MDASTRIAL NETS support vetoed by TUC

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League members and supporters were amongst the 200 strong lobby of the TUC General Council on Wednesday 26 October, called by the Grunwick strike committee.

Other contingents included delegations from the Rolls Royce and London Metropole Hotel strikes, postal workers from Cricklewood and London International branches and electrical and engineering delegations.

As the motley collection of bureaucrats filed through the lobbyers, the bitterness of the strikers became clear.

Greeted with cries of "scab', , 'your 12 month rule is killing us' and 'how much longer on the picket line?' Jones, Fisher and Chappel were forced to mutter seemingly encouraging words about the need for blacking' and 'giving full support to the strike'.

However, as these leaders emerged and the results of the meeting were announced, the full extent to which these mouthpieces of the ruling class are prepared to go to sell out the Grunwick strike became once again crystal clear.

Only the bureaucrats of the UPW proposed any "action'. They had it seems, agreed at the meeting to consult Grantham and his cronies at APEX ostensibly "to discuss" the feasibility of blacking action by postal workers.

Jackson of the UPW will go ahead with such a recommendation to his members only if 'the union was assured financial indemnification _by other unions in the TUC'. But this wasn't even discussed in the General Council meeting.

Although the results of the lobby may therefore seem to have had little effect, in fact quite the reverse is true.

As the WSL leaflet distributed at the lom portanced: of today's lobby lies precisely in the fact that rather than "ignoring' or 'bypassing' these union bosses, workers at Grunwicks are taking up the fight to expose their inactivity.

This fight must be relentlessly carried on. The strikers must ensure that it is spread over to other key sections of workers-post office workers must be encouraged to place demands on their executives PHOTO: Andrew Wlard, Report and Regional and similarly her workers".

A new mass picket has been called for November 7.

This is a welcome step and we call on all readers to actively support the picket which must serve as a focus and stimulus for workers who can strike in support or black the factory.

Mobilisation

Mass pickets must not serve as the central plank of the strikers' policy since in themselves they are completely insufficient to win this dispute.

Only the mobilisation of workers capable of cutting off supplies and services to the factory-against their union officials-can lead these strikers to full reinstatement and union recognition. An arrest on the Grunwick mass picket. PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, Report.