THE WORKING CLASS IS INTERNATIONAL

wagen motor works at Hanover that there has recently been a 24-hour unofficial strike in the plant. Almost 10,000 workers, nearly one-third of the complete labour force, were involved. The strike took place because of a threat by the management to revise rates and a rumour that talks on this matter had broken down. It is now reported that talks will be resumed on Such information is like a news item from Birmingham or Coventry. Just as the production pace for the motor car workers in Britain is being increased so that the motor employers can compete more successfully on the world’s markets, so the same thing is taking place in West Germany. Both groups of employers engage in the rat race for markets at the expense of working class conditions, both here and in West Germany. It is this which provides a great stimulus for the internationalism of the working class. A common enemy—a common front.

Here we have a real opportunity for the shop stewards organized in the Big Five Motor Inter-combine Committee to demonstrate solidarity with their German brothers. A deputation to the Volkswagen works would be entirely in order. This deputation should have as its aim the building of a strong liaison between the German and British motor workers to stand together and say that they will not allow their standards of living to be reduced and that they will be prepared to take common action to see this through. Unity between German and British workers could have powerful implications for the future of the whole of Europe.

We urge all workers in the motor car industry to press their leaders to take steps in this direction.

* A CONSPIRACY OF RENEGADES W HY don’t the Trades Union Congress shut up. It took them five days before they could make a clearcut statement as to whether or not they would go all out to help Labour win the election. Throughout the City scandal, when the Tory Party has been quaking from one end of the country to the other, the TUC have remained as silent as church mice—though not as poor.

Now at last the Labour knights have spoken. Like pet dogs they follow the gutter Press and the lead of the Tory Central office. Suddenly the Tory gentlemen of Fleet Street have discovered that the British Oxygen strike menaces Labour’s chances at the election. What hypocrisy! As if they give a damn about Labout’s chances in the election.

Their real concern is that the sham election between the Right-wing leaders and the Tory politicians has been burst wide open by the class action of the BOC The parliamentary game of ins and outs is men. revealed as not a class fight between the working class and the employers’ but a word battle designed to sidetrack he working class in its fight. their little election game being broken up. The Labour movement must understand quite clearly that nothing can come out of this election unless the working class are prepared to follow the lead of the BOC strikers and counter-attack the employers and their offensive. All that the TUC has done is to demonstrate once more that a new leadership is needed. Let’s get rid of the lords and knights of labour and build strong rank-and-file committees of trade unionists to support the BOC men. The entire Labour movement must support this strike and serve notice to quit on the TUC. ECONOMICS INTEREST RATES ARE NEWS AGAIN