have already both been given the go-ahead by neir own umons. Many T&G delegates obviously felt that Mr. Jones's presence would curb any tendency to compromise on the part of the otber negotiators. Jones 5 own argument was that the Tories would use any move to break off the talks future general election.
But this merely reveals the burcatcracy's lack of fuith in the ability of the working class to impose its own solutions to the capitalist crisis, ir respoctive of governments. Jones wants to state the case to the Goveroment. But the Government has already made it clear that it sill not give way to the demands of cle unions. Too much tune has already been lost. Isomediate steps must bo tuken to launch a rank-and-tile canpain against the talks and any denl which may come out of them.
This Saturday the professional conduct committee of the National Union of Teachers is due to hear the charges against the three members of the Wandsworth Teachers Association, arising out of 'disturbances' at the 27 February Central Hall meeting.
It was at this meeting that the NUT bureaucracy clashed with those teachers (the overwhelming mijority present) who were unwilling to follow the Executive in acceptance of Phase 2 and defeat on the salaries and London Allowance claims. The inahility of the bureaucrats to cope with the militants led first to their backdoor retreat from Central Hall and later to their attacks on rank and file activity - removal of the right of local associations to take strike action and now victimisation of the Wandsworth 3.
No-one is fooled by the unprofessional conduct charges of Mr W. Roy Porter, of the Greenwich Association, a thinly disguised attempt to pick out and discipline three well known militants. The message is clear: the NUT bureaucracy intends to show that it will not tolerate opposition to its policies. In this it is in line with a general attempt of the trade union bureaucracy to crack down on rank and file strength in preparation for a possible deal with the Tories over It is these issues which teachers defending the Wandsworth 3 must take up. It is not sufficient to defend them on a purely legalistic basis or even on the politics of the Central Hall meeting. The issues at stake are the issues that will be central to the interests of the working class over-the coming year. The defence must by turned to attack, attack on the way the Executive handled the last salary struggle, their failure to go beyond the 'special case argument, failure to take up the question of the Freeze, Tallure to link up with other sections of the working class. We must show that far from weakening the Union the strategy proposed by the Wandsworth 3 represents the only way forward for the mass of teachers.
This strategy must be organised for throughout the union in preparation for the next salaries claim, when it will be more important than ever to have the correct position on Phase 3 and coordinated action with other sections of the working class. To this end Rank & File Teachers should call a conference of all militants in the NUT to discuss opposition to Phase 3, the basis of this conference to be opposition to the TUC-Government talks and any form of incomes policy.
The prerequisite for such a strategy is the defence of the Wandsworth 3. As a first stap in this campaign as many roachers as possible should attend the picket and rally at Hamilton House at 9.00 a m. on Saturday 13th July. It must be made abundantly clear to the Executive that they are going to have a fight on their hands but also, and more importantly, other members of the NUT must be shown that there is within the wion an alternative to the policies of the Executive.
Paul Grey and Andrew Lenz Last week more than half the petrol stations in the United States were rationing petrol to consumers; 1000 have closed down since the be ginning of the year. Last week, too, severe petrol shortages suddenly developed all over Italy. Such facts are used to support the contention of the US State Department, the major oil companies and the ecological lobby that there is a mansive world energy crisis - the beginning of the end of the world's fuel supplies.