The 4000 strong demonstration a fortnight ago la defence of those arrested on u mass picket outside Footprint Took in Sheffield was a major turning point in the strike to reinstate Pete Wilso, the sacked shop steward. While this was the strongest demonstration to tave pecurred as a result of the strike, it at the came time transformed the mobilisation from one of practical support for the strike to one of protest action in defence of the might to picket.
The AUEW District Committee had already agreed to lift the picket on the factory before the demonstration, as an "olive branch" to. persuade the scab G&MW. stewards to discuss Job demarcation, and to open up the way to an independent inquiry. The G&MWU stewards refused to respond, however, even though the Distect Committee was prepared to go cuen further by reversing the decision of the shop stewards quarterly to bold a mass picket on the morning of the demonstration. It is clear that the line of the Distriet Committee is designed to push into the background the aced for mass action and effective picketing to win tie strike, The strupgie has reached the point where a really offerlise mobilisation would take the strike right out of the hands of the Communast Party. They are theretore quite prepared to accept a compromise at Footprints in the shape of an. andependent inquiry now being set up. Ibe posted price in the Gull, for example, was about $3.00, which meant the cost to the companies was 10,15 cents a barrel production cost plus 55 per cent of the posted prier in lax plus a further 10 per cent royalty, making a total of 82. 05-2.10 a barrel.