ment, was directed at the housing problem in Boghton. The Trades Council has supported the scudents initiative and pledged itself to oreanse a campaten is comuncHoD wEE local tenants associations and a rank and-tile committee of University students.
Part of a letter from the Trades Council runs as follows "Since this area bas a grase housing problem already, it has heen suggested that a joint statement be drawn up by the Trades Council, the Students Cron and the Federation of Tenants Associations. Jl is teil that student pressure for bousing must worsen ar existing local crisis, and it is important teet local people see who is truly responsible for this situation. Such a statement could be issued to the press and on our part circulated This dear statement by the Trades Council that the responsiblicy for the sicuation lies mat with students but with the State is a big step OTHE BETEL EARNIEL Red Winkiy 12 October 1973 Page 2 The struggle for the reinstatement of a sacked engineers shop stewird at Footprint Tools in Sheffield, is still deadlocked. Aport from a formal meeting between the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers and the General and Municipal Workers Union whose members are continuing to scab on the strike), the only new development has been the decision by a special meeting al 250 shop stewards from all over Sheffield to call for a district stoppage on Friday 12 October.
The Footprint strikers had a right to expect a serious attempt to mobilise engineering workers in the district sor an all-out strike. The Footprint Strike Commirtee considers to local trade union branches and workplaces? struggle is to be won. Although a few speakers at the meeting called for a district strike including Pete Wilson. iche sacked Foorprint steward) cheir hope were dashed by the CP dominated District Committee: The leading Cl stewards and conveners denourced a district strike us 'unrealistic - They counterposed a one-day stoppage and demonstration on 11 October, to coincide with the court appearatoes of the cight pickets who. were arrested in a clash with the police on 21 September. Yel another mass picket was called for that morning. outside notprint, to remind the strikers that toey had not been forgotten The bipeest threat to the fate al che struggle is the deliberate attempt by the CP to suppress any moves toward a district strike. It is imperalive that militants in the district continue to agitare for an ali-nul stoppage, despite the CP's. sabotage. This perspective is the oniy 'realistic" ace! it is those who think that the struenie can he won by one day stoppage and occasional pickers, who are the dreamers.
TERRY CRAWFORD as yet no end in sight to the unprecedented world milation and so every reason to expect that inflation in the next rear will be at ieast the T per cent nocessary before any threshold agreements are activated. This means that virtually the whole of any money wage increases will be swallowed up by inflation. Worse than this almost all workers pay u higher rate of tax on any increase in wages than they pay on their total exasting pay, so the rise in take home pay will be markedly Jess than the 7 per cent rise in nominal pay. In spite of Heath's claims that price control would be much tighter under Phase 3 the regulations remain exactly the same as under Phase 2. The insignificant dilference is that 1200 tirms bave to notily price increases to the Price Commission as they are made, they do not require permission to ruise their prices So when all the jumble is cleared out of the way the essence of the P'base 3 proposals is that for the great majority of the working class the Tory government is planning another year of stagnant or declining living standards.