Fifty-strong group backs defiant tenant Estate 'commandos' defy the rent man

TENANTS in the Ardwick area of launched a second successful 'commando' Tory rent increase yesterday.

The confrontation came on the Bennett Lane estate, Ardwick, when the rent man tried to get one tenant, Mrs Lilly Q'Brien, to go into her house and pay the rent increase. Torosa Polta, one ol the tenants' leaders campalgning in Ardwick yesterday.

We will not be tools of the Tories- -councillors LABOUR councillors in Bedworth, Northants— between Coventry and Nuneaton - are danger of reversing their decision not to implement the Tories' Housing Finance Act.

At its last full meeting. Bedworth council decided against implementation.

But since then eight of the controlling Labour group have wavered. And although Monday night reafirmed meeting on non - implementation, seven voted against and one abstained, leaving a slender majority three.

Members of majority, Cllrs Tom Ellis and Harold spoke to Workers Press THE NORTH LONDON Council of Action is to organize a demonstration against the rent increases on the basis of mobilizing the trade union movement in the area to fight the Tories and return a Labour government pledged to socialist policies.

It was the outcome of a successful meeting on Tuesday night attended by 70 trade unionists, tenants, youth and representatives of different socialist tendencies.

Dave Norman, treasurer of the local Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians' branch, said the lesson of the building strike was that leadership was decisive.

He told the meeting that from the beginning the union leadership said it would not be successful. The determination of Council of Action to hold group of demonstrators 'intimidation'. But Mrs O'Brien increase.

Yesterday

shouted slogans against the "fair after the group meeting.

'The Act is so antisocial that I could in no circumstance be part and parcel of it, said Tom Ellis.

would, if necessary, resign from the Labour group if it ever became Labour policy to implewould continue to fight against it as an independent, or from outside the council,' he added.

'When the Tory government was elected it promised more control to local authorities.

Under this Act, however, we are to be tools of the lories.

'We will be at fault for them; but if we do implement the Act we will deserve to be at London W1 Manchester raid on the He accused the 50-stron had other ideas. She said she wanted to pay her rent outside and firmly refused to pay the The rent man threw up hands in frustration and left, threatening to call the police.

About 50 per cent of council tenarts appear to be refusing to pay their increase in the Ardwick area, a centre of militant resistance in Manchester now in its second week of a 92p increase.

demonstrators nd sung songs rents' Act.

They heard tenants' leader Joe Potts say: 'If we pay this increase now we will be paying every year. We have to take a stand somewhere.' fault, because as socialists.' Cilr Harold Jones, who is also a National Union of Mineworkers' branch secretary, said that where the Act had been implemented, tenants had shown they did not accept it and increased their resistance. 'We are prepared to fight our battles we did in the miners strike and as the dockers did later in the year over the right to nicket. the right to picket, and fove thho were failed the Both are prepared to cals for and victim action councillors, or of tenants who withhold rent increases. 'We are fully aware rents demo the men proved different.

Those like the Communist Party Stalinists, he added, who called for separate deals held back the strike and opened the door to the sell-out by its leadership. PAPERBACKS _ CENTRE 28 Charlotte St RI A social worker with old people, Mrs Carol Williams, of the Hayward House flats, highlighted the plight of the old-age pensioners.

Because of delays at Social Security offices, pensioners are not drawing the rent increase in extra benefits. But they still have to pay it.

"There is one old woma I on my estate who has been chi rged 35 p a week extra and has been of the penalty clauses Bu re is the government and prepared to that has to be brought down,' said Cllr Jones. 'Our consciences would not let us show cowardice and run away from this fight, as some of the councillors seem to want to do.

Long ago people had to stand and fight the injustices of feudalism, against the law of the land as it then stood. "Throughout labour history leaders have had to continue the fight. Many leaders of the South Wales miners withstood the threat of jail in the 1920s. 'We have to stand against the Tory threats now.' It was necessary to build an alternative leadership in rade unions.

Council secretary Richard Goldstein explained lat since their last meeting t le trade union leadership had moved told to get it off her son.

'This exposes the Tory lies about helping the poorest families, said Mrs Williams.

I talked to one old woman of West Gorton estate, Mrs Elizabeth Shaw, who was also suffering under the new legislation.

She had three sons to • keep. One recently went on to the dole and normally this would have meant an increased benefit of £l. Big Mersey resistance to extra rent TENANTS from all the big housing estates in Merseyside are on the move against the Housing Finance Act implemented by the Liverpool Labour council.

At a meeting of the Merseyside co-ordinating committee— set up by the trades council and comprising of tenants' committee, trade union branches and working-class organizations —it was reported that Speke, Halewood, Netherley, Bootle and other estates rent offices were being picketed.

In Netherley, 2,400 people lave agreed to withhold On the Cantril Farm estate, almost 100 per cent is reported.

At some rent offices, the payment of rent without the increase is being accepted without question. But at others officials are applying pressure on tenants —especially frightened are old age pensioners.

Delegates from the trade unions spoke in support of the tenants and several called for rapidly towards the Tory government. They were now carrying out decisions of the state to control wages and showed their corporatist position on every issue.

The next meeting of the Council of Action was arranged for early December, before the rents demonstration.

NOW OPEN Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 9, aim.-6 p.m.

Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m.

Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The rent man at the Bennett Lane estate tries to get Mrs Lilly O'Brien to go inside her flat to pay her rent. But she defiantly stands on her doorstep and refuses to pay the increase.

This, with her allowance for the rent increase, would have made a total increase of approximately £2. But she is only receiving an extra fl from the Social Security.

"This is the way they getting round it, said Mrs Williams. "These people frightened and intimidated. It is impossible to pay out this kind of money' workers to organize nationally to fight the Tories. • At Warrington, Lai cs, tenants have been warned tł ey will be evicted if they get fIl in arrears.