Fight - DEFEND BASIC Ps UnNons UC must brea off talk : TUC President, Joe Crawford - well-being of capitalism must come first leadership of the Provisional IRA ought seriously to reconsider the continuation of even a limited campaign in Britain. Already the events of the last three weeks have cut across the effects of the Littlejohn revelations, and prevented the organisations in Britain who have campaigned against British imperialism in Ireland taking advantage of these revelations to push forward the "Troops Out' campaign. A military campaign in Britain, while completely defensible in principle, is in the circumstances tactically mistaken. It is the responsibility of revolutionaries in this country to take advantage of the attention that ha been focussed on the Irish struggle by the bombings to explain our solidarity with the Republican movement to a wider audience. The left and the labour movement must undertake to seriously build the "Troops Out' movement only then can we expect the IRA to listen to our advice on tactical questions. BOB PURDIE Last month, as we feared, we finished up Government than in fighting it.
They face two alternatives.
living standards.
The fierce opposition to the demand to call off the talks is due to the unwillingness of the TUC bureaucrats to face up to this choice. The TUC can hardly collaborate openly with the Government after the defeats suffered by the trade union movement last winter and spring, and the wearing down of working class living standards by spiralling prices during Phase 2. But neither are they willing to lead an all-out showdown with the GovernSo the TUC wants the talks to continue for as long as possible to provide a smokescreen for their betrayal of the working class. When the bankruptcy of the negotiations can no longer be hidden, they will break off the talks and retire to Congress House to write their policy documents for next year's Congress. Meanwhile, individual unions and groups of workers will be left to fight alone against the organised might of the ruling class, the capitalist state, and the Tory Government.
The ideas which lie behind the bureaucrats action were stated clearly by Rea PRICE 5p 7th SEPT. 1973 NO. 17 The crucial votes at this years Trades Union Congress are over. On every major issue - the TUC's attitude towards the National Industrial Relations Court, the Pay Board, and negotiations with the Government - the trade union leadership' served clear notice that they were more interested in collaborating with the Tory The right wing carried the day at the conference. This was the result of the bind in which the trade union bureaucrats now find Either they launch a struggle against Government policy which must inevitably develop towards a general strike, or they decide to go along with the Government's Phase 3 and accept a further decline in working class The trade union 'lefts' Jones and Scanlon showed clearly what part the bureaucrats will play in big struggles to come when, shortly before the Congress opened, they ordered their members at Chrysler plants in Coventry to return to work and scab on striking electricians who were actively fighting the very pay laws which Jones and Scanlon claim to oppose. The bureaucrats will not be the organisers of united working class action in the coming struggle. They will be the disorganisers.
The TUC may have decided to continue the talks, but the talks can be smashed by massive industrial action directed against the Tories' wages policy. Big claims, such as those of the engineers or the miners, are in the pipeline. If these claims are seriously fought for the talks will be swept away like a house of cards.
The immediate task is for militants in these industries to prepare an all-out fight against the Government Militants in other industries must begin to prepare solidarity. throughout the entire working class for whichever group of workers is the first to take on the Government.
Such a united struggle would threaten the very existence of the Tory Government, and allow the working class movement to strike a blow against the organiser of all the capitalist policies from which it has suffered over the past few years: the Industrial Relations Act, the Housing Finance Act, the Pay Laws. A gen eral strike to bring down the Tory Government is a real possibility, and could win an immense victory for the working class. It is the aim towards which we must work Smash the Talks - Strike Against the Pay Laws!
Solidarity with all workers Fighting the Government Pay Laws!
For a General Strike to Bring Down the Tory Government!