Tory Laws Arm Employers

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Police in action against pickets at Adwest Prior strength of the working class at a time when jobs and living standards are under unprece dented attack.

But what have the union leaders done to oppose these anti-union laws?

A handful of leaflets and stickers have been issued. A ounuay ucmunsuaton evas Candav damanetration 1I0e called on March 9. A few speeches have been made.

And on May 14 the TUC reluctantly held its Day of Action'-before which union leaders fought alongside the Tory press to restrict the scope of strike action and dissipate the growing anti-Tory militancy within the working class.

The Tories were not fooled for one moment by the empty rhetoric of Len Murray and the TUC leaders.

of They recognised at once that these bureaucrats are much more afraid of the potential strength and independence of their members than thev are of any Tory attacks on union rights.

Sooner than lift a finger to defeat Thatcher, the bureaucracy are prepared to see the most fundamental union rights stripped away.

This is why the TUC Congress agenda contains no call for all-out trade union action to deTy and dereat the Employ- dofv and dofost tho Emnlau ment Act and its reactionary provisions.

Instead there are mealy-mouthed statements of "opposition" to the Act, and calls for a Labour government to repeal it. Only NATSOPA and the NUM even hint at action against the new laws. For other unions it is to be accepted as "the law of the land" until the next Labour government!

But it is not only on trade union rights that the TUC leaders have thrown in the towel.

As the Thatcher government lays waste the social services, health and education, the public sector unions offer not one tangible proposal for action to halt the cuts.

And the entire agenda sports only one resolution against the Tory government. The Bakers' Union calls vaguely for the TUC to:

"give a lead to all affiliated unions and their members by mounting a campaign jointly with the Labour Party against the cuts in social spending and the anti-union legislation. This campaign should clearly aim to heinr the Tans bring down we rory yovernment and bring to office a Labour government pledged to the socialist policies contained in Clause 4-part 4-of the Party Constitution."

Yet despite the correct call to "bring down the Tory government" this motion gives no clue as to how this is to be done.

Far from calling for the necessary general strike action to defeat Thatcher, the TUC has set its face against even an extension or une protest acuon antinam it called on May 14.

In a letter to Colin Barnett, secretary of the NW Regional TUC, Murray last week declared that: -MLE . "The General Council recently consulted affiliated unions and I must tell you there is little or no support for a repeat of the Day of Action in the near future"

Nor is the TUC content with blocking any national level action: Murray also went out of his way to veto a regional uemonstration demandentian alanand Lolla piannea py the NW TUC.

Laughably arguing that he Continued page 11

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INTERNATIONAL Page Natusch and now inquisitor general for the wretched oaf Garcia.

In the last four days Arce has brought in more help from Argentine military intelligence to "improve military vigilance" purge the army itselt, tush out