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Send to: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, the answers in fighting policies to defend jobs, wages and social services ience we have gained in the fight for the Trotskyist Transitional Programme has convinced us of the necessity to reconstruct the Fourth International as the World Party of Socialist Revolution, on the principles established at its foundation in 1938.

Whether fighting falling living standards, unemployment and the attacks on democratic rights at home or mobilising in solidarity with international struggles against imperialism in Ireland, Iran and Southern Africa, the Workers Socialist League has a practical and a theoretical contribution to make.

We call on Socialist Press readers and supporters to consider the coming struggles, the problems they face, and the necessity of a principled lead in each day-to-day fight.

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SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesday 25 October, 1978 Despite moves by NATSOPA officials, the strike at the UsherWalker printing inks factory in East London continues.

Since the firm supplies 25-30% of the printing ink for Fleet Street and is the sole supplier for some presses, this strike could effectively halt production of some national papers.

The 93 members of the NATSOPA chapel have taken indefinite strike action until management threats of redundancies are withdrawn.

As the factory is already undermanned, this threat was clearly aimed at destroying a militant chapel Abysmal conditions in the factory have led to a series of actions.

Recently workers had refused to stand in for foremen who were sick or on holiday unless they were paid foremen's pay.

This led to work stopping in three departments, as noone. would work without supervision. Management responded by suspending all the workers in those departments without pay.

The chapel decided that if management were not going to pay a proper rate to stand in foremen then every worker would temporarily resign from supervisory duties.

Usher-Walker management, determined not to give an inch, then suspended every worker on the factory floor without pay.

Work returned to normal on Monday October 9 so that a meeting between union and employer could take place.

Although the meeting resolved certain disagreements, the employer revealed plans for between 15 and 20 redundancies and s workers compulsory retirements.

This was a clear threat to the militant leadership of the union chapel.

However, full time Branch Secretary Dave Hutchinson. agreed to discuss redundancy plans at a later date.

He also agreed that his members would not be paid for the whole of the time they were illegally suspended.

When workers in the factory learnt of this betrayal they voted unanimously for indefinite strike action.

The NATSOPA bureaucracy, who are as scared of militant action by their members as the employers, have threatened every striker with expulsion.

Knowledge of the appalling conditions at Usher-Walker and the expulsion threat must be spread throughout NATSOPA.

The striking chapel and every other chapel should demand that all threats of expulsion are dropped and that the strike is made official.

This would bring • a bit nearer the day when parasites like Hutchinson The Committee of London Area Stewards in the Health Service (CLASH) has circulated a letter to stewards calling for full support for a public meeting on 28 October.

The meeting, called initially by supporters of the SWP 'rank and file' paper Hospital Worker is to discuss the fight for the £60 minimum wage and the 35 hour week contained in current public sector pay claims.

The CLASH circular correctly stresses the necessity for an all-London shop stewards conference to be convened to ensure coordinated action against the virtually inevitable 5% pay offer from the employer.

It urges stewards to take up the following policies in their Well over 200 people attended a public meeting at Paddington School in London called by the St. Mary's Hospital Defence Committee last Thursday to launch the public campaign to save the hospital which is union branches:

"'1. This branch is opposed to the 5% limit on pay and supports the campaign for a minimum wage of £60 for a 35 hour week, 2. This branch demands that the National Executive Committoes and London divisions of health service trade unions organises all out indefinite strike action from the 13 December settlement date if the hospital ancillary workers pay offer does not include £60 for a 35 hour week.

In the event of action by local government workers before 13 December we demand that the NECs and London divisions call official action within the health service in support of the demand for €60 for 35 hours immediately.

3. This branch supports the intention of remaining at the centre of the struggle to save the hospital.

The local community also showed their determination to keep the hospital open when speakers representing tenants associations, local teachers, Labour Party members, individual trade unionists and members of the public stood up calling of a conference for all' health service shop stewards and branch officers to discuss what action is to be taken in support of the current public sector pay claims, and demands that the NRCs and London divisions of health service trade unions give full and official backing to such a conference.

This conference must be held within seven days of any action being taken by local government workers, and in any case not later than 25 November."

Workers Socialist League members and supporters will be among those fighting for these policies at the October 28 meeting which will take place at 2p.m. at the Friends House, Euston Road, London. and a NUPE London full time official.

This was especially true of Arthur Latham, local Tribunite MP, who after a contribution calculated to be as confusing and disheartening as possible added at the end that he did of course support the campaign.

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