such a deal with the Labour Party.
Of course, Labour promises to keep prices down. But they have little to say about how this could be done, When the Tories produce facts and figures about the rise of world prices, Labour prefers to change the subject.
Only a Goverament which is prepared to bite deep and bard into the profits of the capitalist class could take the kind of ruthless measures necessary to hold prices down. But in a capitalist cconomy it is 'profits that make the world go 'round' -so this woukl require a sharp break with the whole capitalist system.
Moreover, the civil service of the capitalist state has neither the will nor the ability to control the myriad of prices in the shops this is IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE HEAR:
Charles Michaloux ex- Ligue Communiste)
the probiems unleashed by capitalist crisis, by throwing the weight of other croups of workers into the fight ulongside the miners.
OF course, the election is not irrelevant. A Tory victory would signify that the working class was divided and hesitant about going into struggie, and discourage other workers from taking up the fight.
A Labour Victory would show that class was against Tories, and create expectations among every sector of workers that could rapidly be turned into suss For that reason we say: Smash the Tories on all fronts Fore Labour, bur reir oni on your own sfruggies Corry on the mass sirREVOLUTIONARY CLASS STRUGGLE Tariq Ali (IMG candidate for formerly Sheffield, Attercliffel member of Political Bureau of John Ross (IMG candidate for Newham North-East)
CONWAY HALL. Red Lion Sq. Tuesday 26 February. 7,30 pm ship to submit evidence to the relativities inquiry is a serious step backwards.
The inquiry is operating under the terms of the Pay Board's relativities report, which makes it clear that the relativities machinery is part-and-parcel of the Tories incomes policy.
Sir Frank Figures, chairman of the Pay Board, spelt this out when he opened the inquiry Its purpose, ho said, was to unswer the questions Was it right that the relative pay of the miners should be changed! Was it possible to change the relative pay of tie miner in such a way that the change endured?" In other words, are there pecial reasons why the minces Should be allowed to break throuch the Pease 3 nel, and if so as it possible to ensure that the hole can be effectively sown clies!
EM course there are sneci Cuum stances involved in miners work. But the overwhelming argument in favour of the miners" claim is not these spocial circumstarts, but the factors which they Tace in common with the rest of the working the phenomenal rise in prices oser the Avent period, and the exploitation of their lahour for the capitalict class.
Special cases may be all mory will Tor submission la gentlemanly courts workine class unity is made of and or any other sechon of the working class can win.
The NLM's participation in the Wuberfore inquiry in 1977 was a different matter. That was a one-off hody set up to deal with the miners' claim, a tacesarine escape-hatch for the Governmebr Although even then the NUM was wrong so base its claim on the "special case' argument.
The Wilberforce award sinashed a hole in the Tory pay guidelines because there existed no means of scrutinising other workers' claims to similar rises, and no means of preventing coployers granting such rises. Bur this is not 1972. The statutory incames policy now provides both those things.
A miners wage settiement, obtained through the relativiles machinery and based on the special case argument, far from strengthening the struggle of other groups of workers as it die in 1972, could scriously weaken them. This would bu disastrous, not only for these other work en but for the miners themselves.
crease the miners win will be left after inflation pobbles up a colossal 15% of nest year's paynacker? If the miners then have to once again go into strugele alicy are eow dome just two yoars where will they find allies if the rest of the working class has, in the meantime, buen thoroughly ensnared in the relativ sties" trap?
Of course, it the Government chonses to hold an inquiry in the miners absence and concede their claim using the special case" argument, or any other excuse, then this shoul be accepted. But there is a wold of diference between that and acted aristier the Tory mancenvied as the NUM eccutive is now doing The NUM executive's action hus done serious damage to the cause of the work ing class. Before it is too late, some of that damage must be repaired. The NUM executive must issue a clear and unambiguous statement that they are totally opposed to the Toties" Phase 3 and all its machin ery, that they belleve emery proup of work its is fully encitled to a wage rise well above the Phase 3 timits, and call for a the trade union movement Resolutions to this effect should he carried by NUM branches acrose the country.
Jack Collins, Kent delegate to the NOM executive, and other leading NUM militants, have attacked the TUCs accAfter alf, low much of whalever in, epcance of the "spocial case' argument They must now take up the fight in their and dangerous idea.