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1977 has seen a wave of struggles to smash a Social Contract foisted upon us by
Labour and trade union "leaders" who never
consulted those who elect and pay them.
To maintain wage restraint, they have
trampled on labour movement democracy and broken basic trade union principles. This year we have seen: *Union support for threatened sackings at Leyland; *Union backing for blacklegzing at Heathrow. *Explusion of striking NATSOPA members at "The Times"
*Union betrayal of EETPU members
at Port Talbot.
The "Lefts" and the Communist Party claim to oppose Phase III. Yet they sabotage
struggles against Phase I. Leaders such
as Bob Wright, "Left" candidate for AUEW
president, and Derek Robinson, Leyland Combine convenor, have denounced Leyland, Heathrow and Port Talbot
workers as "divisive", "splitters",
"adventurists". The Morning Star has joined in the chorus.
We need to build a socialist opposition
to "leaders" who believe that workers must
pay for the bosses' crisis, and those whose collaboration assists them. At STUC Congresses Stirling Trades Council have laid the foundations in Scotland. The Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement has held two 400-strong conferences in Birmingham to build a fighting programme of action.
Scottish Socialist League delegates who attended the Inst CDLM conference on March 27th have put out a call for a Scottish Conference on "Wage Control and Union Democracy". The proposed date is Saturday June 17th, the location to be decided. Sponsors already include individual branch officers and stewards in
APEX, EETPU, CPSA, EIS, NUPE, NALGO,
T&GWU, AUEW, who sit on six Trades Councils, plus officers of the NUS and the Labour Party. To receive information and
publicity material, to sponsor the conference
contact STEWART MACLENNAN (CDLM ORGANISING COMMITTEE), 18 Carrington Street, Glasgow G4 (041-332 8728) or ROWLAND SHERET 15 Vorlich Place, Cornton, Stirling (0786-61184)