Strike Breaker Benn Attacks Power Workers

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The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to construct a principled revolutionary leadership in the working class in Britain and internationally, and for the reconstruction of the Trotskyist Fourth International on the basis of the Transitional Programme.

The WSL fights at every step against the existing leaders of the trade unions and the Labour Party - now firmly harnessed to the bourgeois politicians of the Liberal Party in an Against their policies of class collaboration we put forward instead a programme which points to the independent class interests of the working class, its need to organise independently to overthrow capitalism, destroy its repressive state machinery and establish a Only in this way can workers resolve today's problems of tumbling living standards, mass unemployment, slashed social services, racial, Fake left Wedgewood Benn miserably failed to convince miners that they should accept the NCB's reactionary scheme so he has now turned his attention to the power workers.

Benn has consistently called for the power workers action to be ended, and on Sunday was meeting management and union officials on the joint-negotiating committee.

Channelled

While the workers in dispute had heard 'indications" that a mediator would be appointed-Benn was in fact hoping "that the men's grievances will be channelled through their own unions"

"Channelling" anything through Frank Chapple is like channelling it through the jaws of a viper.

There is no way any demands could remain alive after passing through such a channel.

Benn and Chapple in their different ways each represent precisely the same bureaucratic block to the independent fight of the working class.

No Labour 'lefts' have publicly issued any statement of support for the power workers.

As ever they stand back, allowing Benn to spearhead the attack and hoping that no-one will notice their abject refusal to lead and extend the struggle for living standards.

'We recognise that there is a crisis, and we are prepared help"

These were the ominous words from steel union leader Bill Sirs last week as the British Steel Corporation prepares to enlist union support in imposing drastic cuts in manpower.

It is clear that union leaders will be offered a Hobson's choice between general redundancies on the one hand and the closure of older plants on the other.

One perspective certain o! to ge raised by unior bureaucrats is that of unconSimone: detence of all jobs.

zamme FATE

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will help Sirs