TGWU pledged to back jobs fights

Scan page 11

Dunlop Action Committee-no action to save jobs must demand that TGWU, movement to mobilise in mass AUEW and other unions pickets to defend the occupied involved mount a full-scale cam- plant against bailiffs-and issue paign of blacking and other the call for the formation of a solidarity action to back up Council of Action to draw deleThe Summer School will be attended by delegations fr organisations affiliated to the Trotskyist International Committee, and is open to SL members and supporters.

"LEN'S WEEK OF UNRELENTING STRUGGLE"

As we go to press, the expected move by bailiffs to implement a possession order and end the 100-day occupation of the Meccano plant on Merseyside still has not yet taken place. • The High Court last week granted the order to Meccano's owners-the giant Airfix combine, which late last year attempted to sack the entire 940 workforce at 40 minutes' notice.

Despite a total refusal of the major unions involved-particularly the GMWU-to make their struggle official or offer even financial support, a hard core of 250 workers have maintained a determined occupation at the plant in a fight which stands out in stark contrast to the previous run of closures on Merseyside.

Appeal

The news of the High Court order was met by an appeal from the occupation for a mass labour movement picket on the gates of the plant. Over 100 trade unionists-including postal workers, dockers and seamenturned out on Thursday and Friday in response to their call, and the bailiffs stayed away.

But GMWU official Mike Egan has repeatedly stressed that the occupiers would not resist an attempt to evict them from the factory, and that they have no intention of breaking "the law"

Since the 'law"-based on defending the private property rights of the capitalist class-is precisely the means used by firms like Airfix to close plants like Meccano at the expense of the workforce, such a statement is tantamount to renouncing any future struggle to defend jobs!

• Blockaded Whether or not Egan, after weeks of active involvement in the dispute proceeds to lead the workforce tamely out of the Meccano plant, the example set by the occupation itself has UNION since been followed by 400 more Merseyside workers-this time in the threatened Massey Ferguson assembly plant at Knowsley.

The gates have been blockaded with digger-loaders, and this firm stand has already brought official support from the TGWU.

Indeed the TGWU has now declared it will give official suppport to any struggle on Merseyside against sackings-and has also pledged itself to support strike action to prevent redundancies in London or Preston docks.

Such a stand takes place of course only after the closure without the slightest fight of major TGWU organised Merseyside plants-including BL's Triumph plant at Speke and Dunlop's Speke factory, where TGWU national chairman Stan Pemberton personally helped ensure that no occupation took place.

Supporting action

•Nevertheless such a declara tion of official support for a fight against closures must be used and taken further in practice by workers everywhere in struggle against the recessionary policies of the Thatcher government.

: In particular, as the Meccano struggle has shown, it is vital that the full national strength of the unions is used against giant combines that seek to pick off smaller and less profitable plants in order to step up the rate of exploitation in their main centres of production.

Despite the valiant efforts of the Meccano workforce, GMWU and other union leaders have consistently refused to implement any serious blacking of Airfix goods and services in support of the occupation.......

Yet threatened jobs cannot be defended by the unaided efforts of the workers facing the dole: supporting blacking and strike action from the broader trade union movement is vital to hit the employers.

Massey. Ferguson workers their occupation.

They must call on port of the Merseyside DUT _AND HERE HE IS' ;COMRADES- OURGREAT LEADER & ORGANISER, the supworkers' NO MOSS, I'M AFRAID THERE'S ORRY ONE WAY TO RESTRICT THESE ISTC BAGGERS NOW-A TUC INITIATIVE!

COMRADES AND FRIENDSTHIS MASSIVE DEMONSTRATION IS TO SHOW OUR UNMIELDING HOSTILITYgates from all labour movement bodies into extending the fight in defence of jobs, living standards and trade union rights.

discussion on basic questions the Fourth International. "HELLO!..... LOOK TAKE IT FROM ME LADDIE, THERE'S NO QUESTION OF GENERAL STRIKE ACTION ON MAY 14 ToN;

Scan page 12

SOCIALIST PRESS SOUA ST Nkomo

----- pull-quotes -----

days of classes and discussion on basic questions of Marxis fight to reconstruct the Fourth International.

Feball AT THE

-BROTHER LEN!!! Stel

More details available from: WSL, BM Box 5277,