Laurence Scott strikers fight to oust Duffy leadership

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"THIS BRANCH believes that the Executive Council has mishandled the Laurence Scotts Electromotors dispute. As this is an issue of concern to all AUEW members, this branch demands a ballot for the removal of the Executive Council in line with rule 14, Send to AUEW, 110 Peckham Rd, with copy to LSE Strike Committee, The police and Duffy: obstacles for the LSE strikers on two fronts further instruct Executive decimation of our industry." refused to pass on relevant Council to support all The LSE strikers took papers. The FAC concluded our membership involved in the issue to the AUEW's it was unable to adjudicate the struggle _against the con- highest body, the Final tinued plant closures and the Appeals Court. The EC censure on the EC.

Britain ought to be run. She opposes state intervention into trade unions in Poland but practises it in Britain. The trade union movement is at rock bottom. This has been brought about by this reactionary government and the police. But it will have a domino effect. It's carrying on the fight to remove the Executive. We hope the rank and file can learn from our dispute and others. Otherwise there could come a day when we'll lose all trade union democracy'.

nur Partv meetina 'Solidar- SIUC. Also meetinas in nail, camoriuye.

workers at Laurence it Electromotors, Manster. are now focussing struggle on the cami to force the removal of ALEW Executive under union's Rule 14.

They need 251 AUEW aches to pass resolutions inset) calling for the EC fare a national ballot of abers on whether it ald continue in office. I: is by no means impos- last year, 1060 •hes passed motions damning the EC's handlo: the dispute.

Laurence Scotts workers also appealing for finan, support - they get no ke pay, and face a bill for D00 from the courts. Throughout the Laurence its struggle for jobs, the and the AUEW leaderP. each in its own way, e been the chief supports LSE boss Arthur Snipe. When, on February 15, dreds of police smashed pugh the Scotts picket to enable scab lorries to away £2 million worth machinery from the facr. the strikers were bitter, not surprised.

Class weapon Dier their ten months of Ele they have seen the ere of the police and the to. as a class weapon of lorises, again and again. I was with the backing the law that bailiffs sted in last August 18 broke their occupation the factory, putting the sinkers there when they ded in the small hours in ¡for their physical safety. It was the courts that red injunctions last Novbe: under the Employ• Act to stop Laurence is strikers picketing re's major company, ing Supplies in Doncas1: was the police that ned organise Snipe's helife: raid on November 4 ger equipment from LEs.

Strike =*: before the February ke:-busting, strike leader Rowan was taken from some before dawn to *=: routine questions •: an incident that had ipened ages before. And six Scotts stewards received a • bill for lis from the Sheriff -the costs of evicting • from the factory! The occupation began on • 24, 1981, two weeks • the 650 LSE workers i received notice from pe that he would shut the presidency - did nothing.

And on July 21 the AUEW executive withdrew official support from Scotts.

The EC had given its backing to a deal proposed by Snipe offering a two-day week to some of the workforce for three months! The deal was resoundingly rejected by the LSE strikers at a mass meeting and again at another special meeting convened by AUEW official Ken Cure. It was also rejected by the local AUEW District Committee, Manchester North.

The EC's withdrawal of official support flouted AUEW rules - which give district committees the right to decide on official support for disputes - and AUEW policy. Resolution 545 passed by the AUEW National Committee in April/May 1981 stated: 'We March Ads for Socialist Organiser Glasgow Polish Solidarity Campaign. lan McCalman, 18 Mossgiel Rd, Glasgow G43. 041-632 1839. Edinburgh PSC. C/o Edinburgh Trades Council, 12 Picardy Place.

Oxford Labour Committee on Poland. 468 Banbury Ra Oxford. 0865 58238. ity with Solidarnosc'. Wednesday March 10, Manor Gardens Library. Speakers: Marek Garztecki and speaker from El Salvador Solidarity Campaign.

NOTTINGHAM Labour Movement Solidarity with Solidarnosc meeting. Thursday March 11, 7.30 at TGWU offices, 259 Mansfield Rd. Speakers: Piotr Ko lowski, Oliver McDonald.

TURKEY Turkey Solidarity Campaign Democratic Platform Speakers' Tour Wednesday March 24: 11am press conference at St Bride's Institute, off Fleet St, London. 6.30pm meetin! for MPs at House of Commons (room 10) - chaired by Frnia Roharte MP LUIG •UUGILO Th..ndae, RAnunh DF maat I nursaay iaren co - mitteings in the London area. Friday March 26. 7.30. Meeting at McLellan Galleries, Sauchiehall St, Glasgow. Chair: a representative of the ng I A 1 and passed a motion of Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

Saturday March 27, 2pm. Public meeting at The Pleasance, 60 The Pleasance, Edinburgh. Chair: Secretary of Edinburgh Trades Council. Speakers include Gavin Strang MP.

Monday March 29. Meetings in the Manchester area. Tuesday March 30. 7.30. Public meeting, Bridge Hotel Newcastle upon Tyne. 7.30. Public meeting, Trades Club, Leeds. Also other meetings in Leeds and Newcastle areas.

Wednesday March 31. 7.30. Public meeting, Oxford Town Hall. 7.30. Public meeting, AUEW House, Furnival Gate, Sheffield.

Thursday April 1. 7pm. Public meeting. TUC, Congress House, Gt Russell St, London WC1. 7.30. Public meeting, Wesley Uall RamhriAMo paragraph 5".

croft, Romiley, Cheshire.

The EC was undaunted, and continued campaigning against the strikers.

The weight of this official sabotage finally isolated the Scotts strikers sufficiently for the police and Snipe to launch their final raid.

Weakness on left

But the weakness of some on the Left also helped. Arthur Scargill refused to heed repeated calls for blacking. And Scotts convenor Dennis Barry told Socialist Organiser last year:

"For forty years the Communist Party have preached socialism and progress - but when it comes to basic, fundamental questions like at Scotts - they don't want to know.

"They've become so obMEETINGS AND FORUMS NORTH-WEST LONDON.

Monday Mar.15: A Woman'!

Right to Work.

Monday April 12: Fundraising social to commemorate the Easter Rising.

Details from SO sellers.

SHEFFIELD: Every other Wednesday, at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. Business Mar.3: Turkey Mar. 17: The decline of US capitalism.

Mar.31: Women and the labour movement ISLINGTON: 7.30 Fridays upstairs room in Caxton House, 129 St John's Way.

Mar. 12: A Woman's Right TO VVOrK Mar.26: Central America -still the USA's backyard?

HOUNSLOW Socialist Org. aniser social. 8pm, Saturday March 13, Hanworih Labour Hall. Waged £1, unwaged 50o olease bring a bottle.

Gc/o 20 Roundsessed with winning the next election in the union they've forgotten the ABCs of trade unionism, like organising physical support for workers defending jobs when your national union leaders have stabbed you in the back.

The lessons the Scotts workers had learnt were spelled out last month, when deputy convenor Steve Longshaw wrote an Open Letter to the Leyland Vehicles strikers, advising them (contrary to the line of their CP leadership) that extension of the struggle to BL Cars was vital to defeat Edwardes and the Tories.

Steve Longshaw will also be speaking at the Socialist Organiser/London Labour Briefing Democratise the Labour Movement' conference in Birmingham on April Half the proceeds go to the Hanworth Ward election campaign.

BASINGSTOKE Socialist Organiser forum. 'The Case for Extra-Parliamentary Action'. . 7.30, Friday Maret 12, Chute House, Church S MARXISM London Workers' Socialist Leaque class on basic Marxism. Next class: The labour theory of value. Friday March 5, 7.30pm, for venue write PO Box 135, London N1 ODD. 'THE POLITICS of the Socialist Workers Party' -pamphlet produced by ulasyuw sutlarsı vi yarari. Alamnaul, Canialict Arnanicor Sections on: history of the SWP, SWP and trade union work, SWP intervention in industrial disputes, SWP and women, svur ano internat- CUID and intornat. ionalism. Prices 43p for one copy, £1.81 for five. Cheques payable to lan McLeish. From: McLeish, 2 Quarry Ave, Halfway, Cambuslang, Glasgow.

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