Workers Press no. 952

workers press

TENS OF THOUSANDS STRIKE TO DEFEND UNION

ENGINEERS' FINER

SNATCHED TODAY?

BY A WORK

ENGINEERS from t Manchester yesterd second wave of stril THE TUC General Council yesterday told unions to ignore Heath's bid to stop all pay talksembarking on a major what could become clash with the Tories in a matter of weeks. g But they did so in an atmo- utter complacency, sphere of reminiscent of a vicarage coffee morning, with today's state of £55,000 from the seizure engineering union not even get- ting a mention. And while bridling at the Tory premier's dictatorial letter to the gasworkers' leaders last week, the union chiefs decided to arrange a round-table discussion with him on prices early in the New Year.• Letters will go out today from Congress House, the TUC's Lon- don headquarters, advising unions *to disregard any statement call- for the suspension of ing negotiations'. There is nothing in law to stop concluding agreements unions with employers during the freeze 'or putting pressure on employers to reach agreements, the letters will say. TUC general secretary Victor Feather yesterday spoke of the 'widespread resentment' which had been aroused among trade unionists by Heath's statement.

Feather also denied Heath's assertion made in the House of Tuesday that a Commons on number of unions had already accepted that no offers could be made. I made inquiries of all the morning General Council this and could find no union which had accepted advice to suspend negotiations,' he said. "The Prime Minister must have been mis- informed on this.' The General Council's force the Tories out of office and to try and return to back- stage dealing with the government -opens up enormous dangers in front of the trade union move- ment.

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSD

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTE

A WORKERS PRESS REPORTER

i strikes this week in defence Despite Tory Press lies that the men were apathetic, the strike call was heeded magnificently in all areas. And the AUEW members received sponta- neous support from other trade union- ists. (Full reports of the demonstrations and pictures on page 12.)

The series of strikes were held on the eve of today's application in the National Indus- trial Relations Court to legally extract £55,000 from the union's funds. The fresh application to Sir John Donaldson follows a week of man- oeuvring in which obtaining the fine and costs has run into a series of technical legal hitches. As defiance of the Industrial Relations Act intensified, the TUC General Council yesterday decided to issue a directive that unions should ignore Edward Heath's dictatorial bid to stop all present pay talks. (See our Industrial Cor- respondent's article on the TUC decision this page.) At the same time six Post Office unions, re- presenting 320.000 workers, have slapped in a substantial flat rate pay claim-operative from January l. It is the first such common claim by the unions in the history of Post Office pay bargaining. The telephonists, counter claim involves postmen, clerical clerks, inland and overseas telegraphists, and administrative staff together with their super- visors and sales superintendents.

There can be no doubt left in anybody's mind that a major confrontation between the govern- ment and the union is now on the way.

Despite the craven capitulation of its trade union and Labour Party leadership, the working class has shown time and again that it will not surrender its basic rights and it won't stand for a massive attack on its standard of living.

Yet this is precisely the course which Heath and his government have set. Preparing harsher attacks But the bankers and speculators in the Tory Party won't surrender their guns without a fight.

Every day longer they remain in office gives them time they desperately need to prepare even harsher attacks on the working class—in the next round using the police and army if necessary.

That is why the campaign to force them out of office must be made the call of the hour.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 1972

MMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LI

Industrial

WIDESPREAD

hit Merseyside action yesterday as an estimated 100,000 workers downed tools over the £55,000 fines Imposed on the engineers.

One noticeable feature was the massive support for the Amalgamated Union Workers of Engineering from workers in other trade unions. Transport and General Workers' Union members on building sites joined the and dockers at protest Liverpool and Birkenhead went on strike halting work around the port. The two major car plants —Vauxhall and Ford came to a standstill as did scores of smaller engineer- Ing factories in Liverpool.

The movement in Kirkby new town was particularly effective. Otis Elevators, Deico Engineering and GEC's were all badly hit by strike action. The production of both local newspapers - the 'Liverpool Echo' and the 'Daily Post'-was halted. About 1,500 workers held a march through Liverpool city centre calling for a General Strike and the re- moval of the Tory govern- ment. At a Pier Head rally they No. 952 • 4p

ALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

IN LIVERPOOL

heard Eddie Loyden of the Liverpool Trades Council call on union leaders to de- mand that the TUC or- ganize a General Strike against the government and Its anti-working class legis- lation. *It will not be sufficient to continue with demons- and day trations one , said Mr. Loyden. strikes, *More serious action is now necessary. As a first step the trades council are calling on the TUC for a General Strike. This also should be the role of the leadership of all the work- ers involved in the protest.

*We have to continue the fight to commit the leader- ship to this militant action,' he said. He warned that the Tory attack on basic rights went In hand with their policy to drive up unemployment.

He called on workers to support the occupation by the CAV workers at Fazakerley against the plans by the Lucas man- agement to close the fac- torv in April. BIll Creighton, chairman of the Mersevside Con- federation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

BUST

said yesterday's demostra- tion was just a preliminary step. On January 19 the Con- federation was calling out the whole of the Mersey- side area against the Indus- trial Relations Act. If this does not defeat tht Act, then we should say there will be a complete stoppage throughout the whole working class in the country,' he said. Gerry. Russell, Mersey- side divisional organizer of the AUEW, thanked other workers for standing by his union. •We believe that with this kind of support the Act can be defeated. We be- lieve it must be defeated if the rank and file con tinues its resistance against this government and its measures.' • Three coachloads of demonstrators later went to mount a mass picket of the occupied CAV factory in Fazakerley, Liverpool. At the Pier Head meeting marchers were told that the trade union movement on Merseyside would have to give greater backing to the CAV sit-in strikers, who have completed more than ten weeks occupying the factory against closure.

workers press

TENS OF THOUSANDS STRIKE TO DEFEND UNION

ENGINEERS' FINER

SNATCHED TODAY?

BY A WORK

ENGINEERS from t the Mi second wave of stril of their union. THE TUC General Council yesterday told unions to ignore Heath's bid to stop all pay talks-embarking on what could become a major clash with the Tories in a matter of weeks. But they did so in an atmo- sphere of complacency, utter reminiscent of a vicarage coffee today's morning, with state seizure of £55,000 from the engineering union not even get- ting a mention. And while bridling at the Tory premier's dictatorial letter to the leaders last week, gasworkers' the union chiefs decided arrange a round-table discussion with him on prices early in the New Year.• Letters will go out today from Congress House, the TUC's Lon- don headquarters, advising unions 'to disregard any statement call- ing for the suspension negotiations'. There is nothing in law to stop unions concluding agreements with employers during the freeze 'or putting pressure on employers to reach agreements', the letters will say. general secretary Victor

TUC

Feather yesterday spoke of the 'widespread resentment' which had been aroused among trade unionists by Heath's statement. Feather also Commons Tuesday that a on number of unions had already accepted that no offers could be made. I made inquiries of all the morning this General Council and could find no union which advice to suspend had accepted negotiations, he said. 'The Prime Minister must have been mis- informed on this. The General Council's failure decisive action to mobilize to force the Tories out of office- and to try and return to back- stage dealing with the government —opens up enormous dangers in front of the trade union move- ment. ENGINEERS from the key sections of British industry in the Midlands, Merseyside. and Manchester yesterday stopped work in the second wave of strikes this week in defence Despite Tory Press lies that the men were apathetic, the strike call was heeded magnificently in all areas. And the AUEW membèrs received sponta- neous support from other trade union- ists. (Full reports of the demonstrations and pictures on page 12.)

The series of strikes were held on the eve of today's application in the National Indus- trial Relations Court to legally extract £55,000 from the union's funds. The fresh application to Sir John Donaldson follows a week of man- oeuvring in which obtaining the fine and costs has run into a series of technical legal hitches. 'Ignore Heath letter' As defiance of the Industrial Relations Act intensified, the TUC General Council yesterday decided to issue a directive that unions should ignore Edward Heath's dictatorial bid to stop all present pay talks. (See our Industrial Cor- respondent's article on the TUC decision this page.) At the same time six Post Office unions, re- presenting 320,000 workers, have slapped in a substantial flat rate pay claim-operative from January 1. It is the first such common claim by the unions in the historu or rost once pay •arcane.

I NC

claim involves telephonists, counter oosten. and telegraphists, clerks, inland overseas and administrative staff together with their super- visors and sales superintendents.

There can be no doubt left in anybody's mind between the govern- that a major confrontation ment and the union is now on the way.

Despite the craven capitulation of its trade union and Labour Party leadership, the working class has again that it will not surrender its shown time and dase mo s a wo r o d cve cck on its standard of living.

Yet this is precisely the course which Heath and his government have set. Preparing harsher attacks But the bankers and speculators in the Tory Party won t surrender their guns winolt a car •Every day longer they remain in office gives them time they desperately need to prepare even harsher aRCKS orle workncassinmrenex romae using the police and army if necessary.

That is why the campaign to force them out of office must be made the call of the hour THURSDAY DECEMBER 21, 1972 • No

MMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST L

WIDESPREAD

industrial hit Merseyside action yesterday as an estimated workers downed 100,000 tools over the £55,000 fines Imposed on the engineers.

One noticeable feature was the massive support for the Amalgamated Union Workers of Engineering from workers in other trade unions. Transport and General Workers' Union members on building sites joined the and dockers at protest Liverpool and Birkenhead went on strike halting work around the port. The two major car plants —Vauxhall and Ford came did to a standstill as scores of smaller engineer- ing factories in Liverpool.

The movement in Kirkby now town was particularly effective. Otis Elevators, Delco Engineering and GEC's were all badly hit by strike action. The production of both local newspapers - the 'Liverpool Echo' and the Daily Post'-was halted. About 1,500 workers held a march through Liverpool city centre calling for a General Strike and the re- moval of the Tory govern.

ment. At a Pler Head rally they 972 • No. 952 • 4p

ALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

IN LIVERPOOL

heard Eddie Loyden of the Liverpool Trades Council call on union leaders to de- mand that the

TUC

Or- ganize a General Strike against the government and its anti-working class legis- lation. It will not be sufficient with demons- to continue trations and day one i said Mr. Loyden. strikes,' 'More serious action is now necessary. As a first step the trades council are calling on the TUC for a General Strike. This also should be the role of the leadership of all the work- ers involved in the protest.

'We have to continue the fight to commit the leader- ship to this militant action, he said. He warned that the Tory attack on basic rights went in hand with their policy to drive up unemployment.

He called on workers to support the occupation by the cAV workers at Fazakerley against the plans by the Lucas man- agement to close the fac- tory In April. Bill Creighton, chairman of the Mersevside Con- federation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

HUST IRHIL

MOVI BY

TOW PeM said yesterday's demostra- tion was just a preliminary step. On January 19 the Con- federation • was calling out the whole of the Mersey- side area against the Indus- trial Relations Act. 'If this does not defeat tht Act, then we should say there will be a complete stoppage throughout the whole working class in the country,' he said. • Gerry Russell, Mersey- side divisional organizer of the AUEW, thanked other workers for, standing by his union. 'We believe that with this kind of support the Act can be defeated. We be. lieve it must be defeated if the rank and file con• tinues its resistance against this government and its measures.' • Three coachloads of demonstrators later went to mount a mass picket of the occupied CAV factory in Fazakerley, Liverpool. At the Pier Head meeting marchers were told that the trade union movement on Merseyside would have to give greater backing to the CAV sit-in strikers, who have completed more than ten weeks occupying the factory against closure.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday December 21, 1972 What Property really

AUTHORITY

hurts... especially we think when confiscated The councils, fought the Tory- that thousands ATATK UL ULUN O orotası • resuit was СЛЕД Tory premier Edward Heath's of disillusioned workers

FROM IAN YEATS

ban wage settlements re- fused 1970, while on to vote Such the political the middle class swung to the bringing veais comoicle and NOTHING has revealed more graphically what lies ot alc bankruptcy the Tories. If Wilson

DOUT

complains wSoR leaders. Speaking in the Com- to Heath now it must never closest to Tory hearts than Uganda president Idi and however, refuse 'By what held open asked: e forgotten that h mobilize working class to Amin's seizure of foreign-owned firms-most of them threaten the auTROT clel or nu mie coor or u owI' and pro " or LuS. negotiations the gas wage ing Street. British. discussion and tell them they More than that. The Tory govern- plundered Twenty tea plantations systematically during

HOLLO

than strength ment is stil there todav onlv of colonization through- making offers?' the London-based owned by because of the support it gets Africa. from in October, 1971, 69 jehtinsites the Labour . wing. Mitchell-Cotts group The course, is that Rave After independence the exploi- did this by the 'authority' Heath's authority' already been nationalized tation continued with Britons him iune 1970. a plate marched into the Torv lobbies handed on identical to words along with six which are non- taking plum jobs, ranchers farm- in the Common Market vote. Wilson narola British. Amin plans to take Every worker knows that Tory me ude dest Jane ane comoanies Four years earller Labour nac Powell's exporting huge profits back to about 'dic- could .have ended over the assets of at least 15 been office with been Lulc Britain. tatorship' Instead of on that dav. Yet stil no action 1S, of foreign companiesonly one Ila ulll his speech last week Amin has been taken against these gain of them non-British. USHEQ UAS lO Cany oul soclaist directly accused British imperial- Tory Labour's the middle and some the Labour leaders In milking his workers. ism economy, the workers They are Brooke Bond, British used it attack TaLKs Tobacco, House oi Commons this who put them there. They: American Securicor, Neither is Res action taken week Tory Foreign Secretary Sir market' WOld Prențice, buniop, oriuso veta against Alec Douglas-Home described his •PIsce oF 'In introduce

SOUGHT

Chillington Tools, Consolidated Strife to cripple the who 'historical travesty' Printers (Lonhro) Ugandan remarks and Wilson's trade unions. sald the speech was riocled struggle. Ireds ng "ransoorE

DRUSD

saecuncal …Toe 'insulting references to this with Traction). class chousands Hundreds • ALLOWED unemployment to Throughout when one have LounLI y engineers One US company, Interna- Tory top 600,000. Yesterday the 'Daily section anter al - Just as TV tional has Sales Telegraph' reported that Home has into battle alr cally Heath strength been expropriated. attacked the Ugandan leader in when he on the miners, The President has also said he have Sone OL une

LOUZICSI

Iancuake cove cal. be shown Hlusu the Commons has heard used by traalng interos witoraw at ' tne Lyng licences from the hundreds Minister about striven unions the amorer corn- impose control on small import-export firms which, try's leader. Commenting takeover allnouen unev nave nIO assets _Tne govern- But the Uganda, have nevertheless been British Sir Alec Vietnam unlon of off fat profits. creaming said: On any count these actions strenoa dockers the release

TRIED

sell-out this class Con erat Amin has raised his hand to stewards and are •utraceous stano are the

ILVC

by to halt the exploitation of civilized behaviour and cer- Lories try now the tainly incompatible with the be- his imperialism once nocesia. Coullli y down. and for all. If much else And al That ne navloul expeclca witnle

• CUT

welfare ser- has done recentiy was barbaric, Commonwealth partnership.? hundreds of Heath just the must salile this How the Tory changes with words with deeds. he unquestionably milk from secondary Thousaes LaDOUI

VULCIS

when instead right. together some Aslalis LaDOlT d anda resouseze dba Peopin persecuted it is British big busi- and ness which is being raped.

people I CoVuLLEs Paris talks WERE cloak for a bloodier round of war Nothing of course could

BY JOHN SPENCER

further from the truth. be only Nixon wants peact terms- -with the Indo PRESIDENT NIXON has resumed full-scale rehind the secret talks China revolution crushed. bombardment of the towns and cities of The breakdown of Nixon plans to Marxist Grop No. S4 30th October 1972 Price Sp.

Paris talks indicates that North Vietnam, making it abundantly clear

INDOCHINA

Nixon has peer vnaole get his way in the negotia- that the so-called peace negotiations in Paris intensify war tiuis were simply the preparation for another even de Vietnamese

VICTORY IN SIGHT

But the remains in Indo-China for bloodier round of war. acule revolution. While bombs rain on Hanoi and The background of

SPENCER

the Moscow and Haiphong these negotiations demon-

RED TALKS

reking •urcaucldl. Peace' che anlks restarted to strates inal the lalks nad the sole purpose of hood- talks restarted be winking the American Molé' of October allowing electorate and Workers Pross of October. 25. 'Red Nixon and Kissinger to deception by revisionists and CP illusion peace-mongers talks can post while the southern puppet be regime was strengthened a sulullull for the next stage of war.

This is the essence of the which 'sign now' campaign A key role in setting up sident to ninn the nine-poret petitioning US Pre. 'nothing to fear' from such the North Vietnamese who the talks was played by the

THE

'Red Mole', that Nixon was planning ot lne all Soviet leaders, who made ent even Marxist. Grous a no smaseng of the that the Sunaue hotensiv Tie War The revi- smashing of the cessions: olall ağreelnell before the presi- soon as the negotiations Cedl well evel LUrICI sionists' armies only contusion were over. dential election pitiful puppet That thev revisionISI It is clear that in recent supplements that generated temporarily favoured Nixon for another detected an imminent pros- ceaved. Viet- weeks the North workers movement White House. We described the elec- of for the victory in the far Leill have made vote-catching The concluded: by the CP campaign. tions ›apet Halllcoc neocuta revoluton U Concesions than the The handling of these prob His foreign policv was manoeuvre Wilca The latest turn in this Under the heading 'Vic- lems decide whether acclaimed in Moscow Soviet and Chinese Stalin- WIll Ho cringing ana tolally Irauau- and peace-loving'. had played a major tory in Sight', the paper Chi Minh's broDdec added sceptically: 'It He lent campaign lobby the the wrote: comes true and the locust weeks before Behind scenes is clear these con- held last weekend by the tuICC Dal Le trom succeeds both disem- while North electon tne dovler redaers Toev nad umedu Cro ce cessions that, 'Unfortunately many mili- Communist Party

DILLISA

signed mammoth trade Hanoi .to the conference elephant and Dowe uk ue still hold will substitute their could tants vemae cleansing deal with the United States.

table. in indo-unina oI Members gathered out- outs pect vear winnings Snas the filth it leaves behind.' prospect the side No 10 Downing Street By contrast, the 'Morning for a clear analysis of the The Paris talks which on Saturday last bearing war outright.' British terms and of Star' the Com- with mace vico s re cecoc posters balance of forces che Moscere , set up by munist Partv professed

LAIC

THE

capitalist' In- The implication is that "state 'Heath tell Nixon sign now.

Moscow bureaucracy detect peace around the m0-ca.] teasa ional So alimplaceup, Vietnamese The NOrUI did the just as At the time of greatest with equally complacent, should accept what terms vIsiune nicical This what was exactlv oficials following sinister Dr Kissinger. they get from the danger

NXOR S

can o ne vremeasnese the 'Mole' proceeded to do. though its attack ot peace trip to the Soviet capital revolution, the Stalinists and end their It pontificated that 'a first fever was tempered imperialists As late as November 18, at the end of May. and their hangers-on in the 'hopeless' conflict. its customary scepticism the oi over miree weeks aer mt allalysis astccilicull and anti-communism. vietnar

DIULCOL

His American refusal to sign welcome there in- TerIS i SuCcesTS be Just so that he can prove to be a transmission- the nine-point draft treaty, the Americans who have dicated• to the covered from both Hilusioos istorien a ticn and Aicicos Ian Birchall, writing Siaes modified their substantially the paper's diplomatic cor.

Birchall warns: 'Socialists which that they could do just illusions 'Socialist the worker

TOT

they liked in Vietnam with- respondent Myant

DUSILIOI.

anlu have been chanting November proclaimed American propaganda cam-

WIC

Soviet wrote from Hanoi: Provisional Revolutionary fearing the "Victory to the NLF" paign to present Nixon as

OULI

that 'At long last peace Government'. Union would interfere. the past eight years will à peace lover. Vietnam "The possibility of peace seens lo have to look very carefully close. This will The only problem being sight. A few days before the . very These 'friends' of the rifles had the that the Americans Wresl way alc visit they coming talks Indo-Chinese revolution are nne aced Show unl 'The pointing.' news cannot fail to Haiphong and bombarded between the the Us and nutenLon acludlly siod- be welcome who Denune Vietnamese side. This ing the deal. those Stalinists and adapting r1al01. told when have spent Mast e enu 1 was of both the requirements of the Wllal BEHIND the line The article went on into Mears bruma ning against Throughout the secret Hoans bureaucracies which wanted intervieweo and the detailed ant arid possulie brutal war Tile dated talks in Paris the Workers etc., etc.... possible 'Socialist Worker' about

NIXON

retumieo Press warned of the dangers asgrcssi. assumption that and are still fuelling. unspoken the Vietnamese The Stalinists were not posed to Iorm ol a coaltion goverl- the US president's Unlike the 'Mole' the imperialists really desire sions in only ones who saw ment in the south, con- The the revolution. pavcl cluding that there was Birchall considered was peace in Vietnam. peace round every corner.

ove or ocale. pointed out again and again

'Arrest' in Ulster • Troops would take police role.

BY AN INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

UNION ACTIVISTS at the CAV factories in Rochester, Kent, were angry and bitter yesterday morning at the response of their convenor towards moves to strike.

Even a local full-time official led the way and soon members of the engineers' union des- from the autos, 718, 713, assem- cribed a letter put out by bly and shops, cutter grinders maintenance joined in saying convenor Jock Simpson as would that they be out on 'disgraceful'. Some workers Wednesday. wanted to apologize to those The Chatham es- position at on strike yesterday for being calated, and all of the main- tenance there and at Gillingham at work. promised full support. The sequence of events which Members from short order and led to this situation began last department nearly other every Thursday, when mass meetings promised to follow their stew- rejected call from the shop ards out of the door. There was stewards to come out. going to be such serious disrup- that the company said they These tion decisions taken consider would have send- to under the impact of the right- reported those who Birming- Ing home wing coup at Lucas in for work. ham, where a decision to stay in had been won the previous day, However we have to consider and that morning's return-to- the aftermath of Wednesday. If work vote at CAV Sudbury. decisions of are mass meetings to mean anything in future, then But over the next few days abide like it or not we have to the mood in the factory changed.

by the decision made last Thurs- There shop after were moves in day. shop to back the strike. I feel that your actions of the But Tuesday convenor U11 past few days have proved be- Simpson put round his letter, yond all doubt that you support section of which is worth repro- and your shop stewards, you ducing in full. have shown this fashion In The general conclusion being that has bewildered the manage- reached in the ment. various shop dis- that had taken place, cussions Let us now heal the breach 'you had let he said, was that by honouring among uS last your shop stewards down badly'.

Thursday's decision to come Simpson went on: to work on Wednesday. Throughout the three. fac- commented As one steward tories have many you "People were yesterday morning, tried to make amends by chang- and and by ask- working to try get their ing your decision, when this sections out with letter ing others to strike the came through. If it had not done shop stewards on Wednesday.

could undoubtedly have we stopped the factory? The finish-off and test shop A wide selection of paperbacks—special gif children's books all available from

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Workers Press, Thurs

BY ALEX MITCHELL

THE DIPLOCK COMMISSION yesterday recom- mended the total abolition of normal judicial pro- cedure in Northern Ireland and the introduction of martial law. The new judicial procedures are similar to those that the Greek colonels established after their military coup in 1967. They also bring Northern Ireland's powers into line with the dicta- torial powers already seized by the Green Tories in the south. • In his White Paper pub- the current discussion about the Special Powers extending lished yesterday Lord Act in Britain itself. Diplock made these recom- As Workers Press has per- sistently warned, Northern Ire- mendations: the ruline trainint roe need the ruling class. the need • Trial by jury should be they would want their arises scrapped for people accused of tried and tested terror appara- 'terrorist' so-called offences. tus to function here. These cases should in future be heard by a single. judge.

Following the result of the Stoke Newington Eight trial, • The is to assume allly in which four defendants were sweeping powers of arrest.

acquitted, there were murmur- • The military should be able to detain suspects for up to four hours without charging them. • The be onus of proot fire- switched to suspects in cases. • Written evidence by anony- mous witnesses to be made admissible. This would prevent cross-examination of people making statements against the accused. of Diplock was one the House judges who sat on the of Lords appeal in the Trans- and General Workers' port Union action against Heaton's Transport. The judges rejected the appeal, confirmed the £55,000 fines and thus of strengthened the authority National Industrial Rela- the tions Court. Considered The Diplock recommenda- are under consideration tions by William Whitelaw's Ulster Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Attorney-General's Depart- ment and the Home Office.

After various reports are considered, Cabinet will the make probably statement, early in the New Year. The • measures which the military are seeking have Ulster supremo Whitelaw for the immense implications Northern working class in ings in some quarters that 'the Ireland and Britain. jury system had failed again'. They must be seen against These people feel that all eight should have been sent down. They think that in such trials the jury system is 'inadequate'; it wastes time and the layman is 'not expert enough'. ecial giftpacks- Diplock S: The commission says: jury system as means for trying terrorist crime is under strain. It may not yet have broken down, but we think that the time is already ripe to forestall its doing so.

We think that matters have now reached stage in

OPEN:

Northern Ireland at which it 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon-Thurs would not be safe to rely upon 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. Friday methods hitherto used for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday securing impartial trial by a Book Tokens welcome jury of terrorist crimes, par- ticularly if the trend towards increasing use of violence by ess, Thursday December 21, 1972 PAGE 3 Loyalist extremists •were to continue.' The commission also recom- mends that the armed forces should be given power to without warrant and arrest power to detain suspects for up to four hours to establish their identity. It should be an offence to refuse to answer or to give a false or misleading answer to any question reasonably put for that purpose by a member of the armed forces or a police officer. It says it is not practicable in present conditions for the initial arrest of a suspected 'terrorist' to be made by a police officer. This should be made by soldiers, it adds.

No bail Diplock recommends that no bail should be granted except by the High Court and • then only if the applicant satisfies the court that a number of stringent requirements be met.

release of charged The 'terrorists' on bail has had a serious effect upon the morale of troops, the report says, as they see 'known terrorists, whom they have arrested, per- haps at the risk of their own lives, walking the streets a in the area from free man which he has been operating'.

The commission suggests that the onus of proof as to possession firearms and explosives be altered to require 'found in certain a person circumstances' to prove on the balance of probabilities that he did not know and had no reason to suspect that arms or explosives were where they were found. Onus With this change of onus of proof the commission feels there is 'no serious risk of an innocent man being convicted especially as, if our previous recommendation is accepted, the trial will be by judge alone. (!) commission suggests, The too, that signed written state- ments made to anyone investi- gating the offence should be admissible in court if the per- son who made the statement cannot be produced in court 'for specific reasons'. Certainly the last two recommendations leave the for to be way open guns 'planted' on people and for the wholesale use of agents pro- vocateurs and 'narks'. THE CHURCHILL Machine Tool Company's plant at Broadheath, near Altrincham, Cheshire, is to be flattened.

The new owner, Lyon Group (Northern) Limited, is to re- a f34m in- develop the site as dustrial estate. The project will take three years to complete. Lyon's bought the 22-acre site for more than flm. The redevelopment plans mean an end to the job hopes of the remaining 500-strong work force of the once-famous factory.

Its closure was announced over 12 months ago and followed the recession in the machine-tool trade. Mike Oglesby, director and general manager of the Lyon Group, said: 'We have been told we can have possession in April.

There will then be a complete for nine closure months while buildings are erected and new existing buildings refurbished.'

The group specializes in taking over rundown industry. It took over the Plessey factory at Alex- andria, Scotland, and has also similar properties in purchased Wales.

DEFEND THE ENGINEERS

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday Decem Sir John Donaldson, pre- sident of the National In- dustrial Relations Court, is not a man to mince his words. Whenever he speaks, he means busi- ness. This is not to say that everybody necessarily takes what he says seriously. In- deed, during the Midland Cold Storage dispute a num- ber of dockers passed the unkindest judgements on His Worship. Walter Cunningham, one of the Hull dockers' leaders, also did some straight talking: 'I am standing firm. I won't recognize the court and I won't go to it. Even if they fine me, I won't recognize it and I won't pay the fine. If he wants me in that court he's going to forcibly have to take me there.' But although the working class has signified a sharp degree of contempt for him and his court, the Tories and their backers have come to treat his public pronounce- ments with the utmost res- pect. To them Sir John is already hoisted on the bar- ricades and they want to see how he survives. In this respect it is in- triguing to watch his changed attitude in relation to the capitalist Press. Shortly after the court began its unpre- lay December 21, 1972

CONTROL

cedented rule, he summoned a number of handpicked in- dustrial correspondents to a private briefing. He read the 'riot act' the law of on contempt. He warned that interviews with union members dis- obeying the court's orders could put newspapers or television at risk. This had followed an extra- ordinary telephone call which he had personally made to a BBC news controller after the 6 o'clock news. He was 'dis- pleased' to see an interview with a railwayman who said he would oppose the court's instruction. The cooling-oft interview disappeared from later bulletins. By the end of the year the court president had altered Below: James Goad (left) and Sir John

INCREASED

PROFTTS

tactics. Last month he was guest of honour at a dinner for court journalists at which he made a special appeal for sympathetic coverage. This was followed by a 'New Law Journal' article which said the court was 'misunderstood' because of the sensational treatment it had received in the Press. If the Press did give sen- sational coverage to Sir John, then it must immediately be admitted he was doing pretty sensational things. Like jail- ing five dockers who were defending their basic right to Britain's picket and fining largest trade union £55,000.

This brings us to the Goad case. The capitalist Press has noted Sir John's remarks and those of various Ministers d Sir John Donaldson

INCREASED

PROFES

ANCH 55

over private luncheons. The message has gone to Fleet Street to 'cool it'. Be- cause the Goad issue is some- thing of an embarrassment o them, the ruling class is hoping that by not reporting it, it will go away! Thus workers have been treated to the spectacle-or non-spectacle-of their fight being relegated to obscurity in the capitalist media. The massive stoppages have rated only minor items in the Press while television regards it as third rate news-at best. These organs of the ruling class want to deliberately dis- tort and belittle the fighting capacity of the working class.

They want to hide the fact that on Monday large sections of industry were brought to a halt: the Fleet Street Press, British-Leyland's giant car plant at Cowley and the Ford Motor Company's plant at Dagenham. They want to write off the response to the strike call by tens of thousands of engineers in north and south London, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Slough, Reading and Watford. They also want to hide the fact that in all these strikes other trade unions gave unhesitat- ing support. Yesterday saw another day of immense strike activity in Manchester, Merseyside and Birmingham. We can say without fear of contradiction that Workers Press has been the only daily newspaper in the country which has consistently fol- lowed the activities of Donaldson and his court and fully reported the response of the working class. When the Act was first mooted we said the Com- munist Party's and 'lefts' 'Kill the Bill' was an inadequate campaign. The Bill couldn't be killed without first 'killing' the government. We •were proved right. We warned that the Act would mean a new era of fines on trade unions and jailing of their members.

Those who then put up the slogan 'Don't co-operate with the court were equally proved wrong. We were right once again.

We have consistently called for an industrial and political campaign 1o force the Tories out-the only policy which can ensure the protection of the trade unions and their members from the Tory jackals. By censoring the militancy of the working class in its media, the ruling class be- lieves that the struggle can be dissipated. But like Canute trying to turn back the waters, the Tories face imminent drown- ing.

• 1972 PAGE 5

LUCAS CONDEMN THEIR

MORKERSANDF AMILIES

ToHARDSHIP SUPPORT

OUR FIGHT AT CAV.

FIGHT LUCAS

BLACK OUR PRODUCTS

WORK

CLOSURES

OUR TODAY

I IN

MAYBE YOUR TOMORROW.

MERSEYS

AMALGAMATED

UNION

ENGINEERING

LONDON (NORTH) DISTRICT

IO PARKIN

Loit: London engineers on the march on Monday. Right: The national Press closedown on Monday. Top left: Car workers, members of the T&GWU at the Brillsh-Leyland plant, Jolned striking engineers In a big march through Oxford on Monday. Top right: Mersyside.

engineers at the start of yesterday's demonstration.

Even the briefest investi.

tised on them by Ted Heath and his Cabinet. gation of the govern- This examination in the ment's much • vaunted field of food- -still the most 'price freeze' reveals one important item in the family that far from budget—shows outstanding fact - there being stabilized, they prices is no freeze at all! risen after the have more 'freeze' than Instead the Tories are in- before it. To get the true picture, all volved in perhaps the biggest idea of price should confidence trick ever pulled control They say be abandoned. No food is sub- the consumer. that workers can exchange wage ject to price This sancuions. increases. for a 'standstill' on is made quite clear in the Act in parlia- on inflation passed prices. ment at the end of November.

This argument is a complete Christmas Food be divided into myth, and as the can frantic cres- three categories, food from rush reaches its cendo this weekend, more and abroad, home-grown or caught fresh food and processed food more housewives are waking up made from one or both of the to the gigantic deception prac- 18 s the cost of living this first two categories. The Tories have conveniently freed all imported food from control and all fresh food from control and therefore by impli- cation have freed all processed food from control. You are left with no control at all!

PUBLICITY

The Tories are saying to the big food manufacturers and retailers that they can put the prices up at will but their profits or margins must not be allowed to increase. The secret is that this policy has been presented deliberately ing this christmas. in a way to kid the I usewife into thinking prices are con- trolléd. Hence all the massive publicity in the Tory Press on prices hotline'-we hear nothing now of the team of watchdogs surveying the retail scene from the bowels of Whitehall. The policy on margins is also a fraud designed to stifle protest in the high street.

First, all the big groups in manufacturing retailing rushed in before the freeze and pegged up prices. The trade was well prepared for the freeze. 'The Grocer' magazine, one of the main organs of the in- dustry, carried leaders warn- ing of the clampdown week after week before the measures were announced on November 6. Figures from this magazine reveal the extent of the prices stampede designed boost margins and profits before the so-called anti-inflation laws. In August, for example, "The Grocer' recorded 473 price increases. In the month up to November 4, immediately be- the figure fore the "freeze', nearly doubled to 772. There had also been fundamental shift in the type of price increases. Until the fresh foods had re- autumn gistered an unprecedented rise.

During October they began to fall slightly. This is the area of the food industry that is the least affected by price control, since the firms do not have the power control to prices. But what did rise dur- October ing was processec food. This sector of the in- dustry is highly monopolized.

In other words, prices were being increased as a deliberate act of policy • by the food barons. Even 'The Grocer'. com- mented on this development. its monthly for In survey October, it noted: 'The sug- gestion that October would see a considerable movement in processed food prices seems to have been justified by the large number of increases dur- ing the month.' A second important point when considering the 'margin' argument is this: Every house- wife has had her income frozen.

'increased She cannot plead costs' to the Tories, yet her Tory because of costs, the prices fraud, are rising. Bluntly stated, the Tories have decided to allow people to get poorer.

A third in- consideration volves the existing margins of the big monopolies. The food industry is an extremely profit- able business for the big boys.

Even if their margins were halved, most of the companies would be earning better than the average rate of return on capital. Here are a few examples: Lyons Brook-Bond (catering, tea, etc.) over 50 per cent on company profit on food, Profit for 1972, £6.2m, a record. Heinz (50 per cent of soup Workers Procs, Thereda

PRIME FISH

LERON

nEst: LMON

LAT E PLAICE

market, canned beans, etc.), company in the world, mono- the week ending October trading profit £12.3m - a poly of margarine, soap, etc.) 28. During the week ending per cent up on November 4 there was another record. Associated British Foods year before. fall, this time of 0.41 points.

one of the big four bakers, Tesco (supermarkets) trad- Again fresh food accounted for owner of Fine Fare, etc.) con- ing profit £20.8m-15 per cent the drop. trolled by the Garfield Weston in one year. But since. the week ending family of America, profits for United Biscuits (McVities, November 11-that is since the Crawfords, 50 -£32.7m. 1972- Penguin, etc., freeze-apart from week, One Unigate and cake the per cent of biscuit food index risen United Dairies, Cow and Gate, market) profits £11.7m, almost stead November I1 the index for last financial four times the level ten years etc.) profit £13.05m than was 0.17 up. On November 18 year more ago. These are the massive profit- 0.33 up, on December 2 it was double ten years ago margins (made in all 1.32 up (one the highest cases by taking from the working class rises of the year) and on Dec- of the value creates) part Both it ember y it was 0.86 UD protected Tories who prote prices to rise being processed and fresh foods

PROTECTION

are now rising rapidly, in fact food So much for 'curbing' the prices as a whole on December Cavenhams, controlled by profits in the industry. 9 were 9.5 per cent higher than financier Jimmy Goldsmith, the While the big monopolies the same period last year, one retail chain in the continue to reap in the mil- of the biggest. increases over (Allied Suppliers- lions, therefore, the housewife 1971 recorded over the last 12 country Maypole, Home and Colonial, faces the most expensive months. Moores Liptons-Wrights Christmas in history. and Stores, etc., plus food holdings The trend of prices has been from up and up, despite the "freeze' Bovril takeover), for the 32 weeks to Again the figures in "The

POVERTY

profits November 11, £11.16m—com- Grocer' are instructive. pared with the £1.8m for the According to the magazine, prices fell (as Add to this that fresh meat same period of 1971, before index food ex- the retail chain was purchased because of the prices are around 25 per cent plained earlier from Unilever. fall in fresh food prices not up on last year, fruit prices prosessed foods) by Ô.25 points 27 per cent up and Unilever (the biggest food around

• 21. 1072 PAGE 7

Above left: Shoppers find that meat prices are up 25 per cent.

Right: Fish Is up on average 40 per cent and the food index is rising steadily. bread 9 per cent, and the full impact of the Tory drive to impoverish whole sections of the working class be can gauged. This process, of course, is bound to go on. The Common Market will herald another enormous leap in the cost of living. Many observers point to the development synthetic foods, like the 'kesp' idea in- troduced by Courtaulds. This is a 'synthetic meat' made from soya beans. Many experts now believe that this is the work- ing class food of the future- in Europe the cost of fresh commodities will be far beyond weekly budget of the ordinary consumer. The steak will become what it was 100 years ago-the exclusive food The wor- of the very wealthy. kers will eat 'kesp'. • Tomorrow a London grocer gives his views on the prices swindle.

21,1072

BE UNITED

AND

AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS. MACHINIS

SMITHS, AND PATTERN MAKERS.

Chis is tu Certito chut The Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers is today in the forefront of the struggle against the Tory government's Industrial Relations Act. Here a special correspondent highlights important and significant episodes in the history of the engineers' fight to build their union against the employers, their governments and their courts. Part one: From the Combination Acts to the Amal- gamated Society of Engineers.

a fine of The ghosts of the Com- Lords had imposed £24,000 on the Amalgamated bination Laws of 1799- Society of Railway Workers 1800 and the Taff Vale for damages incurred by the judgement of 1901 leap Taff Vale Company during the strike called by the union out of the past into new the of against victimization living form to preside one of its members, the Amal- gamated Society of Engineers' over the present conflict general George secretary between organized the Barnes, writing in the union's working class and the 'Monthly Journal' [of August] capitalist state. expressed the fear that: "The judges may even make By implementing the policy the liable of non-co-operation with the unions to action instance Industrial Relations Act, the raised at the of 1.2 million-strong Amalgam - executive members in respect of their claims the ated Union of Engineering upon unions.' Workers (AUEW) is now in Although, the forefront of the resistance the at time, to the plans of the Tory gov- Barnes' alarm was justified, the confiscate did ernment to union courts not intervene as a towards the that assets step against any union in destruction of all trade union specific instance. But 70 years rights. by bringing his later, case 1901 after the Law In before the National Industrial

CHINISTS, MILLWRIGHTS.

Relations Court James Goad has provided a convenient pre- text for the Tory government continue offensive to against union rights. The Taff Vale judgement negated that legislative pro- tection won by the trade union movement in the period from the repeal of the Combination Laws in 1824. In principle, the of 1825 conceded Act the right of collective-bargaining and the right to strike un- attended by the use of violence intimidation. The Trade or Union Act of 1876 appeared to reaffirm these rights by sanctioning peaceful picketing and the legal status of unions regarding the security of their funds. Taff Vale threatened to demolish all safeguards, returning the unions to the pre-1824 position of illegality.

At various times throughout the course of the 19th century, the forefathers of the modern engineers, firstly in the form separate craft societies which joined together in 1851 to constitute the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (the pre- decessor of the AUEW) played part in prominent the struggle to build and maintain trade unions and wrest legal rights from the employing class. Action taken by the master millwrights of London against their journeymen formed the prelude to the introduction of the Combination Laws of 1799.

The standard 18th-century practice, whereby employers in particular trades procured prohibition of parliamentary association of journeymen who sought to raise wages, was taken up by the London master millwrights. Alarmed at the strong network of combina- tions among journeymen in London and within a 25 mile radius, they petitioned parlia- ment to enforce the Statute Law empowering Justices of the Peace to fix the rate of

ON THE

Men's Headquarters, Cobourn Street. Cathays. There has baen a strike on the Taff Vale Railway The Management are using every since Monday last means to decoy men here who they employ for the purpose of black-legging the men on strike.

Are you willing to be known as a If you accept employment on the Tall Vale. that is what you will be known by. On arriving at Cardin, call at the above address, where you can get information

RICHARD

Ganeral Secratary. Cheque pald by the Amalga wages and to take all neces- nated Soclety of Rallway Workers 1o the to suppress the sary means Taff Vale Company for strike dam combinations. ages. Above: Strike poster. Above The journeymen counter- left: membership card of Amal- petitioned in vain. When the gamated Society of Engineers.

Bill was introduced in the of the an expanding sector Commons, William Wilber- economy in which there were force, the champion of the for in- distinct opportunities abolition of the slave trade, dividual self-betterment, en- but an enemy of the workers, gineers and machine-workers succeeded with his suggestion as a whole preferred to stay that the scope of the proposed outside the mass working class legislation should be widened Chartist of movement the so as to make all combinations 1840s. But during the period illegal by Statute Law, since were embroiled in a number they were 'a general disease in of bitter confrontations with our society. their employers. However, despite the harass- In 1844, a powerful com- the law, ment of the mill- of Manchester bination em - wrights managed to maintain ployers attempted to smash their craft privileges and stan- unionism by the use of the dards, resisting the attempts 'quittance paper' which carried of the employers to introduce details about the character of non-union men and flood the the workmen. It was to be trade with cheap apprentice presented before a prospective labour. employer, and intended to With the expansion of the victimize prominent union textile industry as the leading men out of a job. This attack sector of the Industrial Revo- only served to stimulate into lution, Lancashire and York- existence the Mechanics Pro- shire, by the 1830s, had re- Society Great tection of placed London as the main Britain and Ireland-a strong of engineering. centre This federation with pretentions of development created a new being a national body. and more concentrated class Forced to withdraw after an of engineers and machine- eight-month-long strike in makers employed in the con- Bury against the 'quittance struction and servicing of paper, the Manchester Masters machinery for the large tex- in 1846 invoked the law. They tile enterprises. charged the strikers with 'con- Although they remained spiracy' and the strike leaders outside the great upsurge of were imprisoned. general influenced unionism, After riding out the cyclical by Owenite ideas and culmin- trade depression of 1847-1848, ating in the Grand National which resulted in heavy un- Consolidated Trades Union of employment in the engineering 1834, from early the mid- the trades owing to end of 1830s the engineering crafts- railway speculation and the of the men north built up closing down of textile mills, district level and unions at the upturn in trade which fol- The fruitful divided by trade. lowed restored much and in- of Lancashire amalgamation creased membership. In 1851, and Yorkshire unions gave rise when several organizations the to Journeymen Steam were brought together to form Engine and Machine-Makers the Amalgamated Society of Friendly Society. Engineers, it had a member- As collective bodies, society ship of 10,841. It was an his- policy refrained from involve- toric landmark in trade ment in political movements. unionism.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

As an aristocracy of labour in

THIS ANGRY POET

BY FRANCIS WYNDHAM

foreign policy, which was con- cerned with preserving only Nigeria vast and con- as venient market for British com- that after a mercial interests, he refused while to return here, although he continued to invitations receive pressing from academic institutions.

Instead, he remained in his beleaguered country and was for largely responsible the 'Ahiara Declaration'-a long speech delivered General Ójukwu on Jure 1, 1969, which was the nearest that Biafra got in its short life to framing a constitution. The war had begun as a 'Borero, soul Drother by Chines simple struggle for survival; Achebe. Holnemann, 10p. after Ahiara, it defined itself Whenever reference IS 'the revolution'. Biafran as When I visited Biafra in July, made to Chinua Achebe, 1969, I found Achebe in he is usually described as mood that was both embittered 'the best living African 'Our and exalted. society has 'You to be new, he told me. novelist. It would be we have always admired see, more accurate, and less technology, we have western to say that needed your science and your patronizing, and education, for years we he is among the best lIv- have respected your values. But ing novelists anywhere in now we are beginning to won- the world. der of the about any values coming from the west. We feel His books-'Things Fall we must develop our own, and Apart,' 'No Longer at Ease, create for the first time in his- and 'Arrow of God' and 'A tory a real black African state.

Man of the People'—have clas- Rejection of Nigeria is merely simplicity, qualities of sic negative-what we must put in beauty and profundity irony, its place is real social justice.

them peculiarly which make will be remembered that It accessible to European readers: at this time General Gowon's would be but it wrong to military regime was being assume from this that he has armed not only by the UK but the style of an alien adopted also by the Kremlin. culture and denied his native I asked Achebe if he was roots. going to write about the war, His work is essentially Afri- —-here, I thought, was a great preserving the traditions can, novelist provided with the of Ibo folklore in its vivid theme and for . a portrayal of modern Nigerian experience great book. But he replied: I The Ibos are among society. see this war at all as don't of African the most recent writing. It is tou material for peoples to become westernized; big, too terrible. I have no wish they at the are to interpret it: I just want us least among to get out of it somehow and Their pagan beliefs had little people to leave us to do for alone. magic but were with if based Even 1 to writing rational, predominantly when it is over, it will have to on a series of subtle and sen- different kind of writing.

sible "proverbs' be a which seem to Only some new form of expres- stretch back in history beyond superstitions of sion could do justice to this the romantic horror.' the Christian era to the clear- of During the three years since philosophy ancient eyed defeat, Achebe has Greece. Biatra's slim At the start of the Biafran produced only two war, Achebe made several trips 'Girls at War' is a volumes. of collection of short stories, to England in a fruitless , at- which many were written long tempt to persuade the Wilson before the war and only government to alter its policy one, of support for Federal Nigeria the title story, deals directly (and unforgettably) with the against the new state. He be- second book, British war itself. The disgusted by came so Special offer £20 includes postage Complete the form below with name and address of person to whom you would like the paper sent.

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which has just been published, is a collection of poems: and in 'Beware, Soul Brother' it seems to me that Achebe has taken a step towards that 'new form of expression' which alone might 'do justice to this horror'. The title is misleading, with of Black Pan- its overtones therine mysticism: the poem from which it is taken is in fact a warning against this sort of confused emotional anarchy.

'But beware soul brother of «he lures of ascension day the day of soporific levitation on high winds of skysong; beware for others there will be that day lying in wait leaden-footed, tone- deaf passionate only for the deep entrails of our soil; beware of the day we head truly skyward leaving that spoil to the long ravenous tooth and talon of their hunger!

Only seven of these 30 poems are directly about war— for example 'Air Raid': It comes so quickly the bird of death from evil forests of Soviet technology' and "The First Shot', which might have been written about Ulster: 'That lone rifle-shot anonymous in the dark striding chest-high through a nervous suburb..?

these— Refugee Two of Mother and Child' and 'Christ- in Biafra (1969)'—deal mas with the starvation which was a hideous side-effect of this particular war. The western public became only too familiar with photo- graphs, by Donald McCullin and others, of pathetic chil- dren with distended stomachs dying in the arms of their dis- traught mothers-and it. must be hard for a poet to match in words these heart-rending images. Achebe does so with characteristic simplicity: 'The air was heavy with odours of diarrhoea of unwashed children with washed-out ribs and dried-up bottoms struggling in laboured steps behind blown empty bellies.

Most mothers there had long ceased to care but not this one; she held a ghost smile between her teeth and in her eyes the ghost of a mother's pride as she combed the rust- coloured hair left on his skull and then singing in her eyes-began carefully to part it... In another life this would have been a little daily act of no consequence before his Writings of

WRITINGS OF

Leon Tratsky

LEON TROTSKY

11937-38 (1838-9)

WRITINGS OF

TEOR

LEON

TROTSKY

11933-34) 11934-35 Six volumes of Trotsky's writings during years 1929-1940 £8.00 includes postage Please tick those you requ Name Address Complete form and post 10 New Park Publications, 18 Workers Press, Thursd breakfast and school; now she did it like putting flowers on a tiny grave? Even those poems which do not appear to refer to the Bia- fran war can be interpreted as metaphors for some aspect of the crisis. Many deal with Ibo legends, with proud pagan re- sistence to the white myths of the missionaries; others con- centrate with infinite exacti- tude on a tiny incident, domes- tic or in nature, and extract its full human significance by dis- tilling its poetic essense.

butterfly burst A yellow open on a speeding windscreen; a mango seedling struggling for life on the concrete canopy of a modern office block; motes in a sunbeam; two vultures making love; a public execu- tion in Lagos ... these are among Achebe's subjects. But behind the precision of his observation, the economy of his phrasing, the perfectly beautifully chosen words placed in the elegant phrase, there is always anger. Some- times the anger is explicit, as in the searing 'Non-commit- ment': 'Hurrah! to them who do nothing see nothing feel nothing whose hearts are fitted with prudence like a diaphragm across womb's beckoning doorway to bar the scandal of seminal rage. I'm told the owl too wears wisdom in a ring of defence round each vulnerable eye securing it fast againsi the darts of sight..

History of Russian Revolution —special gift pack of three volumes £1.70 includes postage ou require. Amount enclosed E I post 1o: lions, 186a Clapham High Street, Lor 38, Thuraday December 21, 1972 PAGE 9 More often the anger IS under-stated, or fiercely ironic, as in 'He Loves Me: He Loves Me Not'-lines provoked by the news that a street in Port Harcourt has been named after Harold Wilson. • "Harold Wilson he loves me he gave me a gun in my time of need to shoot my rebellious brother. Edward Heath he loves me not he's promised a gun to his sharp-shooting brother viewing me crazily through ramparts of white Pretoria... It would be awful if he got me." It was awful and he got him. They headlined it on the BBC spreading indignation through the world, later that day in emergency meeting his good friend Wilson and Heath his enemy crossed suords over him at West- minster and sent post- haste Sir Alec to Africa for the funeral: This desperately jaunty little jingle sums up all the sordid of neo-colonial cynicism power-politics as it must strike its bewildered victims. I would like to send copies of this book presents to Mr Christmas as Wilson, Mr Heath and Sir Alec Douglas-Home. No doubt they would wonder at the sophisti- fastidious cation of Achebe's art—and it is possible that they might even wince at his rage.

TROTSKY

Trotsky—a documentary by Francis Wyndham and David King £1.65 includes postage eer, London SW4 ZUC

PAGÈ ió Workers Press, Thursday December 21, 1972 All Trades Unions Alliance

MEETINGS

Fight Rising Prices Force the Tories to Resign Support the Engineers SWANSEA: Wednesday December 20, 7.30 p.m. YMCA. Defend the Force Tories

AUEW.

the to re- sign' HOLLOWAY: Thursday December 21, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, Seven 'Support Sisters Road. the Engineers'.

PRESTON:

Thursday December 21,7.30 p.m. 'The New Cock Inn', Fishergate. 'Fight the Industrial Relations Act-Force the Tories to Resign'.

SOUTH

EAST LONDON:

Thurs- day December 21, Dept- p.m. ford Engineers' Club, New Cross Road (near station). 'Build Coun- cils of Action'.

CLAY

CROSS: Thursday Decem- 21, Centre, ber 1. Might Social Derby Road. Tory rent rises!' 'Make this government resign.' DAGENHAM: Thursday December 28, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, corner of Anthony Hopkins (centre) as Fanshawe Ave/Longbridge Rd.

BBC 2.

WATFORD: Monday January 8 p.m. Watford Trade Hall Union (upstairs), Woodford Road, oppo- site Watford Junction station.

LIVERPOOL: Thursday December 28, 8 p.m. 'The Mitre', Dale Street.

CENTRAL LONDON (Press and branch): Sunday Entertainments December 31, 3 p.m. Inns of Court Mission, Drury Lane/Broad Common Market.

BBC 2

Court. 'The Speaker: John Spencer (Workers Press). 8 ACTON: Monday January 1, 11.00-11.25 Play school. W3. Co-op Hall, High Road, p.m. 7.30 NEWSROOM. Weather.

EAST

LONDON:

Tuesday Jan- 2, 8 'Festival Inn', 8.00

EUROPA.

The circus in uary p.m. Street Market, E14. East and West Europe. Chrisp Tuesday Jan- 8.30 WAR AND PEACE. Boro- Albert, uary 8 p.m. dino. Wharfedale Road, King's Cross.

9.15 FANATICS. Mod Stock

BRACKNELL :

Tuesday January Mad. 8 p.m. Priestwood Community 2, 9.25

HORIZON.

Their Life in Centre. Your Hands.

LETCHWORTH:

Wednesday Jan- uary 3, 8 p.m. Trades Hall.

10.15 FACE THE MUSIC.

Wednesday

TOTTENHAM:

Jan- 10.45 NEWS ON 2. Weather. 'Bricklayer's Arms', uary 3, 8 p.m. 10.50 JUDEE SILL. In concert. Tottenham High Road. 11.25

POEMS AND PINTS.

The WOOLWICH: Tuesday January 9, Burrage Welsh look wryly at them- 8 p.m. 'Queen's Arms', Road. selves. The dally paper that loads the fight against the Torles. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) {5.07 for 3 months (78 Issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 far 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: Circulation Dept., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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Name... Address.. Bezuhov in the 13th of 20 episodes of Tolstoy's War and Peacé' on

ITV

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Workers Press, Thursday December 21, 1972 PAGE 11 Despite blatant discrimination in Loughborough hosiery mill strike Inquiry chief turns attack on striking Asians

BY PHILIP WADE

THE ASIAN workers at Loughborough mills of the Mansfield Hosiery company met last night to decide whether to continue their two-month strike.

Following the publication yesterday of the government

DON

SCAB

inquiry into their dispute, strike leaders met Harold Gibson, general secretary of

THIS IS

the National Union of Hosi- ery and Knitwear Workers.

Gibson tried to persuade them to accept the findings of the report drawn up by former Labour Minister Kenneth Robinson and return to work.

report-which But the inquiry follows a two-day hearing in Not- guarantees strikers absolutely and whitewashes таст LOe and most particularly the union for their roles in the SunKe. some or ine bougnborough strikers on inel picket une Robinson- -now personnel chief Tor The orich ree corporation leadership refused back the rial Council agreement for set- denly became a little more violent —declares that the until literally forced non-Asian knitters taken dur- strike tine a stre in monon It was because or tre intervenuor by occupation of their head And for years and years, Asian extreme right-wing elements SUNKe SHould the mills have factory gates. In mentioned. bar-loaders dismissed. yualleis 11UU leadership, openly noonson. a tabour bureaucrat.

lound ImpossIbit Lialnce auscult is now in the top management for highly-paid, skilled knitting racialist note veneo Third walk-out in corporation which jobs. create confusion among white plans workers the mills. sack tens Luvsallus WUl- The Asian workers walked out Few laughs All the report can recommend kers in the coming lew years Er when hindy discovered the er So it is not surprising that his training new acreemen when discovered the bary en the uniong nd theesom.

Now Robinson talks touchingly most hostile remarks are reserved Former Minlater Robineon workers had been recruited dur- about training courses 101 ourcaucials Wild ing their strike. That English have studiously avoided leading sincerely ottered Delle 10I Asial wOrKer. Union leaders have admitted strike but should cause few laughs and a shake-up management major In they knew a great deal about Loughborough at the mill. for the strikers and their sup. Strikers are accused of pursuing recruitical 110 U porters Unity plea But "their tell the strikers. report The allis some Wildl Harvely fails make this fact in any 'Misguided The 'outside leadership' Includ. document the The whole is vir- clear. ing way Benny between 'In Asian wor- student tually plea unity view the Now recommends kers,' the report says, 'were mIs- bunsee are aulezea navt Ten Wine alla that the 41 'job opportunities for guided in failing to pursue their worked are rents not marry militant rank-and-file trying to should be placed trainee knitters through established work agreements presumably find its voice. claim Then What this

DOUL

VacalLico. within the the strike going strike has shown to keep lor orocedure. Inaustr. the 4 taken on durne the stake for settling disputes joy bevond all doubt the need tor

OT I

and the Asian should assistance of their In what approaches witch- new principled leadership the compete for the vacancies!

hunting techniques, Robinson National Union of Hosiery when should have be- Workers. Knitwear of the 'fringe elements' who The -which and union leadership- come unem Inal LuIs lalk. assistance was being sincerely attached themse ves une basis or consuruc- has all along hght all relusca lu tion of such strikers' and in the next breath leadership can the the way for 'picketing which at the gains out of What is conveniently omitted had as Robinson admits, are and prepare rebuked pointed their tor a for making 'mis- The таст outser beer peacelul only Workers Press that there is 'intensified'. hosierv real acalosi une takes In nanding ous oute. fact contained Any striker it uld have told bosses and their backers in the sud- Tory Union president Prendergast the the Robinson that picketing government. Of course. within the National oint Indust.

unlal Engineers' strike a test of lęadership The bankruptcy of protest no matter how THE BITTER FIGHT of the engineers ranks for united action. imited one -can against the £50,000 fine imposed by the

COMMENT BY STEPHEN JOHNS

AUEW leaders on the Clyde did just this.

Nationa Industrial Relations Court has really illustrates the rotten Clydeside been an invortant lest orleadersuld.

end of reformist tactics.

At one time the o mobilize the membership was a failur The executive the Amalgamated is not withdrawn we will stop the coun- committee Workers Union trv' ('Morning Star', June Li).

Halpin in Scotland could mobilize stewards were obliged to stand firm on the union's policy June did not shrink trom The «renera from all the major plants.

One could contrast this with the Oxford of total non-co-operation with the Indus- Strike. But now he considers it impolitic demonstration centred on the Cowley to call on the engineers' leaders to launch On at least two occasions That medoos acc. complex where stewards have consistently national strike called on the whole of scotland to halt ae clai- fought for the political policy of mobiliz. the ques- But their prevarication over lenged once more by the NIRC!

if any worker, union or trade unionist 1s industrial and ing the working class in penalized under Act. On August 20 tion of all out strike acton ala weaken the ranks and allowed the right-wing to The malaise was not just confined political action to force the Committee proposed …tones to re the scottish Liaison days of the noticeable feature of the This fight-which the Stalinists Halpin. Another sign. make some gains in the early specifically strike claim is way ahead of workers' thinking dispute. faced sequestration. hence decision London stewards meen on Monday was Birmingham to ignore the call to action the panty memors dey considered ene of the ove best aculons return to work at the Sudbury members. defence of the engineers. Most industries But now Clydeside is silent, and the allo Oxford came to a halt and hundreds Liaison in- London the Scottish Committee appears CAV plant. and creditable lur vul i The south 'poor of Transport and General Workers' Unior east response. _TO quote cavaoe or •romises which underwent George Anthony, president of the north members marched with the engineers de- Stalinists, meanwhile, drift further into une older movement He was quite manding removal of the Tory government.

their gloom and further to the right.

London district committee.

discernible weekene it was and swing rignuy challengea over nis pessimism tron But perhaps deside. It was the Glas This is an indictment of protest politics the floor. to une mcgu Was all came on the Clydeside. It was the trated vividly when •Kevin Habit. Jeaner Draclice pruleel luc vulcal

AUEW

the Party's Liaison Committee for the One could in fact have been forgiven CiSTrICT committee oTte Crats who earne unions ane demorala that Party members did not that called off the one-day action on Mon- the rank and file. hand for assuming Detence of I rade Unions raised nis day, dodging behind the very policy that have their hearts in the struggle. against a call at a London delegates meel- The put up ing which committed the AUEW leader- enters Have a nicole cially since it was yet anotner renineer considerable odds. They struggle against Toris conspite pions from strike action in future that class confrontation inevitable and ional strike action! ship national 'Morn- have come out in their hundreds of thou the Dardes over une act. sands and shown this the This was a manoeuvre carried out be- leftist by working class are stronger than ever.

But right by hind phrase-mongering This is a decisive shift to the ing to pressure. officials. Halpin, the man who said earlier this year Clydeside for national many will return wiser men. The davs of Call a Scottish Liaison Committee meeting: noticeable that in factories action is right, protesting against government are It is also bult this n no circum InIs Stalinists have influence stances can be used as a means to big political lie right where some 'We musi tell the lories and those right wing trade union leaders that if this Act the primary responsibility to mobilize the alicaus

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday December 21, 1972 CRIPPLING strikes reverberated throughout the Midlands yesterday as thousands of engineers went on strike to protest against the massive fines on their union. The number of workers on

AUEW

ABERDEEN

shop strike or laid off was estimated stewards a Tuesday voted un- their quarterly to be almost 100,000. The nine meeting on Lucas factories making elec- unions Executive Committee union's trical parts for the car industry name a date early in the 10,000 were shut down and new year for a national strike workers made idle. Of these over the fines levied on it by 6,000 were on strike, and the the National Industrial Rela- rest were laid off. tions Court. hit The biggest factory to be assembly British-Leyland's was down by strikers. In every case plant at Longbridge. On Tuesday the AUEW men received warm Birmingham 'Evening Mail support from members of other splashed a sensational story that trade unions. 85 of the Austin wor- per cent The success of the Midlands kers would disobey their stewards' strength strike shows the call for strike action. for the rank-and-file feeling The Press was wildly wrong. defence of their union. It also Only a trickle of men went to a blow against the local marks officials and right wingers who tried to evade the strike call.

AT LEAST 13,000 members of

AUEW

Les Hughes, AUEW were out on strike senior the Longbridge, steward Austin in Enfield, north London, yester- Workers Press: told day. In many cases they were It is high time our executive members of other supported by council called a national total trade unions. stoppage. They should have done At Gestetner's, in Tottenham, this in the first place. It is the complete shutdown there was a to beat this Act.' all 1,200 only way workers out- with At Wolverhampton pro-

AUEW,

T&GWU,

no including Villiers duction took place at

EPTU,

mechanics, metal where all 1,200 workers-includ- G&MWU and ASW. ing TASS and T&GWU members out included Other factories strike. -were on main- British Oxygen, Standard Tele- tenance work was done there on Enfield Small Arms, phones, Tuesday night. Brimsdown station and power Darlaston the 4,000 wor- At many others. Rubery Owen stopped kers at

SOME

700 in the workers

T&GWU

members joining Chatham district of the AUEW work, with

AUEW.

Work the also including those at Win- struck, stopped at Garringtons and at all Metal Box, Kent Alloy get's, Wilkins and Mitchell four fac- and Westport Tools. But the tories. Rochester,

CAV

factories which had been expected to come so after failed to do the Out. convenor circulated an amazing letter (see p.3). About 13,000 day shift work: were affected as shop workers claimed 90 cent stewards per support. Nor was there any production at Leyland's other local factory Castle the car body Bromwich where 6,500 workers Tyre production affected. were at the Dunlop factory was at a standstill and three- virtual quarters of the 3.200 rubber workers were laid off. production Most vehicle was Rover be- halted at the plant cause about 1,500 workers at the main assembly plant in Solihull, strike. Warwickshire, were Four of the company's east making Birmingham factories units and transmission engines closed for the day with were 2,000 workers on strike or laid off. The car-component firms, SU and Tractor and Carburettors were shut. Transmissions Hardy Spicer of The group which factories- -another group Press said would the capitalist closed continue working-were

THE RIGHT-WING

dominated they went on to vote 24 votes Coventry of to ten to put down a resolution district committee the AUEW has voted by a large for next April's national com- stoppage completely majority to oppose overturning milies defence of the present the non-co-operation in policy. But wingers went right the even further. They voted 26 votes to six to call on the EC to recall

THE

LABOUR

Party leaders yesterday confirmed their capitu- the national committee to re- policy lation Tories when they consider the union's on to the Industrial Relations Act.

And refused to back councillors and fighting the Housing tenants Finance Act. egisteres news porkers Published of the party's Press. meeting Street, High national executive committee Clanham en- dorsed recommendation from stre 1: London. (TU), Printed by Plough last week's i home policy com- High 180h Clapham Street. mittee. SW4 7UG. nor OVER 1,000 trade unionists from opinion we shall have to go for the AUEW, boilermakers', an all-out stoppage. brass workers,

UCATT,

"To get rid of the Act we will and metal CEU and the G&MWU to get a Labour

TASS,

have govern- we shall still Over wages, marched through Manchester Mell. press ahead' yesterday chanting 'Heath Out.

Ormonde, 18- Capitalist Press out. Socialism Anthony an from

AEI,

year-old apprentice in'. Trafford Park, said: 'We need an Also present were contingents all-out national stoppage to get from the Young Socialists, Com- the government out. They won't munist Party, International Soc- Act. The TUC repeal the and Labour Party Young ialists General Strike. call for a What Socialists. we need is a new leadership?

A shop steward from Hawker John At the mass meeting Siddeley-one of the few plants

AUEW

Tocher, district secre- that worked-told Workers Press tary, said: 'It is not just a fight that the men had voted against for the

AUEW.

This Act is a localized strike action and were licence for the government to demanding a national stoppage.

break down the traditions of our "There's no leading from the movement built up over 200 front. The executive years." are strong enough to beat the right wing.

Frank Taylor, an executive

TASS,

Hawker Siddeley convenor Bill member of the technical section of the AUEW, told the Hampton, of the AUEW national committee, said: 'In my personal meeting: IS

OVER

5,000 London dockers They were met by shop picketed from the Royal Group yester- stewards who the day staged a one-day strike in gates. of the engineering support some initial Despite con- union. fusion, there was general agree- strike and ment no They came out in answer to docker crossed the picket line.

a call late Tuesday afternoon Division from Two of the Some dockers did, however, General Transport and complain that the rest of the Workers' Union. London docks, including Til- bury, the West India and Mill.

Hundreds of dockers — un- aware that the strike was on wall, should have been brought Royals. up at the out with the Royals. - turned We must be clear that the fine was imposed because we demo- cratically refused membership to Goad. "This law and others like it is really the final expression of the ruling class. It is like the Combi- nation Act and Tafl Vale.

•Workers fought against them then and we will fight now. Look at Northern Ireland. The judi- ciary found that the troops had no right to be there so Heath went to Ireland and in 24 hours it was legal, right back to 1921.

'The dockers showed how the law could be fought? To cheers he concluded: I am convinced bring out all the we have to members and we need more than a one-day stoppage' After the meeting he told Workers Press that what was really required was a General Strike to get the government out.

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