[John Boyd, right wing general secretary of the…]

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John Boyd, right wing general secretary of the AUEV has called for Varley to org anise a government inquiry into the operations of Manganese Bronze Holdings.

This call, endorsed by a mass meeting of Norton Villiers workas in Wolverhampton excludes any demand to defend all jobs. Instead the government is to be asked to draw up a plan to create *a viable nationalised motor cycle industry". In other words, Boyd though forced to show some signs of action over the threat of 10, 000 redundancies in NVT and component suppliers, will not make the fight for nationalisation central.

A government inquiry into the MBHolding company holds out little hope for workers in NVT. The government has sponsored the Boston Consultative Group's report which rejected further aid aad already holds over 50% of the ing the books of MBH to the committees of trade unionists must be fought for.

NVT has already declared 300 redundancies in the Small Heath plant with many more to follow. They propose to keep on 400 of the workforce only on condition that all trade union rights are given up - the ending of demarcation, domestic agreements, the tool room agreement etc., - a vicious attack on the part of management.

Instead of a government whitewash, the AUEV and T&G leadership should fight for nationalisatior under workers management withou compensation. Instead of tying jobs to creating a "viable" industry when already thousands of redundancies are being carried out, the AUEW and T&G leadership should be fighting for the implementation of work sharing on full pay.

Rovd's letter is desioned to giving Jones a platform on Sunday for an equally reactionary speech is carrying out such a treacherous role. Posing as a left grouping of MPs, the Tribunites have been distinguished only by their spineless acquiescence to every aspect of Wilson's policy, garnished by vague left rhetoric and meaningless gestures.

Jones has traded on his past history as a 'left' to build up his authority in the fight for wage-cutting. Now the Tribunites allow him to speak at length on the impossibility of socialist policies to meet the crisis:

"Socialist ideals are fine, but that is not on the agenda for today", said Jones to an audience which would no doubt agree on this question. By allowing Jones to speak in this way at their meeting the Tribunt Group wound up any notion of a fight against the pay laws.

All is not yet signed and sealed on the size of the vote in favour of Jones plan. The UCATT delegation has now joined the engineers, NUPE and ASTMS in leading the opposition to the proposals. Other delegations may well vote against and amass a substantial total in opposition.