The Boilermakers Society officials. dominated by extreme craft sectoralism, have constantly denounced the strike, even using the local Thompson rag, the Evening Chronicle, to carry on their strikeorcaking acuviles. Ine Gomwu, whe organise the majority of the strikers, sent top bureaucrat Ken Baker to try to force the strikers back to work.
The Swan's workers have thus had to fight in total isolation. They have had to take on the company, the Government and their own officials, as well as tne traditional disunity amongst workers in inc yarus. Ine talure to umnse the massive potential that existed on Tyneside two months ago for a united struggle to smash the pay laws has led to a series of defeats for the working class, for which the trade union "leaders' must take full responsibility.
However, the defeats have also shown the failure of any policy which relies solely on wages militancy. At the Durham Miners Gala, Wilson claimed that 'one as 2c use is anomer mans cole cant, and not one person challenged The lesson of the defeats in the North Last 1s clear: no workers must be allowed to un m isolaton. Massive subDor must be built for all workers who challenge the Labour wage freeze. But the labour movement also nas to develop an over all strategy to fight unemployment, and inflation otherwise the TUC will be able to continue to provide a cover for anti-workIng class policies.