Bra Plant Uni

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union has remained opposed to these demands.

Consequently day-to-day practical support has rested largely with individual trade unionists, and .members and supporters of political organisations.

Without this, the dispute could almost certainly not have been sustained. In this context, it is necessary to look at the involvement of the CPGB.

To our knowledge, which is based on the close involvement of the WSL during the whole of this period, the only delegations from your organisation to have appeared on the picket lines have been from the Camden Town CP branch and the YCL in East London.

Greater forces

While we note your membership nationally continues to fall, nevertheless, at this point you have substantially greater forces in the London area than any other on the left.

From within your own ranks you could, quite easily, organise sufficient people to maintain the pickets. Yet even on the occasions when mass pickets have been called, representation from the CP has consisted only of isolated individuals.

Again, on the strike committee, TGWU Region 1, and GLATC demonstrations of May 20th and July 8th, you produced not a single party banwith sections of the TGWU But your lack of public involvement in the strike as an organisation is much less significant than your role within the TGWU itself.

Without doubt, it has been the combination of delay and inaction by the Region 1 fulltime officials and their supporters which has been the biggest single obstacle to the strike having been already won.

Instead of mobilising the full weight of the membership around the strikers' demands, they have sought at every point to prevent their involvement.

Despite persistent calls they have refused to circulate material to the union's branches. Though financial hardship has forced some strikers to leave, they have failed to organise proper financial assistance.

Even though other unions have begun to impose blacking of the company and its suppliers, some TGWU members continue to service the company.• No delegation On the July 20th demonstration, there was not a single delegation or banner from the whole of Région 1's 500,000 membership. The sole TGWU branches represented were contingents from Oxford. This record of sabotage speaks for itself.

Considering your influence within many Region 1 bodies, and particularly with individuals holding key positions, you are, politically, heavily implicated in this treachery.

In fact, the officials most directly responsible are acknowledged as your supporters. Les Shorter, regional organiser, described himself at the last Transport House Garners conference as a supporter of the Morning Star. Sid Staden, newly appointed Regional Secretary, known as a long-standing member of your partv. SULCATE We regard your record in this struggle and the matters raised in this letter as extremely serious, and believe they require a public reply.

Added urgency

In particular, where do you stand on the Strike Committee policies of mass picketing, blacking and Region 1 financial levy? Where have your members and supporters fought for these policies within the TGWU?

The defeat of the Grunwick strikers and unionisation struggles in the catering industry, at the hands of the trade union bureaucracy and the mounting ST , but where was Region 1?

attacks on basic rights, gives added urgency for a full accounting before the working class between those who are prepared to struggle against all obstacles and those who choose accommodation and compromise, whilst posing as defenders of workers' interests.

From Executive C ommittee Workers Social st League contrasted with the idiocy and liberalism of the ANL and its supporters calling out "Pogo on a Nazi" and "The ANL is Magic"

However magic and the occasional protest, like sitting down by Brick Lane, will not drive the fascists from the Demonstrations cannot be called every night when fascist thugs attack immigrant workers.

The need is for organised, trained workers- defence squads based on the local labour movement and immigrant organisations, to patrol the area and protect black workers from fascist attack.

LEAGUE

LOBBY THE TUC Wednesday 6 September Brighton *Action now to defeat Phase 4! *For catching up pay claims with cost of living clauses based on figures from trade union price committees! *Strike action to stop the social service cuts! *Occupy to defend all jobs! Work sharing on full pay! Force Labour to nationalise without compensation! *Kick out the Callaghan-Healey Labour leadership! Fight for socialist policies!