[and the country is for groups of workers…]

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and the country is for groups of workers to think they have got the God-given right to take sectional action in defence of their own conditions.. We can't afford the toolroom strike or any other strike"

February 26 1977: Robinson speaks on the platform of the Liaison Committee for Defence of Trade Union, failing to mention Leyland strikes, and calling for free collective bargaining "after August" . His calls for no Phase 3 encourage a mass demonstration through the Longbridge plant.

March 1977: Robinson and fellow Stalinist Peter Nicholas co-sign a Leyland management letter in urging workers to scab on the toolroom strike.

March 16 1977: Robinson attends his first-ever meeting of Leyland toolroom committee to propose complete surrender to management.

April 3 1977: Robinson chairs 'Rank and File TUC' called by BMC Combine, declaring "We don't want any breakaway movements" and attacking toolmakers.

May 27 1977: 200 Leyland convenors adopt proposals for move to corporate bargaining.

• 00000000000000000000 firman 1867271 In response to your letter of 20th August.

The position of the Communist Party in regard to the strike of the workers in Garners Steak Houses is well known. We completely support the demands of the strikers for recognition of their Union.

This struggle is part of the struggle to radically improve the wages and conditions of all workers in the catering industry that has been going on for many years, and in which our Party and its members have made an outstanding contribution.

In accordance with this position our members and Party organisations have participated actively in the just struggle of the Garners Steak House workers, in the picket line, in their demonstrations and in every other way open to us.

Our members have also actively fought in their trade union organisations for maximum solidarity with these workers.

A tribute to our actions in this regard was paid to our Party by one of the leaders of the Strike Committee, Bro. Habib Rhaman at the People's Festival organised by our Party at Alexandra Palace in June.

At that Festival a collection was taken in support of the strike.

The Morning Star has also played an extremely effective role in putting clearly the issues The foregoing brief resume of our position and actions on this question totally refutes the insulting charge made in your letter, that the Communist Party is in some way implicated in treachery to these workers.

Yours fraternally, Gordon McLennan (General Secretary).

Our primary aim in taking up the role of the Communist Party in his strike is to create the best conditions for its eventual victory.

It is because we see the winning of the strike as the most important thing that we concentrated our criticisms on your attitude to the strike committee's policies of primary and secondary blacking, regular and mass picketting and a union levy throughout the TGWU Region 1.

In particular, we challenged you to provide evidence of where your members and supporters had fought for them within the And ar TGWU.

Your silence on this question is significant, since we emphasised the influence your Party has in many parts of the union's London area, notably within the Regional Committee itself, of which CP member Sid Staden is Secretary.

You did not refer, for instance, to the most recent meeting of the Region 1 committee in August, where the Garner's strike was dealt with in some detail, and where support for the pickets was discussed.

The minutes read: "The Regional Secretary informed the Committee that we were not talking about mass picketing but sufficient members to ensure that all establishments were covered.

"So far as the police were concerned, we had agreed with them that there should be a maximum of six pickets at an establishment at any one time."

In other words, far from supporting the strikers' policies, you are the main instrument in sabotaging their implementation.

And quite apart from the effects on the outcome of the Garners strike, by collaborating with the state in the imposition of an arbitrary limit on the number of pickets (which the Strike Committee has neither sanctioned nor been officially informed of), you are instrumental in striking a blow against democratic rights in general, which can be used against future struggles.

Under conditions where the pickets have been forced to endure continuous violence from scabs and harrassment and numerous arrests by the police, we regard these actions alone sufficient indictment of your organisation's practice. There is, on October 7th, a Day of Support for the Garners strike, where the largest possible turnout is being called for.

Should you decide on this occasion to mobilise more than token forces for this demonstration, you will have the opportunity to confirm publicly what your attitude is to the strikers' call for mass support on the pickets.

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