Labour's Long Cata

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THE CUTS SIPE SAYE The present Labour government first came to office in March 1974, after Heath's hated Tory government had been driven out of office by the miners while attempting to 'impose a third phase of statutory wage controls.

Workers correctly saw the Heath government-with its anti-union laws, social service cuts, soaring prices and rents and mounting dole queues, as the main enemy.

But five years of Wilson/Callaghan in office have proved that the reelection of a Labour government is not in itself a means of defending the working class. The essential question is the exposure of the reformist leaders in the eyes of the workers' movement and the construction of an Below we catalogue just some of the major points in which the pro-capitalist role of the Callaghan governments has been starkly revealed.

The huge November 17 1976 march opposing Healey's spending cuts January 22, 1979: biggest stoppage on wages since 1926 alternative revolutionary leadership.

March 5. 1974 Wilson government elected, pledged to carry out "a major shift in the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people and their families"

But his cabinet includes Roy Jenkins, Reg Prentice, Shirley Williams, Callaghan and Healey, along with the garnish of supposed lefts' Benn and Foot. Foot welcomed by Tory press as a "most imaginative choice" as Employment Secretary.

Tribunite Stan. Orme given key 'job in repressing Irish working class.

March 6 Wilson's cabinet welcomed by millionaire merchant banker. Rupert Hambro:

"I do not think we will find ourselves thrown into the terrible horrors of nationalisation or pulling out of the Common Market."

The Financial Times pointed out:

"Labour is faced with the unpleasant task of trying to induce a sharp reduction in real incomes over the next 12 to 18 months in order to make resources available for the balance of payments."

March 12 Wilson's Queen's Speech drops all Labour's nationalisation pledges, ana decides to keep Tories' Pay Board functioning along with Heath's Phase 3 pay limits. Tories and Liberals express approval.

Speech evades specific proposals to repeal Tory Industrial Relations Act and Housing Finance Act. Shrewsbury 6"-Building workers' pickets jailed by Tories on frame-up charges -left to rot in prison. March 26 Healey's first Budget confirms Tories' massive £1,200 million public spending cuts; borrows $2,500 million from internațional bankers. £500 million allocated to food subsidies-propping up profits while giving illusion of lower prices.

Budget also raises electricity charges, rail fares, cost of telephone, stamps, confectionery, petrol, alcohol PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report turning Wilsonand cigarettes. No tax wealthy. Income tax up. March 28 AUEW fined £47,000 under the Industrial Relations Act-bringing total fines against AUEW to £208,000. Fine includes £217:50 to recompense Con Mech management for financing Spanish holiday for three scabs and their families!

Still no moves by Labour government to repeal the Act.

Labour NEC asks government to squash £7,000 surcharge on Clay Cross councillors who defied Tory Housing Finance Act-to no avail.

April 1974 Labour government agrees to sell warships to Pinochet dictatorship in Chile.

April 9 Threat by Industrial Relations Court to seize entire assets of AUEW in retaliation for its refusal to pay £47,000 fine.

Foot still makes to repeal the Act.

April 23 Foot, speaking only 6 days before AUEW assets due to be seized, tells union's National Committee to go to the Tory Court!

May 8 Anonymous donor pays AUEW fine and costs as national engineering strike call receives overwhelming response. Strike called off. But NIRC scheduled to hèar claim for £3 million damages against TGWU' on july 15. Foot belatedly and inadequately moves to repeal I.R. Act and replace it with new laws.

End of May Nurses take up industrial: action against conținuation of Tory Phase 3 pay laws-attacked by Alan Fisher as 'irresponsible, amateur adventurers" Eventually fheir action secures "special case" rise in late July..

June 1974 Irish republican Michael Gaughan allowed to die in British jail on hunger" strike sooner than transfer him to jail in the six counties. June 12 TUC leaders declare support for voluntary wage restraint to follow the end of Heath's Phase 3 -the "social contract"

October 1974 reelected.

November 1974 Former Labour minister Stonehouse vanishes in a cloud of criminal fraud and scandal, to reemerge an open Tory.

November 12, 1974 Healey's second budget:

«aimed at improving profitability and liquidity in the company's sector and shifting resources from consumption into investment and exports."

Total financial benefits to companies estimated at £1.5 billion in 1975.

November 1974 'Prevention of Terrorism" Act rushed through parliament in the wake of Birmingham pub bombings. This 'emergency' measure has been renewed each year. 3,500 mainly Irish people held, dozens banned or deported, under it.

November 1974 Chrysler announce redundancies for 7,700 white collar staff. January 1975 typewriters closure-3,000 February 1975 Industry Bill to set up National Enterprise Board-centred on class collaboration and 'participation'-with jail penalties for trade unionists who reveal "confidential' details to their members.

March 1975 Troops sent to scab on Glasgow dustmen's strike.

TUC formally Shrewsbury 2.

Ryder Report Leyland.

April 1975 Budget outlines a further £1,000 million cuts 1975-76, and £3,000 million/more for 1976-77.

Taxes up; VAT up; alcohol, cigarettes and road tax all up in price.

Subsidies on food, housing and to nationalised industries all cut.

April 1975 Special Labour Party conference votes 2-1 to campaign for a 'no' vote in the Common Market referendum. Wilson ignores Imperial announce jobs to go.

ahandons it and throws Party machine into 'yes' campaign alongside Tories and Liberals. • Anti-market 'left' minister Eric Heffer sacked by Wilson. BSC management demand 20,000 redundancies: but shelve the scheme after union leaders sign deal pledging speed-up and worsening of working conditions.

Unemployment reaches 950,000.

June 1975 Railwaymen's strike threat produces 30% pay settlement.

Healey openly threatens to use "Tory policies" if a new, tighter 'social contract' not accepted.

July 1975 Unemployment climbs over 1 million.

Jack Jones railroads fraudulent scheme for "flat rate" "voluntary" pay limits through TGWU conference. Within hours, Healey has declared state control of wages-top increase to be f6. He says:

'We must accept a 10% cut in the standard of living and public expenditure. The alternative [!] is to crawl to the IMF and accept the terms they impose upon BPE BABS STOP CUTS SAVE -VE US.

July 1975 160 Labour MPs and 14 ministers sign a motion defending Prentice against moves to oust him as MP for Newham N.E.

August 1975 Closure plans in steel industry, textiles and engineering to slash over 4,000 jobs.

September 1975 Clay Cross councillors sued for £63,000 for defying Tory Housing Finance Act-government refuses demands to lift the fines.

October 1975 Government accepts Parliamentary Select Committee recommendation to restrict abortion rights.

November 1975 Chrysier crisis No. 1: government turns down offer of Chrysler boss John Riccardo to pay £35 million to get rid of the British operation; instead Industry Secretary Varley pays out £162 million to persuade Chrysler to stay on-with the loss of 8,000 jobs.

Healey offers "letter of intent" to IMF in exchange for £1,000 million loan.

December 1975 Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts come into force-little impact in im proving women's relative rates of pay or furthering struggle for equal rights in employment.

January 1976 Unemployment tops 1½ million.

February 1976 Talks begin on Phase 2 of wage control.

"Prevention of Terrorism", Act stepped up. Frank Stagg dies on hunger strike demanding transfer to prison in the six counties.

March 1976 37 Tribunite 'lefts' abstain in a vote endorsing Healey's planned €3,000 million package of cuts, producing a temporary defeat. But the same 37 then troop loyally into the lobbies to support a vote of confidence in the govern-and the cuts proceed.

Wilson resigns-and not one of the 37 abstainers is willing to run for the leadership, leaving Wilson's henchmen Foot and Benn to pose as "left wing" challengers. _ Political status stripped from Irish prisoners of war by tough guy" torture chief Roy Mason.

July 1976 New budget on eve of Phase 2 makes €1,000 million more cuts.

August 1976 Phase 242%.

September 1976 TUC threatens to expel Seamen's Union and Jones threatens organised TGWU. strikebreaking if NUS proceeds with threatened strike against Phase 2. NUS leadership, despite mass working class support, climbs down.

October 1976 Labour Party conference votes to endorse public spending cuts and wage controls.

November 1976 Courtaulds plan to axe seven factories, cutting 4,000 jobs.

By-election defeats in Labour strongholds Walsall and Workington.

November 17, : 1976 Massive 80,000-strong demonstration against Healey's public spending cutsrestricted to one-off single issue protest by union bureaucrats. In not one instance have union officials taken the initiative in calling for strikes or occupations to stop the cuts. Result: thousands of jobs and important services lost.

December 1976. Strikes break out against 4½% pay limit in Midlands engineering plants Rubery Owen and Salisbury Transmissionsfirst signs of a big wave of resistance on pay.

January 1977 Court rules that UPW has no right to black mail to South Africa: Start of new legal offensive against unions, at first spearheaded by NAFF and tacitly endorsed by government.

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ket the courts have acted to ban solidarity February 1977 Former CIA agent Phillip Agee and joumalist Mark Hosenball deported without trial or charge by Home Secretary Rees on prompting of CIA. Aubrey, Berry and Campbell arrested and charged under the Official Secrets Act.

Foot February 1977 . Wave of anofficial strikes against Phase 2 reaches BL plants including Longbridge and flows into BL toolroom strike. Threat to sack all 3,000 strikers, endorsed by Scanlon, leads to spontanesus moves towards national itrike by AUEW skilled nen. Scanlon howled down ›y toolmakers.

March 1977 Callaghan forms coalition alliance with Liberals to, get through Parliamentary vote of conidence and proceed with Phase 2 and Phase 3 of wage ¡ontrol.

\pril 1977 Major unofficial trikes against Phase 2 at Ieathrow Airport and Port Falbot steelworks. Healey inveils Phase 3-a 10% ncrease in earnings, neaning only 5% on the asic rate.

ummer 1977 Escalating plice violence against runwick mass pickets. June 1977 Mason announces intensified repression in occupied Ireland-SAS murder squads enlarged.

July 1977 TGWU conference, reflecting mood in working class, throws out Jones' plan for Phase 3an "orderly return" to free collective bargaining.

August 1977 Queen visits the occupied six counties, congratulating torture chiefs and military rulers.

September 1977 Total ban on marches in Tameside prevents anti-fascist mobilisation-to be followed by similar moves elsewhere.

Owen's reactionary Anglo-American plan • for preserving capitalist stability in Rhodesia announced.

October 1977 Hounslow Hospital work-in ransacked by management vandals. Health union leaders do nothing.

October 1977 Labour Party conference another non event. No challenge whatever to the Lib-Lab coalition. The Daily Telegraph pointed out that:

"the left does not want to chance its arm by endangering the new-found unity in the party in the run-up to the election."!' November 1977 Merlyn Rees's SPG thugs go on rampage against Grunwick mass picket-250 victims need medical treatment: 113 arrested.

November 1977 Firemen's strike: Callaghan calls in army scabs for eight weeks. TUC-'left' and right alikeholds back struggles to allow firemen to fight alone. Then openly accepts 10% limit.

January 1978 Amid revelations of big business plots to finance à coalition between the Liberals and Labour, the Liberal Party votes to renew the coalition deal, confident that it excludes socialist policies. line. Now February 1978 Thatcher launches her offensive on immigration aimed at whipping up racist votes from middle class and backward workers: Callaghan offers her joint talks on the "problem"

Labour NEC reveals its "left-wing" plan for unemployment-to cut it to 750,000 by 1981!

March 1978 Labour's General Secretary Ron Hayward boasts that Labour is the party of 'law and order' All demonstrations are banned in London for two months to restrict antifascists.

March 1978 Labour 'lefts' join with Tories in racist proposals from the Commons Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration.

May 1978 2,000 police break up May Day demonstration called by Leeds Trades Council.

The Leveller Peace News and The Journalist fined for naming "Colonel B'.

Liberals decide to break coalition deal after the end of Phase July 1978 Police pay to go up by 40% as a reward for strike breaking activitiesbut Phase 4 revealed as 5%.

August 1978 Metropolitan police chief McNee calls for swinging new police powers -favourably greeted : by Home Secretary Rees.

August 1978 Government tax increases on North Sea oil monopolies-supported by Tories!

August 1978 Chrysler crisis No. 2: having soaked up £162 million of government cash, the British operation is flogged off to Peugeotendangering more jobs and remaining securely in private hands.

September 1978 Bingham Report, though a whitewash blacking.

makes it clear that Wilson and subsequent government ministers knew of manoeuvres by British firms which ensured sanctionsbusting oil supplies to racist Smith regime in Rhodesia. No action by Labour 'lefts'.

September 1978 Callaghan pulls back from expected October election..

September 1978 Owen steps up public support for Shah of Iran after thousands of demonstrators shot down by troops.

September 1978 Ford strike leads massive wave of offensive struggles against Phase 4 pay limits: to be followed by bakers, journalists, lorry drivers, public sector and civil servants.

October 1978 Labour Party Conference throws out 5% pay limit-but no opponent fights for removal Callaghan-Healey leadership.

Reselection of MPs blocked by Scanlon flouting AUEW mandate.

Tribunite left' Heffer sums up for NEC motion, advocating greater for 'law and order'.

November 1978 Queen's speech debate sees Callaghan attacking trade unionism. Lib-Lab coalition now replaced by squalid deal with Ulster Unionistspromising additional MPs to Westminster from ..the "province", and Scottish and Welsh Nationalists, with plan for devolution referendum.

November 1978 Trade Secretary Edmund Dell resigns -to return to his merchant banking job!

November 1978 Thorpe murder hearing partially lifts the lid on the nature of the Liberal leadershipCallaghan's chosen coalition partners-and their links with the Labour leaders.

December 1978 Callaghan defeated in Parliament in bid to enforce sanctions on firms which pay in excess of limit.

In new precedent, court rules "secondary blacking" of'Press Association by NUJ to be illegal.

January 1979 Strength of lorry drivers' strike action whips Tory press into a frenzy of anti-union propaganda, Callaghan joins indeclaring his willingness to cross picket lines. He is followed in this 'stand' by most of his cabinet cronies.

Court rules against "secondary picketing" of United Biscuits by transport drivers. Another firm seeks damages from "secondary" pickets.

January 19th Picket killed by scab lorry driver in January 22nd 80,000 public sector workers join a huge demonstration through Lo don to back their £60/ 35hour week claim. Though "selective action" they are confined to by their leaders breaks through the 5% limit, it leaves them, with a 9% settlement, worse off than a year ago.

February 1979 Barbaric "virginity tests" revealed to be carried out by immigration officials at Heathrow on Asian women.

February 1979 Court rules to deport Astrid Prollalleged terrorist-to West Germany where she faces brutal. imprisonment and likely death at hands of prison authorities that have already murdered members of Baader-Meinhof gang.

February 1979 Mason publishes four-page broadsheet to "answer" IRA campaign on conditions inflicted on republican prisoners of war in Long Kesh concentration camp.

Two SAS thugs to be charged with murder of 16 year old John Boyle last year.

February 1979 The Concorlat appears. This is a TUCGovernment agreement to implement Tory policies against union rights and to Andrew Wiard, Report impose permanent wage controls: it is signed by TUC leaders with no mandate whatever from their members.

February 23 1979 Civil Servants stage Day of Action. Callaghan, Owen and Foot are among the ministers who ostentatiously cross picket lines.

February 1979 'Shankill butchers' jailed: one turns out to bé a member of Ulster Defence Regiment.

March 1979 • Devolution referendum brings massive defeat in Wales and bare majority in Scotlandheralds new crisis in Labour's deal with nationalists.

March 1979 Furore grows over RUC's systematic torture of republican "suspects" in Castlereagh interrogation centre. Publication of Bennett Report followed by Mason's claim that it "clears" the RUC!

March 1979 Devoid of any pretence of socialist policies or reforms, Callaghan launches electioneering attack on costs of Common Market agricultural policy.

March 28 1979 Collapse of squalid deals with nationalists and Ulster Unionists brings government to brink of defeat in Parliamentary vote of confidence: tipped over the brink by SDLP: hack Gerry Fitt and Independent MP Frank McGuire: who abstain over Callaghan's refusal to sack butcher Mason.

March 31 1979 International Day of Action on abortion rights. Healey's cuts have limited right to abortion on the NHS. Tories would cut back further still..

April 1979 Building on precedents of rulings against UPW, NUJ and TGWU, court fines NGA for blacking advertisers who continue to use scab, Nottingham Evening Post as part of struggle for union recognition.

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'age By John Parkeı

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PHOTO: Andrew wiara, Report RUBLIC SERV END LOT IE CUTS AVE OBS

ment's "economic policies" UTS JOBS