and Courtaulds were forced to announce the following day that they would not call in the police again. But at the very moment, at was also announced that special police strike breaking squads are being organised on permanent standby, ready to attack strike pickets and demonstrators at a moment's notice.
CHALLENGE This is a very serious challenge to the Labour movement. The industrial struggles this winter are likely to be even more bitter than those we have seen over the last year, and the trade union bosses are totally unprepared. They have accepted the principle of wage restraint and are simply haggling over the percentage points. Vie Feather has also accepted the principle of police intervention against strikers: Mr Carr was fulsome in his praise for Feather on this very point. It is therefore vital that militants in every area should take the initiative into their own hands, unite to establish a class struggle policy to defend working class living standards, and set up committees to organise the defence of the trade unions against capitalist attacks in the months ahead. The annual conference of the Anti-Internment League voted overwhelmingly last weekend to reaffirm its "solidarity with all those socialist and Republican organisations struggling against British imperialism in The conference opened with a slight air of depression, resulting from a newspaper interview given by paid organiser John Gray. In the interview, given almost a week before conference, but kept secret from the committee and members of the AlL until its appearance in print the day before the conterence, Gray claimed that he was resigning in order to give himself greater freedom to criticise both wings of the Republican movement.
This was the first that many of the committee members had heard of Gray's criticism. He denied that his resignation was connected with the falling off of finance to the AIL, which had made it impossible to pay him his full wage. its release, the conference got off to a good start, with 49 delegates from the branches and affiliate organisations.
Two motions on the agenda seemed to criticise the solidarity position which the League had taken earlier this year. One, from IS, was withdrawn after IMG had moved an amendment to it. The other, from Haringey AlL, which sought to delete the solidarity position, was massively defeated. Bob Purdie, formerly Scottish organiser of the ISC, was elected as organiser on a part time basis. The new committee includes John Gray and members of both wings of the Republican movement, IMG Workers Fight, IS, PD, as well as independents.
DEMONSTRATION The next major event planned by the AIL is a demonstration in London on 12 Novemover Britain. Posters advertising this demo were distributed to delegates, and a draft model leaflet is expected to be ready for branches to copy during the next week. A leaflet from Central London AIL, distributed at the conference, said in part, "The November 12th demonstration must be the key point in our work following the conference. It may not be as big as previous demonatrations. But it will be a more powerful testimony of our determination to keep up the fight, than a larger demonstration at a time of spontaneous mobilisation. It will be a political focus for the work of all branches, and will be especially useful for assisting new and weak branches". After conference, the new organiser, Bob Purdie, appealed to all revolutionary socialist groups, Irish organisations, trade unions, student unions, Soc Socs, etc. to support the November Demonstration and to help build a mass movement of solidarity with the Irish struggle.
Brian Slocock looks at little overtime being worked - means that