Longbridge-the ims of Stalinism

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Wise after the event, Longbridge convenor and leading Communist Party member Jack Adams is reported in the Morning Star of January, 31 condemning the outcome of the inquiry into the stewards.

"It confirms ou : ‹perience that joint inquiries out save sacked shop stewerds," he declared.

But if this is Adams' experierce, why did ne himself propose from the platform of the crucial mass meeting at Digbeth Hall: on January 4 that the Metro workers should accept such an inquiry as the basis for a return to work?

Why did he not focus his energies on opposing what was instantly recognisable as a formula for defeat?.

And why did not the Communist Party's daily paper the Morninz Star expose the real nature of the rigged inquiry?

The answer is that the CP had. no intention of carrying through any fight for the reinstatement of the sacked stewards.

The day following the mass meeting the Star's ludicrous headline was "BL workers place Edwardes on Trial". Reporter Jim Sanders went so far as to claim that:

"BL boss Sir Michael Edwardes was yesterday put on trial by the Longbridge strikers Unless a promised management-union inquiry produces justice and fairness [!] for the sacked and suspended workers at the giant Birmingham car complex,, strike action will be resumed. • In reality any trade unionist with the slightest experience of victimisations knew at once that Adams, together with TGWU and AUEW officials, had carried through the first step in the eventual betrayal and abandonment of the Longbridge 8. • Half page Yet again on January 16 a carefully phrased half page article claimed that BL, faced with the threat of renewed strike action, was now "caught on the horns of a dilemma of its own creation"

"Its dilemma was how to extricate itself from an intransigent position without appearing to have made any • concessions to the trade unions or workforce. How to retreat without retreating."

Nothing could be further from the truth-and the cynical Stalinist hacks on the Star knew this all along.

Adams had in reality given management a whole month in which to dissipate the militancy that had maintained the action prior to the holiday break, and create the best conditions to ram home the sacking of all four TGWU shop stewards.

Hypocrisy

In quoting Adams' hypocritical complaint about inquiries the Morning Star simply confirms its complicity in the entire sell-out.

The Longbridge stewards were victimised not only by Edwardes but also by the Communist Party Name ..

Address.

Send to: WSL . BM 5277, WC1N 3XX. THE WSL . Socialist League.

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victimisation of six workers including four TGWU shop