strike of the metal workers of Baden-Wurttemberg marks the first stacse in the revival of the Gernan labor movenent, which will experience wider and tougher struggles in the days to cone
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For some months now, it hes been clear in the German metal industry that the reduction in the rate of Growth, increasing internationa} competition and the high level of wages (relative to metal prices and not to buyinc power) could engender the createst accressiveness of the Vest Gernan bosses and new class struggles as a result. What could not be forescen was the time and the degree of sharpness of the strugcgle
The strike of the metal workers in the north of Baden-Wurttemberg. the lock-out among all enterprises employing more than 100 persons (at the time this is boin;; written), the possibility of a strike in Nordrhein-Vestfalen are not accidental, but the expression of the aggravation of class relations in the Federal Republic which will likewise have consequences in the political field.
Ce ae tind el A SG
~ The Gernen bosses have shown what they are like. Sone peopie heve hold that its desire to’ integrate the German worlting class into ite system would still prove stronger for a tine than its desire for a test of strencth with the unions, Suddenly the bosses destroyed many illusions. about social co-operation, about the unions as a factor cf "order" andzabout “Social capitalisn. "Not only in the eyes of the wextrers abeui: to go into action, that is those belonsing to IG Metall, but also’ in vee oyes. of the mass of trade unionists and a part of the unorganized, th uous conceptions about economic citizenship have been dissipated fo fatter how it ends -- and we have no doudt it will be victorlouc -the Rhask of the "economic miracle" has been torn off, the faces which wero. hidden are again seen clearly with their real fee tures.
One coulé sense this in the May Day Gemonstrations. Not only was the participation much more extensive, but there was less of the atnors~ phere of 2 popular holiday. They showed that Hey Day, Cespite all the oratory, kas not lest its meaning as a day of struscle for woxlting-class demands. The big test over wage demands was the main thene or the Gisussions end speeches during the demonstraticns. Even the trade-union leaders whe sought to practice social co-operation and friendship betwee: the unierse ao the employers and the state hac to insert phrases about she class otruggle when they made defensive moral eriticions of the bosses. In areas of tne Federal Republic which were not droim inte ths strize. the spirit o2: the denonstrators was likewise influenced br the a . ae ot +_cte Syrike LOCK=$6i2b ;
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a their keacgeerters: while everywhere ¢lse Ene bleste=red Le fe the Facezal Republi are, “Gra sridice will stop the etate of emergency." "Mo be polite today reans & 586 tomorrcy;." "Ghey use the lock-out today; tomorrcyw the prison."
£ sinple dcduction shows thet the bosses wuntec thic tent of strength. In the last norotiations, the leadership of the mecaleworke: ungZon not only lowered wage demands to six Peeegnhs they cise ciferedc — a i¢ nger conutrect. The bosses offered threc and ¢ half rereont mow ent terpe and a half percent next year, the. contract to extend te the end Re eo. At the end of the nepotiat iors: it was not go much tre cifiex eneb between the offer of the Posses and the demand of the IG Metall — which was at.stake ac the calevlated determination o Ehe borses to win aap taistion from IC Metall. And since this did not jeeed -- despite the hesitation in the les jership an ot IG Metell, which afl the world could
they were not pro ive in beyonda. oartuir point -- the Sogeee oked oF oe eetne ce «ae beeane at’ onc’. lear that they were coing #9 Reply by a ‘Locka in ‘order oe roves ‘& test of strength.
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The hunan, tracdesunion consciousness of the workin>- closes of today in not peralysed cespite all clains to ‘ee contrary. The Gernrar vorl:ing class has not uncercone any creat cofeat since 1945 uken fresh struc'les becon. Tho écfoe2 ts (orc cenization of the enterrprisc; comanécomoent 5 renilitaris sation, etc.) were not Cefests in combat but -~ rYesultec from the fact that the vorlsinc class was nrevented fron = etruccling by its leocersip. sy
The youth who find themselves in today's conbat bave no corsciousness of history, but they do have in return a stroncer spirit of cor- bativenoss anc a leener con-ciousness of Cenocrecy, enc ther hrve no illusions about the leaéership.
Industrialization has swept tke smallest .ccrners of the Federcl Republic and ccuzht up everrone in the social noverents. Jience the disappearance of the opposition between town anc country, visibly so vetveen the workers of the aGvancec cities anc the wovlzers of the backword countryside.
Prosperity hac created a relatively high stoncere. of Living which the workers want to raintain at all costs. Thre need for new trings. ereatec by a cociety of consunption, has become a roal neec, encenderin: a nev econonic corsciousness on tke base of a hichlr inc: ‘strialized socicty.
Decsuse cf the cefault in political lcacerskip, the German vorkinc class has not reached a high political level. Dut one learns ouickly in a strugzle. The working class, held politically passive, will enter throush the school of trace-union struccles onto tke political roec. Tre worltine class which appears as a foliticcl infant toadoy will show itself to be a vnion giant. It will accuire political corsciousness.
"D..CK TO AFRICA" i30VIisnT. SUPPMSSED
KINGSTON, JAMAICA -- The Ras Tafarian IDrethern Repatriation Front. e "baci: to Africa" noverent, has been sincled out by the Bustcnente covernment for savace repressive measures.
The sovernnent drive bean after six alleced rembers of the orconization conducted a suerrille raic April 11 in the tovrist area ox iionteco Bay. They burned e gasoline stction. In the firhting, 70 White civilians were Jrilled. Followed br the police into the bills, trey fouctht rosolutoly, hillin:: three officers ond sufforine the loss of half their band.
The covermzent seized this local incicent as a prete:t for a ~ Aption: rice drive eceinst the Ras Jafarians. We cuote fro- a lecrlet “Put_out dy the organisation; - ; rs He
"Richt now in tiis countr- -- Janaica -- alon: ‘the North Coast fro- Honteco Bay to 8t. Anns Tay, rany bundrocs of Ties Safericns ere beine Anprisoned , beaten anc tee oe bree ern. eee oe e tied by ba: ami feet in the jail yarco, the sun enc colc, molessis is rece over their Sein rte Seting insects to bite then -- this inhuman treatnent has caused the Gcath of three Res Tefariens in jail
at the ine tof “naling. this areport., “and. m more are » Bubeoted to adie witrsede the next few daysie "ot asiisio fic evinc: : amett: 262! bente “od$8S theen Eas enecsc cs ae | gussralie ineidant xentionm! shove uae an isolated event," | ag “Geclares: omen genres me out of previous, violence inflictsec
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Bustanente prassed @ round up. "This atarted. ‘the brutal campeicn | ‘of the police ond: geldiers ---polise operating in the towns ané seldis ~5cintthe hills ~=-beating -with- gun butts -and jailinc almost everyone with. wsbeards-and who heve been freshly ‘trimmed ‘and shaven: and anyone whe opposed. this ruthless action of the .police are also beaten and carricd off to jail. The breaking of human bones with rifle butts 45 & cormmcnu Occurrence, “and “no medical treatiznent Givens << aie - Meanwhile ; many ‘areas “in-the bills are scaled of and no one is eble to tvell the gruesome happenings."
The Ras Tafarians charge the Bustamente sovernnent with in: to sommit cenocide. Yq: ‘Geclare that if the dgamaican cove: €oss not’ want us here then senc us back home to africa wheres we to fo = it is the Government which is keeping us here @m@iar <
he movenent cemands that am inpertial bocy "st just cliivend i. Fag Tafarians be al lowed to go into the areas (Of urbest to inaves* inc the: truth.” Sips . ipek tides = : EEG FS fom po. WE e leaflet. charges that cthe radio and the press beve Loin fas. to prove; nt he eacks fren becoming mown.
We Ras Me farians charge the Jamaican Government with Sbremwban: to use Ras Tafarians as a scapecoat to distract ebbenksen fret 25s incompetence of not beinc able to give the nmassez of this country reo clothins anc. shelter and to res@hvecvthe country's economic prob Lens, Boday it is the Ras Tefarians -- Tonornow it wilt be evervone."
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‘Sis eset Giz
Kimee ae