The past week has scen two distinct and serious attacks by the Tory Gcvornment against tho working class and its organisations, ‘Those two measures, the ‘investigation! by the National Incomes Conndesiom (old nic) and the Contracts of Enploymont Bill (the so-called workors' chartor), signify a new stage in Tory Government policy. Facod with all kinds of difficulties at homo and abroad, it seeks to solve its probloms at tho oxpense of tho working class, I+* aims to restore the shaken confidence of the bourgeoisie by 'standing up' to the working class. We should expect more attacks of this nature, ospecially if tho workers! movement does not respond with sufficiont vigour, If tho Torics feol that thoy can 'get away! with such moasures they will bo emboldened, The noxt logical step would be for . them to take steps designed to attract back into their fold those sections of thi middle class which have switchod to tho Liborals by launching a domagozic campais to lay all tho blamo for Britain!s ills.on oxtravagant workers domands.e By "sta ing firm' against thoso domands the Torics would calculate to win back these sect
The attempt by the Tories to undermine tho victory of the Scottish builder. in winning the 40 hour wock (without loss of pay) by referring this question to ‘old nic! is directed against tho whole campaigm for the fourty hour weck, The Financial Times of Decomber léth, in an oditorial pointed out the koy role this particular question playod in the national fight for tho 40 hour wock. As it poim ted out, it was relatively a small matter for the Scottish building omployors to Give in on this question. because "building is a protected industry, not much affec~ ted by international trade..." and therefore higher labour costs could be passed on. liven sO, Hnglish building omployers wore very angry with their Scottish counterparts for giving ine Thoy folt that this would make the claim by Mnglish building workors for a fourty hour wook woll-nigh irrosistiblo. The Governnont foars that once tho buildors have the fourty hour wock, a tromendous stimulus will be given to all other soctions of organised workers to fight for it. Tho idea of referring tho question to "old nic! is not so much to get the Scottish decision roversed as to stiffon the resistance of employers to furthor domands for tho 40 hour wook.
The reaction of the unions has been one of hostility. Janes Paterson, Scottish Exocutive momber for the Plumbing Trades Union, in a statomont issued om Docember 12th said: "if tho building employors try to rovoke the Scottish agroonent signed by the F.F.B.T.0. there would be a national stoppage." J. Armstrong, the © T.G.W.U. building national socrotary, said tho samo day that ho would not be detor= rod by any statomont mado by tho N.I.C. Furthormore, the Confederation of Shipbui-~ lding And Enginoering Unions was not deflectud from putting in its claim for a 40 hour week. But this is scarcoly moro than a conditioned reflex, THE ANSWGR TO THE GOVERNIGINT'S ATTACK ON THE FOURTY HOUR WEEK I0UST BE A TRIZTENDOUS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON THE QUESTION. ‘here has boon a great deal of discussion on tho question of . ~ unemployment. The Government has shed crocodile tcars about the plight of the um employed but has shown in practico, espocially by this latest move, that it wants” unomploymeont. Using the considorable feolung which has boon aroused on the question of unemployment, a vigorous campaign be waged linking the 40 hour weck with the fight against unomployncnte
The so—called workers! chartcr, described in typically hypocritical Tory language as giving workers grceator sccurity, is in reality a sacking charter. It leogalises the immediate sacking of any striker who doesn't give the requisite notice Another aspect which has recoived little attontion is the passage which reads "tho ompoyers obligation undor the section shall be conditional on the employce being ready and willing to do a reasonable amount of work." "Roasonable" is rathor a vague torm and no doubt many employors will interprote it in such a way to give immediate sack to any troublesome cloments, whilst any 'work to rulors' would be subject to immediate sacks The Bill would scom to be directod against gucrilla strikes too, which woro instruncntal in gaining the Scottish 40 hour wook award. Tho Tory sacking charter is a particularly blatant picce of provocation,and as such can casily be oxposed. As various union leaders havo pointed out tho Bill"s sugar coating givos hardly anything to anybody and would give employers the chance to take away many of the existing gains which have beon made,in the ficld of redundancy agreenentse Thus the stage is sot for a vigorous conpaien” all scctions against sackings, for jobs and for the fourty hour wooke LORD RUSSELL ON SINO/INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE: In a press statoment reproduced by Poaco News of 14th Docombor, Lord ltusse said that at first ho had thought China was the aggressor, but examination of tho facts lod him to boliove that the Chinese case was much strongor and that it was dubious if thoy startod tho hostilities. er rate ©
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