Toolroom Workers Fight Social Contract

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VE END THE SOCIAL WACONTRACT TIM If British Leyland's 3,000 striking toolroom workers win their wage demands they will deal the death blow to the hated social contract and its enforcers in the TUC and the Labour government.

While the Chairman of their unofficial committee, Roy Fraser, might claim they are not against the social contract, the reality is that their claim cannot be met within the framework of the 5% STAGE THREE And, what is more, it cannot be met under a Stage Three of wage controls either. Because, despite the continuous talk from TUC leaders and the Communist Party about possible flexibility" and restoration of 'differentials' after Phase Two runs out in July, both government and TUC are completely committed to extending wage control.

That can only mean wage control for everybody, rigidly enforced - otherwise it would collapse in matter of days.

This is why we stress the importance of fighting for full support to the toolroom workers.

The stakes are high. The Callaghan government has pinned its entire strategy on imposing another period of rigid wage controls upon the working class, as part of their effort to restore profits in private industry.

LOCK OUT

And the rumblings about closures or even a possible government lock-out in Leyland -tactfully referred to as a "cooling period" - indicate how seriously they and the employers take the toolmakers threat to their plans.

Meanwhile dozens of full-time union officials have been queueing up to get in their attack on this section of workers which has dared to defy their bureaucratic control.

The AUEW National Executive - both "left" and right alike -voted unanimously to instruct the strikers back to work.

This instruction was rejected. Birmingham AUEW District Official Ken Cure attempted to attend the meeting of the toolmakers' unofficial stewards' committee on Saturday - only to a unanimous vote to exclude from the meeting.

Budding TGWU General Secretary, Moss Evans went on radio on Sunday to add his call for the strikers to return to work - without any impact whatever.

And on Monday AUBW District Secretary Bert Benson failed in both his bid to meet the 45 toolroom stewards in the Longbridge plant and in his attempt to convene a mass meeting of the 1,000 toolroom workers - with stewards manning the factory gates to turn back their members with not a single toolroom worker attending Benson's meeting.

Meanwhile at Cowley toolroom workers picketing Leyland's Body Plant had to confront an unholy alliance of Communist Party and right wing TGWU stewards and conveners threatening to whip up violence against them.

This was echoed at Castle Bromwich, where TGWU Regional Secretary Brian Mathers was Cont'd Back Page, Col 3.