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Socialist Worker 1 April 2020

CLASS WAR

Apprentices
The first major
wartime dispute took THE REALITY
place in 1941. It
involved engineering
apprentices in
Clydeside, Coventry,
Lancashire and
London. They called for
higher pay, a right to
education on day
release and a right to
union representation.
In Coventry they
included women at the
local munitions factory
in the campaign. They
THE MYTH OF THE increases. Betrayed by Labour ‘in
won significant wage
Rolls Royce
Working class people had to force their way into tube stations for shelter, which were
Thousands of
overcrowded
women worked in
wartime industry. In
1940, engineering
‘BLITZ SPIRIT’ equal pay after the national interest’
bosses agreed that
women would receive
32 weeks. But Rolls
Royce refused and was
finally challenged by
the AEU union in 1943.
They settled. But
INSTON CHURCHILL said,
16,000 women, and
“I have nothing to offer
some men, refused to
but blood, toil, tears and
walked out.
To be fair during the war, he was
Betteshanger
At times of crisis, everyone in Britain comes together to make the best accept the deal and Wsweat.” Not his, of course.
thoroughly drugged up on top of his
In 1942 miners at
of things and face our problems with a stiff upper lip—just like they Betteshanger Colliery permanent drunkenness.
in Kent struck over pay.
Churchill argued among his peers
The Ministry of
did during the Second World War. Rubbish. Simon Basketter tells the Labour prosecuted that a revolutionary situation was
developing in the country.
He wanted to suspend parliament,
real story of what happened in the Blitz 1,050 miners. Three the introduction of martial law and
local union officials
were imprisoned. But the formation of a committee of
the strike went on and public safety with dictatorial powers. Labour leader Attlee with Churchill
other pits joined in. Wiser minds saw that getting the
The home secretary trade unions and Labour on board to
dropped the prison a national government would better for sick children or arriving at the
sentences. hold back unrest. factory late because of a transport
Miners Labour and union leaders were hold-up. They could be fined for not
In 1944 miners happy to oblige “in the national working with sufficient enthusiasm.
were earning £5 a week interest”. In May 1945 Ernest Bevin, the
when the average So in 1940 Labour, led by Clement Minister of Labour, told parliament
industrial manual wage Attlee, joined Winston Churchill’s that 18,436 people had been
was £6, 10 shillings. Tories in a coalition government that convicted for absenting themselves
Miners struck lasted throughout the war. from work or being late without
unofficially in South Labour backed the Emergency reasonable cause.
Wales, Kent, Powers Defence Bill which gave Some 1,323 were imprisoned.
Lancashire, Yorkshire, it “dictatorial powers for the But fines and imprisonment often
Durham, and Scotland. foreseeable future”. resulted in the downing of tools.
The miners won. Production only resumed once the
Their average earnings Restore punishments had been waived.
ranked 81st in 1938, Both Labour and the union leaders On 10 July 1940 the government
but rose to 14th after tried to restore industrial peace. The had introduced Defence Regulation
PROPAGANDA Workers at a 20 collieries in Lanarkshire were Minister to refer any dispute to
58AA allowing banning of strikes.
Communist Party also played its part
the strikes.
Aircraft engineers
after Russia joined the war.
Order 1305 then allowed the
In September 1943 when
binding arbitration.
factory making bomber
idled, Communist Scottish miners’
But as the Chief Industrial
parts were subject to
Commissioner recognised, the
union leader Abe Moffat blamed
Essential Works Orders
banning all strikes.
of Bedford.
effect but it is an instrument
In 1943 they
Class antagonisms did not
challenged the policy anarchists, Trotskyists and the Duke “order has a substantial deterrent
which would probably be
of locking the gates at disappear. In 1940 some shown to be useless if
8.30 in the morning 940,000 days were “lost” any considerable body of
by threatening to turn to strikes and in 1941 workpeople chose to defy
up all together at 8.31. the figure rose to over a it.”
After win ning they million. By 1944 it was He was right. Despite
also got an increase in 3,714,000. the bosses, Labour, union
the minimum wage. The state possessed an leaders and the Communist
armoury of 868 regulations, Party, workers took action
many deliberately couched and won, sometimes
in vague, ambiguous influenced by
terms. a tiny number
Workers of Trotskyist
were fined activists.
for staying at
home to care Communist Scottish miners’ leader Abe Moffat