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for a settlement agreed in July see this dispute as a real test case 1975 with the Civil Aviation and are determined see the Authority but outlawed by the assistants crushed.

The stage-managed vote to endorse the 12-month rule on wages nas had an immediate impact in strengthening the hand of officials attempting But at the same time as the vote was being taken, new struggles were emerging and new claims being formulated by workers determined to The coming wave of pay struggles will therefore bring together those sections prepared to challenge the TUC's bureaucratic dictates on pay and those due for annual reviews who have decided to reject Chancellor In each case workers will immediately face a political challenge. Needed Is a clear policy on pay-demanding big increases protected against And such a demand can only be won if a principled leadership is fought for within the working class-prepared to face up to pressure from employers, the press the Lib-Lab government and trade union officials, To discuss the wider implications of this fight, the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement has called an all-day national conference in Digbeth Hall, Birmingham on Sunday October 23.

The CDLM was the only rank and file movement to put forward a consistent policy for a fight to break Phase 2 of wage control, and in March this year held a conference on wages supported by over 300 labour We call on our readers and supporters to fight in all labour movement organisations for delegations to attend this conference-which is also open More details and conference credentials (50p) from Kevin Lee, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20.

Lucas toolroom workers after a 10-week strike have finally been forced back by their officials who threatened the withdrawal of strike pay and leaned heavily on the TUC vote to endorse the 12-month rule .

At a mass meeting at Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham, AUEW Executive Council members Duffy and Jordan narrowly swung the vote against the recommendation of the shop stewards for a return to work with 519 in favour and 384 against.

Management had scarcely upped this previous offer, overwhelmingly rejected at a mass meeting a few weeks before, of £3 on the bonus and £100 lump sum payment.

It was also reported that, if necessary, official backing for the strike would be withdrawn in order to blackmail the toolmakers into going back.

Right from the start the toolmakers have faced not only the combined opposition of Lucas and Leyland management and the media but their own official leadership.

As one group of toolmakers remarked at the end of the mass meeting where the sell-out took place:

"It was Duffy and Jordan who ате responsible for this. The stewards voted 33-24 against going back with three abstentions and 14 did not even turn up. How can you abstain on a vote like that? Our steward voted in favour. When the elections for stewards come up he won't be back as steward."

592.

Terry Duffy As the strike by air traffic control assistants enters its third week, there have been threats by leaders of the 250,000 strong Civil and Public Services Association (CPSA) to escalate the activity.

The strike by the 850 assistants at West Drayton and Heathrow is Yet another strike against the government's 10% pay limit has broken out-this time at two Rolls Royce factories in Willesden, North London.

Some 650 workers, covered by IO1T the sheetmetal four union GWU, the woodworkers and electricians, struck on Monday 12 September in support of a 17% pay rise.

The factories hit are the plant in Hythe Road and the Mulliner Park Ward plant in Willesden High Road.

A 17% increase though is nowhere adequate to make up for the drop in living standards of the past three years.

This tact has been openly Social Contract.

The CAA now argue th at they cannot abide by the ag: eement since it would break the 12 month rule as well as the 10% ceiling Healey has placed on wages.

REAL TEST

The present Lib-Lab government SUSANN acknowledged by union Brian Eagles, who said "What we are asking for is not unreasonable. We are not asking for the 30 and 40 per cent claims we've been hearing about in the past few weeks. We are not asking for everything that we've lost in the past few years.

KEEP PACE

But the only wage increase workers should settle for is one which does regain all that's been lost in the past three years, and one which will ensure that from now on wages rise to keep pace with inflation as assessed by workers themselves.

To that end they are prepared to lose millions of pounds every week by operating only 70% of their scheduled flights.

The response from union leaders -including those of the TUC who allegedly support the strike-has been predictably feeble.

Only now is Ken Thomas of the CPSA considering involving other members of the union. And a "controlled escalation? Of course. if he does so it will be But the government have made it clear that there is more at stake in this strike than the settlement of July 1975: they see it as a trial of the Social Contract itself.

HUGE RESPONSE

In this situation Thomas should come out in clear opposition to the government by calling out all CPSA members on indefinite strike action to smash the public service cash limits as well as all remaining vestiges of the loathed Social Contract.

Were he to do that he would immediately find a huge response within the working class who are now waiting for a national lead to be given in the fight for increased living standards. convenor