[I WAS interested to read Pat Lally's analysis…]

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I WAS interested to read Pat Lally's analysis of the failure of leadership in the recent strike at Leyland Vehicles against mass redundancies.

His description of the opposition of the Communist Party and the International Marxist Group to the Leyland Action Committee's policy for an orientation to the BL Cars Division reminded me very much of a similar scenario 45 years ago in the North American Teamsters' strike.

During what was to become one of the most titanic battles in the history of the American labour movement to unionise truck drivers, the US Socialist Workers Party flew veteran organiser Jim Cannon from New York to the Minneapolis strike centre in order to provide experienced tactical advice on how to take the struggle forward After discussions with the strike committee, it was agreed by the Teamsters that the only way to bring the bosses to heel was by launching an 'over the road' campaign, that could pull out truck drivers in the rest of the mid-west.

Organisers were sent out, a national conference of truck drivers was called, calls for action to other workers issued, and a campaign built through official union structures to bring out other workers in support of Minneapolis.

Interestingly, the American Communist Party at the time, rather like its British counterpart in BL today, denounced such proposals as "adventurist, substitutionist" , etc. and "the members won't support this" and "you don't understand the mood of the workers" they said.

At the end of the day, of course, the SWP's proposals were carried out, and not only was one of the

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greatest victories in the history of the international trade union movement secured, but the subsequent right wing president of the union, Jimmy Hoffa, was to admit "if it wasn't for the drive and leadership of Cannon and Dobbs, the Teamsters Union would not be An todda's, most powerful unu l cudy.

If only some of these elementary lessons in trade union organisation had been grasped by the CP and IMG at Leyland, then maybe the unprecedented majorities for strike action at the first two mass meetings could have been translated into a real aimed not at Unipart's customers but solely at the workforce.

Impressario John Neill explained to the Daily Express:

"We could have used the money instead in giving bonuses which would have been quickly spent"

Too true - as Unipart's 7,000 workers face dwindloffensive against Edwardes throughout the whole of BL.

Indeed the points that Pat Lally makes in his article are hardly revolutionary demands. They can be found on day four of any TUC introductory course for shop stewards! In other words, when your factory is on strike you call on sister plants for support.

Importantly,, however, the seeds of the defeat of the strike were sown at the crucial Combine Committee meeting when the CP agreed that there would be no national conference of BL stewards and hence no chance of sympathy action *ing pay packets while turnover has quadrupled since 1974.

"This way we have invested in something as intangible as sentences and songs. We cannot measure the effect precisely but we know Unipart workers feel a strong personal commitment to the company and our goals."

mobilising the rank and file to defend jobs, one would expect them to block off a unified inter-plant offensive within BL as a whole.

But what on earth were the IMG, a revolutionary organisation, doing subordinating themselves to a policy that was obviously rushing headlong to disaster and defeat?

Firstly, due credit must be given to the Preston IMG for their unstinting graft in building support for the strike on a whole number of levels. However, the accommodation of the IMG to the Cr in Leyland was a product of the "turn to industry" instituted two years ago at its national conference.

The inability of the IMG leadership over the past 12 years to build a serious Meanwhile bonus pay-ments in Cowley Unipart have fallen from £20 per week to £3.75, forcing convenors to call a stewards meeting on february 16.

A resolution was submitted to a national meeting of Unipart union representatives last week calling for changes in the incentive scheme, or in the event of of the local situation, but the real problem in Leyland was that the IMG's subordination to CP industrial strategy was ratified and endorsed by the IMG's national leaders.

Indeed the open letter from Steve Longshawe, AUEW deputy convenor at Laurence Scotts, places the IMG well to the right of the Laurence Scotts strike committee on the BL question.

Hence the refusal of the IMG leadership to formulate a coherent strategy for winning the strike has left the unfortunate Preston comrades defenceless when confronted by young workers asking the question "Well what alternative was there to the policy of the Works Committee?"

VINCE DUNN, Manchester non cooperation by management, for action.

As John Neill wipes off his grease paint we can expect the real face of managemen t quickly to reappear. I 'he disgruntled workers in the stalls are demanding their money back!