Socialist Press no. 104

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 104 * 14 June 1978 * 15p

ECONOMIC

RECOVERY

FRAUD

CRASHES

So much for the econ- house-buyers. moves by Healey that omic recovery nese give the lie to those union Callaghan, Healey and bureaucrats and government defender of this every ministers who have insisted government's anti-work- that wage controls, social ing class policies had service cuts unemployment boasting and speedup the shop about been "solve" floor would the since the budget. economic crisis. Despite their stories of the economy having finally Bogged down turned the corner, of light In fact while workers at the end of the tunnel and have had a drop in living new period of stability standards unparallelled since and expansion, workers are the 1850s forced upon them now being presented yet by Labour leaders,

STITIS

again with the bill for yet remains bogged capitalism another series of "rescue" down in midst of designed to bale measures growing international crisis.

out British capitalism. centre of this The package of measures crisis is the US economy announced last week which has expanded produc- Chancellor Healey contains tion at the expense of run- three lines of attack sin this year an sar deficit middle and the WOrKers billion per year deficit class, aimed at cutting real on balance of payments. wages any ana nailing In an effort expansion of capitalist pro- to prevent this deficit leading to a run duction: on the dollar and to prevent the latest sharp increase in *A 22% increase in the Us prices leading to a new national insurance surcharge round of inflation, US on employers will now be have raised banks imposed in uctober. interest rates to the highest giving an added boost to level for three years. mass unemplov- These interest rates will existe ment, and encouraging have a depressing elect on employers to increase every other capitalist econ- prices. omy. *Bank interest rates are But US employers, raised to - 10%-thus forcing concernea at tneu lanure lo building societies to increase compete with foreign indus- mortgage rates by £2.50 per also calling try, are

ULL

week leading industrial nations to average £10,000 loan. limit state financial backing This increase, plus une to ailing industries. likely price increases flow- ing from Healey's measures, Imperialism already enough to wipe out the entire value of the Such limits would proposed settlements threaten the verv existence pay for Phase 4! industry in oI sectors ol *A clampdown on bank Britain as well as in France furthering deposits is designed to put a and tav while the interests of US imperial- lending-thus so uceze hitting seeking in penetrating those 1Sm nolding loans and overdrafts European market and enabling US multinationals and striking another blow at workers' pay To detea suca state-backed competitors

DULLISIL

Leyland and Rolls Royce. Mean while stee industry remains focal point o the capirit is. steel firms the Carter demanding government impose still protectionist stricter against steel measures imports. Cutback Now the EEC commis- sion is calling for a 20% cut 36 steel output-from millon tonnes per quarter to 29 million tonnes. This will have the effect of intensifying the drive towards speed-up and closure throughout the steel industry internationally.

But the cut back in this basic commodity- raw material for so many indus- tries-is perhaps more important as an indicator of declining the stagnant or level of production internat- ionally. The capitalist system has no regard to the unmet material needs of workers and the exploited peasant throughout the masses in world: it is a svstem takes which production place only for private profit.

Now that those profits threatened by the are internal contradictions of capitalism itself, the ruling is class in each count) protectionist to

LOSOLLI

cutbacks austerity measures. produchon, wage-cutting and measures, * Dole queue in Kirby, Merseyside New cut in Healey speed-up order to increase the rate of exploit- ation of the working class.

These exactly the are policies now being imple- mented by the Lib-Lab coal- ition government. Labour leaders see their restoring the of British capital- ism in the hopes oi even- tually winning a tew con- cessions tor the class. The last four years have confirmed how reactionary and false are these hopes.

defending British of capitalism at a point crucial weakness the Labour leaders and their cronies in the TUC have launched the most vicious attacks on the working class. There. no solution along this path. The defence jobs, conditions and living standards only in the struggle come to Inside African struggle denied leadership Page 3 WRP Junks the old Trotskyism. .p.6-7 French workers march... .Back page Irish prisoner campaign. p.5 Forces mass for Eritrean slaughter The military dictatorship of Ethiopia is still massing huge forces in Asmara and on the borders of the liber- ated zones as it prepares to crush tue struggles of the Eritrean revolution. and But while Mengistu the leaders of the Derg build up their resources TOr

TUNI

offensive, their Stalinist backers are still seeking ways to resolve this acute dilemma. and Cuban bureaucracies be apoca the Derg poweries.

STO •

from waging a war of genocide against the Eritreans and Yet although Castro Pravaa nOW characteris liberation struggles eritrea mobilise the working class as 'secessionist', they themselves the of for overthrow formerly gave verbal support to capitalism and the establish- the Eritreans' right SeT- determination and indepen- ment of a planned, socialist economy in which cence. • produc tion takes place for need Recognition and not profit Callaghan-Healey The the Labour It is recognition or this righ leadership OI that the Eritrean Popular Liber- Party and the TUC bureau- Front and Eritrean Liber- ation cracy stand as the foremost ation ront are cemancine as a obstacle to such a struggle.

precondition of talks with the Ethiopian Tory danger their Witn • recognition organisations as the sole repres- Their betrayals over the entatives of the Eritrean people.

last four years have created rejected these lengistu has the danger of the return of arrocant terms anarily. and the a Tory government. Stalinists far been Healey The this measures unable over Come must be fought politically confrontation. the Now it is clear that they are throughout labour holding back their military movement. The Tory Party support from the Derg's prepar week ations as their efforts to reach a Parliamentary motion to cut become more compromise the of Chancellor pay desperate Healey. The ELF reports that Cuban Workers must demand ceased any active troops have "lefts' that those Labour participation in fighting against claim to oppose the ine eritreans At the same time they claim line of the that the South Yemeni forces should government not only have been withdrawn simply be voting against the from the war areas, but from Lib-Lab government on this the whole of Ethiopia. but putting down Sinister motions within the Parlia- Party, Labour mentary But these developments do Labour GMCs and union not indicate in any simple way demanding the Or dueles That the •talinis oureaucracies of Healey and removal and their allies will not move Callaghan from office. the Eritreans. Other against more sinister developments have Opening emerged over the last week. Partly to Those lefts' that refuse pressure from the Soviet bureau- to act against these traitors cracy, and partly in line with its present rightward turn, the period in this pre-election bourgeois nationalist do no more than offer an has opening for the Tories. regime in irac expenea members of the EPLF and the The fight be to In ust Syrian regime is expected to build a principled, revolu- TollOW SUIT. leadership within In opposition to these man- the working class, oeuvres of the Stalinist bureau- on a programme that starts from cracles, The cemand must conditions and taken up through the labour today's that movement internationally today's consciousness of wide layers of the working ThE Cubanand SoViet •TOrCeS actively support the right of the class and inescapably leads Eritreans to self-determination, of to the conquest to une rearession power and a planned, social- of the Ethiopian military dictat- ist economy orship.

contempt for bosses' parties All sides attack Palestinians Page Z i

-INTERNATIONAL

Defend deported Peruvian leaders It is still not certain It is whether Peru's elections to member "constituent assembly" that ac vorted were postponed two weeks to June 18, in Velasco regime response the general cooled towards its successor.

strike at the end of May,

DUT

Was leaders will go ahead. eration of Even if they do, they will be sabotage• duemors to nothing but a squalid fraud.

and recionai of because in ine attermatn ot the general strike, the military indefinite government Morales strike nas vicious anti-left witch-hunt.

May 25 eleven leading •i Ine redime were deported Argentina and hundreds including a teachers' others which 30,000 di rescu or forceo into none etachels mortal General Videla's arrest dictatorsnip, nearly all belongec the three political ot 77 of to one ot Enem forces fighting the regime from inciting pupils to riot. the left. movement out of desperation.

banks for a few more months a longer term loan staggering are still not enough austerity.

Imperialism decided Trontation with working class Peru is necessary. Bermudez the Revolu- une or tnese. tionary Socialist Party (PSR), is in no way part of the working class movement. based the Con "Att'' military ano their civilian allies associated with the In deposed President Velasco Alvarado, though through Israeli-Egyptian | anTI- impertalist and populist retoric efforts it still has some mass following.

virtually peasant listeners set up Velasco ana comin- been ated Ine nave Young on BBC Radio 2 dissolved. The second group is the UDP were regaled President comoosed or various Maoist and populist currents including them Vanquardia Revoluccionaria.

Americans ¡re tawa is rorco. an eec proletarian, toral alliance have to put pressure on student and forces, the Israelis if there was including the

POMR

Peruvian section of the "Organising Com- to be any settlement. mittee for the Reconstructior Sadat has Fourth International"), speaking and the Workers' socialist party the sympathisins (rol -peruvian organisation of the 'United' war between the Arab states Secretariat of the Fourth Inter- and Israel. He has national. for this, following his refer- Fight for release endum 'victory', by suppres- sing opposition The eleven deportees include liberals equalilig Ricardo Napuri, general secre- wingers with the hang-overs POMR and ot the Hugo of the old regime of King blanco, reading member or tne Farouk.

PST.

The world labour movement must tont tor tne release or al deported leaders from Argentina and for their right to return treei to reru Communist This requires a fight against of the repres through from the very becomes millary Argentine and Peru. that none of the Arab bour- Published by Folrose Ltd. Tor ine vurner: Printed by Anvil Printers (TU,, London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

sionificant ithat no Communist Party appears to be among those Hugo Blanco supported the has since •talinist of the General Confed- Workers (CGTP) who Turn tae limited general May into Tationwit vener di Arrests The most striking Many strikes are continuing statistic of the Colom- strike of Peru's 100,000 bian presidential elec- Init tion (held last week Union suler are on indetinite strike for higher wages, in spite under military protec- and summary tria tion) was that 68% of charges the electorate did not The Peruvian regime is acting vulc. audust mne felt ane une workers This was massive It saved itself last week from gesture of contempt both for the cynical, corrupt and financial bankruptcv onlv bv a last minute loan from American repressive policies of the (liberal bourgeois Dallies and Conservative) who have continues to deny saying that decades undemocratic-

LOI

50% more ally shared power, and also increases or a montn ago for the working class leader- ships who have placed their seems have own narrow bureaucratic accisive Con militant betore the oblec. the

LILCIULS

and peasantry in tive need for the unity of bie oppresseu classes week when "peace" have been abandoned, Jimmy to with Sadat telling that the would now also been this week about geois states capable of defeating the Zionist state.

been preparing Nor the Stalinists themselves protesting even parties and at these purges-there is no and left sign that the of will communists present any threat to the Soviet-Iraq friendship treaty. In south Lebanon, Syrian forces are now being used to Purges reinforce the buffer Palestinian With more news of anti- against commando raids into occu- Iraq, pied Palestine However, such attacks increasingly clear will continue, active SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 June, 1978 organised two extraordinary days of debate in Paris, on May 1968 and "Eurocommunism" attracted and bourgeois politicians! Dissident right wing wing ex-member of the CP Roger Garaudy affairs, Malo de Molina, to the debate. The mostmastonishing platform, however representatives of the LCR and its paper 'Roug union or me Lett Columbian workers show The "winner" OI this the MOIR, by farce and the new President was a liberal called Turbay candidate Aydid Piedrahita). He defeated his Conser- These (2.2 million 2.1 votes 15,000 votes respectively.

million). Socorro Tiny proportion of the The called peasants abstained in their cracy millions, though tiny proportion of them did vote of two largest for one of the three candi- dates claiming to represent

USFI).

their interests. Ramirez Two of these represen- ted Stalinist-dominated popular fronts-one headed vermicult by alist demands OTO-MOsCOW whose candidate was Julio Cesar Pernia and the other this clearly. just a Illallel that the UN will fascists Lebanon. know biggest threat guernila movement June Zionist troops invading Lebanon inhabitants. service units of guerrillas in Palestinian Jerusalem have shown on a fought back OCCASIONs raiders, though heavily out- recently. numbered and up to Zionists •The are well Israeli attackers were killed.

aware of the importance of Such Zionist the continued war against these them by the Palestinian hold back liberation revolution despite the restrictions amongst the the Palestinians placed on Lebanon and other parts of by bourgeois the Arab world Arab regimes of and their own SOMe with leaders. which challenge Their raid on the Dahar bourgeoisie and organise the El Burj camp, just south of working class, no force will Sidon on June 9 showed be able to defeat it. Two weeks ago the "Trotskyists" of the French LCR (sister organisation of the British IMG, : The event 10,000 people and turned out to be a discussion not between leading LCR members ano other political currents claiming to be Trotskyist, but between the LCR and an assortment of Stalinist CP intellectual Jean Ellenstein was there with right • ine soarsh cr sert no less iran its nead or internationa was composed by ' (left) alongside General Becam (third from left) ano Admiral Sanguinetti (right), representatives of the "left wing" bourgeois forces in the popular frontist the largest Maoist organisation (whose candidates received about 55,000 and The third candidate was Ramirez, a leader left-wing teachers' of a group Proletarian Demo- split from the Socialist Workers Party-the Colombian sympathising sections of the stood for all allance of tar lett groups Socorro Ramirez anti- explicit class collaboration- anu anti-capil ism. Ramirez, however, This was the only candid- received only about 6,000 acy which did not represent votes. Much successful was the campaign launched before the elections by the Party Socialist Workers to ask the three left candi- dates to stand down and support single candidate from the workers organ- isations a i socialist programme? based For the Israelis it is not Derisory of ensuring and Syrian act 300,000 signatories were on their behalf, or of 'promising aid collected in support of this campaign beleagured which some 'Christian' villages in south indication that the derisory number of votes for the left that the reflects not so Canendates much the political apathy of them comes from the Palestinian the working class its tor an electora This is why they went in which to system seems few naval landing craft, kill to destroy produce an eternal round of bourgeois semi-dictators some guerrillas and bomb to The new incumbent, Turbay, says rubble the houses of local he is a repres- entative of a "new class What he means is that he guerrillas represents not so much the against the as the tinancial oligarchy which has got rich quick on the coffee-price boom and attacks as reported. trading will not in any wa the Palestinian narcotics. This wealthy: support opportunist suitable masses successor to his predecessors all of whom represent socialist policies is historically wich bankrupt and which hangs the Arab onto power only as a result of client relationship Its with imperialism.

AFRICAN MASSES

CRISIS

Zimbabwe, Angola, Western Sahara, Soweto, Eritrea and Ethiopia-these the landmarks of are massive forward movement and peasants of workers which throughout Africa is confrontation coming into with imperialism. In different parts

COT

ine continent witn varv ine bonical the same political conclusions can be drawn.

workers ano geasants al e their willingness showing fight against repressive imperial- And they are Contront not a powerless, but an increas- imperialism, desperate, IICly weakene• oy massive coon- omic crisis, and facing the con- from the work- tinuous pressure advanced Class capitalist countries. Too desperate But the position of imperial- ism CArCa

TOO C V

desperate for it to rely on its left-talking reacuiondly colanorators arona Witn Lite periodic use of brute force "left" face. needs its own it nas got it. And lts hartle 1s David Owen, britain s "'socialist" foreign minister.

with his black drunly American counteroart Anarev Young, now plays a crucial role in heading off the challenges to capitalism which are DurstIne out African continenl. During the last few weeks of imperialist military growing intervention, Owen has been the

SOUL OT

moeer elon Backed by Callaghan, he has urged direct inter- caution vention and pledged his support tor the unitv ane tnoeoenaence of Africa and for the Zimbab- Namibian freedom and vutd!l struccies Hic andoo. -van cuare. nas the House of Commons, being neo- accuscu

TUTIC.

colonialists. SOCIALISI PREss, Heanesaa) 1+ sune, 1sio

UP AGAINST

LEADERSHIP

Alt this retormist verbiage is a smokescreen •massive secret diplomatic drive to ensure that any future governments of Namibia and meaowe stav inside the imperialist safely system. This is what a tne ontee and Anglo-American Nations plans are designed to do Owen nas been quoted more than once as expressing a desire Patriotic Front and To solit Ine isolate Nkomo into the "internal settle- menl Thouah he expresses public commitment to the freedom of Namibia, he does not publicise FROLINAT guerrillas fight French troops in Chad meetinas witn vorstel which he was, we understand, South informed secret ATrICa s Intention to imoose d state of emergency before it was implemented. Ane uwen does not rebeau north of the Zambesi what he South Africa- told a reporter in ver amicale C CUl stances ne could understand actions necessary to main- "stability" Lain But Owen and Young repres- ent imperialism, …and tor • thai reason they are forced more and into alliance with reime whic! StIlI only immediate represents nune boo

-INTERNATIONAL-

SWAPO freedom fighters Nyerere willingness Front they will confront leaders possibility defending DarLI imperialism in Southern Africa- support or carry out every form Ke Komo On the one of repression. hand ne ac su vona o vołsc expresses allegance to his Soviet a month the Vorster has implicitly ack. vvnle. nowledged this. His bitter critic- main imperialist ower Lu•an soonsoTs, Willie url pretended public be the other he calls for a negotia- Isms ot Britain and the USA ted settlement, for racist leader have recently given way considerina whether to launch a words of congratulation on their military intervention in support omma to day a oe dl dictatorship, pendent Zimbabwe, ana main new reasm in relationl lo lit tains a large part of the ZAPU they had, through a secret agree- Marxist threat! army as no more than a bargain The imperialist strategy ment netween the voe riante Britain and Belgium, already ing counter. Africa form • is completed by a Also in the Patriotic Front commenced an invasion. alliance. Inouor nanil will confront leaders like they unstable one, with Stalinism vunste last weer publicly Zimbabwe, for junior minions of these powers Iviudao staged oraiseo the trencherous reking the Cuban and Soviet Stalinist: tre party co ane revieren oy Stalinist bureaucracy and who Zairean ¡uiter velle to promote his sectional interest workers and counter-revolutionary peasants wert being terrorised already over the unir oi mne dooresseu imperialist plans. in struggle, has expressed his troops from Morocco and othe willingness for a formal Policemen African client states, airlitter into Zaire by the USA in a move WiTT aren coniduul atol by Muzorewa. advance Elsewhere, although real aureed secrely In

SWAPO

will they the imperialist collective.

which leadership tensions exist between •tainism While has using agents like COnIOI and imperialism because of the accepts the present in Namibia of scruples about hopes of South African troops even aLiCI S Monutu and Kno Hassan reversina the dains of the 1917 while these are carrying out th Morocco, it uses also the … Dro Russian revolution, the regimes "left" gressive murcer ot owAru monters are Stalinists nonetheless play the civilians, and anti-imperialist retoric is more Go Ka ot policemen against the and the United role imperialism …ano more clears reveaieu ds c revolution. to guarantee a negoti- facade behind which they main Nats Angola they have exploitative social relations ateo settlement even waen t bureaucratic bolstered the imperialism which and inel Corit ins reaime of Agostino Neto against arms the racist troops support imperialist designs else- popular as well as pro-imperial- African ANC where.

TENE

BOUTT

ist attack. they will confront a leadership In Ethiopia thev support the Manoeuvre which for years has main. counter-revolutionary slaughter tained fairegressive seance

WITT

TITE

and national oppression carried sectors of capital The most glaring exponent which has out oy venaustu s oicidtorsuy internationally of this kind of fraud is President stalinists and retormists do Julius Tanzania, the south atrican workine clas zig-zags one political defenceless in its day to day atn re ss OClaLUr uc nidauut against repression Nyerere is leading the cam• sur uggit another their searcn

TOI

retoric against the paign "progressive" allies in the imper- open Urgent task net entit ausl) malist camp reaction. Revolutionaries by Contrasi But at the same time he is This crisis of leadership is base themse ves COn ontv publicly, in the engaged less force capable carrying being posed ever more sharply designed through the revolution in Africa moerast nacavic The urgent task is now build a new leadership-a revol- to keep Namibia as a capitals!

-the working class in aande state and head off any struggle with a won to work- utionarv partv fiahting tot sever which political independence lucaltiis ing class leadership links with imperialism. based s Transitional working class Last week, ,in a move which of Undefeated orocramme be designed and democratic demands which •COn strengthen express the objective interests of those retormists in For all their manoeuvres, SWAPO most receptive to some the •ooresse• masser netner me im oeralists nor une deal KInO Condors! such a programme can tom Stalinists have been able with Vorster, Nyerere released a a solid alliance of the reverse the tide of revolutionary

SWAPO

dissidents peasantry with the working class number struggle. previously imprisoned by him ano eas co ine oni solultur Despite some setbacks, the in the interests of the masses- hut wverere oic not releast workers and African

SWAPO

willing and the socialist revolution struggle remain unaeteateu take ready we emanic Because im •eriaiism * An end to secret diplomacy acant tne dureaucratic conto decaying system, its agents and exercised by the SWAPO leader and deals cannot produce ship, scores of whom are still anit *Imperialist troops out o' lasting stability. reportedly jailed in Tanzania Africa. grant even Unable to the He * Immediate labour rei pacer Tinne move most basic material and political militant Andreas Shipanga, who of all blacking men demands ot tae masses. is now committed to an supplies aleolT" racis altl forced more and more to modation imperialist armies. witt vorster use the weapon of brute force.

imperialism. with *No negotiations But tns CACAOeNi system same moment racist At Ine im bertaism ano ine UI collapse its will not *Build the armed struggle Khodecian Premier. ian mita. suddenly decided legalise peasants accoro through workers and ZANU and ZAPU Without TAf oulioine militias as part or a policy 5 mobilise workers mobilising the masse: in the struggle for and peasants break the • Patriotic Front and Buile independen1 the the organisations of the workers and Int sociaiis allel nalivt imperialism will maintain itse!

ZANU and ZAPU leaders them- peasants farms, tamtories through barbarism. selves communities and schools Tue throuor Thet will do this not alone but competitive manoeuvres * Integrate ZANU and ZAPU in alliance with its collaborators control the bureaucratically under a single elected like Shipanga, Motlana, aries Zimbabwean leadership beration move Buthelezi, Leon, Muzorewa and *Demand maximum material ment Sithole. support beTaLd Betrayals struggle from the labour move- everywhere

KUT

Ene malr countries obstacle to a decisive victory imperialis ment As the struggle grows, more and from the workers' is also the Steres more militants inside and aua ils anoe lallsil and

(USSR

East Germany, Cuba, same the oolitica ban krueiCy outside these organisations will traditional nationalist, enlna) confront betrayals of leadership the *The dissolution and Stalinist leader- which follow from apparatuses stratenies existing state chís ne ereremmes independent which reject The leaderships conceal the South Atrica the imperialist mobilisation of the mass ot the * he settInc alul c oppressed under working class constituent assemblies strateov in Atrica * Build revolutionary This strategy is founded, as cauti soll shown, In the Zimbabwean Patrioti( party. events

In search of the lowest Page 4

RED YOUTH

FOR S.Y.L.

The Socialist Youth League, the League takes another outlines the big step forward this which week with the publica- tion of the first issue of Workers its monthly paper Red League. Youth. Announcing the launch- ing of the Socialist Youth 120 miserable individuals were nearly lost in the ample space of Conway Hall on May 28 at a national confer- ence to mark the first of the annıversary International Marxist 'open-house' Group's Socialist paper ful of those on the Challenge. A sixth of those present from the ranks of the IMG find places on little will change. Manageu lo the 21-person This paper's National Policy Committee, when we see that among the non-IMG will supposedly take the direction of the preponderance

UVUL

editorial paper's drop-outs from the Internat- uncilall line. lonal Socialists Politics at its lowest denominator common comes to Winsford in Cheshire June 20 when Carnivalists of the Nazi League Anti will attempt to set a branch there. Over letters have been sent out to ations and individuals in the area by the local Commun- Party Jim 1st secretary Kneedham. Peacefully The mailing list includes Tories, priests, parsons and patriots. In a press statement Mr. Kneedham National Front can beaten peacefully. This is the Stalinist National Front answer threats to organise a branch in the Winsford area. with the Ana it lines up policies of the culicill Socialist Workers Party-the revolutionary main force in the ANL. Alliance "combat" the NF The It also tollows a recent the Workers by local Labour League has been in the fore.

Party Councillor front of opposition to such Ernest McGee to organise an attempts alliance of Liberal, Tory and divert the Councillors Labour struggle, arguing instead for

- NEW PAPERE

lead article period. political basis The founding resolution the of the SYL is also printed

SYL

was lounded-in sympathy with together with details of the the programme and aims of ilist campaigns to be run bv Socialist the SYL-on youth unem- and fight It explains the political against racism and fascism importance of such a devel A major article draws the present lessons youth wall Icar common denominator But since all bar a hand- now taken to calling them- Com- selves "International the will again be drawn Socialist Alliance", and who self-evidently nothing nave political to say for them- The IMG's willing aban- members donment in Socialist those Challenge of central aspects Trotsky's Transitional Programme-most notably wno nave

ANL SEEKS VICARS

AND PATRIOTS

ANL leaders Peter Hain, Ernie Roberts and Paul Holborrow workers' organisations to Winsford branch of defend immigrant commun- Socialist ities and for a programme of socialist policies to offer the solution material confuse and conditions exploited by the anti-fascist National Front.

SMAS

ALIA L

Youth demonstrating against racism from the closure of the Speke factory where the failure of the stewards' com- Partv mittee to fight for a policy Robinson of occupation left the work- Phil Moore force with no perspective for fighting the closure and on the Anti Nazi League. resulted in a vote to accept redundancy pay. The also details carace Tariq Ali-only 119 turned up to join him experience" ing "important the call for defence of the feeble Soviet Union against imper- failure to lailsm -was lorces onto the Policy Com- endorsed by the conference, mittee marks a setback for the IMG's apparently not Wa. sufficient to bring the anti- the Socialist Workers Party's Trotskyists of the Big Flame notion of numbers' group onto the new Policy and to Committee. the British Despite talk the basis of the lowest possible conference being a "refresh- common denominator. No right to politics The 50 or so that a leaflet youth attacked plant being led by the SWP on role a Right to Work March workers! Liverpool from to London to the SWP and then to the are being WRP. It was in fact a WSL denied right any to leaflet and politics. correct OnlY The spectacle of these Robinson and militant youth angry Speke workers, and the only being taught that these attri- call for occupation. butes alone are al that is needed is a sad one. what happened They are being taught "What they that all politics are danger- stewards) dic ous and opponents' politics are to be especially avoided.

The ends march this week with a typical

SWP

stunt-a picket of eton College. Challenged Tony Ryan, ex-Speke shop steward and "thinking of joining the

SWP"

the march and speaking at meetings along the way. Oxford Challenged in about the notorious Socialist Worker lead article ("'A Match to Fire the Mersey") in which Ryan had praised Stalinist convenor Derek Robinson, Ryan said that the problem with the Speke mass meeting was not that no-one called but IO1 occuratul SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 June, 1978 racism and fascism because riddled with as body

& WHIT

bourgeois and liberal

CARIANS

elements it cannot point to

NITE

the real culprits who have created COnCHORS

FASCISM

housing wage cuts, poor

TALISM

unemployment and public which allow Cuts the fascists gain a hearing. First meeting The article points out that this is because the ANL actually wooing some of those responsible-Labour MPs, trade union leaders even Liberals whose unde- coalition with the Cared Labour leaders has ensured the continuation of these attacks over the last 15 months. first issue of Red the treacherous role played Youth also reports the first in the struggle by Commun- public meeting of the member Derek Youth Socialist League London

SYL

the national secretary of the SYL, writes national committee plan to include regular future issues of the activities He argues that the ANL of the SYL up and down is incapable of giving a lead the country. to youth in the fight against Red Youth will appea monthly and al issue. Any Socialist Press reader wno would like to take out an annual subscrip- tion to Red Youth can do so by sending a cheque/PO (regular subscribers to Socialist Press send 60p) to need only Red Youth, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London

NWS

1HR Islington Socialist Youth League

DISCO

and forward" Step Friday 23 June 1978 there is little doubt that the at Caxton House, St. attract Johns Way, Archway. other 8pm - 11pm Sound System attempt ape to Jah's Fire 'socialism "Tegroup (Reggae and Soul) "left" on the Tickets 35p (members) or 50p (non-members) went wrong was we follow procedure" ed the correct he said ignoring the fact that no preparation or call for occupation was ever made. Right to Work Secretary John Deason-who along members with other

SWP

put into the encouraged the youth Robinson's jeer critical contributions- and demoralised the stormed for minutes against open the books He attributed the leaflet demands, criticism of Stalin- ism or political clarity.

The youth on the march provided have turned towards politics analysis of being held are now presented to away from them by the

SWP

The battle for revolution.

Ryan's rationalisation of leadership-unlike bizarre: Waterloo-will never be won shop the playing fields of and what Eton Derek Robinson-praised by SWP spokesman Ryan

SUPPORT MARCH TO

EXPOSE IRISH TORTURE

SOCIALIST PRESS,

wednesad! It sune, Isio The campaign to expose of the - barbaric treatment prisoners republican imperialist jails in British Northern Ireland has been stepped up in the wake of the brutal murder of Brian Maguire at Ine notonous interrogation Castlereagh centre on May 10. a 27-year old trade Maguire, arrested at was ш •Л Tuesdav May 9, and 6 am on taken to Castlereagh, where interrogated by the

RUC

WaS According to police ne was then awakened at 7 am, went to am and then The Toller al doo returned to his cell. When his breakfast was 7.30 prison am, officers claim they found him piece of torn hanging from sheet attached to a ventilator.

He was dead. Scepticism claimed that Police later state- made union based enquiry into: ment the previous day admitting 1) The involvement in the recent killing of Brian Maguire; i he

VICIOUS

Such claims must be treated activities of with extreme scepticism. In the month alone the sentences Branch at quashed other ot three prisoners word out the North; on appeal since the sole basis for The conviction had been confessions politica extracted by police brutality.

and in Armagh jail; 80% of current convictors 4) Into the are obtained in this way.

sion if Maguire had ot anti-unionis! Ane even the ghettoes of the North.

the made such contession unsolved question how committed suicide Have The day overtyning. that usBa

TUCAR

for a suicide attempt is taken murder Lite ventilator grill, even if he could have reached it, could not have and the protest ha: " supported his weight. extended to ment in the south. highlights case-which unis May brutality of the the imperialist occupation in Ireland the Unions passed -has by Gaon moved Trade Union Campaign Against

TENO ULIDE

a trade member Paddy Healy: demanding Harosion, don't they? strike, "their In the week when agreed unemployed an man toughest sentenced to six was This months' prison for miss- ing Prince Charles with front-page lemonade bottle, it took something particu- anonymous evidence: larly reactionary to steal the the limelight in Tory press. trouble something That coloured workers. was the strike of 'He said: Ford's foremen practically works-a strike Dagenham called •on manage- which to tighten 011 mcal action against disciplinary to. "'Fitteen production workers, after allegations that formen had white. punch up been thumped. sacked The Daily Mail, anxious but they back every reactionary now'" trend inside the trade union movement, went to town on strike-and to ported 1S Press reported the Council for its pains. trouble-makers" The front page of the Wednesday June 7, black workers. Mail on headed Foremen walk out couple of bloke gave in fear, statement amazing THaT the "This council calls on death under torture Irish Conaress of Trade Unions.

through Northern Commit. hold public enquiry brutal LoB. hanging the RUC Special death by

AUEW/TASS

Castlereagh and at Brian Maguire, branch secretary, in Castlereagh through. centre of Tuc to lo calls on the British conditions to prevail on Mr. Mason H-Block prisoners in relevant

CULOTS

duty officers to give evidence general repres- this enquiry without restriction

08OOIB

and to produce …al tne relevant docu mentation for the enquiry".

2,000 protest similar the Dublin Regional after Maguire's

MACCAOON

Council of the Labour Party, lod a 2,000- and a resolution calling for an protest strike and march enquiry, public House, Belfast, but otherwise now been passed unanimously Annual Conference of the Irish Transport and General Workers' 26, AGM of the Union which took place from Trade Council of the following 30 Mav to 2 June by

TUCAR

petition signed by been by subject has

PRESS GANG

They shoot foremen The Daily Mail's at what of. interviews with the exclusive the what has every appearance plants of being the entire National world, has racial overtones.

statement- Front membership Dagenham may have given the second paragraph in the a stick to beat the lead story - was Enem and black backed up by the following working class workers at once, but it has 42-year-old paint not gone down well in the sprayer, who would not give factory. his name, said that 90% of Fleet By Friday all involved Street papers were reporting strong denials from workers It happens black the plant that every day now, workers had exclusive rights but since the Race Relations on foreman battering. Con- Act everybody takes a lot the at plant more notice than they used threatened the Daily Mail the Council-a years ago if with Press toothless old dog which will had such one of them got do nothing stop being racialist reporting and that was that, can't that repeated. answer to these black workers attacks on His evidence was sup- lies not in the Press Council another anony- in the hands of the mous worker, who said that

NUIN

itself. The "always a few working Class among the class role played by report- ers who write such reports "Only worth three times any weeks aco one which is handed the foreman a karate kick in the head."

out to the Fords foremen.

simply minister Rov Mason chamber evidence. Withdraw troops! We call taking and leone of Brian Maguire, to complicity of Labour leaders in people, demand the withdrawal of British and call freland, _con Imperialist army at work in Northern Ireland overseers of the torture squads from the labour movement.

representatives movement, and was the labour Pull basis of a delegation to Leinster given to stration called by the Prisoners wouee the irish parliament on Ireland Tuesday 24 May. Workers Socialist Sunday The demands for: Lescue sudoors unis campani for a trade union enquiry.

lican prisoners as guaranteed by But

READER'S

LETTER

enough! Dear comrade editor, Your Press Gang story in 103 of Socialist Press nationalism Issue lenged even on the left correctly draws attention to The absurdities the appalling contradiction between the tyranny of the the working Argentinian political regime and all entertainment right or wrong". sport-is-not-about-poli- and position of the media. tics However ther political issues involved mo in the whole coverage of the Somehow World and Cup altitudes happened to towards it. seen At no time is ine male dominance of sport and the collapse sport media so manitest as during the World Cup. Interest It is impossible to switch always affair. without the male being regaled with either 22 men running after a ball or of men discussing a group speak about football. how the 22 ran after a ball more men in a state of 11 distress because

SET CI

LABOUR

PARTY

Labour the Geneva Convention oy Mason authorisa" *Support for the . war leading British liberation to give witnarawa an an amos The march leaves Hyde Park at 2.30pm. case of tone Anal Irist troops from for the expul also be

MUSI

the national Committee around Orme-'left' who helped to *Political status for Repub- repress Irish workers. World Cup-all about male dominance? didn't run after a ball well of sandwiches and TV meals for housefuls of men with beer in hand and their feet The hysterical identifica- up before the box. tion with a particular town or nation state is a form of For football has a sacro- chal- sanct quality that questions rarely of equal rights and commit- of "my domestic duties

MACIS

team good or bad" divide cannot challenge. It is time that this opiate like class in "my masses and means country ot tne women's oppres- • wowalu. sion is seen for what it is.

This hysteria is matched time we by an exultation of machis- SaNC campaigning for of competitive- the nationalisation of foot- ness, strength and vatity has ball clubs under workers wild •Scotland and thereby control; kicking out of all the profit indicating which feed and of maleness interests amongst the whole nation these negative aspects of the sport. football is wholly Yours fraternally, as a Though some D.P. women do play and attend Oxford football matches, no women ever appear in the media to * Capitalist man certainly best of all have done Women are overtly exclu- Seem te ded to the role of providers out ot the word cop • cu

WRP LEADERS

JUNK THE OLD

TROTSKYISM

The leadership of the Workers Revolutionary Party has always prided itself on its defence of orthodox Trotskyism against the attacks on it by the various political currents that have attempted to revise or abandon the Transition- al Programme. But since 1974. this of facade orthodoxy increasingly crumbled reveal beneath it an oppor- easily practice degenerate the worst as tendencies that have attacked the Fourth International Today the WRP stands as the serve molots for the anti-communist dic- of Gaddafi latorial regimes in Libya and the Ba'athists in Iraq, and the uncritical camp-followers of the petty- bourgeois leadership of the Libyan leader Gaddati-anti-communist

PIO.

No call bowdlerised "quote" (actu- ally to be found in Second Congress of the Communist peasants' call for International Vol. I p.HI) is lead the within no couol intendea to dete readers from working these discovering Lenin's position bore no resemblance to the liqui- timid criti- cism of April the has the central the ti (run its sentence 21°21 And, often So proved the support positions, has been freedom What the colonial MOVe AI got to do fa these Contaner tionary movement. "naturally" ly' evolved Political Statement, Committee "Salute pub- there also lisl Not 18 takes distorts the bourgeoisie, hig Lenin's the Second also of Second the Dclong... "In Lenin's own words: Unconditional duty The point about this is that WRP calls as communists we will only Lenin goes on to spell of a support the bourgeois free- out the "unconditional duty" dom movements in the colo- communists to nial countries if these move- assert the independence of leadership ments are really revolution- the exploited the trom ary, bourgeois ana rurtner: we be. democrats lieved that the only correct through the fight to organ- thing would be to take this ise peasants' councils. tirely the difference considera- But the

WRP

lays no and to tion replace the claim to "train the Palestin- words "bourgeois democrat- al ian fighters in a revolution- ic" almost everywhere with ary way". It makes no criti- Lenin the "national expression cism-tactical or strategic- revolutionary" PLO's petty bour- lished ot the The spurious reference headed by leaders, given by the WRP to this Yassir Arafat. any Trotskyists Newsline of "The read: International this position

WRP

'spontaneous- revolu- On occa- declare sup. where the The Theses drafted by the "The Communist Inter- Zionist national has the duty to struggles of the revolutionary movement the colonies the purposes of

CHOI

gathering the components of the future proletarian parties-communist and not just in name-in all the backward countries and be cons- training them of cious their special all tasks, that • is to say, present fighting the against bour- Palestinians geois democratic tendencies within their own nation. The Communist Inter. national should accompany ganda. the revolutionary movement In colonies and the backward countries for part of the way, should even Palestinian make an alliance with it; it may not, however, fuse with it, but must unconditionally independent to Israel. maintain the charmer to the proletarian capitalist movement, only crumbling embryo. " (pp.181-2). Any of the post- Palestinian tions of the WRP will reveal that they do not act on this open basis at all. In their increasingly hys- right terical attacks on all those WIlig 1976. who question their opportu- nism liquidationism, ha in Newsline June bourgeois that: alli- ances upon its enabling re ism socialist al-Zaatar), Arabian Messrs Banda, But 1n your policies are tary bases vit pr Marxism of complete pretext capitulation bourgeois an for alism. invasion study oV and it‹ the OI Zionist of the Le ar th pri on Le lan tio The legitimate str aga and racially Zionist state and for "democratic and secular «тате which the tionary role Arab bourgeoisie and their dependence imperial- ism Desperately afraid that the destruction of the PLO leader Arafat-his por PLO leaders are now carrie Young Socialists and WRP by the out these bases The move failed, but ai the same time it exposed the extent which the Palestinians have now been denied by active support section Arab bourgeoisie, and the politi- weakness of the

PLO

leadership. Rather than expose this betrayal of the Palestinians and address appeals for aid to the oppressed masses in always nations, the PLO the Arab leader Arafat sent a cable to all Arab heads of state, demanding they "shoulder your historic res Icachionan onsibilnes The Gaddafi dictatorship Libya went Oleslage further in bankruptcy-and officially called for emergency Security Counci session United at the Nations! with its • torces No criticism and leftist The WRP uttered of either of these criticism though both were actions. to be instumental in bring- during ing about a fresh setback on the Palestinian struggle.

While the front page of Newsline on March 16 un critically reported Gaddafi's turn to the United Nations to "International an Com mittee Statement" on page 2 took an opposite line and tascist. trotted out the formally orthodox Trotskyist posi- of Tel tion Place no faith station United Nations-toot of the Saudi "peace imperialism" And while Arafat's tele gram appealing to the Arab bourgeois leaders was twice operations uncritically the Ic state in Newsline, statement incongruously called on the Al-Fatah an "world working class" to: as a cover "Combine the struggle military against Zionism with the wiping struggle against own

• YOUR

Zionist defence minister Weizman and PM Begin

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 June, 1978 The WRP leaders, acting pernaps on Im pulse recollection of some past principles of the communist headlined

OIL

"UN Does Zionist March 20 Dirty Work" Next day Newsline carried a 'Comment' article annel. Tue the Security Council resolu- tion, and declared: Anyone in the British (!) labour movement who fraudu- takes the seriously lent claims of the Security Council will monlon learn differently. This deci- sion, far from bringing 'peace and security' the to Lebanon or the Middle East will prove to be-a cruel blow to the Palestinian struggle for self-determina- tion and a stengthening of ait along with those of other on every demonstration by embers. bourgeoisie and the Stalinist agents of imperial- ism!" March 20 Newsline on recorded even greater con- Generai fusion, as

WRP

Mike Banda Secretarv "criticised the Syrian failure regime for its to support the PLO" Since Newsline had been virtually full, for months on end, of reports and pictures of the Syrian military inter- Lebanon against the Lebanese leftists and the

PLO,

might But the WRP's the PLO- "Steadfastness called Members of the Front Libya, South Syria! event of the by Zionist actual tanks. and troops, Zionist imperialism in the Middle East" (March 21). That same article was the were written last in Newsline to demand on. "the unequivocally with- drawal of all UN personnel from Lebanon" in lact it was not ine British labour the that needed warning about the role of the UN, so much WRP's allies in the for fear exposing lead

PLO,

and "Steadfast- ness which spent hours next day •London March 19, on deci not to Newsline Alex the UN Security support Mitchell with the

WKP'S

PLO

the world at Newsline of an line pledges to aid UN" uncritical on article "the the the UN Has the affiliated to WRP's International unle Committee? were ready extend al the nationalist their veniently ist powers attack to one be the more complete supplement Zionist the work 3,000-strong "peace- Next day they reported a meeting between Arafat and UN commander Major main commando group in General Emmanuel Erskine, the PLO" in which But within days the military "Arafat pledged to help for the disgruntle- 1 casons

ICCUS TUCI

the UN force to ensure the of ment some so-called army. complete and unconditional "opportunists" The was revealed withdrawal Zionist Newstine lead article based the very end ot the from South fascist

LOODS

Lebanon." on a Fatah political state- direct At that time however, ment. Arafat was still insisting that "Finally, Lebanon the Fatah leaders decided to facilitate the

PLO

"would not stop Zionist their the mission of the United Commane behind the Zionist line" Nations Interim Force

PLO.

Lebanon (UNIFIL) 'on the and on April Newsline PLO newspaper basis of the stand of these reported a Slamming "those self-decei- forcer their role clarified between Dr. vers who gamble on the UN Waldheim and Arafat'". forces", and calling on the President Arafat had finally Palestinians to fight on.

and predictably abandoned his tion of But by April 10 Newsline earlier stance of rejecting a Agreement cease-fire. had begun to scent a derin- ite move by the PLO leaders But the Newsline loyalty armed to accommodate to the UN.

Lebanon. went into reverse and began Sarkis be handed legitimate the puppet point total eignty there. practices the south, efforts violations preserved. intention of armed possible conditions "All Arab formation and carried interview the have who "wait- uttered no comment criticism the UN. Newsline re- Next Instead May 19, vealed "Steadfastness Newsline there It took from South with no rectly) But the had As with backstage

WRP

touches to deal Palestinian setting up against Palestinian Newsline was clearly Revolution. Palestinian resol- exile" militant ution established cha-

UNIFIL

Lebanon to And, ment, Ine April dominant and radical "Fatah relief as leftist had de- dominant Unity fight continued clared that Newsline. against despite After differences reports however, was 29 ism or even And on "Al-Fatah further the the struggle, medium of the Lebanese ists Arafat and government. Inal. "the team military begun talks in the with President possible". Ellias drawing up the Lebanese reassert military the south of until had been repudia- 1969 Cairo in south his "to the Lebanese up by "legit- a five. with according to the Prime withdrawal expressed exert al stop such soon its end armed legitimate even the struggle was

SUCT

including to from the

WRP

themselves which the used: the regular of a the Zionist of the Today, declared months in politics in the Palestinian journal- announced of such [!] now Page 7 now substantial Newsline • uses the block to political and to leadership the

PLO-

which has the battle split the the Palestinian revol- the ution in concerted plot in the "To • 1 hands of Pales The its face building conscious the movement, the rejec-

DUCTISE

Lebanese ment challenging rejectionist forces not George Popular Palestine withdrew from the in 1974, "sattelites ist regimes" of confusion I ne and left by Arafat in south of Lebanon demonstrates his inability offer to the Medu that direct action, principled line would the of the away right but using armed every Arab international Illabove workers' Arafat and his petty bourgeois co-thinkers are incapable of such a political break Under these conditions the WRP's declaration that they regard the PLO as the "sole of the representative Palestinian people' no than more roundabout way of declaring that the WRP has any call for a Trotskyist party lead the Palestinian struggle, handing the Pales- tinian masses over to Arafat.

It is their failure to make this call for the building of a Trotskyist party-either in the Palestinian struggle or in the case self-styled oi the "progressive" dictatorships Libya and Hay wilen points to the actual degen eration that has taken place in the WRP leadership Our final article in this series will examine this process of degeneration. —By — John Lister Continued next week

Probing the essence of Stalinism Comintern-by then totally The role of Stalinism dominated by in the post-war world is bureaucracy -was the most per- one of the plexing, intriguing, con- tradictory and practical revolutionary the international problems contronting Trotskyist move- Unstable ment. And it is a problem that At the same t'me. has in the main been oniy Stalinist inadequately considered and was recognised as a funda• superficially answered. mentally For all these reasons it partist has stood squarely the cing between the national- of the post-war ised property political that have crises established in disorientation brought 1917 revolution of the and disintegration Fourth International which international imperialism. was founded forty years ago Trotsky continuity as the clear position Marxism and proletarian internationalism.

Union as a Dead to the fight to prepare the leadership for The very reason for the of the Fourth revolution for foundation International was the analy- of the sis by Trotsky and the Left and restoration Opposition in 1933 that the power. Hungary 1956-the possibility of political revolution ilation" This analysis has continu- ally. be defended the Stalinist had

CLU

both against tendencies that dead. for purposes of revolution have attempted to see the Stalinist bureaucracy as thoroughly counter- and progressive within force permanent force in the workers' move- workers' ment (pre-war centrists, and currents in the post-wat Fourth International up to the present day and against the those who see it as a perma- bureaucracy itself nent new ruling class in the Union (pre-war unstable; bona- Shachtmanites, and 'state form of rule, balan- capitalist groups today. revise The pressure relations these positions increased the October dramatically when the post- war period found the Stalin- and the pressures of bureaucracy not only still but even established its into extending power uncondi- Eastern Europe. tional defence of the Soviet "Evidence" workers' state against imperialism, coupled Each of the tendencies political that has succumbed to this the over- has latched on to bureaucracy of the post-war aspects of soviet of the Stalinist actions "evidence" bureaucracy for its one-sided and decep- tive analysis. This is because neither tendency is able to grasp the essentially contradictory of nature bureaucracy as a reactionary counter-revolutionary ex- which neverthe- less feeds off the nationa- relations lised property October established in In its own, bureaucratic, fashion, the Kremlin bureaucracy seeks to defend these property relations (which are the source of its power and material privi against imperialism, leges) while attempting to prevent the slightest movement to- wards political indepen- the part of the dence on On 15 June Folrose Books publishes containing the essay by Tim Wohlforth unobtainable) (until now virtually Adam Westoby. Here in the first of a two-part review of this important book we print extracts from the introduction to the book by John Lister.

Tim working class international- The Theory ly-which would disrupt the Assimilation, delicate balance oi 1961-3, forces on which the bureau- cracy rests. Thus its every action is tion shot through with the most profound contradictions, major tendency all but the most deiying itself Trotskyist. rigorous analysis. The reason Independence post-war In defending the Wolforth Trotskyist the perspective. most important starting point is therefore the ques- the Cuban revolution. tion of the political inde- His the working pendence class from the stallist bureaucracy in the struggle consistently for state power revolutionary It is this question, com- bined with an analysis of capitalist where world counter-revolu- the relations were of Stalin- strategy tonary turned ism, which provides the key 1n to refuting any idea that the and Stalinist Dureaucat' Call Communist towards 'left evolve Miao trism', and to sharply expo- criti- cism the regimes OI Eastern Europe.

KHT

Wohlforth was for political This fight conflict with independence also confirms the need for the building of figures Trotskyist parties lo through political revolution Fourth International. China in Cuba, Vietnam. Yugoslavia well as and the

USSR

Hastern everv one anc avoided Europe. Correct positions. for the • t is necessarv world Trotskyist movement to re-examine those issues pean events But he bearing on the post-war role of Stalinism in order to theory clarify and CorTeCI positions that have Cuba-the been adopted and that have -split And even having the disoriented and International itself. lopea a incoreuca. Stalinist tanks greeted by hostile crowds in Czechoslovakia in 1968 'Communists' Against Revolution, 'The Theory of Structural Assim and an introductory essay by standing of post-war Stalin- Wolforth's essay in advance of the of Structural ism far leading of the written members is a major contri- Trotskyist movement, Wohlforth retreated from a bution to such a re-examina- fight for his positions. Yet it is a booklet which Instead allowed his work to be brushed aside, has been neglected by every terming ignored and virtually for- gotten by all but a very few By is clear. individuals. re-opening discussion on the events in Eastern Examine China, attempted to Adam Westoby's essay find the key to the role and On Wohlforth's 'Theory of involvement of Stalinism in Structural

A MOORE

(completed in the winter of objective was to 1976) sets out to explain reassert, on the basis of a aspects of these curious thorough analysis of events, Wohlforth's work. counter- It also goes on to expand role of events its analysis Stalinism even at the point Eastern Europe and China properly examine weaklesser within the Theory being Over as Eastern Europe and the stands, under the aegis of the Red prospects for applying the China by same theoretical approach forces under to the Cuban revolution. both Central to Westoby's approach and Retreated that of Wohlforth is the conception of Stalinism as a system that operates on a forced into world scale, and that must the existing be viewed as a whole-con that whole positions of all the leading tradictory as may appear at first post-war the picture sight. And sooner than answer Any attempt to view the actions of Stalinism in this the points Wolforth raised, of those leaders or that country is isolation from a historical and inter- discussing them clinging to their established they national analysis, must result Wohlforth succeeded ad- descent to mere impression- mirably in proving his case opening the door to ism, in relation to the East Euro- catastrophic political errors was quite unable to go further and relate his devlopments Continued next week actual starting point of his investigations.

deve

Blank wall on SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 June, 1978 When a major national trade union and a commu- group tv- •ae reSeA cn combine to produce a pam- phlet on housing we should take notice. When same pamphlet This calls

TOT

amaor comednn labour movement for the housing policy meet the of the working class we udads Shollo be interestao. When the foreword to this pamphlet is by Alar writen rISMer. one от ine maesmen ot social contract, we should The look out for diversions, evasions and contradictions. We will not 8 doone "Great debates' have become quite fashionable recently. Their TUnCLIOr aiol The coalition government to hide all the class implications of solicies under a marc or verotade churned out by professional bodies, academics, bureaucrats an• tne caoialst oress The latest of the debaté' epidemic 'great nousito. •nis pampniet is pro- duced by NUPE and SCAT (Ser- Community Action and vices to • onans, controution to the great debate on housing.

serious tempt the housing arialyst •olcies ot tue coa ton covern- ment and their impact on the working class. Promise rowever, at the last moment the authors pull back from the conclusions that must be drawn lo du ce workers tor tne siont.

The introduction contains a great things, pointing out the allacks nousin. out nave beer carricd since the election of a Labour government in 1974. It states cleariv as its startina that the private market is D•InT incapable housing problems the worki. class The authors assess the myth surplus of housing, which of a the Tories in the GLC and else where are already using to cut programmes, from the workers' They show how a large pro- ssary that wellings kept une next Laou trea ho usigt s t covernmeni empty by owners and ‹anatoros high priority" and point hoping for more favorable despite market many statement une 1974 manifesto did nOT contaIn homes. SoboTa the basis for a socialist housing NbaV a on homes are un policy. fit and many more are in need Here they skip over a key of expensive repairs. Set question. ac ansi are Tan e number households tarde Relationship forced to share accommodation with lengthening ottes. waiting lists and the scandalous What relationship there level of homelessness. between democraticallv-formu. The soon evapo- party policy (reflecting SurDUS rated rates, leaving a tragic shortage the experience of party mem- for millions of households.

bers) and parlamentarv propa.

the After clearing awav the idea require- canda (retlecting there is no housing prob- ments of the leadership That lem the pamphlet looks at relationships with the inter- record the Labour Party on national rutine classest Labour govern- tue •uascion. ThA 7C74 the 1973 Pro- ment did, however, introduce a T nev auete aramme for Britain: "It is nece- rent treeze and promoted coun- Nearly I million homes are unfit for habitation and many more are in need of repairs house crisis

IN REVIEW

SATE™

PE

SOUTHERN/ EASTERN

DIVISION

AREA ONE

cil housebuilding. But a year the cuts witnin had wegul, ana sule contaue despite the appearance of a call for expanded public investment Labour Party programme 01/ Again there is no mention of political the processes which allow parlament to impose cuts directly opposed to the wishes membership Labour Party. only is there no criti- Not cism of the role of the left wing of the Labour rarty ih barlla there is no mention ment out of the deal with the Liberals (a condi- ton ot wuca was a veto on tof extension local n anned authority direct works depart- Nex Inev examine th€ growth in the housing budget on Labour Party otter Dases ils ciains Nearly this increase can be accounted for by the in- creast interes chardes posed on local autorities over little of years. very alludy agame to me numbe or condition of houses. Only option Under the present subsidy arrangements, governmen Tinas it verv atticult to avoi these costs, , but at the paying time international creal arrangements prevent any increase in the overall budget.

The only remaining option Is to sniTt money • Trom Coolta programmes (housebuilding, im- provements ete) financing debt charges. The central section OT Tnt pamphlet likely be the most useful. It sets vul du sore detal the impact or the cuts on the working class. The have used the rasources or nore and the net work of tenants' associations to gather information from all over On the question of rents, the HENRY ROSE reviews 'Up Against a Brickwall: the Dead- end in Housing Policy', a pamphlet by the National Union of Public Employees and Services to Community Action and Tenants (SCAT).

LAA RAA

IGH

how show the 1974 autors package of measures to buy off The wave ot workino cass mill.

tancy which kicked out Heath government. the Dilet Luen NOWever freeze has been taken off private and rents, and have counci rent. DOBl forced up by cynical manipula- tions of the subsidy system.

Increases in rents have aont hand in hand with a series • of attacks on the services given to Sturrock, report counci tettants Repairs and maintenance work have been cut back and moder misd tom orog ammes nave seen recuced Harrassment of tenants arrears with rent has increased.

Otten i unes. • reductions lead to conflicts between tenants and council workers, when the latter get the blame for the politicians decisions Peter Shore The authors recognise this but fail to put forward the de knowledge the technical mand for elected committees o nousing workers wilh the day tc tenants and council workers to day experience of the tenants the books on The 1974 open councils Labour govern vousin, orootammes ment boost to councI This is the only way that the housebuilding but by July 1976 working class can combine the the brakes were slammed on.

Aul new tenders were trozen for month while Shore soarched for rationale by watcu to cul tue •roetammes He came up with the viciou: system of "priority alba. which pretends to have isolatec PHOTO: Mark Rusher the areas in gretest need.

number speeches arouna tis time, Labour bolta cians spouted about shifting resources towards rehabilitation • oT olaer nousina Smokescreen Although there are many positive fodtures

SUCI

policy, in practice it has been a smokescreen behind the cuts have gone on unabated.

pro renao ration grammes themselves-improve- municipalisation, council mortgages-have alf beer Tory leader Thatcher cut recently Page 9 Fisher However, even the level of building and rehabilitation allowed under the

• GUTS

nave nor been achievad This is : due in part to the May 1977 'election of Tories to many oi oritalns town halt and in part to a new system of financial controls which penal. 4505

COUNCHS

Wach oversend , which has inevi- their budgets tably led underspending in "larry alads. Main threads The eftect of these cuts or employment has been immense.

Record levels of unemployment

BXIS

ouTd nc _Ino ustru and a wave of redundancies sweeping the town halls. the fina senton authors attempt to draw out the main threads of current housing DOlC The central theme of this section is the turn away trom public the provision, toward. orivate sector In order to achieve this the government has developed the so-carita inter mediate tenures- the housing associations, co-ops, equity sharing-as along steps the way from renting to owning step along this road every means an increase in housing The authors make a few hesi- tant steps towards socialist criticism of these policies.

Conclusions They point to the declining productivity

LITE

•ulle ili industry. anero the tallure the private market to adequate housing at reasonable oTICeS the conclusions that B tl1 they draw reflect the contradic- tions of the situation that lead the need for this kind of pamphlet. ATteI a rda Carl • TiNE "'debate the housing situation", they go on to call for Councils ane tetan. Groues To examimA oca Altnori ty housing plans to ana 'appropriate action' •Wind Ther mea appropriate action is not made There are of course massive overcome probiems building unity between tenants and workers which can only d by building commit- achiever tees to the books of the open which would drav autnorities up plans based on their own assessment of housing needs.

Hold back This leads on immediately to the questions of democracy in the Labour Party. , and nationali- of th Sollo bullaing monopo lies, if these plans are to be imp.

lemented by Labour •councils authors to hold Havi back from such explicit conclu- sions the raders ask embarrassing Kuestion. do0U democracy in NUPE. activists yvonkers housing and community group study this pamphlet and araw the lessons of its strengtns and weaknesses. A strong proletarian struggle on housing will only be achieved kind of overcomind The contradictions it contains.

INDUSTRIAL

Garners profit hit as blacking increased the hysteria of the managers and other scabs Notable new support restaurants such as: are has been building up on we communists, you are wel the picket lines in the come nineteenth week of the strike at Garners Steak at the Haymarket branch, Houses from trade potential customers are in almost every case relusing union branches, trades to enter. councils and anti-racist committees. reported Many workers' organis- when the Demonstrators on the Garners day of solidarity: The Workers Socialist League The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to construct a principled revolutionary leadership in the working class in Britain and internationally and for the recon- struction of the Trotskyist Fourth Internation- al on the basis of the Transitional Programme.

The WSL fights at every leaders of the trade unions and the existing Labour Party-now firmly bourgeois politicians of the Liberal Party in an unspoken coalition arrangement.

Against their policies of class collaboration we put forward instead a programme which points to the independent class interests of the working class, its need to organise indepen- dently to overthrow capitalism, destroy repressive state machinery and socialist planned economy.

Only in this way can workers resolve today's problems of tumbling living standards, mass unemployment, slashed social services, racial, national and sexual oppression.

For more details on the WSL and its work, fill in the form below. Name. . Address. Trade Union/Occupation Send to WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR

NEWS

send them outside to procure custom And Cyril Margolis him- self (the owner of the chain) harangued the managers last Despite signs bosted on Wednesday on their lack of loyalty to him in his hour of need. working, not Policeman which appeared recently night recently One the only one branch were a plain clothes policeman Geoffrey dIlU Margolis, the owners' son!

have Clearly Since hitting Margolis extremely the rows created hard and rumours abound Published June 15 "Communists' Against Revolution deals with the most important aspects of the development of Stalin.

ism on a world scale since step against the 1945. It brings together in one harnessed to the volume the until now un- obtainable 1964 essay by Structural Assimilation with a critical commentary by Adam Westoby. defend the method and principles of Trotskyism against the varied revisionist currents that have challenged essence of the Transitional Programme.

its establish a

STILL AVAILABLE

TODAY"

"TROTSKYISM

Quarterly theoretical of Workers fourna the Socialist League. Issue No. 2 includes article on the history of the Fourth International. Available from WSL, 31, Hill, Dartmouth Park London NW5 1HR TGWU bureaucrats Ron Todd (right) and Brian Nicholson: trying to dodge Garners conference.

such as the Oxford Street to help with The branch will be closed part of absence week that heis executive about to go bankrupt. Nicholson who of The morale time to Uliv strikers the other devote hand, high and they very themselves feel ference is noteworthy. Close victory. The question remains why the strike has had to go on for 20 weeks? now of George The TGWU is well-placed to win such a strike in five minutes. desired. Blacking of the meat supplies has been successful Smithfield the from and had management has they have asked for. scour the country and get They supplies out in the middle of the night. Postmen appeal to Steps still amount have to be Many taken to get the Panificio Bread Company blacked and the vegetable supplies support received The have postmen Regional promised not to cross nicke lines and

TGWU

drivers the strike not seen the money. similarly. However the following up of this blacking work has not been fought for by the TGWU leadership but dealt for the books of the Regional Com- with by a sub-committee set up by the strike committee mittee! lution on Post-mon Speakers Against editor John Lister. Tim Wohlforth The Theory This 166 page book is vital reading for those who wish to the very Order from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London. NW5

TROTSKYISM

5 issues 10 issues.

TODAY

* 25 issues . 50 issues of f.. Name Address..

SOCIALINI

PHOIO: Anarew wiara, The main focus of the this work. of TGWU strike now must be the fight for recall member Brian the conference to be held on Thursday 22 was said Transport be about to June at House, Square, Smith attention the London 7.30 p.m. strike at the Garner's con- Sponsored by the SE Region

TUC.

the Greater No money London Association of Trades Councils and the Likewise the availability TGWU Region 1 Commit- Abrahams to the conterence Ect. WIl carry out the wishes of the discuss supporting action strikers leaves much to be for the recognition struggle.

The Region 1 Committee Call refuses to pay the strikers the £36 a week living wage Each labour movement organisation invited to did give the strike send three delegates. £600 We call on

TGWU

months ago but put out an branches to pass the follow- the branches ing resolution: the region to recoup this "This branch supports the strike of the Garners TGWU branches workers for union recog- who have sent money in to nition and resolves to strikers have 1) Send three delegates to the recall conference.

receipt from Westbrook, treasurer of the 2) Send delegations to Committee and the picket line one night committee has every week. 3) Call on the Region 1 Committee Open books pay the strikers £36, to be raised by There is, it seems, a case a levy or any other suitable of the opening means. 4) Send a donation to the strike fund."

WORKERS SOCIALIST

London

LEAGUE

Summer School

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

"The Reconstruction of A Public Meeting the Fourth to launch the book International"' 'Communists' Against Revolution July 23 to July 30, include Adam 1978 Westoby and Socialist Press Open to WSL members Thursday 15 June and supporters Earl Russell Pancras Road, Kings X For details write to 7.30pm WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London

NW5 1HR

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

. £1.10 . £2.20 . £5.50 .£10.00 I would like to receive • issues. I enclose the sum Send to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Subscribe!

Basnett boosts Phase 4 SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 June, 1978

- INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Gormley's new tactic In a bid to prevent Yorkshire mine men themselves. rescue brigade winning men substantially improved strike action bonus payments, NUM sell-out and leaders Joe Gormley decided and Lawrence Daly national settlement, stepped in last week to includes shorter sign a national settle- ment with the NCB. £14 per week. The

NUM

According Yorks NUM President Arthur Scar- having used gill the deal they struck was ur eu considerab v below In e figure that Yorkshire NCB management were prepared a national wage lo concede, and below the The General and Municipal Workers Union Scarborough ConTerence revealed clearly the methods by which the trade union leaders hope to force Phase 4 of wage control on the working class. David Basnett is this year's

TUC

Chairman and this seems to have given him the dubious latest privilede ot leadina the attack workers' living standards. one andes radio re motion moved Basnett behalf The executive Committee caled tor an end to government imposed wage restraint, but for the TUC "bargaining prior- To cocoa on ities" and to negotiate a joint public sector with tue coverament was to include in "realistic minimum wage" each industry anoi senstole wage structures". The meaning of this phrasing can looking basnett s comolete tallure fight for the £50 minimum wage demand year's conterence This year he was careful to have no figure at all included.

his car and had to be forcibly removed 35-hour week guard. The need ceteno basneti The motion also demanded members is the clearest reflec.

Executive over the 35. of his action nour week Capitalism The hypocrisy of this call ot his membership clearly revealed 20 was when Dagenham laccers Irom motion wa. turned up to lobby the confer.

Lose trom London This was had responded committing basnett's appeal last year tor Wa0t grass roots action in favour of correctly demanded support for 35 hour Tine week. oniv to workers struggling jumped on by the bureaucracy wages and conditions. as soon as they took individual But it was weak an alternative to EC policv.

Their dispute has now been referred to

ACAS,

with the protection local officials from ances against the "an unanswer- that tney nave Increases oy inflation able case for 35-hours". It's suggestions When Basnett hours centred speak to them they surrounded hour week T.U.

YOUR MAN AT THE TOP

claim lodged by the rescue now resorted to imposing a sell-out in level Though Yorkshire rescue order to head off the York- workers at first threatened shire claim This is the background to to fight this Daly's renewed assurances force through their claim, they have now tor wage-

DU DUTI

the cutting policies of the Lib- accept Lab coalition government.

which The defence of miners' duty and standby hours and an extra conditions and living stan- dards demands a tenacious struggle for principled right wing, leadership in the tactic of connici with the betrayals of the right producuivity deals in order to force in wing and capitulations of the left' within the NUM.

uvisive incentives payments and deluse ine pressure lor claim. has

ROW WITH THE G.M. W

U utive and did ПОТІ driver/body- MIs question or the control of hours physically to against ThIs defending role ir adainst the demanes composite moved JOnT specific З Трт the Cxecutive control DotTer : in terms of It contained no oromosals tor erosion of wast for cutting the same SOGAT workers receiving strike pay at the Bank of policy as the Exec England strike. Allare SOGAT members.

IF YOU ADK ME, GENILEMEN, THESE YOUNG

WORKERS ARE THE CAUSE OF ALL OUR

...STAYING OFF WORK JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SICK,

•[MANDING PAY INCREASES !

Westminster were to be reintroduced Press Pickets journalists on three weekly papers have won Uxbridge a major victory against the most , aggressive and giving a lead employer in provincial printers. newspapers. Hundreds Journalists on the Acton Gazette, the Hendon Times periodicals and the Watford Times including struck tor to weeks secure the DaCK payon national pay agreement and daily paper won just Europe pickets. mass employers without being under pressule worked by the acoe.unien organisations themselves Gratefully IT also based itselt on the Press responded by incorrect assumption that higher wages are really in the interests •i catalism. tane Of course although higher guarantee on back pay are in the interests of wages i ne mass they workals, Cate comoletely against the interests of British with every capitalism at present. Nevertheless the Victory o1 Half an hour this motion would have been a serious defeat for Basnett and the TUC ster and backed down. Ihe victory 5 vote margin After procedural manoeuvres National the suppress it nad talled, motion was narrowly lost by the between margin of 199 to 204. signed such a vote in a union suct as the GMWU clearly represents a high level of hostility to wage control in te workine class anc a growing recognition of their But more leaders' treachery. the strike has shown that a But the complete absence of powerful and an v conerent oooosition under.

employer-ready to strike a lines the need for an alternative blow against revolutionary leadership.

able to organisation on its papers WOUld present to the GWU member- can be defeated that would start ship policies Westminster TrOM become interests and lead forward to the struggle for a socialist society.

date the pay Long ago as Aprigreement as ments wnen strike action called the capitulated at Oxford and Slough and wreak vengeance smaller chapels Hendon and Watford away trom the management was the that the small numbers of NUJ members put up the massive received from the printers it was Cummings at Uxbridge who successfully decision picket.

NO WONDER THE NATION'S GOING

DOWN THE DRAIN!

PROBLEMS...

NOW THEY'VE EVEN STARTED THUMPING

FOREMEN, OR ANYONE CONNECTED

WITH MANAGEMENT!

TUC

Page 11 Journalists win major victory After three days the NGA deputy general secre- had shut dowr King and Hutchings printers tary-Dobbins-ordered his best members to go into work, 10] part of a week with NGA which for two days they refusing to cross did. Then faced with the mass . to other pickets the NGA not only of thousands but called relused to cross of copies of newspapers and management the OUTSIdE were lost building and harangued the International them Herald Tribune, the Jewish Chronicle and Al Arab-a Presses halted circulated in NATSOPA and SOGAT The NUJ General Secre- members took cue tary, Ken Ashton, called off from the and the the mass pickets so that the presses ground to a halt could negotiate The NU pickets who any had come from all over London and from the Kentish and the No offer Oxford Mail, kept the Westminster presses closed. talking London based Westmin- for a week without offering ster Press papers were called journalists any out in support. rrom on manage- picket were faced with was recalled for Tuesday June 6 simple choice of settling the dispute at a cost of about prospect £2,000 seeing many before it times that

OSI

was due to begin Westmin- every day. Press called new talks The victory will strengthen all provincial means that paper chapels but should just 6½ months after it was not blind n Dersone due to come into effect, the disastrous policy adopted by the negotiators of piece Hai client the NUJ and the meal settlements which provincial employers can be allowed chapels to become isolated in the first place.

Can be beaten - Toolroom importantly diversion determined trade union 2,000 British Leyland toolroom workers Press had Monday demonstrated their big to fight for receness employer to refuse to back- increased wages when they took unofficial strike action defiance One by one papers in its of empire forced local manage- officials. back down. There was talk detore l tne strike of action for a possible £90 or evern £93 pay claim- but on the day, toolroom leade resorted to almost resolved hov rraser incomprehensible demands the on And sooner than fight the Acton, big wage company The increases his members want, What swung the initiative Fraser has now raised the most diversions-the reactionar prospect of withholding sub determined fight scriptions from the union.

away during riasel packed last year's strike from a frontal support they challenge Leyland Wallac and pay ment covernment

NGA

FoC lan policy. His latest scheme shows tha fought he still has no stomach or polici not to cross the to conduct a serious tont

LAZY BUGGERS- ARRIVING LATE AND

LEAVING EARLY...

HELL, I SHOULD KNOW

-I'M A

CONVENOR!

Dangers remain despite

SOCIALIST

PRESS

THOUSANDS

MARCH AGAINST

GISCARD WAR

MOVES

France's military inter- occupation to leave betore mass ventions in Africa provoked murder took place. At Cleon several days, (if belatedly) a large counter workers defied a court order demonstration in Paris last leave out laST Daturacy Iney eventually removed week. force Despite the habitual ambig- thousands ot riot dolice.

uities The Flins workers French imperialism the CP on meanwhile had reoccupied part leadership the torced by ot the oan! massive nostity amone workers The attitude of the two main demoistration Giscard's policy to call this At meeting on based around l due union euer allons has weer Thursday with represen- different. siocans relecting mutary The

CFDT

has practiced tatives of staff at the intervention. open and demanded The demonstration, attended salutaye Elizabeth Garrett an immediate ene to une strikes by tens ot thousands of workers Anderson Hospital, and occupations. and students. was also oroaniseo The Stalinist-dominated David Ennals organisations the 'far

CGT

has LCR, the PSU, Lutte given some vel bal announced that no called ano even „TO! Ouvriere and the OCT. solidarity action. attempt was to be made The demonstration was an restricting this important step against French but they die to close the hospital on token two or TOUr noui July 21. stoppages which they hope will Alternative them Faced with determined chough against charges of betrayal while the closure at the same time defusing the leadership, The Stalinist throughout the labour French clearly however, vvave alice movement and almost defin- workers adainst the outa inter of mend coord cod oddence! itely with the prospect ventions of the state. •oltica mobilisation against the in But the sustained strike action lesson of the the London's hospitals during Renault occupations and that of government but the approach to the General The anti-imperialist cemonstra a crave to suen a mobils are the same-the French Election, Ennals was forced aTION. Stalinists are being forced more And the CP have gone out of to declare a postponement formulate their anu more to can tea moo their of the closure date vody ¡sations or workers in oroer to Giscard's This greeted CrITICISMS was the anger

SHEWS I

policy in such a way that it does against all aspects of the Giscard with under doe cer threaten their not i by the EGA staff and hailed regime. ina a firmei distance Wit life Gaullists. So Marchais in his speech Worker stressed not so much opposition French colonialism Dut support concemned the defence vital Hirican wars Decause lucy voic American multi- behalf national trusts and because unev France's neraided which NATO-objections workers Gaullist DESPITE DENIALS by the dangerous TOr Tine Knows nationalism. police that there was anything movendent. French labour bureau- connect the incident to the Latham has voted for every anti-working clas single cracv has taced another ditticult National Front. Sundav night: situation in the last two weeks 15 minute street battle between measure or the Labour and Lio- when workers expected it to act Asians and 150 rampaging white Lab governments-measures perpetuated and which have in their interests and against the racIst voutu Lant reactionary policies area of East London had all the Ine worsenet Ine aboarine con Giscard government. hallmarks of an organised racist ditions in which both black and white workers are forced to live Occupation attack was launched in numerous urban areas three directions from State to act youth hatred the in or the militant e- whose plants Now that the fascists are pation Asian community nao colories been fuelled over the past week the cowardly failure exploiting state-owned Renault by front page headlines in the Rouen and al near Flins near Paris alternative to the betrayals of mallond press over the proposal to create right The comprehensive demands Latham wants Bongali "ghetto" in that part of the workers Lu DOSSOS State of East London wages; a reduction in the length act—on benat ot the workers.

of working week; The only halt the : an extra called for Special Branch racist attacks is tor the labour week incident, presum. report on the improvements working workers movement to oroanice conditions. defence squads to defend immi.

Soles on working class organisations and grant families, picket lines and Renault management "extremist" groups will be able public meetings. breaking oft nego tiations with the unions and At the same this to establist dunk oetween these time youth and fascist groups.

coincide with calling in the armed police struggle must Socialist Press has consistent- The surroundina of the Flins Tout in everv aoour movement factory by thousands of heavily body to clear out the right wing condemned such appeals armed riot police was enough to the capitalist state for aid in Callaghan-Healey leadership and fascists as not this class dealing with the anti-working convince JeW nunored Ducat mostly immigrant workers only ••UT extremely cortion covernment. Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Published by Printed by Anvil Printers (TU), London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office Giscard LEGA partial victory- as a 'victory' for the occu- pation. closer but on tion it can be seen that the 'victory' is very partial and that Ennal's deliberately worded to nothing the concede

EGA

except a postpone- ment of closure. There is no long term committment the hospital on its Euston Road SILe Ennals Also the statement proposed setting up a work.

ing party which will: up detailed proposals for alternative accomodation" EGA stewards must be very wary of entering into a working party up discuss ways of closing their own hospital. They refuse

LUSI

with Ennals in Coverale until definite way commitment made repair the lift at the EGA.

At they the moment have only conditionally agreed to enter the working party but they must be prepared to turn this into a complete boycott when Ennals' intentions are made more clear At conference of a Health London Service stewards held at the EGA on Saturday it was quickly that revealed. one Dar Ennals' statement at least was a downright lie.

ISTANCED

One of the main reasons

EGA

for stewards accept- ing Ennals' proposals was that he promised that the

COHSE

members the Emergency Bed Service been suspended who nave for continuing refer patients to the EGA against the RHA's instructions would be reinstated-or at least that the problem of suspension would be their quickly resolved. A speaker from the EBS revealed the however cynical intention behind the promise. He informed the confer- ence that the members had not been reinstated, that they would still have to attend the disciplinary hear- that they ing, and would reinstated if they only be signed a pledge to act entirely under the instructions of the RHA. Refused to sign The suspended workers have retused pledge, as it would obvious- remove their indepen- dence trade union branch. They have called for picket of the hearing mass Fielden House London Bridge St., London SE1 at 1.30pm Wednesday 14 June. These workers must be supported and their defiant stand at the very centre of the fight against hospital closures must be preservea.

Without their full and immediate reinstatement even the partial victory will be turned into a defeat. Reinstatement

COHSE

branches must pass resolutions demanding their leadership have formally given official support to the

EBS

members take immediate their rein- Such resolution has already been passed by St. Pancras Hospital

COHSE

branch, which also S701

TO ENE

ELA SURES

EGA campaign supporters Wednesday last a motion pledging indefinite strike action from • tne moment ine running or the EGA is interfered with resolution-already South bauset District JSSC-must be wel- comed the strongest initiative taken far individual hospital any defence of the EGA. There almost Saturday's conference- by attended about stewards-for the setting up all-London Health an Service Joint Shop Stewards Committee. The general mood of the conference was that the • partial victory over the EGA could oniv be tumed into a if the complete union leadership was to take the offensive and consolidate the strength which has forced Ennals? change of mind Health service must: *Fight for the immediate of

EBS

reinstatement the staff. *Adopt a policy of indef- strike action should inite the EGA closure proceed *Demand an injection of funds the

NHS

into restore cuts-linked to rising assessed by costs as trade union committees. *Fight for the nationalis- ation the drug mono- polies and brivate without compensation.

FUND

With a further £137.46 to add to our total since last week and a Summer Fete taking place in Oxford this weekend the £2,000 special fund is poised to take a big leap forward Our total to date is £1199.66, leaving £800.34 to over the next ox weeks Providing all the money that has been pledged comes should no have problem in raising that sum and indeed in going well over the top. Donations should be sent to: WSL Special Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NWS 1HR