A report-back delegate meeting to discuss the recent Greater London Association of Trades Councils visit to Belfast provided further evidence of the growing support within the trade union movement for a 'Troops Out Now - Self-Determination for Ireland' position.
The Conmunist Pary, which had a majority on the GLATC delegation to Belfast, has tried every manoeuvre to impose its views. on reland - views which call for the British Government to undertake al manner of wonderful reforms in Ireland, and which thereby accept the right of the British Government to rule Ireland. During the Belfast visit itself the CP majority threw out of the delegation three supporters of the "Troops Out' position and last saturday they produced a further battery of dirty tricks' in an attempt to silence any oppo sition:
The chairman of the meeting, Brother Coles, resisted demands for equal speaking rights for the minority. produced shouts for a vote on the matter, Coles bombasted: "There will be no vote. * The GLATC majority gave its main speakers an hour and a half to put their views. Only continual protests from delegates assured the minority of any right to speak - and even then they were only permitted fifteen minutes.
Coles selected contributions from the floor so that supporters of his views were allowed a three-to-one majority Jack Dromey, the majority's main spokesman. even produced a letter from a Belfast tenants' association to back his opinions. Unfortunately for Dromey the letter was addressed to one of the minority, Mike Knowles, and when an astonished Knowles declared that he had never seen the letter, Dromey hastily withdrew the correspondence * Thère is also evidence of an attempt to pack the meeting - at least one CP When his ruling had failed to be elected as a delegate still attended the meeting.
GLATC platform received a stormy hearing from at least half of last Saturday's delegates. Indeed, the CP-controlled platform were so afraid to test their pro-imperialist line that they made no attempt to put their "Report' to the vote - a clear indication of the level of opposition.
the "Troops Out' position a fair hearing, but the level of support for that position evident at Saturday's meeting represents a sizable defeat for all those who think that a British 'solution' for Ireland is possible. All members of trades ouncils in London should now ensure that in any local report-back meeting a representative of the minority is invited to speak. member from Barnet Trades Council who 24 May.
In spite of all these manoeuvres, the The gags and expulsions have denied
BRUTALITY
Those at present standing trial include some who suffered the worst brutality during the police riot of To cover up for the thugs responsible, the police have set these