Preston Trades Council (in personal capacity)
THE economic predicted that in 800,000 people will join queues.
Ten years ago 800,000 was total number unemployed, and even that figure was described, at the If 800,000 was cause for "shame' the 3,000, 000? For that is how many are expected to De official the end of the year.
As each new set of statistics is announced pundits have 1981 a further the dole the Len Murray is wheeled out to plead with the TOrY government change course.
Thatcher has no intention of doing that. Her Cabinet reshuffle has removed soufices of embarassing criticism of her policies and strengSocialist thened the right- wing monetarists.
Nor will reasoned discussion personal economic aysolo. fessor. Alan Walters, ofcold comfort to workers in In a recent radio inTerview walters suggested that Britain might neee a cose or meiene of the sort administered by Dr. Hialmar Schacht in Germany in 1923 or by General Pinochet Chile in 1975. Schacht later became Hitler's economic and financial expert!
It was the Gardner's workers who showed the way to than The BPC journalists occupying against reationances nin National of pying the Ulster Queen to protect their jobs are showing the way for 1981 The TUC Week of Action called for 4-11 April must be beefed up. The TUC leaders are more concerned their puonc image unan the misery and poverty of the iobles They are trying to avoid any industrial action or demonstrations in work time during the Week of Action.
Regional demonstrations called the week should be used to build up fighting unity against the Tories like the massive Labour ParLiverpool last. Novem demonstration in Der ne next Labou Party demo is called for 21 February in Glasgow. It is expected to be a massive show of working class hostility the Tories. Already support is coming in from outside Scotland The North West TUC are sending up two train loads o supporters.
And the biggest event of all in 1981 will be a giant Liverpool to London march sponsored b! the North West TUC starting on May Day. Pat Hickey, TGWU shop steward, Rover Solihull.
AFTER the vote to return to work by 1,500 Longbridge strikers on Sunday it is being suggested that Michael Edwardes give his knighthood jointly to Moss Evans and Terry Duffy.
The deserves an OBE.
This will not be a Jarrow March pleading for no chis in penens.ouLa tidal wave of anti-Tory anger descending London and passing through UNIC worst hit areas of the Every town on the route should sel up the broadest possible port/reception commit tees DasCe councils, Labour parties and, most important v. joint shop stewards com. mittees. Industrial action and deme tracions be should UNCTOBELC organised.
The demand of all this action must be for the TUC to stop talking and to organise to bring this government down.
The victory for weak and vacillating , leadership pro. vided by these union caacts The strikers had beer threatened with sacking and of BL if they maintained their strike on ine re-opening or te plan last Monday.
Violence They were told that thei jobs would be done labour and that the victimis WELCH leaders in mob violence. But as tney demonstrated in ac the strikers were All they wanted was firm leadership What they got was ducking and diving from leadership that has buckled before management's bully management's threats, the leaders made to Sunaccommendation cav s mass meete. The Birmingham Evening Mail sees one: 'It's a free vote ran the banner headline.
explained: 'Any course would he irresponsible' alternatives given to the go back to work while an inquiry takes place or stay our tor dir t aury wim an acoenachi chairperson.
pite to mering find shop stewards meeting, immediately belore ine mass meeung, to shop stewards to make a recom mendation was ruled out order. Less than a hundred ot ine snoo stewares au tended the meeting.
Sacked The attendance at the me stein The sole at •2-1 in favour of returning to The inquiry will now take three to four weeks to examine the evidence. In the meanume me cient workers including TONI shop so and., will remain sack , and it will be very dif ficult to re-start any action therefore won an important atter the maury Management victory in this fresh round organisation at shop obe organisation at BL alread steward organisation has suffered another blow. Fraud Militants in Longbridge must see an alterative leadership as a crucial task in the coming months. Between the end of the inquiry we nave to rent to remieve unc ground the leadership ha:
the coming BL plant rectary Leyland Action Committe leafleted by the and estraud and he indig aha demanding tha The committee will do everything possible to prepare for action.
Socialist Challenge Revolutionary socialist weekly PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-369 8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
THE DROPPING Cabinet ministers by Thatcher is an essentiai stiffening of the government s ranks before the big class batties of 1981.
become clear at the time of the Confederation of British Industry conference last year. CB) leader Terence Backett called for a 'bare: knuckle' fight against the government. Britain's bosses began to doubt the capacity of the Tory administration to inflict a stinging defeat on the labour movement.
At that point the bosses had higher aim of defeating the labour movement -became more and more painful. the Tories to inflict a rapid defeat on the steelworkers during the strike of last year.
Subsequent resistance by the firefighters and the victory of Gardner's the Tories are finding the going rough British Leyland have proved that despite the appalling leadership which Leyland workers have laboured under they have been prepared to trade blow for blow with Fory glamour boy of three senior The need for such a purge started to sacrifices that the been willing to make for the This realisation dawned with the failure of 'H1 the docks. the workers have confirmed that Even the events of the last fortnight at
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time, as 'Britain's shame'. het? just
Officials sell out BL workers again
Longbridge works committee management was due entire-
weakened shọt