the Leyland shop stewards' 'rank and file TUC' in Birmingham this weekend is to begin to organise a socialist opposition to the betrayals meted out by the Labour leaderships.
No trade unionist could disagree with the Conference organisers that the only part of the Social Contract to Suck mas occa unc waze resuant Now steps must also be taken to bring an end to the rest of the miserable policies in tnis acal The best way to defeat Phase 3 is by smashing Phase 2. Unions like the reverse their policy of support for wage restraint. But it's no good to mit the ent to Dressurine curren negotiations for Phase 3. A fight needs to be launched now to regain wages already lost under the Social Contract.
The grand strategy of the AUEW/ TASS leaves a lot to be desired. Its 'campaign on four fronts' shies away -rom any conrontalion Government over Phase 2. It consists of nothing more than: informing the membershin or what nev nave lostras if the effects haven't yet been felt!). restoring differentials for highly paid workersthut what about the less well off?), pressing equal pay claims, and pushing claims for low pay allowed under the Employment Protection Act. Inrefusing to mount a fight now, all ine pans in tae word wilicad to little morethan a further round of pay FOSLEGTEEE STRIKE Organise to force union leaders to call or a namona general strike against the Social Contract on 20 April. This is the day Parliament reassembles. what better ume to snow these mis-leaders that the whole ragbag of Social Contract policies needs to be kickea out: unemployment social services cuts, inflation and wagerestraint. 20 April on its own will not end the anacks or the working class. The Communist Party are content to organise one-off protest acLIOnS to convInCe mCICIE LECHO DE Ene movement of their mistaken support for the Social Contract. The 'left' leaders like boo wrient are naboy to say they are opposed to wage restraint and at the sametimesupport Labour's Manifesto. Yet the Social Contract is at the centre of the Manifesto.
BLATANT Scanlon doesn't go in for such niceties. His class collaboration is blatant. His support for the Social Contract leads nim to sce will ne bosses and tell the toolroom workers *Go back or get the sack' These leaders cannot be relied upon to take up the job of smashing Social Contract. What is needed is rank and file action which can force national strike action from union leaders.
Organise militants at every level of the union and the community into a SOCHIISI ODDOSIUON попило socialist policies. The Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade mons out our a cal arts November meeting for local committees of trade unionists. town public meetings, mass leafletting and widespread picketing are the Dest ways to turn inese commince into fighting bodies. 20 April will be a major focus for the work of these in ine near turure. buritis norenourn Immediate steps must be taken to make these committees into ongoing Dooles waging a men against 1n0 Social Contract on all fronts. Local conferences of the workers movement. centred on opposition to une Social Contract, provide an opportunity to thrash out a set of alterna tive socialist Dolces essentia to a united fightback. Labour Government's days are numbered.
class collaboration policies they have pursued.
intended they should.
the throat of the working class since it took office.
policy. Much more it seems. the crisis "for the nation as a whole' CHALLENGED only way they can be challenged.
organised fight for a set strategy in the interests of the working class.
community or in the factory collaboration of Murray and Jones must be launched onase orinis wace-siasnine allance unites all workers -women will guarantee that the leaders tomorrow leaders. On wages, struggle will give the lie to the members will go to the wall if there is a 'free for all' One sure thing that the Lib-Lab pact signifies is that this One governmental crisis after the other will be in store for these Labour leaders. They have brought it on themselves - through the This pact - which means the continuation of Labour's vicious measures - must be broken. The Liberals have assured us that socialist policies will now not see the light of day. Labour never But a united fight around a socialist programme is exactly what is needed to end the poverty and misery Labour has forced down This is the only way that Jones' and Murray's attempts to cobble together another round of wage limits can be stopped. These mis-leaders claim the Social Contract is more than an incomes They say it holds the key to solving What nonsense!
It certainly serves the interests of the bosses. But for working class people it means a never-ending round of cuts in social services, losses in jobs and spiralling prices. And the working class is expected to exercise wage restraint in exchange for this!
The architects of Phase 3 deserve to be treated in kind. That's the . Calls for a return to free collective Dargaining wont be enougn to do the job. vrat is needed is al of alternative policies - a socialist At every level of the workers movement - whether it be in the La socialist opposition to the class The wages policy is a central plank of the Social Contract. All of the union leaders are clamouring in their support for yet another Only a clear alternative which whether skilled unskilled, low-paid, fragmented and isolated struggles or today become a concerted chanenge to une mis A socialist opposition to do iust that must fiaht to end unem ployment, to put a stop to the cuts in social spending, and to deal a death blow to all the anti-working class policies of the Labour militants armed win porcies to unne ine bureaucrats' claims that 'their and shouldn't bear the brunt of it.
Protect wages against inflation the constant chase to keep up to price rises.
wages were forthcoming. CANO suffered wage cuts For a cost of living index drawn up by the unions. wage increases must class. The Government's indexes are useless.
ment's index says the figure is only 15 per cent An end to low pay. minimum wage. Alan Fisher calls wage slashing policies any longer.
DC OUDOSCU must be restored. Workers are not to blame for the capitalist crisis . For every 1 per cent increase in prices, there should be an automatic equal increase in wages. Only then will workers be in a position to improve real wages. An end to Any delay in payment of automatic increases is out of the ques tion. Heath's 'threshold agreements' were hopeless. Workers had to wait until prices went up a full 7 per cent before any increases in Swine they wert Wartille.
Automatic гечест real once uses ter by stre They include items that aren't even part of the working class budget. Not surprisingly, these items are ones that tend to rise in price more slowly than the basic items like food. Food has risen 22 per cent. Yet the GovernEqual pay now. an immediate 150 on the low paid to support an incomes policy rather than a tree for all. But to succumb to ni arguments means to shirk the fight for the whole labour movement to take its responsibilities in protecting the interests of the lower paid. The fate of the lower paid can't be left up to the Government's Equal pay means more than just pay equal to the lowest paid men. It means ending women's low wages through low grading o jobs. All grading schemes that discriminate against women must
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NOW FOR The most urgent task confronting militants attending
DUTCH WORKERS WIN INFLATION LINKED For across the board increases. The wage cuts of Phases 1 and 2