Last Friday, some 600 rank-and-file engineering workers turned out to lobby the opening of negotiations between the AUEW and the Engineering Employer's Federation over this year's national engineering cisim. While the turn-out for the lobby was rather small, it did represent a good cross-section of areas and major pl ants.
A report-back meeting organised by the rank-and-lile paper Engineering Voice, was told that the employers would be meeting this week to disc uss the claim for a ElO rise in basic rates, a 35 hour work week ,4 weeks paid holiday, and equal pay for women. Their reply to the claim is expected within a month Unfortunately the organisers of the report-back meeting did not use the opportunity to reaffirm the pledge of the rocent Engineering Voice conference to work for a national strike in the event of a rejection of the claim. Instead a vague resolution was adopted reaffirming support for the full claim and rejecting outside interference" in the negotiations iby which they presumably meant any attempt by the Tory government to umpose wage restraint).
There is, however, nothing 'outside" abour the interference of the Tories they are just as much a part of the ruling, capitalist class of this country as is the Engineering Employers Fedcration. And the fact remains that any big wage claim will have to be fought for not only against individunl employers or groups of employ cis. but against the Tory Governrent as well. That is why no opportunity should be lost to prepare the engineering workers — and the entire The political squall which blew u working class movement - for the big fight ahead One positive feature of the inceting was the call for a really mass demonstration when the employers make their reply to the claim. The imm ediate task for militants in the eng ineering industry must be to use this occasion for a massive display of the detormination of the engin cers to fight for the full claim. It should be the first major step in the campaign to prepare for a national Special Shop Stewards quarteres should be held across the country to prepare for this lobby, and a National Labby Committee of deleg ales from the quarterlies should be set up to coordinate plans on a It is also Important that district levies are organised immediately so that the funds are available for the effective organisation of activities like the lobby, and the beginnings are made on a fund for the conduct of the national strike.
The employers are already organising. The workiog class movement cannot afford to delay its preparatcoming battles any CASHTEN Southern role in the North of Ire Representatoes of seweral black orga isations pickated the Trinidad High Ce mmission in London lest work, prote ting the incrnasing repression in Tri ided. At lease 0 young people have be shot by police. They have include B virley Jones leister of Anthes one of the Mangrove Nine) who shot in custody by the police.
Douglas Gregs. a member of the Nu Beginning Movement, shot while putti up a poster in Tunapuna. Several othe are in solitary confinement and hav suffered police torture.
Messages of protest to the Prime Min ister, Whiteball, Porr of Spain; copie to Trinidad Express, Independevice 5q ware, Port of Spain.
A new rise in working class struggle he opened in Trinidad, Striking sugar war kers recently created workers commit tees which refused to allow the bur aucrats of the state-controlled unior The thousands of unemployed yout! provide mass support for the revolut lonary left, and a new armed group, th National Union of Freodom Fighters The Trinidadian Army itself is unrelia ble, following the 1970 general stric in which soldiers committees were fo med. Now the police, newly trained and armed by the US., are carryim our the reen in preparton, u left believe, for a new State of Em erpency.
HISTORY WORKSHOP IN LONDO Did Theatre, London School of Econo mimi, W.C2.
Sat-Stm, 70-21 Ocraber "IDEOLOGY, FAMILY, WORK, HOME Papers include Catherine Hall "History o the Housewife", Tim Mason Women in Nazi Germany, Anna Davin Shop Girls and Clerks in 19th Century London from Sarah and Sid Will, 40 Eider Aua., London N.8