The miners are now the spear ead of the struggle against the Tor Government, and the watchword of every working class mulitant must be: All Out With The Miners.
Every masure possible must be taken to place the resources of the entire labour movement at the disposal of the miners. All movements of power to industry-whether oil or coal, by road or by rail-should be blacked. Information should be syste matically gathered about fuel stocks and the movement of power supples Accommodation and other facilities should be made available for flying pickets, and picketing pools set up to mobilise all those sympathetic to the miners" cause to strengthen the picket lines against scab drivers or police attack, Of course, it is necessary to smash the Tories on all fronts; at the polls as well as on the picket lines and in the streets. The defeat of the Tories in the elections and the return of a Labour Government would generate a feeling of unity and a sense of confidence throughout the entire working class, stimulating the mass strupBle.
But how is this to be done" The most effective way is by actions that expose the weakness of the Tory Government and inspire the working class movement with a sense of unity and power. Again the watchword is All Out With The Miners.
But bere it has an additional meaning. The best way of supporting the miners and the most effective way of defeating the Tories is for every group of workers to seize on the present situation and go into struggle alongside the miners, on the basis of their own demands The full force of these mass strug des must he thrown against the Tories. Miners' flying pickers should be dispalched throughout the coun try, not just to ensure effective picketing of power station and coal depots, but to carry the message of the miners' struggle against the Tories to every working man and woman.
The pickers should organise mass Jeafletting, factory gale meetings, public meetings and demonstrations. Miners: wives can play a crucial role here by leaflecting and picketing at shopping centres and housing estates, discussing with other women the problems they ha we in common under the Tory Government-prices, Bousing, social services.
Sach actions would do more to to suili incasures. weaken the Tories in one day than all the Labour Party door knockers will achieve over the next two weeks. meetings, strikes, demonstrations, and occupations-especially on the day of the election itself.
The preparation of a general spite remains a central objective for working class militants. If such a strike were today in propress there would be no debate as to the fate of the Tories in the election they would be resoundingly deleated, Il the Fores, because of the mis-leadership of che right-wing trade union and Labour leaders, were to win the election then a general strike to bring down the Goverment would, more clearly than ever, be the only means by which the working class could defend its interests.
Ia Labour Government is returned it will try to take over the reins of capitalist rule from the Tories. But only socialist measures can protect working class interests from the crisis of British capitalism. A peneral strike will be necessary to implement such measures-the expropriation of the tig firms, the selting up of workers' control, the establishment of wor kens repulations of prices-aguinst the opposition of the ruling class, and to back up the demand that the Labour Government adds its seal of approval The only way to prepare for a real working class victory is by camping the war struggle forward. Three more Shrewshury pickets. have now been jailed, George Murray, William Pierce, and Thomas Witliams have been given six months each for unlawful assembly and affray in the sécond round of trials. Fire other men were found guilty of unlawful assembly and received four month sentences suspended for two years.
Freeing the Shrowshury pickets and petting a stop to these trials is a key part of the detence in pel song with the creation of picketing pools and the defence of miners' pickets, Government has now had. pickets sent to jail twice, It is time to put a stop to On Tuesday, the first three Shress tion, but the latess Shrewsbury senten ces do not encourage optimism about the success of their appeal.
Theat vicious attacks have only been pussible because the working class movement has so far failed to respond with extended strike action to tbe jailing of the Shrewsbury Three at Christmas, on charges of conspiracy, unlawful assem bly, and affray.
Pledges of strike action are now agent. Joint shop stewards connittees in the building industry should set a date for indefinite strike action in their localities as the best way to set a national building strike in motion, The NUM shouk immediately raise the de mund for the release of the Three is one of the demands of its present strike, as suggested by Jack Collins of the Kent area NUM executive.
Labour Party organisations should ague strongly for industrial action and sepodiate any attempt by Labour or union bureaucrats to call off or postpone struggle for the sake of Labour at the polls."
A decisive and determined response is needed if this lanest attack on picketing is not to open wide the door to further jallings by whichever capitalist government is elected on 28 February.
Lobby of the Law Couris: Toesday, 19 February. Assemble 1 p.m., Egsion Station to march to the Law Courts in the Strand.
• killing. By blacking delvenes until the loyal tu the unions, can belp to win housewives shown, signs saying Private Property -