campaign now throughout the labour movement for active, organised suppust.
Moves and also being made to step up the fight for the engineering worken" calm, In response lo the failure of the enpnecring employers to reply calm presented over two months ago the executive of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions has decided to call for mass meetings of ConfederaDion stewards in every district, to discuss the claim and further action lo carry the fight forward.
The mounting struggle of these two powerful groups of workers shows the posubilities that ure now open to the working class movement, If united, these struggles could not through Phase 3, but could spark off a movement that would get rid of the Tory Goverment once and for all. The central task for militants in the NUM and the CSEU unions must be to work towards such a united, allouf offensive, The upcoming CSEU stewards' meetings are an importunt opportunity to begin this work. Where possible representatives from local pits and other unions should be invited to these meetings, so that discussions on coordinated action can begin, In any event, the question of reconvene in the near future for joint discussions with delegates from local pits to work out coordination of the struggle at the Incal, rank-and-file level.
The power of a miners-engineers atliance lies not only in the combined strength of the unions involved, but in the fact that such a united offensive would raise the confidence and fighting spirit of the entire working class. Hundreds of thousands of worker are already in conflict with the Government, Millions more would press forward with their own demands once a determined struggle was underway. And there are millions of others-students. pensioners, housewives, small traders - who suffer from Tory policy and could be drawn into the struggle.
The best way to unite the grievances of these different groups, and fuse their separate struggles into a single powerful offensive, is through a general strike to bring down the Tory Government. Such a strike, based on the fighting unity of the vast majority of the population, would isolate Tory Government and make it very difficult for them to play off one group against another, or to resort to strong-arm methods apainst the more militant. A mass campaign must be launched throughout the trade unions to educate militants in the steps necessary to prepare for a general strike, and to convince the mass of workers of the necessity and potentiality of this form of struggle. Resolutions should be passed calling for an emergency TUC to organise a general strike to force the Tories out. Mass meetings and demonstrations should back this demand up.
Practical steps must be taken in every locality to prepare for the coming confrontation: mass public mectings to explain why a general strike is needed and what it will mean, the establishment of bodies to defend pickets. building of local Councils of Action made up of representatives from the entire local labour movement to coordinate strike preparations.
A general strike call from the TUC would be the hest way to launch offensive against the But the TUC Icaders are unlikely to take that step, Practical preparations such as these are the most effective way of forcing the bureaucrats to move, and, more importantly. will allow the class to launch a united struggle against the Tories even if the TUC reruses to act.