Phase 3 Phase 3- but Only Just

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By the narrowest of slender provincial journalists-indicating majorities and after a major that the members supposedly speech by the General Secre- helped by wage controls wanted no tary, Ken Morgan, the part in them. The national executive argued National Union of Journalists strongly that to call out members fell for another year of wage of East Midland Allied Press in controls at its annual confer- support of the five month strike at The crucial vote went 149-141 ed to East Anglia to call out the to support an amendment tabled by scattered small chapel members. branch and by the National Execu- known. Almost all of the 100 tive calling for a "planned return" journalists had obeyed the call.

Morgan, for whom this act of to government moves to deport solidarity with the newspaper Agee and Hosenball and to owners was his swan song, argued imprison two journalists and a strongly that a "planned return" source under the notorious Section would save lower paid members of 2 of the Official Secrets Act. Executive was given the go-ahead to negotiate a Phase 3 of the Social Contract.

Thus the NUT became the first union to accept the 'guidelines' laid down by the TUC-with all its jargon aimed at disguising wagecutting-'flexibility' planned return to free collective bargaining' etc.

Still, there was obviously some disquiet that the Executive had failed to 'maintain and improve" teachers' living standards as instructed by the last conference.

The result of all this was a verbal pledge that a Special Salaries Conference would be held before any new deal was accepted.

EXPERIENCE

Past experience will tell those teachers who oppose wage control that there is now a need to send resolutions from local associations to ensure that such a conference does in fact materialise.

On the questions of jobs, spending cuts and class sIzes, an Executive memorandum was accepted stating that the union's 'action policy' (!) be kept under constant Every amendment to this, which even smelled of militant action (not a single speaker on right or 'left' even mentioned strike action) was opposed by the Executive.

The worthies entrusted with this task were of course ex Communist Party hatchet-man Max Morris and fully paid-up Stalinist Sam Fisher.

Their betrayal can be seen in the wording of the memorandum itself. "Action' is restricted to cases where any member is made redundant on a compulsory basis.

ACTUAL CUTS There is no mention of 'natural wastage' or voluntary redundancythe ways in which teachers' jobs are actually being cut.

The seli-out of unemployed teachers was confirmed in the Executive's successful opposition to a later move to grant free union ence in Ilkley.

It then proceded to indicate an immediate desire to tear those controls apart.

the Central London Fleet Street to free collective bargaining.

the union from a "free for all"

But the vote was swung, not by the Newspaper Society branches representing the lower paid, but by the highly paid moguls of Fleet Street, London Radio and Manchester, Little wonder that they should not be averse to another year of controls. It was revealed at the conference that Fleet Street had found all kinds of individual solutions In one national paper throughout last summer NUJ members had been receiving £3.20 per shift "hot weather money"! Not counted of course against the Social Contract.

The feeling of the conférence against wage controls was shown when an overwhelming majority yoted to protect wages against rising prices.

Conference also voted for wage rises of up to £30 a week for Kettering would lead to disaster. The journalists had already "refused' to support.

Conference decided otherwise. Two NEC members were dispatchWithin 24 hours the result was The conference called for an end NOT ASHAMED But after Morgan again rose to defend the NEC inaction over the deportations and arrests (*I am not ashamed of a liberal approach") conference rejected a call to condemn the NEC.

The NEC called a day of action in which they suggested yet more telegrams to the Home Secretary and a march, which they said might not happen.

When Philip Agee spoke to the conference he spoke as someone who now accepts that his deportation is going to happen. Since the campaign centred on asking supporters of the state to rebel against its actions it is not surprising that Agee now accepts that he will have to go.

For events to turn out otherwise demands no less than determined A/sal:

Agee strike action by NUJ members. But that is a question that none of the union officials want to raise.

As Agee is shipped off they will wave their liberal handkerchiefs and settle down to write to the Home Secretary once again.

Several thousand building workers from all over the Midlands demonstrated in Birmingham on April 20 to protest against the Tory Council's plans to close the Direct Labour Department.

The department employs 400 men and will be phased out mainly through 'natural wastage' One council worker told Socialist Press: "The department covers a wide area and they can make it very uncomfortable for those who want to stay on.

Alongside 'natural wastage' they'll try to 'encourage' people to leave. We see this as the first step to slashing the other departments" no challenge to government policies and so only lose a day's pay for those taking part.

Health workers are urged "to support the CLASH lobby at the EGA at 9am on 29 April. London NHS stewards are further urged to attend the next quarterly CLASH conference to be held on May 4.

Details can be obtained from: Colin Kenny, CLASH Secretary, Department of Virology, St. Mary's Hospital, Praed St., London W2.

JAGUAR SANCTIONS

SANCTIONS (including two one day strikes) imposed by 100 fork lift truck drivers at Jaguar, Coventry, in support of their demand for regrading have been met by management with thousands of layoffs.

There are something like 5,000 workmen at present laid off.

*The work done by the Direct Labour Department will be turned over to private contractors. I think that the Tories will come up with the idea of Council Departments competing with private contractors -having council works Put in tenders for The workers have set up an action committee to campaign for They are demanding no closures of existing direct labour schemes and no 'natural wastage' . Each job should be filled by union members -thousands of whom are unemployed.

Support has come from workers in the Sandwell Direct Labour Department who have recently won a similar battle to the one being fought in Birmingham.

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•Socialist Press, Wednesday 27 April, 1977 MAY DAY GREETINGS The problem with TGWU elections has always been the difficulty in analysing the results. The recent ballot for INDUST RIAL announcing the result. Evans had won, they said-followed by Kitson and Cousins.

Though Jones went on television to say these reports were not based