The Newsletter, vol. 6 no. 253

In Deakin's Footsteps THE decision of FRANK CousIns to oppose the lifting of the ban on Communist Party members holding office in the Transport and General Workers' Union is a blow at the unity of the trades union movement. le ban, which refers for the sake of decency to 'Communists and Fascists, was introduced by ARTHUR DEAKIN at the start of the Cold War.

was openly aimed by that arch-reactionary at weakening any opposition from the Left in the union. ow, when attacks on militants and witch-hunts against the Left are on the order of the day for the employers, CousIns' action brings aid and comfort to the bosses. ; this paper has consistently argued, the attacks on the former leaders of the ETU had nothing to do with ballot-rigging, but were part of a campaign against trade unionism, inspired by the capitalist press.

Now CousIns, by implication, identifies himself with that campaign.

We have nothing in common with the methods by which the Communist Party has tried to oppose the ban. They and their camp followers in the unions have sought to curry favour with Cousins and even with his predecessor TIFFIN, vy damping down action in the TGWU which might embarrass the officials.

the Covent Garden dispute in 1956, the bus strike of 1958 and above all on the docks, they have avoided criticising the actions of CousIns, some of which were clearly against the interests of the rank and file.

the recent attempt by the TGWU officials to crush the ' Blue' Union on Merseyside, CP dockers were well to the fore.

CoUsIns repays King Street for its services by maintaining the ban at each biennial conar ince.

When he takes action against the Right wing, as at the Scarborough Conference, he deserves the support of all socialists. But when he behaves in the tradition of BEVIN, DEAKIN and TiFFIn, he must be firmly opposed. it us hope that the delegates to the TGWU conference defeat CousIns' recommendation and wipe this undemocratic clause from their rule book. SLL Conference: left to right, Cliff Slaughter, Tony Banda (Chairman), and Gerry Healy polists that they would do their best to conform to their policies.

The conference unanimously carried a resolution urging the Labour movement to return to the traditional policy of nationalization of all the basic industries. Without such nationalization, there would never be a socialist Britnin.

Defend the Union Conference reaffirmed its pledge to do everything in its power to fight the menace of the H-bomb and the preparations for a Third World War.

It recorded its determination to organize the British working class to defend the Soviet Union against world imperialism and noted with pride the struggle which the Socialist Labour League had waged over the past year against pacifists and revisionists who have tried to confuse the working class with the idea that the Soviet Union is the same as imperialist America.

It felt that the defence of the conquests of the October Revolution were an integral part of the struggle for socialism in Britain.

Fight Imperialism on home front Conference pledged itself to work for freedom of the colonial people by carrying out a consistent revolutionary struggle against imperialism on the home front. Just as every blow struck by the colonial people weakened the City of London, so every defeat of the British employers at the hands of the British working class strengthened the struggle of the colonial peoples for liberation.

Conference called upon the international Labour movement to come to the assistance of the Cuban Revolution by acts of international solidarity which would see that the heroic Cuban people were supplied with all the essentials of life denied them by the American blockade.

Fight the witch-hunt Much of the discussion centred on the effects of the witch-hunt inspired by the Radcliffe Report on the Civil Service Unions and the right-wing leadership of the Electrical Trades Union. Several speakers insisted that the struggle for democracy within the trade union movement was inseparable from the struggle to break the trade unions from collaboration with the Tory state machine.

Conference unanimously condemned trade union participation in the National Economic Development Council and called for a united left-wing struggle throughout the trade union movement for more democracy inside the unions.

The fight against bans and proscriptions was seen not as a matter affecting only the Socialist Lahour League, but as one which aftected the entire Labour movement.

Delegates roundly condemned the policy of the Communist Party which condoned the witch-hunt against Trotskyists and other militants. The fight against bans and proscriptions cannot be waged by people who support the han on some members of the Left wing cont. 2, col. I page

ELEGATES and visitors from all the important centres in Britain attended the Fourth Annual Conference of the Socialist Labour League which met in London on June 9, 10 and 11. The Conference concerned itself with the urgent international situation, the reorganization of the Fourth International and the construction of the revolutionary party in Britain.

Since a considerable number of delegates active in the Labour Party and the trade unions are being threatened with a witch-hunt by the Right wing, the conference adopted a strict security procedure in order to prevent political victimization.

Recent organizational decisions of the Gaitskellite leadership to expel left-wingers who oppose their policy were seen by the conference as a manifestation of the present crisis of British capitalism.

Declining rate profit It was considered that the decline of the rate of profit as a result of increasing competition has now become the predominant tendency and it is this which is behind the growth of monopoly and the Common Market.

Wall Street imperialism is working might and main to drive its weaker rivals from the remaining world markets and spheres of influence. It was recognized by the conference that this was a transitional stage which must inevitably lead to an all-out offensive by the monopolists against the international working class.

Because of the out-of-date nature of its economy and the strength of the working class, Britain was especially vulnerable as a capitalist power.

The Tory pay pause could only be considered as a mild attempt to halt the decline in the rate of profit; much more serious attempts were on the way.

Nationalization

Gaitskell's assurance that a Labour government would not nationalize ICI led to the nationalized airline BOAC forming a private company with Cunard-Eagle.

Gaitskell's attack on Clause Four was part of the Right wing's assurance to the mono-

By Our Foreign Correspondent "INERS in the Ruhr coalfield are now balloting to decide whether to strike in support of their claim for higher - wages. One thousand five hundred delegates decided unanimously to hold the ballot at a conference in Dortmund last week. They also resolved to push their demand up from 8 per cent to a 10 per cent increase.

In view of the capitulation of the coal owners in the Saar in the face of a similar strike threat, the result of the ballot is generally expected to be in favour of strike action.

The Federal government has had to grant a 6 per cent rise to railwaymen, postmen and government employees. They, too, had decided to withdraw their labour if their demands were not satisfied.

The smashing of Professor Erhard's 'pay pause' is related to some of the headaches German capital is suffering from at present. The increase in food prices has coincided with a severe labour shortage over the past year.

More than 600,000 foreign workers — Italians, Spanish, Greek and many other nationalities are represented—are now employed in German industry, and more are being recruited all the time.

But there are still 600,000 more vacancies than w orkers to fill them.

At the same time, a factor in the increased militancy of trade unionists may well be a feeling 'that the German "economic miracle' is coming to an end.

The March 1962 index of industrial production stood little lower than that for Ma rch 1961, although there was slight increase in April.

SIGNIFICANT

Workers may be thinking of making the most of their bargaining power while they can. The decision of the Ruhr miners could be a spur to the whole Labour movement to take on the reactionary Adenauer regime.

Such a move by a working class that was smashed and terrorized for years would be a significant step forward in the European struggle.

SLL Conference phrases on une 16. 1962

page with whom they disagree ally.

The conference expressed its approval of the way in which the previous national committee had defended the Communist Party militants fighting the witch-hunt in the ETU during 1961.

It called upon all members of the ETU to maintain this fight and to build up a united front in that union to prevent the victimization of leaders such as Frank Foulkes, who is now being hounded from office by the Right wing.

Problems

The activity of the Socialist Labour League during 1961 was carefully examined in the light of the responsibilities of leadership. It was felt that there were some important problems which had not yet been answered satisfactorily.

These are to be the subject of further discussion inside the organization and the incoming national committee was instructed to prepare a report analysing these problems and suggesting a solution for overcoming them in the next period.

Whilst the Socialist Labour League is perhaps the bestprepared organization on the Left in Britain today, delegates were concerned lest any feeling of complacency should creep into its methods of work.

In face of the constant attacks by the Right wing, it was considered extremely foolish for members of the League to become in any way complacent about the dangers facing the movement.

The great achievement of the conference was the concrete and real way in which the delegates faced up to the difficulties and tasks of the future. he to of construct a party cal sable of representing the British working class. • Trotsky lived long enough to pass over to us a great bequest, he said. 'But we cannot rely on the old arsenal for ever. We have to re-equip ourselves. • The fact that Trotsky was a giant in our movement was in some ways a disadvantage. We have to measure up to the problems facing our movement.' THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT to the Conference was moved by Cliff Slaughter. It had been prepared, he said, in a period of renewed struggles in the world.

There was mass violence in Algeria. The French situation summed up both the decay of capitalism and the tasks of the working class.

" That capitalism should be able to stabilize itself in any way in this period is fantastic. It is only possible because of the rise of the bureaucratic caste in the USSR, the dominance of social democratic and Stalinist leaderships, produced by the uneven development of the advanced and backward countries, the consequent narrowness and weakness of the working class in the advanced countries, absence of strong revolutionary parties and of international working-class leadership and, following on this, the unchallenged dominance of opportunist middle-class groupings over the struggle of the workers and peasants of the backward countries.' These, said, had enabled capitalism contain the great strength the workers and peasants.

Leadership

The break must be in this question of leadership. In the history of the working-class movement there have been breakthroughs to the necessary consciousness.

' This is the essential strength of the working class-to achieve consciousness of its historical role.' He said that the working class is the only revolutionary class and working-class power is the only way of overthrowing capitalism. Only Trotskyists defend that today. Stalinism was a counterrevolutionary force; Stalin's theory of 'socialism in one country' meant socialism nowhere else.

Out of the struggle against Stalinism came the Fourth International, founded by Leon Trotsky in the 1930s. All the objective pre-requisites for the overthrow of capitalism were present, but the main problem facing the working class was, then as now, the crisis of leadership.

Revisionism

Marxism is a guide to action, an attempt to find the real needs and tasks of the working class. At each stage in the struggle there is a dire necessity to combat revisionism, i.e., those who suggested that our principles are no degeneration of the world communist movement can be measured by its position on the question of war when compared with that held in Lenin's day.

The best way to prevent war is to do away with the means of warfare.' This platitude by Maurice Thorez is used by Jean Kanopa, one-time mentor of French communist intellectuals, as a text for an article on disarmament in the May issue of 'World Marxist Review'.

From the article we learn that in the struggle for peace, 'which is the prime task of all communists, disarmament is the paramount issue.

Its main thesis is that pressure from the working class and its allies —' peace supporters and the non-aligned countries'— can compel the imperialists to embark first on partial, then on general disarmament.

It offers the prospect of the resources released from arms in the Menshevik theory of two stages' to the revolution.

This was really what was in the minds of those who, in talking about Algeria, spoke of the need to consolidate independence first and then go forward to the struggle for socialism.

'Isn't this the theory which Stalin and company foisted on to the workers of Egypt, Syria, India and China? ' Speaking about the debate on the nature of the Cuban state, Cliff Slaughter said that there had been a great step forward. There was the possibility of a workers' dictatorship arising out of the battle against United States imperialism.

But, for this consciousness, a great leap in organization and a relation to world forces was required. This meant a step towards working-class political independence in workers' councils led by a Marxist party.

Cuban example

In Cuba there are dangers of bureaucratized state being erected on the ruins -of the old bourgeois caretaker state, restoring bourgeois power against the workers, helped by the Stalinist bureaucrats.

"This is the dominant trend in Cuba just now. To praise the situation in Cuba as a "confirmation of the Permanent Revolution" is treachery to Marxism. It is the opposite of providing a conscious leadership to the working class.

'It is wrong to start from Cuba, an island of six million and use it as a model for a whole Maurice Thorez: platitudes spending becoming available to raise the living standards of the people.

It is clear that for Kanopa, as a spokesman for the Soviet bureaucracy, there is no question of a political struggle to overthrow imperialism politan countries.

' Peaceful co-existence' necessarily envisages a situation in which a disarmed imperialism divides the world with the Soviet rulers. It assumes, in fact, that the capitalist powers will increase their aid to the newlyindependent countries.

'The capitalist powers, he writes, 'will never agree of their the relation between the working class masses. the nationalist middle class and imperialism.

'Since our international resolution was accepted by Conference last year, it has been rewritten and published in the 'Labour Review? and adopted in its main line by the International Committee of the Fourth International.

Inspiring revival

Cliff Slaughter said that the line of the International Resolution had been confirmed by the objective events. In Britain particularly, the desperate drive of the employers to achieve a new stability and avoid the developing crisis was leading to sharper struggles within the Labour movement.

"This is bound to be given a new momentum by the inspiring revival of the class struggle in Spain and Germany.

' In Italy and France, too, the strike wave mounts. Our specific contribution must be the construction of the revolutionary party here in Britain at the head of the working class, and particularly the youth.

'But equally the Socialist Labour League has to try to take its responsibility in driving forward the discussion of those international political perspectives without which the impending struggles of the European workers will result in defeats, even greater than those in Germany and France in the 1930s. own free will to extend such aid. Only persistent struggle will compel them to assume their responsibility to the people they have robbed and exploited for centuries' The salting of an article of this kind with a few revolutionary-sounding phrases does not change its character. The perspective of putting pressure on imperialism to compel it to disarm and then, under conditions of detente, to intensify struggle against it, is entirely unrealistic, not to say antiLeninist.

Kanopa, like other CP theorists, argues like a Jesuit. Quotations from Lenin are torn from their context to 'prove' his argument. Kanopa has to reach a certain conclusion and he does so regardless of the real line-up of world forces.

MISLEADING

Intending to set the stage for coming World Peace Congress in Moscow, this article is highly misleading and dangerous. Who is going to be disarmed as a result of this policy? Certainly not the imperialists.

But there is no doubt that the working-class movement will be disarmed in the face of imperialism if it contents itself with calling upon capitalist governments to reach a disarmament agreement with the USSR.

'These are not idle words: Violence and terror will follow slander and witch-hunting, unless the working class prepares politically.

Show the way

"That is the job of the Fourth International; to find and show the way from the great struggles now beginning in Europe and America to the final victory of the working, class, the victory of socialism. • A further report of the Conference will appear in next week's " THE PEACEFUL ROAD' IN SPAIN 'The Spanish Communist Party has made clear that it stands for a peaceful solution of Spain's difficulties and will work loyally with all those who are for such a solution and an end to the dictatorship.

"The events of the past two months have shown that such a solution is possible and has the support of the Spanish people?

-Sam Russell in the 'Daily Worker', June 12, 1962 PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE? 'RUSSIAN GIRL COUNTERATTACKS WITH LOBS ' -Headline in 'The

International discussion Opening the first session, the Chairman, Tony Banda, said we were living in a period of great concentration of class power. The central point of the League's work was to longer applicable. Kautsky in the early part of the century, and Stalin in the 1920s and 1930s represented revisionist trends of thought which had to be fought by the Marxist movement. This struggle continues today?

Cliff Slaughter dealt sharply with revisionist trends in the Trotskyist movement. There were those, he said, who now believed analysis. The world-wide revolution against imperialism is extremely varied, according to the admixture of forces in each particular country.

'It is essential to get a view of the whole before drawing conclusions. The International Resolution of the Socialist Labour League tries to do this. It shows the Spring number contains articles on F Cuba and Lenin's Philosophical Note together with a Spring books section. 2/- (postage 6d.) from New Park Publications, 186a Clapham High St., London, S.W.4

great solidarity

Kenya workers' Mboya and Kenyatta on BAOR Troops • carried by the workers who came out on strike in involved, including 4,000 employed in local government.

Congress IFTY-TWI British the had previously been on strike for three weeks for an increase inquiry into mu Iti-millionaire stiff terms by in wages to a 35/- a week minimum and for the dismissal of Billy Sol in during the last month. last week. Sol tences of five and three years for their part in disturbances in Estes built a agricultural mess earlier in empire from loans, double- The rest have been given dealing and friends the right from 28 to 56 days' detention taking ference would be organized at places. Numbered among his for being involved in alleged matter up and the privates once in which Kenya Federa- the close associates are top-liners fights in Minden with German considering an appeal.

last Wednesday for further They came out on strike tion of Employers, the Kenya Federation of Labour, and the Ministry Labour would take of the ruling class; signed of Eisenhower and civilians. the First Battalion the Came- The Commanding Officer that the major incident ciate, there can be little As any old soldier will in the appre- doubt increases and for these be part. hang in his study. ronians has now imposed a mess started the over age-old made immediately. The unions, he said, learn Officials of the Department a.m. curfew on his men. complaint of sub-s andard printing and k 'patience' the employers must Agriculture appeared before the Formerly they were allowed food dished private trades workers called learn to be less 'arrogant, and the inquiry being conducted by the out on condition that they soldiers. recent increase in wages made applicable to all workers to 'tactful but firm' Ministry of Labour be House Government Operations sub-committee. appeared on parade first at brought out open days', the Despite menus the for and not merely sections. certain called off their strike, it is that the situation in Kenya Although the workers is by clear have strator of Sylvester the Smith, admini- Agricultural clear that the court-martial Despite official denials, it great majority of soldiers live on a diet of lumpy spuds, greasy The shoe and leather wor- no means stable. The wc rking Marketing S ervice, said that the the privates concerned in the eggs, frizzled bacon, fat meat kers, together with employees in class will not rest content with department had ordered mess incidents were hushed up and great variety of the taxidermy industry and the their present position. inquiry into Sol Estes' finances by the Army authorities. News dishes, all washed down drivers at Mombassa It is clear that the present need in October 1961. of the case only leaked out incredible concoction tha struck, too, for higher of the Kenya workers is above all A private accountant been eral weeks after the sentences. for tea. pay. butive trades came out with a milling and the food and distri- demand for a 50 per cent increase Africans employed the flour ship. At the present time there for revolutionary Marxist leader- are a number of leaders who are class in order to establish their posing as militants, but who are merely making use of the working hired to assess his net worth as a basis for determining whether the bond on his grain warehouses should be raised from $700,000 $1 million. the accountant is just one more the department. a position The possible intimidation increased by glimpes of the which is served senior Discontent NCOs. with fare is the occasional first-class food to officers and The army, in in wages. The workers in the big own claim to become a Minister example of the deep-laid scandal many ways, is capitalism under tea, coffee and pyrethrum estates in the Kenya government. that is slowly being revealed. the m downed tools with demands for It is clear, too, that there will The accountant found that In Texas investigations are immediate increases in and wages be no real improvement in the Estes was worth $t3.7 - million, going on into the mysterious the removal of racialist and foremen. bosses the workers control the industries. condition of the working class until the land is nationalized and but when the Agricultural Depart- ment asked to see his papers, he said, according to Smith, 'that he death of Agriculturı Marshall, Department, Henry who found shot the head of the army personnel and civilians in Similarly, incidents between This cannot be done by the had destroyed the working papers five times with rifle German towns can be put down The strikers organized workers and peasants after a call from an unnamed to the sheer boredom and to the offices of the Keny person in the Estes organization, His death filed suicide, frustration suffered by ration of Labour; they demon- and that he had not made an but public interest in the dealings soldiers, who, far home, strated against blacklegs. They adequate audit of Mr. Estes' of the Agriculture Department and cool their heels for most of the were joined by thousands of un- financial records' its relations with Estes have forced time as they help defend the employed workers who live pre- Also questioned was Carl Miller, Attorney General Robert Kennedy boundaries of NATO. carious lives in Nairobi's slum an official in VRALYAMA ee a - -0- the Agriculture to open fresh investigations. A full-scale inquiry areas and who receive no Department who had decided As even the president's brother demanded by the Labour moveemployment pay of any kind. For several days the life ¡let the Estes' bond stay $700,000. He had met Estes to at murdered, the result of the investi- seems convinced that Marshall was ment into these vicious senNairobi was almost brought to a discuss the bond and denied 1 hat gations will be a formality. But tences, linked with the demand standstill and the newspapers came he received any gratuities from the at the moment, the Attorney- for the recall of British out in reduced editions. Texan finar cier. General is unable to find any link oversea ; and the closing The Africans are in a militant since in this case with the Estes affair. foreign mood. There have been 90 strikes this year, 12 in the last five weeks.

ON MONDAY, 4, the The stoppages have panicked Cunard Annual Report of the the leaders of both the nationalist organizations. Jomo Ken- chairman, Sir John Brocklebank, contained this sentence: 'The yatta, President of the Kenya African National Union and first full year in the development Minister for Constitutional of the Company's enterprise in Affairs in the present Kenya the air has unfortunately com- ingenious partial denationalization arrangements until the government, at once condemned menced with what has probably operation, has made it possible for company bring rates of pa!

the strikers. been the worst financial year in Cunard to recoup its losses. conditions of employment He called 'national resolu- the history of commercial Most remarkable so far line with the nationalized tion on the part of all our aviation.' Cunard is concerned is the way poration.

peoples ... The workers might their shares have maintained their This qualified declaratior have legitimate grievances, but On Wednesday, came price in spite of the disastrous intent is a start, but only they must be dealt with by the announcement OAC- year both in its shipping and air whole Labour movement can peaceful means' Cunard link up. operations, disastrous that the merger taking place.

He sent out 1 Cunard shareholders, in a few Labour Party must declare squads to days, are brought from the depths when elected to power, they pickets. without the leadership of a revolu- of despair to the heights of dissolve the new company without tionary Marxist Party. The worcondemned the strikers. "The African Democratic Union also Ngala, President of the Kenya want only compromises and sacrifices. Their present leaders kers are ready for struggle and triumph by the rescue operation arising out of the merger of their enterprise with the nationalized compensation to shareholders. nationalization where it is difficult The Tory government allows economic position of Kenya could become chaotic unless the unions personal advantages. air undertaking. Although not all BOAC's under- to make a commercial profit, for instance in the railway and mining were told firmly that they were The Kenya workers fight taking is to be acquired by the industries. being used by certain politicians.' to remove the present gang of new joint corporation, what is left dividend being paid this year. Overall BOAC sustained Mboya, now Minister of Labour opportunist scoundrels and self- consists of the most unprofitable Heavy recent buying has con- deficits in recent years but these and formerly Secretary of the seeking hypocrites who pose as routes. Cunard are to participate tributed to this share stability and are mainly attributable to the Kenya African National Union national leaders, and develop from to the extent of 30 per cent in the this is extremely significant in the uneconomic routes which are still and the Kenya Federation of among their own ranks a new set potentially profitable North Atlan- light of the announcement of the to be operated by BOAC alone. Labour, succeeded in getting the of revolutionary leaders devoted to tic run. proposed merger. In the spring we saw the strikers back to work after making the cause of the working class Cunard had two Boeing 707s What the government has made amalgamation of British United certain concessions. Information and the peasants. on its hands which were originally possible it has not, however, made Airways and British Aviation about the exact nature of these The peoples of Kenya will bought for the North Atlantic air inevitable. Clive Jenkins, general Services a new f20 million concessions is not yet available, available to them the assistance routes but the firm was unable to secretary of ASSET has said that combine substantial competitor but the most militant union, the of the world Marxist movement use them for that purpose because his union has instructed its mem- of BEA. printing workers', has won its in their struggle for a new leader- they were refused the bers at BOAC bases not to service This latest move demand in full. ship, for socialism and an end to licences. any aircraft exchanged between another part of the plan MboJ imperialism and its Now BOAC and Cunard under the public n loney into private

June 16. 1962

By Our Political Correspondent Cars an ana less of the feet abelebion resetty as a whole but an analvsis of the recent by election results as a whole complacency. At a time when Tory support is falling dran voters. Instead, they go to Liberal c attracting dissatisfied Tory remains a secret as closely guarded as Gaitskell's.

At none of the nine recent by-elections has the Labour vote exceeded its 1959 general election figure. In only two cases, Blackpool and Middlesbrough West, has Labour's share of the poll increased.

At a time when thansands of people are angry with the government's economic measures, the percentage of the vote going to the Labour candidates is over 4.4 per cent down on 1959.

In West Derby, which polled on the same day as Middlesbrough, Labour's share dropped by 11 per cent.

Gaitskell's policy of eliminating the last remnants of socialism from Labour's programme and disclaiming any connection between the party and the working class, continues to lose support for Labour.

DISILLUSIONED

Instead of attracting the middle class floating voter , a policy almost indistinguishable from that of the Tories drives him farther away.

Disillusioned with the effects of Tory 'freedom'. , thousands of small businessmen, professional people and white collar workers look for an alternative.

Feeling the tremors of economic and social instability in capitalism, hard pressed by the growing power of the monopolies, the inhabitants of suburbia seek desperately for a change.

Brother Brown: on the way?

This is the menace concealed within the Liberal vote. Without a strong lead from the working-class movement, this vote will turn from Mr. Grimond to some other, more violent, form of demagogy.

The middle-class support for CND, especially among young people, and the rapid growth of white-collar unionism are two symptoms of a potential break with the past.

Snobbery, reflecting middle-class dependence on big business, will crumble under the impact of economic crisis. But unless the in Middlesbrougl West, gives no real ca se for atically, Labour is not indidatesi, whose policy Labour movement demonstrates the power of the working class to transform society, the swing will be to the Right and not to the Left.

The experience of pre-war Germany and France demonstrates the way in which the monopolies can use middle-class desperation as a battering ram against the Labour movement.

Only a socialist alternative showing a real solution to their economic difficulties, can win the middle class to the side of Labour.

Meanwhile, Gaitskell and his friends drift closer to coalition with capitalism. The witch-hunt against the Left in the Labour Party, the Young Socialists and the unions is a vital part of capital's preparation for a new phase in the class struggle.

The possibility of a new election resulting in some kind of Lib-Lab alliance must not be discounted. Gaitskell's apparent lack of enthusiasm for his friend Wyatt's plan for an election pact with Grimond means nothing.

ORGANIZE

Thus, in a period when a strengthening of Labour's political organization is most needed, when the, possibility of getting rid of the Tories is growing, the stage is set for a betrayal greater than 1931.

The tremendous power of the British working-class movement cannot be effective so long as the right-wing leadership retains its grip. The danger which this implies for the future of the workers of Europe is incalculable.

Despite the miserable performance of those grouped limply around 'Tribune' it is not too late for the Left to organize itself to get rid of Gaitskell and Brown.

This task is vital if the mov ment is to face and combat t dangers of the new situation.

THE NEW YARDSTICK A South London newspaper, reporting that a Young Socialist branch had passed a resolution in support of an 'Aid for Cuba' Committee, rang up Labour Party headquarters for more details about this committee.

Said a Transport House spokesman: 'We have never heard of the committee.' To underline the point he added, 'It's certainly not been proscribed.'

Builders

BUILDING workers at Ford & Waltons, Fetter Lane, London, downed tools last week in defence of site organization.

The management, claiming redundancy, had transferred the labourers' steward, who was chairman of the works' committee, to another site. A crowded meeting decided unanimously to defend the steward and to remain in the canteen until the management agreed to keep the steward on the site.

The management refused and a resolution to stop work was carried with only seven votes against. Consequently the steward was sent his cards through the post.

The redundancy was seen as an excuse to smash the site organization and preserve the bad wages and conditions. While craftsmen are paid a standing bonus of 1/an hour, labourers, with a few exceptions, get 6d.

Attempts to iron out these disparities and secure a higher level of payment for the whole site have been strengthened by recent successful stoppages on the site by painters and carpenters.

The management were forced to make some concessions to trade union organization on the site. In return they demanded the disciplining of any stewards who took part in unofficial strike action. • As a result of the strike the sacked steward has been reinstated on another site pending a meeting of the joint trade union-employer panel.

The Government (of British Guiana) have . . . given further information on the exercise of exchange control, which offers reassurance about the treatment of personal and commercial requirements.

" I know that many people still question the necessity and desirability of some of the new measures. The burden of the budget on people and business —on the Booker Group and our employees - is unquestionably heavy. There are real problems of administration and enforcement. But our views have been given a fair hearing by Ministers. We must now, in keeping with our oft-stated policy to work with and to serve the Government of the day, do all we can to work the new system well. If difficulties arise in practical experience we are sure we can discuss them with Ministers.

• The Government are faced (with the complicated task of striking the right balance between protecting a precarious economy and encouraging investment from outside; and between short-term necessity and the obvious desirability of relieving the weight of taxation -and broadening its base-as soon as the state of the economy justifies it. The wrong balance, if it demoralises the individuals and communities upon whom the country's future depends, will defeat its own ends....

• The Guianese Government's pre-eminent aim—shared I hope by all parties in British Guiana —must now be to restore confidence. In this they can certainly count upon Bookers. No one can gain from chaos and confusion in the country; everyone has a vested interest in mutual confidence and understanding' -From the annual statement the Chairman of the Booker Group, Sir Jock Campbell Subscription Department, The Newsletter, 186a Clapham High Street, London, S. W.A. 7s. for 12 issues, or £1 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 Press, London. S. Wi

This Paper Is Your Weapon ORKERS at a Banbury, Oxfordshire, factory belonging to Aluminium of Canada have voted for a ban on coloured labour. Out of over 1,800 members of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, 591 voted for the ban and 205 against. The rest did not vote.

This move to split trade unionists on racial lines was 'regretted' by the management who are now 'studying the situation further'.

The union is officially opposed to any colour bar. The kind of opposition put up in this case may be judged from the statement of a union official quoted as saying: 'There are men from all countries working in the factory, and many of them fought against us during the war. Yet now we find there is a bar on these people from the Commonwealth.?

This incident underlines the danger of racialist ideas spreading in the British Labour movement. It also demonstrates the inability of right-wing ideas to stop this disease.

Competition in the aluminium industry may well mean redundancy in the next period. It is vital to show how only a united struggle by all workers against the monopolies can proteci jobs and living standards.

Everything which divides the working class and diverts it from its real enemies assists the employers. Racialism can only be fought through determined working-class action, and not with pious moral phrases.

THE government has again reused to give nurses more than a 22 per cent pay rise. The offer has been turned down by the union officials, who have also rejected any talk of strike action. le management of the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council offered a rise of £10 million, but only f3,333,000 now. That means 2½ per cent, or 6d. in the pound, which is in line with Selwyn Lloyd's 'guiding light' policy. This offer has already been turned down by the nurses.

Inion leaders were told they would have to wait another three years before they got the remaining f6,667,000. ecretary of the staff side of the Council, Miss Mary Davies, commented, ' We are pretty well back where we started. This has got us no further at all.' Tretary of the confeleraid ce Health Service Employees, said they had been ' led up a tree? 'he Confederation is now balloting for strike action, but none of the other unions concerned in the talks are planning similar action and their officials have made it plain that they oppose any suggestions of stoppages lo enforce the claim. though nurses are reluctant to take strike action, they are in an angry and militant mood. Such militancy must be taken up by the rest of the Labour movement.

massive protesi move by industrial and white collar workers in support of the nurses could force the government to reverse their decision and give an immediate and substantial rise to this cruelly overworked, underpaid but dedicated section of the movement.