Law backs "spy

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Alan Law-the shortly-to -retire Midlands official of the TGWU-went on TV last week saying that he was recommending acceptance of the lorry tachograph "spy-in-the-cab".

Up to now the TGWU has opposed their introduction, as has the government despite the fact that it is a "European" law.

Both sides fear the explosion that the tachographs would provoke from lorry drivers.

When Law was asked by the TV interviewer why he had changed his position, he replied that the TGWU was 'not above the law"

This is the exact opposite of his last statement earlier in the year that the European parliament was "not above the TGWU"

THAT WAY THEY WILL FICIAL SUPPORT FOR VE'LL HAVE THEM BY ... SOME VERY NASTY QUESTIONS COULD ARISE... THINGS COULD GET OUT OF HAND ALTOGETHER!

WHERE GET THE OUR SUBS BASTARD! GONE?! BE DEPENDENT ON YOUR STRIKE PAY-THEN THE BOLLOCKS!

The other reason he now gives is that "I have my bosses"

This clear hint that he has been pressured on this by the leadership of the TGWU tends to bear out reports that a secret full-time officials' meeting has decided their position.

Already the chairman of Law's own 5,000 strong drivers' branch has said that his branch will ignore Law's position.

And Eric Rechnitz, commercial drivers' representative on the TGWU Executive has said there was no question of the TGWU dropping its opposition to tachographs.

It is lay members who decide policy changes, he declared.

But if they are to do so on this question, lorry drivers will need to fight Law and the TGWU hierarchy as well as the employers.

came well towards the bottom of the poll-a healthy indication that the union is at last beginning to see the absolute necessity of collective action with brothers and sisters in other trade unions.

This change ot attitude was reflected in other decisions taken at conference.

These included a rejection of secret ballots before strike action is taken; a commitment to issue a public policy statement pledging support for gay members discriminated against at work; affiliation to the National Steering Committee Against the Cuts; the need for a Freedom of Information Act to keep Official Secrets to a minimum; and the implementation of a monitoring system against racial discrimination recommended in the "Applicátion of Race Relations Policy in the Civil Service' The task for IPCS members in the coming year must be to ensure that these progressive steps do not remain as 'paper' motions only.

WELL SIR, AT FIRST SIGHT IT SEEMS FINE... STRIKERS KNOW THEY WON'T GET ANY OFFICIAL SUPPORT, SO THERE SHOULD BE LESS STRIKES... OH DAMMIT, O'FISHALI, YOU'RE RIGHT!.. WHY CANT YOUR BLIGHTERS ON THE SHOP FLOOR BE AS CIVILISED AND RATIONAL AS YOU?

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON ANYTHING LIKE MY SALARY, SIR!

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SOCIALIST [PRESS PRESS Defeat for CPSA right wing shows workers' mood Ken Thomas addressing CPSA members The series of humilating defeats suffered by the right wing leadership of the Civil Servants' union CPSA last week is a reflection of the militancy that has developed inside the working class during a winter of major pay battles.

The CPSA bureaucracy proved less well able than their stable-mates in NUPE, ASTMS and the UPW to contain this revolt-and therefore the outcome was that much more spectacular:

General Secretary Ken Thomas in particular faced the brunt of the onslaught by delegates angry over the sellout of the CPSA's own pay Thomas was censured for his signing of the pro-incomes policy document "A Better Way".

A motion censuring the NEC's handling of the campaign and its refusal to call out members in the DHSS and Department of Employment was also passed.

The NEC was Turther censured for its failure to press of the CPSA.

EXII number of full-time officers on In two weeks a minority ¡of the British electorate will elect 81 MPs for a European Parliament.

Members and supporters of the Workers Socialist League will not be voting. We call for a boycott in every EEC country, no matter what candidate is offered.

The EEC Parliament is one ¡ piece of banditry piled on top I of another; a sham parliament of an organisation designed to attack workers on an interna'tional scale.

It bears the same relation to a workers republic of Europe as the United Nations to a communist international: the ,complete opposite of it.

The EEC is a capitalist block to counterweight to the capitaiist blocks of the USA and Japan, and to combat the economic power of the degenerated workers' state of the Soviet Union and of its sattelites.

it shields member states from attack by their own working classes. It is the economic wing of NATO..

Communist vote

Communists vote in elections for national constituent assemblies because constituent. assemblies have a progressive element and, while providing a cover for the workAS WE GO TO PRESS, Socialist Press correspondents at the UPW, NUPE and ASTMS conferences are still reporting on developments for which we have no space in this issue.

Full reports on each of these important conferences will appear in a round-up in next week's Socialist Press.

MAKE SURE OF YOUR COPY! Election mad- Ali ings of capitalism, appear to the working class to offer some way forward.

By standing candidates or offering critical support to other candidates, communists are able to demonstrate that the assemblies exist to maintain capitalism, and to expose those within them who claim to represent the working class.

The EEC parliament contains no such contradictions. Not only does it have no control over the EEC bureaucracy (being merely a 'deliberative and advisory' body) but even if it did have such nominal power it would remain an open expres sion of international capitalism.

Reform

Those in the Labour Party who once argued not to join the Common Market now argue for "reform' as if the EEC's appalling waste of human and material resources, the international attacks on jobs and the rampant nationalism and competition between •the member states, was an accident capable of correction.

The "internationalism' of the EEC states is like the internationalism of the Olympic Games where in the spirit of "internationalism" , athletes are encouraged to cheat, foul and maim their opponents just so long as they win.

Why not stand candidates on