NUJ solidarity with jobs fight

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shopkeepers, small businessmen, etc-outside of the labour movement.

The Manifesto also emphasises that, no matter what the cuts and rate increases proposed, "we must avoid at all costs fighting Labour councils"

Expulsion Not surprisingly in view of this lurch to the opportunist right and the crisis of the WRP's Middle Eastern connections-as exemplified by the Iran/Iraq wai-a Political Committee statement on August 28 pleads for "Party Unity" and demands an end to debate within the movement-on pain of automatic expulsion!

This is backed up by a document supposedly on "security" which consists of a reprint of an attack on the WL by ex-Trotskyist Robin Blick, together with a further attack on the WSL by the WRP itself. Woe betide any WRP member who now opposes Community Councils!

Perhaps most dominant in delegates' thoughts however will be the huge financial crisis of the WRP. Healy confesses that by September the daily Newsline was losing £10,000 per month. There is no hint in the conference documents as to where such money comes from.

Perhaps this is a suitable case for yet another earth-shattering "Newsline Investigation"?

LEEDS

League/Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement PUBLIC MEETING Friday 13 February Leeds Trades Council Club 8.00 p.m.

Speaker: Alan Thornel Journalists on London suburban papers have voted to call a one day strike this week in support of colleagues on the Camden Journal, whose paper has been closed under them.

The strike was called to coincide with a picket of the print works. at Nuneaton to stop scab production of two sister papers.

Testimony

Although only a one day strike, the decision (by a majority of more than 30 in a meeting of 260 members) is a striking testimony to the organisation and unity that has sprung up among London journalists outside Fleet Street.

The practice of holding mass meetings, introduced during the cost of living London claim in September/October has wedded together small fragmented units into a fighting force.

Many of the journalists fear for their own jobs and the strike vote came in recognition of two facts; firstly that the Camden journalists have been singled out for their militancy, and secondly that the method of closure will be used by other Labour Movement Conference Media Censorship and convened by National Union of Journalists Saturday February 28 Birmingham tails from Ron Knowles, UJ, 314 Grays Inn Road, London WC1. managements.

The Camden journalists 1 vere handed their notices out of the blue six days before Christı nas, one issue before production was due to stop.

Solidarity

They struck on Christmas Eve and the Islington Gazette chapel-also part of North London Newspapers-came out solidly in support. The third paper in the sub-group, the Hornsey Journal-has a core of scabs still working.

The papers are owned by Heart of England Newspapers, which has papers in the Midlands at Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby and Banbury and at Haverford in Wales.

NGA compositors at Nuneaton have crossed NUJ picket lines saying they must wait for a decision of their national council. But 14 NGA members stayed out last week in a display of solidarity which has shamed their national The key issue of blackingwhich could force the management to suspend the noticeshas criminally not bee discussed offensive.

Price: 45p including postaț from WSL, BM Box 527 London WCIN 3XX. at the last two meetings of the NGA National Council despite urgent pleas from NUJ officials.

The dispute has national importance for NUJ members. It is the first case of redundancies in the provincial press to have been met by such large scale action.

The Camden Journal is 100% NUJ and its editor, Eric Gordon, played a leading role in last year's cost of living pay striké. The paper has taken a leftish line, supporting tenants' groups and Camden workers on strike.

Pegged As a result its circulation has been pegged by Heart of England management and the paper is now under sentence of death.

If the solidarity of NUJ members is not to be thrown away an all out campaign to force NGA blacking must be waged.

London SOGAT, which withdrew blacking: action through which production of the Hornsey Journal and Islington Gazette had been stopped for one week must also be forced to reimpose the blacking.

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