There was no atmosphere of defeat as the toolroom workers poured out of Birmingham Town Hall last Stewards Thursday after voting to return to work.
The standing ovation which the ordinary workers gave toolroom leader Roy Fraser as he entered the hall was not a gesture of though ine ruling attempted to present Enc settlement as an unqualified victory for management. a toolroom - we meeting was more accurate when The said we haven't backed down, sa compromise There are valid reasons for making such a judgement. recently as the tuesday Delore the settlement, Geoff Whalen, the Personnel Director of Leyland had boasted that stances would the company meet thestriking toolmakers.
Now iney nave mer mem despite the protestations of both Amalgamated Workers Union.
out the sympathy. Al- unel press SLIIKC meeting, Birmingham always have another go.
SUPPORT As 'under no circum- throughout the dispute.
Promises management and the leadership of Engineering Certainly it was not a victory -the issue of different rates throughcountry remains to wives of he settled, but the determination of the toolmakers to resolve that issue has not been dampened by the return to work.
As one toolmaker said after the 'if we don't get them talking on the right lines we can The willingness to have another go' must be all the stronger for the magnificent support the toolmakers received and were promised of solidarity action came from throughout the car and car component industry. There hadsuffered were walk-ours al tactories 200 toolroom workers demonstarted outside the meeting or the Bristol District Committee The pickets demanded the District Committee condemnScanlon's blackmail, and committee "alarming dominated by an unholy alliance of the right wing and the Communist Party, the pressure of the pickets persuaded it to the toolroom workers' auctional theys Birmingham, Derby and Leicester.
Toolmakers at factories outside orne evana comone - such as those at Rolls Royce and Fords promised support. On television carworkers spoke of their 100 per cent support for the toolmakers claim.
This support reflected a number ofthings. There was the anger at the threats of management, Government and union cadetsmp sack the toolroom workers for insisting on their right to strike.
There was the determination of workers throughout the car indus try to answer these threats with a display of unity and soldarily Most of all there was the knowledge that whatever the precise nature of the toolroom workers' demands, whatever the limitation of those demands, what was at the root of the HOW whole dispute was the fall in living standards the toolroom workers DISHONESTY And who but the most craven class collaborator could identify with the actions of Leyland management? One small example testi fies to the depths of dishonesty to which these bosses sank 16 March by speech made or David Andrews, Managing Direc torof Leyland International.
Speaking from the safety of Geneva. Andrews talked of impact Leyland's daily dozen strikes', and proclaimed our recent industrial troubles — and 1 am not referring solely to have undone two years hard work by Leyland The familiar theme of 'its all the workers fault', confrontation and tion to gain a decent wage for their labour power. They may not have WOn 17f VICTOR militants who supported them throughout the country would have wanted, but one judgement is undeniable that by taking on the Government, the unions and the union leaderships, in the battle over the falling standards of living, the Leyland toolroom workers have made it easier for all working people to continue and intensify that fight.
They took on the Government the bosses, the union leaders anc the press but their actions nave shown that the best way to defeat Phase 3 is by taking on phase 2 Ivor Clemitson, Labour MP for Luton East who is Parliamen tary Secretary ployment Minister, has statec a new way to sore unempios ment- tor men mat is. Las week in Parliament he sugges ted that working wives' earn ings should b that they would Men could then WOrK jobs. Who's next on thE list, Mr Clemitson? Blacks? CarBOOKMARX CLUB New Book Club for Socialists Selections for second quarter 1977 (starts Ist April)
First Shop Stewards Movement James Hinto God's Bits of Wood Sembene Ousman A New World for Women: Stella Brow All the above, together with notes, et sent in return for 54.50 quarters sut Details: Bookmarx Club,
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Divide & rule