labour movement who moves by engineering union leaders to stifle support for the Laurence Scott strikers.
The strike against factory closure, now in its twentieth week, has receivsupport. *UWIl Almost 70 MPs have written personally endorsing the strike and over ninety branches and districts of the engineering union are known to nave sent protest resolutions to their executive. Restore The campaign is to demand IClO aLOT official backing, which was withdrawn July following Wsaus ac tory deal between the leaders and employers which did not guarantee keeping the factory open.
Backing, the total workforce are determined to carry on 10I ao Wule a necessary. Tom McNeil, strike committee representative, explained:
We're out to keep our jobs. We've launched a campaign in the labour movement to win backing. This has started to shake Boyd and Duffy. So now they've done a job on the Labour Chief Whip, feeding him with incorrect information regarding the dispute and consequently all Labour MPs have been instructed to fall into line.
'But they' re not. We're getting of By Hazel MacPherson, NUR Paddington No1 have condemned solidarity each day from MPs. Now we've written to the Chief Whip questing he circulates our reply to all Labour MPs think it's a disgrace the way that Boyd and Duffy seek to control Labour MPs, we're not prepared to accept it.
'We've spoken to those who becked us originally such as Charles Morris and Tony Benn, their support is still there. Lower increasing pressure Boyd and Duffy are stooping even lower to sabotage the dispute. In a three page letter to all two AUEW branch secetaries and nart nous e they've condemned 'misleading material purporting inform our members of circumstances relating to the EC decision.' With the rank of the union starting to challenge their breaking of the rule book, the union leaders in this letter nave tried shift the argument away from the rules. Boyd and nOW explain the withdrawal of support Decause or tne workiorce accepting their redundancy pay cheques Senior steward Billy Partlan explained the true story: 'Our divisional organiser JOLI SLOCIe phoned us from the Confed national conterence in Ayr and told us when the cheques came that should not put them in a trust fund or send them DaCk. but put them in our own banks.
Back 'Dougie Daniels, our district secretary, even arranged a meeting with the union solicitor who told us to bank the cheques. For Boyd and Duffy it's a case of heads you lose and tails you lose.
The stewards committee have now mailed a reply to all the union branches. In spite of these problems the dispute is still very much there.
Denis Barry, the convenor, is confident that the management will be able to move anytning oul of the factory. A 24-hour picket being mounted w.c czas cue cicouraged other workplaces.
Next TASS steward Phil Penning explained their nexi step. 'We don't intend to let Boyd and Duffy Everywhere they away go we'll be there too. We'll have a team at the TUC all week anu a loboy on lne inulsday. We'll be at the Birmne Ramo dento LOC and we're hoping to get on Tony Benn's election platform.' Donations and messages of support still required. Send to: 20 Roundcroft, Romiley, Cheshire. Laurence Scott workers lobbying the national meeting of TGWU had been persuaded to withdraw official support the Confed unions last Thursday. Prior to the meeting the The meeting voted to endorse the AUEW leadership's line of no support. Despite this the number of resolutions from AUEW branches (see box for model resolution) is in creasing every day. Inset: Denis Barry, convenoi
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MANCHESTER Labour MPs, Charles Morris and Bob Litherland, are among many in the
Shake official backin eo the total