to accept management's latest offer. OVER 500 building workers employed by council in north London vesterday struck ir of the claim for £30 and a 35-hour week.

A mass meeting voted in favour of a complete and immediate stoppage, the first by London council workers during the ten-week battle. The meeting also voted for an all-out, national strike called by the union leaders.

The proposal for immediate strike action came from the floor and was enthusiastically received. At the same time, the speaker-to more applause—condemned the policy of sending men back to work on the basis of separate company agreements. been holding out for {4 across the board.

Camden support Communist Party member 'Lew' Lewis, a member London action committee, who the main speaker on the platform, avoided any criticism of the union leadership. He himself made proposal for strike but only 'suggested' they come out.

In fact Lewis has time and time again opposed national strike and the CP, through the 'Morning Star', supports separate agreements.

In West London, many building workers who have been on strike for ten weeks, yesterday bitterly attacked the leaders demanded action their executives. suffering from acute financial hardship, asked why no call for help had gone out to other trade unions.

Others demanded no to work until a national agreement was signed and opposed the separate deals' strategy. More building workers wanted know why the CP-led 'Charter' group had not brought out edition of their paper during the strike.

"We've been out ten week! and I don't see any light coming through,' UCATT picket Naahan Kelly told me outside the Laing's hotel site in Gloucester Road.

'There has been no support from the union leaders anyone else. If they don't think they can themselves, union leaders should seek backinfe's no ood just calling us leaving