OF
Socialists
Aug 23rd, 1963.
Page 1 The Builders' Strike Page 2 Details of Programme of Speakers for Hythe Camp
Hackney Your Socialists! Membership Campaign
Tory Weeklies turn on Private Bye Pago 3 Peace News Accuses Police of 'Frame Up' and Opening Letters Page 4 Hill holds Public Meeting to Denounce Test Ban Treaty
Some Background Notes to the Hill Faction
Pro-Chinese Group Expelled from the Spanish Communist Party
Important Book by Ravolutionary Published Page 5 Che Guevara Speake on American Attacks on Cuba and
Revolutionary Tactics Page 6 The Situation in Surinam (Dutch Guiana)
U.5. Oil Pipe Line in Venezuela Dynamited Pago T American Students visit Cuba
Cuba's Progress in Selective Industrialisation Page & Japanese Economy Heard Hit by Kennedy's "Dollar Defance™
Measures.
Letter to Readers
Some weeks ago we published an item entitled "Houdiaf
released" from a Paris correspondent, It has been pointed
cut to us that this could be misleading as in fact he is
confined to a villa in a Southern part of Algeria (not a
mud hut in the Sahara, as some would havel!), The title
was ours, not that of the Paris correspondent. ‘Te would
emphacise that we fully support the point of view expressed
in the article, namely, that if Boudiaf has been arrested
for political reasons this is a micntake. On the other hand
if he has bsen arrested for taking part in a conspiracy
he should be charged for this and permitted to have full
rights of defence, stc.
As we said in last week's Letter to Readers we shall be
publishing a supplement consisting of two articles on
Algeria written by a correspondent now in that country.
From this readers will see that it is necessary to caref-
ully analyse the social forces involved in the Algerian
Revolution rather than procedding from a subjective
assessoment of being 'for! or'against' certain leaders,
We shall return to this question in future issues.
one year 48 issues 25/-
Published by: International Bookshop Produced
Alfred St. Central, voluntary
Nottingham labour
1694 ihe muilders' Strike: This is not merely the first official strike in thu
building industry for a number of decades but also the first large scale industrial struggle of 1963, It has ended the relative industrial peace which has characterised 1963 as against 1962, The latter year having among the most days lost through industrial action of any yoar since the General Strike, whilst until now 1963 has had among the lowest numbers of days lost since the war years. The strike is all the more signi=ficant because in essence it is a political strike,
As could be confidently predicted, the discipline and fighting spirit of tho builders has been magnificent. This shows, despite all the talk of various right wing and ultre-left tendencies, the immense loyalty of the British working class to its organisations especially when these organisations seem to be giving a fighting lead, A strong desire has been apparent among the advanced workera to take the struggle forward and have a decisive conflict However, the top trade union functionaries who initiated this strugsle will do all in their power to contain and control operations,
The strike is against Nicky,and the trade union loaders who have called ae it did so, in the main, because they fear that their social role and posit— ion is threatened by the operation of the National Incomes Commission, They express this fear by their statements that Nicky interferes with and undermines 'the whéle system of free negotiations.' Unless this system is in eperstion, unless the trade union leaders can show some results from their thorse-trading! +.tivitios, unlo s, in a word, the top tredo union furictionevion can act ag 'middle-ment batween the workers and the employers, they have no role to play. And, of course, in their struggle to protect their social position these trade union leaders are quite capable of attempting to use the workers! militancy as e trump card,
The more advenced and highly organised sections of the tuilding workers will maintain considerable pressure on the trade union leaders, they will not forget that the Scottish agreemonts and the 40 hr. a week victory was won by militant action, However, as matters stand, unofficial action, even in the event of an apparent sell-out is unlikely. The immense loyalty, already referred to, cuts both ways — just as the workers come out a5 a man on their leaders! instructions so thay will go back,
Trade union le-ders know, and the workers know, that tha employers would have made a much more favourable offer had it not been for Nicky's ge condemnation of the Scottish agreements, According to the Financial Times of 16 August, one employer said: ‘Ye were being pulled in two directions - one by the N.I.C., and the other by our desiro to bring our wage rates up to the level of some other industries. Until we do that we shall not be able to attract all the high quality epprentices the industry requires," On the other hand, it goes without saying that the employers are hiding behind Nicky to a certain extont. | i
The Government's hand is present in another sense too, About half of the anmialrvalue of the industry's work = or about £1,500m. — comes from tailding paid for partly or completely from Government funds, The employers fear that if they pay more than 3-34% increase ae envisaged by Nicky (in line with 4% increase in productivity) and then pass the ‘cost on to their customers, the Government will reduce tho volume of the work they pay for, To quote the Financial Times agains "For example, if £70n. were earmarked for hospital building, the Government would keep its expenditure down to that amount by postponing some of the contracts."
The next stage of the battle for exports promises to be very hard —whatever Government is in power in Britain will feel compelled to try to keep costs down, The building strike will be tho prototype of many more battles, particularly because every time a wago increase over the 3% is won it will be increasingly difficult for the Government to apply its plans for the rationalisation of British industry.