The Newsletter, vol. 6 no. 252

Mediterranean.

But the crimes of Eichmann cannot be disposed of SO easily. For they were the product, not of the evil doings of one man or one group of men, but of a whole social system. spitalism in its death agony produced Eichmann and innumerable other horrors. In the century which has seen the rise of civilization to undreamed of heights, the profit system spewed up Nazism. le gas chambers, the tortures, the murders, the racialist hysteria-all were a part of that same monopoly capitalist social structure under which we live today.

Germany, the social forces are at work which gave rise to Hitlerism. In France, similar political trends can be seen today. In the development of the European Common Market, monopolies emerge with even greater power and facing even bigger economic problems than those which backed Hitler. le Israeli government itself is a part of that same world system. Tied with a million golden threads, they have linked themselves with world imperialism and serve it in its fight against the Arab revolution. le rulers of the self-styled democratic countries alleged that they fought the Second World War to eliminate fascism and its consequent atrocities. lat war ended with the burning of over a hundred thousand human beings when the first atomic weapons were tried out in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Today, British and American imperialism, now allied with their former enemies, prepare still greater horrors.

Eichmann and his fellow murderers committed unparalleled crimes. But they were merely the hired men of big business. The monopolies of Germany, not without the approval of their counterparts in other lands, used them to terrorise the German workers into submission. aly the elimination of the profit system which cradled Eichmann can make the world safe from future atrocities. Only the victory of the working class can clean away his heritage. ALAN WEST, our \HE pace is hotting up in the move to tame the Labour movement by purging and witch-hunting militants from the ranks of the trade unions and Labour Party. Hard on the heels of the ETU case and the latest batch of proscriptions, threatened expulsions and more refusals to endorse parliamentary candidates by Labour's NEC, comes the announcement that an 'independent' inquiry is to be made into trade union activities.

Ballot rigging. restrictive practices, the closed shop and the amount of power unions hold over their members are some of the priorities to be investigated by a team of ¡awyers, MPs and trade unionists.

The committee has been appointed by the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, headed by ex-Labourite Lord ShawcrossGerald Gardiner QC, prosecuting counsel for Byrne and company in the ETU case, and Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe are also members of the British council-which is a 'non-political' organization that studies law and injustices throughout the world.

THE HEAD Lord Forster QC heads the democracy in the union.

THE NEWSLETTER branded them as extreme reactionaries, foisted upon the rank-and-file with the aid of the High Court and all the power of other sections of the Establishment. Events have proved us correct in our estimation.

The new ETU cont. page 2, col. 1 movement even louder than the original report. Not merely did he announce his intention to keep nationalization of the chemical industry out of Labour's election programme, not only did he choose to give this assurance directly to the bosses of Britain's biggest monopoly, but he now informs us he was only telling the people whose recent take-over attempt made Mr. Clore look like a commercial midget just how pleased he was with their so-called profit-sharing scheme.

The implications of this are worth considering. Every trade unionist knows that such schemes are merely gimmicks aimed at kidding workers into feeling they have a stake in the institution which exploits them.

Imaginary

Improvement A small portion of their wages is paid in the form of shares so that the more gullible of them will imagine they can improve their lot by increasing the dividends of their fellow shareholders.

Profit-sharing, co-partnership and similar conjuring tricks form part of the equipment of the Liberal Party.

Gaitskell, who vehemently disowns any connections with Woodrow Wyatt's plans for a Lib-Lab alliance, is thus adopting this aspect of post-war liberalism, along with other class-collaborationist policies.

The Chemical Workers' Union, at its annual meeting, reaffirmed its demand for nationalization of ICI.

"If a Labour government, with the majority of the votes of the people, cannot bring great monopolies like ICI under public ownership, and make them accountable to the nation,' said general secretary Bob Edwards, MP, 'it is not a Socialist government. New forces will have to arise to see that the will of the people prevails.' Deadly When Gaitskell's attempt to remove Clause Four of the Labour Party Constitution was defeated in 1960, he contented himself with an 'interpretation' of it.

This used the phrase "coin-

committee to inquire into trade union activities.

The first session is due to take place at the end of the month. Many trade union leaders will be invited to give evidence in secret before the commission.

The infamous Executive Council of the Electrical Trades Union is aiding this probe into the affairs of the Labour movement by calling for an all-out purge of left-wingers and 'fellow-travellers' from the ranks of the Labour Party.

The ETU EC will press the Labour Party executive to take this up—as if they weren't doing a good job now—at this year's annual conference at Brighton in October.

DISPEL

This latest step by the ETU leadership should finally dispel the pet theory held by some members of the Labour movement that the John Thomas Byrne clique was just a good old-fashioned group of honest Bevanites fighting to restore THE Report of the National Coal Board for 1961 shows that Britain's miners created a profit for their employers of £28.7 million last year. This was £8.5 million up on last year.

However, the Board had to pay £42.4 million in interest charges to the government, nearly a million more than in the previous year. Some of this related to the debt on money paid in compensation to tne former coal owners.

The rest went to pay for money borrowed to finance reconstruction schemes to make up for neglect of the mines by the coal companies before 1947.

On balance, the Board's deficit of £15 million was £63 million lower than in 1960.

The reason is easy to see. By reducing production since the recession of 1958, the NCB have been able to get rid of the less profitable units. Thirty-two Reporter more pits 1961.

Production of deep-mined coal went down by 4.2 million tons last year. But this covered an increase of nearly half a million in the East Midlands Division. Opencast production also went up by a million tons to 8.5 milion.

A further 74,450 men left the industry last year and the nett fall in manpower amounted to 21,822.

This was partly due to the continued growth in mechanisation. Over half of the coal mined in this country is now cut and loaded mechanically.

There were 234 men killed at work in Britain's pits last year. This was 82 less than in 1960, the year which saw the terrible Six Bells disaster.

But the rate of injuries underground — 48.05 per 100,000 manshifts worked-was 3 per cent up on the previous year. This must be added to the cost of coal in 1961. manding heights of the economy to define the scope of public ownership.

The directors of ICI undoubtedly occupy a strategic position in Britain's economy. Their decisions affect the lives of millions of people.

Today, as the final plans for Britain's entry into the Common Market are completed, they and their fellow monopolists prepare to go to war on the working class of Europe.

With millions of pounds of invested capital at stake, these men will stop at nothing to maintain their profits.

Interpretation

The role of Gaitskell and his confederates is to help to hold the working class quiet While the class enemy aims a deadly blow.

More and more they become the direct allies of the big businessmen.

If the working-class movement is to meet the grave dangers which confront it, it must get rid of these people without delay.

Higher Soviet Prices mean less for the workers and a bribe for the peasants IVE years ago Khrushchev promised that by 1962 Soviet consumption per head of meat and milk would catch up with that in the USA. Less than a year after the bombastic programme put before the 22nd Congress of the CPSU such promises must be remembered with ribald cynicism by the Russian people. For programme which entails a five-fold increase farm nutnut in the next 20 LUI ---years, while cutting the farm The workers want more food, but the peasants also desire more consumer goods. Khrushchev's own repeated emphasis on 'material incentives' feeds these desires.

He turns this way and that in an effort to hold in check the growing pressures. The old

labour force by 30 per cent, the new increases in prices represent a bad t reginning. Higher prices mean less for city workers - but also an attempt to bribe the peasants into stepping up production.

Khrushchev tries to excuse this backward step by reference to Lenin's retreat to the sanctioning of private trading in the New Economic Policy. The attempt to give ideological sanction the move is a fraud.

The NEP was justifi ed by the desperate plight of backward Soviet Russia in hostile capitalist world.

But Khrushchev maintains that not only has Russia built "socialism' but is on the road to communism. In fact these price increases, coming on top of mounting difficulties agriculture, are an enforced admission by the bureaucracy that these claims are completely unfounded.

Only a great increase in food supplies can enable the Soviet standard of living to rise faster towards the levels of the advanced capitalist countries.

Such a rise is now being pressed for unrelentingly by the working class. But such is the doesn't care two hoots democracy in the union.

Its sole function is to make this vital and proudly m ilitant section of the trade union movement safe for the employers as they attempt to slash wages and conditions.

ETU members should take note of the fact that a leading right-winger, Mr. Mark Young, has been put in charge, no doubt in the 'interests of democracy, of resolutions for the union's conference.

The activities of the Byrne group and the trade union inquiry commission must be resisted by the Labour movement with all the force at its command.

The ruling class is making a calculated and thorough step to hammer the Labour movement into submission as the drive for greater profits, linked with entry into the Common Market, increases.

Left-wingers will be ruthlessly purged while reliable leaders are drawn more firmly into the Establishment with seats on NEDC and the BBC (Miss state of mismanage ment and racketeering in the collective farms that in many areas production falls rather than increases.

The vast efforts thrown into the virgin lands have only yielded variable and disappointing results.

Khrushchev, whose fortunes have been closely linked with a particular farm policy, is obviously facing severe criticism, perhaps in the Central Committee of the CPSU itself.

Some Western critics rub their hands and proclaim that collectivization has failed. True, peasants whose incomes may amount to as little as one-tenth that of a city worker may be tempted to see in the break-up of the collective into individual holdings the solution to their personal problems.

The privileges and perquisites of the collective farm bosses do little to inspire them to greater efforts, except on their private plots. The behaviour of these bosses is itself much nearer to Godwin please note).

The inquiry will perhaps be welcomed by those centrists and fake Lefts who are so keen to have 'independent' investigations into organizations, which will 'clear the air for their own sakes'.

"DEMOCRATIC'

But as the recent 'fair' inquiry into the Young Socialist paper ' Keep Left', which led to its 'democratic' proscription, showed, the rank-and-file of the Labour movement have everything to lose and nothing to gain from such activities.

If there are any houses to be put in order inside the trade unions, the redecorating will be done solely by the members. This right must be jealously guarded.

And the house should be put in order without further delay: by the rank-and-file of the trade unions and Labour Party uniting to drive from every nook and cranny these leaders, power-seekers, employers' agents and Honest Johns who seek to weaken the movement at this crucial hour in the face of the Tory onslaught. lat of lan of a In fact the trouble does not originate in the property forms, or even in agriculture alone. It is a general problem which accompanies the control of the economy by the privileged members of a parasitic ruling group who have no accounts to render to the workers and peasants.

In these circumstances the tremendous potential of collectivized and nationalized property can only be very imperfectly and partially realized.

Take the food problem. This not an isolated question which n be solved by manipulating ices or introducing new crops.

involves economy: yields cannot be raised machines, trucks, fertilisers (Russian THE report of the Royal Commission on the Police is aptly timed. Together with the drive against militants in the Labour movement come plans to strengthen the strong-arm force of the State machine.

The Commission dealt with the 'substantial' case for creating a national force and the report recognises that it would be more logical and should lead to a more effective and economic use of manpower.

Some members of the Commission - which included a Labour MP, Mr. Leslie Halefelt that a centrally-directed force would be a more effective instrument for fighting crime.

The Commission overall, however, was impressed by the value of local forces and thought that most of the benefits of a national force could be achieved without abolishing local ones.

However, to place the force under the control of a 'welldisposed' government would be neither constitutionally objectionable nor politically dangerous, the report says.

Reading between the a capitalist manager socialist leader.

the whole in the land vithout more insecticides, farms only More Strength for Police use, on an average, one-third the amount of fertiliser of the US farm). That means a bigger output from the factories.

To get the food to the consumer is also a problem which imposes a tremendous burden on an inadequate transport system: overworked railways, poor roads, insufficient road transport vehicles. Once again this means more production.

But more production means continued nee d for emphasis on capital goods. It means better planning and full co-operation of the people involved at every stage.

Moreover, these shortcomings, which are to be found in all sectors of the economy, including the distributive system, show how far reality is from the socialism of the official propaganda.

In many respects the USSR is still not an advanced country. Huge and increasing resources have to be diverted to military purposes, 'peaceful co-existence' notwithstanding. Towards a 'national' force is clear that the Commission is leaving it open to the government to take over complete control of the police in a time of emergency, such as united action by the working class against government policies.

The recommendations of report are designed three main objectives: • A system of control over the police that will achieve maximum efficiency and best use of manpower. • Adequate means of bringing the police 'to account'. • Proper arrangements dealing with complaints.

The report recommends that the number of local forces should be reduced by amalgamation and collaboration over existing boundaries and that some responsibilities should be transferred from local to national, ie., Home Office level. methods are no longer possible. The peasants, like the workers, have to be wooed with concessions-but concessions to all are manifestly not possible.

More than ever Khrushchev has to manoeuvre to retain his position. As the 22nd Congress onslaught on the 'anti-party group' showed, his policies have not gone unchallenged in the party.

There are deep divisions both in the USSR and throughout Eastern Europe which will reveal themselves more openly as the pressure of the masses presents the bureaucracy with demands which it cannot fulfill.

In itself the price increase is a small measure, but it symbolizes all the dilemmas of the Soviet rulers at the present time.

It shows the bankruptcy of their claims to be building communism; the actual lag in consumption levels behind the advanced capitalist countries cannot be made up along the lines of competitive coexistence.

As long as the bureaucracy itself remains a drag on the productive forces and as long as effective capitalist encirclement remains, all talk of 'communism' can only be a hollow sham, in which the faroff vista of a happy future is intended to cover up the deficiencies of the present.

It says: The objectives we propose can be achieved without any fundamental disturbance of the present police system. But local forces should be brought under more effective central control.' Eighty-three per cent of those interviewed by the commission had great respect for the police, while 16 per cent had mixed feelings.

The were people group.

One wonders if amongst those interviewed were trade unionists used to police methods in breaking strike pickets or antibomb demonstrators who had been brutally treated on sit-downs This report must be studied carefully by the Labour movement. It is a further significant step in the trend towards reaction and the strengthening of the State machine in preparation for major industrial and political clashes.

more critical sections found amongst young in the 18 to 25 age

THE NEWSLETTER Page June 6 dispute

28, as 95 strikes Loire, Gard, Blanzy too the Solid in nits Saturday's plainly what insult by the The wave demonstrates solidarity of panies But purchasing à once-and there are probability Birming Satur lay's iners' strike. On Monday evening, May at Pi Iris motor industry. This group is being directly staged a 24-hour strike. It w solid, affected by BMC management. This bosses' faction traffic at Orly and Le to was given facilities to hold a Tuesday the 29th saw right-wing not nation-wide explosion in the Moselle, Auvergne, union officials strikes in many differ Dauphine, Tarn, Aveyron, to distribu industries. Herault, Provence and solidarity. literature, but the the them- By far the most affective of areas. In the potash mines The 'closed shop' of faction was to have selves demonstrate that these was the Gas and strike was 100 per cent. Mr. O'Hare, Trans ort and got a vote of when issues crop up they will Electricity W 'orkers' strike in- at Mersin-Counion where strike action was taken General Workers' Union not bend to the more backward volving over 100,000 workers. the pit disease, silicosis, has taken Merseyside docks official, The element within the factories. At last week's quarterly AEU It lasted and it had from a.m. to a terrible toll of miners lives. This town is famous for its ployers, eagerly suported by which sought as the shop stewards meeting, Bro. results. The metro Paris 'street of widows, where members of the National Harper, T and I convenor said, prevented from running and women live whose husbands have cation of Stevedores « We had to tell the electricians died either in mining accidents or Dockers, the 'Blue' Union, as half that that we had gone as far as we rall services were seriously from silicosis. ' non-unionists', have been Nevertheless, could go. We were on the edge affected on the electrified lines. The strike was over the miners' fought all along the by new of the cliff. By taking all the Factories were left without demand for an increase of 2.70 dockers of both workers back we went back power, although essential sup- francs per day, the price of half a solid instead of allowing the plies to hospitals were main- pound of meat. blackleg element to split us up. tained where necessary. The government offered an •Otherwise we could have had Also on Tuesday employees of increase of only 2t per cent. This the scheme began some another "Acton" at our factory he Public Service and Health offer, coinciding with the anounce- weeks ago, 'Blue' Union members to be The supplemented TV and the union could have been smashed. As it was the elec- strike all over the country. departments staged two - hour prices, was decisively rejected by ment of heavy increases in food 'White' Union men stopped work were refused work. Thousands of on the organi: This can only shop floor. ation of direc threat magnificent victory was won? tricians did get something and because of the solidarity shown on trade union principles a return to the 5-day, 40-hour morning claiming better pay and work for 2 hours on Wednesday Paris Metro workers stopped the miners and their unions. action showed quite in sympathy and the employers were faced with the prospect of major shut-down.

batted the stewards by at NO BLACKING week. This caused many workers they thought of this The TGWU scheme collapsed, dock by dock, until only the Tractors Transmissions and This line was reiterated by other who use the Metro to start work government. at other factories posing the real stewards whilst some pointed out late that morning. of strikes effectively Transport Commission, remained. Garston dock, run by the British issues of the situation squarely that the ETU executive made 42000 the militancy and before the and show- appeal to the AEU executive French i workers in On Sunday the local TGWU 'black' work at T and T. their struggle the branch decided by votes to ing need them for The latter point is correct but Meanwhile the lockout of 2,500 Gaulle regime. five to return to normal working this does not detract from the fact workers by Sud-Aviation at They also demonstrate com- and called upon their officials to that Bro. Harper's statement Nantes continued all week. This plete bankruptcy of the trade reopen negotiations with the BTC shows once again the way mili- lockout was started by the union leaders, who water down on industrial in the tants in the CP are guided by the ployers on May 24 in defiance of this militancy by bringing out led away from class actions older opportunist hacks and are an agreement day before. they signed the and then for only two different sections on different days, one or previous day that, The had of a the world of make-believe. One of the biggest strikes hours at a time. drop in trade, p staff held by French mine workers The power of the French faced redundancy. better wages and working kers is ready for action. It must as justification for all sorts of ditions was held on June 2. not be frittered away by the This latest threat to dockers' sell-outs, goes like this: "If you In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais present corrupt leadership. conditions brought about the final can't win a strike in a few days 24,250 out of 24,783 miners They must be swept away collapse of O'Hare's plans.

on May DANIE - ROBERTS, 44, died 24 in New York City. it is win it at all. Make very doubtful that the you best can (98.10 per cent) stayed away from the pits. Surface workers also a new leadership formed to carry the struggle forward for workers' tween "White' Solidarity is and 'Blue' now ensured The beHe was editor of the Socialist managing editor and compromise, take the men back, 1 - 1. - 11. showed their support by coming power and the smashing of the rank-and-file has emerged more Wor- but above all save the organisa- out solidly in sympathy. de Gaulle regime and the terrible strongly united to fight the threats kers' Party newspaper "The tion at all costs.? Similar figures were recorded menace that lurks behind it. of redundancy unemployment. Militant from 1956 to 1961, The 'magnificent victory' when he was forced to resign Bro. Harper referred to LAST wrote about through ill health. He was a obviously been interpreted by falling share prices being due member of the party's Na- bosses' stooges as their victory. to lower profit ratios on capital tional Committee and Political Even if the stewards had put employed. The Wall Street dip Committee. a firm resolution at the Monday in shares followed by similar mass meeting with the reason why reaction here and in Europe, Roberts came active poli- the solidarity action should have tics in 1941 repulsed by continued they may have lost. dramatically illustrated the pent- to panic selling and the A 'rights' issue, whereby existing the capitalist e joined the But at least they would have up doubts of investors in the quent dramatic downward shareholders subscribe for new Socialist Party. rallied powerful forces behind ability their capitalist tion in share values. shares on favourable terms, His deep interest them (such as those who took economy sustain a prosperity The partial recovery was debenture stocks where money is and opposition spontaneous solidarity action at based purchasing power big institutional investors stepping raised on the assets of a company, led to a break with the beginning) to check the black- instead planned production. in to take advantage of what, they preference share issues at a fixed Thomas' majority Socialist Party and hi member of the SWP. He was a branch organiser leg element after the strike. was in fact giving initiative the Right wing. Not to put forward firm policies When a dispute such as the to following day, be ascribed to any inbuilt sta- prices partially recovered the It is true that many share but this cannot These institutional investors, of believe, are low share prices. dependent on bank credit. rate of dividend-these and many capitalists to finance their trading. other devices enable the bigger The smaller concern for the movement and several recent one occurs there should be bility in the American economy. What caused the downs and ups is normally advanced on a yeartimes ran as their candidate in an immediate factory meeting to-year basis and is subject to local elections. 1954 he In called, followed combine meet- of the share movement? For being called in at will. On joined the staff of Militant' "The ings. some time there has been a Thursday the Bank of England gradual decline in share values. the editorial and two vears chair. later took IMMEDIATE MEETINGS It should not be left for bottle- share deals America are financed particularly, by the many inc announced that £77 million of the Special Deposits the banks were obliged to make as a result of the In 1961 he was to necks to occur-the management banks, and investors buy and the banks themselves. July measures were to be released. resign by th • steadily encroach- sending people home, confusing margin, that is for a quick the compensating share ing disease of cancer of the them and stirring them up by OVeI. of the institution is The government's intention in blood. He continued to write professional stooges who attack By the time settling day comes n-. 11- -for-all operation. If releasing this cash is to ease credit tor 'Ihe Militant and national Socialist Review 6771 strikers in the factory as being the cause of the lay-offs. around, they see shares bought only a little while previously much further talls, that they will so that dangerous indications of deflationary conditions evinced by the stock markets' movements, his death. their deepest sympathies to his THE NEWSLETTER staff missions dispute, from the Tractors If these lessons original security reduced in value. These shares have been given as collateral to the banks to cover the advance for their 'regulating' the economv and power they wield is not only be arrestea easuy. The role of the banks соли ' 0 vasu молясь. varv the in can be checked. be eased to attem But just as much pt as to give …a credit widow and daughter in their in all industries chase. restricted to America. The larger fillip to business, SO it can be bereavement and to the staff of for the With in firms are not so dependent on bank restricted-with the of results 'The Militant' in the loss of employ values from credit. Ther for we have seen American their comrade and fiend. nt. banks d this them to raise Stock Exchange

June 9. 1962

LORD Robens, Chairman of 'the Natior announced last week that 10,000 miners involved in closures during 1961. Of these still unemploved. In Scotland, where the economic' pits is going ahead Stainlist and right-wing policies In the Lanarkshire coalfield the Bads pit, West Calder, has closed in recent weeks. The miners there claim that only 100 out of 400 men have been offered other jobs in coalmining.

In Ayrshire, miners from Tarbolton, Kilmarnock, Irvine, Dreghorn and Maruchline are threatened with unemployment.

In Fifeshire, 1,500 miners are threatened by the closure of two pits at Kelty.

In Clackmannanshire the Glenochil pit has now closed. This pit was sunk only in 1956 and employed 800 men.

It was the scene of the four-day staydown strike in April which was only ended by the intervention of Alex Moffat, Secretary of the Scottish miners.

At Cowie in Stirlingshire, the pit is due to close in a matter of weeks. Several hundred miners will be thrown on to the lengthening queue for jobs.

REDUCTION

Robens claimed that closures in Scotland would result in the reduction of the yearly deficit from the 1961 figure of £19 millions to £6 millions in 1962.

The resulting destruction of jobs, families and communities, is described by Robens as a 'human engineering job', and necessary for big business.

Since the strike of the miners in the Alloa area was betrayed by the Communist Party leadership of the Scottish NUM, the only policy to emerge to fight against closures has been a demand now being pressed by the union for the calling of a Scottish Convention.

This demand has now been submitted to the Scottish TUC which is giving it serious attention.

PREVENT

The role played by Alex Moffat and other members of the Communist Party in the coalfield in preventing the emergence of a class policy for a fight against closures has seriously damaged the strength of the Labour movement.

When the miners at Glenochil and other pits struck in April they appealed to the Scottish coalfield as a whole to support them in demanding that pit closures be fought. They sought to defend jobs, families and whole villages and towns from the Tory attack.

With the Scottish miners mobilised, the railwaymen could have been drawn into the fight al Coal E ›ard, in 32 pits were 'only' 100 were closure of 'una fast rate, the results begining to tell.

and a turn made towards the whole of the Labour movement for a drive to defeat the Tory government's plans.

A united movement of the Communist Party, Labour Party Left wing, Young Socialists and Socialist Labour League could have campaigned inside the trade unions for a militant socialist policy and action.

The action of Moffat and his fellows had wide repercussions in retarding the fight against the right-wing leadership in the trade unions and Labour Party.

FORCED

Following the defeat the Scottish miners, sackings were forced through in the engineering industries in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Gaitskell was brought to Glasgow to flaunt his position to socialist policies and to thumb his nose at the trade unions which in Scotland oppose the H-bomb.

In the West Lothian by-election a petty - aristocrat poses as Labour whilst unilateralists are rejected for the Parliamentary panel as 'unsuitable' In the municipal elections in Glasgow left-wing candidates are rejected and Transport House nominees forced in.

In the ETU the right-wing leadership• intervenes in the Glasgow area-an old stamping ground of Byrne-to reorganize the area and defeat the militant wing.

CONNECTION

Communist Party members and militants who look towards the CP should reflect on the connection between the disastrous leadership of Moffat in a CP stronghold and the sequence of events outlined above.

They may object that the Communist Party was not responsible for Gaitskell and Tam O' The Bins in West Lothians.

The miners held the balance in April. If given leadership they could have mobilised the whole of the Scottish working class against Toryism and the Right wing.

For Moffat and the Scottish NUM to now sponsor a convention to combine all classes in defence of the Scottish economy is nothing but cynicism.

The consequences of their policies can only be to draw militants away from the main struggle which is to defeat Gaitskell and the Right wing.

Such a policy can only id the other employers in their ttempt to smash the trade unions.

Industrial SIP T- THE Executive Committee of the Electrical Trades Union has tabled a motion for the annual conference of the Labour Party calling for the extension of bans and proscriptions against the Left wing in the party (see story on page one). This is a complete reversal of the resolution passed at last year's union annual conference which called for a fight against all bans and proscriptions and, in particular, the proscription of the Socialist Labour League.

At the same meeting of the executive, charges were laid against Frank Foulkes, president of the ETU, which are designed to prepare his expulsion at the next meeting on July 8.

Mr. Foulkes has staunchly refused to resign his position under pressure from the Right wing.

Two ex-members of the Executive committee, Mr. James Feather and Mr. Ronald Sell, who represented Liverpool and London respectively, are also to be dealt with on similar charges.

SUSPENDED

Mr. Jack Hendy, _ex-executive member for North London, and Mr. Sam Goldberg, Birmingham, were suspended from holding office for seven year.

Two branch officials, Mr. F. Fraser of Clacton, and Mr. R. Carr, Preston, were barred from holding office in the union for five years and four years respectively.

This meeting more than ever confirms the reactionary role which Byrne, Cannon, Chapple and all those who support them, are to play as the spearhead of witch-hunts in the Labour movement.

In their six months of holding office, every executive committee meeting has been taken up with expulsions," suspensions and . Foulkes: stood firm attacks against leading militants in the ETU.

In the interval between now and the conference the Left can expect a continual list of suspensions and actions of a similar kind.

All those who supported the Cannon-Chapple faction on a negative anti-Stalinist platform should now clearly see where it has led them-straight into the camp of the extreme Right wing.

By destroying first its leadership, Byrne and the right-wing EC of the ETU will join with the TUC and Gaitskell in helping the monopolies maintain their rate of profit against their competitors in Europe and America at the expense of working class wages and living standards.

This is why the Left of the ETU must unite to defend Foulkes and all others under attacks.

This unity can only be cemented on the basis of a programme for a fight against the employers on wages, defence of shop stewards and militants, a reduction of hours, a campaign for nationalization, an end to bans and proscriptions and the removal of the Right wing from the Executive Council.

Newsletter Reporter FOR 12 months the management of British Nylon Spinners-controlled 50-50 by ICI and Courtaulds - have refused to recognise the Association of Scientific Workers as negotiators for the laboratory staff, in spite of the large majority who belong te the union.

After continued refusals to allow the AScW to negotiate a new salary scale, a one-hour token strike was held.

This had no effect and a further strike of one hour was held a few mornings later.

Immediately afterwards the staff were interviewed and told they were being 'misled' and that they should give up the idea of trade unionism for staff grades.

They remained firm however and were all suspended from that afternoon.

This situation was at once recognised as a lockout by the AScW. After a few days, the company sent a letter to each worker with an ultimatum demanding that they return to work in two days time and that they sign an agreement individually to work under existing conditions, with no pay for the time lost and no right to trade union representation. If they refused to agree they would be dismissed.

The management's letters 'were formally burnt outside the gates and the strike was made r fficial by the AScW with effect from the start of the lockout.

Over 40 laboratory staff have now been , on strike for three weeks and are looking to the manual workers for support.

The AEU executive has expressed support and the reply of the TGWU is awaited, but assistance needs to be taken beyond the 'moral support' stage.

It is vital that solidarity be(ween 'white-collar' and industrial workers should be forged in disputes of this kind as unity between different staff grades will be necessary in future struggles provoked by the Tory offensive.

THE British Motor Corporation has now built up its labour staff at its new factory at Bathgate, Scotland to 1,400 men. Production of lorries is now 60 a week, but the rates of pay and the conditions of work are causing bitterness amongst workers in the factory.

The first strike took place this week when men on the production line stopped work for one hour during the morning in protest against the refusal of a tea-break.

At a meeting of members of the AEU and the NUVB held in the lunch break on Monday, workers voiced their grievances about the failure of trade union officials to improve wages and to bring them into line with thosé in the Birmingham factories of the BMC.

The factory has no piece work or bonus system. This, the management say, causes much less trouble. Trouble, however, is certain long as semi-skilled workers receive £10 18s. 6d. and skilled workers about £2 more.

Workers' transport costs to the factory are heavy and there is no arrangement for special works buses.

Parts for lorries have been arriving from Birmingham marked 'Scottish scabs'. This is no doubt in protest against the cut rates of pay being operated in Scotland.

But the biggest difficulty being met with by the workers at Bathgate in fighting against the cut rates is the weakness of union leadership or, in the case of the AEU, simply the fact that the organiser seldom goes near the place.

It is time that the shop stewards in BMC in Birmingham took a closer look at the Bathgate problem and began a campaign for equal rates of pay.

The first move must obviously be to call a national joint shop stewards' meeting to agree on. a combined strategy to defeat the attempts of the BMC to play the Scottish workers off against their brothers in Birmingham. BUSMEN at Cricklewood and Edgware garages have stopped work in protest against the new service schedules which London Transport Executive are now introducing throughout London.

Feeling is running high in garages and there is every indication that the strike may spread to Harrow and Enfield garages.

Willesden bus drivers are refusing to run their buses over the routes which they share with Cricklewood and Edgware.

The new schedules are part of the LTE's plans for speed-up by cutting 'headways, which they have been trying to implement since the last wage award under the clause agreed by the unions allowing the introduction of 'new techniques.

The action taken by the busmen at Cricklewood shows the hostility to this clause which exists amongst the rank and file and their determination to resist all these measures, which will lead to a deterioration in their working conditions.

Registered at the G.P.O. as a newspaper Published_by The Newsletter, 186A Clapham High Street, London, S.W.4 Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), r.o. 180 Clapham High Street, London, S: W 4