Workers Press no. 992

workers press "A collision course with Tories'--says

'UNITED WE WIN

DIVIDED WE FALL'

ROYSTON BULL today takes over as Industrial Correspon- dent of the Workers Press. He formerly worked as Industrial Correspondent in London for the 'Scotsman", the Thomson- owned daily newspaper Scotland. Royston Bull in a well known and experienced journalist In the industrial field. His appoint- ment to the editorial board will strengthen the paper's cover- age of trade union affairs at a time when it is clear there is going to be enormous work- Ing-class resistance to the Tories' dictatorial policies.

In the National Union of Journalists he has played a leading role in the fight for trade union principles: opposi- tion to the Industrial Relations Act, against Tory censorship and for better wages and con-.

ditions. For the past two years he has been chairman of the Central London branch of the NUJ which represents all of Fleet Street's journalists.

enlarged industrial In our department Royston Bull will join David Maude who becomes Labour Correspondent. Soeialist Labour League Public Meeting

UNITE IN ACTION TO DEFEND

BASIC RIGHTS

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11,

7.30 p.m. Govan South Town Hall Langland Road (nearest station Govan Cross)

GLASGOW

Speaker :

G. HEALY

(SLL national secretary)

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL

THE ENGINEERING unic about the working class bei he adds ... and this time He is right, too, when he says: • The trade union movement has been under sustained and bitter attack in the interests of finance and property. • The economic crisis is the fault of the profiteers and finan- ciers and not of the workers who have only their labour to sell. • The history of Germany in the 1920s carries grave warnings for British workers today.

But it is inadequate to con- clude merely that the AUEW will with a Tory not co-operate government which attacks the unions. The question is: will the working class be united now to end Tory rule or will the leaders be permitted to fritter away the strength of the class in isolated piece-meal battles?

Do we fight now, or permit our enemies to weaken us section by section and fight later on their terms? Last year the miners brought the Tories to their knees in a seven- week strike. Yet they were left to fight alone. While the miners were locked in struggle with the govern- ment, the leaders of the power workers and water workers, workers all accepted pay rises within the Tory norm. This government must be brought down. It can be brought down-but action of the only by the united working class fighting on wages, jobs, rents, prices and democratic rights. And Mr Conway, together with his "left' colleague Mr Hugh Scanlon, refused to fight on a national wage claim for engineers, dividing and weakening their members by a series of isolated, local disputes.

It was this, together with the treachery of the Labour right wing over the Common Market, which Tory government permitted the to survive into 1973 and to inten- sify its attacks on basic working- class rights. These rights are not abstractions, but real achievements of the work- ing class won in bitter struggle over many generations. What are they and how are the Tories seeking to destroy them? THE RIGHT to trade union organ- ization has been undermined by the Industrial Relations Act which uses

EWSLETTER • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 1973 •

ENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST

AUEW secretary Jim Co

BY JACK GALE

G union's general secretary is ab in the February issue of the Al time it could be really nasty.

the force of the state and its National Industrial Relations Court against the closed shop, the right of unions to exclude scabs and the right to picket. THE RIGHT to strike for a decent wage has been taken away by the Tory state pay law, now in its Phase Two. These measures tie the unions to the bourgeois state and deny them any right to independent action. THE RIGHT to a home at a reason- able rent has been denied by the Tories' Housing Finance Act which also permits elected representatives to be surcharged and jailed for carrying out the policies on which they were elected. THE RIGHT to a job. Over 800,000 working-class men and women are unemployed. 50,000 steelworkers and 30,000 engineers employed on Concorde live under the shadow of the dole. Every week more factories close down and more workers are flung onto the streets. THE RIGHT to health and welfare benefits is being systematically undermined by Tpry cuts. THE RIGHT to free expression is under organized attack from sinister forces of the right who, under the "decency", guise of "morality' and seek to repress all views in the arts and communications media with which they disagree. AND, as we pointed out in Mon- day's Workers Press, the Phase Two legislation can close down entire sections of the Press by imposing unlimited fines. Today 26 trade unions represent- ing 4 million workers in the public sector are meeting to discuss con- certed action against the govern- ment's pay policies. This is a step in the right direction. But the. powerful leaders of the labour movement are allowing such be taken in isolation. actions to left to fight the selves. Gasworkers and Civil Ser- vants are allowed to go it alone.

Workers like those involved in the Briant Colour struggle for jobs and the Fine Tubes battle do not have the strength of the entire movement brought in behind them. Instead, as the basic rights of workers under increasing come

TURN TO BACK PAGE

1973 • No 992 @ 4p

CIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

ry Jim Conway y is absolutely right urse with the Tory the AUEW journal,

BIS

Britain ABOUT 2,000 militant shopworkers from all over marched to parliament yesterday to the protest against to hold down their wages under its government decision pay control laws. Among the lowest-paid workers in the the shopworkers bitterly country, attacked the laws and demanded all-out opposition to them, both from Labour MPs and their own union leaders.

Boisterous chants of "Heath out!' and 'No Tory law! came from the marchers, many of whom were young girl workers who had travelled hundreds of miles to take part. Frances Andrews (17), an assistant from a Liverpool chainstore, ex- plained: *Most girls my age take home less than £10 a week, she said. "And the pay's just as bad till you're 18 or 19. How do we manage? We don't, that's why and my friends are me here. It's up to the union to make them pay—we want Heath out as well! Delerations on vesterday's march came from as far afield as Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, South Wales and Plymouth.

There were also banners from the north-west, Yorkshire, the Midlands and London.

workers press "A collision course with Tories' --says

'UNITED WE WIN

DIVIDED WE FALL'

ROYSTON BULL today takes over as industrial Correspon- dent of the Workers Press. He formerly worked as Industrial Correspondent in London for the 'Scotsman', the Thomson- owned dally newspaper Scotland. Royston Bull in a well known and experlenced journalist the Industrial field. His appoint- ment to the editorial board will the paper's cover- strengthen age of trade union affairs at a time when it is clear there Is going to be enormous work- ing-class resistance to the Torles' dictatorial policles.

In the National Union of Journalists he has played a leading role in the fight for trade union principles: opposi- tion to the Industrial Relations Act, against Tory censorship and for better wages and con-.

ditions. For the past two years he has been chairman of the Central London branch of the NUJ which represents all of Fleet Street's journalists.

In our enlarged industrial department Royston Bull will Join David Maude who becomes Labour Correspondent. Soeialist Labour League Public Meeting

UNITE IN ACTION TO DEFEND

BASIC RIGHTS

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11,

7.30 p.m. Govan South Town Hall Langland Road (nearest station Govan Cross)

GLASGOW

Speaker:

G. HEALY

(SLL national secretary)

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTE

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL

THE ENGINEERING unic about the working class bei government. Writing in the he adds... and this time He is right, too, when he says: • The trade union movement has been under sustained and bitter attack in the interests of finance and property. • The economic crisis is the fault of the profiteers and finan- ciers and not of the workers who have only their labour to sell. The history of Germany in the 1920s carries grave warnings for British workers today.

But it is inadequate to con- clude merely that the AUEW will with a Tory not co-operate government which attacks the unions. The question is: will the working class be united now to end Tory rule or will the leaders be permitted to fritter away the strength of the - class in isolated piece-meal battles?

Do we fight now, or permit our enemies to weaken us section by section and fight later on their terms? Last year the miners brought the Tories to their knees in a seven- week strike. Yet they were left to fight alone. While the miners were locked in struggle with the govern- of the the leaders ment, power workers, workers and gas water workers all accepted pay rises within the Tory norm. This government must be brought down. It can be brought down-but by the united action of the only working class fighting on wages, jobs, rents, prices and democratic rights. And Mr Conway, together with his 'left' colleague Mr Hugh Scanlon, refused to fight on a national wage claim for engineers, dividing and weakening their members by a series of isolated, local disputes.

It was this, together with the treachery of the Labour right wing over the Common Market, which permitted the Tory government to survive into 1973 and to inten- sify its attacks on basic working- class rights. These rights are not abstractions, but real achievements of the work- ing class won in bitter struggle over many generations. What are they and how are the Tories seeking to destroy them? THE RIGHT to trade union organ- ization has been undermined by the Industrial Relations Act which uses

EWSLETTER • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 1973 • N

INTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST

AUEW secretary Jim Co

'BY JACK GALE

G union's general secretary is ab in the February issue of the Al and its the force of the state National Industrial Relations Court against the closed shop, the right of unions to exclude scabs and the right to picket. THE RIGHT to strike for a decent wage has been taken away by the Tory state pay law, now in its Phase Two. These measures tie the unions to the bourgeois state and deny them any right to independent action. THE RIGHT to a home at a reason- able rent has been denied by the Tories Housing Finance Act which also permits elected representatives to be surcharged and jailed for carrying out the policies on which they were elected. THE RIGHT to a job. Over 800,000 working-class men and women are unemployed. 50,000 steelworkers and 30,000 engineers employed on Concorde live under the shadow of the dole. Every week more factories close down and more workers are flung onto the streets. THE RIGHT to health and welfare being benefits is systematically undermined by Tary cuts. THE RIGHT to free expression is under organized attack from sinister forces of the right who, under the guise of 'morality and 'decency', seek to repress all views in the arts and communications media with which they disagree. AND, as we pointed out in Mon- day's Workers Press, the Phase Two legislation can close down entire sections of the Press by imposing unlimited fines. Today 26 trade unions represent- ing 4 million workers in the public sector are meeting to discuss con- certed action against the govern- ment's pay policies. This is a step in the right direction. But the powerful leaders of the labour movement are allowing such be taken in isolation. actions to selves. Gasworkers and Civil Ser- vants are allowed to go it alone.

Workers like those involved in the Briant Colour struggle for jobs and the Fine Tubes battle do not have the strength of the entire movement brought in behind them. Instead, as the basic rights of workers come under increasing

TURN TO BACK PAGE

1973 • No 992 • 4p

CIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

ry Jim Conway y is absolutely right urse' with the Tory the AUEW journal,

PINION

DISTRIB

ABOUT 2,000 militant shopworkers from all over Britain marched parliament to yesterday to protest against the to hold down their government decision wages under its Day control laws. Among the lowest-paid workers in the the shopworkers bitterly country, attacked the laws and demanded all-out opposition to them, both from Labour MPs and their own union leaders.

Boisterous chants of 'Heath out!' and 'No Tory law!' came from the marchers, many of whom were young girl workers who had travelled hundreds of miles to take part. Frances Andrews (17), an assistant from a Liverpool chainstore, ex- plained: •Most girls my age take home less than £10 a week? she said. 'And the pay's just as bad till you're 18 or 19. How do we manage? We don't, that's me and my friends are why here. It's up to the union to make them pay—we want Heath out as well!? Delexations on vesterday's march came from as far afield as Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, South Wales and Plymouth.

There were also banners from the north-west, Yorkshire, the Midlands and London.

Durban strike on the brink of a Sharpeville? Milan students' leader Israeli PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday February 8, 1973 NEXT TUESDAY'S mass picket and lobby of parliament by Briant Colour Printing workers will either spell the end of their campaign or the beginning or a real fight. When the seven-man work-in committee fails to appear at the Chancery Division of the High Court on Tuesday, a judge- ment will almost certainly be given against them.

In legal language they are accused of conspiring un- lawfully to seize and maintain control of the Old Kent Road works. Once judgement is given a sheriff will be dispatched to the factory with an order to take possession. It is at that point that the fight for the right to work at Briant's will end or begin in earnest. The work- in has continued for seven long months only because the liquidator Mr P. Granville White allowed it. Now he has decided to get tough and in doing so is going to test the quality of the Briant workers' leadership. There can be no doubt about the determination of the men and women at the factory to win their struggle. After seven: months only 25 workers have abandoned the fight and the remainder have been limping along on less than half pay. Since June 21, 1972, they have been deluded into believing that a buyer could be found for the works and the business maintained as a going concern with no loss of jobs. But owner Derek Syder got out of the factory because it was a loss-maker and his action was consistent with the trend throughout the trade for small print shops to close down. Modern printing is carried on in large premises with giant new machines needing relatively little labour.

The only serious buyer for Briant's, Mr David Brockdorff, says he must slash the workforce by two-thirds consistent with the current low turn- over of the business and he has offered a price for the factory below even the market value of the assets. For any potential buyer to try to run the works as a printing business, would be very much a gamble.

From the outset last June, the only way to save the jobs at Briant's lay and still lies in mobilizing the print industry in industrial action. That was not done and to this day the work-in committee. has not raised such a demand Instead they quote the Stalinist-led Upper Clyde Ship builders' work-in approvingly and, in effect, urge the world to give them more time to prove that the print factory can be made viable.

Now the liquidator has told them there is no more time and the Briant committee has called for the mass picket and demonstration to thwart his bid to regain control of the factory.

Printers, students, engineers, miners and dockers are all said to have promised to take part in the day of protest. But once it is over and everyone has gone home, the 105 workers in the Old Kent Road will once again face the sheriff and eventually the police. As at the beginning, so at the end, the issue remains whether the work-in committee will call for industrial action by the print unions in defence of the right to work. The Tories will not guarantee that right, but mass action could force them to resign and pave the way for a Labour government. Only the nationalization of the printing industry without compensation and under workers' control can guarantee the jobs of print workers at Briant's and throughout the trade.

Pleas from the work-in committee for the 'law to be changed' and for 'parliament to act in the interest of the ordinary man' will achieve nothing. And the continued isolation of the Briant workers, however heroic their determination to win, can only end in defeat. The Briant workers will only their jobs if the work-in is turned into an save occupation and the print unions, together with all sections of the working class, back them with in- dustrial and political action.

BILBAO

employers in have now northern Spain locked out 10.000 workers for striking in support of Many faculties were al- wage demands and for the closed by student ready of imprisoned release strikes. leaders of the illegal In Barcelona, where 100 Workers' Commission. secondary schools and the joined in They were halted, university were action against the Franco joined 2,000 teachers by regime yesterday mass rally on the university teachers in schools and uni- campus. versities on strike for wage On Monday, the univer- increases. sity rector closed down the In Madrid province, 19 Faculty of Economic out of 39 secondary schools Sciences in Barcelona for closed down and were an indefinite period. faculties in teachers in At a meeting of assistant both universities refused to teachers who are in dispute lecture. Police in battledress roam streets

BY A FOREIGN

baye bed hit sarike which are

POLICE

gas on used tear Durban district of workers strikers in South Africa Hammarsdale, South Africa, arrest of more than 200 strikers on Police in battledress are patrolling yesterday all the municipal the of the city. were called into Tuesdav after a police baton charge 16,000 black workers councils into the dock area yes against a demonstration attitude of the up joined a city-wide stoppage. The group strikers throwing bottks.

The effects foreshadow another Dolice tear gas was fired into a crowd of the municipal strike can be seen massacre or Aircan workers. done of 7,000 Africans gathered at a the lines of the Sharpeville shootings overto we local bus terminal. 13 years doned road works. ago. As the strikes continue pampered white minority are groom of mai body be escorte nautacy and being daring of the workers increase, the undertake from the body

101CCU

away main police and tasks are normally carried out by the strikers and began marching to- despised black House. the factory Police becomme increasinziy nervous wards Already a number of employers- wives nave nad to arrange their own threw a cordon across the road including municipal councils muk denvenies and to act as porters and ordered the men to disperse.

-have made wage offers to try and in the fresh produce market.

When they refused, police fired • The bodies of 23 African miners hene uner workers tear gas canisters at them.

But the strikers have indicated they who near deanes were Brought ont died in The dispersed will not be satisfied with 15 per cent tear gas the marchers, but a second group then Breton in mine me Cater vile, Increases and are suckle tried to approach the gates.

There missing. call tor wisec or in to l ner cent whe cordon, cht no mote tolice on In Durban, the centre of the strike Driefontein mine the said to be one of the richest gold- Cordon. hurchille multipal was fired. The incident followed the council and an estimated 100 firms mines in the world smear on held by police young anti-

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

Zionists GIUSEPPE LIVERANI, a leader of Milan students, Assault has been arrested and charged with attacking the rector of the Milan state university.

The police are

THE

ISRAELI

hunting for three other student militants.

govern- ment claims to have un- Giuseppe Schiavinato, frame-up The rector, reported on the Syrian- covered a'spy supposed January 25 attack on Monday to the general controlled ring Milan, Colonel Petrini, and Colonel

DLUSCLULOL

which a number of young Santoro of the local carabinieri.

Jewish anti-Zionists the been complete said to be involved. had silence ale. The making Press tained in order to avoid determined use entoris further the rousing anger the ast the nett Milan ald against wing and shooting workers atter the the workers' movement in.

student Roberto Fran- Israel. side ceschi. Israel's leaders fear that Schiavinato launched the from Once tirade against illegal reactionary Lionist laeologs minority which was con- the youth will become im- 'disturbing the •placable the slaliliy calculco peace on the campus. He complained 'five Particular Press agitation and is aimed at preventing any violence' years of unity allu The students' union in mon action between Jewish the state university has Well over 100 'suspects' issued a statement denving and that there was any physical news Ados violence. Druzes have been rounded of students up since

COUD

60 still the Ove. visitea the rector at ochall al c end of demonstration Six -including detained two Jewish activists-have murder been indicted. Franceschi in order to dis- They could be imprisoned cuss the political situation for life they are con- with him. 11 victed of the main charge While the violence of the right against left-wing 'committing an act with the daily intention aiding opposition increases its war against Milan,

LIC

commums Israel' and 'passing inform- Party is pursuing call for government of the enen. will the intention injuring centre-left' Giuseppe Liverani, student le the security of the state' Stalinist Leading Amen. The six are charged with General public sector dola has said that the CP on the rail- Tour-nour would Strike has been called for ways, and in the power in- having gone to Syria to pass not avcloc 27 the three dustry will stop work only on information and under- February by governmen intensive training formed by Fanfani. half an hour mann unnecendors - - O1 This crawling will involve 16 million The trade union leaders right- esoonace made it clear that arms and explosives. wing politicians is matched workers. the has been used they want to settle to make sure that stainists before tacuggle for higher wages.

tactics engineers' there is as little disruption negotiations Feb. on all the arrested men and as possible, workers in the ruary 27. women. CP fears allies' manoeuvres their deputies, the CP por contihe riah right-rier with the authorities, there THE FRENCH Communist might find itself left out of right-wing with the Party is going all out to get.

continue were Casies built policy. new government police who arrived in force.

bigger. vote The public opinion polls coalition allies in the first of the «route ne police have ballot of the General Elec- show that support is grow- parties. Barcelona faster Socialist big CP the arrested four student mem. ing vote at tion on March 4 will Unified first ballot give Mar- This was the theme of : Ders Unt rarty ana une ic nauca Sput PaSta Cat paris of Catalonia Political Bureau declaration than for the CP itself. (PSUC-the Monday which Marchais fears that if the counter to keep his coali- was big Catalonia). election results show a tion allies in line, secure a taken up by Party secretari They Georges Marchais at parties. ther have 01S- vote or dese banamentar covered five duplicators election meeting Reports in Paris the tempted man- sentation and make Wilde with the Radical difficult for them to a stock or type menspapers Palais des oeuvre supporters of Jean-Jacques on • newsoaper A note of desperation is and publications. Another speaker, Paul Servan-Schreiber and those The Lose manoelures attacked those Jean Lecanuet of the mingled with the a appeale students' Democratic Centre 'democracy' dis- whose headquarters WeLC altu greatness and independence combinations In the event of a close- covered alter the arrest were election student Madrid who to revive the illusions in a fought in or rance as Marcias arcer details of new force which would ally the Socialist Party and the the possibility being Was Carlyll 'left' Radicals increased cheated by his 'allies'. a part of the left with their organization with her.

Workers Pross, Thursday February 8, 1973 PAGE 3

PAGEANT DIARY

JARROW

The Road to Workers Power Miners, steel and The fight for Trade Unions shipyard workers on Pril..donleare 1831 Pitmen from Jarrow

KANTTIN

and nearby were the first to form a miners' union.

In the struggle to improve north-east committee their conditions they were hounded, pilloried and tor- tured. One pitman, called Jobling, was hanged and gibbeted for a murder he never committed. His body WORK HAS begun in Last night miners, steel- cident from working-class history was hung in chains for three workers, shipyard workers, un- they will present. Jarrow and South Shields weeks as a warning to other Meanwhile for the empioyed, students and youtn on the first scenes of the miners not to join from the twin towns got to- pageant in the area is growing a unliull The miners, north-east coast's contri- gether undeterred, re- arrow Gally. Dillal y school to begin going through scued his body. Nothing could bution (see left) to the Last Saturdav the mechanics scripts and songs for their sec- association lodge at Westoe col- halt the fight to establish trade "The Road pageant to liery admitted a member tion of the pageant. unionism. Pot on Match Empire address Daccanl commuted Already a number of emerged rom them on the campaign for Empire from ing actors have Pool. Backing is also hoped Gibbeting. of Jobling the the from pit's miners' take the leading roles in the in- lodge. The pageant committee-15 of those most closely involved in the campaign from the two towns Feather: Union Eurocrat laid detailed plans last tor is Intervention in tne labour movement locally to win support.

Elected from among the work- the rehearsals taking part in

CIS

BY A WORKERS PRESS REPORTER

can ion. the commandee is already taking its job ex- Tories pay a return visit tremely seriously: financial VICTOR FEATHER, general secretary factories and Deals. meelungs social activities for the youth of the TUC, may be elected the first have been planned. president of the new European Trades The north-east's contribution THE TUC has been spend- Walter to the pageant concerns the for- Union Confederation which meets to- with Mr Anderson, of the Ing so much time at No 10 Secretary holmers day in Brussels. National and Local Govern.

the area 1831-and the Downing Street that we Officers' Association hanging and gibbeting of one of ment

TUC

The will have the seats on now have the spectacle of Council

IWO

and General William obling. in a Is caucas, organization s 19-man executive member. committee. desperate and unsuccessful bid reciprocal visits. By

TUC

by the employers stamp out participating in today's talks the They conducted a morn. A couple weeks ago working-class organizations.

leaders are collaborating openiy with the ing-long seminar on the Employment For Common Market and its institutions.

all those tais history for part, the Social Security BIll Maurice Macmillan was implications which Tories of this This is despite the have the fact that the last TUC Congress House talk today, when orga- Wor no cac Congress voted about equal pay for women placea Delore pariament. against the nization and by Common Market. Tories, way, -ti: under increasingly frenzied gislation cash go place al c Feather have just abandoned It. and the right-wing are legislation calls flat- Ones are the democratic decisions reached by rate basic tremely clear. The history of the Tanone on pension and an the memberst editor for the miners' union is struggle Paul Dean, Junior Labour of the 'Financial Times', who Minister at the Department ... in 1975! historv that lives. IS In Brussels with Feather and company, said Health and Social Backing for the campaign has yesterday's paper: leaders are The Bill also to Security. been given relax their total boycott of the recognition Common Market Michael Dean at Congress rates Shields Trades Councils and by and to agree to take part in some EEC He shared the platform business. the Jarrow Labour Party. private pension schemes. It is hoped here that this will gradually to a softening of read Their visit the

EEC

coal inter pioyal committee, hạs he the Labour Party's total boycott committee violates decisions playing of EEC institutions part Une mineworkers nave Talks

WALA

newiy-tormed Already leaders of the mine. taken conference for confederation which meets today.

and agricultural No and eld lo workers The union more hostile fellow

BOOK YOUR TICKET

workers have attended meetings the Hugh Market than scan on. _are hero

EEC

industrial responsible for the swift workers. agree reached with committees.

FOR EMPIRE POOL NOW

the has also emerged the In EEC legislation on in- Mr Lawrence Daly and Mr Joe over the past few days that the man steer- leaders of the National dustrial democracy. Gormley, ing the unions into the Market Union of Mineworkers, This travelled provides boards worker- is other than conspiracy none directors unel Luxemburg meeling along with Coal Board chairman Mr public companies which employ Derek Ezra. As chairman of the TUC's more than 500 employees.

DEFEND ALL DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Dofond trade unionism and basic living standarde Briant mass picket wins wide Unite in action to make this Tory government resign The road to powor is through the building of the revolutionary party support

BC. COINT CHAPS

COMMITTEE

DEMAND WRIGHT TO WORK

YOU SOCIALS AND SOCIALS ARRI

PAGEANT OF HISTORY- THE ROAD TO WORKERS !

PLANS for a mass picket at the Briant Colour print factory at noon next Tues.

day are going ahead. Right-wing Labour leader Robert Mellish SUNDAY MARCH 11th 3pm has pledged his support and printers, dockers, miners and students have promised to con-

PAGEANT • RALLY • CABARET

sider delegations. coach load of workers is being sent from the Tube Investments factory, and previous, students at Goldsmiths' College, London, have I would like to take part in the Pageant/come to Empire Pool.

supported demonstration See What We Think p. 2. the work-in Please seno me further detais.

Sent withdraw Mr Bentley his appli- very considerably below told copy filt the figure of £300,000 exclusively yesterday: cation to court backing the demon-

NAME.

We an dashed were vastelud a slal tue

UNICI

stration, when spokesman, point for serious dis- ane it as been acknow. H. B. Blandford Baker, cussions. ledged by the liquidator.

ADDRESS.

There _no nobel o has been revealed the neither a reprieve for the seven- that

CYCL

Mr Blandford Baker offer accepted work-in commit- mates Duve reected. Hall Mr David. Brockdorff denied the liquidator but we have gone pretty fee que To novear Delore low. might be using court well the was understand that Mr too the High Court next No. of tickets required liquidator Amount enclosed ({1 each f order precipitate The may week. trying Peter Bentley my WinO serenert ace acce Complete form and return to : Hopes that the liquid- negotiated for Brock- that they had been very pace, but my pace can't with all parties. forced.' ator might be induced dorff has offered a sum patient Pageant Office, 34 Hamilton Gardens, London, NW8

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Thursday February 8, 1973

CAR WORKERS

SPEAK

ON THE

PAY FIGHT

The Ford Motor Company is due to reply tomorrow to a big pay-and-hours claim by its 59,000 workers. Ford's current pay agreement with the unions runs out at the end of this month and a new deal is supposed to be implemented from March I.

At Vauxhall's, subsidiary of the US giant General Motors, a similar claim by 30,000 carworkers is to be lodged for imple- mentation from the beginning of April. Both claims are certain to clash with the Tories' statutory pay control-and the mood in the factories is militant. Workers Press has been talking to the men in both companies about their coming struggles.

terrible. Should never

ITS A FIGHT

have had that secret ballot.

'Perhaps the it

AGAINST

money over a year, it wouldn't have been so bad.

TORY

'But £6 over two years meant nothing. My rent's gone

PAY LAWS'

90р the already under Housing Finance Act and there's more on the way. Danny Antoine, 'We've definitely got 'to Ford's have a General Strike to show torch-solderer from Dagenham body plant, told me the Tories who's boss. 'We must put the workers in revealing Couveloallull with one of the least militant Labour govern- power, ment like the last one. ot his tellow-workers-a man who works all the overtime and its Loe colipany sales figures send. win. Nostrikme •Do

VOU

Danny asked him. 'But the reply. wnal nappens if the pay offer's no good. 'I'u 'Have oo with the maiomitu.' you got £400, in case Heath uses the law aN What would striking?' 'What would you do if they tried to use the law you?' Ignore them against This conversation, among others, has convinced Danny an all-out fight that ar allot Tory pay laws is the certain at Ford's. "They're not worried by the idea of fighting the ment, he says of the body- "They just

'DANGER

worktorce. want what they think they're entitled to.

IN THE

"The minimum we need, with the even го ксер pace

LACK OF

cost of living, is f7—and we want a 35-hour week, better

LEADERSHIP'

pensions and another week's holiday. 'We definitely need the to get rid of hours cut, ana Lack of leadership is the biggest The unemployment overtime. danger facing Ford workers at situation can't be allowed to the moment, John walls continue. Dillon, paint-shop former I'm sure that if Ford's go steward at Ford's Halewood the government policy, with factory. there'll be a reaction. He told Workers Press: "The 'There may be some hesita- situation on tion at first, if Ford's decided 1S contised „Loe shop floor because of this lack But that won't to box clever. of leadership. last long- the militant ones Despite numerous attempts others out? will pull the to get mass meetings called, no Dagenham torch-sold- The such meetings have taken erers are already involved in place. a battle with the company "his means we're in the They want over clean-up time unprecedented situation half an hour extra for this be- behind Halewood of lagging cause of the conditions under Dagenham they - wnere which they have to work. least took policy sees this struggle decision Danny just after Christmas to proceed bound with the fight up regardless of the pay laws. against the Tories. Normally it's us who're in the 'As far as Ford's are con- forefront' cerned you're just a number', But if there was hesitation he explains. "They're not In- in the factory leadership, John terested in your name or your conditions. All they want to the situation on the shop floor was polariz- know about is how much pro- they're making out of you.

in Everyone's being badly hit rapidly. fit I'd like to see Heath come my job; I'd go and by the prices, rents and every- and try thing 'but on his yacht. else', he said, sail Like Ford funnily enough it's as if this most workers, Danny was disgusted with the wasn't the main question.

outcome of the 1971 strike.

'What you have is a situation He says of the coming where on the one hand there 'It mustn't are people who'd £1 turn out pe percent if it t like the last one. That plus were Was Workers from Ford's, Dagenham at a offered tomorrow, just so they wouldn't have to get involved in a struggle. Then on the other hand there are the men who know a struggle with the government's inevitable, want and Prepare seriously for this would reject anything in order to get to grips with the Tories? Dillon-threatened with the • in a disciplinary crack- sack down following the 1971 Ford strike-is fighting in his union branch for the policy that the full claim must be won in defiance of the pay laws.

'But the real issue', he says, 'is the fight to get the Tories out altogether. 'The danger with the stewards putting forward no policy is that all sorts of con- fusion and illusions creep in— like the idea that we can wangle and increase through arguing productivity. 'This is rubbish. There's only one policy we can pursue: all out for the full claim, get the in Tories out and put a other car firms.' Dave Thompson, an engineers' union shop steward at Vaux- hall's Ellesmere Port tactory, has been closely involved both in the fight against the legal attack on his union and the formulation of the Vauxhall claim. am at a mass meeting on February 15th, 197 He insisted at the Birming- ham meeting of shop stewards which drew up the claim last year that it should include a clause specifying no redundan- cies. Now he faces a move by union officials to ditch this basic, unarguable principle.

our leaders Really are doing absolutely nothing about this claim,' he says. "They've attempt to make made no people aware of the situation at all. You'd think we didn't have a rise due on April 1.

"This might tend to give the impression people are hanging back, but I think what's really happening is that we're coming to the big one. 'I mean, since the miners pushed. Heath back and won their the Tories increase, haven't had any really serious trouble over pay. 'The miners could have got Tories out, but their the leaders let them down. Once Heath and his sidekicks saw those engineers marching on Saltley coke depot in support of the miners they were des- perate to wrap the thing up.

And the union leaders were only too happy to let them do it. 'Everyone saw that, and even the most backward worker knows that this time we've really got to take on the gov- ernment to get anything. 'So if there's any hesitation, it's hesitation before a big fight. But the fight's certainly going to take place The Vauxhall workers want a 12-month deal giving them parity with the highest rates in the motor industry, a 35- hour week plus improvements 15th, 1970. in holidays, pensions and sick- ness and accident benefits.

'We won't get that this side of a Tory government,' Dave Thompson says. The Tory pay • laws are vicious attack on our rights as trade unionists', Alan , says Transport and Gadsby, a Workers' Union General steward at Vauxhall's Elles- mere Port factory. "They must be defeated.' is at stake in the What current pay claims at Vaux- hall's and Ford's, Alan says, is the right to bargain freely for a living wage. Therefore workers in the two companies must stand together on this issue, and not allow themselves to be split by any the propaganda attacks of launched by the employers and the government. He told Workers Press: 'Locally, we've already had a number of newspaper articles which had attempted to do this-to drive a wedge be- tween the two biggest sections of carworkers in struggle on Merseyside. 'A united fight is essential.

'But not only that. If we are to defeat the Tory attack, we support the must also news- that are behind the papers workers' cause.'

SINISTER RISE OF THE

GERMAN BANK CARTELS

BY OUR FOREIGN CORRESPONI

Recent reports from the Federal Cartel Office in West Germany indicate that the pace of mergers in the country's industry —and more particularly in banking—is accelerat- ing. there were 269 Last year mergers registered with the . 220 in office, compared with 1971, 305 in 1970 and 168 in 1969. More striking, however, was the number of really large mergers, which is rising even more rapidly. Of last year's mergers, 171 involved companies with a turnover of more than 1,000 million marks. The compar- able figures for the two previ- years were 158 in 1971 ous and 221 in 1970. At the other end of the scale the number of small com- involved in mergers panies declined, indicating that the proportion of mergers involv- ing large companies is on the increase. Only 78 mergers last year involved companies with sales of less than 50 million marks, compared with 94 in 1971 and 145 in 1970. The significance of this trend is strengthened even fur- ther by an analysis of the main industries involved in the mer- gers and take-overs. Nearly a fifth of the mergers last year were in the banking sector which plays a very prominent role in German industry. Other industries where there was heavy merger activity in- cluded chemicals, with engi- neering and electro-technical companies also high on the list. The concentration of Ger- man capital in fewer and fewer and fewer hands recalls the events leading to the accession to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party 40 years ago.

Particularly sinister is the role of the banks which domi- German industry to an nate ' extent unknown in any other developed capitalist country. It was the decision of the Big Three-Deutsche Bank, Dres- dner Bank and Commerzbank —to throw their weight behind Hitler in 1931 that clinched the Nazi Party's success.

The Big Three are still there, Uritings of

ATHIES OF

Leon Trotsky

LEON TROTSKY

13517-38 (1938-91

WRITINGS OF

WRITINGS OF

LEON

LEON

TROTSKU

1C13•341 11834-35 Six volumes of Trotsky's writings during the years 1933-1940 £8.00 including postage Please tick those you requi Name Address Complete form and post to: New Park Publications, 18 A New Park Publicat

ESPONDENT

and they retain all their power.

Rembart van Delden, a Chris- tian Democrat MP, says: "The banks can influence develop- ment in the economy far more than the Economics Minister can.' Andrew Schonfield, in his book on German banks, says the 33 directors of the Big Three know more about the state of industry than the other 61 million Germans put together. Walter Koch, head of the Investment-Verbord, says: 'More national power it is im- possible to have.' West German banks control 70 per cent of the capital of all the country's limited com- panies. They spread their con- trol into almost all the key in- dustries-chemicals; mining, supermarkets, breweries. Their real wealth is hard to estab- lish exactly. The Deutsche Bank claims worth 1,500 million to be marks, but its 25 per cent in Daimler-Benz alone was worth 1,350 million marks at 1971 share values. And, as the table is only shows, Daimler-Benz one of many companies in the Deutsche Bank empire. The banks power is based the so-called Universal on Bank System, which grew up with the rapid industrialization of Germany in the second half of the 19th century. This allows the banks to act as fin- anciers, owners of production firms and speculators. The system is controlled by a handful of banks at the sum- mit of the country's banking structure. Most of the 10,000 credit institutions in West Germany are small ço-opera- tives. Above them stand 172 private banks with an aggre- capital of some 17,000 gate million marks. But this sum is less than the capital of the smallest of the big three, the Commerzbank.

This bank, with a capital of 11,400 million marks, the Deutsche Bank with 27,700 million and the Dresdner with 21,100 million are the only banks to really benefit from the Universal system. It has brought them a yearly rate of expansion of over 13 per cent through the last ten years and enabled them to accumulate share portfolios History of Russian Revolution —special gift pack of three volumes £1.70 including postage u require. Amount enclosed f ions, 186a Clapham High Street, Lon Publications Booklist is a vailable, fre totalling 3,800 million marks.

Big at least a quarter of the share of companies; cases this means virtual control. Bank controls 55 firms in this way; the Dresdner 62 and the Commerz Many holdings were mor Ulrich, Deu ban German industry. But this misleading. widened 1S syst can shareholders are So they Call small blocs quire a com firm. the banks cen higher today. ority voice in BA Hoescht Demag. It Is businessmen smart the Three have a ocals boards. maj Robert

COLLEC

third largest Ru ever, of l the US-owned con Deutsche the cert stat banks indi selv For example, Lloyd merger created shipping line was organized Deutsche and Banks. The manipulate the tney choose.

TRO

Trotsky—a documentary by and David King {1.65 including postage 0 million marks. arter of the share In many the bank has The Deutsche 5 55 firms in this sdner 62 and the big share- obtained after loaned uggling capitalists. of CO f k, claims that the niy 4 per cent of gure is distinctly he net of control enormously by which the banks of he proxy votes securities we tenn gather of shares and be voice, survey revealed 60 per The figure is hree have a maj- Hoescht, Rheinstahl,

AEG

and futile for other try and out- -the total company four ere are onlv nies outside bank Bosch, the electrical firm; G (which is, how- led by a number nated companies), Upe he Flick group chief Her- Abs even sits on nationalized con- the and The corporation. virtually direct ding among them- mergers and new are to take place the Hapag in 1970, which second largest the world, between the the Dresdner can also markets when Workers Press, Thurs In January 1969 the Deutsche and Dresner offered 43 per cent of shares in the Gelsen- berg power plant to the pub- licly-owned Rhine-Westfalen Electricity Works at 240 marks each-ten marks above the market rate. Both banks are represented on the Rhine-Wastfalen board, the Deutsche Bank by its chairman Joseph Abs. Soon after the deal was concluded the Gelsenberg shares plum- metted to 150 marks a share.

Between them the public and the shareholders lost 60 mil- lion marks through this crude coup. It is particularly worth noting that though the law allows shareholders to entrust their votes to a bank, it allows no redress to the shareholder if he loses on a deal. As might be expected the banks also have a stranglehold on the stock exchange which has little pretence to indepen- dence from the Big Three. The European Commission has made several futile attempts to challenge the banks power on the German Stock Exchange in the interests of putting all in- vestors on an equa, footing.

Increasingly the banks are in a position to by-pass the Stock Exchange altogether, offering shares for private sale and taking share transactions out of any semblance of out- side control. Between 1967 and 1970 the number of firms whose share were publicly quoted fell from, 505 to 460. Over this same period the number of shares not on the market rose by nearly 10 per cent to reach almost 40 per cent of the total number of shares. Naturally the banks enjoy political power. enormous They can literally cause the market to drop at will if they want to bring a government or a Minister to heel. Abs hinted to Ludwig ; Erhardt in 1965 that he had better stay on the right side of the Big Three.

'Give me a good government and we will have a healthy stock market,' he said. During the local elections in the Ruhr district in May 1970 shares in Daimler-Benz sud- denly fell by 28 million marks.

'That is part of the election fight,' one of the Stock Ex- change directors commented.

In the post-war years Abs and Robert Pferdmenges of the Oppenheim and Co private bank were close confidants of Konrad Adenauer and in effect determined the government's economic policy. The first ten years of the Adenauer government saw an unprecedented bon- tax-law anza for big business. Natu- rally, the workers and small businessmen were required to foot the bill. During these years, the Big Three banks regained their which had pre-war power, been taken away from them by the allied military govern- ment after the war. By 1957 they were fully back in busi- ness. Later they began to expand their influence not only inside Germany, but also abroad. The Deutsche Bank has part con- trol of 31 foreign companies, Dresdner of 27 and Commerz of 25. The latest step, in line with Common Market enlarge- ment, is to open branches in London. Deutsche Bank recently opened a prestigious City office with a considerable fanfare. From this base, the men at the top in German banking hope to extend their tentacles of power into British industry.

Workers Press, Thursday February 8, 1973 PAGE 5

SAN MARINO

PACT: THE

KREMLIN

STRIKES A

BLOW FOR

PEACE

Another great triumph' for the principles of peaceful co- existence has been recorded. In Moscow Foreign the Minister of San Marino has solemnly signed the Conven tion on the prohibition of the development, and produculon stockpiling of bacteriological and toxic weapons and their destruction. This blow for great peace was struck after discussion be.

tween Giancarlo Ghironzi and his Soviet opposite number, Gromyko, Andrei which took place, Moscow Radio reported, in a friendly atmosphere.

Gromyko: signed the treaty For those who have may forgotten about the existence of San Marino, it is a pocket- handkerchief survival from the Middle rounded by Italian territory.

capacity produce

SALS

bacteriological or any other weapons is limited by the fact that its population is only 17,000. As for military forces, boasts a ceremonial guard of 180 men-hardly enough to sleepless nights in the Cause Kremlin. Moscow course, may want to get its own back Peking. When of San one Marino's Heads of State (it has visited China, he was EWOl accorded the same honours bestowed on President Nixon.

CHINA

BUYS

AMERICAN

COTTON

has now been confirmed that China will buy a lange quantity of cotton from the United States. deal will involve to 500,000 up bales worth about $80m. It being negotiated through the London firm, Ralli and Coney. las months of 1972 total US ports China worth were only $12.7m. Besides giving a big boost to Sino-American trade, the deal expected to push the price of world cotton on the Chinese market. The are the world's biggest of but bad harvests have Colone cut domestic production.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Thursday Fabru

BY IAN YEATS

The British Steel Corpo- ration's Anchor Steel- works is one of the most modern in the world. Yet by the time it goes into full production later this year, it will employ at least 3,500 men fewer than it does today and 5,000 fewer than when the project was first conceived.

Both the BSC and the works February 8, 1873

STEEL

Part six. Scunthorpe: Output up, workforce down Hansell, Mr Peter convenot, claim the labour down has and will be achieved by Nalulai wastate Nevertheless it is not merely of 3,500 the tate not velas that is at stake at Scunthorpe.

More important In a smal- lish town hemmed in by the dense wasteland Lincoln- shire's agricultural worlds, the reduction opportu- means Job nities destroyed for all time.

Since 1967, the steelworks' ell, labour force has been cut back from 21,000 to 18,800, leaving another 3,500 jobs to go as the new plant is brought into production. There is already 3.3-per- cent unemployment in the town and 3.6-per-cent in the region, which includes Don- caster, Goole, Grimsby, Gains- borough and Lincoln. Twenty-five per cent is among young people between the ages of 16 and 24. Once again, under capital- ism, the application of the most advanced technology to industrial.. techniques results not in any new enhancement in the conditions of human existence, but in hardship and misery. And it is not a misery con- fined to redundancy alone.

Despite BSC claims to the contrary, because of the half- hearted or downright non- application of plant environ- ment control techniques, some the new equipment is of actually worse to work with than the machinery it replaces.

The new LD Converters in- volve a generous perpetual shower of red dust and the speed of some mills has now reached such levels in the quest for profit that fatal acci- dents can only be prevented by flashing lights and wailing sirens , which disorientate and deafen. The mile-long rolling mills on the 1,000-acre Anchor site are designed. for fully com- and puterized operations all movement and manipulation of material is mechanized. Redundancies in the three adjacent but older works at Appleby-Froding- Redbourn, ham and Normandy Park will be from the mills replaced by the new installation and from the open-hearth furnace shops.

Existing blast furnaces will provide the iron for all pre- sent and future development at the site. This will be in a new build- ing housing three 600,000 ton capacity stock-beds, with foreign ores imported through the new fully-mechanized ter- minal at Immingham. A new basic oxygen BOS plant with three 300-ton converters will produce up to 4.4 million tons of steel a year increasing Scunthorpe's steel- making capacity by 1.8 million tons. The rationalization at Scun- thorpe in a £200m develop- ment was the first major pro- ject undertaken by the BSC after the re-nationalization of the industry by the Labour government. TI been cent boro the still ore thor cost Brit E been one fron Redl ingh rolli labo close

all on of three will d by from 10ps. will uild- -ton with ough

BOS

O-ton vcal steel- illion cun- elop-

BSC

of bour The has Scunthorpe site been favoured by steelmakers of the since the beginning century because of the abun- dance of cheap local iron ore. Conesly, Warren and I ar- borough open-cast mines and the Santon underground mine still provide two thirds of the ore used each year at Scun- Of the 12 million tons used, 8 million are mined locally and 4 million are imported, putting Scunthorpe's steel-making lowest costs among the Britain. possible en dohe, from has been done, the moment leaves the pit or tanker

OIC

to the time it finally emerges from the rolling mills, to give

BSC

Scunthorpe what calls 'manpower productivity which with best world compares practice'. The effect will be the axing of shops Redbourne and Appleby-Frod- with five ingham togetner rolling mills. these mills All labour-intensive and when they close there heavy will influx of largely unskilled men onto the local dole queues where even the prospect of in Lincolnshire's other work major industry-farming— will be absent. Ten open-hearth furnaces once the BOS will also shut plant swings into action and further redundancies are likely. Almost all expert opinion agrees that the shake-out of men as a result of rationali- zation throughout the industry will almost certainly be greater than the BSC has been able to forecast. And even when, throughout Britain, the process is com- the BSC will still be plete, producing a third less steel with a third more men than the Japanese Nippon Steel.

Although steel capacity at Scunthorpe will shoot up, the fact that manpower will be slashed is a lesson to all those reformists in the trade union and labour movement who say jobs can be saved merely by expanding output. They can- not. Output at Scunthorpe will have expanded from up to 300 tons of steel every six to eight using hours the open-hearth method to 300 tons every 40 minutes using only two

BOS

converters and a handful of men. As a spokesman for the now Tory-controlled BSC put it: 'All the low-paid labouring jobs will disappear. The town will be better off.' Until recently labour has been in short supply in Scun- thorpe and local employment officers say this is the reason why next to no industry other than the steelworks has gone to the town. Apart from the ore fields on which it is built and from being a market centre for farm produce, it is hard to see what other advantages it has.

The population of the local employment area, which in- cludes Barton, is only 52,000 and major markets are either well to the west, the north or on the east coast around Hull. The steelworks has ensured *that la sour "is not particularly cheap and there is, theretore, little good reason why industry should settle there. One or small textile two firms and chemical plant have employing mainly women moved in, but that is all. The steelworks experiences labour turnover between 2,000 and 3,000 men a The vast majority of this movement derives from neces- sarily seasonal employment on une aru. This winter option will not now be available and the next 12 months must see a doubling or even trebling of local un- employment. Not all of it will be felt directly Scunthorpe since 1n busloads of workers travel in every day from the surround- ing villages which likely are hit than be even naraer the town itself. Works convenor, electri- cians' union member Mr Peter Hazell, believes the works re. dundancies will be coped with The em- WasLart. ployment prospects in the area 188, Thursday February 8, 1973 PAGE 7 BSC's Anchor Steelworks at Scunthorpe. Surrounded by agri- cultural land of Linconshire, the is the area's steelworks only It heavy Industry. employs 18,800 men. as a whole are not his concern.

Nevertheless he explains that Scunthorpe is a steel town and that as a result of the loss in job opportunities 'the young people particularly will have problems Mr Hazell pursues an argu- ment common to men as appa- rently different as Tory Indus- try Minister Peter Walker and Scottish TUC deputy general secretary Mr James Milne.

He told me the trade unions could not oppose moderniza- tion, but had to press for the creation of new alternative jobs and retraining. 'We are thankful for An- chor, he said. Walker said much the same thing when he unveiled his plans to the House of Com- mons, playing on fears of un- employment to argue that only by sacking : 30,000 men could the jobs of the 180,000 be made safe.

DID THE CORPORATION

THE COAL EXCHANGED

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Thursday Febri The saga of the London Coal Exchange is enter- ing its final stages. The historic l building was torn down 11 years ago and now, in 1973, moves are afoot for a hugely lucrative property. de- velopment. The site, which is on Lower Thames Street on the river- side of the City of London, is regarded of the • as one country's prime pieces of real estate. It was opened in 1848 by Prince Albert during the period when the coal industry was in private hands and Britain was the centre of world coal trading. Like today's London metal market, it functioned as the arbiter on the world price of coal. Following nationalization the Coal Exchange ceased to carry out this function. In 1960 it was proposed that the building be demolished. This raised a storm of protest among con- servationists. One of their most powerful arguments was the simple question-what are you going to put in its place?

To this, however, no answer was given. It seemed that the owners, the City Corporation, wanted the building torn down -and that was that. Protests were made in both houses of parliament which resulted the demolition being delayed for two years.

A last-ditch stand was made by the Victorian Society, a body dedicated to the preserv- ation of Victoriana. A Society spokesman accused the Corpor- ation of failing to recognize 'that this building is of out- standing importance, not only as a landmark, but also as an industrial building'. The Common Council of the Corporation did not agree. When the matter came up for discussion Mr Chester Barratt, a chief commoner, said: 'We cannot spend time on the preservation of a Victorian building.' His colleague, Mr Dudley Mills, then chairman of the committee, declared streets that the building could be of some use as a 'public lavatory'.

In defending , their decision to go ahead with the demo- lition, the Tories at West- minster and the Guild Hall said 'urgent' the scheme as was part of a road-widening project.

urgency hasn't been This realized. Although the ex- change was reduced to rubble 11 years ago, no road widen- ing has taken place. And now, in its place, is to be a massive property develop- ment which has the backing of Corporation's planning the committee. The company mastermind- ing the development is Town and Commercial Properties, a insurance and land banking, group with assets of almost £100m. • Town and Commercial is one of the newer property octopuses to come onto the scene in recent years. than 70 It now has more subsidiaries and in the past couple of years has taken over such firms as Roy King Proper- ties, Simo Securities Trust, Grosvenor Land Company, PIC (Property Investments) Con- day February 8, 1973 solidated and St Mary Abbots Company. The largest single share- holder with one million shares (2 per cent of the total) is Mr A. J. Hines, who also acts as principal agent and surveyor to Town and Commercial. The other directors are Messrs K. A. Jones, W. R.

Brackett, E. H. Doubleday, F. W. Collier and P. H. M.

Stevens. In its 1970 annual report the company showed a property portfolio valued at £5lm, but March 1971 this was revalued by dramatically another £31m. Town and Commercial en- joys influential backing from the big insurance companies.

The Legal and General Assur- ance Society holds 1 million shares and there is important from the Phoenix support Assurance. Details of the planned office complex haven't been made public. But the Planning Com- mittee has viewed the project favourably and will make a recommendation for acceptance at an early meeting of the Court of Common Council. It then must be approved by the Greater London Council (GLC) as the site is within the Greater London Development Plan. The designers of the project are Fitzroy Robinson and Partners who have also won another important and valuable design job in nearby Throg- morton Street. Fitzroy Robinson are plan- ning a multi-million pound ay, development on the site of Nos 30 to 34 Throgmorton Street, near the Stock Exchange. Under the scheme the present buildings are to be pulled down and replaced by a 20-storey tower block. Those : to be bulldozed in- buildings Copthall Court and clude Angel Court. The applicants for the development are the Cloth- workers Company, one of the wealthiest guilds in the City of London. This organization has power- ful connections in the Tory Party. The Clothworkers have already indicated who will take tenancy of some of the office space in the proposed building —nearly 300,000 square feet will be occupied by merchant bankers, Samuel Montague and Company and Keyser Ullmann.

The chairman of Keyser Ull- mann is Mr Edward du Cann, former chairman of the Tory Party and now chairman of the 1922 Committee, the opinion- forming body of Tory back- benchers. Above: The Coal Exch years ago. Below: Site t Prices of new houses rose by almost 50 per cent in 1972, according to the Nationwide Building Society. The highest increases were in London and the south-east.

Over the past five years the price of new houses has gone up by 132 per cent and modern existing houses by 118 per cent. The average new house in the London area at the end of last year cost well over £13,000.

The rise in the north-west was slower than in the rest of the country. But the increases were still staggering. The price of new homes in the north-west in 1972 rose by average of 4l per cent, an compared with 47 per cent for Britain as a whole. The average price of new houses in the north-west mort- Coal Exchange building, demolished 11 low: Site today-still an empty allotment.

gaged . the Nationwide Society in the last quarter of 1972 was £7,878 compared with an average of f8,725 for the UK. The average price on modern existing houses was £7,109 (£9,733 for UK) while older houses cost on average £4,972 (£8,089 for UK). same time, house- At the building in south-east Lanca- shire-an area which includes Manchester—has slumped by almost 30 per cent of the national average figure. The Department of the En- vironment has just revealed that more than 2,000 fewer council houses were built in the area in 1972 than in '1971.

And only 36 more private homes were built in 1972 than in 1971. The vastly inflated values lern for property are a sign of the in value crisis which is afflicting capitalism on a world scale. The situation is being fuelled by building societies pouring money into property invest- t of ment at extortionate interest ases rates. In the event of a recession, in they are banking on the in- by ability of thousands of young ent, householders failing to make for good their mortgage debts.

They can then seize the rew properties in a full-scale, ort- cleaning-up operation.

NOTEBOOK OF SCHMALZ

The average price for a build- ing plot last year was £5,000 and the average price for an acre was over £25,000. There was a wide variation between areas-—in Surrey an acre cost over £100,000, while in parts of Yokshire the price was under £10,000. A plot of 4,027 square yards at Mere, in Cheshire, brought £12,500. A plot of land big enough for four houses in Altrincham, Cheshire, sold for plots at £26,000 and two Southport cost £31,345 and £25,320. Transactions in house-build- ing land last year totalled more than £70m. The figures are contained in the first issue of the Digest of Land Prices spon- Buildıng sored jointly by the House- builders' Federation and the 'Estates Gazette' Intense speculation surrounds the appointment of a new deputy assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard. Normally such posts are filled by promotion from the ranks. Sir Robert Mark, the new Police Commissioner (below), is advertising outside the 'Old Bill' industry. Rumours that Lord Alf Robens, Cecil King, Lord Shawcross, Lord George-Brown and Ray Gunter are applying are strenuously denied! Order from 186a Claph Somebody up there still likes him ... John Poulson, that iS. It has been revealed that Mrs Cynthia Poulson has been appointed to a teaching job at the All Saints Infants' School at Pontefract, birthplace of the Poulson empire. According to ex-Cllr Archie Quinn, Mrs Poulson has not taught for more than 15 years.

And three other women teach- ers on the short list were under 40. Mr Quinn is demanding to know how the other teachers were passed over for Mrs Poulson. The Jesus freaks are organizing a gala thrash at Oldham on May 26. those participating Among will be devout groups like the Glorylanders, Millstone Grit, Movement Banned and the Pete Lewis and the Raiders.

Provincial influential back- ing for the Jesus Festival will Lord Rhodes of Saddle- worth, Canon Harold Kirkman, the rural dean of Oldham, the Bishop of Manchester, local MPs and the Clergy Fraternal.

Rhodes was a former Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne Before from 1945 to 1964. that he led a successful and profitable career as a woollen manufacturer. Where is Britain Going? Paperback 37гp i Problems of the British Revolution Paperback 35p • Lessons of October Paperback 60p In Defence of the October Revolution Pamphlet 15p Marxism and the Trade Unions Pamphlet 25p Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International Pamphlet 10p Postage: 10p per book, 5p per pamphlet.

Order from: NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS 186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG

BY JOE HARPER

In 'Minnie and Mosko- vitz', John Cassavetes examines some of the problems created for hu- man behaviour by inhibi- tions and stereotype ex- pectations. Minnie is an attractive city art museum employee who is having a hopeless, unhappy love affair with a married man with three children. Moskovitz is a manic, ex- trovert, near-hippy, New York Jewish, attendant car park who comes to California for no reason after borrowing the air fare from his manic, extro- vert, New York Jewish mum.

Moskovitz is very tolerant, talks to everybody—usually in a very loud voice-goes up to complete strangers in pubs and jollies them up a bit; in fact he's a real pain in the arse.

Minnie, on the other hand, gent. And is released from the she clutches of the married man she dotes on and leaves him with a punch on the nose.

Min and Mos meet when he rescues her from Zelmo, a completely insane person who has taken her to lunch on a blind date. Although they don't know By a guest reviewer Rome could be the sub- ject of a very interesting film. It is a city in the midst of upheaval epito- mizing the profound crisis of Italian society.

But Fellini's 'Roma' is devoid of all suggestion of conflict. This is deliberate. Fellini explains, of course, that many serious social there are problems in the city-but, he sighs, I can't even solve my personal troubles, how own can I be expected to tackle other people's? So as a substitute for a film kind of Italian he offers a . 'Roma' is an Look at Life' appalling mixture of travelogue and sentimental flashback to Rome under the fascists. The garnished is with recipe 'characters', fat ladies, prosti- tutes and so on. Fellini's penchant for phy- sical extremes seems to grow more pronounced as his films get worse. Of course many great directors have used the fantastic, and indeed fantasy, with great effect-to deepen understanding of reality. Louis Bunuel is the outstanding example. But I suspect Fellini's ob- is session rooted in his apparent inability to explore life as it exists—a substitution therefore of empty fantasy for reality, designed also to con- fuse the audience. Even Fellini's technique is deteriorating. 'Roma' is essen- tially documentary in style (at least the sections on modern Rome are), but most of the scenes are contrived. We start with a drive into the city. via the motorway says this is the (Fellini 'diamond ring that embraces the city', or similar words).

The journey just happens to take place in a torrential downpour. As the traffic, and sup- Workers Press, Thurs it, Min and Mos have some- thing in common—a liking for Humphrey Bogart's screen heroes. complains to Minnie an older friend that the movie- instilled notion of the ideal romance has ruined her for the very ordinary types she meets in reality. Moskovitz, on the other hand, presumably imagines that his 'easy going' ways are pure Bogart. Minnie does not find them so. In fact, she thinks Mosko- vitz is as insane as Zelmo and has to escape for the second time in one lunch hour. But her own general misery, incorrigible and Moskovitz's thick skin, eventually wear her down and she dates the car- parking ace. But every date causes her some new excruciating embar- rassment because of his uncon- ventional behaviour. Moskovitz's irrepressible manic outwardgoingness, how- ever, proves to be the stronger life force, we are led to be- lieve, and Minnie persuades herself, without much convic- tion, to marry him. And it works, Cassavetes tells us in the final scene of their first child's first birth- day party Min, Moss, baby, all the kids in the neighbour- hood, and the two formerly builds thunder and is added for effect. Enter of (phoney) demon- a group strators intent on blocking the traffic, the jam builds up, the thunder crashes. The camera away from the scene pans revealing a cardboard model of the Colosseum suitably illuminated by stage lighting.

It's really very bad. Another ludicrous episode takes place underground. The Romans are building a subway.

The camera team goes down, which is very fortunate be- their first visit exactly cause coincides with the most exciting discovery of all. The workers drill their way into a perfect Roman palace and the film crew are first inside.

'Ah just look those at frescoes, breathes the con- tinuity girl. She points to a group of Romans painted rather in the style of Boots 1972. 'Oh,' wails the girl, 'the air is destroying them.' And before our eyes the very 'priceless' wall paintings dis- integrate (and very glad I was to see them vanjsh). The flashbacks are little better. Fellini has a brilliant eye for period. But his re- creation of the 1930s in Rome is spoiled by an over-senti- ess, Thursday February 8, 1973 PAGE 9 doubting mums-in-law are seen blissfully happy due to the triumph of simplicity and sophistication honesty over and hypocrisy. The film deals some good blows at the sad little fears which lie behind most of our prejudices at 'unconventional' behaviour. If we find Mosko- vitz irritating and embarras- sing, the fault is our own.

He is not afraid to be him- self, and though it doesn't amount to very much, it puts him way ahead of the others, who are afraid to be themselves, (i.e. they try to act with sophistication) but amount to even less in the end.

The trouble with the film is that too little of the real world penetrates into the psycholo- gical hang-ups of the people in it, as far as they are re- vealed to us. All the inhibitions and manic behaviour are seen as entirely personal problems which are to be resolved or understood by looking deeper inside people's heads If you think about things differently and let yourself go.

then things can be different.

And in the film, nothing ever does enter in from the outside world to change or challenge people's behaviour. As in Cassavetes' other movies, life seems to be being viewed through a cushioning veil or an alcoholic haze which softens all of the blows.

A lot of Maskovitz's esca- pades are likely to have been really painful to himself and to others-but they don't seem to be. Life with Cassavetes is just a little unbelievable. lently acted all round. approach the mental to 'ordinary' people. Even fascism and the fascists are passed off as some rather endearing lapse in the Italian psyche —all part of the happy-go-lucky scene.

There is just one outstand- ing passage. Rome is bombed.

After the raid the people come out from shelter to return home. Through the empty streets runs a woman. Her house is destroyed and her children probably dead. With and great economy use of light and shadow Fellini captures the agony and drama of such a tragedy-no fat ladies, fantastic faces or exaggerated gestures—just life itself. Fellini's concession to poli- tical comment comes in a send-up of the church — a fashion show put on for a car- dinal. Nuns, priests, bishops and even the Pope model the costly garments of their call- ing. But it is poor, second- hand stuff. It is sad to see Fellini, who directed many great films, has turning out such bad work.

The remark about his troubles indicates he has abandoned any attempt to reflect or por- tray the issues that most affect people today. Now even his technique is crumbling.

PAGE 10 Workers Press, Thursday February 8, 1973

TODAY'S TV

BBC 1

9.42-12.10 Schools. 12.25 Disc a dawn.

12.55 News. 1.00 Pebble Mill 1.30 1.45 High street. 2.05-2.25 Schools. 2.50-3.15 at one. Trumpton. Workers 3.20 Parents and children. 3.45 Countryman. 4.10 at risk. Play 4.35 Jackanory. 4.50 Blue Peter. 5.15 John Craven's school. 5.20 Brady kids. 5.45 News. Weather. newsround.

6.00 NATIONWIDE. 6.45 TOP OF THE POPS.

7.15 Z CARS. Jack the Dodger.

8.00

COMEDY

PLAYHOUSE:

'HOME

FROM

HOME'.

Michael Robbins, Yootha Joyce, Carmel McSharry, Tony Selby.

8.30 HOLIDAY 73. The Winter Sports Boom.

9.00 NEWS. Weather. 9.25 LORD PETER WIMSEY. Mr Oliver.

10.10 FRANKIE HOWERD IN WHOOPS BAGHDAD. 10.45 MIDWEEK.

LATE NIGHT NEWS. 11.35 TAKE ANOTHER LOOK. Animal 11.30 Logic 11.55 Weather.

ITV

.30 Schools. 10.30 All our yesterdays (London only). 11.00 school: 2.05 Mr. Trimble. 12.25 Witches brew. 12.40 First report. 1.00 Joker: court. 2.00 General hospital. 2.30 Good afternoon.

wild. 1.30 Crown Voyage to the bottom of 3.00 Generation three. 3.25 Misfit: 4.25 the sea. 5.20 Pebbles and Bamm. Bamm. 5.50 News 6.00

TODAY. 6.30 CROSSROADS.

FILM: 'COAST OF

SKELETONS'. Richard Todd, Dale Robert- 6.55 Nimmo. Marianne Koch, Derek An insurance agent son, investigates. the loss of a diamond dredger.

WEEK.

9.00 LONGSTREET. I See, Said the Blind Man.

8.30

THIS

NEWS AT TEN. 10.30 CINEMA.

10.00

11.00 COOKING

WITHOUT TEARS.

Unexpected Guests.

EUROPEAN

FIGURE

SKATING

11.30 Championships.

12.30 A CHANGE OF COURSE.

BBC 2

11.00-11.25 Play school. 5.25 Open University.

6.40 SIXTEEN PLUS. Getting across.

7.05 OPEN UNIVERSITY. 7.30 NEWS. Weather.

7.35 WEB OF LIFE. The Living Lakes.

8.05 EUROPA. Paradise with Mistakes.

8.30 WAR AND PEACE. An Epilogue.

9.15 THEIR WORLD. Animal behaviour.

9.25 HORIZON. When the Breeding Has to Stop. Population.

10.10 PLAY: 'A TOUCH OF EASTERN PROMISE'. By Tara Prem.

Third season of short plays from Birmingham.

10.40 THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. In concert.

11.10 NEWS EXTRA. Weather. 11.40 REAL TIME.

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..months. Name . Address Amount enclosed f Morag Anthony Hopkins as Pierre, Morand as Nikolai in 'An Epilogue' t

REGIONAL TV

London. 1.15

CHANNEL: 9.30-12.00

News. 1.30 London. 2.30 Women to- 4.20 Lottery. 4.25 day. 3.00 London. Follyfoot. 4.55 Jackson five. 5.20 Doctor in charge: 5:50 London. 6.00 6.10 Maverick. 6.35 Crossroads.

News Film: 'The Prince Who Was A 9.00 Hawaii Thief'. 8.30 London. 10.30 Odd five-o. 10.00 London 11.30 London. 11.00 Cinema. couple. 12.30 News, weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 4.05 condon. 12.37 Gus Honeybun. 12.40 London. 12.57 News. 1.00 London. 6.00 Diary. 10.30 Report. 10.57 News.

12.30 Faith for lite. 9.30 London.

SOUTHERN:

12.05 London. Women News. 3.00 London. 4.25 Land of the only. 5.20 Cartoon. London. giants. Armoured Commandy: 8.30 Day 6.00 9.00 Doctor in charge. 9.30 Nearest London. 11.00 and News. 11.05 London. 12.30 Weather. Guideline.

HARLECH: 9.30 London. 2.30 Date- 5.29 Crossondon 5.50 Londone 5.20 Chuckleheads. 6.01 5.25 Crossroads. Report West. 6.18 Report Wales. 6.35 «Elope- limit. 7.05 Film: Sky's the ment'. 8.30 London. 9.00 Hawaii 10.00 London. 10.03 You can't five-o. i London. scenery. 11.30 12.30 eat Weather. HTV Cymru/Wales as above except: 2.30-3.00 Hamdden. 4.25 Miri mawr. 4.50-5.20 Rovers. 4.35-4.50 Cantamil. 6.01-6.18 Y dydd. Fight rising rents and prices Defend basic democratic rights Force the Tories to resign STEVENAGE: Thursday February 8, 8 p.m. 'Red Lion', Old Town.

HACKNEY: Thursday February 8, 8 p.m. Parlour Room, Central Hall (opposite Town Hall). 'Build Councils of Action.' WILLESDEN: Thursday February 8, 8 p.m. Labour and Trades Hall, High Road NW10. Victory to the NLF. Down with Stalinism and imperialism. BASILDON: Sunday February 11, 5.30 p.m. Barnstable Community Centre. 'Defend basic rights'.

WANDSWORTH: Monday February 12, 8 p.m. 'King's Arms', Wands- worth High Street. 'Fight rising rents and prices' WATFORD: Monday February 12, 8 p.m. Trade Union Hall (down- opposite Watford Junc- stairs), tion station. TO MORE Wonderer in 12, 7.30 p.m. 'Defend Basic Rights'. CLAY CROSS: Tuesday February 13, 8 p.m. Social Centre, Derby Road. 'Fight rising rents and Defend basic democratic prices. rights'. COVENTRY: Tuesday February 13, 7.30 p.m. Wood End Com- munity Building. CLAPHAM: Tuesday February 13, 8 p.m. Clapham Manor Baths, Clapham Manor Street, SW4.

'Defend basic rights' CAMDEN: Tuesday February 13 iD. King Aross Lessons- 8 p.m. dale Road, Kings Cross. of the rents fight. HARROW: Tuesday February 13, 8 p.m. Labour Hall. 'Defend basic rights'. TOOTING: Tuesday February 13, 'Selkirk Hotel, 8 p.m. Selkirk Road. 'Defend basic rights'.

Countess Rostova and Sylvester Hood as Natasha, Faith Brouk as 20 episodes of BBC 2's 'War and Peace' pilogue' to the 11.00 Cinema. Sport West as above except: 6.18-6.35 10.30 London. 12.00 Weather 10.30 Sport. Sport 12.00 Felix. 5. 10ndar.

GRANADA:

9.30 News. don LondonKatie 12.04 205 London. News: dut family London. '4.350 Stewart 6.00 London. News. News. 4.30 Land 3.00 London. 6.30 Sky's Wilmin® Saskatchewan." the Cartoons. 5.35. 5.35 Wind Ф12nrc Film: 8.30 London. the willows. 5 Crossroads 7:00 9.00 Hawk. 10.00 London. 11.00 On About Anglia. 6.35 11.35 London. the line. "Sally's Rogue' Film: Irish 9.00 Pathfinders. 10.00 don. London

TYNE

TEES:

9.25 9.30 Prologue. Bygones. 11.35 10.30 London. 2.30 News. 2.33 Place in the London 12.30 Living and growing. 3.00 London. 4.25 Funky country. 1.00 Enilogue. 1.50 Sti Stingray. 5.20 Part- 6.00 6.mily. Crossroads. ads 700 12.00

ATV MIDLANDS:

Film: 12.05 London. 2.30 Blood Today. River' Lon- 8.30 4.25 the 3.00 Londos.50 of Persuaders 10.00 London 0123T don. 6.00 London. Todav call. Sport. Police 10.30 10.55 7.00 П. 9.00 High 6.35 Crossroads. 12.30 Cinema. Tandon. News London. Persuad- 12.40 Lectern. 10.00 11.00 Gardening. London. .30 London.

SCOTTISH:

9.30 2.30 Date- London. 3.00 4.25 Lost space. London. in *the 5.50 6.00 1.31 News. Crossroads cotch

ULSTER:

11.00 London. 5.25 Today. 6.30 corner. 2.40 Romper 3.00 1.40 Schools. room. Cimarron 8.30 London. 9.00 stripo.08 London 3.25 W4.m3 NewS. 3.55 Harriet's London. 11.00 4.23 4.25 Ele. Pathfinders. back in to 4.55 11.30 Late call. 11.35 Phoenix five. 20 boy. Gardening. Doctor London. 5.50 London. General hospital. 6.00 7.00 Film: Reports. 6.35 Crossroads. 1.38 9.30

GRAMPIAN:

10.58 Lond03 News East Berling. Lon- Escape 2.53 10.00 London. 11.00 Schools. 9.00 ••0. London. 3.25 3.55 11.30 London. What's Harriet's back in town. 4.25 4.50 M. "5.50 melodies. 5.20 General London. 6.00 News. 9,30 London. 4.25 hospital. 6.35 Funks phantom. 4.50 Rovers. 5.20 6.05 for Crossroads. "One Spies is Miss- 5.50 London 6.00 7.00 Film: artridge 6.35 8.30 London. Persuaders. Crossroads. ing' Calendar. Weather. 0.00 London. 12025 A edition! kind of living. of the 10.00 11.30 8.30 London. 9.30 Persuaders. LEEDS: Thursday February 15, OLDBURY: Wednesday February 14, 7.30 The Bulls Head" 7.30 p:m. note date p.m. (please change). Peel Hotel, Boar Lane. February

SLOUGH.

We Slouday Immuniry February

SWANSEA:

Thursday 14, 7.30 Slough p.m. Council of Social 15. 7.30 p.m. Centre, Farnham Road. Mount Pleasant Services. Hill, fire station). 'Defend de- (near

WOLVERHAMPTON:

Wednesday mocratic rights' February 14, 7.30 p.m. 'Little Swan, Horseley Fields. February

LIVERPOOL:

Tuesday 20, 7.30 p.m. AEU House, Mount SLOUGH: Thursday February 15, Pleasant. Community Centre, Farn- 8 p.m. ham Road. 'How to defeat Phase 20, BRIXTON: Tuesdav February Two'. Brixton Training Centre. p.m. Room. "No state Control control

HOLLOWAY:

Thursday February of wages'. 15. Co-op Hall, Seven p.m. Sisters Road. 'Build Councils of February DAGENHAM: Tuesday Action' 20, Co-op 8 p.m. Barking Good Hall, Hall. Fanshawe Avenue.

KINGSTON:

February Thursday rights'. 15, 8 p.m. "Liverpool Arms', Cambridae February 27, Road/London

ACTON:

Tuesday Road. 'Build Councils of Action'.

8 Co-op Hall. Road. p.m. High Pageant W3 'Forward the

SOUTH

LONDON: Thurs- —The Road to Workers' Power'.

15, 8 p.m. Dept- day February CrOYDON. Thursday March Engineers opposite 1. New Cross station. 'No state con- Ruskin 8 p.m. House. Coombe trol of wages'. Road. 'Defend democratic rights'.

I would like information about FIll in the form below and send to NATIONAL

SECRETARY,

SOCIALIST

LABOUR

LEAGUE®

186a CLAPHAM HIGH ST, LONDON SW4 7UG.

Name... Address..

Belfast a 'ghost town' as BELFAST became a ghost town yesterday as thous- ands of Protestant workers joined in the one-day protest strike called by extreme right-wing Loyalist groups. The which sloppages, affected transport, engineer shipyards, ing were against arrest two loyalist militants by the British army, Trade put estumales Rugby rents fight being diverted

NEARLY

100 tenants on two Rugby housing estates- Bilton and Rokeby- -face rent rises of between 100 and 200 cent. But local 'leaders', per including councillors, arc leading the tenants' oppo- sition into dead-end judicial channels, avoiding fight with the Tories. The houses were built in 1947 by English Electric and offered workers to rents as an incentive to work lor tne company. firm's After the merger with

GEC-AEI,

Sir Arnold Weinstock sold the houses to Sutton Dwell- ine Thari y Comisionell. Trust, controlled by Tenants were told that Sutton Trust was

CON -DIOT

organization and the change ownership would not affect them much. very Now Sutton's regional man- Mr George s ent un der has told the local Press ladr the terms of the new rent Act forced to charge a fair are TenL. The Trust, which already owns 10,000 of houses in other parts the country, says Loe extra

SLL

LECTURES

DONCASTER

Sunday February 11 The revolutionary party In Britaln. _ectures given bs liff Slaughter

SPREAD EAGLE HOTEL

Westlaithgate 7.30 p.m.

SHEFFIELD

Monday February 19 The crisis and the economic, socialist answer. Monday March 5 The revolutionary party in Britain. Young Socialist Premises Portobello (near Jessops Hospital) 8 p.m. Lecture 2 1924-1933The Left Opposi- tion's struggle against Stalin the total on strike at 120,000 civilian out of the 600,000 population in the north .. of Ireland. Power supplies and milk deliveries were affected and all bus services in Belfast came to a halt. Belfast was a silent city as traders put up their shutters for the day. A spokesman for the North-

BY OUR

HOUSING

CORRESPONDENT

revenue is to build more houses elsewhere. Rents will rise by 75p-the maximum allowed under the Act -each year until the new rents are reached. This will take about five years, says Sutton Trust.

Normally Trust houses are for people on low intended salaries who, under the new legislation, would be eligible for rebates. Trust officials -say they are raising the rents so drastically in Rugby because their tenants are on quite high incomes and could easily afford to buy their own homes. Three hundred tenants at- tended a protest meeting in the Bilton Social Club last Sunday and decided to fight the increases.

Opening speaker Tommy Lin- don told tenants that they were already paying a fair rent. 'Let Trust's books. us see Sutton Then we will see if we are paying a fair rent.' Lecture 3 1933-1938-From the German defeat to the founding. of Fourth International given by TOM KEMP (SLL Central Committee)

ACTON

Wednesday February 7 Lecture 2 Wednesday February 14 Lecture 3 Woodlands Hall Crown Street, W.3. 8 p.m.

EAST LONDON

Thursday February 8 Lecture 2 Thursday February • 15 Lecture 3 Old Town Offices Poplar High Street E.14. 8 p.m.

NEWCASTLE

Monday February 12 Lecture 2 Monday February 19 Lecture 3 Ford Arms Shields Road, 8 p.m. 6. . Committee of the Irish ern Congress of Trade Unions, who have strongly condemned said: 'Many stoppage, people who wanted to work have been prevented by fear and intimidation? There were reports of threats to bus crews who turned up for work and the hijacking of a bus. Cllr Bunting... pleased with talks. His resolution demanded that tenants declare their opposition to the proposed rent increases and give notice of appeal to the appropriate body under the 'fair rent' Act. Labour MP for Rugby, Mr Bill Price, supported the resolution and told the meeting that Sutton Dwelling Trust was not com- pelled to register under the Act.

The tenants' best line of attack, would be not to chal- he said, as they lenge the assessments, are fixed on today's prices, but to fight on the basis that if a Trust can balance its books it does not need to increase the rents. Labour councillor Mrs E. Turner's advice was to protest on an individual basis, not in a block, as this had much more impact. A Tory councillor told the meeting 'beggars be cannot choosers'. If the rent Act allowed

CLAPHAM

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14,

South Island Library South Island •Place Stockwell, SW9 speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee)

WATFORD

MONDAY FEBRUARY 19, 8pm Trades Union Hall near Watford Junction stn speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee)

NORTH KENT

MONDAY FEBRUARY 19, 8pm The Shakespeare, Powis Street Woolwich speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

NORTH EAST COAST

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 7 p.m.

Civic Centre Jarrow Speaker : G. HEALY (SLL National Sec) Workers Press, Thursd The giant Harland and Wolff shipyard was shut down when the bulk of its 10,000 workers failed to turn up. The stoppages were called after two Protestants were held demands for the restoration of Northern Ireland's parliament.

FOURTEEN thousand Derby- shire miners have promised support for Clay Cross coun- cillors campaigning against the Housing Finance Act. Councillors had a private meeting with officials of the Derbyshire area of the National Union of Mineworkers. Mr Herbert Parkin, secretary of the Derbyshire NUM, said: I cannot reveal all the re- quests made to us, but they will be sent to our executive for fuller consideration. I have promise the been able to council that, should they run into heavy legal expenses, the

NUM

would be sympathetic towards any request for finan- cial help? Council chairman Mr Charles Bunting described the meeting as very constructive. The councillors were ordered to pay a surcharge of £6,985 accumulated rent to meet arrears. registration then it would be in the tenants' best interests to negotiate. In sowing the illusion that the fair: rent increase could be fought by protesting to the rent officers, the platform disarmed the tenants.

They make no attempt to link the rises with the Tory attack on all living standards. But one tenant, Mr T. Mc- Gowan, chairman of the Rugby and District Trades Council, said: 'My rent will increase from £2.40 a week plus rates to £6.15 plus rates. I hope this will make people realize what this govern- ment's up to. 'You can't get a wage increase to match up with these increases.

E. I don't think there's much we can do about it as long as the Tories are in power. 'Weinstock sold the houses to make his balance sheet look good. Now we have to remove be : the Tories to make our balance sheet look good.'

ACTON

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 8pm Woodlands Hall, Crown Street speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

WANDSWORTH

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22,

8pm Wandsworth Town Hall Wandsworth High Street speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Citee)

MIDDLETON

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14,

8pm Middleton Baths, Middleton, Manchester speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec) 8, Thursday February 8, 1973 PAGE 11

SEVEN

trade unions in the Philips Industries group have signed corporatist-style a with agreement management. It establishes for the first time both manual worker and staff representation on joint con- sultative committees. Under the agreement a joint council of trade unionists factories Britain. Discussions on the council will cover such subjects as conditions holiday entitle- of employment, ment, sickness benefits, overtime and and severance payments pension schemes. It also outlines internal procedure for a new settling disputes. Unions party to the agreement are the engineering and the tech- nical and supervisory section of Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, the Trans- port and General Workers' Union, General and Municipal Workers' Union, the Electrical and Plumbing Trades Union, the Association Professional, Executive and Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) and the Association of Scientific, Tech- nical and Managerial Staffs

(ASTMS).

In 'The Times' company league table, Philips is Britain's 46th largest company with an annual turnover of £291m. Its profit last year was £14m, a flm increase on the previous year. The trade union bureaucrats joining with are the Philips board room at a critical hour in preparation for the trade war with Japan. Philips is planning a massive rationalization pro- gramme. ELECTRICIANS from three con: tractors on the Barbican site in the City of London are out on strike. The men employed are by Electrical Installations, Key They Electrics and Lee Beasley.

walked out on Monday following the suspension of a member of their trade union. They are now picketing the site. 01-720 2000 01-622 7029

MEDWAY

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27, 8pm Aurora Hotel Brompton Road Gillingham speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee)

SLOUGH

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28

8pm Britwell Community Centre Long Furlong Drive Britwell Estate speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

DAGENHAM

THURSDAY MARCH 1, 8pm Manor Park Library Romford Rd/Rabbitts Road opp Rabbitts Pub speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

BIRMINGHAM

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25, 7pm Digbeth, Civic Hall Digbeth, Birmingham speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Citee)

Though official stoppage not due for six days Gas depots continue pay PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday Febr Students from Imperial College and other London Colleges yesterday joined in a march and demonstration in support of higher grants for students. The rally culminated in a lobby outside the Department of Education and Science at Waterloo.

BY ROYSTON BULL OUR INDUST

MORE THAN half of the ga Thames Board area voted yest their unofficial strikes and wor Mass meetings held at each ya continuing the industrial action des diate call for a national strike by the The depots will continue their own action until with next Wednesday, by which time national campaign of official stoppages, work-to-rule and withdrawal of co-operation will have been worked out.

Yards which decided to con- tinue their strikes were: West- minster, Goswell Road, Abingdon Road, Mill Hill, Battersea, Cam- den Town, Seven Sisters, Kilburn, Stanmore, Harlesden, Pinnel: Newington, Stoke Barking, Dagenham, Mare Street, Ilford, Grays, Pound Lane, Finch- ley, Hornsey and South Harrow.

Other depots,_such as Wem- bley, Southend, Haggerston, were working to rule unofficially.

The shop stewards' meeting at the Stepney depot yesterday decided to allow action to con- tinue on a yard-by-yard basis, but formed a special committee of stewards to visit those depots which were still working normally to try to get them to start in- dustrial action. some disappoint. There was from the more militant ment stewards that a proposal was not put to the meeting for all-out un- official action on an area-wide basis. Some of the most determined gasmen are from the Westminster fitters' depot and David Shoe- smith, Wally Sirett, Bob Wright, Ken Smith and Andrew Downey lobbied the stewards' meeting.

Their views were that the union had to be fought as much as the government and the Gas Corporation. David Shoesmith said: 'We want a massive strike stop the of all unions to oppression of the working class.'

Ken Smith said he had to work last week and took 88 hours £40.82. 'And with two kids I tax. Working don't much pay these hours for a decent wage, 1 only get to see my kids once a week. I often work from 8 a.m.

until 10 p.m.' IN WAKEFIELD yesterday 300 gasworkers outside the met strike-bound gas plant to hear a report of the national executive's decision. The almost unanimous view was that the sanctions imposed by the executive weren't enough.

The men are firmly in favour of national strike action. The meeting decided to return 186a Clapham Street, London,

SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London,

SW4 7UG.

sday Fabruary 8, 1873

NU MIL

ARE * NO CAS

R INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

the gas depots in the North ed yesterday to continue with and work to rules. each yard were enthusiastic for ction despite the lack of an imme- ke by the union's executive.

to work next Monday and im- mediately start imposing the work to rule. The executive wants the sanctions to start next Wednesday. There were workers at the meeting from all the surrounding areas: Batley, Dewsbury, Castle- ford and Pontefract. The Wakefield men have been on unofficial strike for three weeks. There will be a further mass meeting at Wakefield next Tuesday.

LONDON

TEACHERS

will stage a series of three-day strikes starting on February 20 in sup- port of a special London allow- ance which the government is refusing to pay because of the laws. They now join state pay 290,000 civil servants who have called a one-day strike against legislation on February the pay This is the first national 27. industrial action ever taken by in defiance of the civil service the government. MINERS' leaders yesterday re- jected for the second time a £2.28 Phase Two pay offer-but asked the National Coal Board to reply next week to proposals for improving fringe benefits. The miners, who want increases of £5.50 to £7, hope for a 'final offer' next Wednesday. A special executive meeting will take place the following day to decide its attitude to the offer. If executive decides to ballot its members on the offer, the result could be known within a week.

FROM PAGE ONE

attack, the union leaders cling closer than ever to the inter- national organizations of mono- poly capitalism. The TUC is being drawn into Common Market institutions. Mr Victor Feather, its general secre- is expected to accept the presidency of the new Curopean Trade Union Confederation (see page 3). "Left-wingers' Mr Lawrence Daly (NUM) and Mr Jack Jones (T&GWU) have already partici- pated in the activities of this organization — from which the communist unions in Europe are to be excluded. The Stalinists, of course, are demanding to be admitted into this Confederation, whose sole

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Some of the gas pickets outsido the mare THE ONCE-mighty dollar was again on the floor in Europe and Japan yesterday and it is clear that devaluation can only be a matter of time. The Nixon administration has indicated this must be accepted by its main trade rivals to allow the US to liquidate its overseas debts and gain advantages on foreign markets. Heavy selling of dollars on the Tokyo market aggravated the international currency situation amid rumours that the yen might be revalued or allowed to float upward. Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka had to make a public denial of the rumours, which were respon- sible for a major fall in share prices. There was a similar run on the dollar when the Frankfurt foreign exchange opened yesterday morn- ing. But there was a lull later in day and the dollar was slightly above its parity "floor' support from the without Bundesbank. The West German central bank has bought over $2,500m since purpose is to lend credibility to the monopoly conspiracy of the Common Market. The deep unwillingness of these leaders to fight the Tories means campaign to defend that the democratic rights must be inten- sified. That is the purpose of the Pageant of History launched by the Socialist Labour League and the Young Socialists. This Pageant will culminate in a mass rally at the Empire Pool, Wembley, on Sunday, March 11.

Over the next six weeks the preparation of the Pageant—now in Lancashire, South launched Wales, the north-east and Lon- don-will give political focus to the anger mounting throughout the working class at the Tory attacks.

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• the Mare Street depol, London

BY FOREIGN EDITOR

JOHN SPENCER

Monday to prevent the dollar sinking through its parity "floor.

Rigid currency controls have been introduced to prevent foreign investors buying marks and West German shares. But no capitalist country in Europe can stand up to the con- centrated economic power of the so-called Euro-dollar pool-the $70,000m invested on the Euro- pean money markets and now inconvertible into gold. The dollar enjoys not the slightest confidence in Europe.

The West German measures are LEADERS of the London docks tally clerks yesterday rejected a £2.80 pay offer, made in line with Phase Two of the Tories' the running i of the docks, are claiming £l0. Originally both the clerks and the 7,700 registered men in London's enclosed docks were offered £2.56. The dockers' negotiators rejected this offer on Tuesday. They want £5. Not only professional actors but hundreds of local workers will be in the forefront of the work for this Pageant. In addition to illustrating the history of the Chartists, the early miners' struggles, the conflicts of the unions with the state and Marx's political activities London, the Pageant will be the starting point of the campaign to forge working-class unity to force the Tories to resign. The defence of democratic rights now requires this im- portant step forward. All the struggles of the working class, flowing from its past history, must be brought together and the trade union leaders made to call a General Strike which will force the Tories to resign

FEBRUARY

FUND NOW

AT £96.95 WE STILL are & long way from reaching our £1,750 target. This month needs a special effort as February has only 28 days. Let's go into action immediately and turn the situation around.

We have every confidence that this can and will be done. Every- where workers are fighting back to defend their basic rights. The right to trade unions, the right to • decent ilving standard-all our basic democratic rights are being threatened by the Tory govern- ment. Our Pageant of History on March 11 at the Empire Pool, we are sure, will receive enormous This history to be re- support. enacied will be the history of struggle that won these rights.

Our paper must be right at the centre of this decisive struggle.

Help us therefore raise extra amounts for our February Fund.

Don't waste any time. Raise as much as you can and post Immediately to: Workers Press February Appeal Fund 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG. HIll yesterday be- TALKS collapsed tween officials of the transport union in Birmingham and management of British Road Ser- vices Limited. About 1,300 lorry drivers in the Midlands are re- fusing to drive heavy lorries unless they receive a £2.50 bonus already paid to more than 170 private hauliers in the area. BRS refuses saying it is illegal under the state pay laws. THE BRS drivers' dispute has stopped production at ll Mid- lands car factories. It has also led to the laying off of more than 24,000 car workers and employers in the car components industry.

simply a stop-gap and cannot maintain the mark at its present parity for any length of time.

The Americans are well aware of this and are doing all they can to inflame the crisis in West Germany and incite dollar- holders to sell. All basis for international monetary agreement was swept away by the Nixon measures of August 15, 1971. The international talks and gatherings held under various auspices—the IMF, GATT, Group of 20since that time have only served to lay the basis for giant trade war now developing rapidly between the capitalist powers. THE LONG-awaited Tow White Paper on the steel industry will be published at 3.30 p.m. today.

• See STEEL: centre pages.

REPRESENTATIVES of Clyde- bank council have been sum- moned to appear at the bar of the Court of Sessions in Edin- burgh next Tuesday to explain why they have disobeyed a court order to implement the Tory rent Act. and place in office a Labour government committed to socialist policies. Central to this is the forming and building of the Revolutionary Party, a task which the Socialist Labour League has pledged itself to carry out in 1973. The resolution 'Perspectives for the Transformation of the SLI into a Revolutionary Party' (pub- lished in Saturday's Workers being Press) is widely noW circulated. We urge all workers to give this statement their urgent con- sideration, to participate wherever possible in the Pageant and to come to Wembley on March 11. The Tories can, and will, be defeated.