Sa tra a a en en te SL Se
Parallol with the widely publicized struggles, the P.O. workers! work to rule for oxample, a whole sorics of small conflicts aro beginning. This process will be given an enormous fillip whon tho one-day strike by the Confedoration of Shipbuilding and ‘nginecring workors bring 3 million workers into action, Their action will bo followed by the minors, railwaymen and other sectors, von after the shocking betrayal by the leaders of the Civil Sorvants! Union, the C.5S.C.A., this front is by no moans quiet. The action of two of tho leadors of the C.S.C.A. calling off the work-to-rule missed boing consured by the executive of that union by only one vote and a whole serios of conflicts aro taking place within tho union, The executive have refused to extend the term of office of the general secretary and many rank and files protests have boon made. The union leadership now talks of tho 'postponoment' of the work-to-rule. It is difficult for bureaucrats to betray the struggle these days.
The strategy of marxists mst bo to push these struggles from ones designed to strengthen tho social role of the trade union bureaucracy to a goneral political struggle against the Govermant. This presupposes that we inject into the struggles ao socialist awareness. This is very casy to put down on paper but difficult to carry out in practice. It will not be dono from a soap box but through the mass organisations of the working class. It moans claborating within these organisations a programne of action both general and particular, national and local. But first before such: a programme will bo listoned to those struggling must be convinced that the marxists a,o not just lecturing them. Through the mass organisations we must show those in action thst we are serious people inter= osted in holping thom in thoir actual strugglos in the way they want us to. We should be to the forefront in collecting funds, pushing various acts of solidarity and seeking to link cach struggle. We should do this through our organisations <each ward, young socialist group and trade union branch where wo have influence should as an clemontary step contact strikors and othows in action. Tho latter should be invited to address mootings and asked what help they want in their endeavours. Parallel with this we shoulda press that all other branches do the same, thus building a basis for insisting that similar steps are taken all levels, These are small and clementary steps but ossential onos if wo are go forward to highor things, KEY PIT WORKLRS PLAN TO STRIKT ea eRe Sc
Key colliery craftsmen - mechanics and electricians - working under= ground in highly mechanised pits plan to bring tho Yorkshiro coalfield to "stondstill for a week to press their claims for highor paye A spokesman for the crafts= men said tht th strike would focus attention on the need for incroased er.:ft representation in tho N.U.M. as woll as furthering their demand for a shift paynont of 10/— to bring their earnings into line with outsido industry.