The action of the five unions in calling a series of national meetings to oppose the Government's incomes policy is both commendable and timely. The statement by Frank Cousins that he will back to the full the provincial busmen if they want to strike is encouraging, The lobby of Parliament planned for February 21 shows every sign of being successful. In short we see that a feeling is growing against the Government and that more and more people are talking in terms of action. What is now needed is action. The problem of how to fight the wage freeze and defeat the Government is one that faces all trade unionists and socialists. The decision of the Potteryworkers' Society to disaffiliate from the Labour Party shows that the Government's policies threaten the whole structure of the Labour movement. In the absence of any sign of a real mass left alternative to the Labour Party, the breaking of the trade unions' relationship with the Labour Party could only help right wing forces. Moves to try to take the struggle outside the framework of the trade union movement are very understandable but to be deplored. To abandon the trade unions is to give up the struggle and let the right wing win by default. After the sell out of various seamen's struggles voices were raised to push the idea that the seamen should leave their union. We have to be very thankful that the vast mass of militant seamen ignored this advise. Every trade unionist mst demand of his union that it fights for his rights and organise against those trade union leaders who refuse to do this. In particular every effort must be made to demonstrate to the union executives when they meet on March 2nd that they must throw out the Government's incomes policy. “very promise that the Wilson Government has made has been bxcken. Many were willing to support the Government because the sacrifices called for were to be temporary ones’ - now we find that the Government -backed by such journals as New Stateman and Socialist Commentary wants to make the punitive aspects of the incomes policy permanent. Many people supported the incomes policy because they were told that it was designed to be "fair" and protect the poorly paid workers against the greediness of the better paid ones. It has been amply demonstrated that this is a complete lie: the first ones to suffer under incomes policy have been the lower paid workers: the agricultural workers, the railmen, etc. There is no justification for the T.U.C. or any union trusting the Wilson Government any moree Now Wilson seeks to solve his economic problems by making every effort to get into the Common Market. It is clear that to a very great extent these problems will be solved at the expense of the workers: Government spokesmen, including George Brown, have made no secret of the fact that entry would mean a 14% increase in food prices,
A very heavy responsibility lies upon trade union officials in this situation. Experience shows that given a lead, the rank and file workers will respond with militant action. Experience also shows that this Government looks upon co-operation from the trade unions as encouragement to be even more anti-working class. The lessons are clear: Moi ba TARE. AOD TON . NOW ! RON '* £ Sie uo De RE GCrRY Wintc Cl TN “CON TU 2 OF JT HE, UNTORS I