The Newsletter, vol. 6 no. 248

Franco declared a 'state of emergency' at the week-end and 30,000 troops have been moved into Asturias to attack workers and break up the strike.

This repressive act led to a massive outbreak of solidarity strikes throughout the country.

In Bilbao, 22,000 steel and chemical workers walked out, including engineers from the British-owned Babcock & Wilcox firm.

In Cordoba province, 5,000 coalminers and 2,000 lead and wolfram miners downed tools.

Five thousand more miners have struck in the Villabino mines in Leon province. They have been joined by the workers in the Sagunto steel plants.

On Tuesday, despite arrests and beatings-up on recent demonstrations, hundreds of students poured into the streets of Madrid, chanting slogans of support for the Asturias miners The police moved in in force, heavily armed, backed up by cars, and swung into the students with truncheons, arresting many of them.

There have also been a large number of arrests in Asturias; 100 miners are said to be in prison and face long jail sentences.

But despite arrests, brutality and heavy jail sentences, the strikers are solid: one return to work move has partially collapsed and more and more workers are downing tools throughout the country to join a movement that with a strong leadership and a political programme could crack wide open the fascist terror regime so popular with • the statesmen of the West.

Clashes in Lisbon Across the border in Portugal, the Salazar government is also under continual and heavy pressure from workers and students.

Following the demonstrations on May Day which led to violent clashes between workers and armed police, leaflets were issued by the banned Portuguese Communist Party calling for demonstrations during May.

On Tuesday security forces were alerted in Lisbon and Oporto.

Demonstrators marched through the streets of both cities with heavily armed forces guarding factories and offices.

The demonstration in Lisbon quickly flared into a clash with the police that led to brutal beatings and attacks.

Biggest since 1923 In the Saa r, 45,000 miners are now on strike against Erhard's pay pause. This is the biggest Saarland strike since 1923.

Pickets are out in force as more and more miners join in the demands for an immediate 8 per cent pay rise.

They have rejected the management's offer of a 6 per cent increase now and the rest in October.

Adenauer's government is viewing this situation with concern, and understandably so, for this is a further and very strong indication of the growing militancy of German workers who are now starting to fight back against government policies.

It is also a further defeat for Erhard; having failed to force a reduction in Volkswagen car prices, he is now threatened with defeat by the Saar workers, "No Politics' A total strike has closed down the rich copperbelt of Northern Rhodesia, an area which is one of the main reasons for British imperialism's determination to maintain its domination over Central Africa.

African workers at Mufulira and a further 1,800 at the Broken Hill lead and zinc mines downed tools this week and made the dispute 100 per cent effective.

Mufulira area had held out for some time against the demand for better wages and conditions because of suspicion of the influence of the United National Independence Party in the union leadership. Mufulira is a stronghold of the African National Congress.

Union leaders, however, convinced the men that the strike was industrial and had nothing to do with politics.

It is clear that unless a political lead against the reactionary government and its British backers comes forward, then the keen but divided Africans will be defeated.

It is the question of correct leadership that holds the key to the success or failure of the moves by workers in Germany, Iberia and Africa as they gather against the forces of capitalism and reaction. A Dave Finch, Mike Banda and Reg Perry, at the LARGE crowd in Hyde Park on Sunday, May 6, heard Socialist Labour League meeting, call for a powerful campaign in the Labour and trade union movement against the Tories, against the extreme Right wing and for a policy based on socialist policies to bring down the Tory government. the struggle of the Algerian people.

colonial workers in their struggles against imperialism, he said.

war could have been ended long before. The Communist Party and the Socialist Party had helped de Gaulle towards his aim of crushing the French working class and protecting capital in Algeria by telling their supporters to vote "Yes' in the recent referendum.

ist Labour League called for independent action organized by the working class movement in In this issue:

May Day Disturbances Bureaucrats' Friends OUT! WITH THE H-BOME -AND THE PROSCRIPTIONS SOCIAL Newsletter Rej Members of the Communist Party and the YCL heard the struggle for independence, Mike Banda condemn the peace and socialism. policies of the French Com- The meeting carried two munist Party in relation to resolutions:

The first proclaimed undying hatred of imperialism as the It was the duty of the Labour main enemy of the metropolitan movement of Europe to help working class and the colonial people. It pledged its solidarity with the embattled peoples of Viet Nam and Algeria and If this had been done the demanded the immediate withdrawal of French and American forces from these territories and the cessation of these aggressive wars.

In particular it supported every action of the French and Algerian workers against the On May Day 1962 the Social- Gaullist regime and the fascist OAS, and called upon the TUC and National Council of Labour to black French shipping.

It further demanded the lifting of the US trade embargo on Cuba and the withdrawal of US naval forces from the Caribbean. It called upon the Labour movement in Britain to start a massive campaign to aid the Cuban people with food and medical supplies and prevent the subversion of the Cuban revolution from within and overA Statement by the National Secretary of the Socialist

THE Daily Herald of May 7 • contained a report of the incidents at Mr. George Brown's meeting in Hyde Park on May 6. The final paragraph of this report said:

'Trouble began yesterday after the Socialist Labour League-who are Trotskyists-—and nuclear disarmers joined the crowd with their banners. Speakers were shouted down and demonstrators stormed a crush barrier to seize the microphone.' Mr. Alfred Richman, the author of the article, has denied that this is what he wrote.

In other words, somewhere someone in the Daily Herald building, who was apparently not present at the meeting, is responsible.

No member of the Socialist Labour League had anything to do with the disturbances at George Brown's meeting. The London Area Committee of the League had its own meeting and demonstration in Hyde Park and the instructions of all our members and supporters was that they should support this.

The report in the Daily Herald is libellous and we have asked them to retract it at once.

row from without.

The second resolution said: "This May Day meeting declares its solidarity with all sections of the Labour and trade union movement fighting to defend their wages and living standards from the attacks of the employing class and the Tories.

It resolves to launch a campaign within the movement to bring down the Tory government and replace it by a Labour government with a socialist policy. This campaign must (1) unite the working class in a fight for higher wages to keep pace with the rising cost of living and to improve their conditions; (2) mobilize opposition to rent increases and evictions; (3) unite coloured and white workers against racial discrimination and restrictions on immigration; (4) defeat the witch-hunt and the attacks against any section of the Labour movement; (5) aim to win 100 per cent trade unionism; (6) gain the support of the organized Labour movement for the extension of nationalization to the main industries and for nuclear disarmament; for freedom for the colonies and the withdrawal of all troops; for the defeat of all bans and proscriptions.

Tory even under lead Gaitskell. comes the elec- Such support is in no support for Gaits kell. Since toral pay-off. The council European counterparts Walter Padley working class will and Parliamen tary by-election will in effect be a consp Richard Crossman, who had no Labour victory against results show a steady decline intensify the campaign the working class of difficulty in gaining the support of the fake Lefts of 'Tribune' Tories, the Socialist Labour in Tory votes. Thousands of Europe. Everyone now knows that the pating in the campaign for such League believes that by particidisgruntled Tories are The effective "Tribune' supported PadleyLa victory it can influence the the Liberal Party, to the economic dangers Crossman proposals of 1961 Labour movement by demon- THE long column the the Common Market is paved the way for Gaitskell's London May Day march still strating the correctness deprive the monopolists victory at Blackpool. At his Marxst policy. wound its way along the their power. Such a step would 1962 union Padley came conference, Mr. forth not as a concerned about the The Communist Party is possib ility not snooty length of Park Lane and into Hyde Park, bands such the nationalization supporter of compromise but of proscription of the CND be- blaring, Young Socialists vote, which basic industries under con- as an open advocate of Mr. cause it believes that it will shouting fiery slogans against decisive in weeping Labour ditions where the danger Gaitskell's H-bomb policy. Here bring them a increase in the bom b, the pay pause, to power in 1945, has moved moved by the institution bureaucracy would be is the background to the gerous confusion which is dan- now memt We ership. are concerned because Gaitskell. racialism, Macmillan and from the system of workers spreading through the ran is of look upon the fight against The first speaker This would also CND and the Left ot the of Gaitskell as part of a long-term -11 Padley. His empty Although Labour sure of solution to the major Labour Party process which cannot be re- quickly the its traditional supp in the lems of middle solved by interventions at public The even more heavily populated working- although themselves re- meetings and slogan shouting. Brother' George class areas, it is certain in the from fuse to recognize it. Many of revealed year's ston who struggle inside the Labour Party It requires a perspective for boomed out stituencies. want to pull the and the trade unions. The deputy leader The Right wing talk Labour Party their Parliamentary Party terms Labour victory of a own candidates at happy knack of antagon with a very much increased General Election. audiences with his opening senin terms of some agreement House of Commons. Secretly Liberal representation in the a number of them are thinking the same, denizens and interest payments on house property, while salaries remain tends to inflame the suburbia against the ible for the noisy interventions confusion which was respons- at the rallies addressed by Gaitskell and left-wing policies their job is Party have to be Members and not to confine their persuaded that in the Labour supporters tences. Party members and Socialists that they audience ČNDers, He of quickly told uld be Labour Young the with the Liberals should such Tories. Day. opposition simply to the quite certain that their attitude situation arise. We preciate : the H-bomb but to but to work out a would do nothing help elected under these conditions of view, Labour government From Parliamentary point can demonstrate But, that it Labor behind that is So far as their by unions, socialist ranks, Party and to fight inside its as well as in the trade for the achievement of policy for the Labour Labour victory. This, and lover of American from arch-Right would be at best most unstable effective such a policy. and at worst quite unable polists A struggle these lines carry out even support. will encourage rapid demild reforms. Gaitskell's In such policy of 'Signposts circumstances, velopment of an alternative socialist leadership to the now for the Six ies' may well become discredited fake Le ifts who reknown • as a 'Signpost to the treated from the Scarborough R state does not Graveyard ' so far as the policies. worry Gaitskell overmuch. He movement is concerned. It y recognizes that under his leader- On hom = affairs, it is nothing the ship: the best that can be than a mild version of the doesn't care about achieved is form of caretaker same kind of policy which lost these e. The Right wing until the Tories the General Election in 1959. feel they will hold a again return Westminster. On foreign affairs, he is in the trade But history may not repeat committed to the policies of heartened itself in quite he same way as American imperialism it has done in the past, even more than the Tory Party. assuming that Mr. Gaitskell The Scarborough conference continues to toe the Tory line. of 1960 adopted a unilateralist The movement to 1 Liberal policy on the H-bomb. This Party is not so support was not only ignored by Gaits- Mr. Cousins for Liberalism as an anti-Tory, kell and his friends in the speeches once a year right-wing vote, which may in Parliamentary Labour Party, goes back to his the not-too-distant future form all violate it out to Transport House substantial basis for the on every conceivable occasion. nothing about them. emergence of semi- year they propose in- The proscription of the CND fascist tendencie the constitutional would be a dangerou blow • to A struggle to On the eve of entry into of the three-year rule the Labour Party but it would leadership pledged to imperialism, too the Common Market, British to prevent it from being dis- immediately affect policies inside the trade some of capitalism will continue to press cussed at the next conference. unions and the Labour and the Parliamentary party milled around plathome its attack on wages and In practice Mr. Gaitskell has simultaneously. Such a move- must mean an open split with form drowning Brown with working conditions. The next provided an excellent example ment is essential if Gaitskell is Gaitskell and the extreme Right. cat-calls and boos. government will ake office of the contempt which the to be defeated. I Much work has The Labour Party cannot for either immediately befor bureaucracy of the Parliamen- still to be done to develop very long now include both A well-known Labour Party shortly after entr into tary party and the Right wing Left wing inside the unions. Mr. Gaitskell and left-wing official was laying into people Comm Market. of the trade unions have for e Socialist Labour League socialists. with a dexterity clearly admired If it a Labour government democratic decisions. was by the Right proscribed Gaitskell ignizes this and by many policemen who were then it must assume full respon- It must be said, however, wing we asked for the because is prepared to break with the also stepping in to break the sibility for the consequences that such a policy could not have right a Marxist organi- to form Left and CND as soon as he is crowd.

Brown's booming protests follow. Monopoly capital been carried out by Mr. Gaits- zation the Labour Party, inside provided with opportunity seek out with its kell alone. He was able to call in the same way as the reformist do so. were suddenly cut short as the to his assistance people Fabian Society functions. We appeal of microphone was snatched from The only answer that thousands of young old his hands and a youth attempted to make a speech. received to this members of the Labour of proscription who have marched each year Chaos reigned five for zation. Such from Aldermaston, who utes, then the microphone weakening the move- demonstrated in the sit-downs restored to Brown who said did not in any way force and in the many hundreds of police had instructed him to us to reconsider our policy in local demonstrations not play close the meeting. relation to the Labour Party. into Gaitskell's hands. It was clear that many older We believe that the experience Let us face up to our Party members, although by no of another Labour government sibilities and instead of means right-wingers and highly will form a vital part of the away from the Labour sympathetic to the CND, were mass education of the working ment play disturbed by the angry scenes class. We ivour of the part in its and swayed by Brown's talk of electi months. how best lose the lection.

appraisal my in general. good increasing diversity dis- for the Albanian its programme the Molotov group, practice we are played within the world 'denounce the extremely bureau- struck by their inability to throw in cratic character of these ten- off the legacy of Stalinism. cent years is a major task for The bitter pole- dencies. the crimes in which they have been implicated and that Khrushchev is unable to is no accident, for example,

Marxists. mical exchanges between the still commit in Albania' and give an acount of the origins of only ask that their staten Albanian Communist Party should be made available a re-writing of Soviet history Khrushchev, evidently international discussion. which would its part of a serious rift between political position.

Chinese and the Russians, It is Tito, the heightened anti-Stalin strong on workers' councils (and campaign summed up apr by leading well real power do they greess of the CPSU have made Pabloite luminary, Germain. have?) is also an adherent of this still more « We may assert that the 'the construction of socialism is the view, sired by Stalin, that present debate in the interIt can be national communist movement effort is being • made by the refracts the revolutionary Marxleaders of the CPs to prevent ist positions in a "split up" way, a full and frank discussion of as a crystal splits up a ray of sunshine into the colours which the problems by the rank and it contains. All the Trotskyist positions may be found among the different participants in the debate, but no tendency adopts all of them: the Russians are the 1956 revelations, liquidating the Stalinist legacy, ress of bottling-up is taking the Chinese approach the theory of the permanent revolution, the which can only have the Cubans affirm that a workers' of made meI state must call on the masses of bureaucracy for workers and peasants to make confronted by more a revolution on an international soft-pedalling on the the workers at home scale, the Yugoslavs explain that hinese dispute obviously course of polemics It is true that they add the management of the factories accords with the temporary and their own authority demand for rehabilitation of the for must be in the hands of workers' tactical needs of both sides, munist movement is of Stalinism 1 and will, councils, the Italians (and to a though it represents no resolu- In other words. they say, a ontinues to criticise lesser extent the Poles) are renewing the links with the tion of the questions at issue. a mass Communist Party deeply enmeshed in national Only in Italy, where there trying people ments During the to be ger seeking very not luine been the time truth in which made Marxists. by he is wrong. support' Khrushchev Likewise where they think Tse-tung's trade unions, the Albanians Leninist tradition of free dis- cussion within the party and the proclaim the principle of the possible complet talism'.

political life at the parliamentary equality of rights of all Com- could they and municipal level, have the munist parties, whether large examples of the crass, opporthey issues raised by the 22nd Con- or small, and the need to work tunistic thinking of the ideolobeen accorded serious and even practices of Stalinism before with all these doctrines but differences by • means of frank and loyal international gists of the bureaucracy, which far from indicating the need for which still suit their book. discussions.' 'critical support or supporting can be no possible Only one little' Germain's 'refraction' theory, for seeking conciliation missing; none of these show that its characteristics have there, h owever, with such people or taking their has yet put forward: changed and that there statements at their own valua- "The absolute necessity for clear that "the" intention has place for conciliation been less to reach a full Marxist tion. They are made in par- a revolutionary international, compromise with it. understanding of the roots of ticular circumstances where not only Stalinism, but their own founded on democratic central- ism, to co-ordinate and guide Some people may think enable the Italian party leaders Stalinist degeneration than rule, is under challenge from the the international communist movement.' there is a bit Pabloites: they do say some of good in free themselves from the taint working class. Where they "correct' things in the course of combinationism more freedom in In the course Stalinism and their political a controversy home. operate with should ments, but make ostensibly not be the role their to sE ly 'hear, hear' correct state- hypocrisy. of Marxists parently wants s a central What ap- to them the very same methods That to employ with respect their political soliloquisings. which they use towards the which, II position 1.: - 1. 41. the bureau which car pick out the leaderships of the Communist Yugoslavs is added, has good bits in this extraordinary parties. over much ideological and tact- hash and make a palatable dish ical ground it is not surprising Such method tendency 'where defends to his particular taste. if, on all sides, some statements ployed the Pabl sites. sharper attitude towards im- Despite his criticism correct from have been made which are the standpoint of the wish disputants, or nearly to see a bit of good in bourgeoisie, and to the Yugo- perialism and the colonial bureaucracy he begins by and burr crediting spoonful fac i it of: It Is a tar spoils of Marxism. It should 22nd Thus , in a Resolution on Congress they declare: workers' councils slavs 'on the and the more question of sections with ticular questions wisdom and on this reason barrelful of that the ridiculous honey. It is tha democratic admini stration of the postulates the need for conclusions which the speculaCommunist International which tions of the Pabloites lead them could only be composed of as a result of the mistakes representati the bureau- of approach, impairs the their cracy. often correct observations which " Out of its present fractional- they may make in the process. ism and disorder the world To give 'critical support' for a an to 60-hour week average wage of £15 the substantial pay increase, even it means a strike on May 13. their intentions to achieve their no wonder the demands of a 40-hour week and are solid in to avoid undermining foreign con- the Common Market, it will fidence in its ability to deliver the goods. British capital seeks entry tion at a higher level, towards its way inexorably according to (!) towards unity and organisa- the laws which are proper to it, communist movement is finding similar view to oneself some time or another have particular question means any tendency which may docker has plenty to complain Exhortations by the capitalist But this need does not mean that a Communist International re- up without a principled average weekly earnings were £2 about. Twelve months ago his press resist to the Tory government to the dockers' claims, strike it will claims. 'The Economist, May 5 not resist the dockers' Leninist programme, adapted constituted on the basis of on the question of the cracy as a whole.

the realities of our epoch? greater, but with declining imports or no strike, are significant in the writes: .. it would be better to less work is available. the attitudes they reveal. Talk stand up to the strike, provided This high-flying language The degrading system whereby of the 'national interest' and the that the government handles it remote from practical realities men have to rely on being 'called' need to 'contain inflation' obscures resolutelv. Resolution in this as the analysis which proceeded by the employer who may select as the basic facts of the situation. would mean allowing both it. If we take each of the on a his fancy takes him, blatantly For instance, a vast volume and non-striking labour to Communist parties or move- new leadership exemplifies one of the canons of export trade is now done on handle cargoes during the stop- mentioned by Germain capitalism-the right to hire and system whereby heavy fines are page? fire. payable when delivery dates are This journal further states, 7I, If there work the weekly not kept. Jaguar, the car manu- should also avolve using and *fall pay is back' 8s. 6d. on facturers, have a £22 million allowing and enabling outside LABOUR which a worker exper ted contract with the U.S. which calls labour to put export cargoes on support a family. When he for completion by December. the ships, even though this might REVIEW out now working, his basic wage for Even under norr nal conditions a mean running the gauntlet of 44 hour week is £9 7s. period of nine months elapses sympathetic action by some other Since he has to be 'on call' between securing and delivering unions' twice a day, he cannot supplement order. If the government feels that it the Spring number contains articles on France, his wage by doing other work Maintaining delivery can get the best of both worlds, Cuba and Lenin's Philosophical Notebooks, when none is available at the supposed to be one of that is, resist the dockers' just docks. important selling points claims a nd deliver the goods, it is 2/- (postage 6d.) from New Park Publications, With pean competitors. At in for awakening. 186a Clapham High St., London, S.W.4

LE May 2.1962

WITH the decision of the courts once again backing them, ITH the decision of the courts once again bac now determined to carrv through their plans to smash the now determined to carry through their plans to Left wing of the union.

Seven members are being charged with infringements of rules in connection with previous ballots held in the union and with bringing discredit on the union.

The seven are: Mr. H. West, a member of the Executive Council for South Lancashire and North Wales division; S. Goldberg, J. Sell, and J. Feathers, all former members of the executive; R. Carr, secretary of Jarrow branch; Frank Fraser, secretary of Preston branch; and M. E. H. Welton, secretary of Southend electronic engineers' branch.

Two other members of Grays branch, Bro. E. Parks and J. Battie are to be disciplined for obscure reasons.

DIG OUT

In their determination to make the union safe for their Right wing policies, the leadership will now dig out the scantiest infringements of a complicated rule book io use against their opponents.

With the vote to continue with the special conference in October, the EC are now clearly preparing a full-scale witch-hunt to deplete the forces of the Left at that conference.

Bans and proscriptions are sure to follow. At the last meeting of the London Area Committee of the union, Frank Chapple, representing the executive, warned that they were determined to deal with 'Communists' and 'Trotskyists'.

These moves should be a warning to members of the Communist Party who have been avoiding a real fight with the new leadership.

SAVAGE

The basis for the witch-hunt in the ETU is the requirements of the ruling class as they prepare to solve economic problems by the most savage attacks on the working class.

The witch-hunt can be defeated only by a fight against the employers' attacks which will rally This Paper is your Weapon Subscription Department, The Newsletter, 186a Clapham High Street, London, S.W.4. 12 issues, or £l 8s. per year Name Address Registered at the G.P.O. as a newspaper Published by The Newsletter, 186a Clapham High Street, London, S.W.4 180 Clapham High Street. London. S.W.A Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), rank-and-file electricians and expose the leaders for what they are.

Already the refusal of the executive to extend the strike of eiectricians at BEA London Airport and their sell-out of the strike at West Thurrock power station shows clearly the role they will play in the future.

It is around these issues that the brought to the witch-hunt. Left can be rallied and a halt If this is not done the next step by the executive may well be to ban all those they label as 'Communists' and 'Trotskyists' from holding office.

AN audience of miners, boilermakers, engineers and Labour Party members applauded vigorously in Doncaster Market Hall when Dan McGarvey, of the Boilermakers' Society, strongly criticised Miss Anne Godwin, chairman of the TUC.

Miss Godwin had denounced as 'irresponsible' those trade unionists who had taken action in support of the nurses.

Mr. McGarvey announced that if the boilermakers took token strike action in support of the nurses, they would not be opposed by their leaders.

He declared that trade union leaders who could not assist workers in struggle should 'keep their mouths shut and not help the other side'.

The Doncaster parade was made colourful by several colliery bands and by pit banners from Brodsworth, Bentley, Armthorpe, Edlington and Ackton.

GIVE MAC HIS OWN MEDICINE AN eighty-strong youth contingent organized by the West Yorkshire Federation of Young Socialists was the highlight of May Day in Leeds.

YS branch banners declaring ' Ban the Bomb, Ban the Bosses' a jazz band, and a tableau in support of the nurses (' Emergency at No. 10—Give Mac His Own Medicine') made this the liveliest May Day march seen in Leeds for a very long time.

The Young Socialists marched separately from a 100-strong Trades Council contingent. The Labour Party Right wing had forbidden them to join the Trades Council march because of 'Communist influence'.

But they needn't For one of the few people antagonistic to the Young Socialists was Bert Ramelson, Yorkshire Area Organizer of the Communist Party. 'This is the last May Day march in Leeds', fumed Ramelson, as he agrily denounced the presence of the Young Socialists' contingent.

Respectability was the hallmark of the official Labour Party May Day 'demonstration' in Leeds.

Mr. James Callaghan said what a nice man Mr. Gaitskell was; Miss Anne Godwin thought we really ought to do a bit more about education; the 200 or so people scattered thinly at the door complained that the Party wasn't vigorous enough; and everybody went home.

STORMY PASSAGE FOR GAITSKELL TO bring Hugh Gaitskell to speak in Glasgow on May Day is just about the most provocative action which the Right wing could think up.

The Scottish TUC is unilateralist, as are the majority of Young Socialist branches and many sections of the Labour Party. Any idea that the event would pass off without opposition was dispelled as soon as Gaitskell nose to speak.

Listening to Gaitskell were some 1,500 ticket-holders seated inside the band enclosure in the Queen's Park.

Outside the enclosure were three or four thousand trade unionists, Young Socialists and Communist Party members with banners which proclaimed their opposition to the right-wing policy of support for the H-bomb.

Above the roars of booing which greeted the speaker he could be heard to shout 'go back to Moscow', and, to the police who were called in to protect him, he bawled 'take them out' He had, shouted Gaitskell to the crowd, a speech to make and he intended to make it. It turned out to be nothing but some general phrases and appeals for 'unity' to fight the next general election.

Gaitskell made great play with the fact of Scotland's 80,000 unemployed, but said nothing about a fight to prevent sackings; he deplored the Macmillan government's handling of the nationalised industries but was quiet about his own campaign to withdraw Clause 4 from the constitution of the Labour Party. His 'unity', therefore, turned out to be an acceptance of Tory policies.

The Labour leaders have hopes that they will be returned in a majority to the next Parliament. They have no intention, however, of being subject to any form of control by the Labour Party and the trade unions.

Following the demonstration on Sunday there have been threats made by the Transport House and other bureaucrats of reprisals to come. We must, they say, have the right of free speech.

Meanwhile they prepare to lengthen the list of organizations proscribed by the right-wing dominated Executive and to remove the right of criticism from the Labour movement.

NURSES TO HUNDREDS of nurses marched behind the NUPE banner in Sheffield, despite rumours that the matron of Sheffield Royal Infirmary had placed a ban on the demonstration.

Many nurses carired placards announcing 'Nurses thank Trade Unionists for their support'.

Factory gate meetings are to be held outside Sheffield engineering works this week to organize support for the nurses.

D / settlement of their claim for a substantial wage increase OCKWORKERS are in no mood for a pay pause-style and reduction in working hours. With tempers running high throughout the major Tuesday rejected the offer of immediate increase in wages week in January from 44 ho On Wednesday, deadlock was reached after discussions with the Minister of Labour.

The dockers' determination to fight has struck a major blow at the policy of the Tories and the plans of the port employers.

It has been clear throughout the negotiations on the dockers' claim that the employers would much have preferred to grant an increase in fall-back pay and in the minimum guarantee for day wage workers.

This would have fitted in well with the decasualisation scheme plans they are preparing behind the scenes and which would cost them far less than a direct increase in wages for time working and piece rates.

The confidence of the employers has been seriously shaken during the past few iritish ports, union leaders on le port employers of 3 per cent nd a reduction of the working rs to 42.

weeks by the defeat they suffered in Liverpool when they supported attempts by TGWU official O'Hare to smash the National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers Union. This week the walk-out by 6,000 dockers in support of the nurses has further warned them of the feeling amongst portworkers.

Leaders of the dockers have demanded an increase in wages of 74 per cent.

Representatives of the tally clerks in London have also been actively pressing for a regular minimum wage of £14 a week. The present minimum is £9 8s.

There can be no doubt that if the leaders stand firm these claims can be won in full.

May 13 can well mark the turn of the tide against the Tories and their pay pause.

up

LED by nurses in chains, 2,000 health workers, many wearing uniform against instructions from matrons, marched through Liverpool last Friday night.

Watching the demonstration form up one could not fail to be impressed by the freshness and enthusiasm of this wages movement.

Slogans like Overworked nurses have empty purses' and ' 24 per cent mixture not to be taken by nurses' were plentiful in a march that included groups. of firemen, seamen and building workers.

' The angels have pawned their halo's' said another poster, cleariy mocking the sentimental rubbish that has helped the government to depress the living standards of hospital workers for many years past.

Speaking to some of the demonstrators the impression was clearly formed that these workers have had enough talk of 'vocation' and 'dedication' MORE THAN DIGNITY They do a useful job in the world and that is dignified enough for them; now they want more pay for doing that job.

Four and five deep, the column made its way through the town. I spoke to passers-by, newspaper sellers and workers going home. I have never known such unanimous support for a wage claim.

Young girls ran along the pavement to join the marchers and were greeted by cheers. With plenty of slogan shouting it was a militant march.

Along the pavement people shouted encouragement. Clapping, led in many places by office cleaners on their way from work, was infectious.

At the meeting, Mrs. Braddock, MP, told the nurses. how they might lose support. Anne Godwin, TUC chairman, has not lost any time in condemning those who have struck work in support of the nurses.

How outrageous are these trade union leaders. For years they do nothing and then when by their own demonstrations the health workers win support they hastily condemn 'unofficial action'

ON Wednesday, 800 workers at the Projectile and Engineering works in Battersea downed tools and marched 1f miles to the Town Hall in support of the nurses.

Posters saying 'E-Nochs the Nurses, we knock the Tories', and "Tory freedom shirks nurses pay' were carried by marchers, among whom were many women and coloured workers.

Tommy Smith, convenor at Projectiles and member of the Constructional Engineering Union, told a Newsletter reporter that the stoppage at the factory was 100 per cent, although many had not been able to manage the full march.

DOCKS STOP PRESS: Strike breaking plans by the Tories in alliance with the employers which include the use of troops must be opposed by the whole Labour movement. The government must be warned that such moves will be met by the extension of the strike throughout industry.