Only a few days hefore the Shrewshury Three appeal in the High Court apainst Iheir convictions, the leaders al LEAT continued Dieur consistent helraval al the Three by ising a scatement to strengthen the The slalement sneaks of the cruninal technique the Shrewsbury pickets decided to adopt', thus cobdemning the Thne as guilty of the charges.
The statement poes on to discourage olber workers from defending the Three by fostering the illusion that the trial of the workers at Shrewsbury carnot be viesed an an atlack on picketing in gentral.. The fact in that it was a question of enforcing existing las ra thur than a new departure.
The scabs of the UCATT Council know this is a confusion and make it caser for the High Court to keep the Thrue in jail. They know full well that the catersion of trimal consiracy to the prurrdas actions of trade unions opens the way for exlensive attacks by the police While the CATT Council asks Che TUC to bleat to the Home Secretary about the length of the seate ces, the Three are to be sacrifiond on the aitar of bourgeois legally, We have no power under unio rules to grant legal aul to the Shoewsbury pickels wh are charged with committing such (criminal] acts nor would wç be sen la be condonin? the go al these techniques to futher industrial ends, bourver legitamate these endp may be.
This last statement is an apen invitation to lo State to stop up its attacks on workers, alang the line of Shrewshury, secure in the knowldee that UCATI at least will not even pur up money for their defener The Council makes it clear: they will absndon. any men per woo is even chargespot aor Loun CHRIs with a cruminal offence in the course of tighting the class struggle. I this policy is carried out constently many trade unionists will find themselves in prisen Re want of lege aid, or wil simply refuse te go on a pleker lne at all Is this what the UCATT Council wants?
The decision to hold a national miners' strike from 10th February opens up, just as the 1972 miners' strike did, enormous possibilities for working class victory. But in 1972 the great fruits of victory were wasted. The Tories were left in office and they masterminded a counter-attack which ended in the imposition of Phase Three. This time there must be no such mistakes. JOHN MARSHALL details the crucial steps which the working class can take to ensure the miners" victory and sweep the Tories from office retreat of the Labour Party leadership and the This time the working class must go for the