20,000 March Against Guts

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20,000 students, teachers and public service workers marched through London last Tuesday in opposition to the government's education cuts.

This reflection of the enormous anger against Wilson's policies attracted trade union banners from NUPE, NALGO, ATTI, and NUT, as well as contingents from the Association of University Teachers and the National Union of Students, supported by delegations from car factories and other sections of industry.

The need for a policy to challenge these government cuts emerged as the central question. While union speaker after union speaker called for "unity against the cuts" and right "priorities" all of them are involved through the TUC in implementing state UU HIIHUI pay laws - the other side of the spending cuts, directly cutting living standards. Not one speaker called for strike action to halt the cuts and force a sliding scale of expenditure. And if no action is proposed, then all the words under the sun will not change As sales dwindle and the battle for what remains of the market intensifies Chrysler is fast emerging as the 'sick man of the British car industry' Following losses (reported in the last issue of Socialist Press' the company has announced massive lay-offs.

At the Linwood plant in Scotlan where 1400 hourly paid workers have left in the last 12 months, all 5600 manual workers will be on a 3-day week until the New Year. During November and December working days will total only 17. For workers in Vehicle Assembly this brings the total of lay-offs for this year to 75!

The Stoke engine plant in Coventry, up to now cushioned from extensive lay-offs by a components order from Iran, is expected to announce production cut-backs shortly.

However, it is at the Ryton (Coventry) plant that the most extensive lay-offs have been announced. Over the next two months there: will be only 11 working days. There will be no more car production in fund As we report on Page 3, our successful Founding Conference last weekend was able to register a number of gains and significant growth in the Workers Socialist League.

We also adopted the perspectives document for discussion towards the rebuilding of the Fourth Intternational which will appear , starting in the next edition, as a special suppiement to socialist tress. This supplement is a big development for our press, but will obviously add to our expenses. We want therefore to urge all readers to make a donation tow ards this month's £500 development fund All donations to: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, _London NWS IHR...

UNION CHIEFS, cont from page 1 attack ever launched on workers in the Corporation, they have not called a single meeting. They have accepted that paid meetings of convenors called by management and national officials can take key decisions on the future of Leyland workers.

Both the Stalinists and the refort ists refuse to challenge this Labou Government and its capitalist policies and without being prepared to make such a challenge it is impossible to defend jobs or working conditions. They end up carrying out precisely those capitalist policies.

In this situation the need for new leadership in the car industry stare every worker in the face. Wilson's course.

The strength of the demonstration showed up once again therefore the huge contradiction between the readiness of the working class to fight, and the determination of its leadership to betray.

October. In November 12 days will be lost leaving only 8 at work and in December only 3 days, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th will be worked.

Managing Director Lander has said that "the future looks very difficult for 12-14 months".

Attacks must obviously sharpen and the situation calls for the clearest perspective.

So far, however, it is understood that Senior Stewards at Ryton have limited themselves to demands that the three December working days be transferred to November, to allow advantage to be taken of increases in unemployment benefit due to come into effect at the end of that month.

Something like 95% of workers have now nearly exhausted their lay-off pay following short time working in September and October We say all available work must be shared with no loss of pay. Worker: with only 11 days work before Christmas have no idea what they will be doing in the New Year. The company books must be opened to inspection of trade union committees thus showing the extent of the Chrysler crisis and establishing the necessity for nationalisation under workers management. Spain: continued from front page Fascist state and rule through parliamentary democracy.

Civil war is therefore on the agenda. It is likely that the first incidents will be between the working class and the notorious Guardia Civil, the paramilitary police renowned for their brutality and terror since the Civil War.

The working class will undoubtedly demand the dismantlement of this force. The Spanish bourgeoisie, unable even to break from the monarchy as a mechanism of political stability is certainly not able to contemplate the dismemberment of such a powerful organ of class rule as the Guardia Civil.

The lessons of the Civil War whic ended with Franco's victory in 1939 must be learned. There can be no stable republic in Spain other than a workers' republic.

The tasks that were interrupted by defeat in 1939 must now be taken up. The demand must be for a workers' government based on the strength of independent organs of workers' power.

This must involve a break with the Stalinists who intend to act at all costs to preserve the rule of the bourgeoisie (see Socialist Pres:

previous issue). The most recent statement of CP secretary Santiag Carrillo reported in Monday's Morning Star speaks for itself:

"It [the CP] would participate in a government which included right wing groups provided they were willing to respect the results of elections held after the estab lishment of a provisional government."

The Stalinists will learn nothing from the defeat of 1939, and their policies threaten a repetition.

Spanish workers must learn, and build a Trotskyist leadesship for the coming struggle.