Socialist Press no. 123

PRODUCTIVITY DEALS

SELL JOBS AND

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 123 * 1 November 1978 * 15p Even as Fords' latest offer reached more than double the government's pay limit, the dangers of so- called "phony" productivity Renom deals looming larger are than ever. Vauxhall's •LUTOn Dunstable plants, managemen talk oT bossIble easy money through productivity deal combined with weak leadership, prospect of a long strike like at roros ane a vaque dav calm dereroor as trike calls produce meeting Cut in labour Murray And British Leyland The sabotage of the hospital management have gone one step works supervisors pay strugale Turtner. ana centreo Their whole "self-financing"

TUC

bureaucrats Otter on including Murray will payments, which certainly threaten some plants with a 12% strengthen emplovers cut in labour. management anel particular v In doing throughout the public so, the employers sector. are trading the will redouble their deter- reluctance or tne trade union •bureaucracy mination to concede not an incr to lead serious action to destroy beyond the 5% limit unless each the 5% policy once and for all.

further penny is paid for by PHOTO: Mark Rusher, IFL Todd Iran judges slam Owen If British Foreign Secre- tary and world crusader for "human rights" David Owen, were any better than a careerist hypocrite he would have died, or at least resigned, in shame last week. In the southern Iranian town of Afwaz a group of lawyers, reflecting the oppressed masses of Iran, risked issuing a state- ment condemning Owen's total politica supoort tor the murder ing Shah expressed last week in an ITV interview. "Can vou take their monev' asked Owen "and then just back off? That is the kind of political edoersnio tor wnicn i nave tota Owen contempt." and political support. Owens kind of political Of course, as Owen said, it is leadership evidently involves the to protect "British and systematic denial of all demo- interests"-the Western cratic rights and the mass same Wilson inTerests мигавг oT orotestors. Vietnam some Fiendish dictator WOrST atrocities ever committed Owen, Mulley, Callaghan and These are not the interests the rest of the Labour traitors of any workers but those of the have blood of exploiters and the arms dealers.

workers and asants on their Owen's Anger against arrogant reaction nanas as wellas grown nas dictator they furnish with arms rapidly in the labour movement.

cuts, closures and speed-up As claims from 1.4 million sector workers and 120.000 BL carworkers fall due settlement, and tor as unior prepare possible to abandon the remainder of the core tuls nour week claim ir exchange for a rewording of the 12.5% offer,

WOTKETS

every where must be on guard ther against any form of productivity dealing. allowances' • ATtencance may seem innocuous, but are in effect a means of cutting labour Doors ano disciplining and intimidating the workforce, for and whipping nOstlITy against sections that cause lay.

offs. If any emblover wants to pay more than union leaders must Inat unis is paid openly, without productivity strings of any kind.

Ron Todd, TGWU chairman of the Ford negotiators is or record dismissing productiv Last week, even the Nationa Executive of the Labour Party was moved to condemn Owen's latest support of the Shah and sent a del legation to see him Iran accusing school rubbish" showed tary step aismuissal trom Ine covernment serious life-and-death struggle, however, has gone all week in Iran and the Shah's position looks less secure than Further anti-Shah demon. in Stations ov workers and Tehran especially, by students have occurred in every major on virtually every day of

CILV

last week, There were also reports that Ine alsturbances were spreading increasingly through small towns villages-indicating that the Peasants are taking a the more active part campaign to overthrow the reac- tyrant British Labour ministers are trying to keep in power. ity deals as offering workers no more than a raffle ticket" for possible money in the future.

the "raffle ticket" is the axeing ot shop floor iobs and the end of work ing conditions hard won in years of struggle. The possible "prize" is a few measly extra pounds in the pay produced through increased exploitation an o rapidly eaten away by inflation.

But, while their leaders toy with

SUCH

latas ane continue locked in talks on wage-cutting with Callaghan, workers continue to show that, given a perspective and a firm lead, they Fight for a socialist economy

CENTRE PAGES

Owen in Namibia betrayal.

• p.3 Trotsky's assassin dies..

p.8 Price control fraud p.9

CONDITIONS

are prepared to fight in defence struggle the against of living standards Phase 4 pay limits and its tacit Only the day after the Luton defenders -trace Union vote last week a mass meeting bureaucracy is one which faces Assem bly workers with the l at Leyland's cowley Plant voted to give the manage. wing Stalinist ment seven days who utimatum convenors and OTTICIalS 221 hav accepted three years of acmanamne They make response to the plant's rigid wage controls, and who across-the board pay claim.

now nave strategy perspective to offer Yet to meet The fight must be taken up for claims

ENTE

oressi no But nearby Body regain lost living the desioned. to Plant and in many other standards and protect this year's Leyland plants stewards have deains the through cost of living clauses, yel oiscuss company's failure to respond to with no of lOss jobs similar claims. Conditions Scenes from last week's mass picket at Sandersons-see article: page 11

A 'PEACE DOVE' THAT

Page 2

- INTERNATIONAL

DROPS BOMBS

The award of a 'peace' prize established by a gun- manufacturer powder to terrorist leader ultra-right Menachem Begin last week the panache ot a has macabre episode of Monty Python. award of a peace prize The to Al Capone by J Edgar Hoover more would nave appropriate. This same Begin, as a leader squads, organ- ot onis terror ised the murder innocent Palestinians in the past incidentally that ano also British servicemen and civilians.

increases its He organising whatever new territory it thinks predatory Zionist regime which New laws to break strike Canada's 'playboy' prime pressure talents has other minister strike from besides an ability to offend Majesty's Britannic Her October, refined sensibilities. new may still be Trudeau pierre sporting 'casual' clothes, but he Dredr has been hard at work over the automate ane. the union month, making TrantI! last union hard against preparations possibility of controntation with and compulsory the Canadian working class.

Postal workers have been the energetic latest target nis unanswered) The 23,000 activities. sorters staff the clerical ano Postal Canadian Federal union The have been without Workers declared the 15 contract attempted. to workers' management postal nas impose the kind of mass speed- up and redundancies sought by ment

COIC

postal Trudeau from his purpose manacement services internationally.

As After months of evasion and union delaying sorting offices president Jean Claude Parrot total Spanish injunctions, out ordered seamen to seize documents. whie threatened strikers black Parrot WOrK. leaders were breaking the strike began! arms and governments Imperialist atter nine days 01 last week suffered a nasty was no tactical retreat. Although their smooth setback in arrangements for the inter- flave smash of distribution national arms. the new meetings of merchant lation, Mass the four major Spanish formed stamen Have Cadiz Valencia, ports and Las Palmas) ot the labour moverters. blacking shitment. American dictatorships, But Parrot Southern Africa and Morocco.

after betray his action comes than call on a spate

COT

reverations government's Spanish involve ment in arms dealing. As part of side 'democratise' its programme all Canadian Francoist dictatorship, the has plunged Suarez delvis enthusiastically into an orgy of new laws. Such treachery After satisfying their own soaring demand for arms to use section class working have these domestically' sovers and democracy 11880ON off siphon its own crisis. danned By su courset a heir tahinds aid bureaucratic course) from the talks may succeeu a allies who gun down workers in TowarOs orner reaims leadership This project now seems to

19CVV

misfired as the have Kample of other seamer part workers their

TINE

Zionist bomb damage on Palestinian refugee camp over grip wortn taking over. Last week it was two small settlements near East Jerusalem.

Next week it may be a bit of South Lebanon, Syria or Egypt.

Meanwhile 'peace' necolid- related less to on, diplomatic the realities public intrigue than relations needs of an American president faced with the need to gain electoral popularity attacking time American CondiTions workers. Unwillingness If Judas Iscariot could get a from members finally 'peace' prize then clearly Anwar torced the bureaucracy to call a entitled Sadat perfectly 16/17 midnight one also. the utter However late afternoon of the 17 unwillingness of the Zionists to had pretend testatin to make serious been approved by parliament to makes • Sadat's Concessiulls enormous more and position more on the untenable. otTicials ane with the additiona Electoral gimmick prison arbitratior the dispute (the CUPW Sadat's failure to withdraw 52,000 grievances an electoral gimmick for Carter, but it will simply embolden the Unconstitutional more Zionists demand yel itself concessions Court in return TOr TINY legislation uncon- tracts of Arab territory without stitutional, since it violated the military significance. The main success of all the legal strike. But this minor embarrass 'peace from the talk deflect of the imperialists nothing point of view prised and Zionists Nave strike Egyptian regime away from continued the pickets were established outside against and members of Israel This in its turn has produced letter-carriers refused to cross. Faced with this changes in the Arab important postal the world itselt. service, the state began to throw and Then on union raids offices throughout the country government Unt the sack if they did not return to and other union charged-with the law passed dilet This assault proved sufficient for Parrot to order the lifting of return to wort action. This CUPW alone the the strength to wage- government controls in the public sector and strike-breaking legis- strike could postal for the national action from all sections Cowardice preterred own members rather workers in the public sector to strike along- CUPW on their own outstanding claims, and mobilise Traoe against Trudeau's vicious cowardice and has weakened every Canadian proletariat in the struggles it will acainst bourgeoisie desperate to survive their own actions, such leaders necessity the workers to replace them with a prepared able to advance the independent interests of the working class as •ine These changes have recently Syrian been related which •Ba'athist government often acts as a stalking horse in the region for the Soviet Union, and which has already tightened the Lebanon

ITS

nora recent fighting has shown Henry said Inal Kissinger, who is in a position to things, told such know doOl for the Israelis that secure boundaries, Israel would have to accept Syrian hegemony in Lebanon. This may well. be a solution imperialists are for which the now prepared to settle. Real significance astonishing most alliance all the • ot ocen agreement between the Syrians enemies-the and thell • SWOrn regime in Iraq The real significance of these among bourgeois govern. moves ments will be seen in the Bagdad summit talks this week. liberation The resolved by struggie will not br these government mandee the mobilisation of the but by and Palestinian peoples in He is one of the most AraD socialist revol- the struggle for ution. Europe-but since last week been he has Minister. Of where? Of Portugal Alberto carlos was scraped from the bottom of political premier by President Eanes in one further effort to give credible leadership Portugal's without an effective government for four months. Justifiably may have been nonetheless a hardened politician. leader tary party sourcel Bemocrat. party government of the paint covernmer t technocrat Nobre da Costa.

Mota Pinto leadership after Carter With top leader Sa Carneiro. a coalition of Social Democrats Socialist Party but he has yet to right Again the in Peking. Sino-Japanese Teng Hsiao-ping in Ceremony capital. People's officially re-named Japanese Japan, Stalinist Korea, relabelling the 'rehabilitation demonstrators Men Square, April 1976, Maoist 'gang their (then) close ally, Kuo-feng, SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 1 November 1978 Who is this man? announce his proposed cabinet of politicians in who Communist Party were making hypo weeks ago about a

CP-SP

Prime a Critica noises government, parliamentary they will saying reservi nov their position on the new regime Mota • Pinto until they find out what kind o govBut eat is, barrel already that only too well hey fact Cano thát military a government of the bourgeoisie with task entrusted ruling class now and reversing Turine gains won by the the limited masses in 1974 and 1975. obscure the treachery despite Mota Pinto is and collaobration practiced by Tory Stalinist and retormisi Portuguese ruling readers. show class continues extreme weakness. Disagreements Mota Pinto's appointment is It is an implicit a sign of that 1975 he was parliamen- declaration of fear of permitting general election {which the Social called now would be followed (PSD)-the only scheduled by another reauariy to have voted in parlia general election barely a yea former fascist later, All the political leaders fear simply that elections WIl the PoU splits and enmities worsen disagreements working class and arrogant notoriously expectations and re-arouse the and activities the ot workers He is now believed to favour SO weaken the and coeasants bourgeoisie's best friends, the Stalinist and reformist leaders.

Comeback for Mr Liu season of The official press may maintain a stony silence on the 'reversal of verdicts' how Teng came to be cast 'capitalist roader' down as a in April 1976 but Teng him- of the signature peace treaty hardly have can by restored deputy premier Hua, forgotten that ther Tokyo Mao's 'favourite son', joined was marked by a significant enthusiastically in the near the Chinese against slanderous

CHOIUS

him is Red' It is probably the grow- 'East Commune Teng's momentum ing 'debaptised' and faction within the Chinest the 'Sino- Party bureau- Communist Friendship that has brought cracy French leaks official US imperialism's journalists in China of the main outpost in the Pacific possible of renablltaliol thus joins a select group of Liu Shao-chi. states-North then a close associ- Liu ate of Teng, and a veteran and Cambodia Rumania-thus honoured. civil became war, the More significant than the Mao's number one "Cultural of Communes is Revolution' victim. the The former head of state at Tien An 1967 after disappeared in Peking, orchestrated mass denuncia- which brought tions as 'China's Kruscher' He is now reported still the last, short ascent of the and of four' alive; 'rehabilitation' Hua would represent a reverbera- ting repudiation of Mao. now in wcas

Owen central to Namibia betrayal strategy SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 1 November 1978 effects of The after Foreign Secretary David Owen's failure to convince the South African govern- ment to abandon plans for holding its own election in Namibia are continuing to make themsleves felt. Owen and the other imper- UN-super- ialist leaders want vised elections nexT yedr incorporate petty bourgeois leaders of SWAPO into a "settle- which ensures continued ment imperialist control. After having appeared to be co-operating with the UN-imper- ialist olan tne sourn Airican government has finally announced and reiected it holding electIons unacr South African control at the this of December Greater assurance This, South Africa feels, will that greater assurance orovide the parties support tnev Will "win" the election. that the

IOT.

Const imperialist plan neglected South African interests in Namibia.

de facto recog- It accorded Africa's nition

SOUT

retention the strategically economically vital part of and was ban The

SWAPO

the disarming querrillas and their restriction to selected bases, while will be allowed to remain in Namibia. little imperialism Nas made objection South

ATTICA

Administrator appointing what amounts to General with full dictatorial power. Far smaller with And, In accoroance Pretoria's obiections, assurances have been given trom all side.

that the quoted figure of 7,500 UN supervising troops would in reality be far smaller. Cooperation senia Angola is.

essential course western olan Imperialism has wooed Neto from his 'left' President playing rhetori economic ano political crises facing his regime. The bait of economic invest- ment. was most keiv coupied with an offer to limit or even

INTERNATIONAL•

Owen the rebel forces of UNITA to which still wages a guerrilla cam- Dalun against Ivelu Opportunistically sacrificina the interests of the Angolan and the short- Namibiar fiasses term GeneTiTs with imperialism, Neto gave his support to the UN plan. key force in neecame pressure it.

SWAPU

leadersni. ignore its own rank and file and accept this plan "Marxist' was wnte doing imperialism's dirty work in urging SWAPO to neutralise Africa its army.

SITUCK

deep into Angola to destroy a key SWAPO camp at Kassinga housing Namibian retugees and guerrillas. Even the miserable capitula- teader the worst readershio. been enough for South Africa Overtly it has broken trom the iN ban because or olsaoree troop numbers and election dates. Registration However, it would seem that tears Ine apartned rectine SWAPO victory in uncontrolled that with a bourgeois even parliamentary government system. The have South SATrICanS made SWAPO's betrayals and equivo- cations Ene •uestion elections. voters has been foretarianised.

massive registration Aware that would

SWAPU

South refuse to participate sul traooed under recular sier e have contrived a situation pet political which its two and the DTA are TrONTS AKIUT assured of an electoral victory.

Both fronts have been receiv- ing massive Tinancial capitalist and bourgeois political Africa organisations The established a vast and extremely organisationa structure. throughout the country and a virtual monopoly ot the mass media remains. nowever inheritantly unstable formation Herero and coloured -both leaders rumoured contemplating a shift of allianc DTA to the Namibia Trom unt National Front, which overtly compromised by South African support. Early elections The dominant leader within

DTA,

Dirk Mudge, clearly the that denieves Ine way retain the allegiance of the key black by involving leaders • however illusorily, in the unem exercise of power With Aktur and the DTA early elections and oressine with the likelihood of a SWAPO in elections victory controner than itselt anyone otre South decided Atrica has now to fall back on its own plan The capitalist crisis makes it increasinov weakened imperialism reforms produce off heal struggle. So it turns more and more, to the repressive a reliance upon reactionary activities or its mos Page ? Castro's friend fails in Eritrea

EPLF

made "bafore called Addis Last month in What the "tactical retreats Fidel Castro and Ababa, invading army. of other the city of Karen was central to world Stalinism gathered this strategy of thi with their 'left' allies from sNorin-west cantal Asmara, Keren is a crucial town of African the leadership control military nationalist movements. western Eritrea Brought together by Colonel Repeated attacks have failed dislodge

EPLF

, and the the the Mengistu, 'celebrated They fourth anniversary ravolution-a revolu. to a halt. Ethiopian The the grip o port won now trozer the Derg's military dictatorship • encircled by Marcawa remains headed by Mengistu himself.

liberation forces, while While Castro led the Stalinist hymns praise Toodian orrensive nas cround 'socialism' this 'progressive' in Asmara. OT Mengistu's situation has clearly Bonapartist To:une armies were working strenothened the struggles of the uncle orders to massacre the Eritrean Eritrean people Tor cardeter the attacks of mination against revolution. Equipped with Soviet arms cloan colonialsm At the same time it has dealt and trained by Cuban and jets further blows against Mengistu's , the armies of the Derg 80 VISerS. probably the largest consolidate mobilised by any African state dictatorship. For all sophisticated they finally moved their In June. the forward mao •mens ve against Eritrean Liberation Derg entirely the Eritrean Popular composed of ill-trained peasants Front and from the seeking Liberation roll rapid But and increasing the colossal poverty advance into the areas defended starvation of rural Ethiopia soon checked, Mass demoralisation wide. • was the ELF and gathering the spread desertior cover the territories controllec agitation

TOI

CArS by the EPLF adding every day to the military problems created by Mengistu's As the ELF forces regroupec Migrant worker in Namibia launch guerrilla warfare, tha adventure into impersalistn organised and black units of the area-the South African govern.

army have been ment. Tormed inside Namidia political reliance These have been active on

SWAPO

soutn Arrica, responding to une the against strength of the forward move- A paratroop battalior (Com ment the oppressed masses- prised of whites from Namibia formed and recently been Stalinists and casts asice Tine the South trained o • Aircal offerings of reformists- paltry arThere are also strong indica- will that imperialism Meals inevitably any

STOD

snort tions of the emergence of right which might threaten the wing terror squads. stability of its key agent.

Accompanying this support Programme for South Africa is the equally and left rhetoric inevitdoic Now as the SWAPO leader- posturing of uwen and. young which, it i hoped, will disguise path o Shto sitners aione betrayal, the extreme right use politics cautional y the opportunity to organise and imperialism. internal Owen therefore went ITselT de dis Africa with other repres leaders who despite many years South 'armed struggle" left entatives or imperasm to orie pressure to hear on the soutr Africans to shelve their plans.

n te tace or Inis situation a clear defence of the oppressed masses must be fought for: Vague prospect *Root the armed struggle if SWAPO leader Nujoma Beneath this posturing what the oppressed masse: was intended was to provide the And while the imperialist developing workers' militia negotiated, the South African around smokescreen "continuine army and police continued their negotiations" to justify avoiding which the masses can campaign mobilised. Terror even nomina unlimited detain powers the cadres with support for UN sactions against *UsI whose •anyone military training South Africa. meetiniels actions were held "to promote workers defence squads as units imperialists returned I ne violence or intimidation" of that militia inside Namibia.

with taking hold elections accord Interid "NO nedotiations imperialism ing to the UN plan have been taced witn stepped up repression. *No secret diplomacy. Quite the opposite. But the This, coupled inside did cong roled ele prons at of *Councils o'

ACUO

political confusion sown by the controlled after Namibia to mobilise against Ine South African/imperialist plans.

African sponsored

SWAPU

Headershio mact the south internal SWAPO mobilisations *Fight ones which Will undoubtedly almost impossible put a reactionary government in programme ane control of Namibia transitional demands: Tribal guards Constituent Assembly This government. if it tails beth thal one to say the demolition of the •Ties to the equally willing play state apparatus While the SWAPO leadership Independent union and compounds its betrayals and 2) oThers--massive reactil repression connives with workers committees DA can confidently 3) Nationalise multi. querrillas in STates to assume that maior investors wil nationals without compensa check, the South African ignore and evade any authorities continue to pick off tion WorKers sanctions call). key SWAPO leaders ment possibility of 4) Committees peasants But the if SWAPO militants indeed succeed in breaking the conser- workers-land tinuing negotiations is enougr ane accuud Owen to continue denying leadership stranglehold to the peasants and agricultural vative the need for any action workers Smash reactionary ano ste uo cuerrud delivities fi Africa should surprise

DOU LE

„noone tridal ruse structures aid requires is that the prospect of systematic of "MaXImuM materia UN elections delayed until from international labour did not Britain remove start. movement. (ir There "internal" control over Black tribal guards loyal to Owen, imperialism's left-talking Namibia. errand boy). the NTA leaders have heen re.

Right wing plans upset as Mathers upholds union Page 4 The long running efforts of right wingers

TGWU

Oxford in the District and Midlands Regional Committee to establish a right wing

TGWU

dominated Leyland's branch in Cowley Assembly Plant further have met a setback. For the right wing such a envisaged as a means of hopefully isolating the militants in the factory and as a base from which to launch renewed attacks on them. Now, following strong from TGWU Teoresentarou in the Assembly branches Plant and the shop stewards' Midlands Regional Secretary Regional Brian Mathers ruled that clause 20A of the TGWU book-giving members 1uIc transfer trom branch one anolnel- must apply. Series of events Behind this

SOCIRC

"nocuous an unecessar rulng nes a series or events connected completely with the witch-hunting moves against the Cowley 9. The right wing knew full well that before moving to expel and ban leading stewards through militant the union's discipline proce- dure it was necessary first to destroy the

TGWU

main Assembly branch Plant-the 5/293. Alan Thornett-who was recommended for to be expulsion from the union- had been elected chairman of this branch as long ago as December 1975. The right wing plans can be traced back to the autumn of 1976, when the then right wing convenor of the Assembly Plant, Reg and District Secre- Parsons, tary David Buckle arranged "check-off" system for the payment of union subscrip- tions. Programmed The new system meant that pay roll deductions were programmed into the company computer. later, in Nearly Auguiry Into a Regional HuzUSL into four victim- Isea snop stewards on me plant authorised the creation of a new

TGWU

branch, designed to destroy the 5/293 Branch. This was the second time within the space of three years that such bureaucratic The founding meeting of the 5/837 branch, held in the works canteen rulebook moves against branch organ- branch being set up a total isation within the plant had 300 members made taken place. written application to trans- 5/293 Huge problems DaCK

HOLO

Lne branch, claiming either that But this time the right they had been switched over without their knowledge or wing encountered huge problems from the start. on false pretences. All of these applications A mass meeting called to were refused! endorse the move broke up the situation disorder when Parsons

ALS

simmered, members Mathers some refused to allow a vote once it was clear that it would go recently reached the point computer. Management of threatening strike action then against the platform. if management continued to revealed that they had an Despite this setback support Buckle and blocked agreement signed by Buckle Buckle and Parsons went their which transter promised fully ahead sel up tne new subscriptions on the indemnity the company branch-with huge backing from Leyland management. hand right

PRESS GANG

DICKCO

shop stewards-sup- wing porters of the new branch- were released from their jobs on full pay for three months member on the and attemot to browbeat them into joining the new branch-the 5/837.

Drop outs on the rise But even this massively failed expensive exercise miserably. It did not even achieve the minimum objec- of the right make wing-to 5/837 the the majority branch on the plant. The refusal of Soviet Refused to transfer authorities to allow Jews to leave and go to Israel has Only 1,900 of the 4,700 numbers wro do not in fact ge

TGWU

the to Israel is growing members provided the capitalist press factory The joined. rest with one if its riches sources " nis rebort-unrecoroeo ov a majority of the capitalist press refused to transfer out of anti-Soviet propaganda.

in Britain-was published in nine led 5/293 left-wing the The 'human rights' campaign paraordoms branch. such great humanists Daily el graph on far smalled Buckle then made Jimmy Carter and David Owen- that page smaller further desperate move, oraise or condemn oiood importance than c artice on which made the importance shed depending on which way it the economic problems of of check-off system is flowing-has : often quoted the the Siberia case of Soviet Jews clear. cvnical attitude to the

ITS

exampie of the 'moral inferior- Jews seeking to leave the Soviet He instructed Ill class ity' of the Soviet Union.

Union would have been front ment not to switch union page news and merited pompous suos payments on the com• Poor second eartorials nao ine country from one branch to puter question been a workers' state another without personal rather than Israe But the press, Carter and authorisation from himself.

studiously lookec owen have He hoped that this, the other way this week as the Israels considerine two mover Zionist state of Israel against Soviet Jews refered to as together made with the oressure 'drop outs' exerted on new members by crvstar clear that tor men ne 'human rights' of Soviet Jews "The first would be to arani would Parsons, guarantee second to the Israeli citizenship to all Russian the survival of the new right a pool Jews as soon as they arrive in strenotnenine or new state wing creation. Israel planning to stop vienna. Jews in the Soviet Union from tion point outside the Soviet False pretences Union. using Israeli entrv permits as method of leaving the Soviet This would deprive them of Effectively it meant that Union when they no the persons' any member intention of ever going to Israel and of the privilege of obtaining could transier from the 5/293 to the entry A staggering or or inose a mosT Immediate v who leave the Soviet Union with permits to the United States 5/837-but that all applica- granted to such persons Israeli entry permits go tions to reverse the process America elsewniere sue second stew is even more were refused. according Arye drastic. Relatives of 'drop outs' DUIZIn Within weeks of the new Agency would be denied entry permits Jewish SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday I Vorember is : Region 5 snubs Buckle Officials of TGWU Region have been pressed into a response to mounting calls for the removal of Oxford District Secretary David Buckle from his present BL's responsibility for Cowley Assembly Plant. Two of the three TGWU branches the plant- representing a clear majority of members-and the TGWU shop stewards committee (which voted 150-3 for the replacement of Buckle) had damages they against any might suffer through strikes arising from their operation of the check-off system! Untenable Mathers' decision last week to pull back trom such an untenable position and uphold the union's rule means that the

DOOK

built-in advantage given ly Buckle to the 5/837 branch he created at such labour and company Every TGWU member in the Assembly Plant now has the right choose which branch he or she will be in.

The coming months will show how workers remain the

CHOOSE

witchhunters' branch-the 5/837. by Israel achieving Unu precisely what Israel and numan supposed enforced against-the residence in the Soviet Union of relative of thosedyho have left Telegraph Brad This step might reports considered 'somewhat cruel' Israeli said, because , sources would brevent many Jews Trom leaving Russia in the first place.

"But it has been shown of the relatives 01 'drop

MOST

themselves become 'drop OUtS outs." "Needed immigrants" Israeli said the country was losing "thousands of needed immigrants" Needed for what? Well for one Tnino. ensure Inat ine Palestinians are never permittec to return to their own land, that cionist expansion can continue and that regime built 55. and racism supported imperialism can tram ole very lives-let alone the 'human rights'-of the Palestinians the Palestinians- But then Israel -lose their 'human rights at the same moment they decline interests imperialism and Zionism. revealed his isolation from the membership. And his relentless witch- hunting campaign against the elected leadership of the plant means that nine lead- ing stewards, including three deputy and the

TGWU

himself conveno. still face trumped-up disci- plinary charges with recom- mendations that some be banned from office for ite or expelled from the union.

week a meeling last with Regional Secretary Brian Mathers and Regional Arthur Davis Chairman officers of the two branches -5/293 and ›/>-accom panied by Assembly Plant Bob Hrvet totice this to be draised il told "Divisional to Oxford. official concerned The Coventry will, be District Secretary Bill Lapworth. His terms of reference will be to "resolve the problems in the Oxford area' The refusal of Regional officials. to give uncondi tional support Buckle's conduct over the last period and the introduction of new official who will become Buckle's senior, will be widely recognised as blow to nis autnonly Remand prisoners scandal- for The Association Legal Justice is to raise with Amnesty International and the European Court of Human Rights the growing scandal of remand prisoners in Northern Ireland There are currently mOrt than 600 remand prisoners awaiting alone has at least 40 clients citoo trial have been more man month.

on remand To be held on remand for 18 MOrE unal montus " unusual-and man, John one recently completed 2 vears of tail without trial These remand policies are effectively a back-door restora tion of internment This is a truly scandalou: situation," said the Association when it is consider. especially by civuised considera tions resumed pricent one case prisoner must has properly come to a tair trial "an wishing ds of prison or are languishing prison man months and even vears denied the opportunity of proving their innocence demand that It went on lo the these prisoners given opportunity tria released for Imcalately lack of evidence. The British move. laoout ment bears a heavy responsibil- ity struggle military repression in Ireland It is Labour minister Mason, backed by the entire Callaghan leadership who is at the fore army police the maltreatment prisoners jailed for their struggle Every union branch Every union and Labour Party must pressed to send a strong delegation I on with trish Prison is of arity with Prisoners oranised by the ruisoners Alo Committee on November 26 This support must be linked to a campaigr for the immediate movemeni withdrawal of troop from Ireland, the removal of torture chief Masol alone wIt reactionary Callaghan cabinet The march assembles nat 2.30 p.m. and wit Hyde Park march to clerkerwel Green.

BENN WOWS THE U.S. REPUBLICANS

"TOO BUSY" TO FIGHT CRIME

Jellyfish meet the mad axeman Just picture the scene sive policy. at last week's encounter They didn't ask for much Labour's between - a nint or a wealtn tax or National Executive and an animal wellare bul would flave Jim Callaghan. smiling. The re elected But Callaghan newly NEC. sporting a couple of gang were not only adamant shining new turned -they were arrogant: they up at 10, Downing Street.

Far insulting. from building up the 'left' image Arrogant of the NEC, they shot it full They of holes. hoping were desperately Callaghan concessions on the 5% pay limit; workers really would ofter them something Election the General like it, Callaghan declared.

manifesto that could No concessions on unem- claimed to represent if not a ployment-it fallen to has 1½ socialist, at least a progres- only already, minon PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report Callaghan -where police have never Red faces could be seen under blue helmets Decl anti-fascist mobilisations, as the news spread of which thousands of police the controversial speech willingly sacrifice weekend ten days ago, by former leave to give lavish protec- tion to handfuls of National Metropolitan police Front thugs, should be able commissioner Sir answer question at Robert Mark. once. He blew the gaff on the old Computer fairy story police force exists primarily The new police computer as some kind of benevolent which only "fight crime" and force (LO handful of files will relate help the "public" to criminals, but 1¼ million The belief that the state files will be Special Branch even wishes to- dossiers on trade union and protect people from left wing militants, burglary and theft should be gives us a fair clue. abandoned, said Mark. Why? Because "inade- Trained thugs quate numbers" of police The top priority for the more Nave police, the over-paid demanding priorities, declared Mark. armed repressive force "Responsibility for safe- the capitalist state is what it guarding property must now has always been-the main- of the rest with the individual," he tenance capitalsi system, and control of the wolil ul What "more working class. these Labour demanding priorities" which The leaders, the creation of prevent the "crime fighters" supervising fighting crime? the special Patrol Group as specialised squad of Lavish protection trained thugs for use against picket lines, know this full regular Well But it attenders at the Grunwick bad public or other strike picket lines relations form for Mark to PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL announced side-kick Denis Healev Not even the Lucas Aero.- space stewards' reformist 'Left' new boy Neil Kinnock plan to switch irom arms peaceful You can well imagine the Droducaon products got off to a hear- pink colour draining from Eric ing, henchman scrubbed of as faces Lnt Varley brushed it aside. Labour's timid 'lefts Then things really got the nervous silence nasty for the 'lefts'. someone anxiously clearing Callaghan announced his throat ...how embaras- that he was pressing ahead sing! New Dennis Skinner, the "Bolsover Bol.

to an election on his pack- class shevik" anti-working , apparently lost his policies, and if the

NEC

usually nimble tongue. This change them, wasn't what he expected at wanted all! then they had to remove him from office! Callaghan went on to Speaking to a congenial Not much here for those audience of US Republican of Party supporters-some 74. when Benn was portraved as whom no doubt make even some form of red terror by a Callaghan seem left wing- largely cynical capitalist press cabinet left' Tony Benn last seeking whip to Hysteric week spelled out his vision among ory voters As architect of the unsuc- of 'socialism'. cessful to shelve discus- move Eulogy sion of the 5% pay policy at the Labour conference, Benn now seldom bothers to pose as a Matching the diehard anti- lett'. communism

MIS

listeners point-for-point he launched into Labour's class eulogy Collaboration conaborationisT industry. "Democratic socialism," he "which Falling short of even the declared comone direct public investment Clause 4 parliamentary ine o1 and expanded public socialism through nationalisa- with only selt manage. tion, Benn now proposes ment, does otter a real prospect more avance•torms or cass resolving the present dead. collaboration and state aid for lock protecting personal capitalist industry. And his empty cant about wecom. go blurting out the facts so some trouble to dissociate Mark's com- openly. himself from when the new Metro- ments. politan Commissioner, Sir To listen one to nim. David McNee was invited to might almost think that the speak to the Police Federa- police side! on our tion last week, he Of course the police care,

LABOUR

PARTY

that those 'opponents' who refused to take up such a fight should take a running jump. Highlighted None of them seem to have taken up this lefts' invitation. But the Callaghan refusal to fight has now been highlighted twice in only a lew weeks last Monday and once in the pre-conference

NEC

meeting where 'Jim' threatened to resign if they pressed ahead with • oppos ition to the 5% pay limit.

"democracy" and persona freedom" must be seen in the of his context cabinet respon-

TOI

Ene governments policies which attack both: the vicious military repression Ireland; the Nortner Ust

SPG

Dicket-ousting thug Grunwick and elsewhere: the so-called 'Prevention of Terrorism Criminal Tresspass Law; the bans labour movement demonstrations in _oncon and Leeds; and-notwithstanding his Nazi League--the police massive protection of the fascists when.

ever and wherever they march indeed benn's stand "democracy" does not even reach as far as the Labour Party

NEU

When he declared last Monday that he had received no official intormation proposed European and want to preserve their "special relationship" with London's public, 110 announced. "People's police" "We, went on this persis- people's are the police, tent advocate of extended police powers including the power to detain "suspects" for up to 72 hours without charge, the power enforce mass fingerprinting and a drastic extension of the right to search. But Mark has spilled the beans. These powers — illegally already used by police every day-are only incidentally for use against criminals. They are also extremely carrying vauadle their "other and more priorities": demanding the harassment and intimidation of the working class, and in unemployed, the black and Asian com- munities and the youth. workers' A government would make a priority of disbanding ponce which is no more than a reactionary and corrupt crew of professional scabs, finks, narks, anti-commun- ists and fascists. Labour Party mem cers should take note of such They invariably collapses. when

OCCUI

a stand needed The collapses give the full measure of the real fighting capacity these self-styled "socialist opponents of Callaghan And workers should also take of Callaghan's note advice which struck such a chill into the hearts oi the NEC-the way OnIV his policies cereal 15 t0 remove him. The campaign should slail fizill away System, and that, as a result he Telt aole to air nis views on wha he thought it was all about, he was abruptly told by Callaghan that he must be prepared to to cabinet Ine o тасе • ТЛІ consequences" There are no reports as Benn's post Energy Secretary has not yet become vacant. Bumper year for bosses While you were slogging your guts out and watching living your standards plummet last year, it might have been some compensa- tion to know that the exec- utives of your firm weTt coining it in hand over fist.

Their living standards went up over 8% last year-excluding the increasing numbers of com cars. bonuses. tree insur Sneed heres hoot unde 'perks' out to aoage ine iniro pnase of wage controls The bosses got all those a as well At least 67% of business executives now have company cars That explains the why motorways now throng with creamine new and Granadas the HP payments on which are virtually a week's wages, while ordinary wade packets are stretched to maintain modest family cars.

These are the "top" people of course, the ones who super vise the imposition of speed up and mass sackings; who send t statements debionine strikes.

absenteeism, and workers' legiti.

mate pay demands At least they are doing al right fer tail, velve all this sacri After all, with ficing going on, somebody must be better off! Those interested to know more might like to purchase a the ot Inbucor salary this and survev containino all further information. But you'd need salary executive's an aTto• it-cooles are tou each t

THE FIGHT FOR

Page 6 socialist planned economy is not a pipe for wide eyed dream idealists, nor is it a base- less abstract theory. Over the last 200 years the develop- corrudulclory *tree enter prise" capitalism has led to the emergence monopoly multinational and corporations, immense banking and insurance con- glomerates, whose efforts at centralised, muceralcu planning of production and investment offer. workers a made starting point for the application and socialist development management. The obstacle ThaT prevents the advanced tech- nology, the gigantic produc- tive forces and these massive of concentrations capital wealth from being

VETITSCO

for the benefit of the popu- lation as a whole is the fact that they remain shackled ownership and to private harnessed to the drive for proll

A SOCIALIST

PLANNED

ECONOMY

As a result, as previous socialisation of production; articles nationalisation it, so to speak, drags the on capitalists, against their will have shown, WHole SCCEOis of industry are producing and consciousness, into below capacity and laying of a new social some sort off at a time of transitional

WINGIN

orael, want and from complete free word-wide and poverty, petition to complete social- ass uncle ployment. isation. "Production becomes Enrich but social, appropriation The social remains private. of The expropriation means of production remain such burgeoning multi- the private property of national giants as Unlever. few. The general framework Shell, Courtaulds, Lucas or of formally recognised free ICI would offer workers the but competition remains, opportunity to step almost the yoke of a few mono at once into the control of rest of the polists on the which, if productive population becomes TOrCes set free from the narrow hundred times heavier, more constraints of capitalist and burdensome profitability, could intolerable" dramatically such technical improve Indeed lives of millions changes and canca une plannec of families throughout the production techniques that the monopolies now intro-

WOTIO

Lenin wrote in Imperial- not to benefit ism, The Highest Stage of the working class but Capitalism: further and through workers "Capitalism in its imper- speed up and redundancies.

ialist stage leads right up to The emergence of mono- poly capital flows out of the the most comprehensive ‚enin took up Marx's concept of demands that lead beyond workers' immediate struggles system of free competition.

individual As PACi employer fought against his rivals for a greater share of the unplanned free market, he found himself driven to introduce the latest, most advanced technical innova- tions in a bid to cheapen

CATS

commoulties dealist those of his rivals. Unable to compete As this process escalated, and production techniques became increasingly sophis- ticated and expensive, new would-be producers found unable to set ur tuensseves sufficient scale on with the compete established firms; and indiv- idual firms began to band together through mergers or take-overs in order finance new techniques and economies of scale that would strengthen their hand against their opponents. Power of banks This same process can be traced through in any of the major industries-whether it construction or chemicals.

another aspect of the growing scale of investment maintain to necessary profitable production is the rising power and size of the banks, ana ten intercon nection with inaustilal capital. industrial concerns have grown and developed with the expan- of the productive

STOL

forces, the banks, initially merely the middle- man in money transactions.

have taken on an enormous- ly increased significance as the creditors all firms large and small The banks are now the which mechanism

LOURT

the small deposits of a host of individuals are channelled into the productive process through loans and invest- ment. Powerful monopolies Again Lenin as long ago highlighted 1910 process which has galloped ahead still further since then "As banking develops and becomes concentrated in a small number of estab- lishments, the banks grow SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 1 November 1978 Shipyard workers vote for strike action: nationalisation unde dence" and self-help-form from humble middlemen powerful monopolies no more than into raw material for exploitation in their command having the whole of the the drive to accumulate almost capital. capital of al and small Nor, of course, is this capitalists antagonism between capital and also the

DISCONNCI

larger part of the means of labour and in any way and of the abolished by the interven- production sources of raw materials of tion of the state-whether through shareholdings the given country and in a number of countries. loans in ailing firms (as ll of National case the Tne "Single capitalist" Enterprise Board), "nationalisation" through The concentration of sections of industry capital in the • banks means which cannot be operated shows Lenin, that scattered profitably under private capitalists ате Transommer ownership into single collective instances the In these capitalist" which then state machinery created by presides over and supervises the capitalist class in the the subsequent development furtherance of its interests and rationalisation acts very much like a bigger- industry. than-ever bank: it siphons According to the off money through taxes on bankers' judgement of pros- individual workers, small profits losses, pective businesses and larger and tactories, other sections of monopoly sections of industry can find capital; and it channels that themselves either stimulated into financing the money with new investment rationalisation and modern summarily shut down As isation of industries which Lenin points out, the • otherwise might fail bankers: obtain the oppor- Integral part of their tunity-by means Whole sections of British banking connections, industry have now been current accounts and otner dealt with in this fashion financial operations-first, unable to compete against ascertain exactly TInE high technology rival firms financial position of the in Germany, Japan and else capitalists, then to where control them, to influence "nationalising" them by Even in restricting industries, however, capital- enlarging, rachilating hindering and ism takes care to ensure that credits, the new concern remains an finally entirely determine integral part of the system incorate petee the ther determine their through which the private income, bosses accumulate profit.

capital, or permit them to Often the old capitalist increase their capital rapidly and ownels stay on as managers Sometimes they dimensions.' replaced with new capitalist There no business are secrets, therefore, the the world of business-only never al C workers allowed access to secrets withheld from the the full books and accounts; working class never are they allowed to control or to manage the Handful "nationalised' firm newv or a full insight into the was And of course while the banking system is an enor- prontadit suppliers private and mously powerful control mechanism for the economy Contiallois But if workers in the as a whole, it remains firmly dedicated to the interests of avancer Callars countries find every aspect the capitalist class, which of their lives determined by owns, operates and is in turn governed by it the decisions of bankers and While a few enormously топоро! industrialists, this is even firms wealtny and true of millions of banks finance houses workers colonial and hold the key possible 1n underdeveloped future full employment, and who find themselves subjec- they in turn are controlled ted to imperialist exploita- ov a handtul of extremelt capitalists, the tion. wealths by finance working search class propertyless class of society capital for the highest rate and the middle class-for all of return on Investmell "indepen- and the search of manu- its delusions of

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 1 November 1978 PHOTO: Ray Smith, IFL capitalism offers no relief from exploitation facturing industry for the its teeth the system of raw cheapesi souICes have forced the less materials. festo, Marx Engels bourgeoisie and Lne maor industrial nations to direct fight considerable portions of "ine of the their domestic wealth into of the immediate for the expropriation And capitalist both in Asian, or Latin of they also itself only oppressed future that but the of sweated ment." source the power and Inter- every natural wealln, privileges by the on natonal. of Russian gains midst of international warped no peless this way: "The revolutionary of character the present Manu illusion of that an Act epoch Parliament would be modest depen- granted, conditions working payments this to imperialist Stalinists and that capitalist capit- the most demands has led for alism grows into fight countless wars to national 'Theses on

"STO

Tactics', of the as whole. Fourth the imperialist of the gesture of ill-gotten share and world wars. liberate productive Alter bridge present open une cocainsi ialists. seemed restored. beneath the not profit. tion. should of stemming capital continued "boom", the and than workers offering the unalterably ing pIous words leading to con-

TIME

clusion: conquest future. Now, ine latest Unlike But union ists of International militancy who have economic that nOW plagues inter- fighting transitional

LI PLOVE

SIO]

"unity" i other For the jobs, living the Revolu- like the class, _LO become the -the of state powel, devance Conscious Icos major of the class the Workers lalist even a NUiT We erated states- the remains very real, organise struggles of the working vanguard of the for transitional Cass capitalism in demands draw out Clas interests of that workers power the working undertake the class, the class could be nells, and al lne employers, same time it menacingly collaboration of its show the shows and desperately uses traditional and connector direct in sional fact and demand- work the workforce, without the pay. ation, onder Ine abstraction sity Indeed, preparation for full-scale capitalist further the jobs. In to order books call for threatened workforce- 10 Dre VelL owners, would be to works business with to determine order to the of the actual national the deals and swindles and banks the to reveal to control Over is the result of capitalist anarchy the naked Banks, like manufacturing industry, have been driven towards monopoly then this the price compensa- then the healthy necessily for do not we workers write letters its sale a campaigr : time the drawing up public could be the demands to impose Page 7 frightened "leaders" from such pull demands, workers exposed the practice ne a new leader- sh at for their And monopoly ca on jobs and living escalate, workers' struggles ed eac councils of ac delegates from labour move- of action- gth as the gr develops- wi arena in wl of leader- t out of action struggle against nocked successive attacks begin to exercise increasing control over production, transport and public services in each area. thev will emerge as a rival source of power to the capitalist state. Not automatic An unstable situation of 'dual power" wul arise, which the revolutionary party will have the task of preparing the ana leading working class in the struggle for the overthrow of capit- alism, the destruction of its repressive state machine, the establishment of the dictatorship of the prolet- ariat and a planned, socialist From wages struggles to such a level of struggle 1 not an automatic evolution.

In the fight, day in and day out, for the demands of the Trotskyist programme, the Workers Socialist League is thus opening the door Iron trade union militancy to the struggle for socialist revol- ution. By John Lister

Page 5

TROTSKY'S

MURDERER

DIES IN

HAVANA

Last week Havana police later factually corrobor- Mercader died of Ramon aeo i rotsky s testament.

He concluded the document cancer of the bone. with a recognition that his death Thirty years ago both wa. Mercader imperialism and Stalinism: Covoacan vexico. was the man who smashed an "In a reactionary epoch such Trotsky's ice-pick revolutionist OUtS compelled to skull as ine murderous cinnan lu swim daainst tue Stalin's campaign to physically stream. I am doing this to the liquidate all who stood for the best of my ability. of world defence of the October Revolu pressure "her tion against its bureaucratic has expressed itself degeneration. perhaps most implacably within Russia as the person are ane leader those close to me". and outside Russia in the years Even wrote this, ano as ne of exile after 1929, Trotsky had Time exnaustive study . keot uninterruoted Comintern and the GrU Ine exposure and principled attack assassin was finalising on every aspect of the growth of his plans to silence Trotsky for ever oralinisin He had fought relentlessly Ramon Mercader had first for the revolutionary heritage of appeared on the scene in July ano Lenin uncomero- 1939, arriving as the trieno and misingly flying the banner lover of Sylvia Ageloff, an who had proletarian Trotskyist American attended Goose comone vorces ol The Stalinism, fascism and conference of the Fourth Inter- imperialism. natiolidi August 1936 through ГТОМ Mercader dose• as an deent of an oil company with business to 1938 Trotsky was tried in nis absence carefully stage- in Mexico City. managed Moscow Trials. out the role of a non-political fringe character for Framed and murdered while, showing Trotsky's Interest VISItIng fortified house but happy to do of Old UnToId numocks small favours for Trotsky's Bolsheviks and shades friends. oppositionists were framed and the name assumed He muracred. Jacques Mornard and claimed to Trotsky was sentenced be Belgian. death in his absence and the In fact he was the son of GPU were ordered to carry out Caridad Mercader, Spanish the execution. Stalinist known for her connec Before this took place, eight with the GPU during the of Trotsky's personal secretaries

TOMS

Civil War. were mureered. SOn Leon complicate matters Sedov was poisoned in a Paris arrived in Mexico further he clinic and several figures with a Canadian passport in the and So bels name of Frank Jacson, saying friends were cunned that this simply a ploy was to simply disappeared. Oniy months before avoid mititary service Belgium. Mercader finally carried out the assassination, brutal Cementing links GU's most survived had kill him determined attempt to He remained in Mexico after when Stainist Ageloff returned to New York raided the house in Coyoacan the morning of and began a gradual process cementing links with the May 24, 1940. helping Trotsky household by Over 200 bullets were out Trotskv's close friends the the house by a

¡ALO

Rosmers when Alfred Rosmer gang of GPU agents and accom- fell ill. from the Mexican Com- plices it is quite

SATI

ThIs stade munist Party. possible that he was merel Trotsky's acting under orders to help plan Sheldon Harte, who had been • assault on the night guard at the gate disappear ariel от M c WiTA aracker. When that attack failed found months later buried in a Jacson-Mornard-Mercader lime pit with bullet holes in the in the lynch-pin became Ine nece GPU's strategy for murder.

days after the raid he Grimly exultant first, his very arraneed himself "innocent" Trotsky cetence• meetino Will when Harte's reputation but the trus Trotsky he came to drive the Rosmers incident remain Coyoacan TaCTS

THIS

to Vera Cruz to board ship for shrouded in mystery. himself was grimly Europe. Trotsky over the GPU's failure to Seva, He gave a glider exultant who was and he immediately produced arandson. the damning pamphlet "Stalin still limping from ithe role of which one of eraders out stadis wound inflicted by Seeks My Death mercilessly exposed the GPU and the Mexican CP.

accomplices. After initially seeing the raid For the next four months as a "put-up job" the Mexican travelled back and Mercader forth between Mexico and New york.

DOTH

With ano without Sylvia Ageloff. The carefully kept records of Coyoacan Tne nouse that he visited ten times, and of these only saw Trotsky on two or three occasions. Ageloff had sidea With and Schachtman on Burnham of the nature OT the question the Soviet state in the split with American

SWP,

the largest the Inter- Fourth sectior Ente national, but was sne Still welcome at Trotsky's table.

On one occasion Mercader let it be known that he opposec Aael ott ano ine state capitalists and on the 17 August appeared at the house with an article he claimed nave attacking Schachtman's positions: her "Life and Death of Leon Trotsky"' his wife, Natalia, that Trotsky had begun records "Jacson' suspiciou. and his suspicions were compounded confused by the amateurish nature the article. When Mercader reappeared on 20 August having rewritten article Trotsky agreed to check it grudgingly over As Trotsky read over the Mercader artice in nis study. drew out an ice-pick ano "closing my brought eyes, down on his head with ait my strength" spasm of violent Trotsky, his skull reaction seated and cord too feet fought Ical nis assassin desperatery He hurled anything he could get his hands on and then threw himself at Mercader, biting and punching GPU agent shocked that he could not even another blow or use strike revolver dagger nad brought with him. rushed in and cudie. clubbed Mercacer

INE

ground as Trotsky was helped 22 Natalia. He died hours later WITn splinters of bone embedded in nis orain. was Mercade dovious! picked by the GPU for his task trial and Throughout 20 Intouenoul

MIS

imprisonment MexIco stuck to his flimsy cover story conclusively vva. Ine bour geois authorities and media.

He stated at one point that talk he would nevel even you cut my skin off inch by inch" On his release Mercader was smuggled by _Into the Stalinists and from there travelled to Prague. moved -ventually he Moscow. As cancer of the bone set in he returned to Havana, where ne oleo last week at tne age of 64. All that has been pieced wretched together of the existence or tois patnetic tool o1 Stalinism reveals a blood-stained career ot • benetration

INTO

Trotskyist movement

GPU

links are through Caridad Mercader thugs implicated Stalinist murder Trotsky's every secretaries and associates.

Fresh air The was given ine Stalin her Order of Lenin by son was given the Order of Hero of the Soviet Union. in 1940 Trotsky had Cartici . written his Testament and it comes as a gulp of fresh air to to this document after return dwelling on the vile perversions of Stalinist degeneration.

Against Revolution Trotsky Mercader principle Here Trotsky declares: _need tor a reconstructed Fourth Interna ve en revolutonay tional based on the Transitional fought Programme. The that ice-pick •annel Trotsky's life is a symbol of the • shall die a proletarian Marxist, and counter-revolutionar

TOTC

represented by Stalinism in all materialist, alaiccucal its forms. consequently reconcuable athmmunist future of mankin the faith The central task of a recon structed Fourth internationa develop full araent theoretical analysis of Stalinism firmer today, than it was in the days of my youth." • t mas deverobe in me dost war period as a guide Testament he also to the action needed revolutionary a nev revolution ary generation will rehabilitate • it once and tor all anc destroy the political honour" of himself the word revelery nary parties world revolutionary parties assassination squads lear Ine worKIng cids. Workers forward to socialism and com- The Socialist Leave Stones 'Communists' The key book in attempting to understand the role of post-war Stalinism. Includes Tim Wohlforth's little-known booklet The Theory of Structural Assimilation. 166pp, £1.75 plus 20p post and packing, from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

The great 'price control' SOCIALIST PRESS, Heinesial i Vorember 19:8

A NON-

MARXIST

LOOKS AT

MUTINY

"Mutinies: 1917-1920", a Solidarity Ernie Stubbins reviews pamphlet by Dave Lamb. This is a deeply anti- Marxist pamphlet which Емля revolutionary Marxists will find of considerable interest. Manifestations of class consciousness within Ine machinery of the state will always be of great interest us,

DUI

LINC

machinery of state operates to obscure the history of such manifestations. Excavating This point is also made Anthony Wedgewood by Russian workers crowd outside the Duma Benn, a leading participant the the machinery in involved, between developments bourgeois state, in the tore- the forces and the offensives both cases Marxists word to a recent Spokesman by the civilian would seek relationships being laken pamphlet the Soldiers' Revolt of 1795. Dave Lamb has done us a service therefore by excava- ting what material he can on series of mutinies in the during

LOICES

period of history crucial to the working class. Since the Labour Party conference over- fraud whelmingly threw out Callaghan's 5% pay limit efforts to derail the wages struggle have PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL been going on both in inflation"-while public and behind sate for have been locked doors. workers warts consciously lag made The ideas bandied behind the rise in the cost all around have been of living. unacceptable-but one com- Substituting price mon thread running through controls for tree wage bar- many of them is the idea of gaining also has the effect of price substlluling

CORETOS

taking the defence of work- for adequate wage increases.

ing class living standards out There more of the hands of the workers than the obvious manoeuvre would tnemseives —wilo of using talk of prices to obtain a strictly regulated draw in the TUC to contin- increase forced to watch, as helpless ane lnen ued talks on wage controls, very concept 1 ne while platoons spectators, down Benn-a participant in the holding prices of "special case" employers machinery of the state designed weaken the troop up to the price com- This must have been a wares suruggle mission to claim thumping distateful singularly task, "Cost cutting" uncicasco. necessitating as it did pro- Workers' living standards price controls longed sifting of memoirs, Imposing cannot be defended through the employers diaries and wond price controls. of transform their drive the Even if prices were to be

OUL DOULLNES

towards bigger profits into a officer caste of controlled elected privileged by unadulterated World War I. pure, workers' committees-which their work- The value of this pamph- onslaught or is certainly not proposed!- the the dedication force let the private ownership of tes Lamb has through speed-up and with which manutacturing and retalling rationalisation. carried out this task. that price industry means This is what they mean merely restrictions by "cost-cutting". Weakness reflected increasta Also implicit in particular evary exploitation crippling The weakness form of price controls under sections of workers. of the work flows from the capitalism is the notion of a libertarian, "fair" Sliding scale profit the antl-Marxist

TO WAICA

view that Lamb takes of the employer somehow a "fair" level The only policy that can history of the working class.

entitled, of this defend living standards Lamb, exploitation work- the end of force. one that directs workers to mutinies keep War This has already been the ensuring that wages just during three years within US of pace with inflation. resistance the case This fight for means a forces to the Vietnam war, the social contract in which every sector of industry has the sliding wages, are no more than responses scale or which every wage to the immediate conditions been able to obtain massive under price increases to "compen- would include experienced by the troops Contract working class. In the 1917-1920 period, the central fact in the con- world SCIOUSneSs the proletariat bolsdenk revolunon Mutinous incidents In British civilian life the Trades Councils mounted an enormous campaign against efforts Government the emerging attack Bolshevik state and found responses among the armed forces. In the navy there was a series of mutinous incidents ordered when ships were against the Russians. occurred Similar events the sections allll y of living clause, cost automatic providing increases in line with working class cost of living index, computed by elected committees trade OI unionists and housewives.

The experience of three years of controls has that substantial meant sections WorKers nave the this year written demand for a cost-of-living clause into their pay claims.

This is true, for instance, of the Ford claim, where 11 included the was on prompting of TGWU leader Moss Evans. Yet these demands are PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report A soldiers' committee formed by the Russian forces at the front during World War 1 sent into Russian territory.

1919, men In February of the Yorkshire Regiment refused to march against The mutiny Seletskoe. rapidly into the spread French Battalion Archangel. By June the Hampshire Regiment refusing wa. give battle at Dvina, and in Slavo-British July the Legion mutinied, killing officers. Deserted A number of mutineers actually deserted the noshenk sue Dure int autumn of 1919 the British troops were Wiltidiawn. The for an enoence now being dropped left and right by union bureaucrats layo sellous intention of fighting for the defence workers lving standards. sections of And many the bureaucracy Stalinists of including the Party remain implacably opposed to such a demand, because towards indepen- dent working class action to defend wages against inflation. Moss Evans, falling back from the brave words which hailed the start of the Ford strike, has now become a of leading controls, and tried to forget cost-of-living his talk of Causes But now is the time for of workers these secons whose claims are nol yel finalised fight most _LU Page y element of emerging class consciousness is not always muti- as strong as in inose nies directed against the war in Russia Nonetheless, the history does presents which Lamb significant develop- show d ment

ITOM

protests against the appalling … conel tions and corrupt officers in events of the 1917-18 ine a more clearly period to class-conscious opposition to the efforts to destroy the Bolshevik revolution 1919-20. This is an important and inadequately-known aspect of the history of the British working class For its Lamb's pamphiet

SCIOUS

provides a starting point.

Evans strongly for the inclusion of and cost of ilving ciauses, those already wnc demanded them insist their leaders fight that win them. At time the demand must be raised for immediate treacherous back-stage talks taking place between now TUC leaders and Callaghan.

enour conterence dererates

INDUSTRIAL

The true face of BL The and its plan for its from 3 December. workforce shine through in proposals to close the entire AEC In order factory, Southall, in the producton in early 1980s and make decrease to make the 2,500 workers change redundant. practices" Lobby calls for action Brothers Shorter and sabotage Abrahams support the lobby. were weicome The Garners visitors to the picket lines late on Friday slack night. period. pre-Regional Commit- students picket stroke by Regional the Let i Organiser and the TGWU Cater- Argylle St. ing Officer served two purposes.

lunchtime. One was to allay picketing criticisms increasingly be raised at the Regional Christmas shopping season starts

IOOD

Ene Tuesday about committee ano their failure to picket; needed. the other was vain hope scabs unal Ine! would find violently to effective picketing, and pickets could use this as grounds for and last Tuesday lunchtime ending the strike chain-waving However. desoite ine retusar youniu pickets of the Regional leadership to market branch. mobilise its Once more membership, the demonstrated their suike remains very much alve and the strikers as determined as by arresting someone on Friday ever to win. for filming the picketing!

This Greate, wek London Association of Trades Councils liaison committee on a date for the TGWU confer.

finally met with members of the on ence strike committep strike the They have called Ivovember, members of all London Trades should decide delegations, CoUnCHS oln a picket Friday December 8. tor strike committee policies The group refused to take a position their determination soonso ino Defence Fund for those arrested return on the recent Day of Action- reinstatement maintaining that of the union. MOTIOn would have to come from the Trade floor of GLATC. pledge themselves to maintain a A lot of criticism has been picket on a restaurant. levelled against GLATC for its criminal inaction this on nine. £36 per week. to be raised bv a month strike, right in the centre levy any or •T ts area. Even more condemnation can of course be levelled against can Region pay when the third committee have nold thei strikte nas dira gec on aind seis this week while rules insist on oniv tor strike Alt tnese how to raised at nave proposais win the strike. Region and Building Trade Group of the TGWU conference to win last week spoke out against this the strike. On the picket line at Garners fE

NEWS

Plans to close AEC forward. management This is to include total calling for 250 redundancies flexibility and interchange- ability of employees of any Total flexibility grade or pay level: emolov increase ees doing the work of some.

this WITn grade; vilel a lowel pay workers, plans the of movement allu workers within departments "a tundamenta. and from one departmeni wolkig put ale Deing to anolner. The company also wants a free hand to move work departments and oelwee even plants. Socialist Press will carry detailed report on the situation at AEC in the next

ISSUE

WSL

and have agreed picketing continues drastically cut Margolis' profits post-summer begun have Oxford St. and cotaulans In Ine will be important

JOIN OUR

Ine more support is urgently usually reacT waiter

FIGHT!

chased at tne hay the police have 'neutrality' The Workers Socialist As soon as a decision is made League is not a move- Garners, proposed by faint ment for the committee hearted. We do not all avu branches offer any peaceful back- and pledge water of abstract dis- SuppOrL cussion and armchair The strikers are sticking by revolution. • have without

TUT!

The fight we carry and recognition through each day in the workers' movement has groups should each often been shown to have a major impact inflicting in The strikers should be given labour SCLDaCKs une bureaucracy. other appropriate does so only members our Decalist How is it that Fords strikers are prepared to fight tenacious- given ty a week strike Pdas-and in the e hea y Garners •nine months been told the teeth oads-and bitter hostility from union e estinn orl he officials, Labour fakers lobby Stalinists and all manner of will torm the basis "left-wing" opportunists.

But in arguing and fight- ing practice for the building of Trotskyist leadership capable of mobil- ising the working class for the struggle for state power and the establishment of a

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD !

NICAE

SOCIALIST

For a

GET

clear

DRESS

lead in the struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies is sold out Efforts of manage- A 24 hour and the TGWU ment official contrived to get good from most lorry drivers. a vote to end the strike at Thorns Southbury Road plant at a mass meeting on Friday. Knowles, Over 1,000 workers had been on strike for a week in defence of a victimised on Tuesday stewaru. was not able to attend Preparation Paul Green, a militant "inquiry" IGWU steward was sacked When he supposedly bad time- keeping. This victimisation crats' book. clearly an attack on union He organisation in the plant in complaints, preparation speed-up from

TOT

unnamed and redundancies. In fact the production to vote manager Phil Hart has been original mass meetings. quoted as saying that there What was were six stewards he wanted to get rid of. This steward is the first. vote socialist we are sociely, carrying through a. struggle major cuts struggle that essential for the We have working class. every major workers unies are fight, from shown the necessity Garners and break from their present highlighting leaders, they go unarmed each the

SLED

into fight for their betrayal and sabotage. independent interests. And the Socialist League has been at Forefront the forefront Understanding this, our British movement has from the throughout start, stood at the forefront oppose the agitation to break independent shop stewards' Labour's wage controls, and movement action to prevent the 10r collaboration sale of jobs at Speke, in the participation' bodies. steel industry and elsewhere, by TUC bureau- Stalinists cahoots GraIS WILe management. Time and again WSL and members have deflated fiery work the WSL has fought to left' speeches windbags reveal who talk of opposition counter-revolutionary the. social spending cuts but played by the Stalinists of lift not a finger to mobilise Communist une strikes or occupations. whether these And our members have communist' parties or those

MORE

DETAILS

Please send me more information about the Workers Socialist League. Name . Address Send to: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 THR SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 1 November 19-8 Thorns struggle picket was This was to include the maintained on the gates and scabs on the 6рm-10pm response shift, mostly was women, wh had crossed picket lines throughout the dispute. "Inquiry" This was accepted by the stewards and gave manage- The District Officer Tom ment their opportunity to meeting act management, had a 3 hour The 350 workers on the meeting with the stewards evening shift were inside Caled together offered f7 factory so that Paul Green ana each, equivalent to 3 hours overtime, plus the use of the Knowles was in favour of canteen to park their a return to work pending an children if they attended the Friday meeting couldn't sell lass and voted against the strike.

this line he tried one of the oldest tricks in the bureau• Gravely mistaken had received The outcome of the vote he claimed. was a foregone conclusion Paul Green ducl cls. remains that they had not been able outside the gate at the properiy But if Brother Knowles thinks that he will now needed, he receive less criticism at the said, was a recalled meeting 1/1530 branch meetings he of members to retake the is gravely mistaken.

WORKERS

DOCTEOT

EASUE

« AUEY

N° HST

N played a key role in every adhering to Moscow. Our principled stand on these issues has also vividly championed unionisation exposed the opportunism and confusion of the various Grunwick other left groups who claim Sandersons, to offer and fighting workers a 'revolu- of bureaucratic tionary' alternative. And the practical exper- Workers ience we have gained in the fight for the Trotskyist of the fight Transitional Programme has Leyland and convinced the industry to reconstruct the erosion of the Fourth International as the Socialist

WOTIO

Party of through class Revolution, the 'workers principles established at its foundation in 1938. Whether fighting falling living standards, unemploy.

ment and the attacks In each of these struggles democratic rights at home international mobilising or solidarity with international struggles and to explain the imperialism role treland, Iran and Southern Africa, the Workers Socialist Parties— League has a practical and a be 'Euro- theoretical contribution to make. Join us We call on Socialist Press readers and supporters consider the coming struggles, the problems they face, and the necessity of a principled lead in each day- to-day fight. Only our small size prevents our, , work having still greater ittpact on the class struggle. You can play a role in changing that! Why us? Our join _101 local would branch be pleased to tell you more ou programme, policies and perspective.

After 18 long months on strike for union recognition the

TGWU

members at Sandersons Forklift factory Skegness were given their biggest boost yet by an successful mass extremely ot conviction, the main charac picket held last Friday. teristic of the forces of 'law and of militant Amid scenes WilU veiC imagine nicketina difficult to majority of scabs were forced to following Grunwick find their way into the factory ano

ENE

of the usual presence nOW across Special Patrol Group of strike- fields. company The were picket's forced to close the factory gates was due primarily to its strong worker earv on. comoosition TGWU delegations from Unprepared Midlands including Chrysler, With the police clear!v British Leyland s Mover, Jaguar, caught completely unprepared Longbridge greately outnum bered factories. ano pickets, and mixture inexperience, disorder and lack workers members and supporters repres- ented a sizeable House of Ine zou or so toldi yet these nothing can and must be mobilised.

Holland The

TGWU

regionally and continues to pay only lip service fights on for instance, only tour people, only are oy tar Ine biggest section o the union in the vicinity.

TGWU

strike for The recognition at the House of warehouse Holland Chipping Warden near Ban- is now eight weeks DUrY old. The company say •Inat iney

TGWU

will not recognise the because they have a agreement" with USDAW (the shooworkers union, But even after USDAW was totally discredited at a meeting Telegraph, Mail, Sun, News

USDAW

of the World and Express petween Ine

ACAS

and House o noland could be seriously hit soon management where they had to not have by the strike at the Usher that they domil either Walker printing ink plant in one sinoit the warehouse or one of the 80 East London. more shops, the TGWU are The USDAW's involve- •ant still 30% of the ink used on national ment as an excuse to withhold official backing and are openly giving the go-ahead to unionised drivers to cross the picket line.

is despite the fact that circulars Enere Nave out describing the dispute as official financial appealing ana suooort trom branchies The ditch the strike by creating con-

EETPU

As Wite Secretary can set in nave nao some sulcess the strike committee members of which took part in cut London to last the sandersons ass winal Friday, are determined to fight on. They are trying to organise a branch meeting where policies Trades Council activity. to win the strike such as mass blacking DICKets. ane Felixstowe docks decided. Financial donations, which Many are crucial for the continuation 30 miles up to of the strike and offers of other meetings, branch should sent to: Com- Holland Strike House oi tne new mittee, Plowden close Aston-Le-Walls, Daventry, appointed full time officials.

Nortlaltis. O hall

UNION DUES

PITCHED BATTLE AT

SANDERSONS

there, potato effectiveness wItT many Stoke plants and and Cowley Socialist League proportion of Yet Pat Ruane, a General Executive their torces reoresent brief necton like the numbers that rally afterwards, spent Toe whole time stressing how much leadership Ine unIon leadersul Wd. support, adding that Moss Evans nationaliv would have been there but for roras! Hull continent rom The Strike num cered though they making moves ТОГ bander sons Support Committees to be set up throughout the country and Ink firm strike under attack sory redundancies which union Production at the Daily members fear are aimed at sack- under- ing multants anned plant, nas come unael fire from NATSOPA officials.

Despite a statement from the works manacel cies would go ahead, NATSOPA bureaucrat Dave Hutchinson has "'no threat" of produces about insisted mere sackings. last week saw Instead, chapel summon The strike acainst compul- Fight EETPU mergers Yet the plumbing trade, General small involving groups Chapple Frank sites workers forges ahead with his plan requires many local negotiations are undertaken. plumbing jobs lodges from 17 to 4, many Merger drive members face loss of access to branch, Labour Party and EETPU militants see tne new moves as part of Chapple's drive towards merger with the AUEW and the formation bigger and less democratic than Appointed officials ever Delore would have to travel hanole ot course recentiy the headlines by protesting their hit own lack TUC about the and with union democracy in the USSR branches numbering over 5,000 But when in would replace 19/Z a 400 strong meeting was called at the present elected secretaries with fight Friends HoUSE

DEMANDING ACTION TO WIN GAS MERS!

OH NO-NOT ANOTHER BLOODY

CULPAS GEORGE ANDI WILLA LENI

HAVE TO PUT IN AN APPEARANCE.

AT THE TOP...

ATER

visors dispute, which ended last week with a promise of productivity important warnings for the coming conflict over health service wages. 15% deal-as reportea widel the press-but the promise of an productivity deal worth 15%.

supervisors The conservative Police pushed to the front rank of the mass picket have agreed to set a date for a further mass picket As with Garners, the other sore the long-running side, the campaign TGWU's within the union

MUST

John Farrel stepped-up, centring mass picketing and linked to blacking leaders at of supplies ane assistance of details Donations next mass picket from 24, High St., Burgh-le-Marsh, okegness. Lincs same "left" posers. us "getting more cars out" narmiess allowance" of 1½2% is members to a special branch tially very committee meeting-aimed forcing return work Farrel that the absentee "As we go to press striker: was " unacceptable' delivery have received recorded did not see

NATSOPA

letters scheme to reduce this figure.

Trom bureaucracy summoning What individual to atend discali sy proceedings figure would October under union rule 32 company to reduce loss of "natural wastage" cies Port 16% of ansent Inat 1,275 men. District ciosure reduce this by even a quartet ot plumbers Committees, Chapple's hench. man Gannon was sent down to 8 with away 300 jobs! close the meete. expulsions if it went ahead.

introduced since "lead-in" And rules productivity Inen nave outamer Contall between branches out for

EETPU.

tivity deals! Plans are being laid for a another meeting to tight the closure o' the plumbing lodges. Christmas Socialist Press readers are preparing urged to heip in by contacting EETPU members and branches locally and helping Christmas. to mobilise support and to pass There must reso utions delay. mergers and demanding a special conference on the issue. the other plants out.

WE MUST AVOTD COCK-UPS LIKE THAT DAY OF ACTION!

WELL, WEVE FINALLY IMPLEMENTED THE POLICIES

SHOULD PUT AN END TO THIS STRIKE ONCE AND FOR ALL!

BACK SO SOON

LIT—A TSAL

-HOW DID

WITH MARGOLIS?

TGO:

Warning for hospitals claim The Health Service super- hated by management cordially the maintenance workers Iner give instructions to, in the way that foremen are cordially hated deal has evervwnere Had the witch-hunt through the press had its desired out workers, the

NHS

еттест been The settlement has not be a supervisors could nave dispensed with breakdown of laundry The negotiate equipment and sterle units nac by far biggest impact and these pieces both WOrK middle eculomen nave layel carried out on the instructions of administrators No prod fact that maintenance wor ker. laundry workers refused to take any action designed to break the deal at action or ine works managers Readiness With the works , managers -Vauxhall!- and digging their neers opinior hardening attel witch-hunt, it took the interest first of Clive Jenkins and then Whilst TGWU convenor Murray break Len and other dispute Vauxhall, such The of reacines. 'opponents' of wage control as Ellesemere Port, bask in the mediate in an to reflected glory of the Luton Jenkin: attempt to sell the dispute out and Dunstable defeats, the clearly the way Inal productivity deal sell-out is

ASTMS

NUPE

and

COHSE

will refuse to call being perpetrated by these leacershios action in the nospitais, eltner t fight against the cuts or to wir Farrel, at the mass meeting wage increases. strike action Jo Beckles, Vice-chairman of St Mary's Hospital, London W9 atter 14 days notice, davocated "attendance allowance" and Joint Shop Stewards Committee the possibility of a productivity told Socialist preciser deal, saying he was in tavour o media and consultants how the conspired to blame the dispute What at first sight seems a laundry on ano maintendne "attendance workers down into the They came dangerous deal day laundry which could trade hundreds of and switched off the machines- just going for lunch. jobs tor a miserable tew pounds informed the meeting and the came the ITN Inen Daily Mail and Tilmea Ine emply and that he laundry! They were called in by the narr That Harris same consultant he failed to realise is lunchtime Thev the theatre and the caption was that a reduction in the absentee enable that workers were on strike".

TOE

the labour Jo Beckles said the action of "nool" and would pave the wa' calling in the media Harris in jobs through to of the campaign wascarl or redundan- support the moves to close St Mary's. On any one day at Ellesmere 8,500 men are Test of strength approximately When the hospital super- If the attendance scheme can • back to 20% visors cut launorv it Harris and his consultant cronies was used for would mean the company could ensured that thi: aproximately private patents launary Mary's Hospital in London W2 If this is just the so-called also told the "phony" But Jo Beckles deal then watch Socialist Press she didn't believe that the outcome he thture or the genuine produc the tuture was crucial Tor other hospital claims. Meanwhile the decision to Socialist Press cannot This delay the strike action for yet fortnight playing accept. covernment usco right into the company's hands.

dispute test ano compare well re close oress showeo wildt the craftsmen's willing to play, land the unior strike last year which caved-in at leaders showed that they were ready to capitulate to both workers wil be no turtne Health service . Ellesmere Port must take need to break their stranglehold as they prepare to fight for their unilateral action now and torce wage claims.

STILL, WITH A BIT OF LUCK, THERELL

NO-A DEAL WITH THE POLICE..

6 PICKETS ONLY AT EACH BRANCH!

CARTER BID TO

APE CALLAGHAN

PRESS

President Carter last Even Ine week made his strongest attempt to date to force the deepening problems of American capitalism latest move. onto The the backs of the working class. ПОТ Ene But was forced to reveal a little more of massive and of lack Javanese direction Central Banks to support it.

American ruling class. Two weeks a sadly diluted version or nis energy- index te over% saving plans finally passed through Congress. in the dollar alone "Voluntary" days Carter has now proposed a programme of "voluntary" wage controls and public seats are up for election.

spending which The Tse weekene spitting image ot the Callaghan- Healey policies in Britain.

rescue and unt rises are supposed to be restricted to. 7% (below the present rate of inflation), price if only until polling day.

rises about 0% and 20,000 but even Federal jobs are to be slashed at to plug the hole in the dyke for once. a while and catch the foreiar

COWLEY WARNS

LEYLAND ON PAY

Lack of preparation is Plant have mass meetings been what marks events in held on the claim. of Leyland around these, wage Tine 6.000 workers review-which is meant 3 against-to give the be paid in every Leyland seven days notice car plant on November 1! come Only their £27 claim. the Cowley Assembly Plant have negotia- Further meeting bons been pressed torward and company been forced the reply-offering nothing, not a further mass meeting will be even the 5% permitted by Phase held. And only in the Assembly Leviand convenors have honed that offered grading scheme could be brougnt torward and that this would provide an to dodge a fight on the review.

have been spending two days a week negotiating PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report level похи structure white review is supposed to on the day we go to press.

Leyland Cars Joint Negotiating Committee anc meeting in a company to bring payments forward to May. Questionable But the scheme be seen as questionable Longhridge convenor The new structure "self-financing Rohinson demanding a 12% cut in staff to Published by Foirose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Printed by Anvil Printers (TU), London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

SOCIALIST

and US speculators, he still has HOUSe which must by now be accus- to contend with the lack of tomed to a feeling of being out enthusiasm with which even the of control, seems to have been right wing of US labour shocked by world reaction to its bureaucracy greeted his new policy. immediate effect was Veteran reactionary bureau crat George Meany called it" порес tor recovery the dollar but a new 5% plunge cruel joke' in its international value, despite Fear of militancy ov

TAE

European US As in Britain, . the bureau. crats' refusal openly to go along And this plunge came after a wage wth Carter's week in which the stock market resentment of their rank ane The effect of last week's fall and file. This has Is to alve a been reflected sharp new twist to US inflation the recent bitter disputes in the Congressional elections in which before coal mines, railways, postal service and the newspapers.

the whole House of Representa carters searca for new anzi- tives and one-third of the Senate working class policies and the dramatic new dollar crisis spent more evidence of the provide trying to patch up an emergency through which profound and completely Persolved problem mete world Japanese ano capitalist economy-the perilous curopean Central Banks would try to prop up the dollar, even imbalance betweer component states, the constant if Carter manages threat of disintegration of the currency illustrated by soaring price for last week's pay for it; and it would only be The second gradings introduced Ene were accepted by everyone.

#wursady. saw is the vote-with only What situation so far company on plant claims? ine positior or else', last Wednesday's resorted at meeting of the ad-hoc Leyland up with a serious reply to Stewards Committee the Annual Review was as follows: Cowley Body Plant: given on Thursday, of no offer At the end of this seven days be held, mave or Novem her 1 Longbridge: stewards and But throughout the rest of members had "no information' , and were being told whatever. company's newly to wait for a mass meeting on 3 November hovers, stewards' hatch meeting even held to formulate the claim. No mass meeting.

As a result many convenors meet go vacuars: sectiona still being held to decide national -due for settlement next years oracle week! this year's be settled No claim ! As fate as last weekend the It is clear that some Leyland plants will not even have sub.

convenors were bid to the claim by this year's get mitten review date. parity Only Cowley Assembly Plant has the leader- ship argued a principled position in relation to parity, and fouaht shances of the straight pay rise with a in must cost-of-living clause: And only in Cowley has the is to be in memocrsnie Deer involved struggle to but cants •reparation defend living standards.

EST E

gold and other commodities) overthrow. and menace of necessary worsened this goal is the rejection of all economic wartare and stump These are the only prospects wage controls offered by the capitalist system come from capitalist Carter today. interests of the the almost world working class demand its "socialist" Callaghan.

ANNIVERSARY RALLY

SOCIALIST PRESS

RALLY

To commemorate the Ist anniversary of the weekly Socialist Press.

PRESS *

Speakers to include Socialist Press Editor

DEFEND THE

John Lister Followed by a showing

I SU TOOLMAKES

of Eisenstein's

, DEFEND ME

"STRIKE"

Admission £1.00 I would like to receive Sunday 19 November ¡issues. I encinie the sum it 3 p.m. at New Ambassadors Hotel Name Upper Woburn Place Address (1 minute from Euston Tube Send to: Dartmouth London NWS IHR

FUND

With one day to go the October fund stands at £486.13.

an increase of £80.19 on last week's total This is still well short of our target of £600.

A good start to the November Fund will be important if we are to do better next month.

Donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR.

ABC show trial fiasco The farcical proceed- ings the Aubrey, In Berry, Campbell "secrets" trial reached a pitch new last week with the judge's decision to waive the main charges, •raised under Section One of the Official Secrets Act.

remaining The four charges all relate to Section Two of the Act, which the last manifesto (LaDOUl pledged to repeal, but which a recent White Paper would, if anything, strengthen. Under this legislation the three defendants could face sentences of up to two years in jail for taking part in a private conversation early in which the hush- hush military surveillance network known as SIGINT was mentioned. Attack Meanwhile after his show of 'impartiality' in refusing allow the prosecution under Section One-the "spying clause" of the Act- to continue, and proposing that some of the mound of documents in the case thrown on the bonfire the judge has swung round and implicitly attacked those still campaigning for the dropping of the charges. This now not only the

ABC

Defence Campaign and the National Union of Journalists but presumably the National Carter campaigning Council for Civil Liberties, has called for the Wilch towards sLeu resignation of Attorney General Sam Silkin, on they whetne whose responsibility jointly indistinguishable with Home Secretary Rees, the prosection was initiated.

Right at

WORKERS

SOCIALISTE

the I forefront!

GET

SOCIALIST

RIGHT

PRESS

EVERY WEEK!

S issues .£1.10 10 issues .£2.20 25 issues .£5.50 Socialist Press, 31 Park Hill, 50 issues £10.00

OXFORD WSL

A series of classes on Permanent Revolution Sundays at 8 p.m. at B Block, East Oxford Community Centre Princes St, Oxford