AUEW fails to turn up at NIRC Non-co-operation' costs AUEW £5,000

PAGE While these measures have already created a massive ground. swell of opposition against this government they have also revealed the absolute cowardice of the Labour alla union leaders.

The latest act of betrayal comes from the TUC. They say that the unions cannot join with the Labour Party and work out a programme to fight this government. The reason they give is that some unions in the TUC are not alliated to the Labour Party.

What treacherous rubbish is this?

Is the entire working class to be told by its leaders that workers can take no political action against this government because they are held prisoner by a handful of right-wing bureaucrats who lead tiny minority lacuon in the TUC?

This is yet another disgusting evasion by the bankrupts who are supposed to lead the working class.

The Labour Party, too, is in a state of collapse-its 'reasoned amendment' to Heath's plans was • kicked into the dustbin where it belongs.

The time for dithering and rank cowardice is over. The Tories have declared war and the working class must be mobilized to fight back. The aim should be to remove this government by mass action and return a Labour government pledged to socialist policies.

The All Trades Unions Alliance resolution • passed in October at the annual conference in Birmingham warned of the coming struggle. It stated:

"The political situation is now on a knife edge. So far the working class has, by its determination and strength in industrial struggles held the line against the Tory enemy.

'But the government is forced on by "This situation cannot last indefinitely. Either the working class goes forward to defeat the government and the capitalist system, or the Tories achieve a position where they can defeat a decisive section of workers and institute a dictatorship to destroy rights, unions and democratic The ATUA and the Socialist Labour League were the only organizations in the labour movement to make this analysis-and they have been entirely, vindicated by the events of the last three days.

But now it is time to fight for the other section of the Birmingham resolution which was carried unanimously. This called for the building of the. League into a revolutionary party and extending its influence throughout the entire trade union movement.

This fight is overdue. The conditions for revolutionary leadership have arrived. Every day wasted is a day for Heath. All workers must join this essential struggle now.

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AMALGAMATED Union of Engineering Workers was fined contempt yesterday after refusing an order to attend the National Relations Court. Sir John Donaldson, president of the NIRC, said had shown 'a complete misunderstanding of the laws of the country by parliament and the courts whose duty it is to enforce those laws'.

He added: 'A refusal to obey the court order not "non-co-operation", , it is simple law breaking' A member of the NIRC staff left the court's Chancery Lane premises in a taxi at about midday to serve the order on Jim Conway, AUEW The AUEW thus became the second union to be fined for contempt of the NIRC. Earlier this year the Transport and General Workers' Union was fined and paid £55,000 in the Heatons case.

And it was on the basis of the Taff Vale principle re-established by the House of Lords in the Heatons case that the AUEW was fined yesterday.

The union has two weeks to pay the £5,000 and the costs involved in the case brought against them by Mr Henry Goad.

It was made clear that the court will enforce payment if necessary— although union property will not be seized at this stage.

Evangelist, Goad cannot get into the AUEW branch meetings at Sudbury, Suffolk.

He left the union in 1967 after working during an unofficial strike at the CAV plant, Sudbury, where he works as a quality control inspector.

Although he rejoined last year to assist his promotion the local branch has since refused him entry to their meetings.

Last month the AUEW was instructed to appear at the court yesterday to explain reasons for Goad's refused admission. But they refused by letter.

In the court's judgement Sir John Donaldson laid great emphasis on the rule of law Teachers first in line for pay LONDON teachers will be asked at a mass meeting tonight to support a call for a half-day strike against the offer of £15 a a year additional London allowance. . At present the 60,000 London teachers receive £118 year year-a sum which nowhere near meets the extra expense of living in London. • In negotiations held during September, the teachers representatives were led to believe that a $60 to £80 offer would be effective from November I Education • However, Secretary Margaret Thatcher stepped in.

She halted any offer clash with Tories? and postponed the talks until after the TUCCBI-Heath negotiations.

The £15 offer is backed by Thatcher, but tonight's meetingcalled by the two London NUT branches (the Inner London Teachers' Association and the Extra Metropolitan Teachers' Committee) —will demand action.

But a half-day token strike will achieve nothing.

The teachers are not just involved in putting pressure on the Burnham Committee, but in a fight against the government.

In addition to the London allowance claim, the National Union of Teachers has through courts.

The union had told him that the policy decision of the union prevented them from attending.

But even if this were true, he added, they did not 'occupy a position in which they can resolve that the law does not apply to them.

'But in any case we know of по published decision of union's conference or National Committee which instructs the executive council to act outside the law' Non-co-operation was 'lawful'. But a refusal to obey a court order went further. It was 'lawThe union, if it had wanted, could have gone to the National Committee for 'fresh instructions' and it is not too late for them to do so'.

Outlining the AUEW's legal responsibilities for the action of Sudbury branch, Sir John added:

"The union executive council has produced no expression of disapproval.' Their attitude also 'gives rise to even more serious considerations.

'Doubtless the council intends only to disregard those laws and court orders of which it disapproves.

'But others will take this as approval and indeed encouragement for them to apply the same principle to laws or orders which do not appeal to them. This court it took no action. in its duty if He said the AUEW could appeal against NIRC's decisio submitted a week wage would be a rise.

Every teacher knows that it is now government policy to halt completely all such claims.

Edward Britton, NUT general secretary, was absolutely right when he said: 'Overall, the signs are that the government intends to use unions in the public sector to impose restrictions on wages and incomes.' But Britton was in favour of the TUC talks with Heath and the employers, the purpose of which was to impose state control over wages. £5 to £8 a claim. This 21-per-cent £5,000 for Industrial enacted Gormley: Dinteren Miners' union chiefs put off claim again MINERS' union leaders yesterday presented a bold front of ignoring the Tory pay freeze. but agreed a further delay in submitting their big new pay claim.

The freeze, said union president Joe Gormley after morning meeting of his executive, had not been discussed.

Neither had the follow-up legislation for state pay control promised by Heath.

He did not go so far The NUT is now out in front in the fight against such state control.

Half-day strikes will be useless in such a battle. They will only fritter away the energies of militant teachers and lead to splits in the ranks.

Calls are likely to be made at tonight's meeting for all-out strike for the full wage claim and the full London Allowance demand-originally £182.

This would mean a conflict with the government which can only be won by calling on all other workers to join the fight and force the Tories to resign. mal claim, however, that they had not shaped the atmosphere which the executive's discussion had taken place.

At the last meeting of the executive on October 12, it was decided that detailed demands would be formulated yesterday for negotiation with the National Coal Board in December.

Yesterday it was left to the December meeting to decide when formal negotiations will begin.

In the meantime the national officials have been mandated to hold informal talks with the NCB on 'the implications' of the union's conference decisions on wages, hours and differentials.

In July, the NUM conference set its sights on pay rises of £5.50 to £7, a shorter working week and changes in existing differentials.

Miners may have thought the implication of those decisions was the submission of a claim on those lines. Gormley's view yesterday was somewhat different.

The conference, he pointed out, had decided that the increases 'should be' £5.50 to £7. The Board would no doubt want to argue that they shouldn't be.

Commenting on the nature of the informal talks that will now be sought by the union, Gormley said:

•We and the Board will no doubt wish to reach each other's minds. We want to have a new agreement ready to apply from the end of February. We hope to get a settlement and are not seeking a confrontation.' Early talks would be sought also with the Coal Board on efficiency schemes, he said. 'We want to see if we can gain something for our members from this.'