Alliance Socialist Plessey sit-in FIGHTING WINNING

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No.75 MARCH 4. 1982 (Claimants and strikers 10p) 25p About 350 people, including a contingent from the Leyland Action Committee, marched through Leyland, Lancashire las/ Saturday in a protest against the lidwardes plan and ed after Health and Safety rep Eric Shakespeare was suspended two weeks ago. Eric's 'offence' was that he left his job to investigate a Metro body that had fallen 30 feet, narrowly missing several workers.

Management suspended Eric because he didn't consult his foreman before leaving his job - despite the fact that the foreman was not on the section anyway, and Eric's job was covered.

Now the management has moved against Jack Adams simply for being involved in producing a bulletin outlining the facts of the case. The bosses also objected to an interview Jack Adams gave in the Communist Party magazine Marxism Today.

As Adams already has a final warning (which he received for putting his name to the Combine Committee pamphlet that Derek Robinson was sacked for), this is effectively a sacking threat.

The threat to Adams comes only one month after a Cowley Assembly Plant workers was sacked for distributing Leyland Action Committee bulletins, and a few weeks after the company demanded the right to censor a leaflet produced by Cowley convenor Bob Fryer.

In addition, Eric Shakespeare has now been threatened with further disciplinary action for talking to the press about his original suspension!

It seems that management wants to deny BL workers the most basic democratic right - the right to free speech. General Jaruzelski would be proud of Michael Edwardes! surprising setback in the courts.

A Scottish Court of Session judge overturned an interdict issued in February which had called for the eviction of the workers -90% of them women - who are sitting in the plant to defend their jobs.

The result surprised everyone, but does not, as some press reports have wrongly stated, legalise factory occupations.

The original court order was granted because Plessey management had given cause for the judge, Lord Kincraig, to believe that a civil wrong was being committed in that management were unable to carry on their business. (Their business, in this case, was to run down the factory!)

Doubt The interdict was recalled because doubt was cast on its legality as a result of the 1974 Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, which grants immunity from civil action for workers acting in furtherance of a trade dispute.

Plessey will appeal against this, and a full hearing may well reverse the decision.

But the victory in this round has given Plessey a further cause for concern.

Time has been granted to the workers to work inside the law. That time will have to be used to build the struggle to such proportions that the law can be ignored.

Around 2,000 people from all over Scotland marched through Bathgate last Saturday, 27th, to demonstrate support for the workers, whose occupation is entering its sixth week.

Although the workers were delighted by the court decision, it has not affected their understanding of the nature of our system of justice.

As George Wilson, shop stewards' convenor, told the rally after the demonstration *I got a lot of satisfaction yesterday at the court, but I got a lot more today walking down the street with you. The reality is that we will not win this dispute through any court. If we stand in isolation we will not last.

Our struggle is your struggle. The working class really • do need victories We've got troops here who won't fall from lack of determination, but the struggle really does need extending.

We need penetration into England and Wales. A lot more has to be done if we are really to hurt Plessey. The trade union movement will have to attack.

We've already had stewards here from other plants, and we must have more active support. If we do, l am. confident that we can win".

The Plessey example runs in sharp contrast to the timid retreat by BL stewards at Bathgate, who voluntarily gave up their occupation immediately after the granting of a court order.

The lesson for workers everywhere faced with redundancies and closure is a clear one: only by the firmest stand and fight for the support of the labour movement can defeats be inflicted on employers hell-bent upon attacking living standards and trade union rights.

The strength of the Plessey action has now forced even the Boyd/Duffy AUEW leadership to continue with official support, and to call EDWARDES TEBBIT IU.S! Tebhit's anti-union Bill.

Strikes needed to beat Tebbit a special conference of all Plessey plants to discuss support for the Bathgate (The dispute has not yet reached the level of confrontation where Plessey have issued the kind of threats and ultimatums to the AUEW leaders which led to their sabotage of the jobs fight at Leyland Vehicles).

STOP TEBBIT Plessey workers should utilise the conference to broaden their fight for solidarity action, but in no way rely upon the union bureaucrats to give the necessary lead.

Workers at Bathgate are doing all that is within their power. Others must provide support, both financial and blacking of Plessey products. If this is not achieved, the 220 in occupation will have been let down.

Messages/money to: Mary Murphy, 30 Main St, Fauldhouse, West Lothian.

FU THE London Regional Exec utive of the Labour Party de cided last week to lend it

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EDWARDE UNIONS