Tuesday May 4th, The Workers’ Bulletin
Congratulations to the workers of Great Britain! Nothing finer has ever been seen … The stoppage is complete. The wanton brutality of the Government and the coal-owners in their combined endeavour to force a reduction of wages upon the already underpaid miners has met solid resistance of the whole class.
And the gallantry of the printing workers in silencing the lying capitalist press with their last-minute lies, made a splendid prelude to the greatest display of solidarity in British history …
NOT A PENNY OFF THE PAY; NOT A MINUTE ON THE DAY.
AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.
NO GOVERNMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO ORDER MEN AND WOMEN TO STARVE
Wednesday 5th May, this was the Word from the Communist Party:
FIGHTING TO WIN
THE POLITICAL MEANING OF THE GENERAL STRIKE
WORKERS OF BRITAIN!
… LET THE WORKERS ANSWER THE BOSSES’ CHALLENGE WITH A CHALLENGE OF THEIR OWN: “NATIONALISATION OF THE MINES WITHOUT COMPENSATION … UNDER WORKERS’ CONTROL …!”
The first watchwords of the General Strike, therefore, have been and remain:
“All together behind the Miners – Not a Penny off the Pay. Not a Second on the Day!”
The Government in this struggle has dropped all pretence of being above all classes. It made no objection to the coal-owners’ decision to hold the community to ransom … but it delivered an insolent and provocative ultimatum when the Trade Union Congress decided, in the exercise of its undoubted rights, to defend the miners … Ever since the strike began, the Government has welcomed the aid of the capitalist strike-breaking organisations, the O.M.S. and Fascisti …Troops, aeroplanes and battle-ships are being used to overawe the workers, if possible, and to crush the General Strike …
“RESIGNATION OF THE FORGERY GOVERNMENT
– FORMATION OF A LABOUR GOVERNMENT!”
The Communist Party continues to instruct its members and to urge the workers to take every practical step … form a Council of Action immediately … organise able-bodied Trade Unionists in a Workers’ Defence Corps against the O.M.S. and Fascisti … set up feeding arrangements with the Co-operative Societies … hold mass meetings and issue strike bulletins … make their case known to the soldiers.
But the Communist Party warns the workers against the attempts being made to limit the struggle to its previous character of self-defence against the capitalist offensive. Once the battle has been joined, the only way to victory is to push hard and hit hard. And the way to hit the capitalist hardest is for the Councils of Action to throw out the clear instructions
NOT A PENNY OFF THE PAY. NOT A SECOND ON THE DAY!
NATIONALISE THE MINES WITHOUT COMPENSATION,
UNDER WORKERS’ CONTROL!
FORMATION OF A LABOUR GOVERNMENT!
Workers’ Bulletin, May 8,
CONSTITUTIONAL
The anxiety of the British Worker to assure everybody that the strike is a “purely industrial dispute” is pathetic … the Government every hour make more of a political issue out of it.
Their seizure of the stocks of printing paper is not only evidence that they are driven to extremity, but evidence also, that under E.P.A. the “Constitution” is just what the Government choose to make it.
Already there have been, on official showing, over a hundred arrests, and raids and arrests are reported hourly – so also with the movement of troops …
Workers’ Bulletin, May 8,
A STRAIGHT ROAD TO VICTORY
We welcome the statement of the General Council … that any preliminary discussions into which the Government may enter with the T.U.C. must be “free from any conditions.”
This means more than they will attempt to call off the strike to enable negotiations to be resumed. It means that there will be nothing more in the nature of that incredible proposal to take the Commission Report as a basis, knowing that this “may involve a reduction in wages” …
C.P.G.B. May 13
‘Refuse to return to work. Reject the Samuel Memorandum.
Affirm your solidarity with the miners. No wage reductions. No lengthening of hours.’