Wereon in the Same This Fence. Leo Ecis

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Jones and Scanlon publicly reveal the motive for the Cowley witchhunt -anyone on the other side of the fence is to be suppressed. ing.

The convenors who are now victims of these charges had been reelected to office by popular vote in a factorywide ballot only three months ago.

Known opponents

But all nine are known for their opposition to wage control, to worker participation, and to the job slashing Edwardes plan for Leyland.

Assembly Plant convenor Bob Fryer had been the only convenor to speak against the plan when it was unveiled at Kenilworth last month.

Alan Thornett is well Known throughout the TGWU for his opposition to all forms of class collaboration and his fight at the last union conference for the policy of a sliding scale of wages in opposition to wage Speke With British Leyland now being used as a testing ground for the government's policy of wholesale closures, speedup and sackings-as the closure of the Speke TR7 plant shows-the union leaders who have declared waging a struggle against French capitalism. Both are dedicated to heading off struggles of the working class.

But in forcing these parties into office for the first time since We believe that it is essential for British Leyland to become successful. Not only for everyone who works for the company and its seven thousand different suppliers, but also for its shareholders and for the country.

The loss of Britain's biggest car manufacturer and exporter would wipe out the current benefits of North Sea Oil at a single stroke The world is, watching Leyland getting better all the time Abroad, our friends and competitors alike see the companys progress as a barometer for Britain's very existence as an industrial power We have had our disagreements in th past. And no doubt we shall disagree again.

But not on the basic need for management and unions to work together in the difficult, but not impossible task of making Britain's own car company successful again.

BL Goat caBinda great deal • more for Britain. their full support for such plans, must move ruthlessly to stamp out any principled pole of opposition, if they are to enforce such policies on union members.

If these unprecedented moves to witch-hunt Trotskyists and left wingers in Cowley are successful, then they will become the precedent for similar action against any militant that opposes betrayals by TGWU officials.

unions And the fact that right wingers from the AUEW and ASTMS are also already involved in the preparation of the "case" against the Cowley 9 indicates that such withhunts will not be confined to the TGWU, but apply to any union where a fight takes place against the leadership.

The large number of sponsors for the April 8 conference indicates the broad hostility within the TGWU to McCarthyite frameups.

The Tunnel Miners national branch has passed resolution and sent telegrams condemning the disciplinary action to Regional and National headquarters.

CP chief Marchais

Can And TGWU members of the National Port Shop Stewards Committee meeting last Saturday pledged to report the full facts of the case back to docks branches of the union.

be stopped These initial responses show that if decisive action is taken within the TGWU this bureaucratic offensive can be stopped in its tracks, and the right to fight for socialist policies against class collaboration can be restored.

Such a fight would create the conditions in which an entirely new leadership could be built within the TGWU, capable of defending jobs, wages and working conditions.

Resolutions

We urge all TGWU members to support this crucial struggle. Pass resolutions in union branches. stewards committees or other TGWU bodies condemning the witch-hunt and demanding the charges be dropped.

Elect delegates or simply attend the April 8 conference in Oxford.