edate and burning question.
Fundamental demand of the right to work.
worken will finish up sacking workers.
d to capitalist anarchy, not to try to run it. THE VICTORY OF THE MINERS STRIKE and the defeat of the Tory Government in the last general elecof euphoria amongst working class militants who felt that a great step forward had been taken.
Within weeks, however, it becume clear that the basic problems-especially inflation-were not going to disappear simply with the arrival of the Labour Government.
-The introduction of the social contract was seen for what it really 1 August 1974 Page 2 • it i lovet level ever at the same time as 100,000 building workers are ping to be given the sack by the autumn. In fact, the building and motor atries stand out an instances where, to protect jobs at all, nationalisatior • Warhen Control of industry. Workers co-operatives, workers sacking. suren, ate no we to anybody. But ensuring that the management carries That it does not take actions threatening jobs is vital. the Books. At that moment thousands of firths are drawing up inds of workers, This is being carried on a so the plans can be sprung on the workers * Ibey are least able to fight. All compes to the worken.
of the es orking clam movement at present Edward Heath through Harold Wilson to shop floor chat the preseat Labour government only got into office ver of the snices and that the social contract could be snap of the fingers if the trade unions wanted. ming tha power to solve the problems of the working clam by dealing a decil ve blow against capitalism the trade union leaderships are drawing up stopian and ridiculous plans to try to make capitalism All this should be rejected and, particularly in the light of the coming atmployment which no policy within capitalism can stop, a trade union plan for the nationalisation of the economy under workers" control must be drawn up. It I only this demand which can in the long run secure the One demand which should definitely not be taken up however is the widely touted one of workers" co-operatives. What is happening at the Sentrich Dato Expreat and Triumph Meriden will not solve anything at all.
Ar Meriden the workforce will be drastically cut and the remaining wocken forced to work harder. The Scottish Daily Express example is already being used as an argument against 'overmanning' in the rest of the sewspaper industry, Finally, instead of management sucking workers, The only solation to the problems of the working class is to put an is a thinly disguised incomes policy whereby the working class was being asked to 'moderate wage claims in exchange for a few token food subsidies that had nil impact on the staggering rise in the cost of living.
The triggering of the threshold clauses over the past couple of months has provided at least some partial protection against intlation for millions of workers. In most cases where the thresholds had not already been negotiated under Phase 3 the employers have tried to get out of paying them, meagre as they are.
Once again we are seeing determined tion was followed by a certain amount struggles from many workers who are not traditionally militant.
This week in Red Weekly we follow the strikes at three factories demanding the full threshold payments-two of which involve women workers, and the third apprentices and young workers.
At the engineering factory of Barr and Stroad in Glasgow the management tried to get the apprentices and young worken mass meeting at International Propetty Developers - formerly Fisher-Bendix - In Kirkby. A deal was worked out on Thunday between and Tony Bean and the officials of his department.
of work sharing, where each of the 1200 workers is guaranteed four weeks work out of every six. The receiver, who was thrown off the as a temporary manager. And Benn's with a view to buying the factory. This settlement involves the keeping of the 1200 jobs which is a distinct improvement on the receiver s original proposal to suck 750 straight away.
the first major struggle against the predicted wave of factory closures. This woold have punched a hole right through tho government's social contract especially at a time when Healey claims that his min-budget will reduce woemployment It is this which forced the government to act. As stoward Archie Breden put it: we pedere what chacoco to was tod strength of the unions on site.
to accept graded payments of thresholds. that save less than the fall amount. A mass meeting was held immediately, a strike committee elected, and the walkout followed.
The factory is on holiday at the moment but the picket line is being maintained. The company is expecting the delivery of 27 machines as part of a government contract, If the strikers can stop this delivery the firm will probably lose the contrnet.
LIVERPOOL
The local AUEW bureaucracy in Liverpool has been dragging its feed in ghing support to a militant struggle hy 250 women at the smull engineering factory of Wingrove and Rogers. The women nave been waking tative months for a bonus scheme that the management accepted in negotiation with the union at the time bot have not vet got nund to giving. When the thresbold paymeats became wue the management roused to pay them and told the workers they would have to carry on waiting for the ONUS SUCC But the women have had enough. They clected a atrike committee and have Isen campaigning in the area for support -especially for money, which is urgently needed, Well, that was the reaction of Friday's ratives of the IPD woriers, This involves a temporary system In are the only effective ways to fight an employment and closures. And it must be demanded that the Labour povernment support such struggles against unem ployment by nationaliong firms such as IPD that attempt to close down. Eren though a povernment rake-over of PH I5 capoolod, that is bot lie end of th Arcle Hreden expiains: "We will be keeping control in the sense that were nat guing to allow away Ling to go out. We're sina m restrict movement which the other side agreed to - well they land to agros to it! We don'T expect anything to go out and we don't expect anything to be moved without prior consultation LIVERPOOL IMG major recruitment campaipe in the schools of Kirby livermon Troops Out Movement (TOM) responded to the St Helen's
----- pull-quotes -----
struggles continue