Published by the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) No 29 24th August 1978 Sp '

Forecast of stagnation TUC - More wages, fewer hours STAGNANT output and rising in what may be a pre-election TO SECURE employment and Trades Union Congress, to bankruptcy of capitalism and to· improve conditions once be held this year in Brighton, the desperate need to tame unemploymenr for Britnin are 4 period? Marx always said the prospects for Britain ac­ that the basic problem of employed: these are the ob- commencing September 4th. the working class. cording to the latest forecast capitalisn1 is relative over­ jectives that will occupy the The Congress is now in a So there must be a remorse­ of the National Institute of production nnd here we see delegates of the I lOth Annual position to say "No" to in- less struggle against unenl­ Economic and Social Research. the Government deliberately Why not through adequate comes policy, unencumbered ployment and for the right to This prediction is based on trying to maintain a wage wages put enough purchasing ~y any vestige of the social work. But let there be no the same appraisal that the situation which is inimical power in the hands of the work- contract. Le.r ~nfettered col- illusions that this can be ac­ Treasury has arrived at - to industry serving the home ing class to buy all that Bri- Jecuve bargatmng proceed. complished by a shor1er "a slackening in the rate of market. tish industry is capable of There are some fatnt hearts working week. growth of disposable incomes Ever since the war the making? That would provide and pompous ..asses th~t t~.lk of The devious employers and and therefore in total output wl10le emphasis in Britain has a sound home-based economy the need for re~ponstble the Government say "If you next year:" In other words been to increase exports at and purely marginal external co.lle~ bargatmng. They get shorter hours you 'II have there will not be enough effec­ the cost of the home market trading could take care of the should remember that workers to take less money. " Rubbish. We want both. Neither fight rive consumer demand to keep out of balance of payments products which don't grow 0 never had the opportumty to home industry ticking over. considerations. An argu­ are not found here. r be "irresponsible .. " Workers should be a hindrance to the The sragnat ion and decline ment for wage restraint has The reason why capitalism hav.e never run Bntain. And other. Let not shorter hours is in part a result of the un­ been that low purchasing pow­ cannot even think of such a unul they do they have no al· be an excuse to neglect the precedented fall in real wages er at home would free more solution is that it makes no ternan ve but to fight bmerly crucial wages issue. over the last three years, not goods to go abroad to pay for provision for profits. Put like for every penny they can get. Down with 5 per cent. the other way about: Why imports we could perfectly that is there any worker in • There ts much talk of the Down with wage restraint. then is the Government so de­ well for the most part have the country who would vote 3;:,-hour week. Workers have So let the fight be princi­ termined to keep wages low supplied ourselves.' for capitalism by voting for always wanted more leisure pled, let it be conducted in­ that it is flying in the face of \Vh v don 'r rhev trv ti1C any capitalist party, be it and the demand is a worthy telligently and let us despatch the social democratic baggage whole labour movement perfectly obviou; soiution? Labour or Tory: one Which stands on its own merits. Some voices endea­ that says. "leave it up to the vour to mislead, however. Labour Government. ·· They say that a shorter work­ Some motions before Con­ ing week is the way to deal gress unashamedly declare with unemployment. This their loyalty to Labour. Oth­ claim is transparently false ers plead for a Labour with and should be denounced as an "alternative strategy" such. .Many motions make a "call" The Labour Government is to the Government. Many currently leading British capi­ want new legislation, many talism in the wholesale clo­ want Jegislation.amended. sure of British industry. Still the appeal to their rulers. This is the reason that unem- This must be little advance, coefll ployment is threatening to 110 years after the fitst TUC swamp us all - not because Conference. some are doing a bit of over Workers must accept that time. there is no salvation in the Furthermore, the closures Labour Gove;rnment or any are not a natural outcome of other capitalist government. new technology. Rather they It is the Labour government, arise from the economic egged on by the Tories, that continued on page 4 column 3 SUPPORT FOR ALBANIA All fratet:nal support to you anEl courageous Albanian people on Ch1na's anti socialist aid withdrawal. Your se)f reliance, Back in 1969 demonstrators urged TUC t>xccutives to reject L:1bour's "In Pl:l.ce of Strife", the blueprint defeated Russian machination and will frustrate new Chinese for the Industt;al Relations Act which the l:1bour mo,·cmcnt [inally dtstroyed .. The Labour Government's ploys. Revolutionary greetings. current opposition to collective bargaining is even more vicious an attack on trade unionism Central Committee, CPBML. pag e l. THE WEEK An act of aggression against Socialist Albania IN Zimbabwe, police fired into a crowd of striking mine workers ON JULY 29, 1978, the Central Committee of the Pa1·ty of Labour and with Chinese :.;.;:p. killing four blacks and injuring five the Government of Albania sent a letter to the Central Committee of the Differences and misunderstandings c:m arise among various parties at the country's largest copper Communist Party and the Government of China. The letter denounced and states, even when they have rel:ltions of close friendship. No matter mine. Police opened fire early on the cessation of aid and loaos to socialist Albania and rejected the at- which side ls to blame, the clearing up of such differences calls for the second day of a strike by at - tempts made tn the Chinese l\linistry of Foreign Affairs' note of July 7, negotiation, and all the more should this principle apply to socialist most the entire black work- 1700 1978, to blame the unilateral breaking off of all trading agreements and countries and communist parties. On a number of occasions the Party force :it the l\langula mine, owned the withdrawal of Chinese specialists on Albanian ingratitude and saba- of Labour of Albania has followed the correct policy of constructive by the South Africa-bnsed Messina tage of economic nnd military coope.rntion between the two countries. and comradely criticism when differences arose with the Communist Transvaal Development Company. In the Chinese note, China's aid to Albania is presented as the deci- Party of China. Is there no limit to the crimes of sive factor in Albania's development. But the decisive factor has in In all such cases, the Albanian Party put forward its criticisms in the Smith regime? fact been the resolute, persistent and heroic work and struggle of the a frank and fraternal marmer, while maintaining outwardly, as far as Albanian people, under the leadership of the Party of Labour of Albania, the enemies of socialism were concerned, a position of complete for the construction of socialism according to the Leninist prind.ple of solidarity. In the period leading up to the sudden cessation of aid, the * * * * * * * * • * * self reliance. Chinese leadership refused ~ategorically to enter into any consultation The Albanian letter points out that the people of Albania, their Party with Albanians whatsoever. NEARLY two years ago, THE and Government, have always fought for the strengthening of friendship, The letter reminds the world that once the Communist Party of WORKER carried an article re- fraternal cooperation and mutual aid between Albania and China. They China was against Tito and the Yugoslav brand of capitulation, under the porting on the destruction of the have always appreciated China's aid, considering it an expression of name of a new kind of 'socialism', to capitalism. Now the Chinese British shoe industry, pointing to the Chinese people's internationalism, from one socialist country to leadership makes a pilgrimage to the shrine of anti-Marxist "self- the activity of the British Shoe another, serving the general cause of revolution and socialism in the management socialism 11 just as Khruschev did back in 1955. Tito's Corporation- owners of True world. At the same time, Albania has never considered its friendship Yugoslavia has not changed. It is still the premier revisionist country Form., Freeman Hardy Willis, with the people of any country as a means of economic profit and it has of Europe, the birthplace of Eurocommunism and the first member of Manfield, Dolcis, Saxone and permitted nobody to regard economic aid as an investment by which the socialist bloc to sell out to US imperialism. Who then has charged! Lilley and Skirmer. It pointed out views can be imposed from outside. The Party of Labour of Albania sternly w3.rns the Chinese leadership that the BSC was profiting from When the Party of Labour of Albania defended the Communist Party "Your uniting with Tito now and the suspicious allinnces you are trying destruction by importing cheap of China from the revisionist attacks of Khruschev at the Bucharest and to piece together in the Balkans pose a great danger to the peoples of {£2. 90 a shoe on average) and Moscow meetings of 1960, it was not to obtain some factories and trac- this peninsula, to the Yugoslav, Albanian, Greek, Turkish and other selling dear (£7. 99). We all know tors in return; when Albania for many years defended against all the peoples ... Therefore, the peoples of the world must be vigilant toward: how much prices have gone up plot~ of the US imperialists the rights of People's China in the UN, it the Chinese intrigues in this region." since then. Now, when a record was not out of material interest; when the whole working class of What must seem puzzling to the world at large is the Chinese leader- 30,000 complaints have been re- Albania supported the Cultural Revolution in China to save the country ship, which makes such a play of defending little countries against big ceived this year over the quality from capitalist-minded usurpers, it was not for the sake of compensa- and opposing economic discrimination against developing countries by of shoes bought, it has been re- tion. imperialist powers, should show itself in relations with Albania and vealed that 47p in the pound you Mao Tsetung said in 1962 of the aid Albania was giving to China: Vietnam just such a bully itself. pay for a shoe is BSC's pure "First of all, we must thank you, because you stand in the forefront, By cutting short aid to socialist Albania and Vietnam at a time when profit. Following a Price Commi- because you are in a very difficult situation and persistently fight to it receives aid and credits from US imperialism and European capital- ssion investigation BSC have pro- defend Marxism-Leninism." And Chou En-Lai said of aid to Albania ism and, in turn, supplies aid and credits to such clients of capitalism mised not to put their prices up in 1971: ''We are doing our internationalist duty and it will be betrayal as Mobutu, the Chinese leadership shows that all the talk about being a for a year. How nice. if we do not help you ... As the bastion of socialism in Europe, you ''third world" power itself,only concerned with the well-being of the are fighting against imperialism, revisionism and all reaction. If we do "third world 11,is just so much eye-wash. The theory of the "three not help you, we would not be internationalist communists, but traitors. 11 worlds" was concocted long ago by reactiol}ary apologists for capitalism Albania has not changed since that time. Albania is still the bastion to conceal the reality of colonial exploitation: and the Chinese leader- CHARING CROSS Road in London of socialism in Europe. Who then has changed! ship uses that anti- Marxist concept for the same reason- to cover its is generally known for its second- The niggling examples given in the Chinese note of alleged technolo- own bid for "super-power" status using the "third world" countries as hand books, its art prints and its gical waywardness by the Albanians are rejected by the letter as dis- pawns. music shops. Winding gently down tortions and fabt·ications. And, in any case, even if there were any The Albanian Party of Labour promises that the Chinese note of from Oxford Street's commercial truth in them at all, could they serve as adequate justification of this July 7, announcing the end of aid to Albania and the reasons for it, will glare to Trafalgar Square, it is a one-sided cessation of economic and military aid to a country with be published in full in ZERI I POPULLJT and hopes that their letter of curiously civilised street. This is which the closest and friendliest ties had existed for some time? In July 29 will be published in RENJ\ID'N RIBAO. "The Parts of Labour of largely due to one line of 18th Ceo- mentioning specifically the military aid being discontinued, the Chinese Albania, the Albanian Government and people will fight to preserve tury shops along its southeastern ~ note breached Albania's secret defensive arrangements and ran the risk Albanian-Chinese friendship, which is a friendship between peoples ... side. In the name of progress of exposing its military situation .to the enemies of the Sociaiist Repub- They are sure the Chinese people will make a correct assessment of these are now to be destroyed. In lie in NATO anU th(! Warsaw Pact. the Albanian stand and will know how to judge the anti-Albanian nets of their place there is to be erected The Chinese note makes no mention of the fact that the experts and the Chinese leadership." a giant new souvenir shop for the specialists recalled have been handsomely paid by the Albanian people The letter concludes: "Th-e People's Socialist Republic of Albania benefit of tourists. But the reason during their stay. No one who has ever visited Albania will believe for and the Albanian people, under the cortststm'itleadership of the Party tourists come to this country is a moment the ridiculous charge that the Albanian workers, specialists of Labour of Albania, with comrade Enver Hoxha at their head, will precisely because of the existence and managers, did not have the utmost regard and appreciation for their thoroughly and honourably fulfil their historic mission for the construe- of roads like Charing Cross. comrades who had come from China to share their technological skills; tion of socialism by relying on their own forces, further proving to the Capitalism can't do a thing right! and the memorial service for a Chinese comrade killed in an industrial proletariat and all the peoples of the world the inexhaustible and accident gave the whole country the opportunity of expressing its heart- indomitable vitality of the Marxist-Leninist ideology, which enables felt gratitude. Still, just as happened when the Soviet revisionists even a small country, encircled by imperialism and revisionism, as broke off all agreements with China and Albania., the Chinese special- Albania is, to build socialism successfully, to defend and carry it THE recent case of a shepherd in ists, on orders from above, either burnt or took away with them all always ahead. 11 West Wales who was only paid £7 blue prints of the incompleted projects which were being built in Albania a week and had wages arrears of £15000, illustrates a problem facing many agricultural workers: Farmers are prepared to exploit Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia ten years on and many farmworkers simply tolerate their miserable conditions. TEN YEARS ago, on August 20, let one of tts minions make deals Czechoslovakia did not follow the While some 65 per cent of 1968, the tanks and troops of the with the US or West Germany Albanian example and learn to Czechoslovakia's industrial po­ Soviet Union invaded Czechoslo­ when tt was beginning to estab­ stand on its own feet as a genuine tential must be diverted to making vakia, allegedly to defend social­ lish such links itself. socialist country. consumer goods for the Russian BEFORE a company pays any tax ism, but in reality to protect The Russian invasion of Si nee the invasion little news market, it has to buy, at greatly to the Government a.n allowance is Russian imperialist interests. Czechoslovakia had nothing what­ has come out of Czechoslovakia inflated prices, Soviet products given to cover the cost of replacing As our Party statement issued at ever to do with the protecting or of workers' struggles. The Bri­ it does not need or which it could machinery as it wears out. It has the time stated:- restoring of socialism. The tish press and media in general buy more cheaply elsewhere. "What the Soviet leadership very people who had destroyed the are only interested in the enemies Most dangerous of all, it has been recently revealed by the is defending in Czechoslova­ Bolshevik state were not likely to of socialism, the so-called chAm­ been sucked into Rus.sian military Bank of England that this tax al­ lowance, coupled with 'investment Kia i9' not socialism, but the start rebuilding it in Cze~hoslo­ pions of human rights, Charter plans and has little room for rna- political, economic and vakia even if it were possible to 77 and the like. These ~re noth- noeuvre. grants' from the Government, military subordination of build socialism from outside, ing more than capitalists and those Tied militarily and economi- amounted in recent years to more certain countries in Eastern which it is not. The mighty Red who want to take back Czechoslova- cally to the Soviet Union, the only than the total investments ma.de by Europe- the system where­ Army could not be used to export kia to private capitalism under hope for the working class of the whole of the private sector by the Soviet Union controls revolution during the great days US domination. Czechoslovakia is revolution. Not put together. the trading relationships of of Lenin and Stalin as socialism But there i·s resistance- not the spring of 1968 which was noth- these countries for its own is not an exportable commodity on a large scale as yet - which ing more than a call to restot·e imperialist advantage, thus but must be fought for within is anxious to free the country bourgeois capitalism, but October turning them into satellites." each country by its working class from the ever-growing strangle- 1917 should be their clarion call. LAST year's increase in tuition Czechoslovakia had stopped be­ and its allies. hold of Russian imperialism. Albania stands all alone, the fees for students is having its de­ ing a socialist country long before The Russian army of 1968, an Under the pretext of integra- only socialist state in Eastern sired effect. Having put up the the invasion. The dismantling of arm of Russian imperialism ting Eastern Europe the Russians Europe with neither Soviet tank fees for postgraduates from £182 socialism had started under and the Warsaw Pact, Invaded have developed bilateral arrange- nor Chinese gun to protect her, to £750 the number of students Novotny. Dubcek was more naked Czechoslovakia to suppress the ments which were less than 20 a but she has the most important going on to postgraduate study in his revisionism and his dcsiL·e people and prevent them from decade ago but now ~ave risen weapon of all - a united people has d rapped by 5 per cent in a. to embrace western imperialism rising up. The invasion. planned to more than 50. These bilateral determined to fight for socialism single year. The effect on under­ directly so that a1w ad\'antage with the full knowledge of US im­ agreements. ostensibly to pro- under t~e leadership of a Marxist- graduates is less marked beca.use incurred would benefit him and his perialism, then sevet·ely under teet the mutual interests of both Leninist Communist Party. The of a. different finance system, but clique rather than the Hussians. pressure a.t the hands of the countries, are very one-sided. way forward for Czechoslovakia even here the increase in numbers The Kremlin was not going to Vietnamese, was to see that is clear. has been lower than forecast: Page 3 £DITORIAL Military threat to air safety ON TilE FACE of it the Labour Government's whole Chrysler operation looks like sheer lunacy. It pours millions and THE FRENCH air traffic control- Of Fr:utce. in. Civilian status for Spanish millions of pounds into an American motor car company and lers' work to rule is as much 1\Tilitary aircr=tft threaten all controllers had to be won b,· claims that this 'generous' offer of our money as taxpayers to about the safety of passengers a~ passengers in Europe. We remem- strike action in 1976 and H)77, Chrysler is to save our jobs as Chrysler workers. llut its nbout salaries. Safety is Un·ea- ber the accusation of disrupting Y ct the Sp:mi sh Govenu:nent whole 'anti-inflationary· policy is designed precisely to in­ tened by obsolete equipment and "defence" levelled at British admits that .. with the sky crowded creasa unemployment - the only growth area in the Britisl1 overloaded work schedules, and assistant controllers laSt summer. b~· profit-grabbing ai rlincs and economy. Then when Chrysler almost immediately sells out by military aircraft which make They went on regardless to win warplnnes~thcrc are not enough to Peugeot -Citroen we discover that over CSOm of our money a skilled job even more difficult 8 per cent and n flat-rate bonus. controllers. TI1c certainty that, given to Chrysler to save our jobs was not even a loan to by their reluctance to conform to In West Germany agitation unless standards :uc impro,·ed, Chrysler but an outright gift. And furthermore there is no the civilian system. by n..ir traffic controllers there will be a new air disaster assurance at all that Peugeot-Citroen has any intention of pre­ Behind the dispute is the threat since their actiorl in 1973 to force is whnt gives urgency to the ' serving intact the companies acquired from Chrysler and the of intervention by the armed for- militnry nircraft to identify them- French controllers' demands. jobs associated with them: e es. In 1973 the French Govern- selves has had some success. Passengers' lives nrc at But the appearance of utter madness on the Government's ment tried to bre:lk :1. strike by Italy's controllers have long been stake. But the n.uthorities refuse part disappeers as soon as we stop thin icing of state operations ordering in military air traffic pressing to lose their present to move and treat them like cattle in a capitalist society as being in any way concerned with the controllers. The result was the military status, and thls, coupled in ~ attempt to goad them against interest of the working class and see them for what they are - death of 68 passengers in a mid­ witll agitation in the Air Force, the controllers. So far, to no desperate attempts to bolster up a capitalism in decline all air collision over the South may force the Government to give avail. over the world. The one incontestable fact to emergP. from the business is that a capitalist firm, Chrysler, has made a big profit quite unconnected with whether it was actually produc­ ing any cars anybody wanted or not. There is no doubt that Iran: base for reaction. Double fares Peugeot-Citroen will do the same. SINCE the West Yorkshi rc P:ts­ The only key to an understanding of what is happening any­ THE present upsurge against the of Mossadegh and reinstated the where in the capitalist world is the realisation that capitalism fascist Shah is a people 1s move­ exiled Shah. The people of Ir:ut senger Transport Executive was fanned 4 years ago, bus fares is not interested in making things for people to use, only I n ment, not the movement of a few will never let the Shah escape have doubled: now there is to be making profits whatever happens to people in the process. religious fanatics, as the capita­ again. His regime has been Free enterprise capitalism, like some carnivorous monster, list press would have us believe. maintained because it is used as a further increase, 12i per cent. Eager to give the impression artacks one industry after another, gorges on it while enormous Its extent is such that martial a policeman of imperio.list inte­ .rests in the Middle East. Defence that the WYPTE was not breaking profits are still to be made and then leaves the carcass in the law has been imposed in numbers any 10 per cent norms, :1. spokes­ care of the capitalist state while it finds some new more pro­ of cities - with all the brutal accounts for 27 per cent of the man claimed that the effective in­ fitable industry to batten on. Thus coal, iron and steel, rail repression characteristic of the national budget and it is the lar­ crease would be only 9. 54 per transport, shipbuilding have each in turn fed the monster and Shah. gest importer of arms in the cent when the loss of passengers when its appetite for profit could no longer be sated were left We should remember that the world. due to the increased f:tres was to be supported by the state, left that is, to be maintained in present rule of the Shah was es­ Anyone who supports the fas­ a crippled condition by us the taxpayers. Not only does the tablished by British and U.S impe­ cist Shah regime condones the taken into account. It would appear that the job of monster desert vast areas of industry like the flight from rialism 25 years ago when they slaughter of the Iranian people, a modern Passenger Transport labour-intensive industries to capital-intensive industries; bur overthrew the popular government and ts helping to raise a force Executive is not to run a bus ser­ it also is continuously on the move to any place where an as for war and misery. vice, but to destroy it using the yet unorganised labour force promises easy profits with little clever tactic of rnising fares. opposition. And as it goes careering around the world in its reckless pursuit of high profits, the various capitalist states Agricultural workers are left to pick up the pieces and try to make some sense out NEARLY 5000 farm workers atten- the debate on EEC membership, of the chaos capitalism leaves in its wake. ded the recent Tolpuddle = martyrs and a motion calling for complete In Brief That is what is happening to the motor car industry. Infla­ rally in Dorset, where Minister of withdrawal from the EEC was lost, ted to gigantic size out of all proportion to people's real needs Agriculture, Silkin, took the op- while there was no firm decision THE UNIONS at the Bristol firm when it was enormously profitable it is now, particularly in the portunity of announcing the Govern- on a motion calling for the nboli­ of Masson, Scott, Thrissel hnve older industrialised countries, turning into a starved ward of ment's intended 5 per cent pay tion of the Agricultural Wages demanded an investigation fnto the tile srare. limit, but only heavy rain greeted Board. Clarity was restored in purchase of cutting n.nd winding Professor Jewkes, one of the old-fashioned economists who his speech. The general secretary the election for President (the machinery by the Thames Board still believes in the capacity of a free market to solve all of the agricultural workers' union, most influential post in the union) Mill Company. This comp:my was economic problems, describes the struggle between free en­ Jack Boddy, quickly established when John Hose, a forestry wor- given a £10m grn.nt by the Govern­ terprise capitalism and the collectivist bureaucratic capital­ th at the union would have nothing ker, gained a clear majority over ment for the installation of new ism of state intervention and nationalisation as "the struggle to do with any 5 per cent since the !.be..J,.lnion's sponsored MP. between Adam Smith and Karl Marx ... machinery at their Workington recent biennial conference had Overall the conference reflec- plant. Out of this grant they have State bureaucratic capitalism has nothing whatever to do d ecided on a bold new wages ted the weaknesses of the union, given a £2. 5m contract to a West with Marxism - only with capitalism itself in a morbid condi­ policy of £80 minimum wage by but with a clear sighted wages German firm despite the fact that tion of decline. Capitalism today can no more survive without 1979 and £100 by 1980. policy and fresh leadership, the machinery to the same specifica­ nationalisation of those industries which are essential but non­ Conference was clear on its NUAAW is well armed for the tion was tendered by MST. profitable than a crippled man can get along ·without crutches. wages policy, defeating a more next two years. It is up to the That is why when workers call for more nationalisation as the The situation is made even· moderate executive amendment. membership to use these weapons more absurd by the fact that MST remedy for their ills they are only calling for the continuing But confusion was evident during effectively. survival of the system that exP,loits them. Our concern is to themselves have received some get rid of the monster capitalism itself, together with the state subsidy through the print and crutches, pep pills and what not we indirectly supply ourselves paper industry to develop their to prop up the moribund beast. Council housing cuts range of machinery. In the meantime we have to defend our jobs, wages and the The workers at MST have poin­ THE GLC 's policy of selling off. based on the ability to pay rather ted out that it is their money which very industries capitalism is bent on destroying. How our council houses to tenants reached than on the basis of people's just demands are met is the Government's concern; but that is being spent. They see no reason a crucial stage when a document needs. why 70 per cent of the grant to they are in fact, met must be the concern of the whole Labour revealed that more than 1000 The document further reveals movement. Thames Board Mills sho~ld be ~LC hom~s are standing empty a"callous attitude on the part of uSed to connive at the destruction awaiting buyers while thousands the GLC officials. They are to of British industry. of tenants are waltlng to be embark on a £250,000 campaign WORKER lETTER rehoused through transfers and to sell off 10,000 by next April. the waiting list. Other costs include a £2.5 mlJ·- To Zeri i Popullit What is so obnoxious about lion on private estate agents, BATH'S Community Ht}alth Coun- August 8, 1978 Tirana, Albania thts scheme is that newly com- . surve)"'rs and other professional cil is "deeply concernt

More wages, Q. Who is involved? A. Basic grade social workers, trainees and untrained social fewer hours workers are raking the action, and we have almost roral support after a postal ballot and our branch's backing. Elsewhere, continued from page Hammersmith have already gar local negotiations, Tower initiates widespread decline Hamlets and Newcastle are on strike, Lewisham have taken and intends to cripple the one -day actions, and most London boroughs, and Liverpool, workers' capacity to resist. are planning to take action soon. Workers will have to eman­ cipate themselves and wi ll Q. What about the Whirley Council? have to secure every puny A. The principles we are fighting for include rejection of the advance themselves. Noth ing Whitley machinery as the negotiating body, local negotiations will be bestowed upon them. instead, recognition of increased responsibilities, and there­ Let this be a Congress of fore proper grading and pay. no illusion. The situation is grave and the task is imme nse. Q. !low successful have you been so far? Labour and Tory are pygmies. A. It is Still early days yet, but local actions are spreading Let the giant working class all round the country. We have been surpr-ised by the degr~e turn to itself for salvation. of local support from other council workers We will call off our action only when we ger a concrete acceptance from the council of our right ro local negotiations. The next issue The next issue of The Worker Down with the 5 per cent will appear in 2 weeks' time A CLAIM for a 47 per cent pay General Council's overwhelming on 7th September rise by 18,000 heating :111d venti­ rejection of the Government policy lating engineers, represented by to limit wage increases to 5 per the No.tional Union of Sheet Metal cent . Workers, is a flat challenge to "This decision reflects the Trade unions undermine war effort Government guidelines. It \vill be feeling of our members who have followed by a similar clnim by had enough of Government guide­ Pl1ESSUI~E of industrial action top administrators, as dZ.ivcrs, The civilian workers' success 30 ,000 plumbers. lines, Phases one, two and three, has forced the government to supported by security guards has given a big boost to the The Civil Service unions, rep­ which subjected them to untold come up witr. an offer which maintenance men and canteen campaign for recruitment resenting 500,000 white- collar difficulties in defending :tnd im­ may be acceptable to the sraff, struck for 24 hours. among the ranks as well. A workers, have drawn up plans for proving their living standards. 183,000 industrial civil ser­ Metropolitan police drivers, joint approach ro Mulley has strike action to enforce their "We urge the TUC :md all vants in their wages fight. supported by other workers, just been made by 20 unions, s troggle agaHtst- Government wage­ unions to stand united and firm in The basic rate will rise were out for a day to produce both industrial and white- fixing. rejecting attempts to impose per­ from 1:.12 ..)0 ro CH. 80, with rile "serious disruption of collar, while the AUEW and As :111 expression of this mili­ manent wa.ge controls and to give Phase I and II increases now police work" promised by the ASTMS have been pressing tancy on the issue of collective full support to :my muon that is consoHJated into that figure. Civil Service Union. From for members. bargaining running through the involved in struggle and requests Whitehall's response to Portsmouth to the Clyde, and Before long "dumb inso- labour movement can be quoted assista.nce to achieve its claim." the blacking of the four wret­ ever since the first c' July, lence··, that favourite offi- the following resolution: This was carried unanimously ched nuclear submarines wns no military establishment cers' charge, will be a thing "This London South District by London South AUEW. nothing short of panicky. For could be relied upon. of the past. As the union Committee welcomes the TUC all their J

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