The Newsletter, vol. 8 no. 335

Hands off

Viet Name! TN a last desperate gamble to retain control of South Vietnam and stave off another Dien Bien Phu type catastrophe, the brass nais in une Pentagon are preparing North Vietnam in order to bomb her cities and blockade the coast.

Lready Mr. McNamara has plans to visit Saigon in March.

The state department has announced the formation of a hieh eve committee to coordinate United States' policy and operations in South Vietnam'.

This committee will consist of representalves from the Defence Department, the United States Information Agency and the notorious Central Intelligence (CIA). 1he terms or reterence ior the committee deliberately vague. The Herald Iribune hinted broadly at its ultimate objective when it stated: 'In about two months they should be able to determine whether the war can be won along present lines or whether some new and expanded effort (sic) will be necessary.' hatever the plans of the Pentagon and however grandlose Inev maybe. Enere little doubt that McNamara and his associates are tread100 the same path of thei British, Japanese and French predecessors — the path of defeat and humiliation.

More astute sections of the United States and French ruling class such as de Gaulle, would like 'neutralise"

Vietnam.

Neutral or not, the land today belongs to the peasants all enective minary and civil power is in the hands of the The war might have been over 10 years ago if Molotov had not agreca to me alvision ol the country and postponement of the elections at the Geneva peace conterence.

This betrayal of the Vietnamese people nas brought a DouT enormous hardships and sufferings and imposed terrine burdens on the South Vietnamese in particular. It must NOT again.

The future of the Vietnamese DeoDie must be accided DY else.

with no inreals or invasion boycott or bombardment. British labour can make a great contribution to the unity and independence of revolutionary Vietnam by campaigning for withdrawal of all United and British advisers. An embargo snoma De paced or al trOoDs and to Vietnam.

In the field of foreign affairs Britain's military commitments continue to grow by leaps and bounds. More and more troops are required to suppress the struggles of the colonial peoples.

The defence expenditure threatens to rise astronomically, far in excess of its present enormous figure.

Withdraw

Here again there is only one solution before the Labour Party and that is to withdraw all troops from overseas and assist, by every means possible, the establishment of independence for all the colonial peoples within the commonwealth.

Reciprocal aid and trading agreements could then be arranged between a friendly socialist Britain and the governments of these countries.

More troops for overseas must lead to conscription.

Recruitment figures for the army are declining. The Labour leaders at Transport House are already advising members to play down their opposition to conscription.

The hypocritical Tories know very well that conscription is inevitable but they remain silent before an election. THESE smiling dyeworkers are confident strikers. But they are heading for defeat at the hands of their union.

For 17 weeks they have been locked out of William Denby's dyeworks, near Bradford, following a dispute over work during a tea break.

The management have used the strike and lock-out to force an 'open shop' on the works, necessary " in view or sne new of the unsu. f1 000000 machinery which has p9s11111981121391998999111 Anniannira been installed there.

Denby's obviously did not reckon with the tremendous strength and staying power of the 250 they sacked. ' But unless a move is made by the union leadership to involve other dyeworkers in Yorkshire and Lancashire, a defeat seems certain.

UT ine Lou, L1z are sull soua. .d:17 a.1:J They still picket the factory in an attempt to prevent scab Message to Mersey dockers TO EVERY docker on Merseyside I want to stress the extreme importance of The Newsletter meeting in the Walker Art Gallery next Sunday evening. Over the past few weeks many hundreds of Merseyside dockers have been inquiring about and purchasing Now, one out of every 18 dockers in Liverpool and Birkenhead are buying The Newsletter every week. They have been describing it as the paper that gives the facts. Besides finding useful articles on the Merseyside employers. New Deal', they have been pleased to see articles giving news about dockers elsewhere and policies which will help them in their constant struggles against the port employers.

For example, The Newsletter report on the recent Hull dispute on manning for pre-packaged timber has helped Liverpool dockers who are confronted with the same problem.

The Newsletter is invaluable as the only paper which can assist in building stronger liaison between the ports. Dockers must appreciate that this paper can only exist and expand on workers' support. I urge the many, many dockers who have called The Newsletter 'a bloody good little paper' to attend the meeting.

Give your views, say what you think of the paper, how sales can be further increased, and how it can be be an even better weapon for the docker. Healy—National Secretary, Socialist Labour Lr

MEETINGS

Liverpool Sunday, March 1,6.30 p.m. Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street Speakers:

Bill Johnson-Area Secretary, NASD Leeds March 22, 7.30 Leeds Art Gallery Speakers:

Banda-Newsletter C. Slaughter labour being taken in daily by car. Police are on duty all the time, and a security firm, with dog handlers, has been employed.

Unskilled labour, recruited after the strike, will now be fully trained, probably by the few who have gone back. These men have not been expelled from the union and their subs Malaysia: New war threat new threats of war are being hurled by the stooges of Whitehall. President Sukarno, who has always been opposed to the Malaysian Federation because of its military alliance with Britain, has refused to withdraw his irregular jungle fighters from the borders of Borneo and is threatening to drop air supplies to them. Malaysian prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman before calling emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis stated: "Opel hostilities may break out at any time' The Malaysian government has closed its airspace unNASD member Peter Kerrigan. are still collected.

On Tuesday Ronald Whitlam, a 37-year-old warehouseman appeared at Bingley Court charged with committing £19 worth of damage to one of Denby's cars. The case was dismissed.

Whitlam had been one of 30 pickets on duty every night since the strike. authorised aircraft and put its air force on an alert.

Donald Stephens, Chief Minister in Borneo has stated cateDo a work May a it to gorically that it the cease-hre to war.

An ominous sign for Tunku Abdul is the arrival on a state visit in Indonesia of President Diosdado Macapagal of the Phillipines.

DOMINATION

The Phillipine government has never recognised Britain's domination of Borneo. It claims that Borneo was leased (never sold) by the Sultan of Suloh in 1878 to the British. Hence its opposition to Malaysia.

It is ironical that the only force capable of putting up a defence of Malaysia is the British and Gurkha forces now assembled in Borneo.

This is not entirely new for Tunku Abdul. His army is commanded by a British Officer, the top echelons of his civil service is controlled by British civil servants and British businessmen dominate the rubber industry which annually repatriates more than f40 million in profits to British investors.

The Tunku got his power after the brutal suppression of the 1948 communist uprising by more than 350,000 British and Commonwealth troops under a Labour government. He has always been dependent on British bayonets. He intends to keep it that way.

The first task of the next Labour government should be the dissolution of the Malaysian Federation and unconditional withdrawal of all troops. Any other policy would be criminal. fies its love-hate relationship with the Labour leaders.

On the one hand they have contended that the bomb is 'above politics' and refused to turn the organisation towards the labour movement. On the other hand they have avoided a real fight against the policies of the Labour leadership.

Those who want to put an end to the danger of nuclear war must work to defeat the Tory government and at the same time prepare to fight inside the labour movement against Wilson's support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the bomb.

face

WE HAVE almost reached the half-way mark with Banker's orders. To date we have definite orders for f98 a month —an increase of £28 over last week's figures. But there is still £102 to go for the £200 needed to keep The Newsletter going each month.

Let us now make March a record month. Here are the things you can do immediately. Write to us for collecting cards for use on your sales round. Appeal to readers for regular weekly or monthly sums. Arrange for them to be paid in through a readers' bank account.

The building of readers groups will help greatly with these arrangements. Have you thought about one in your area?

Here again, why should Labour play the Tory game?

Why should the Labour Party and the trade unions pull the Tory chestnuts out of the fire?

It would be better for the Labour Party to lose the election campaign for a socialist programme and government, than to win the election on the basis of support for Tory policies which in the end will destroy the labour movement.

THE NEWSLEITEK Leningrad Party, Spiridonov, February

By CORREsPOndEnT OUR POLITICAL RE the Tories conspiring to economically undermine a Labour government? That is the question which emerges from the contradictions between the Tory claims that the economy is booming and the January balance of payments figures.

During that month the gap between imports and exports was the widest since the end of the Second World War.

The 'New Statesman' on February 21 charged the Board of Trade with attempting 'to conceal the full seriousness of the figures by conveniently introducing a new system of calculations'.

Foreign markets are becoming more competitive and British trade is being under-cut by its capitalist rivals.

The conflict with the United States over trade with Cuba underlines the dilemma of British industrialists.

Buses

The struggle for the Cuban market so far as omnibuses were concerned was concentrated between Britain and France. Leyland Motors won, but Washington cut off its military aid of almost £2,000,000.

From a capitalist point of view Britain got the worst of the deal. In return British industrialists are entering into trade agreements with Eastern European countries such as Czechoslovakia.

The traditional Tory answer to the balance of payments crisis would be to raise the bank rate.

Loans

So the prime minister, with his coterie of Tory ministers, are praising up to the hilt the state of the economy, whilst at the same time thinking in terms of patching things up temporarily through loans from foreign banks-all of which will have to be met by a Labour government.

Tory plans are heading for first-class economic crisis in the early days after the general election.

Should the Tories win the election they propose using their retail price fixing mechanism to convince the right-wing trade union leaders to agree to a wage freeze.

Should they lose, then Labour will carry the can.

If the Labour Party win, they will be faced with the choice of implementing socialist measures or following the wage freeze path of Tory policy.

Although unemployment during 1963 reached almost the million mark at one period in the middle of the spring, production figures reveal an overall increase of 7 per cent during that year.

Despite this advantage, British capitalists were still priced out of the world's markets.

The right-wing trade union leaders who rant and rave about more production are silent about the 1963 figures.

They went out of their way to help the capitalists with the result that we are back where we started with the economic position growing steadily worse.

This is the price which the labour movement will pay for following Tory policy.

Path

Harold Wilson is now treading the same path to crisis as his predecessor, Ramsay Macdonald, did in 1931. The right-wing Labour leadership have no policy to deal with the enormous implications of this crisis.

What is required, of course, is to nationalize all the basic industries and plan on the basis of a socialist economy.

Rather than do this, Wilson is content to go on joking slyly about the Tories whilst at the same time preparing for wage freezing and all that goes with it.

names being cleared NUMBER OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR CE FOURPENCE rishop and Apartheid CANON COLLINS, chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, quickly denied last week's press reports that CND had changed its attitude towards the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the H-bomb.

Despite his hasty denial, the policy of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is uncertain, especially in its relation to the Labour government.

A pamphlet has been drawn up by two research assistants, Richard Gott, treasurer of the Independent Nuclear Disarmament Election Committee, and John Gillings, chairman at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

'REDUCTION'

They advocate a reduction to minimum deterrent level' as a 'satisfactory first step towards the total dissolution of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation' (and of the Warsaw Pact).

Gillings admitted to the press that 'at a pinch' Polaris might represent such a minimum.

Both claim that they cannot accept Wilson's policy of sharing in some kind of control of the American H-bomb. This is one reason, they say, why the Nuclear Disarmament Election Committee it putting up candidates against Labour in the General Election.

DISINTEGRATE

Canon Collins reaffirms CND's opposition to NATO and other nuclear alliances, but makes no clear statement in relation to Labour's defence policy.

The continuing disintegration of the CND leadership intensi-

TENSION IS MOUNTING at Projectiles, the engineering firm which is closing its Battersea, London, works to move to a 'depressed area'.

Last week an electrician claimed he was obstructed by the management from obtaining work elsewhere. This may be an attempt to keep all workers in what a shop steward described as 'a sinking ship'.

Meanwhile, 1,000 workers— members of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, the Transport and General Workers' Union and office staff-still face the axe.

Dates

A local AEU official reported to a meeting on Tuesday that he is fixing dates to see the management in March. A demonstration of workers may be held on Monday.

Many South London engineering firms are closing down and moving to the north.

These moves only benefit the bosses. Workers, both north and south, will suffer.

Unions involved should press for strong united action throughout the area to safeguard their members.

The Gorky Film Society has just given a pre-release showing in Moscow of a film drawn from the novel by E. Kazakieviech, 'The Blue Notebook' The Blue Notebook', in which Kamenev and Zinoviev are shown on the screen for the first time since I936. They are depicted in a somewhat sympathetic light, as good and honest friends of Lenin rather than as passive collaborators. One of the sequences dealing with the events of summer 1917 shows Kamenev handing Lenin, whom he is visiting, his Blue Notebook, recovered in Stockholm, which contains the notes for 'State and Revolution'. The symbolic meaning of this sequence runs contrary to the whole structure of the Moscow Trials, which are being SINCE 1953 Stalin's suc'cessors have 'rehabilitated' a certain number of Soviet Communist leaders murdered by their master as well as several outstanding writers like Babel or Tsvetaeva.

In the majority of cases these 'rehabilitations' have been furtive and discreet. The name of an old "traitor' suddenly reappears in newspapers, magazines or museums as if it has never disappeared at all.

Anniversaries have been the most frequently chosen pretext for these 'rehabilitations' made in the columns of 'Pravda' or 'Izvestia' or in the more esoteric 'Questions of the History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union'.

A close examination underlines the utilitarian and limited character of this 'rehabilitation' and its inevitable tendency to overflow the limits which the bureaucrats impose on it. The Stalinist structure is fragile that the slightest slowly work on "The Economy of the USSR During the Great Patriotic War'. Discreetly 'rehabilitated' in January 1956, at which time his name reappeared in the magazine 'Questions of History. In December 1963, 'Pravda' devoted a eulogistic article to his work.

P. Postychev. Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ukrainian CP in 1926 and substitute delegate to the Political Bureau of the CPSU in 1934. Removed in 1938 and executed in 1940. 'Rehabilitated' in 1956. On September 18, 1962, the occasion of the 75th anniversary of his birth, 'Pravda' praised his (Izvestia)

'energetic struggle against the unjustified repressions carried out against honest people and the flagrant breaches of Soviet law'. 'Questions of History' (June 1962) praised his fantastic energy, his creative capacity for resolving theoretical questions' Stanislaus Kossior. First secretary of the Ukrainian CP in 1928 and member of the Political Bureau of the CPSU in 1930. Executed in 1937. 'Rehabilitated' by Mikoyan at the 20th Congress. undermined.

E. Rudzutak. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPSU in 1927.

Loyal supporter of Stalin from 1923 onwards.

Vice-President of the Sovnarkom from 1926-37. 'Rehabilitated' in 1956. On the occasion of his 75th birthday 'Questions of History' (April 1963) wrote that 'he justified the enormous confidence placed in him by the Party and the people' A. Kossarev. Secretary of the Comsomols in 1928.

Executed in 1939. 'Rehabilitated' in 1956. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his birth 'Pravda' and 'Izvestia' devoted, in November 1963, a eulogistic article to him. "Pravda' emphasised that 'the majority of the members of the Central Committee of the Comsomol shared the same fate as Kossarev'.

Other eminent Stalinists were rehabilitated, especially in the ranks of the Ukrainian CP: V. P. Zatonski, E. I. Kviring, etc.

The 'rehabilitations' of these old Stalinists pose two problems for the present leadership.

They place Khrushchey and his entourage in question;

They question the official attitude to the Opposition, and esp ecially the Moscow Trials, about which both editions of the Khrushchevite 'History of the CPSU, maintain complete silence.

For example, in 1935, Khrushchey denounced Yenoukidze as "a traitor to the revolution', and in 1938 described Kossor in the same terms. In the same year he described General Yakir, later 'rehabilitated', as 'scum who wanted to open the gates to the German fascists'.

Koslov, today a member of the Presidium of the CPSU, was sent to Leningrad at the beginning of 1949 to complete the liquidation of the Zhdanovists whose leader Voznessensky had just been executed.

Susiov, today a member of the Presidium and Secretariat of the CPSU was given the job (Pravda)

of denouncing the quoted work of the 'traitor' Voznessenski in the columns of 'Pravda'.

The direct responsibility borne by the present leaders for the repressions explains why the proposed trials of Molotov, Malenkov, Kaganovitch and other 'anti-Party' factionalists, announced at the 22nd Congress, were rejected sine die.

The regional official who demanded immediately after the 22nd Congress that severe measures be taken against the authors of the massive repressions, lost his job six months after that congress.

A special problem is posed by the rehabilitations of loyal Stalinists condemned at the Moscow Trials, which were rigged to frame the Left and Right Oppositionists.

Any examination of the trials would place in jeopardy the whole political line of the Stalinist faction and compromise the whole present leadership.

This is why the lives of those 'rehabilitated' in the columns of 'Questions of History', always end in mystery:

K and Stalin: 'friends' Rudzutak. 'Right up to his last breath he never lost faith in the Communist Party, and remained one of its devoted fighters.' That is the only indication of his death.

Postychev. Not a word on the date or manner of his death in the article devoted to him by 'Questions of History'.

Mezhlauk. 'He was arrested in December 1937 on the basis of false accusations. On July 29, 1938, he died. The life had been ended of a remarkable Communist, of a fighter for the cause Lenin's Party, for the building in our country of socialism and communism.' This 'he died' is indeed not lacking in grace.

Chataevich. 'He succumbed to slander and repression.

V. Chubar. Member of the Central Committee in 1922 ZINOVIEV (1883-1936)

and of the Political Bureau in 1926 was also the victim of unjustified repressions during the epoch of the personality cult.

If 'Pravda' gives us details about Kossarev's death it is only because his liquidation was Soviet film questions

L. B. Kameney (1883-1936) modifications are in the long run liable to shake it to the foundations.

Apart from the military leaders, it is mainly the Stalinist faction that the Khrushchev group have 'rehabilitated'. They consist of their comrades in arms suppressed by Stalin following the Kirov assassination.

M. D. Orakelashvili. Former chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars of the Transcaucasian Republic.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Georgian Communist Party from 1921 to 1937. Shot on December 16 1937, after secret trial 'Rehabilitated' after the trial of the Georgian chiefs of police in September 1955.

Aveli Yenukidze. Personal friend of Stalin. Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets after November 1917. Fell into disgrace in 1935 and allegedly shot on the same day as Orakelashvili. Discreetly 'rehabilitated' in 1959.

An article by L. Chaou Mian praised das name 1962, 1962, praised 'the name resolute Bolshevik' in lyrical terms, and added that 'the Communist Party and the Soviet people deeply honour his shining memory.

N. Voznessensky. Member of the Central Committee from 1939 then of the Political Bureau •in 1947. Close collaborator of Zhdanov.

Liquidated after the latter's death in 1948. Author of a THE Soviet economy continues to grow rapidly, with heavy industry still leading the way. The official claim is that industrial production has increased 171 per cent in the past ten years, against 36 per cent in the USA, while total national production has increased by 127 percent compared with 33 percent in the USA.

The US Central Intelligence Agency claim that growth in the past two years was under 2} per cent has gained little support from Western 'experts' whatever reservations they may have about the accuracy of the Soviet figures.

Growth has been sustained at a rapid rate, although the bureaucracy has deliberately concealed many shortcomings. But growth is not everything.

PROGRESS

As Trotsky wrote in the thirties: "To characterise industrial progress by quantitative indices alone, without considering quality, is almost like describing a man's physique by his height and disregarding his chest measurements. Moreover, to judge correctly the dynamic of Soviet industry, it is necessary, along with qualitative corrections, to have always in mind the fact that swift progress in some branches is accompanied by backwardness in others."

One recalls that at the time of the first Sputnik a Western journalist complained that despite this great achievement of Soviet science and technology, he was unable to buy a decent 1. "The Revolution Betrayed', pp. 113-4. razor blade in Moscow.

Consumer goods production not only lags in terms of output, but it is often poor in quality. Last year the official Soviet figure for increase in light industry's output was only 2 per cent, against 13 per cent in machinery and metals.?

Cars and washing machines show the biggest increase on the previous year. But how many Soviet citizens can afford these goods?

OUTPUT

In this country of vast distances and isolated villages the total output of all motor vehicles was only 587,000. Take off the needs of the army, agriculture and public transport and not much is left but a few cars for the highly privileged.

The Us motor vehicle output last year was 7.6 million, some fourteen times the Soviet total. There is no need for a Buchanan in Russia!

When talking about outstripping the United States, Khrushchev lays main emphasis on the products of basic industry. The planning system also insists on quantity, rather than quality.

GROWTH

The result is that the rapid rates of growth made possible by planned economy are not matched by an equivalent development of the most modern types of industry or by attention to quality.

Meanwhile the Russian wor2. Report on State Plan for 1963. With reference to last week's article, this report shows that output of milking machines was only 83 per cent of that in 1962. kers have secured shorter working hours. Increases in output now have to come, and can only come, from increased productivity. 3 True, wages can buy more, but workers have to produce a good deal more in return.

In the battle for productivity in competition with the advanced capitalist countries there is no doubt that Russia still lags behind.

Even in the main branches of heavy industry the annual output per Soviet worker scarcely exceeds 50 per cent that of the American worker.

More and better machines are needed in industry before the gap can be closed. To catch up in total output, even when that comes about, will not be really catching up if nearly twice as many man hours are needed to achieve it.

INVESTMENT

Not only does investment have to be kept high, but the pressure of world capitalism imposes a strain on resources in the shape of heavy arms expenditure. Today it is probable that the West has a marked superiority, not only in strategic bombers - which Khrushchev claims are 'obsolete'-but also in long-range missiles.

It is admitted that Russian industry does not produce much of the equipment needed to introduce or expand those industries which rest on the most advanced technology.

Trade missions are scouring 3. If planned targets for the next two years are to be achieved productivity must rise by no less than 70 per cent! the capitalist countries offering contracts for plant and equipment needed to modernise Soviet industry.

At the same time, some forms of equipment can now be produced in excess of requirements and a market is sought abroad.

GOLD

A big problem is to pay for what is required. Gold and petroleum can partly meet the need. For the rest, Khrushchev is now prepared to offer capitalists big advantages if they trade with Russia, reflecting, in another way, the pressures from the capitalist world market.

Soviet industry grows in a lop-sided, not a balanced way, with big technological lags which can only be overcome by the bureaucracy through dependence on capitalism-the enemy it claims to be going to bury• Leonid Kostandov, boss of Chemical and Engineering development, recently made an offer to the world: 'We say to business circles in the West: We are interested in new and original equipment of the highest technological standard. The Soviet Union is also prepared to buy licences. Nobody can lose by these deals as they are based on mutual benefit.'4 PROFITABLE The bureaucracy finds 'mutual benefit' with the Japanese Mitsubishi trust, the Montecatini chemical combine of Italy and Humphries and John Brown of Clydeside. 'Khrushchev offers businessmen profitable deals and the working class honeyed words about "peaceful co-existence'.

4. 'Soviet report, 24, 1964.

Soviet steel furnace

The aim of this article is not to belittle the achievements of the planned and nationalized industry of the Soviet Union but to deflate the boastful claims of the bureaucracy and to expose its mismanagement of the economy.

It is now frantically trying to remedy deficiencies and make a virtue of its crash programme of rapid expansion.

Thanks to the healthy economic base inherited from the Revolution of 1917 though, considerable expansion will be possible.

The working class, which has yet to have its say, will meanwhile be asked to buckle down to more hard work on the strength of a few material gains and plenty of promises.

More and more it will question the policy of the bureaucracy and begin to draw the same conclusions as the Hungarian workers in 1956.

Februa Three

carried through outside the framework of the Moscow Trials.

If it happens, by chance, that one of those rehabilitated was only imprisoned, it is immediately employed to the greatest possible glory of the present leaders: It was only thanks to Khrushchev's support that Petrovski managed to escape physical liquidation.' In a certain number of cases the responsibility for such and such a repressive act is specifically attributed to the machinations of Beria (viz., Yenukidze or Lakova) of Kaganovitch or of Malenkov. But this explanation is not presented as being of general validity. (The next instalment of this article will deal with the 'rehabilitation' of military leaders, and the implications they have for the Left Opposition.) FRESH evidence that pressure is increasing for an objective history of the Russian Revolution is the preview of the Soviet film 'Blue Notebook' , held in Moscow on February 12.

Based on a story by Emmanuil Kazakieviech, the film hinges on the conflict between Lenin and Zinoviev on the prospects of a successful uprising by the Kussian working class in 1917.

It is well known that Zinoviev opposed the majority decision of the Bolshevik central committee to organise for the insurrection. With Kamenev he publicly criticised the party leadership for what he considered to be political adventurism.

Differences

Unlike Stalin, Lenin believed that all differences within the party should be settled politically and not by terrorism.

Both Zinoviev and Kamenev were restored to their old positions on the central committee. Under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky these two did excellent work for the revolution.

After the death of Lenin, they supported Stalin for a short period against the Left Opposition in the Bolshevik Party, which was led by Trotsky.

However, when they saw that support for Stalin involved a revision of the Bolshevik party's programme and the Communist International, they joined the ranks of Trotsky's opposition with some reservations.

Undermined

Another reason for their move was Stalin's action against rapid industrialisation which undermined their positions as heads 'of the two main urban party centres-Zinoviev in Leningrad and Kameney in Moscow.

While in alliance with them Stalin made only passing reference to their vacillations before the revolution, in order to defend them from the attacks from the left of the party.

However, once branded as supporters of Trotsky their whole political record was discredited and eventually they were arrested, tried and murdered on trumped-up charges of working with imperialism since the first days of the revolution, for the overthrow of workers' power in the Soviet Union.

Such films as the 'Blue Notebook' will add to the already mounting interest in the real history of the Bolshevik party. A history which so far has remained a closed book to the vast majority of Soviet citizens.

THE CENTRE UNION party of Greece was again returned to power on February 16 after the second general election within three months.

The number of seats gained by the Union party totalled 174 of the 300 parliamentary places. Last November they polled just over 40 per cent of the votes compared with 54 per cent at last week's election.

The right extremist National Radical Union won 34 per cent of the votes and the Stalinist-led United Democratic Left received only 12 per cent.

When stripped of its pre-election stunts the Centre Union programme shows complete subordination to NATO with greater concessions to capitalists in other countries in the hope of attracting bigger investment in Greece.

Papandreou, leader of the Centre Union party has throughout his long career changed political positions and sides to suit his personal ambitions.

RECORD

He has been an independent, a Liberal, a republican and a right-wing monarchist. To add to this record he was one of the people responsible for the mass persecutions of communists and trade union militants after the Second World War.

Today he plays the role of a 'progressive democrat' and 'humanitarian' with a hypocritical concern at keeping political prisoners—-ones that he helped to jail himself in the past. Such 'sympathies' have won him the support of the United Democratic Left leadership.

Only through backstage manoeuvres has the Stalinist leadership of the Democratic Left gained positions. They have done nothing to expose the centrists inability to solve the problems of the Greek working class.

Before the election the Stalinists issued instructions that their members and supporters should vote for the Centre Union candidate. In this way they betrayed the working class into the hands of Papandreou.

DISAGREE

However, certain sections of the party violently disagreed with their leadership's proposals and many militants voted for the communist candidates. Contrary to its leaderships' expectations the Democratic Left party polled 12 per cent instead of the 9½ per cent officially planned.

Results of the Greek elections show that Stalinists will only lead their members and supporters to defeat at the hands of Papandreou and his government.

It is obvious that he will not be able to ease the conditions of the workers and peasants in Greece.

WHEN THE delegate from the apartheid.

He caused confusion among the lower ranks of the church, but other archbishops hurriedly denied this was a statement by their Conference. The archbishops of Cape Town and Durban claimed Archbishop Whelan was expressing his personal views.

Even if this is the case, they are mighty dangerous views and must have some support in the Roman Catholic Church if Whelan has the gall to express them.

He told a press conference there were no teachings of his church in opposition to apartheid— a state composed of a number of national or racial groups, maintained in their separate and distinct identity by the State of which they form a part...

Immoral

In fact the church thought 'any policy aimed at levelling such ethnic groups into an amorphous cosmopolitan mass, was immoral.

But the apartheid laws restricting freedom of Africans, 'cause hardship and injustice'.

Apartheid excludes 80 per cent of the population from voting and denies the democratic principle of 'one man, one vote' says the Archbishop's statement.

But, it adds, 'the church has never considered democracy to be the only form of government compatible with Christianity. Even in a state which is democratic in structure, the "one man, one vote" principle is not always desirable'.

Repressions

As Verwoerd steps up his repressions in South Africa, organisations and personalities begin to fit in line.

It is obvious from what Archbishop Whelan says that the Roman Catholic church is compatible with this neo-fascist regime.

The church, according to Whelan's statement, will even aid Verwoerd in continuing apartheid, splitting off the masses into manageable groups.

In this process the church hopes to catch a few converts of all colours and show the world it is a compassionate, persevering and tolerant institution.

Comment On Wednesday "The Times' commented: ... he will not have much difficulty in showing his brother prelates that he based his statement largely on what the Bishop's Conference itself laid down ... and on the encyclical "Peace on Earth" of Pope John.' The report adds that the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town has given 'guarded support' for Archbishop Whelan's ideas. CRISIS IN Southern Rhodesia is yet another problem the Tories hope to push on to the forthcoming Labour government.

In order to keep their investments intact, British capitalists have had to come to terms with African nationalism.

In most cases, the sacrifice has not been too great; they have simply replaced direct rule by the Colonial Office with indirect rule through the local bourgeoisie.

Although these people proclaim 'independence', , it is little more than an illusion as the economies of the countries, and the economic interests of the local rulers, have remained completely under the domination of British capital.

In Southern Rhodesia, however, the situation is complicated by the presence of a white minority of 250,000.

The extreme racialism of these people is the product of the exploitation of the Africans which they carried out in the service of British capital. But it is now rebounding on the very class whose interests it once served.

SETTTLERS

These white 'settlers' are very reluctant to accept a government run by people they have regarded merely as cheap labour for their factories, mines and farms.

Yet such a government is necessary to British capital if it is to forestall any revolutionary movement, which would aim not merely to replace one set of exploiters by another, but would threaten the very existence of private capital in Africa.

nationalist militancy proves inadequate to meet the needs of the masses, the latter threaten to overtake its middle class African leaders. The Southern Rhodesian state meets this with rifles and police dogs.

At the same time prime minister Winston Field has just returned from a trip to South Africa, where he has been trying to enlist support from Verwoerd.

DILEMMA

The Tories are faced with a dilemma. They are reluctant to abandon their friends and faithful servants in Rhodesia. But they will be forced to if these stand in the way of the interests of British capital.

Their only hope is that it will be left for Wilson to make these unpopular decisions.

The Labour movement must see to it that Wilson does not use the Labour Party and the next Labour government to safeguard the bosses' interests in Africa.

Over 500 people attended a rally in New York City to protest against the murder of two young Puerto Rican students by policemen. The rally was called by the Puerto Rican Independent Movement and prominent members of the city's labour movement spoke.

MALADONA PUERDRIC

Cyprus government raised the island's future in the United Nations on February 17, he already knew that this would lead to some kind of partition.

While the Cyprus government continues to drift towards this dangerous outcome, nationalists on both sides whip up GreekTurkish conflict.

No real solution to the problems of the island can be found through partition. The present position is the culmination of 80 years of British rule, during which time imperialism has held this strategic base by setting two national groups one against the other.

By perpetuating the divisions, Cypriots would be left at the mercy of the same forces who are responsible for the present position.

As the United Nations negotiations grind on from deadlock to deadlock, the gigantic Turkish army flexes its muscles and the Makarios government tries to manoeuvre with the great powers.

The announcement of talks with the Soviet Airline Aeroflot for an air link between Cyprus and Moscow was timed last week-end to exert pressure on the West while the Security Council discussions were on.

Diplomatic tricks and constitutional juggling cannot resolve the terrible problems of Cyprus within the framework of imperialism. The big powers must be forced to take their troops off the island, where, as in so many other places, national conflict has been used to serve their own purposes.

•New Deal'-dying publicity stunt Four Februa ry

stooge regime TROOPS MOVED into the former French African territory of Gabon to crush a military coup which overthrew the puppet ruler president • Leon Mba last week.

After receiving news of the revolt, a day after the coup took place, de Gaulle ordered a strong force of French and African troops to put down the rebellion.

Obviously the French government feared that without a president of their own choice in power they could no longer rely on the very profitable source of uranium in Gabon. (Uranium is used in the production of nuclear weapons and de Gaulle still harbours thoughts of an independent deterrent.)

Return It was therefore important them that Mba should returned as president.

Eighteen Gabonese were killed and 30 to 40 were wounded in the attempt to maintain French control in the country.

The coup itself had been entirely bloodless with the small army of 430 Gabonese taking swift control of all the key buildings. Under the leader of the opposition, Jean - Hilaire Aubame, a cabinet was formed.

Mba was taken into the forest under a guard of seven soldiers, where he stayed until French troops came to find him a day later.

Arrested

As soon as the French troops landed in Gabon the ministers of the new government were arrested. An elusive Mba was brought back from the forest and re-installed as president.

In an effort to preserve peace - which the French government desperately want-

elections in Gabon have been postponed and moves are afoot to 'persuade' Mba into a coalition government with the opposition party.

No doubt French ministers will sleep easier now, satisfied that the precious uranium mines are safe for the time being under the eye of their puppet ruler. THE recent agreement between Castro and Khrushchey whereby the Soviet Union will take a large part of Cuba's sugar crop over the next few years has given great pleasure in one quarter. The Pabloite bulletin, 'Sous le Drapeau de Socialisme', can hardly contain its enthusiasm.

It sees in the new agreement an example of 'the socialist international division of labour' fored on Khrushchev by various pressures. It is claimed as a 'healthy tendency which goes in the right direction Advice The new bulletin, which in addition carries Pablo's latest advice and counsel to Ben Bella and the text of a telegram of congratulation to the 'vanguard of the East African socialist revolution in Zanzibar' ', is obviously Pablo's factional organ inside the mis-styled 'United Secretariat of the Fourth International'.

It would be interesting to But this is not to be seen learn the reactions of his break with 'socialism in collaborators to this line of country. open conciliation with leaders As for Castro "The Times' MORTIN such as Ben Bella, and even with Khrushchev himself.

Weakness

In fact the Cuban sugar agreement, made on terms extremely favourable to the Russians, reflects the weakness of the Cuban economy and the political dependence of Castro on the bureaucracy.

The Soviet leaders are not interested in diversifying the Cuban economy or breaking its dependence on the world market. It is also evident that Cuba is dependent, not only on selling the sugar crop—as in the past-but on importing practically every form of manufactured goods, many types of which will come from the capitalist world market.

Russia is also dependent on the capitalist world market.

as a one + AN voter, editorialist on February 11 gave a better characterisation than many so-called Trotskyists are capable of when he wrote: 'Dr. Castro is not an orthodox communist. He is an unstable nationalist leader who has made a pact with Russia - for emotional, economic and political reasons. For lack of a better model he has imposed a Marxist pattern on the country.' Unstable The editorialist is only mistaken in seeing Castro as some sort of communist and as following a 'Marxist pattern'; 'unstable nationalist leader' is, however, dead right.

Perhaps the Pabloites will say that Leyland motors are also ¡participating in the 'Socialist international division of labour' by contracting for the supply of buses to Cuba!

• ENT strikes against slum racketeering landlords in New York are spreading from the Harlem area to the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Puerto Rican workers living in Lower East Side are among the one million New York workers living in crumbling buildings which should have been demolished years ago.

After suffering broken windows, leaking pipes, holes in the walls and ceilings and an inadequate heating system, the Slum conditions in Manhattan tenants of one street decided to pay no rent in December last year.

Their landlord was taken to court where he was fined 100 dollars and rents were reduced by one dollar a month at the beginning of this year.

But there was still no heating and eventually the tenants decided to make a fire themselves and pay for it out of the withheld rent.

There are a number of cases like this in the Lower East Side district. In Avenue B there was a rent increase last March--the landlord claimed he was not making enough profit. Tenants took the matter to court and in November he was ordered to refund the increase that had been paid to him.

He refused and through lawyer Florence Belsky, who claims to be a liberal, he threatened to sue the Rent Commission. Pickets turned out in full force outside his home and after half an hour he gave in and agreed to pay the refund.

However, as soon as the pickets withdrew their pressure, the landlord suddenly changed his mind and a court order was obtained authorising him not to pay the debt.

Picket

This time the tenants threatened to picket his home, his shop and the court, and finally, after five hours of negotiations, they watched him hand over 1,000 dollars refund.

Two other landlords agreed to put in new boilers and mend leaks at homes in Third Avenue and East 3rd Street after they were picketed.

Such experiences in the New York rent strikes show that the landlords are not going to give in without a fight. They want to make as much money as possible out of cheap, dirty tenements.

The only way that landlordism can be fought successfully is through a political party which will bring together all sections of workers to fight the 'rent racketeers'.

Leadership

Such a party must not just hit out blindly at the landlords, but provide a Marxist leadership which involves the whole of America's labour movement in the fight.

In Harlem there is the position where as soon as tenants reverse eviction orders, landlords immediately retaliate by issuing 100 dispossession orders on rent strikers.

These cases will go to court and tenants are confident that they will win. But the situation shows the landlords are grimly determined to beat back any opposition to their methods.

Behind the landlords are the New York police force which played a prominent role in the recent eviction of a tenant in Harlem.

Officials in the city administration have never done anything about the bad conditions in which • some of the city's tenants live. 'Our hands are tied,' has been their consistently weak excuse.

TORQUEROS STORE FOR RENT MO 2:8510 A FOUR - DAY stay - down strike by Belgian miners at Bois-du-Cazier, near Brussels, has foiled an attempt by the European Coal and Steel Community to close their pit.

They began the strike-half a mile underground - with a demand that the authorities rescind the closing order.

After they came up a Ministry of Mines spokesman said the mine would only be kept open provisionally. The Coal and Steel Community's order had been suspended, not cancelled, he said.

The eventual closure of Boisdu-Cazier is part of the community's plans to shut down all so-called inefficient and highcosting mines.

The community's action is similar to that of the NCB in Britain which is olosing mines in the north, saying they are inefficient.

In fact, many of these mines hold large supplies of coal, but it lies deep and would need expensive machinery to extract it. The NCB is concentrating on automating mines in the Midlands where coal is easier to obtain.

This will occur all over the continent as different countries and organisations like the Community strive to ma ke larger profits—at the expens e of the miner.

OVER 550 construction workers on the huge electric power station site at Fiddler's Ferry, in the Merseyside area rejected the advice of their unions to return to work last Monday.

At a mass meeting held in the site canteen only five voted in favour of a return to work, suggested by the area secretary of the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives.

The construction workers— members of five unions-came out on strike after two joiners and a scaffolder were sacked a week ago.

Stewards on the site are challenging Taylor Woodrow's, the main contractors, who made a statement that the sacked men are 'unsuitable' Screening A site steward told The Newsletter that there are elaborate screening methods for all workers who apply for a job. The firm explains that this is to ensure that only good workmen are employed.

'Yet now we are told that these men are unsuitable. We do not accept this because their section foreman has said that they are competant tradesmen,' he added.

The dispute will be referred to a Disputes Panel.

An offer by Taylor Woodrow's local representative to continue employing the sacked men until the findings of the Disputes Panel was withdrawn.

Savage

The docker is told he is being given 'decasualisation'. But from the time of the savage struggle for the 'docker's tanner', over 60 years ago, every advance of the docker, every victory over evil conditions has been in struggle against the port employers.

The employers' schemes do not begin with the welfare of the docker. The questions the employers ask themselves are: How best do I plan for my profit, and, with new machinery and technique, how best do I use labour to my advantage?

One has only got to take a walk around the docks, compare developments in machinery, new sheds, silos, etc., with the state of the lavatories, washing facilities and canteens to see clearly what comes first: profits or the workers.

Rockets may reach the moon, but the Merseyside docker still has no hot water to take off the grime.

Schemes

It is in the interests of big business alone that the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board develops schemes like the present £14 million modernisation.

The alternative to the 'New Deal', being Union proposed by the 'Blue and other dock militants cannot be fully achieved as long as the docks are run in the interests of the big shipowners and the stevedoring bosses.

The opposition of the National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers to control of the labour force, to the this week.

After making declarations ahout the union heino nearer a strike 'than it has ever been in this century, Ron Smith hastily added that he was still prepared to negotiate with Bevins.

On the even of the conference he proclaimed: 'I am a reasonable man, I would still rather talk it over.' Instead of rallying the members to a fighting policy over their wages and conditions he stressed that the union did not have enough funds for a strike. 'We are one of the least wealthy unions and we have never had an official strike,' he said.

STRONG

It is obvious that the rank and file of the union will have to take very strong measures if they are to win out on this issue.

Last week a number of branches up and down the country called for an immediate strike.

The 400 strong branch of the London Western parcels office mandated its delegate to vote for a strike.

Members of the union in Leeds, Glasgow and Durham also decided to support definite industrial action.

In an interview with The Newsletter this week a post office worker said that a lot of pressure could be brought to bear on the union members if they did go out on strike.

'But we must hold firm because we cannot win this issue by negotiation. The government has made it quite clear that they are only going to offer us 4 per cent this year and 3f per cent for the next two years.'

Marriot

strike ends YOUNG WEST INDIAN workers who put up a strong fight against the Wembley firm of P. A. Marriott for nine months have been forced to accept a few pounds 'compensation' for being sacked.

The strike started last July when 50 workers, some of them leading militants in the factory, received redundancy notices. All the workers walked out in sympathy.

But because Marriott's have succeeded in keeping the West Indians out of the factory, it would be wrong to conclude that this has meant a total defeat for the young workers.

Higher wages

Marriott has only kept the factory going by paying far higher wages than he was before the strike started.

By their efforts the West Indian workers have shown that they can organise into a union.

They have stood out for higher wages and a 42-hour week at the factory.

Other employers in the area have received notices saying that they will not be allowed to use immigrants as cheap labour without resistance.

How is it then that with such courageous struggling the sacked workers did not get their jobs back? The responsibility must be laid at the door of the local and national trade union officials.

No collections They did very little to organise sympathetic action from other factories or make collections. Very often they gave in to a small anti-colour feeling in the factories.

Meanwhile the Marriott strikers have to find jobs. Until they do your financial help is needed. After nine months of struggle they do not have much money. Please send your donations to C. Clark, 12 Westbourne Terrace, London, W.2. rude remarks.

It is apparent that this is the last dying phase of the publicity stunt with which the port employers have tried to hoodwink the dockers.

In this case their muchboosted rocket blew up before it left the ground. What can they try next?

Perhaps the port employers and trade union officials are now considering a new version of their scheme, amended here and there to what was last offered to the London dockers.

There can be little doubt that the Merseyside docker will give this version the same treatment as it had in London.

If their latest plan has foundered, it does not mean that the port employers will now give up their attempts to reorganise the dock labour force to their greater benefit.

Mobile

The employers want full use of mechanisation and technical advances by dockers who are a mobile, docile labour force.

They want "labour units' under their absolute control in the same way as their machines —dockers who will be moved where the employers want them; worked how the employers wish, and above all, they want dockers who, like the machines, won't answer back.

But to reach this goal means that the employers have to break down all the working relations won in past bitter struggles with profit-greedy employers. Continuity of employment agreements, manning scales, concessionary payments on abnormal working conditions, all must go.

Further, the employers make no secret that their indirect control of the docker under the l Dock Labour Scheme is irksome.

and other New Deal' ed are the still being chorus of creation of first, second, third and fourth class dockers; to the mobility of labour and reduced manning scales; and the opposition to redundancy, challenges the basic intentions of the port employers.

To fulfill the dockers demands, nationalization of the port transport industry is the only logical step.

Real decasualisation is possible only under nationalization, run by workers' representatives. Only then could there be a real plan for security for the portworker.

In a few months time there will be a Labour government.

Dockers nationally have already demonstrated their opposition to the schemes of the port employers. This should be an amber light to Wilson and that Labour government. Dockers will bitterly resist any collaboration with the national port employers.

They have already shown resentment against so-called members of the labour movement who have connived with the employers in pushing forward the 'New Deal'.

Portworkers will demand that the Labour government supports them against the schemes of the employers and take the industry out of the employers' control. ACTION BY members of the Union of Post Office Workers has forced their general secretary, Mr. Ron Smith, to agree to the possibility of strike aotion over a substantial wage increase.

But as far as Ron Smith is concerned he would much prefer safe negotiations around the conference table with PostmasterGeneral, Bevins, than take militant action. Only the determination of the rank and file postal workers pushed him into making these statements after a two-day conference attended by 1,066 delegates BRICKLAYERS AT Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds' two Cardiff works, Castle and Tremorfa, last Saturday came out in sympathy with three men whose redundancy notices had just expired.

The management claim the men were only taken on to build a new 16 inch Rod Mill furnace. Three days after the furnace was completed they were given a week's notice.

The men say that this statement covers up the speed-up that the management are imposing on the bricklayers.

Over the last few months, the gang of brickies has been progressively broken down from 23 to 16 men. Of these, three are now sacked, two are chargehands and four are out sick.

This now leaves seven men to do all the maintenance work on the two works.

MAINTENANCE

'These men are not just home with a cold, either,' The Newsletter was told, 'in our job when you are sick, you have to stay at home for a few months.' Before the sacking of the three men, the work force was insufficient. With the reduced numbers, the bricklayers were expected to work two night shifts a week, 'with drastic results to our health and family life' , a brickle said.

"The working week is never less than six and a half days, and more often it is seven days. For that we take home a few shilings less than twenty pounds a week, he added.

press for strike action Smith: 'reasonable man' FORTY INDIANS and Pakistanis, employed at the Mansfield Hosiery Mills, Loughborough were dismissed this week after they went on strike for two days.

They staged a walk-out last week after Mr. K. K. Khanna was sacked. The management have refused to accept him as a spokesman on bad conditions and low piece-work rates among immigrant employees.

Similar action was taken last November when Mr. Khanna was sacked for alleged 'political agitation'. The strike forced the management to take him back.

Local officials of the National Union of Hosiery Workers suggested that the strikers return to work and that their 'spokesman' should find a job elseThe bricklayers had demanded the introduction of a rest-day rota, coupled with a pay increase to compensate for the day off. This would have given them one long week-end every five weeks (which is the system worked by the other craftsmen in the works).

The management rejected this demand with the plea that the bricklayers were too important and could not be spared any Sunday.

PRESSURE

Further pressure from the men led the management to offer a 'fluctuating' Sunday.

This was rejected by the bricklayers.

'One day the management tell us that we are too important to have any rest days. The next they lay off three of our gang,' The Newsletter was told.

"The redundancies are being used to whip the brickies into line for the new conditions in the works.

"They are meeting organised opposition and they don't like it.

For the first time in at least 25 years all the bricklayers in the two works are members of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trades Workers.

PLASTIC

New processes are being introduced that will cut down on the amount of maintenance needed. The back burner wall and the intermediate curtain wall of the new Rod Mill furnace are built of new plastic walling that needs no attention for five to seven years.

At the same time, the management is making increased use of contractor's labour to do the work formerly done by the regular gang.

The management have rejected the men's demand that the three men be reinstated. The most they were prepared to offer was three weeks' extra employment for them while they looked for work.

REJECTED

This was rejected as the men feel that it is not just a question of the three finding work, but of the conditions of work for the whole gang in the two works.

Rather than lay off the three men, the management could have granted the rest-day rota and reduced the working week to give them some family life.

A special meeting of the joint crafts committee of the works was called last Wednesday and a resolution was passed condemning the management's action.

Full support for the bricklayers was expresed and financial aid was promised.

workers' n sacked where.

The reasons for Mr. Khanna's sacking are very clear. He has been in the forefront of a fight for better conditions and higher wages but the last thing the hosiery employers want is militant workers.

Leaders of the hosiery union have a long history of sell-outs behind them and there has been very little support from them in this most recent dispute.

Mr. H. Gascoigne, district secretary of the union accused the workers of being too loyal towards Mr. Khanna.

Weakly he expressed regret at the dismissals. •We told them they were wrong,' he said.

Apart from these remarks Mr.

Gascoigne has no proposals for a fight to reinstate the coloured workers.

Industrial statement Cers in Croydoo, Caster 1, Castle reigh (Ireland), Manchester, Dartford and Letchworth staged a walk-out last week demanding a clear public policy statement from the management.

Most of the 1,000 office and shop floor workers at the Croydon, London, factory of ICT attended a mass protest meeting where they approved a resolution from the shop stewards' committee calling for the statement.

They are also demanding notice of any further redundancies and want to know if the works are to close.

CLOSE

Mr. Charles Phillips, district secretary of the AEU and shop steward, told The Newsletter: I reckon they will close this place within two years.

The management say no decision has been made on this 'at the moment'.

More strike action, involving the seven unions at the works, may be taken if a statement is not forthcoming.

ICT have made thousands redundant at the other factories -1,000 in Ireland alone. This move is obviously part of reorganisation by the company.

But the workers do not know where they stand.

REDUCTION

At the mass meeting last Thursday, Mr. Phillips broke the news that the management announced a reduction in the punch card equipment production.

he whole work lorce has een under the threat of redun dancy for 18 months, he said. During that time 'most extraordinary things have been happening'.

A number of fitters, including a convenor, had been sacked. Their positions were WHEN 55 WORKERS at the Newtown Polishing Company, Birmingham, joined the Metal Mechanics Union the management gave them the choice of leaving the union or having the sack.

The men decided to stay in their union and the following morning when they reported for work they were refused admission to the factory.

Many of those sacked have been working with the firm for 10 to 15 years. They maintain that the trouble has arisen because there is union pressure against the 50-hour week which many of them have to work.

Lock-out

Union officials are regarding this as a lockout and at a meeting on Monday it was decided to organise a picket line outside faotory to persuade remaining workers to support the union.

It was also agreed to seek the support of all trade union members employed at Ford of Dagenham and to 'black' components produced by the firm.

'We intend to bring : this company to a standstill unless our 55 members are reinstated, said Mr. J. H. Wood, divisional organiser of the Metal Mechanics Union.

Police

Workers claim that at a joint meeting between themselves and the management a police constable was called in. The matter is being taken up with the Birmingham Watch Committee.

Mr. William Burge of Small Heath, a spokesman for the sacked workers told The Newsletter: 'This move to invite a policeman in, is just to scare the workers.

advertised in the press only a few weeks later. The same had happened with time clerks, and in the machine shop.

Yet slowly, the number of workers has been reduced from 2,000 to 1,000:

A Labour Party speaker said the fight by the ICT workers for their jobs was the same as that of Projectiles, Battersea, and Ford workers at Purley Way, Croydon.

The future of 350 workers at this bodywork factory is in doubt, and many feel it will be run-down to fit in with Ford's vast re-organisation plans.

Up and down the country managements are beginning all-out attacks on engineering workers. Many unions are involved, but it will take united action instigated by the rank and file to combat these attacks. UNION officials now describe the position at the Sheffield Truline factory-where 13 girls were sacked three months agoas 'delicate'.

The workers were dismissed from the factory one week after a union was formed there and since that time local union leaders have made all kinds of excuses for not putting up a fight to get them reinstated.

Now, after negotiations have dragged on, the union states that 'things are reaching a critical stage'.

The officials are still hoping that interest in the dispute will diminish.

However, a Manchester worker found out the facts of the dispute-from The Newsletter. Now he has pledged the support of his branch for the young workers in their fight against the sackings.

The seven sacked girls have not had jobs for three months. Please send donations to Mrs. D. Bland, 43 Hartley Brook Road, Sheffield, 5.

A DETERMINED FIGHT has been waged by 550 workers at the Halifax branch of Hattersley's (Ormskirk) Ltd., against the introduction of job timing and a new wage structure.

The men, members of the National Society of Metal Mechanics, went on strike earlier this month when work consultants were introduced into the factory.

It has been made quite clear to the bosses that there will be no co-operation from the workers over job timing.

The factory which makes gun metal, steam and water fittings, has been controlled by the same firm of consultants for the last 18 months. An agreement with the shop stewards' committee was made that this would not affect wages, conditions or piecework prices.

Team

However, the management are now insisting that the team be brought back to re-time jobs and to make a new wage structure.

There has been an arrogant refusal by the bosses to take the matter through the usual machinery of the work's conference and the local conference.

At a mass meeting the workers passed a resolution saying there would be no cooperation with the work study team until assurances on wages were given.

Registered at the G.P.O. as a newspaper Published by The Newsletter, 186A Clapham High Street, Londos, S.W.4 Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU). I.O.

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