The Newsletter, vol. 6 no. 233

man N Sunday, January 21, Vikenty Matveyev, political observer cöf "Izvestia', addressed a meeting organized by the British-Soviet Friendship Society at the Cora Hotel, London. e laid great emphasis on the confidential talks between the Soviet Foreign Minister and the United States Ambassador in Moscow, which could determine the course of events for years ahead. • considered Europe a tinderbox and the most pressing task was "to stabilise and strengthen its present frontiers, to put an end to NATO and prevent West Germany from becoming a nuclear power. espite every attempt by the chairman, Ivor "Montague, to shield the speaker, he was briskly plied with a wide range of questions. Several concerned the Albanian-China-USSR rift, and the danger of a split between them. The speaker admitted that China supported Albania. le dispute was a matter for the parties concerned. 'In due time, however, the answers will be given' and more will be said it necessary. The Soviets were not going 'to yield an inch on this cardinal question of peaceful co-existence'. very searching question on the chances of a rapprochement between the USSR and West Germany was raised by a person closely associated with the GDR. Matveyev replied, evasively, mentioning the experience of the Rapallo Treaty, that any such rapprochement must involve both governments of Germany and must not endanger world peace. 'We are reminded of our treaty of 1939 with Germany, he said, and went on to justify the 'diplomatic necessity' for that treaty. in secret diplomacy, the speaker said he was both for and against it! Another questioner asked •whether the newspaper he represented ever intended correcting the slanders it had made on ‹countless old Bolsheviks in the 1930s. The chairman ruled the question out of order. lany questions were raised on the denial of the Molotov tendency in the Soviet Communist Party the right to put their point of view before the international Communist movement. Mateyev claimed that this matter had been discussed at every level in the Communist Party, but persistent questioning indicated that the audience was not satisfied with his answer. le last question had the audience rivetted to their seats and apart from a few mutters of the new swear word ' Muggeridge' ', it breathlesslyawaitedthespeaker's reply. 'In view of the revelations of the 22nd Congress about the liquidation of the entire leadership of the Red Army, the murder of the founder of that army, Leon Trotsky, and the protection afforded his assassin in Prague, do you not think it is time that a public investigation was ordered into Stalin's part in Trotsky's murder? zvestia's' representative replied: ' I am in favour of investigating all injustices that might have occured, but in this case I am not competent.' Our Labour Correspondent SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1962 FOURPENCE Vol. 6, No. 233 and CND UR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

\HE masquerade is over. The Right-wing knighis of the Trades Union Congress' General Council have dropped their thin veil of pretence and decided at their meeting on Wednesday to co-operate with the government and the employers on Selwyn Lloyd's National Economic Development Council.

Two clear-cut alternatives have faced Woodcock and company for the past seyen months: either to rally the whole trade union movement to prepare for an all-out attack on Tory policies and smash the wage pause. or to stab the labour movement in the back and do a deal with the ruling There was no rallying call; instead the trade union 'leaders' quietly sharpened the knife. They put off the fateful decision for months only because the growing militancy of the rank and file held them back.

Before the final surrender Woodcock made a desperate effort to appear as the champion of the labour movement by making a vigorous speech in support of the post office employees' work-torule, in which he said they were fighting for the whole working class against the government's policies.

Here was a speech of sound and fury that truly signified nothing. Woodcock, looking to his plush seat in the Establishment, supported the pathetically naive policies of the UPW leaders-who even now are not prepared to ban compulsory overtime-as a means to divert the workers' attention Woodcock: plush seat in the Establishment. a showdown between railworkers and Marples in the very near future; engineers prepare for a one-day stoppage to enforce a claim for high wages and better hours.

Here is every sign that the trade union movement is eager to take on the government. But the TUC turns its back on such militancy and prepares to help the Tories run capitalism more efficiently.

The push that has sent Woodcock teetering into Lloyd's welcoming arms came a week ago from the TUC's influential Economic Committee which decided by nine votes to one to recommend to the General Council that they accept seats on the NEDC-with a few reservations, including the point that the government should accept the principle that the TUC rejects wage restraint.

The TUC is joining the NEDC without securing any guarantees whatsoever from the consider opposing the Labour candidate for Pembroke. It is true, of course, that the Gaitskellite Mr. Desmond Donnelly, MP, who at present represents this constituency, is proH-bomb.

But the problem that still concerns the CND is how to fight the H-bomb. This can only be done through the struggle inside the Labour movement to alter policies and swing the decision against Mr. Gaitskell as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, "Tribune' oversimplifies this problem. It is not merely a question of members of the CND joining their local Labour Party and fighting for a change of policy. The Left wing must learn to carry out activity of this description simultaneously in the trade unions and in the Labour Party.

Real power at Labour Party conference resides in the unions and not in constituency labour parties. "Tribune's' advice merely touches the problem but does nothing to resolve it. If there is frustration in the ranks of CND today, then it is necessary for those who have represented the Left wing in the parliamentary party to shoulder their rightful share of the responsibility for this.

Witch-Hunters

Everyone knows that the moment you begin to develop a struggle in the ranks either in the unions or in the Labour Party the Right-wing witch-hunters do everything possible to have you expelled. The Scarborough decisions provided the Left with a perfect constitutional cover for an organizational and political struggle against the Right wing, but nothing came of this. 'Tribune' under the editorship of Mr. Richard Clements supported the infamous Padley-Crossman proposals which paved the way for Gaitskell's victory at Blackpool. Instead of Mr. Clements now adopting a holier-than-thou attitude in lecturing CNDers who are confused and frustrated, he should be a little more self-critical and examine the role of himself and IT is with the deepest regret that we receive the Gaitskell: victor at Blackpool.

his own paper in relation to this problem.

Take that political toytown organization called Victory for Socialism. What on earth have they done to justify their existence over the past year? This outfit's proud boast is that it organized a witch-hunt against Trotskyists in 1961. It certainly did nothing to hamper Mr. Gaitskell.

Without real leadership in the Left, it will be impossible to mobilize the potential influence of the CND as a factor of change in Labour policy. The task in front of the Left wing, both in the unions and in the Labour Party, remains now as in the past the necessity of constructing a Marxist leadership. This cannot be done without a stern and stubborn fight to organize within the Labour Party and the trade unions legally against the Right wing.

Mellish rides again Labour MP and firm Gaitskeil supporter, Bob Mellish, has joined forces with an extreme Right-wing Tory, Paul Williams MP, to form a company to aot as industrial peacemakers.

It will investigate 'bad' relations between workers and management and advise how to put things right.

Very interesting. But every Labour meeting we have heard of which Mr. Mellish has attended has always ended in uproar!

rest alongside husband.

Next week's issue of The Newsletter will contai full length obituary of Natalia Sedova.

A memorial meeting will be held under the auspices of the Socialist Labour League at the Caxton Hall, London, S.W.1, on Saturday, February 10, at 7.30 p.m.

anua 27, 1962 THE NEW Under False Colours Tories about a wages policy and bargaining rights. They are joining as the Tories deliberately scrap arbitration tribunals and cut out intermediary machinery for wage negotiations.

The TUC is joining on the Tories' terms. If they can get no guarantees from the government, how can they expect to use the NEDC as a new means for fighting for better wages?

The solitary vote cast against the recommendation of the Economic Committee was Ted Hill's.

Only the Boilermakers' spokesman comes out of this sordid affair with a few shreds of honesty left.

He has • opposed NEDC all along. He is even prepared to try to fight the pay pause in an illprepared way, but, on his own, is not able to do so.

He should have

away from the real need for a fight with the Tories, the need for united action from every section of the labour movement, industrial and clerical, to blast the pay pause and campaign for socialist policies as the answer to the Tories.

The miners angrily reject a miserable pay offer from Robens and thousands of them are faced with redundancy; thousands more railway workers are faced with the sack and their arbitration tribunals go by the board and are replaced by direct government blackmail which is likely to bring sad news of the death of Natalia Sedova Trotsky in a Paris nursing home at the age of 80.

The National Committee of the Socialist Labour League is arranging to be represented at the cremation in Paris. Afterwards, we understand the ashes will be flown to Mexico to

- and the Working Class EW 27,1962

WHILE the Kremlinological experts speculate on the future of Molotov and the exact whereabouts of Khrushchev, the dispute in the Soviet Communist Party rages on. It is now clear that the arguments about peaceful co-existence and the peaceful road to socialism are not only between the Russian leaders and those of China and Albania, but also reflect a deep crisis of policy within the Russian leadership itself.

These fundamental questions are being decided behind the backs of the world communist movement. Nothing has yet been published to give the real political position of Molotov, Malenkov and the 'anti-party group'.

At the 22nd Congress, Molotov and the others were accused of complicity in the murder of communists in the 30s. Their expulsion from the party was demanded and the question was raised of putting them on trial for their crimes.

Nothing more is mentioned of these demands. Molotov is still supposed to be returning to his post in Vienna as a representative of the USSR-though unofficial sources are now rumouring that he has been dismissed and his second-in- command has taken over in Vienna.

'Pravda' charges Molotov with alleging that Lenin never talked about the peaceful co-existence of different social systems. We are not told where Molotov is supposed to have made this dreadful statement. Nor are we given a single direct quotation from Lenin's work which shows that it is false.

This is the way in which the 'discussion' is conducted. The point of view of the Chinese and their supporters is distorted and suppressed. (See, for example, the statement of the British CP pretending to answer the arguments of the Albanian party, published in last week's ' World News'.)

Communist Party members must demand the publication of all sides in this dispute. The old Stalinist methods must be eliminated from the conduct of discussions as well as from the organization of purges.

NEURAAL DE THE SOCTALIST Let Molotov Speak THE mounting struggle for wages in Britain and the debate in government and diplomatic circles here and in the US about the future of the United Nations are not separate questions. In Britain, the capitalist class wants to keep the working class down while it prepares, through great mergers and entry into the European Common Market, to take its place as a 'modern' capitalist state.

On the international scale, the United Nations is seen as an instrument through which the imperialist powers bring some stability for their system of exploitation of the underdeveloped nations.

Only if this is done can they go forward to a new phase of economic expansion and higher profits. Those liberals and 'socialists' who ask us to give support to the UN as the solution to international problems like war and colonialism are nothing but servants of imperialism.

Lord Home, the Foreign Minister, recently attacked the handling of the Congo crisis by the UN force there; he was pandering to the 'old colonial' element in the Tory party and the British ruling class. The main body of the Tories will continue, together with the American government, to support thè UN.

fly to the United States. His visit, which has been kept a close secret, is to seek longterm U.S. aid, and to reassure Americans that his Government has no inclination toward the Soviet bloc?

Is comment necessary? Only The Newsletter has consistently exposed the imperialist basis of the whole UN operation. Did not the 'socialist' apologists for the UN (particularly those around 'Tribune' and the 'New Left ') assure us that 'at least' the UN had kept the main Cold War protagonists out of the Congo and prevented another Korea?

And is the Congo now 'saved' from involvement in the plans for both Cold and Hot War by the imperialists? This example brings out very clearly the role of the 'fake Lefts' in the Labour movement; they provide means by which the working class is harnessed to the aims of imperialism.

We can take this further by comparing President Kennedy's ' State of the Union message' with recent articles in the British press.

Kennedy said, 'Our instrument and our hope is the UNand I see little merit in the impatience of those who would abandon this imperfect world instrument because they dislike our imperfect world ... No policeman is universally popular —particularly when he uses his stick to restore law and order on his beat.? (My emphasis, C.S.)

'The Observer' (Jan. 14) naturally welcomed this speech and contrasted it with Lord Home's recent outburst, continuing, 'Mr Hammarskjöld saw the UN as a positive force in helping a constructive and peaceful transition from colonialism. The Congo, despite mistakes and setback, has broadly proved him correct. Britain would be better advised to concentrate on improving the practical application of this UN role, through better administration, sounder finance, and more efficient military organisation, rather than By Cliff Slaughter nying its validity.? (My lasis, C.S.)

"Tribune' (Jan. 12) tagged along faithfully with an article advocated within the UN an "Appeal Tribunal . . . to adjudicate (!) upon issues between nations or within nations when the principles of the Charter are involved.

With such an extension of its authority the UN would begin to fulfil the purposes of World Government. ... a UN force should have the duty of applying decisions if necessary. That would discourage outbreaks of force by separate nations or communities. In time the power of intervention should grow even to the sphere of personal liberty ...

It (the UN) remains not only the hope of peace but of the recognition of the right of every people to decide its own way of life without the pressures of external powers?

No doubt the workers and peasants of the Congo are impressed....

There is an unbroken line of agreement from Kennedy, through the respectable liberalism of 'The Observer', always faithful to imperialism, and the 'Left' in 'Tribune'. No wonder Lenin said that nobody could really fight against imperialism without consistently fighting against the opportunists in the Labour movement.

Brockway's article repeats the "Tribune' line 'deploring' the action of Nehru's government in expelling the Portuguese from Goa, on the grounds that above all the authority of the UN in all such disputes must be maintained. What sort of anticolonialists are these?

The answer is, the same sort as Kennedy and Macmillan, objectively speaking, for what they really want is the peaceful evolution of independent bourgeois governments who keep up the ties of the colonial countries with the great banks and monopolies in the advanced countries.

They have a place in the "democratic' set-up of the free world, and their politics reflect their determination to preserve the privileges of their social class.

(A further article next week.)

TED HILL, rumbustious general secretary of the Boilermakers' Union, which will be involved in the one-day stoppage by the Confed unions on February 5, has told his members to stock their larders and prepare for war against the Tories and the employers.

Writing in his union journal, he said: 'The totalitarian tactics of the government must be resisted by the whole trade union movement, otherwise our democratic institutions will be in danger of similar attacks in the future?

He didn't think that working to rule by unions would solve the problems of the workers. ' Our only hope of defending our living standards and democratic rights is by strike action, irrespective of TUC SELLS OUT the consequences.' He bitterly • condemned union leaders who flirted with financiers and learned to play the stock market.

•The job of a trade union movement is to change the present system that exploits millions of industrial workers by financial jugglery and replace it with a system where any excess profits are used either to reduce prices or to increase living standards of the workers.

•Surely no trade union official can justify the perpetuation of the pernicious capitalist system that prevails in this country?

These are stirring words from Ted Hill. We now wait for him to change words into action and to rally the whole trade union movement against the Tories and the bureaucrats of the TUC.

of Frank Cousins, leader of the largest and one of the strongest unions, the TGWU. But Mr. Cousins was not present at the meeting. He was in Israel when the committee met. Another Left, Bob Willis (London Typographical Society) was in Fiji. On Wednesday, however, Mr. Cousins voted against and Bob Willis said he would have opposed it.

And so the TUC has sold out. But the fight goes on. The bankrupt, criminal role of the trade union leaders is finally and irrevocably revealed.

But their capitulation to the Tories will not deter the rank and file. The first task is to build a new leadership that will continue the fight to smash Toryism and build socialism.

Before long those plush seats reserved for the TUC on the NEDC will become very hot seats indeed.

Our 'Left-wing' advocates of support for the UN are knocking at an open door. The UN force has now set about the taming of Gizenga, Lumumba's successor. This can be done more easily now that Tshombe has reached agreement with the stooge Adoula. Will Tribune' still ask for 'support of the UN'?

Behind the UN action stands finance capital, particularly US capital, which wants the wealth of the Congo open to full exploitation, and not only to Lord Home: pandered colonials.

the vested interests of the old Belgian and British investors (who include Macmillan's close friend Waterhouse and the Tory peer who was sent out to represent the government in the Congo, Lord Lansdowne).

" The Observer' (Jan. 14), reporting the arrest of Gizenga, added: 'But M.

Adoula is a humane leader and unless he is subjected to unforeseen pressures (?) it is likely that M. Gizenga's internment will be political rather than physical.

"M. Adoula is preparing

dignity of Tigerian nation of and for and abundant life of ace, harmony and have any illusions the progress of the Nigerian 'Marxist', Sekou Toure, who Peoples'. differs only in detail from the They stand not for of Nassers, Soekarnos and Houph- in ending of private owi ership but ouet-Boignys. The liberation of for the expropriation of foreign the underdeveloped countries capital and for the 'use and in imperialism cannot be control of indigenous capitalism out under the leadership inat 4hat h opportunists but only to the rapid and revolutionary parties development of The local leader Marxist leadership have economy. (African Party of been built in these They stand for proletarian ance), Sekou Toure, The experience of Guinea dictatorship but for the extenthis step under popular pressure, provides no exception to the is not persons sion of democratic rights to all built up by many as a fundamental programmatic po- are that sponsored this sections of the people and for genuine revolutionary leader. sition developed by Lenin in the party, nor can their following the ending of feudalism. They be estimated. They would want an education programme Recent happenings in Guinea Theses on the National and probably not be worth mention- 'distinctly national, popular and have destroyed that illusion. Colonial Question adopted by under against Throwing the his regime Novem- pretext of a plot off his Left mask, installed by French their the Second Congress of Communist International 1920. the in leading ing at all tains a fact that phrases. large number of programme it not for the con- mis- patriotism, a high sense of moral scientific in character. ... moral instruction with emphasis on values and ne spirit of the the leaders ber 24, of 51, he arrested the the teacher's union lackeys-have take the place noved of the over to French several places to the new The document party in era' and threw them in prison for high officials. This emphasised that the as: 'the Marxist-Leninist Party long terms without proper trial. Sekou Toure defends volutionary movement in these of the Nigerian Peoples' An It necessary these interests of this privileged layer and seeks to ward off the pres- 'only with the object countries should be of rallying supported examination of the progr reveals, however, that this party points so that the peasants and the working class of Nigeria These leaders a re well known sures coming from workers, peasants and some of the intelli- future proletarian the constituent elemi ints of the parties - has nothing in Marxism-Leninism apart from with should not be misled by the specious phrases of the Nigerian to the people for their militant gentsia for a real break with which will be truly communist the phrases. Thus the party People's Party. This is not record in the anti-colonial imperialism. Although some of ana not oniy name - and claims to be 'committed to revolutionary party at all, but struggle. They include Kou- the latter identify themselves educating them to consciousness struggle and combat new reformist grouping. mandean Meita, secretary of the with the ruling clique, a large of their special task, namely against all manifestations of The People's Party clap-trap the founders of the of a research institu Djibril Tamsir Niane, union, Ray Mamadou, Democratic Union and ie, and director African leading one of are open to revolutionary ideas. real which section, especially the teachers, is because Toure fears a revolutionary leadership would be able to lead the collaborate provisionally with the revolutionary movement of that of fighting against the their own nation. The Com- bourgeois-democratic trend in munist International should ism and opportunism-tenden- ¡cies harmful to the Marxist- nationalism, chauvinism, career- Leninist concepts of Socialism' That this is no more than idle in Nigeria. class and a Marxist the strugg will not prevent Revolutionary Party In other way can the no of the setting up of peasants the working be African historian. phrase-mongering is seen from organised. The need for urban and rural in the colonies and backward contents have not been divulged, drawn up and circulated 'a lying and subversive tract, but its are accused of having leading struggle he has struck so the teachers. against his that amalgamate with countries, and alli- ances with it, but unconditionally even maintain the it; it must it must not form 'the consolidation of a later passage which gives a party's position. They much clearer statement of stand for national the tional be party based principles Marxism and faithful to of the 4th Interna- on the science despite the claim that its authors independence of the proletarian independence, prestige and daily. are traitors and collaborators of movement, even if it is only in French imperialism. Toure's own party (Demo- embryonic sta cratic Party of Guinea), at its recent congress at Labe, called for e most oppressive mea- Thos e who leant over Sekou Toure's move reveals sures against the opposition— wards to accommodate that his much-vaunted studies of death for plotters, supervision Toure, believing that he, like Marxism have not gone further or suspect intellectuals, "pontical Castro Cuba, had made the nation of Julius the Tanganyika African than the imitation of Stalinist commissars' in the schools and formation of such parties super- Nyerere as Prime Minister of al Union, he says. In the course methods of false accusation, the breaking off of diplomatic fluous - because the job Tanganyika was shock of the Cabinet re-shuffle anamalgams provocations. relations with countries which building workers' states ('of British government circles. nounced on Tuesday, Sir Ernest arrests at a time support In other words, a special kind') was now being Nyerere is regarded White- Vasey has resigned Finance the Guinean regime is fascist-type spying and police done in a new have hall as responsible Minister. more tring to and more appe system is or the way to think again. going to levote Nyerere pointed out people as one is good which (Tran slated Tom reorganizing his ity, Vasey did not qualify for the privileged rulers but brings ganyika citizenship. His little but har 'dship for them. nation is, then, step The three-year already plan can 'Africanization' the be considered to have failed. ment, for which many The 'monopoly of foreign trade' in TANU are pressing. Is noW only verbiage. The key Nyerere's move may be a sectors of the economy remain manoeuvre astute by an politifirmly in the hands of Western to the outcome. need not fear any F cian becoming to avoid identiimperialism; American concerns Why the need for ti struggle ference from the fied a pro-British with policy place great hopes in the bauxite between these giants? In our Commission. and lose mass SO support. reserves of Konkoure. The declaration of war by ICI issue of November 18 we wrote Greater efficiency promised Members of his party have befor the control of Court lulds is about ICI's alarm dump- over the by this forced merger. Since the come critical of recent him the inevitable outcome of a basic ing of polythene the Ameri- by war ICI have, by using their own months and his move to take a divergence of interests the cans, necessitating a price reduc- resources, developed one new more active part in TANU is companies. tion from 3s. 3d. a lb. to 1s. 7d. a fibre. It proved to be a failure. designed to regain support in Writing of the expulsic 1 Whilst Tory politicians mouth Ib. This is the sort of factor that It has bought its most successful the ranks.

the Soviet ambassador (for generalities about the dangers of has had the effect of substantially processes from other firms.

alleged complicity in the a monopoly concentration of reducing ICI's trading profits even But ICI have some £100 million It has been pointed out that 'plot) the 'New York Herald industry and its threat to 'free though a larger volume of sales capital invested in the man-made his decision not to attend the competition', , ICI make an offer has been achieved. fibre industry and they intend to Lagos Conference of the Mon'Mr. Touré's demonstration Tribune' wrote (Dec. 23-24): to Courtaulds shareholders of Now Courtaulds one of the get an 'adequate' return on the rovia states is related to his fear some £200 million which will en- largest consumers polythene. money invested. of being labelled a 'moderate' may simplify the task of the sure their co-operation at being In the past they have sought to If an investment does not 'pay' He was also careful not to Kennedy administration in taken over. buy their raw materials in the it is scrapped. Witness the recent attend wedding of Tom winning support for any Included in the list of share- cheapest market. If the Ameri- closure by ICI of its beryllium Mboya week.

project decided upon? holders in Courtaulds are Pru- cans can sell cheaper, they have plant, which was opened in 1959 Meanwhile, with the economy dential Assurance Co. (1,59V,000 11 annarr bought from the Americans. at a cost of £1.5 million. Some £1 units) Church Commissioners If Courtaulds is taken over by 200 workers find themselves out of AND GAMES in confusion, Sekou's brother, Ismael, has just built himself a (872,000 units) Co-operative In- ICI this state of affairs will cease. a job. DEPT.

surance, Pearl Insurance, Eagle What is known as 'vertical inte- But as the chairman of Mr. ICI, The Australian Department francs. Waste, corruption and villa costing 20 million guinean Mutual, Legal & General Insur- Star Insurance, Royal London so that the same ownership can gration' will have been achieved, Paul Chambers, has said, the time we are fighting on a world 'All Supplies is advertising a vacancy for a higher experimental officer incompetence clog every joint of ance, National Provincial Bank, make the raw material, spin the scale. ... This is a large scale (salary, £A1,761-£A1981) to assist the administration. Barclays Bank and Martins Bank. fabric and market the product. industry in which we are fighting in the design and conduct of field The state apparatus has taken Support from these big institu- Due to the monopoly position people who in the United States experiments. 'The successful apover the structure built up by tional investors can ensure success for ICI and since many of them of ICI under such conditions, prices of the finished product can are bigger than This then is the background to we are.... plicant will also assist in the eximperialism. A layer of petty are also shareholders of that be entirely determined by them. the present struggle between evaluation.' ecution of war games and bourgeois functionaries-mostly is little doubt As recent experience shows, they Courtaulds and ICI. Don't write,

Industrial EW January 27,1962

By OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT RE is a strong possibility of a major strike by railwaymen following the order by the transport minister, 1 following the order by the transport minister, Mr.

= to the Transmort Commission to but off talks with against the government. Now available: THERE is a strong possibility of a major strike by rail Marples, to the Transport Commission to put off talks the railway unions on the wage demands.

The government, determined to avoid another breach in the pay pause by workers in a nationalized industry, are now resorting to open blackmail. Union leaders, furious at Marples' action — which may well lead to a squabble between the government and the employers on the Transport Commission-are admitting that it will not be possible to stop their members from taking action After a meeting with the Commission yesterday, a statement was issued which said that it was prepared to accept the government's instructions.

In other words, the CommisLABOUR REVI Vol. 6, No. 3 Including World Prospec of Socialism Resolution adopted by the Socialist Labour League Book Review Supplement From:

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Address Registered al the r.P.O. as a ner Nspaper Publist ed bs 186A Claphar Higl Street, London Printed by F ough Press Ltd. (TL 180 Clapham High Street, London, sion will make no pay offer to the unions but will refer the matter to the Railways Staff National Tribunal - with the warning that no award made should be paid until the pay pause 'ends' at the beginning of April.

The Right wing trade union leaders are now in a quandary, for they realize that it will be extremely difficult for them to hold out until the Tribunal meets. Railwaymen are already demanding action.

Tube men met in London today (Wednesday) to discuss the situation and to decide whether or not to call a one-day stoppage on Monday, January 29.

They hope they will be joined by busmen and workers on the Southern railway.

This is only the first step in the campaign for action which may well lead to a national rail strike in defiance of the government.

TUBE MEN STRIKE A meeting of London Underground workers in the NUR and ASLEF at the Friends House, Euston, on Wednesday, decided by 87 votes to 3 to call a one-day strike on Monday, January 29.

This will link up with the stoppage planned by London busmen for the same day. The meeting was called by Piccadilly and District Line workers. Bro. Miles from Acton was in the chair.

The meeting decided to call strikes on every Monday until their claim is settled.

ETU BACK IN THE FOLD The ETU-'respectable' again with its reactionary Right-wing leadership—is to be re-admitted to the Trades Union Congress.

The decision by the General Council of the TUC was made at the same meeting at which they decided to join the National Economic Development Council.

League Notebook PUBLIC MEETINGS Glasgow Sunday, 7.30 p.m. at Berkeley Halls, Room 1 n. 28 Rebuilding the Communist Movement

(HIS year's policy conference of the Electrical Trades Union is being postponed by the Right-wing Executive Council. Thus the men who took office on the grounds that they were going to democratize the ETU have done little else but attack the democratic rights of the members since January 1.

The circular from the Executive Council which announces this decision contains a peculiar paragraph which refers to the legal actions of the Right wing against well-known members of the Communist Party. It states that fresh legal advice is being sought in order to seek a compromise on these outstanding cases, so that the union can be saved expensive litigation.

The circular is peculiar because it also declares the Rules Revision Conference of 1961 'of no effect and thus incurs further 'expensive litigation'. On the one hand it talks about the need to avoid litigation to save costs and on the other hand it takes steps which can only involve the union in more legal expense.

This crusade against expense is a sham. A national referendum of the membership which will cost several thousand pounds is being organized, whilst a new Rules Revision Conference involving more than 700 delegates, also costing several thousands, is being arranged.

DOMINATE

This new Rules Revision Conference is especially designed to ensure that a minority of members dominate the majority of the union. Four hundred and six delegates representing 57,000 members will dominate 299 delegates who will represent 193,000 members.

Thus there is plenty of money to make the union more bureaucratic and ensure the perpetuation of the Right-wing leadership.

The real meaning of the deciHULL STRIKERS WIN IT was announced at a packed meeting of the strikers at the Hull firm of Ideal Radiators > this week that their nine-week strike had ended in victory.

The bosses were prepared to grant to the clerks' union the same facilities for negotiation and discussion as were given to the other unions in the factory. S The 200 clerks had been out for nine weeks and decided to return to work now that their demands had been met.

Oniy one of their members during the whole of that time had gone back to work. The bosses had tried every means to break the strike. They had employed 100 foremen in the office to try and cope; they had given unlimited overtime and week-ends to the scabs; but they were beaten by the solidarity of the strikers and the formidable picket line which was maintained throughout.

Tha strilora an hark to AHE SUINtIS gu van w salary increases which are being met immediately and also in the knowledge that their struggle for the recognition of their union is an example of which they can be justly proud. JOHN BARKER sion to postpone the Policy Conference is to prepare the next steps which may well be to alter the rule so that future policy conferences will be organized on the same basis as the new Rules Revision Conference. Byrne and Co. are very worried over the fact that the old policy conferences were predominantly Leftwing and are anxious that this should be changed.

PROTEST

These decisions are bound to invoke the strongest possible protest from the rank and file. They expose to the hilt the fraudulent nature of the claims by Byrne and Co. that they wish to make the ETU a more democratic union. The rank-and-file Campaign Committee did a magnificent job by encouraging a change in the rules which made the annual conference the controlling body of the union.

It is now clear that the Rules Revision Conference which has been cancelled was a powerful blow against the Right wing, despite their worthy backers in Fleet Street and elsewhere.

The rank and file of the union must now strengthen the Campaign Committee in order to intensify the fight for a democratic union and the militant policies of the ETU against the Tories and their pay pause.

At this stage in the struggle, there are some indications that certain members of the Communist Party want to avoid a real struggle against Byrne and the Right wing. A number who are prominent in the party are urging that the Campaign Committee be abolished. In private conversation they say that the rules revision changes were not wise.

AGREEMENT

In other words, there are now Stalinists who want to come to some agreement with the Right wing in the ETU. They are prepared to allow the Right wing to establish a most bureaucratic regime in the union if the Right wing agrees to call off the struggle against them.

The rank-and-file membership of the union must be on guard against such methods. The ETU has to be geared to fight the employers and unite the ranks in a way that will ensure the carrying out of policies in the interests of the membership.

Far from the Campaign Committee being abandoned, it must now prepare itself for the next step which is to lay the groundwork for a campaign to force the Right wing to call this year's policy conference and to uphold all decisions to democratize the union.

work-tr rule THE work to rule by the Union of Post Office Workers is now in its fourth week. They have been joined by members of the Post Office Engineering • Union. This second go slow will spread to other parts of the country this week.

Postmen in many areas are now growing more and more dissatisfied with the union leadership. After the rejection of peace talks by Henry Brooke last week there was a fight on the union executive to ban compulsory overtime. This was defeated by Ron Smith, the general secretary and his followers, who merely sent. out a directive to ban voluntary overtime.

This miserable gesture has angered postmen, for only a handful of blacklegs have been volunteering for overtime since the go-slow began.

A London postman told me this week that there is a growing militancy among postmen, who want to have a real showdown with the Tories. Unlike Ron Smith, they are under no illusions about whom they are fighting.

The postman said that workers in London offices had received a telegram from colleagues in Leeds telling them to keep up the good work. Provincial offices were now five days behind. In London, despite compulsory overtime and slack week-end - and grossly misleading statements from the GPO—there was still a backlog of four days' mail.

Last week-end, the spokesman said, there were mass marches in Leicester and Leeds by postmen calling upon the union leaders to ban compulsory overtime.

Younger postmen are beginning to stir for a militant leadership in the union. They are demanding more democracy and, in particular, that the general secretary should be elected every five years instead of until retirement.

Here is an open gesture to Ron Smith-either he adopts a harder attitude towards the employers and the government or there will be strong moves to replace him in the near future.

The spokesman works at the East Central District Office which handles the largest bulk post in England. He said the go-slow was badly affecting the big banks. The Westminster alone was spending over £700 a week in delivering its own mail within a 25-mile radius.

The UPW has also disclosed, in a circular to its members, that the GPO is recruiting scab labour in Manchester to fill in the gap left by voluntary overtime.

A demand now for an ending of all overtime and a call for a complete stoppage could turn this into one of the most important industrial disputes for many years.

Militant action now by the postmen could mark the turning point of the struggle against the pay pause.