Parliament to demand the release of the Shrewsbury 2.
to free the pickets.
Monday Club Tory MP Peter Rost said the TUC should be billed for the extra costs to the police force incurred by the demonstration last week. No doubt the £1.600 extra doled out by the state to keep last week's demonstration in order stands well for penny-pinching Mr. Rost, beside the cool half-a-million pounds spent by the ruling class in their prosecution of the Shrewsbury workers.
ARM-IN-ARM
But the class lines don't stop at he Tory Party and the press. Labour Education Minister Beg Prentice, who arm-in-arm with Home Secretary Jenkins has fought a militant battle in the cabinet to ensure the pickets are kept in jail and the laws on picketing are left intact, this week showed his true colours once again. Not satisfied with denouncing the delegates to the Labour Party Conference who voted for the release of Warren and Tomlinson, Prentice refused last week to meet a delega tion from West Ham Trades Council. This open agent of the ruling class refused "on principle" to discuss the Shrewsbury jailing.
Shrewsbury has sprung to the centre of the stage once more. The hysteria of the press and TV over Strewsbury in the last couple of weeks is in stark contrast to the "ring of silence' they threw around the arrests and the farcical trial in Shrewsbury.
The job of the press was to help their employing class and its state make sure the workan" movement did not go into action before the prison doors had banged shut on the Shrewsbury defendants.
Everything had to be done to make sure a movement like the one that freed the five dockers from the prip of the jail and the Industrial Relations Act in 1972, didn't happen again.
For over a year and a half, the ruling class has been more or less successful. The Labour Party, TUC and in particular the building union UCATI and the Transport Union did their utmost to stop any real action to free the Shrewsbury 2. UCATT even echoed the sentiments of the press and law-lords and branded the pickets as 'criminals.
ONE-DAY STRIKES For the last year and a half, thousands of militants have taken part in one day strikes, protest rallies, two tank-and-file conferences in Liverpool and have broken their backs in the defence.committees over the issue. The Communist Party, the most powerful force in the campaign, has always made its central objective getting the TUC to biticially endorces the call for the release of the pickets. Until that aim wus achieved they were content to keep a tight rein on and restrict the campaign to one-day protests and "pressure'.
On 14 Jamuary, the CP's dream came true. They had sensed, after keeping the campaign in wraps for months, that the Shrewsbury issue was a golden chance to open up a chink in the armour of the Social Contract, After Labour was elected in February and October all the Labour Party and TUC leaders, including the CP's darlings on the "left" like Jack Jones and Michael Foot, got logether to tie the working class band and foot to the The CP's strategs however rests on an alliance with these 'lefts' who had lined up with all the other bureaucrats and the Government THE PRESS. ASSORTED TORIES AND CAREERIST CHARLATANS from the right-wing of the Labour Government have been thrown into a right tizzy by last week's 8,000 strong demonstration and lobby of On Friday, the Daily Mail, more rioted for its links with the Special Branch of the police and other ruling class servants than for its friendship for the workers" movement, printed a two-page smear on the campaign around the Social Contract. There seemed no chance, on the central issues of prices and redundancy, of starting any action.
The CP sought some other issue on which they could unite with the 'lefts". Shrewsbury was the magic formula. That Is why last week's demonstration took place. Most of the jailed pickets have now been released. Only two remain inside.
Trade union leaders of all colours and left' MPs who respect ruling class law apart from its occasional "bias" can now safely get hot under the collar about the iniquity of the jailings and the ruthlessness' of the courts. After all, Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson are eligible for parole in March. If the Home Oftice grants parole the problem can be safely swept under the carpet.
It was for these reasons that the TUC eventually decided to back the call for a national lobby. After they had turned their face against any ac tion on pickets for over a year. Len Murray on the afternoon of the Jobby emerged from an audience with Alex Lyon (Jenkins" righhand man at the Home Office to say he still hoped that Jenkins 'in his wisdom and mercy' could see his way to taking another look at the case of the Shrewsbury workers, and the law on picketing. For Murtay and the rest of the TUC, last week's demonstration was an militants, allow them to let off steam and post a polite warning to Jenkins that the TOC would like a change in the law on pickers.
STAUNCH DEFENDER Now Jack Jones, staunch defender of the Social Contractsays again!
Shrewsbury 'is still a question of this means more speeches in Parliament and delegations to Harold Wilson, But for the thou to the doors of Parliament, last week's show of strength must be the beginning of the final push to get the last two pickets out. The campaign to make sure the ruling class and their servants in the Labour Government take no moro hostages and that there are no more Shrewsburys, has to take a The IMG and Red Weekly have campaigned for nearly two years for massive strike action, the workers' movement. This has FAT Some of the 8,000 trade unionists whose march last wok has thrown the Press, the Tories, and the right-wing Labourites into such a tizzy.
been echoed by Jack Dunn, Kent miners leader, Manchester and unite all those who marched last week and thousands more in the localities and set a date for a paign is rolling again. It must not be allowed to almost die like last time. Action Committees with sations should be set up in the localities to gain support for this policy.
Line Shrewsbury issue, At thut can be made to take action that will free the two.