[Railwaymen from all over country demonstrated brough London…]

Scan page 6

Railwaymen from all over country demonstrated brough London and joined I mass lobby of Parliament • December 16th, protestcipled statement are obviously far-reaching and dangerous for leaders like Weighell who are committed to simply seeking "reforms" within the capitalist system, because it draws attention to the real social closures in the interests of big business, is it not time these people were kicked right out of the labour movement?

There is no doubt that Tory MPs act consistently day in and day out in the interests of their class and their sponsors - yet as soon as a union leader calls for the same from Labour MPs it is portrayed as a scandal.

The record of 'left' and right MPs on the other hand, shows that no faith can be placed in their willingness to fight Wilson in the interests of the working class - they have voted for every policy which has created the 1,200,000 unemployed.

PREPARATION

But of course even if the Labour MPs were prepared to fight, the rail closures could not simply be fought in Parliament. It is vital that railmen themselves take up the struggle to defend jobs and wages and adopt a programme to do this.

Of course there is much to be gained from taking up Weighell's impromptu cue and putting down demands in the areas and constituencies of NUR-sponsored MPs that they defend rail jobs or forfeit union support. And it is necessary still to demand the 'left' MPs oppose the closures and lead the union sponsored MPs in fighting to remove the Wilson leadership.

But most centrally, railwaymen The Scottish Daily News workers' cooperative was two weeks ago finally declared bankrupt. The financial settlement imposed after the liquidation is a glaring proof of why the workers' cooperative provides no solution for workers faced with redundancy as a result of the economic crisis.

CREDITORS

The courts have divided the assets of the cooperative among its various creditors. There is not enough to go round so the creditors have been divided into three categories: the Inland Revenue will get 100% of the money due to it; Beaverbrook Newspapers and the Department of Trade and Industry will get 50%. The third category gets nothing at all - and that workers' own savings. aims to replace.

defended. category comprises only the workers of the Scottish Daily News who put their savings into the schemè less than a year ago!

Not only has the workers' cooperative failed to save jobs; it has also led to the robbery of the A workers' cooperative is forced to sell its products in the capitalist market in competition with capitalists; it must obey the ruthless laws of capitalist profitability. It cannot prevent the wage-cutting and sackings which capitalism in crisis demands. The alternative path shown by the transitional demands for no redundancies and no loss of pay offers the only way out of the crisis. It is a path going forwards away from the needs of capital, not backwards towards an illusory "workers' capitalism" which is every bit as exploitative as that it The crucial fight therefore is for nationalisation if jobs are to be