Wsl National Committee Statement Issued March 23 1977

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Toolmen force Torv power bid The decision of the Tories to put down a motion of no confidence in the government comes after a period of nearly six months in which they have declined to make such a move.

It therefore has to be seen as a calculated decision taken on the basis of the events that surround the toolmakers' dispute. That is, it has to be rooted in the developments in the class struggle.

The major factor in this was the determination of the toolroom workers, a determination which brought out all the streneth of the working class and its willingness to defend its wages. This determination reached its highest point with the humiliation of Hugh Scanlon at the mass meeting in Birmingham Town Hall where he. as one of the two main props of the Social Contract, was swept aside by this relatively small section of workers.

Arising out of this, the desperation of Scanlon and the AUEW Executive Council in backing up the Company's threat to sack these workers brought such a response in the working class that it is clear that within days there would have been a national strike which could have brought down the Labour government. This movement showed the hostility of the whole working class to the Social Contract.

The Tories realised that there was a danger of the Labour government being removed by a working class in action, so they have chosen the lesser evil of going for government under conditions of a Parliamentary change.

The usefulness of the Labour government to the Tories was obviously based on their ability to use the trade union leaders to police not only Phase II but a Phase III and now that their ability to do so is in question, the Tories have decided to go for their removal.

The point is that even if the government is not removed on Wednesday it is nevertheless still on the way out. But they are going out with no parliamentary opposition by any 'left" MPs to Fraser with toolroom workers pose alternative policies. In fact, the lefts' have at no time challenged the Callaghan-Healey It is in this light that the WSL calls on the 'left' MPs to prepare for a General Election with alternative policies by declaring that they will vote against the government on Wednesday unless the Callaghan-Healey leadership resigns and is replaced by those fighting for an alternative socialist programme against the Social Contract-pay controls, cuts and unemployment.

We support the demand that the Labour Party NEC calls an emergency recall Labour Party Conference to adopt a socialist ORGANISED BY CAMPAIGN FOR DEMOCRACY LABOUR MOVEMENT after WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE PUBLIC MEETING "Down with the Coalition!"

Sunday 3 April at 7.30 pm Prince of Wales, Division Street

Birmingham

programme and break from the class collaborationist Social Contract.

In the event of an election we will call for a vote for Labour, at the same time demanding that constituencies campaign on an alternative programme to that of Callaghan and Healey and we will demand through the Trade Unions and the Labour Party wards that the Labour candidates commit themselves to this alternative It was the wages struggle that created this governmental crisis. We must take this into the elecțion period and not allow this fact to become submerged under all the talk of saving the Labour government at all costs.

20.3.77.