PREPARATION FOR LONDON ASSEMBLY GOES AHEAD (Campaign Notebook)

The threatened railway strike brings to the fore the urgent need for a resolute political leadership in the trade unions that can build rank-and-file unity and thereby win the claim.

As right wing trade union leaders shilly-shally over the engineers' pay claim and the demand for the 40-hour week the bosses make it very clear that there will be no £1 per week or 40 hours without a fight.

Every wage claim, every demand for the 40-hour week, every fight against victimisation and each phase of the struggle against the H-bomb confirms the timeliness of the programme adopted at last November's National Assembly of Labour.

Now the job is to strengthen the fight for the Assembly throughout the widest possible sections of the Labour and trade union movement. The local Assemblies of Labour due to take place next month in all the main centres can and must serve that purpose.

Already support for the London Assembly is coming in from diverse parts of the movement. Members of the Battersea 20BE branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union have already elected two delegates. The letter from branch secretary, A. E. Bridger, says: 'This branch supports your efforts.

Stanmore Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament have written saying they are willing to sponsor the Assembly.

Students in the London University Marxist Society are also supporting the Assembly. Their secretary, Pat Bickers, informs us: 'We are sending delegates from the Society, and hope to conduct a vigorous campaign so that other students will come to the Assembly.'

From now, right up to March 6, London members of the Socialist Labour League and supporters of The Newsletter will be busy campaigning for support for the Assembly. Regular meetings will be held outside factories, docks and building sites. Speakers will address shop stewards' committees, trade union branches, coloured workers' organizations, etc.

Last Saturday and Sunday, teams of sellers were out in Brixton and North Kensington selling the edition of The Newsletter containing the exposure of employers' discrimination against coloured labour. Over 300 extra copies of the paper were sold and many coloured and white workers were acquainted with the Assembly programme for the first time.

Such campaigning and activity needs your help. We ask all our supporters to work in their organizations for the election of delegates. If you require a speaker, then write to us and one will be sent.

Money is always an urgent need. You can help tremendously the work of the Assemblies by sending us a donation. More money means more meetings, more leaflets and more propaganda in the fight against the employers and their Tory government. Try and send us a donation now and make sure that this essential fight goes forward.