DEFEND THE S.U. TOOLMAKERS. Defend the right

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thei howled down Scanlon's attempts to force them Lerland toolmukers at their mass meeting in The 32, he says, can regard themselves as expelled if they refuse to return to work, and the AUEW will support Leyland bringing in scab labour to fill their jobs.

Expulsions of this sort-with trade union bureaucrats acting openly and ruthlessly on behalf of the employers against their own members struggling to improve their standard of living -create a new situation in the trade unions.

Scanlon

But it is a situation firmly rooted in Scanlon's three years of defence of the social contract and wage controls.

During that period, the trade union leaders have been drawn increasingly close to the government. Now they are no longer content simply to refuse to supPort strikes, try to isolate them or (as in the case of the firemen) deliberately hold back other workers with pay claims from fighting alongside them: they now move to expel and sack those workers who strike.

They do it now because pay strikes at this time threaten Phase 4 of wage contrul and the Labour government which is going to the polls on a policy of permanent wage control.

In reality the TUC leaders support Phase 4 as much as they supported phases 1, 2 and 3.

This is why the current unskilled workers.

If these expulsions are successful, any section of workers who strike to improve wages and conditions will receive the same vicious treatment.

Right to strike

The expulsion threats therefore must become the immediate concern of every trade unionist seeking to defend the interests of the working class.

The defence of the 32 now becomes the defence of the right to strike. Scanlon and Duffy know that once the right to strike is taken away workers are left defenceless against the attacks of the employers and the government.

Scanlon's role in Leyland has prepared the ground for this policy. Two years ago, as the workers' participation set up was launched, Scanlon and Jones called on the front page of Leyland Mirror for workers PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report back to work. to "keep working"-whatever happened.

These officials have long put the "viability" of Leyland and British capitalism as a whole far in front of the interests of their own members.

The moves by the AUEW to implement expulsions flows from this long period of class collaboration.

And in this way it links up with the bureaucratic moves by TGWU officials to victimise nine newly re-elected shop stewards, including the plant convenor and three deputy convenors, at Leyland's Cowley Assembly Plant.

Elected deputy convenor Alan Thornett, refused recognition by management for his record in fighting to defend working conditions and in opposition to the social contract, is threatened with expulsion -and others with a life ban on holding union office.

All sections The issues raised by the SU toolmakers' struggle therefore affect all sections of workers and all unions. It is not a matter of the rights or wrongs of their particular claim.

February 1977 when The strike itself is over parity with Rover toolroom workers, who get £7 a week more. The company has agreed to pay the extra money.

Duffy argues that the company will pay the money in 1979, and that there should be a return to work. But the reality is that the agreement to pay up in 1979 is tied to increased productivity.

Pay policy

In any . case SU toolroom leader Regan says "We are not prepared to wait that long"".

Such statements do not reflect particularly strong or principled leadership from Regan or other toolroom leaders, but the fact that these skilled workers see this claim as a way of defending their living standards without confronting the pay policy. Regan even claims (wrongly) that:

"Government pay policy is flexible enough now for them to pay the £7"

But when the SU men argue that they speak for all skilled workers, they are right. Skilled workers, as part of the whole organised working class, are seeking a means of defending their living standards.

The SU strike is in this respect similar to the fight by semi-skilled AUEW members at Bathgate in Scotland, where 1500 strikers voted 2-1 to reject the pleading of EC member Gavin Laird for them to return to work, even though the company was threatening closure.

The Workers Socialist League has definite criticisms of the toolmakers. We consider that they should come out in a clear and open fight against the social contract and on this basis unite in struggle with other sections of workers.

We have opposed the way in which the Leyland toolroom committee has accepted the principle but not the form of company-wide wage bargaining argued for by Leyland management and the union bureaucracy in a bid to destroy the power of shop floor organisation.

Mistake

And the policy of refusing to pay union subscriptions is a serious mistake that only helps the union bureaucracy.

It is obviously difficult to persuade lapsed AUEW Roy Fraser members (many toolmakers are now 12-13 weeks in arrears) to strike against the expulsion of fellow craftsmen from the union.

The policy of non-payment should be ended immediately and back-subs must be paid up.

The refusal to pay union dues and the 50p levies to sustain the 32 SU men were attempts to pressurise union officials and Leyland management without an all-out confrontation.

Inevitable But the reality is that for any workers who do want to defend living standards a confrontation with the Callaghan-Healey government is inevitable. This emerged unmistakeably in the last Leyland toolroom strike in March 1977.

The Labour leaders at that point formed a coalition deal with the Liberals sooner than relinquish Phase 2 of wage control, while their TUC hangers-on showed that they would go to the lengths of expelling strikers.

But what also emerged was the tremendous support that there was amongst other squad IF Ar. ONE doubts that the attacks on the SU men are part of a trend towards disciplining strikers, they should look at the moves against the strike at Leyland's Llanelli plant.

A delegation of convenors from the company-wide National Joint Negotiating Committee was elected to go down to Llanelli to get the workers back to work since their strike went against national union policy.

The delegation included not only right wingers but also Derek Robinson, a toolroom steward, convenor of the Longbridge plant, and a leading member of the Communist And Moss Evans, TGWU General Secretary, has written to Leyland management seeking a meeting to discuss unofficial strikes.

workers. Spontaneous movements of supporting strike action swept through the AUEW all over the country.

The situation has now reached the crucial point at which last year toolroom leader Roy Fraser and his committee backed down.

We now call on them to learn the lessons of last year's struggle. If they do not move now to defend the right to strike they will deal a blow against all workers.

Prevarication only gives time to the AUEW bureaucracy. Fraser's quibbles on the distinction between expulsion by the District Committee and expulsion by the Executive must end.

The decision is that the SU men would be expelled on Monday if they did not turn up for work. All toolroom workers must be called at once to mass meetings and called out on strike.

And the Leyland toolroom committee must make an appeal to all other workers to come out in their support. Lobby the TUC in defence of the right to strike!

Assist

Despite our opposition to some of, the toolmakers' demands, if they manage to defeat the AUEW leaders in this struggle they will assist every worker in the struggle to defend jobs, conditions and living standards against speed up, participation and corporate bargaining.

*Fight to defeat state control of wages! Put in catching-up pay claims with cost of living clauses to provide rises to keep pace with the cost of living as calculated by elected committees of trade unionists and housewives!

*Challenge threats of closure -from Duffy, Leyland management or Chrysler-by demand. ing the opening of the company's books and those of their suppliers to elected trade union committees!

*Fight for the nationalisation of the whole motor and component industry, without compensation and under workers management, as part of a planned, socialist economy!

*Force the dropping of the expulsion threats against the SU men, and the TGWU disciplinary charges against the Cowley *Build a revolutionary leadership in the trade unions, capable of fighting the treachery and collaboration of the bureaucracy, right and 'left' wing alike!

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A novice in the skills of counter-revolution might feel a shade embarrassed in returning the embraces of the Shah of Iran. JULIALINITRESS. HER =500: 50 1

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struggle is no longer a matter of skilled workers, semi-skilled or

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