Terry Fields Archive | ETOL Main Page
From Militant, No. 493, 7 March 1980, p. 3.
Transcribed by Iain Dalton.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
The trade union leaders have called on workers to protest against the Tories on May 14 – the call must now be for a 24-hour general strike on this day, with the TUC giving decisive leadership, spelling out clearly why the Tories must be confronted and liking it to a political struggle. Many labour activists support this view:
[Feature includes comments from LP/TU figures including Emlyn Williams, Terry Fields, Tony Saunois, Tony Mulhearn]
“The situation as far as our executive is concerned is that we have taken a decision that on 14 May the firemen nationally will be on a work to rule, answering emergency calls only, although he decision has not been yet finalised. I think it’s crucial that the firemen should be included in it, and that we are seen to be participating.
“A 24-hour general strike call is certainly not premature. Some people are accusing us of being extremists, and over-reacting to the situation, but if you see my home area of Merseyside, for example, you’d understand that people are fed up with the way a whole area has been ravaged by the Tories. I think it’s long overdue, but it’s got to be co-ordinated properly. The leadership up there say get involved locally in your local cuts committee etc., but a definite need for a national strategy could be laid down – hopefully by the conference called by the Liverpool Trades Council and Labour Party, to co-ordinate activity will get a good response nationally, and put pressure on the national leadership to really take this thing on board fully. We’ve got to get it well orchestrated because there’s no way that you can just push the problems around and then forget all about it.”
Terry Fields Archive | ETOL Main Page
Last updated: 19 January 2018