Flop for import controls aemo

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The Hosiery Union's plan to duck the fight against redundancies and closures in the industry by diverting extremely mixed reception in Leicester on November 12.

Official union forecasts over local radio of a massive 6,000 turn-out proved to be badly out of touch with the mood of the membership. Only about 2,000 turned out for this employersponsored import controls' jamboree.

This was despite a massive campaign in the local press in support of the march, open collaboration by employers who gave time off to workers on full pay to encourage them to attend, and a string of buses which ferried in workers from other areas.

Notably absent were the vast majority of the thousands of Asian workers who make up the bulk of the hosiery workforce in the East Midlands.

Clearly the shop floor workers were not as convinced as their official leaders about the generosity and good intentions of their bosses, including Courtaulds and Coates Patons both • multi-nationals) who have been carrying out the closures.

A contributing factor to the low attendance must, however, also have been the determined campaign carried out by the left at the factories in the weeks beforehand, spelling out the case against import controls.

hosiery he don offrats fought, desperately to suppress all reference to politics in the interests of their shabby alliance with the employers.

Political banners were outlawea, and the SWP's 'Right to Work' protest found. itself removed from the main body of the march before it had even set off.

The only organised opposition on the march was, as a result, the contingent lined up behind the local Trades Council's Cuts and Unemployment Committee banner, which NUHKW secretary, Harry Gibson, making clear where he stood, thanked the local bosses, (who have put 5,000 of his members out of work) for their "solidarity" (!) and was promptly followed by a woman hosiery worker who wanted to 'go back to when Britain was great', and ended with a rendition of 'Land of Hope and Glory'.

But even this sort of grovelling, nationalist claptrap failed to convince the assembled workers to greet Tory MP John Farr with enthusiasm.

When he rose to speak he was greeted with a torrent of boos, catcalls and fairly graphic suggestions as to how he might spend the rest of his day.

For almost five minutes the chairman, Leicester's Lord crave struggled to get a demohearing for Farr's special brand of Little Englander' imperialism, arguing that it wasn't a political meeting.

Further indications of the way in which British Railways Board intend to honour the Tory government's new cash limits are emerging almost on a daily basis.

To take two examples; on the Southern Region no less than 140 stations are to close threatening hundreds of workers with redundancies if, as seems likely, they cannot be transferred to other depots.

On the Eastern Region, a leaked management document reveals that one-third of the suburban electric services on the "Great Northern" are to be axed, and forty workers face the prospect of redundancy at Kings The audience didn't agree, and the Tory's badly mauled speech went largely unheard.

Despite this setback for the import controls' lobby there is little doubt that-other union leaders, eager to duck out of a fight on jobs, will be tempted to jump on the same bandwagon.

It is, therefore, vital that rank and file militants take up every one of the arguments put forward, whether by employers or unions, left or right, on import controls now at shop floor level.

What is necessary now is the development of a layer of class fighters who can begin to win workers coming into struggle to a programme of demands which begins not from the interests of preserving ailing 'British' capitalISm, but takes as its clear starting point the independent interests of the working class. Cross in the near future.

The impact of the economic crisis on freight haulage • is beginning to be felt, especially at rail depots closely tied to the steel industry.

Within the next year, nearly all marshalling yards, where freight trains are made up, will be closed.

'At an open meeting called by the Stratford branch of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, in East London, this desperate picture was reflected in the speeches from representatives of other depots in the London area.

Also present at the meeting was FC member George Saville whose contribution consisted of New Ambassadors Hotel Upper Woburn Place London WC! ing on the executive members who voted for the deal to resign.

A meeting of the London m'embership has passed a resolution which says "The union leaders succeeded in snatching defeat from : the jaws of victory".

The leadership accepted this sell-out at a time of tremendous national • and international support. It is pretty clear that they will try to avoid any struggle on their wage claim for £3 an hour-in answer to which the employers have offered less After months of speculation and a couple of trial runs, the Lucas corporation has begun a major attack on jobs at CAV, Acton.

Figures given to a shop stewards' meeting include the following:

*In the electrical business the employer is demanding a cut of at least 60 direct workers, 116 indirect workers and 70 staff. bemoaning the "ignorance" of footplate staff and their reluctance to take any action, citing May 14 as confirmation of his view.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the responsibility to defend jobs and conditions on the footplate rested squarely on the shoulders of the EC.

The EC were attacked by one speaker for not mounting a "full blooded campaign" including mass meetings to build for strike action.

Ray Buckton, General Secretary of ASLEF, let it be remembered, has stated publicly, in the press, on TV and at this year's TUC that he would be in favour of strike action to defend the industry.

Privately, however, Buckton has stated to fellow EC members, that ther is no chance

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