Tories welcomed: Standing Ovations for Wage Cuts, Citrine

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It's often the smaller details that give the best insight into bureaucratic jamborees like the TUC Congress. This year was no exception.

On Monday, trade unionists from all over the country who arrived in Blackpool to lobby the TUC found police ranged three deep around the doors to protect the horde of plump, suited functionaries from their Only afterwards did it emerge that Tory MPs Barney Heyhoe (well-known for his travels on the Grunwick scabs' bus) and James Prior had been allowed in to observe the proceedings from which trade unionists But clearest indicator of the feeling within the hall was the standing ovations that were granted to two heroes of the assembled bureaucrats...

Callaghan of course needs no introduction as a wage-cutter, social service wrecker, dole queue millionare and Liberal-lover.

But some workers might not be so familiar with the He was the man who headed the 1926 TUC in their nine-day sell-out of the General Strike, followed by the betrayal of the still smiling miners.

Thanks to Citrine it was a weakened and defeated British working class that was thrown into the depression and slump of the 1930s.

Of course today's TUC leaders have done all they can to match this performance. And indeed they have succeeded in slashing their members' living standards by more over the last 2 years than they fell after the Murray as Citrine's direct successor has shown his enthusiasm tor treachery but has not yet been able to try his hand at ending a General Strike. And, a little uncertain as to what the next year of policing wage controls may bring, he and his TUC buddies clearly regard the presence BRITAIN 6 issues 12 issues 24 issues decisions of individual union conferences-the only inadequate opportunity workers have for expressing their own demands-have been bureaucratically overturned.

TIED In particular this is the case of the two largest unions in the country-the TGWU and the AUEW -which both rejected wage control but are now tied to the TUC policy.

And it means that workers who now take up the fight to bring forward their pay reviews in order to regain and defend their living standards must fight government, employer and the active sabotage of union officials and their servile supporters in every area.

This fight will be combined with the action of workers struggling against Healey's 10% limit as their regular pay reviews fall due. Until these restraints are broken in struggle they will impede every section of workers.

PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report £1.00 €2.00 £4.00 REST OF THE 6 issues 12 issues 24 issues to take Please sena NAME ..

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members.

were banned. 90-year old Citrine.

General Strike.

EUROPE 6 issues 12 issues 24 issues €8.40 subsc I el Send this form to: 31. Dartmouth Park Hill. James Callaghan and Lord Citrine. of the decrepit Citrine as a lucky mascot.

£1.50 £3.00 £6.00 £9; Castleford £2; Oxford £127.21.

Donations to either fund should be sent to: Socialist Press Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR A clear indication of the TUC's determination to continue policing wage cutting came in the debate on the minimum wage at this year's TUC conference.

A resolution from NUPE calling for a minimum wage of f50 a week (£20 a week below the average industrial wage which is itselt an inadequate wage) was rejected by NUPE leader Alan Fisher, has been one of the most consistent advocates of wage controls.

His refusal to lead his members in wages struggles-using the excuse that his union has no "industrial muscle' has meant that his members have remained among the lowest paid in the country.

In arguing that the f6 a week his members received under Phase One was the largest single increase they had ever had, he of course omitted to point out that even £6 under Phase 1 and 4½% under Phase 2 was inadequate to keep wages prices.

Now, after two years of wage controls, his members and those in other "traditionally" low paid industries have been told by the TUC that they cannot even fight for a guaranteed minimum wage of £50.

If workers were to accept this, they would be forced to continue with the enormous amounts of overtime at present worked in order to make up a living wage.

The TUC decision must be completely rejected by all low paid workers who should demand that their union executives support any action they take for substantial wage increases.

Such action should also include the demand for a sliding scale of wages linked to the level of inflation as assessed by trade union committees in order to defend the gains won.

Pay is appalling. The basic rate is around 75p an hour, which yields £30 for a 40-hour weck. With all the overtime, most production

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