[come out of the northern-based Frolinat movement (Chad…]

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come out of the northern-based Frolinat movement (Chad National Liberation Front -despite the name, nothing to do with the national independence struggle, but rather with the inter-communal struggles since independence in 1960). Both are allied with southern factions.

The French moves followed the shooting down of a French Jaguar jet by the Goukouni/ Libyan forces on January 25. The pilot of the jet was the first acknowledged French casualty since the invasion.

The Libyan government said on Monday 30th that they were 'studying' an appeal from Goukouni for support. Libya still officially denies any involvement in the conflict.

Libya's and France's interests in Chad are not, in the main, directly economic, although there may be important uranium resources in the northern Avzou strip, disputed territory between Chad and Libya.

Libya wants to expand its influence in the region. France wants to prop up the status quo and counter the de-stabilising effect of Libya's policy.

At the same time, however, France has been trying to improve its commercial relations with Libya. It was also announced on Monday 30th that French foreign minister Claude Cheysson would visit Libya soon.

According to some press commentary, differences between France and the US also play a role in the situation. France would like a deal with Libya. The Reagan government, concerned above all with Libya's role as an (unreliable) ally of the USSR, wants to see Libya firmly rebuffed. WAGE rises won through collective bargaining in the US in 1983 were the lowest on record.

The average increase was 2.6 per cent for the first year of the contract, and 2.8 per cent for the remaining period. Wage agreements in the US normally cover about three years.

These were the lowest figures over the whole 16 years that these figures have been collected. The average was reduced by the fact that many workers settled for wage cuts.

460,000 workers in steel, transportation and construction suffered first-year wage cuts averaging 6.7 per cent.

Only three million workers are covered by these figures -for collective bargaining units with 1,000 workers or more. The strength of the US unions has been steadily declining for years.

seem to be holding up better.

Recent figures from various sources - the government, the CBI, and independent researchers — suggest that pay settlements are on average ahead of some years of failure (for the Tories) in this field. Between April 1982 and April 1983 young men's wages rose by 1.8% while adult men's wages went up by In another field - US-style multi-year deals - there has been less success for the Tories and the bosses. The Financial Times comments: 'One seen as an easy route to pay stability, but less common than expected."

There has been little follow-up to the initial three-year deal at Scottish and Newcastle Breweries.

THE well-off have benefited from the Tories' tax policies.

They pay less in income tax and National Insurance, than they did in 1978-9, while the worse-off pay more.

The Tories' first budget measures created a dramatic shift. A typical worse-off family - a married couple with two children on 75% of average earnings - paid 32% of their income in tax in 1979-80, as against 21% in 1978-9. A better-off family - a married couple with two children on five times average earnings -- paid out 41% in 1979-80 as against 50% in 1978-9.

There has been a slight swing back to the previous position since then. In 1983-4 the worseoff family pays out 24% of its income, the better-off family 43%.

Such measures as the cuts in housing and other benefits; rent rises; and increased mortgage relief, have combined with the tax changes to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor.

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BRITAIN'S unions, despite recent loss of membership,