that the Government can weather a long, drawn out struggle should this strategy of immediate showdown fail.
The Government is acting as if it were master of the situation, a power which no mere trade unionist dare offend, But this is sheer bluff-this Government could not hold power for a single day were it not for the disunity of the working class movement, actively fomented by the treachery of the trade union leadership. A united working class counter-offensive could smash right through this bluff and reveal the Tory Government for the pathetic collection of capitalist politica. hacks that it is. But this will not be done if the counse mapped out so far by the trade union "leaders" is followed. The TUC have denounced the 3-day week as a move designed to defeat the miners and the rest of the working class. With the resumption of work after the holidays, the campaign to reverse verdicts which have sent three building trade militants into Shrew sury jail, must be a top priority for response more effective than a one-day protest.
If these bureaucrats were serious a bout fighting the Tories, it is obvious what they would be doing: time this paper appears the National Committee of the ALEW will have met and could have called for national engineering strike; on 10 January the NUM executive will meet and could decide on an immediate strike ballot which would throw the full force of the miners against the Government by the end of January, An alliance of these two powertul groups with the rail way would create a formidable combination that no Government could withstand for long. The special meeting of union Presidents and Secretaries called for late January could seal the fate of the Tories and ensure a massive working class victory by general strike to bring Yet Government.
direction-we must prepare BIBESO met in Manchester last month must be rocalled as soon as possible and begin by the immediate preparations for a national of miners, should he set up to work out practical coordination of their struggles, and similar relations established on the regional levcl.
The Tory lockout has thrown the entire working class into the same boat. The Government hope that this will produce bitter in-fighting. But we can drivers tum this down by instead.
Recent examples show how this cun be done. In response to the fine imposed on it for refusing to operate calling a the Housing Financ Act, the Clydedown the bank Council has called a conference to go without them. The national engineering convenom conference that engineering strike, Local committees engineers and rail drivers have been called.
Tory manoeuvre upside learning to row together the local labour movement to creation of representative back its stand. In several areas local | of Action out of such meetings which meetings and conferences on the crisis Such conferences can bring all sectors logether to discuss their common problems, to work out a unified response to the crisis, and to lay the basis for going on the offensive against the Tories and the emplayers.
Working class unity can be given a permanent, practical form by the Councils bluff would he called. can coordinate all the struggles of the local working class-against lockouts and layoffs, for wage rises, and on rents and prices. A network of such bodies across the -country would strengtben the power of the workers movement immensely and make it impossible for the bureaucrats to stand any longer in the way of a united working class offensive against Tory Government, The Tories industry, is playing a cantral role in the current compaign, But so far the positions. If his salen do fiele to set the campaign on this right road.
The Norts Wales Shrewsbury Defence Committee, in which the CP exercise considerable influance, advised North Wales building workers to resume work after the New Year hollday 'pending calls for further action". But it this point the important thing is to get a clear lead from some section of building workers, around which nat. ional action can be built, Otherebe there in the danger of averyone waiting for someone also to maice the first The CP hes also layod preat stress on winning bail for the thras malianne in jail, It Is inded important that ball be won for the shree - both tor their own well-heng and so they on play their rightful role in the campaign but wa must beware of any attempt to mule the winning of such e tiny gain the main tink, or to put offan all-out mobrisation pending the out mone of tha appeals The appen Irbal will yis nothing nine the rulins dass are food with the son of movement of industrial and man action that treed the 5 cocking lend