Birmingham March

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On Saturday, December 13th., 600 demonstrators marched through the centre of Birmingham protesting against the cuts in local government expenditure. The demonstration was supported by contingents from UCATT, ASTMS, NUPE and NUT, as well as several union district committees.

This was the first sign that the attempt of the local trade union bureaucrats to smother protest at the growth of unemployment and deteriorating public services is beginning to break down.

The Tribune group MPs who had promised to turn up to address the rally at the end of the march failed to come. This can be explained by their concern not to upset the local trade union leadership who had opposed the march as an unofficial and a potentially antigoverment venture, and by their complete lack of policy to fight the cuts in face of their refusal to fight Wilcan prevent outbursts of unofficial anger, the Regional Council of the TUC, meeting while the march was in progress, agreed to organise an official demonstration against the cuts in early February.

Yet even now some officials claim that they have heard 'unofficially' from Len Murray that no further cuts in expenditure are to be made, and said we should be careful not to 'embarass' the Labour government. This nonsense was rejected even by the secretary of the Regional Council, David Parris. As chairman of the regional health authority he said he had already been told that the most severe cuts in the health service would be in 1977.

Rumour

It is pathetic to see these supposed leaders of the working class scraping around for any rumour or gossip from high places to pursuade themselves that their inactivity is justified.

The Regional TUC agreed to cunnart vanth Birmingham Trades Council. Chi will be held in February, i is hoped that both employe anc unemployed young people wil attend.

Motions

Two motions from TAS: demanding action over unemploy ment. were also passed. Unfortun ately both concentrated solely oi pressurising the TUC and the Lab our government rather than initiat ing a campaign amongst the presen membership of the trade union and fighting to recruit the unem ployed into the unions.

It is only if a struggle develop! around a programme to preveni sackings which can challenge the control of the employer through i fight to open the books and work sharing on full pay, that the inter ests of workers can be protected To think that the 'reasonableness' of argument will deflect the govern ment from its present course and can defend the working class, is a

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As our recently-pul document Fourth shows clearly, the V political differences But our differenc in a principled mani members of the SWI and scurrilous attac Revolutionary Party