official trade union leadership without any policy for the conduct of the fight against Phase 3 and the Tory Government.
reveal that the trade union 'lefts' in particular Hugh Scanlon and Jack Jones-are no more prepared to lead a fight against the Tories than is the right-wing.
While the TUC bureaucrats begin their march into hibernation, hoping to sleep off what promises to be a long, Tory winter, the Government is openly discussing new attacks an working class living standards, Spurred on by the massive trade deficit, both Walker, Minister of Industry, and Barber, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, have suggested that Phase 3 is too soft and must be followed by something even tougher.
Despite the treachery of the trade union burcaucrats, the working cass movement has not yet been defeated in this round of struggle. Millions of workers are still prepared to take on the Tories, If they can see a clear way This way forward could be opened up by any group of workers who lunched a decisive struggle against Phase 3. Whether miners, engineers, or tallmen, they would meet with massive working class support and widespread solidarity action could be readily organised, Such a movement would rapidly BrOW point where it could turn the tide against the Tories on all fronts and threaten the very existence of the The same sort of chain reaction could be set off by a determined struggie around the jailing of the three Shrewsbury defendants, an issue which highlights the brutal nature of the Tory Government and the grave threat they represent for the trade union movement, The central task for militants in the weeks ahead will be to use all tbese opportunities to launch the struggle Tory Government, and turn the tide in favour of the working class.
In the miners, raildrivers, and engineering unions the key question is national strike against Phuse 3. Towards this end the national meeting of engineering convenors which took place in Manchester last month must be recalled to work out plans for coordinated, all-out strike action to The only concrete result of the TUC's manoeuvring has been to win the full engineering clim.
With the decision of the NUM negotiating committee to tecommend a strike ballot, there is now consi derahle likelihood of a national muners strike. NUM militants must campaign to make sure that a national all-out strike b launched, If the •executive proposes anything less they should organise massive unofficial action to carry the struggle all the way.
Other workers can contribute towards the campaigo for a national miners strike and a miners victory, by passing resolutions pledging full support for the miners demands and Full solidarity with a national strike. and by entering into discussions with miners representatives at all levels about organising solidarity and joint action. Such a fighting alliance should be worked out between the miners, engineers and raildrivers, in particular.
Militants must strive to coordinate all local struggles and unity the fight against the Tories. Wherever possible, Councils of Action representative of whole local lahour movement should be established to carry out these tasks. Where this is not possible action committees of local militants can play a valuable role and could be a practical first step in the direction of a genuinely representative Council Every effort must be made to stop further back-stabbing by the trade union bureaucrats, The entire rank. and-file must be mobilised to stop further TUC Government talks, and the demand must be raised for a recall TUC launch a united counter-offensive against the Tories. We do not expect the TUC to launch such a strugele, but organised mass support for the steps necessary 1o carcy the struggle forward could be rapidly turned into mass independent action when the bureaucrats fail to move, if the campaign for official action poes hand-in-hand with seizing every opportunity to launch independent unotficial initatives. TUC General Secretary Len Murray speaks to the press after the breakdown of talks with the Goverment last Monday: nowhere to go, no one left to talk to. The TUC's manoeuvres have left the working class high-and-dry in the face of new Tory attacks. But the prospect of a national miners' strike could change all this by giving a concrete focus. for the struggle of every group of workers against the Tory Government.
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