The collapse of the firm of Rolls Royce reveals two things very clearly: first that even the aristocracy of British capitalism is not safe in this era or decline and secondly that piece-meal nationalisation is tofally irrelevant as far as socialists are concerned, and can be used even by the Tories when they see the interests of British capitalism threatened. The disintegration of Rolls Royce has undoubtedly been a grave psychological blow for British capitalism, particularly now as Britain is trying to enter the Common Market on some of its own terms.
While every new blow that demoralises the bourgeoisie brings nothing but joy to our hearts, we should remain alert and conscious regarding the effects of capital.
ism's debacle on the working class movement. The threat of redundancies and increasing levels of unemployment could begin to play a part in dampening down the existing militancy. The Tories could well try, in collaboration with Vic Feather and the Labour front bench, to create a semi-hysterical atmosphere where the "national interest" is at stake and the future of the entire nation" is threatened unless the workers start to pull back and help the "country". In DISPUTE AT HEATHROW AIRPORTINTERVIEW WITH SHOP STEWARD Terry Lomax is a T&GWU shop steward in the BEA Electrical Stores at Heathrow Airport who was sacked on 26th January for "being in breach of contract and subsequently reinstated on 29th January following a walkout by BEA Engineers. What emerges very clearly from some of his remarks is the definite feeling among conscious workers for a rest revolutionary party. On certain points leg. a general strike) The Red Mole would disagree with his assessment, but his remanks represent a feeling which —What was the dispute about and how did you Union representatives for all employees at Heathrow had asked for a E6-aweek increase for everybody whatever their work: they could be, for example, pilots, clerical staff, engineers, canteen staff, etc. Such an increase would, of course, benefit the lower paid workers particuThe Management said they were paying 4%% and no more, so the national union officials called for an official go-slow in support of the This was, however, rejected by the Pilots, Clerical and Supervisory Staffs, and BUA-Cale donian employees leaving the E & M (Engineering & Maintenance) Section of BEA and BOAC who were the only employees prepared to take SCOOTI On 25th January one engineer was sacked in the Electrical Shop because he refused to do preparatory wark on an engine which was going to be sent to Rolls Royce for maintenance because the effect of the work-torrule had depleted their stock of serviceable engines. As this was a BEA management strike-breaking tactic to defeat the work-to-rule, all work on such engines was black. The following day all the workers in that shop walked out. I was asked to go and do some of the work in that shop which, naturally, I refused to do, as such work was black, Consequently half-an-hour later I was taken upstairs to the Supervisor's office where I was informed I was in breach of The Red Mole 16-28 Feb 1971 Page 2 simpler language the workers are being told that the mess in which British capitalism finds itself is their fault and that they should start to behave themselves or eise., Given the present leadership of the working class movement, there can be no doubt that the propaganda about a serious crisis, etc., will be taken at face value and many workers will fall prey to it. In particular, petty bourgeois layers like teachers and nurses will now think The only way to reply to the British ruling class is by an aggressive counterstrategy which makes it absolutely plain to the Tories and the Labour opposition that the workers are in no mood to be trifled with and that their struggle will continue despite the scabs charter which Carr will succeed in putting on the statute book, and despite the Rolls Royce shown by the fact that they have not crash and other similar crashes which will occur in the future. The so-called "left" trade union leaders, Jones, ScanIon and Daly, by their existence represent till the postal workers go back. This the fact that the consciousness of the working class has changed greatly since the early "60s, but the role of these leaders is to divert the revolt. Too scared to act themselves, they try desperately to convert the whole fight against the contract and I had terminated my own contract.
The Supervisor then escorted me from the Besides myself, everyone in the Electrical Shop who walked out were deemed to be in breach of contract making twenty-five in all who had been sacked.
A mass meeting of 2,500 BEA Engineering Workers (that is, everyone on that particular shift) was held on Tuesday afternoon, the 26th January, and a decision taken to strike until the 25 of us were reinstated. This was carried by a 75% majority. There was dissent from people at the rear of the hangar where the meeting was held and I have learnt since that this was due to the amplifying equipment not being powerful enough for them to hear what The second part of the motion to strike until the pay claim was settled was rejected by a 60-70% majority despite the fact that the National Officials of the Unions involved were On Thursday 28th January Engineers emplayed by BOAC rejected a motion, to support the BEA Engineers" strike for reinstatement of the 25 members, by a narrow majority. the vote being approximately 2,000 each way.
In the circumstances, Bill Benson, Chairman of the BOAC Jaint Shop Stewards Committee, recommended that they return to work and work normally as it was clear that, if they failed Really anti. Strongly. I resent the Government to back BEA workers in trouble, they would very likely fail to back their own fellow workers in BOAC if they fell foul of their management in operating their work-to-rule.
It is my feeling that BEA management are trying to apply certain sections of the Industrial Relations Bill (those relating to legally binding contracts and sympathetic action) in advance because they know the Government are solidly On Friday 29th January, BEA management agreed to reinstate us provided the work-to-rule 1 personally would have preferred a decision to remain on strike until we obtained at least a substantial proportion of the EB asked for as well as the reinstaternent of myself and my colleagues, but in the event the management offer They seem to think that it is better to put the working class on a comfortable electric chair rather than to let it be anti-working class policies of Wilson and Castle are better than the blatant attack of Carr and Heath. That is the logic of the policies which the triumvirate is putting into practice. In this situation the revolutionary left is confronted all the more urgently with the task of helping in and in which general assemblies of the creation of Action Committees on the rank and file level in order to cut across various barriers which have been erected by the trade union bureaucracies themselves and to lay the basis of a generalised struggle against the Bill. The attitude of the trade union leaders is come to the help of the striking postal workers. The railwaymen have even cynicism can only be answered by the are capable of organising "unofficial" solidarity action with any group of workers under attack. One would have thought that the Institute of Workers' -What is the situation now that these decisions I don't see how we can possibly get more than 4%% now. We are in a position of being unable to wrest any more from them because it will be difficult for our members to take action follow. ing the BEA management stipulation that the work-to-rule had to be called off if the 25 sacked members were reinstated. Generally speaking, the unions are in a much weaker -What sort of policy is BEA Management likely to pursue towards its employees at Heathrow following these events?
There has been talk of redundancies and unwelcome shift changes and we are now likely to There is now doubt that GAS (General Airline Services/ will now be able to step in without politically any trouble, not that BEA would want this to happen, but due to pressures from other quarters and the weakness displayed by our members such a move is inevitable.
It is, furthermore, unlikely that the membership has the will to resist takeover by private companies of some of the profitable BEA and -You mentioned the Industrial Relations Bill just now. How do you feel about it?
interference with unions by legislation, If anyone is going to change the unions, it should be ourselves. The Government in introducing this Bill is weakening the power of the unions.
If it becomes law it will put the rank and file members in the hands of the trade union full time officials, with the result that strikes will become longer and settlements will take longer It would follow that the American pattern of strikes lasting a couple of months would prevail. Whersas now, by immediate action, we can settle a dispute fairly quickly, this will not be possible if che Bill becomes law. -Do you think calling a General Strike is the best tactic for combatting the Bill?
I'm not really sure, because if the Tories went to the country they would go back with an Control could have played a vital role i this respect, but, alas, no initiative has been taken. Perhaps its leaders are worried that they might lose all influer with Scanion and Jones, which brings t Tortured rather crudely. The sophisticated the fore the role played by the Institut in giving the "left" leaders a left cover.
The only way to defeat the Tories ar to defend the working class movement by a General Strike, but by a mass gene strike in which workers themselves are involved in directing day to day events workers decide the policies which affect their own future. That is why The Red Mole does not support the slogan of throwing the Tories out and replacing them with a Labour government elected on a socialist programme. To raise this sterile and hoary old slogan when the advanced sections of the class are beginning to see through Wilson & Co. is to create the most absurd illusions within postponed their strike action, presumably the Labour movement. That is why we project the slogan of a mass general stril to replace the Tories with a workers' creation of rank and file structures which government based upon the democratic control of the workers' organisations the trade unions. That is the only meaningful demand at the present even bigger majority. The public have become so inundated with anti-strike propaganda and see strikes as the cause of our problems as distinct from one of the symptoms of our -What would you suggest is the best way to I feel that the Labour Party in Parliament coul have put up a better fight. The Government are determined to make the Bill law so matter wha anybody thinks. The TUC could have given a far better lead. They don't call for a General Strike because they failed in 1926 and have since then become even more involved with the reformist Labour Party. -Do you feel we have to look outside Parlia ment if we are to make progress in future? Definitely, yes. People have got to be educated I'd say that we want to see the emergence of a new kind of socialist party: when 1 say that 1 mean as a viable governmental alternative, some thing along the lines of the New Left.
We need a progressive socialist party, based on Marxist ideas, which can work up to the time when a sufficient number of people are convinced of the need for a different system of -How will the Labour Party be affected? The New Left will probably turn out to be the dominant party in the Labour Movement in the next faw years as many disillusioned with the Labour Party will come over to it. In talking in this way about a new party I am trying to reflect the views of my fellow union members rather than my own -But you think the main task at the moment is patient political education?
Yes, definitely, but if we are to see any changes more workers have to become more involved Interviewer: A Red Mole supporter
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scabs charter into a campaign to bring back Wilson and Barbara Castle to power