The Birmingham bombings have cer tainly provided the Labour Government with a pretext for strengthening the state apparatus. But they have done much more. They have given the fas cists in this country their biggest opThe more blatant attempts by the fascists to mobilise the muss of workers have Copped miscrably. The National Front's call for a one-day general strike went unanswered and their "muss rally" against the IRA drew a grand total of 40 people. Nonetheles it would be wrong to minimise their impact over the last fortnight.
Tom Finnegan, a National Front candidate in the last cloction, has been heard repeatedly on Radio Birmingham urging workers to denand the relien of hanging. NE memocs aiso handed out leaflets calling for strike action in Birmingham's biggest factories including Austin Longbridge, Lucas, Dunlop, BLMC Rover, etc.
of Midlands factories left-wing militants were forced to resign as shop stewards, or were suspended the comrades involved.
attack? from work "for their own safety".
How did the right wing at Wilmot Breeden go about launching their It started on the Monday after the Birmingham bombings. That afternoon right wing elements in the assembly shop, where one of us works, began to circulate rumours that we were members of the TRA and had been involved in the The following day they secured a stoppage of work in the assembly was of the bermingham bombings all kinds of peopie were quick to jump on the bang gon of chauvinism and hysteria. Among them were the right wing in the trade unions, who were given a big boost by the Labour Government's promise of more repressjve laws. In a number In one Birmingham factory -part of the car components firm of Wilmot Breeden- the fury of the right wing was directed against two IMG militants. The following is an interview with one of Was this the first time the right had tried to get at you?
Oh no. During the natianal AUEW overtime ban they managed to get the comrade who works in the assembly plant a member of the National Society of Metal Mechanics sacked because she called for solidarity with the AUEW memhers" action. She was other trade unionists in support of us has under-cut the right wing. So we're both guing to be back at work on Monday, and expect that we'll be able to work without any disruption. Has this sort of attack occurred in other factories?
I personally know of four similar cases —two militants who have been