[Wives of defenders of capitalist "profitability"-the leaders most…]

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Wives of defenders of capitalist "profitability"-the leaders most ready to sacrifice their members' living standards in 'order to preserve living ,standards of the employers.

The profitability of a crisis-ridden firm is not the concern of the trade union movement, whose sole task is to defend the interests of its exploited members.

In any case, who says a particular firm-such as British Leyland or Vauxhall is "bankrupt"?

The only way this can be tested out is to fight for the opening of the books of these and other firms to elected trade union committees.

. Such an investigation would reveal, in the case of Vauxhall, the innumerable link-ups with the giant, profitable, General Motors multinational combine.

In the case of Leyland it would reveal the profits siphoned off from this "nationalised" firm by the 'ord strikers congront the nan privately owned banks component suppliers an distributors.

Opening the books of thi public services would like wise reveal the profit reaped by private contrac tors and suppliers while hos pital and council worker take home. sub-povert! wages.

The answer to evel proven bankruptcy of a firn is not therefore to tailo wage demands to the bosses ability to pay, but to figh for the nationalisation without compensatior under workers' managemen of those firms which stan as an obstacle to worker earning a living wage.

To those who attempt t restrict wage demands wit scare warnings of "runawa inflation", the answer is t incorporațe into every pa claim the demand for cos of living clauses to provid automatic increases linke to the rising cost of livin as assessed by trade union idnight Express reviewed AN defends family life.. ›lisario F attacks anti-racists.. 5% ISA THEY CAN MA NYCHO M PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report lajul mobulsea against the strike housewives' committees.

No such perspective has been offered to Vauxhall's 26,000 workers. This absence of leadership opens up the danger of a complete sell out on pay and the possible isolation of the Ford workers, now in their fifth week of strike action. Ford workers must heed this warning and take up the fight for the election of strike committees to challenge any attempt by officials to sell their strike out.

Ellesmere Port and British Leyland carworkers, public sector workers and many others whose claims in excess of 5% are now falling due, must now prepare for action alongside Fords.

And in areas like Liverpool where more than one section is in struggle on wages, councils of action, comprised of labour movement d :legates should be. set up to lt id the fight.

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