[The sit-in at Henry Robb (Leith) won't have…]

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The sit-in at Henry Robb (Leith) won't have any impact here. They voted against supporting the national strike because they thought that would redeem them. But it didn't. I don't see them getting support, because of the way the vote went there, though they might win transfers to other yards.

"But it won't make an impact on the situation here. The shop stewards already have their tactics worked out. The Clyde Confed have pledged strike action if there are any compulsory redundancies. But they probably reckon that there will be enough voluntary redundancies, So it would not come to a strike.

"The shop stewards committee has said that it will have men out to other places appealing for financial and moral support. And there will also be workers out leafletting in the town itself. But I don't think that they have started to do that yet. In fact there's a lot of speculation in the yard that it has already been sold off and that it will all be over in a fortnight." A 29.9% increase in compulsory liquidation brought company failures last year to a record 13,421 - 11% higher than in 1982 - according to statistics published by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Liquidations in the manufacturing sector accounted for about one-third of the overall total, with metals and engineering companies being the main victims in this sector, followed by textiles and clothing.

Creditors' voluntary liquidations also rose by 3% compared with 1982, following steep rises in each of the three previous years.

So much for the Tories' that the recession is over.

¡LABOUR AGAINST THE WITCH-HUNT

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¡National Council meeting, Saturday February 11, from 111.30 at County Hall, Lon- Idon SE1 (Island Block Cin- lema). Creche available.