2000 denounce TUC sca PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report

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PARTICIPATION IN THE AN EPIG BETRAYAL or the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR refore Christmas were lisibly shaken by the cene that met them butside Congress House.

About 2,000 firemen and few hundred supporters thered from all over the 'ountry to express their hosility to the TUC refusal to apport their strike.

General Council members vere booed, threatened and bused as they entered the vuilding white faced.

In contrast, any bureaufat who gave a hint of supfort was cheered and slapped in the back-even when their ecord of betrayal amongst heir own members was proven.

Hit by egg

Hundreds of police were Irafted in to protect the pureaucrats, although they filed to clear an exit after he meeting as the firemen trove Tom Jackson, UPW General Secretary back into he building.

Len Murray hit STARRING *MORNING STAR JONES GATSKELL AGITATION 'extremists' dressed as firemen, and even that firemen were almost outnumbered by non-firemen!

Ludicrous

The ludicrous nature of this claim was evident to anyone present, not least in the conservative nature of the slogans adopted by 'the firemen. ("Que sera, sera, We're stuffing the TUC" being one of the most advanced).

A WRP speaker, using the All Trade Union Alliance megaphone, had barely mouthed a demand for a General Strike in support of the firemen, when he was drowned in a chorus of anticommunist abuse.

Official speakers were controlied by none other than Jack Dromey,_Secretary of the Southern Region of the TUC, who vetted their credentials before permitting a succession of dreary hacks to offer purely verbal "solidarity"

The only speaker greeted FROM THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT UNATU JRGANISATION with any enthusiasm was from the Rolls Royce strike committee at Willesden, out on a 10%-busting pay claim.

But TGWU 5/293 representative Alan Thornett, just elected as deputy senior steward at Cowley Assembly Plant was refused permission to speak.

It seems Dromey was there at the invitation of the London Region of the FBU in his role as Secretary of the Southern Region of the TUC.

Useful

revealed, FBU bureaucrats as the Express had found Dromey useful in "keeping out the extremists"

He was in fact being used as a fingerman by the FBU leadership against anyone who might present some political direction.

The lobby was powerful enough to unsettle some of the TUC bureaucrats and produce the close 20-17 vote against the firemen.

It reflected the strength YOU 1926' CONSULTATION PUBLIC SERVICES BUDGET 'APITULATION 'Fingerman' Dromey the FBU rank and file and their readiness to confront treacherous leadership.

But the lobby also revealed the other side of the dispute-the lack of political To solve the contradiction between their militancy and the political conservatism of many firemen, a new leadership must be built within the FBU capable of exposing those who openly or covertly act as enemies of their COMPENSATION {Over would Name..

Address Ilist Press, 31, Da London NWS 11

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