*This election is not about the miners, not about the militants, not about the power of the unions...We are determined to give you the chance to decide this election on the real issues said Mr.Wilson.
In Wilson's view, the key issues in the election are those such as prices and rents, not the unions. In fact, so irrelevant is the power of the unions that Wilson has managed to persuade ASEEF to call off their industrial action, and has condemned the miners strike as a "tragedy"
Prices, rents, housing, and the EECare key issues in the election. The rise of food prices by over 50 per cent and the tise of all other prices by one-third since 1970, is obviously crucial. But in the name of the "real issues", Wilson has managed to do during the clection, what Heath failed to do by threatening one: start to demobilise the industrial struggle.
Wilson has scabbed on the miners in the name of "political issues like prices, that is isues which should be sorted out, accotding to Wilson, by Parlament and Whitehall. Yer it is procisely the power of the unions, denounced by Wilson as a non-issue", which is heing used in the struggle against price infl:ation, HOARDING INQUIRY For example, workers at a Glasgow ware: house are involved right now in a struggle to reduce the price of one of the commodities -Jentils - handled by their employer, Allied Suppliers.
The workers accused the boss of holding back stocks to drive up the price and make conference to be bosses agree to reduce the price and submit to an inquiry, the workers arc using the power of the unions to deal with one of the "Teal issues" in the election. Their example should be followed hy workers every where.
Ironically, these workors bave a butter programme for struggle than Wilson. Nowhere in Labour's election manifesto are price redactions proposed. It does not even promise a price freeze! All It calis for is striel price control on key services and commodities. This is what the trade union militants at Allied Suppliers would call dodging the real issue The Nottingham Campaign Against Rising Prices, which includes women trade unionists and housewives among its supp orters, has started to organise pickets of shops. A picket of Marks & Spencer achleved a small price reduction on one item. A small gain. But the campaign has served to mobilise people to start taking direct action on prices.
The campagn doesn't see the miners strike us a non-issue, With a view to extended action, it has made contact with some of the miners' wives in the nearby village of Calverton, where during the last miners strike, a hoycott succcoded in reducing prices in the local shops. The slogan of the Campaign is "freeze prices, not wages.
The NUM should reply to Wilson's attacks on the miners by uning its resources to send out teams of miner" wives to shopping centres acroes the country. Miners wives, traditionally The ware of public sector surrenders to Phase Three has at last been halted, at least for the time being. The executives of the teachers, gasmen, hospital workers, and local authority manual workers have generously handed over their members as hostages rising prices. sance of Pariamentary lawa? bot going to put a stop to this. uway from the Tories by showing how the wor king class can take action on prices. Wilson's alsacks only servu le drive many Housewives further into the lands of the Tories hy reinforing Heath's argument that bushine the unions is the way to deal with bankers, Like a good social dentocrat, Wilson believes that the power of the working class should be subordinate tu the rule of law established by Parliament, The miners threaten Phase 3, a law established by this holy institution, and no doubt they will break many others in the struggle on the picket line. So the miners are condemned.
This shows Wilson is nut just a scab, hut a complete ass as well. For bow is it possible to take any really effective action against the capitalists over prices, without uning the organised power of the vorker in delSuppose for the sake of argument a new Labour governatent dil Impose a price freene out of extreme necessity. The capitalists would find many openings for breaking the law or for economic sabotage, sach as prollieering. asset stripping, speculation, and financial swindles of ail kinds. The Civil Service, the tax inspectons, and the Bank of England are Only by using the power of the worken to investigate ail the financial affairs of companies could such devices even be exposed. And as workers at Allied Suppliess have No Trespassers lave 1o be ignored In the sort of economic crisis now on ils way, punishing offerders through the cap italit courts will he costly and largely Truitless. The workem would have to take the tow into their own hands' - that is develop their own organs of coercion to exercise workers control over the bosses and the The Lahour Party will not conten plate wach anarchy', It tries to control prices while respecting the laws of privale property est ablished by Westminsterand defended hy the courls and the police. Il proposes selective sobsidies" to stabilise food prices, ant hationalisation of several profitable ind astries to influence the prices nf other items.
But handouts to farmers wil not case the productivity of labour on the larms. and buyinz up u few runopolles on the stock market will only raise taxes.
EXPROPRIATE!
Tristead of mucking around, the Labour Party should expropriate the capitalsts. Then reul price controt would be possible, Bit to Partiantentarians like Wilson this is stealing. Only workers who have learned in strugele hot to give two hools for laws which une an t-working class wiil he capable of seizing the copilalists proporty, the first step to running the industry according to a plan.
Far from neig u non-issue, the organce power of the wasking class, which Wilson finds so embarrassing. is the only means lo getting zarthing dose er cir!
That is why this clection & about the miners and the power of the ustions.