The Newsletter, vol. 4 no. 138

For the first time since 1919 the National Union of Railwaymen, representing almost 400,000 workers, has decided to take single-handed strike action. Here is a most courageous decision and even though we cannot exclude that some last-minute concessions from the Tory government may prevent the strike from taking place, nevertheless, it does show that when rank and file trade unionists decide to fight, the leaders can be forced into action.

The employing class is alarmed. The Daily Telegraph of February 5 revealed the fear which exists in these circles when it wrote:

‘In this atmosphere it is hardly surprising that the London busmen should be demanding from their leaders the power to come out in sympathy. When unions themselves take to wildcat behaviour, the disease is catching.’

So it is, gentlemen of the ruling class. Your memories go back a long way. The industrial correspondent of the Daily Mail, that ‘refined’ organ of. Tory culture, recalls the struggle of 1919. In the issue of February 1 he says:

‘On the first day of the strike I went to Unity House and saw Mr. J. H. Thomas, the NUR secretary. “The whole country will be starving in a fortnight,” predicted Mr. Thomas.’

‘He was wrong,’ says the Daily Mail industrial correspond-: ent. Yes, indeed. The ruling class found they had taken on so powerful and united a foe that they surrendered after nine days.

The Railmen’s claim is just The railwaymen are moving into action as a vigilant body of industrial fighters with right on their side; that is their great advantage.

Nobody disputes the validity of their claim. The Financial Times, organ of city big business, says in its issue of February 1: ‘There is a great deal of public sympathy for the railwaymen’. And its issue of February 6 remarks: ‘The railwaymen and particularly the key men, are in general underpaid, and it is right that they should be paid more’.

The News Chronicle of January 30 says: ‘Nobody denies that railworkers deserve more money’.

Very well, then, why aren’t they getting it? Why is the Tory government provoking a showdown? ‘You’ve never had it so good’, was the Conservatives’ election cry. Does this apply to the railway signalman who wrote in the Daily Telegraph of February 8: ‘My wage,’ he says, ‘and I am one of the higher-paid railwaymen, is £9 6s. 6d. for a 44-hour week’? Of course it doesn’t. That is why even the most diehard Conservative papers shamefacedly admit that the wages on th railways are at starvation level.

The big lie To divert the attention of the public from the real issue of the poorly-paid railway workers, the propaganda organs of the Tory Party are busily spreading the rumour that the strike decision of the NUR arises from an inter-union conflict. Of course this is nonsense. The Right-wing leaders of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association and the Association of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen have decided to wait until the Guillebaud report is made known. The NUR want the money now—and for a good reason. There is Continued on back page

' By Granville Stone, Calverton Pit Last Sunday, Nottinghamshire miners formed a rank-and-file miners’ ‘action committee’ to campaign within the National Union of Mineworkers for a militant struggle against the National Coal Board.

The committee was formed at a meeting called by local miners in conjunction with the rank-and-file paper ‘The Miner’. Ted Woolley, of Sandhole Pit, Lancashire, spoke on behalf of the paper. He gave a summary of the national crisis with pit closures, wage cuts, excessive discipline and finings by the NCB. Brother Woolley explained how miners are more exploited today than ever before, and said only the rank and file can stop the attacks of the NCB, the Tory government and the entire boss class.

In the general discussion miners told of a pit where £600 was collected in 12 months by the NCB fining miners, and of how many miners were allowing the NCB to get away with many things because they live in tied houses.

Nottingham miners are preparing All were agreed that the union leaders in Nottingham, and nationally, were not going to fight, so when Brothers Jack Fenner, chairman of the meeting, and Granville Stone suggested the formation of a rank-and-file ‘action committee’ it was eagerly agreed to, and miners from all the local pits represented were elected to the committee.

The committee intends to increase the sales of ‘The Miner’ in Nottinghamshire as part of its struggle against wage cuts, fines, etc., and to fight in the NUM for a militant policy on the wages, hours and conditions of all miners. .

Fifty miners attended the meeting and many more would have been present but for the fact that special meetings were called at Rufford and Blidworth pits to protest at the latest Coal Board attacks on miners. Should anyone scab he will be hauled up before the branch to give an account of himself and await the men’s decision on action against him.

These three meetings show that Nottingham’s miners are moving in preparation for a big struggle against the Coal Board.

By our Industrial Correspondent

COMMITTEE MEETS

By our Political Correspondent The full National Committee of the Socialist Labour ‘League récently held a two-day session in London, There was an extensive discussion on the preparations from the local Assemblies of Labour and the tasks of the League in the coming industrial struggles. committee expressed satisfaction with the preparations in the localities for the holding of the Assemblies. It calls upon all members of the League to make these real tribunals of working-class discussion.

The Committee heard a report on developments inside the Labour Party since the Blackpool conference. Important steps were taken to strengthen the political work of League members inside the Labour Party and prevent members and supporters of the League from being witch-hunted by the Right-wing. It was decided to organize a national campaign against the proscription of the Socialist Labour League and the ban on its paper, The Newsletter.

National Conference preparations Arrangements were discussed for the second annual confer. ence which will be held at Whitsun, June 4, 5 and 6, 1960. These included the setting up of two commissions; the first will concern itself with an investigation into the economic situa-. tion and the problems arising. It will confer with leading industrial militants in different parts on their experiences, particularly in relation to the introduction of new techniques and processes. A special article on the present economic situation has been prepared for the FebruaryMarch issue of Labour Review.

The second commission will deal with the political situation. This will be done in two parts: the completion of a resolu-: tion on the international situation and an examination of the tasks in 1960 for the development of the Socialist Labour League.

Discussion took place on youth work and it was decided to alert the organization to the new possibilities now opening up in this field.

The Committee endorsed the appointment to two new organizers, one in Yorkshire and an additional one in Scotland.

The Committee concluded its deliberations with an extremely interesting discussion on the problems of the construction of-

Seventy striking apprentice jockeys have forced their 12 Newmarket trainers to shut down their barracklike, Jockey Club owned hostel.

The boys had been camped out in quarters with bare wooden floors, uncovered, unswept staircases, chipped iron bedsteads—some with broken springs and straw mattresses.

Captain Ryan Jarvis, well-known trainer and chairman of the hostel committee attempted to pooh-pooh the boys’ complaints by saying: ‘I have lived in worse conditions—at a public school’. This may of course explain some of the peculiar results achieved by our public schools, but it failed to satisfy the apprentices.

Strike spreads Encouraged by the apprentices’ stand and victory, stablemen are now taking strike action for better wages, more time off —they work seven days a week for £8 13s. a week—and a clothing allowance.

This decision will certainly cause consternation amongst the ‘sporting bloods’. A strike now, of even four or five days could well and truly ‘nobble’ the start of the flat racing season.

The expensive, pampered thoroughbreds, in their centrally heated, spotlessly clean, super stables must feel quite put out by all this militancy on the Heath. a revolutionary party in Britain and it was unanimously decided that this discussion should continue throughout the pre-conference period.

After hearing reports from various districts the National Committee were particularly pleased with the very promising way in which the League is developing and with the high stand.-. ards of work of rank-and-file members in the localities.