unions, It was the unions which brought down Heath and got the Labour government into office in the first place. It is the unions, through the nurses, the teachers, the local government workers and the people who have heen on strike for thresholds and against redundancy who have been the main tighters back ugainst Wison:
The unions in the lust five yeurs have also moved to take up issues which go beyond seple defence of workers' living standards Trade union action has been taken on Chile, industrial action has been proposed on persions and strikes have heen held against laws such as the Industrial Relations Act, the incomes policy laws and apainst the mprisonment at Shrewsbury of workers charged under the conspiracy laws.
But these developments do not go far enough yet. The trade unions must become the core of a political movement, fighting both inside and outside the Labour Party, against both the Tores and the present leaders of the working class. The unions must draw up proposals on all issues from pay, to Ireland, to nationalisation to get accepted in the Labour Party and at its conference. But, most important of all, they must be prepared to take their own actions to enforce them particularly when the Labour leaders do not carry them out.
This means not toning-down criticism but fighting for:
*A sliding scale of wages *Nationalisation of all firms creating redundancy *A trade union plan for the nationalisation of the economy under workers control *A general strike to secure basic working class demands on Inflation and unemployment *A Labour government responsible to the organisations of the working class, not to Parliament.
These types of fighting policies, not stopping criticism of the Jine of Wilson, are what will defeat the employers' attacks and win the next election for Labour.
summer schedule Fled Weekly will be appearing only avery two weeks during August.
So:
-Red Weekly 64 will be out on 15 August —Red Weekly 65 will be out on 29 August With Red Weekly 66, published on 5 September, we'll be back to the weally Red Weekly. TEN DAYS AGO the National Front was boasting about their intention to march through Manchester on 24 August.
Their ox-Nazi leaders had touchingly chosen Free Speech and Law and Order" as the there of their march.
In a quick about-face the fascists now say they are having a march in Leicester on that day.
What made the NF change its plans is the strong anti-fascist tradition of the Manchester working clas movement. This was seen in the massive wave of opposition that swelled up from the labour and trade union movement when the NF called its Manchester demonstration.
By the end of last week, the Manchester Anti-Fascist Committee, widely backed in the labour movement and with a successful record of stopping the fascists' anti-immigratjon rally in Manchester last year was already preparing a massive countermobilisation to the fascists.
The local AUEW District Committee pledged huge support for the counter-mobilisation on the 24th, us did Stockport South Labour PartyDelegations were going to the Watch Committee to press both them and the City Council to han the fascists march.
AIL ALEW-sponsored MIPs were heing pressed to join the call for the ban. Thousands of leaflets were distributed in all the main engineering factories in the Manchester area. Plans had been drawn up for a national ad hoe mobilising committee. When 24 August came round, the National Front would bave had to contend with thousands of workers on the streets No doubt the fascists got wind of the political campaign that was preparing their reception party. And, as the fascists always do when faced with the might of the labour movement, they got cold feet.
The retreat from Manchester is a biow to the NF. The North-West is one of the fastest growing areas of support for the Front, as it was for the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s. They bave been putting up Leicester voted to strike in protest at the reinstatement of striking Asian mil The Uniun Jocks at their mass meet ing isco pnotos, naraly a nonmermatun of union mass meetings, suggest that the National Front had their thumb firmly planted in this little pie The racist policies of the trade union right-wing in Leicestar opened the door for the Front, and they are now plann ing to take full advantage of it with thair S 24 August demo.
clection candidates regularly in Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester (Openshaw) and Rochdale and their votes have been increasing Forced to back down in Manches ter, the move to Leicester makes sense for the right-wing led Leicester trade union movement gives the NF a wenk fank to move against. The TGWU local leadership in Leicester played a scabbing role throughout the Imperial's strike, and the rest of the labour movement hardly lifted a finger to come to the aid of the Asian workers.
The fascists have long regarder Leicester and the Midlands as one of their happiest black-bunting and red-baiting grounds. Now the Front want to wrap all this up with a big Victory rally in Leicester.
The move of the demonstration to Leicester means that the antifascist forces nationally have an even greater responsibility to mobilise to its Anaximum capacity on 24 August. It must ensure that the fascist rabhle are not allowed to peddle their race•hatred on the streets of Leicester.