the Law Court of Australia on the Tolpuddle case, published before the Second World War. He said: 'Courts of law are the instruments by which the dominant opitraditional trade union action they have their money weaken the trade unions in their struggles to defend and improve the conditions of life of working class peopie.
They are the first acts of parliament Thatcher's strategy of destroying the unions altogether.
Over the years, unionists have made serious advances. . on their wages and conditions of employment. Under Thatcher, the Tories intend to turn the clock back.
There is one d sat ins anu a lue one that Tories do not preach the class war they practice it.
They are certainly practising today with a vengeance.
Their present legislation altacks ine workig movement number of tronts. • first, the anti-trade union legislation designed first to weaken, ultimately aesuoy, the • second. legislation designed to cut the Labour Party's income, making it a less effective propaganda and campaigning force • ІлІга, eastalion to abolish some and control other local authorities this done in the name of BICCUOT • fourth, legislation privatise publicly owned industries thereby wrecking the strength of trade unions in the public sector and to stop future governments using those industries to rebuild the economy.
have further plans to make strikes illegal in some public sectors - undoubtedly as the first stage in making all strikes illegal.
What we see developing is a peculiarly British form of top-hatted fascism whilst not the open, — a book by Mr Justice Evatt of the High They are designed to brutal type of Mussolini or Hitler which is neveran uneles, authoritarian direction. The Thatcherites want use the full majesty of the present state against the bay-purm the need for by-passing the need violent street groupings.
Law We are constantly ask ed to accept the law. real question is what kind of law are we asked to accept? I would draw atten"to what Victor Feather the then-luc generawere always secretary said in 1972: respected the law of the land, and never refused to accept a judgement of the High Court. But we do not accept this Act is the law of the land. It is part of the dogma of the Tory Party to shatter the trade union movement this country.
for a left not nouned for a wing the Heath Industrial Rela- _was speaking about tions Act which was the modest forerunner of the present 1980 and 1982 Acts.
The '80 and '82 Acts have been greeted with satisfaction by those who want weaken destrov the trade unions. Mr Shah is a hero to them. He reminds me of what a Dorset land-owner Frampwrote to the Prime LUTI Minister at the time of the Tolpuddle martyrs: 'The conviction and prompt execution of the sentence of transportation given the greatest satisfaction to all the higher classes, and will, I have no doubt, have a great effect amongst the labourers.
The courage dedication of the Tolpud. dle martyrs gave the rest of the movement enormous strength. That same strength is unfortunately missing today. Instead of the entire movement rallying to the NGA, we have seen a retreat on the part of some leaders. This adds up to one of the blackest periods in the history of the trade In 1972 the TUC threatened national to defend the dockers who were victims or tne Inaustral nelalons Act. The Official Solicitor suddenly appeared like the fairy, the dockers were released. If a semarkable how exible stand our capitalist rulers can be The Tories have learnby previous experiences. Instead of fines and imprisonment the new legislation gives the right to sequest union funds and property. The legislation does not create martyrs. can still by united determined action using main weapon that workers organisations Have Action We rightly praise and the workers develop free and indepenThe LaUC British trade únion movement should translate that support into action detend our own rights ir this country. Otherwise we shall find we have another type of authoritarian regime where workers rights have been virtually destroyed In his book Fascism Big Business, Daniel merin savs. "The state begins by creating conditons that will permit the slashing wages.
means the destruction of the labour unions, the end of their representation inside, the factories, the abolition. of the right to strike, the nullification of union Eric Heffer, chairperson of the Labour Party Statement on the Photo: GM COOKSON
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BISHOP Goulburn of New South Wales, Australia, got it about right in his preface to In Justice Within
nion finds momentary legal expression.? That sums up the situation that the NGA and all trade unions find themselves in today. If they take
and property taken from them, because of two Tory acts of parliament: the so-called Employment Acts of '80 and '82. These two acts are straightforward pieces of class legislation.