To Wages Conference

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£135 BLOW TO NUM Bang'on time! The March 27th recall Conference on Wage Control and Union Democracy is ideally placed in the light of the current wages offensive right across the working class.

This was the keynote to the discusat last Saturday's meeting of the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement which has called the conference.

The committee discussed reports on the previous day's explosion of militancy at Leyland's Longbridge plant in the light of the overall sharpening of the wages struggle.

Such movements confirm the necessity for serious discussion on the political implications of the fight to end wage control, as correctly anticipated by the Campaign Committee.

It was reported that so far several union branches had voted to support the Conference - these being TGWU 5/293 at BLMC Cowley; Export Packing Services, Banbury, TGWU 5/104; Rotherham AUEW/TASS; Blackwells Oxford ACTSS 5/833; London Hotels GMWU; and Sheffield TGWU 9/236.

But with the main hall at Digbeth Civic Hall booked for the Conference it is clear that the campaign must be stepped up in'all areas if the potential support is to be fully mobilised.

INTERVENTION

The Committee further agreed hat intervention should be attempte at the Conference on the cuts called by the Stalinist-led Liaison Committee for that he would not be able to carry support for a stage three of wage control through the NUM Conference only stated the obvious following as it did hard on the heels of the Nottinghamshire Area NUM vote for a demand for £135 per week for face workers.

But only a couple of weeks before Gormley himself (who had even opposed fighting for early retirement) had put his name to a deal with the NCB making the Defence of Trade Unions, to expose its complete failure to put programme or perspective for a fight now to defeat the social contract.

And proposals were discussed for an initiative to oppose the present witch-hunting moves, within the Labour Party aimed at repressing any serious OPPOS ition to the Callaghan-Healey government. ... .:

Wherever possible CLPs will be urged to call public meetings to oppose the NEC decision to pursue an enquiry into the notorious Underhill report on "entryism"

As the working class begins now to move into struggle in opposition to its traditional leaderships, the role of such a body as the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement in raising the political implications of each field of struggle is one which stands to considerably increase.

Various posals as to the form in whịch the anising Committee should attempt to tonsilidate itself as a body after the March 27th Conference were discussed, and will be raised again at its next meeting on Saturday March 12th.

Labour movement bodies wishing to send delegates or observers to this meeting, or wanting further information on the CDEM and copies of the Conference resolution are urged to write to Secretary Kevin Lee, 44, Devonshire Rd., Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20.

Individual militants wishing to attend the Conference are also urged to do so and to fight for support within their union branches and other bodies.

Now is the decisive four weeks of the campaign for this conference. We call on all members and supporters to give it their full and active support. limited concessions on - if Phase Three allows!

In other words, Gormley, after carefully staging the 'retirement' issue as a diversion had already conceded that there would be a Phase Three, only to be forced into the open by the movement of his own members.

The heavy setback to the "moderates" who lead the Notts Area NUM adminstered by the £135 demand at a time when the TUC was negotiating At the same meeting the CDLM Committee discussed plans for distribution ot à special leaflet prepared to support Alan Thornett in the coming election for TGWU General Secretary.

70,000 of the leaflets have been printed and already there has been a strong response to the challenge of making workers aware that there is an alternative to Moss Evans, the chosen "likely winner" boosted in the capitalist press.

In particular tens of thousands of these leaflets will be distributed in the Midlands and among TGWU members in London.

But the Committee still urges all militants who want to participate in a serious fight against the reactionary "social contract" drawn up by Jones and defended by all the "main" contenders in the leadership elections to take copies of the leaflet and to campaign with them in their factories and union branches. towards Phase Three was followed up b by a vote against the social contract also.

However, the NUM leadership has proved itself consistent at evading a fight for the wage demands called for by their members.

While £135 is a perfectly reasonable claim and to be supported, it is of particular importance to insist that any increase that is won is protected against inflation through a sliding scale of wages providing increases in line with the cost of living as assessed by trade union committees.

And it is even more important that Notts miners and other areas bombard their leadership with demands that this claim is taken up now as part of the struggle of all workers against the reactionary 5% TUC pay limit. of jobs but sets a precedent for mass sackings throughout the area for many firms are on short time.

There is little doubt that "redeployment" will become a new weapon in the arsenal of confusion and betrayal utilised by full time As the leaflet points out:

"For two years now the power of the TGWU, in the hands of Jack Jones and his army of appointed officials, has been used not to defend the interests of the working class but to prop up a Labour government which is attacking the working class.

The result is plain to see: wages held down by TUC dictate to a 5% increase whilst the value of the pay packet is slashed by massive price increases; 1½ million unemployed with more sackings to come as huge public spending cuts are implemented.

This is the reality of the Social Contract. The longer it lasts the more living standards will fall.

It is for this reason that the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement is urging all TGWU members to vote for Alan Thornett for General Secretary in the coming election."

It makes clear the conditions in which the election takes place:

"As we in the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement have pointed out, increasing bureaucracy is the trend not just in the TGWU but throughout the labour movement. The authority of full time officials is strengthened whilst the power of elected shop stewards is undermined. Collaboration with employers, participation in management and the centralisation of of ite The repell is plain to see TUC Cal the The longer st lasts i he more bening wandands wall alt TWU members to role fos Bon LedictionA rostrel.

rate ending it mons The Right to Work campaign even issued a leaflet claiming thai the deal was "a great victory" and that "the closure of the works... is now without loss of jobs" › and spoke for the sell-out in the final mass meeting. bargaining in the hands are all part of this".

And it explains why a leaflet is necessary if Thornett is to be seen by workers as a serious candidate:

"As General Secretary his position would be to use the strength of the TGWU not, as Moss Evans did recently at Rubery Owen, to hammer down workers on behalf of an employer - but to support workers in struggle against the employers.

We have published this statement to help ofiset the intervention of the press and TV in this election:

They want elected a candidate who will support the Social Contract or who will confine any action on wages or cuts to simply protest. To achieve this they have used the technique of presenting only two "main contenders", hoping to reduce the votes which go to the rest"

The leaflet also includes pointers on the rules of the election to assist those workers who may have to challenge branch officials in order to get a ballot Copies of the leaflet, at £3.00 per 1,000 can be obtained from Secretary. CDLM, Kevin' Lee, 44 Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20.

ISWE Cineral Becretary Election VOTE THORNETT * AGAINST THE SOCIAL CONTRACT: • FOR SUBSTANTIAL HAGE INCREASES NOW! •FOR COST OF LIVING CLAUSES TO MATCH THE FULL RATE OF PRICE * TO RESTORE ALL CUTS IN PUBLIC SERVICES! INFLATION yot „hily to Bage Mand GRU de af year Isce Darret Commillees of the TOlL

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YOU...IF YOU DON'T ACCEPT PHASE 31

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MODERATES Joe Gormley's statement last week

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