The EET&PU members working for the Phoenix Electrical Co. at St Thomas's Hospital building site in London have been out on strike since 21 April, fighting for the re-instatement of one of their members. The victimised worker - a strong trade unionist who does not take any nonsense from jumped-up foremenwas accused by the management after half a day on a new job of "lack of production" and able state of the on-site lavatories). After many attempts to negotiate his reinstatement the men came out. The Full Time Area Official then moved in and tried to impose on the men something they had already decided was unacceptable - that either the victimised man be suspended on basic pay until the "Joint Industrial Board" had looked into it, or that he be moved to another site to be given an opportunity to "prove himself". The men unanimously rejected this manoeuvre and insist on the status quo.
Twelve or so EET&PU branches in London have so far asked the national leadership to make the strike official - but to no effect so are confined to a small isolated group of madmen.
There isno question of political or legal compromise with the lawyers at the trial. The object of the defence will be to create a political dialogue with the jury and to try and heighten the awareness of the power we have as a movement to destroy the control the oppressing class has over our lives". This will of course be helped by support from outside the court. Speakers and material for distribution can be obtained from: Stoke Newington Eight Dewhich The Times (April 24) described as a "startling break with Marxist economic philosophy" was disclosed by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
The OPIC announced that the Black Sea and Baltic Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Ingosstrakh, the Soviet state insurance agency, had agreed to underwrite part of the $26 million increase-from $2.2 billion-in the amount of expropriation insurance protecting US investment in developing nations.
Bradford Mills, president of OPIC in announ-
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being "absent from site without permission" (going to the lavatory because of the abomin-