The Chrysler bosses have stepped up their offensive against the Ryton workers, Early on Monday morning, two convoys of lorries broke their way through picket lines outside the Stoke plant in Covantry, which is being picketed by the Ryton The drivers hired by Chrysler were thugs who threw bottles, bricks and iron bars at pickets as they sped towards the gates at 40 mph. Chrysler is riding on a boom in the world car market. This has resulted in a massive speed-up. In recent. months Ryton has increased its output from 3,000 to 3,500 cars a week. The threats to suspend investment in Britain made by the US owned company are designed solely to put pressure on the workers. Chrysler's plants abroad are not tooled up for the successful Avenger model to be transferred from Britain. Comparing these threats to those made by Ford two years ago, the Sunday Times commented: Chrysler would like a clear run (no more strikes much as Ford has had since that big strike." The response of the workers at Stoke has been further confused by the line from shop stewards reinforced by the Morning Star) about Chicago stylo tactics. But the attacks on pickets were to be expected. It is not the nationality of the firm but the development of the class struggle in Britain itself which leads the bosses increasingly to use these kinds of tactics.
The reaction of the Stoke stewards to Monday morning's events was to recommend strike action. But the AUEW bureaucracy quickly intervened and the management gave them assurances that no more materials would be moved for another week and that they had no part in plan ning the violence used by the drivers they contracted On the same day, Lord Mayor of Coventry la Labour Councilior) fixed up a meeting between union officials and management to discuss the Ryton dispute. These assurances and a hint of the meeting were dropped to Stoke stewards before the mass meeting which was to endorse their recommendation for a strike. recommendation was withdrawn; Stoke failed to strike and the Lin wood plant in Scotland followed suit.
These manoeuvres created disunity precisely at the moment when the main issue facing the workers became the need to unite to defend the pickets.
Chrysler is a tight for the whole working class. A report published recently by the CBI explained the need for bosses to make a systematic attack on 'restrictive practices throughout British industry as a whole. Speed-up will confront all workers. The defence of picket lines as Red Weekly has been urging throughout the campaign to defend the Shrewsbury 24, is an urgent task for all workers. The Ryton workers must be given support by all. Troops campaign p.3 Labour's programme pp.4-5
Last weekend saw another step back wards for the organisation of left teachers in the NUT, Rank & File, at its National Committee meeting in Leicester.
The most important immediate issue facing Rank & File is the defence of three of its own militants. During the struggle over the teachers" Only two motions had been circulated to the membership, so the group which had submitted them (East London) asked that no decisions be taken until Rank & File members had had a further opportunity to submit and discuss motions. But although this was supported by a motion from Lambeth, delegates were foroed to vote on Il additional motions which were the conference coming about.
FACADE The line of the IS leadership, as publicly stated in their paper, is to build "democratic rank and file union organisations. But the behaviour of IS in Rank & File would tend to suggest that this is just a facade behind which