Belfast a 'ghost town' as Protestants strike

protest strike called by extreme right-wing Loyalist groups.

The stoppages, which afiected transport, engineering and shipyards, were against the arrest of two loyalist militants by the British army.

Trade union Rugby rents fight being diverted by leaders' NEARLY 100 tenants on per cent. But local 'leaders' with the Tories.

for the company.

the Charity Commissioners.

very much.

rent'.

SLL LECTURES DONCASTE Sunday February 11 The revolutionary party Lectures given by Cliff Slaughter.

SPREAD EAGLE Westlaithgate 7.30 p.m.

SHEFFIELD Monday February 19 The economic , crisis socialist answer.

Monday March 5 The revolutionary party Britain.

Young Socialist Premises Portobello (near Jessops Lecture 2 tion's struggle estimate: ind two Rugby housing estatesBilton and Rokeby-face rent rises of between 100 and 200 including councillors,. are leading the tenants' opposition into dead-end judicial channels, avoiding a fight The houses were built in 1947 by English Electric and offered to workers at low rents as an incentive to work After the firm's merger with GEC-AEL, Sir Arnold Weinstock sold the houses to Sutton Dwelling Trust, a body controlled by Tenants were told that Sutton Trust was a non-profit making organization and the change of ownership would not affect them Now Sutton's regional manager, Mr George Leeming, has told the local Press that 'under the terms of the new rent Act we are forced to charge a fair The Trust, which already owns 10,000 houses in other parts of the country, says the extra and oft Oppos tinst BY HOI COI revenue is elsewhere. rebates.

own homes. a fair rent.' the total on strike at 120,000 out of the 600,000 civilian population in the north of 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 OUR ISING IRESPONI to build Rents will rise by 75pthe 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 intended for people on low salaries who, under the new legislation, would be eligible for 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 Three hundred tenants attended a protest meeting in the Bilton Social Club last Sunday and decided to fight the increases. Opening speaker Tommy Lindon told tenants that they were already paying a fair rent. 'Let us see Sutton Trust's books. Then we will see if we are paying Lecture 3 defeat to the Fourth Internation:

given by (SLL Central ACTON Wednesday February 7 Lecture 2 Woodlands Hall Crown Street, W.3. 8 EAST LONDON Thursday February 8 February Old Town Offices Poplar High Street E.14. 8 p.m.

EWCASTLE

Monday February 12 Lecture 2 Monday February Lecture 3 Ford Arms nields Road, 8 the German founding. of TOM KEMP Committee)

Lecture Lecture Lecture Lecture ern Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, who have strongly condemned the stoppage, said: "Many people who wanted to work have prevented by There were reports of threats to bus crews who turned up for work and the hijacking of a bus. Miners' backing for Clay Cross rebels Clir Bunting 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 compelled to register under the Act. The tenants' best line of attack, he said, would be not to challenge the assessments, as they 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 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 cannot choosers'. If the rent Act allowed CLAPHAM FEBRUA 8pm South Island Library South Island Place Stockwell, SW9 speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee) WATFORD MONDAY FEBRUARY Trades Union Hall near Watford Junctior speaker: MIKE BAND (SLL Central Cttee) NORTH KENT MONDAY FEBRUARY The Shakespeare, Powis Street Woolwich speaker: G HEALY {SLL National Sec)

SUNDAY FEBRUARY Civic Centre Jarrow Speaker:

(SLL Socialist Labour League Public Meetings UNITE IN ACTION TO DEFEND BASIC RIGHTS The giant Harland and Wolfi 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 under the Detention of Terrorists Order and to back demands for the restoration of Northern Ireland's parliament. FOURTEEN thousand Derbyshire miners have promised support for Clay Cross councillors 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 requests made to us, but they will be sent to our executive for fuller consideration. I have been able to promise the council that, should they run into heavy legal expenses, the NUM would be sympathetic towards any request for financial 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 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. McGowan, 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 government's up to.

'You can't get a wage increase to match up with these increases. 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 the Tories to make our balance sheet look good.' London ACTON TUESDAY FEBRUARY Woodlands Hall, Crown Street speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

WANDSWORTH THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8pm Wandsworth Town Hall Wandsworth High Street speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee)

MIDDLETON WEDNESDAY FEBRUAR 8pm Middleton Baths, Middleton, Manchester speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

Sparks

picket site ELECTRICIANS from three con= tractors on the Barbican site in the City of London are out on strike. The men are employed by Electrical Installations They Electrics and Lee Beasley. They walked out on Monday following the suspension of a member of their trade union. They are now picketing the site.

NEWS DESK 01-720 CIRCULATION 01-622 7029 MEDWAY TUESDAY FEBRUARY Aurora Hotel Brompton Road Gillingham speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL Central Cttee) SLOUGH WEDNESDAY FEBRUAR' 8pm Britwell Community Long Furlong Drive Britwell Estate speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec) DAGENHAM THURSDAY MARCH Manor Park Library Romford Rd/Rabbitts opp Rabbitts Pub speaker: G HEALY (SLL National Sec)

BIRMINGHA FEBRUARY 25, Digbeth; Civic Hall Digbeth, Birmingham speaker: MIKE BANDA (SLL CE strai Cttee)

Thursday