Socialist Press no. 139

CAMDEN: ALL-OUT

STRIKE WINS

VOTE NO TO PUBLIC SECTOR SELL-OUT!

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 139

NF HIT

PROLL

MEETING

A 300-strong meeting organised in defence of Astrid Proll was disrup- ted by a violent attack from 40 National Front thugs last Wednesday. members The Front chanted and heckled as soon the as meeting-opposing moves to send Prol back to the murderous state forces West Germany-had opened. As Proll supporters attempted to make them leave the meeting, fighting broke out, and police inter- vened. In typical fashion they arrested not only one of the hecklers but also a young Indian man who had against attack. Proll-alleged to be of former member the Baader-Meinhof terrorist gang in West Germany-has suffered two years already jail without Germany. Action is urgently needed to stop the Labour government sending her ill- DaCK -LO ace

TUT BUC

Treatment Two key place in the public sector pay struggle last week.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

On une

LEAGUE

hundreds involved Low Pay Rally a miserable 9% plus ti-an otter endorsed by

NUPE

Saturday 3 March on the 2.30p.m.-5.00p.m. workers in camden whe have been Ambassadors Hotel strike full £60/35 hour week claim.

Upper Woburn Place London WC1 go into way awav. It provides a £17.00 per Credentials 25p week across the board increase for workers in grades A-G. This includes two uniTas Camden borough labour force in parks, roads, lighting, swimming A section of the audience at last Saturday's highly successful Red Youth Rally in London which was attended by about 100 young workers, students and school students. The rally was followed by a film and a disco. A full report of the rally will appear next week.

SOCIALIST

28 February 1979 * 15p

£60 FOR

35 HOURS

took pools, etc. Dustmen, the highways and Toda sweepers. nowever. Wne comprise the other one-third of the the labour force lose out on the one • Mana thousands settement. in only "selective" actions were offered Supplement Alan Fisher of For them wine ceal allows the Camden Supplement- the other hand £13.10 which Camden Council have conceded in excess ot the on all-out indefinite national offer -to be offset their were offered almost the against existing bonus. This means that for example The Camden settlement will refuse collector obtains €12.00 increase from £78.63 to packets straight goes from loader £70.93 to £81.61. Despite these bonuses being of solo snort-ano ine Tur Claim could almost certainly have been had action

WU!F

* continued, the Workers Socialist argued -the League camoen setuement is a malor victory within the low pay struggle. is significant that this victory only came after public sector workers broke away from divisive policy of selective une астіо! and em barkee. on all-out indefinite strike.

message clear. The camoen settiement must be useo as an examoe and built UDOn country. 35 hour week claim The The weaknesses the Camden settlement can leadership. quarted acainst ano. Ine

TUI

claim won nationally. This means not only the cash increase but also the 35 Healey, or hour week. The derisory national offer of 9% plus £1 cutting Labour government.

must be rejected TeL Alan risner. wao starter the campaign with the militant statement that "50% of nothing is bugger all' now says that the will start from unanimous decision the NUPE Executive to recommend workers the rejection offer their living "personal tradedv" to him!

Leaders of the TWU and health services GWU are recommending their education members •TO acceot a nationa offer miles short of the initial joint claim - and COHSE leaders have given nave talleo to otter anv ead on which members should leadership way vote. particularly in Yet to be mobilised the London hospitals.

I TE

crucidi This retreat from the claim bulld tnis type by union leaders takes place leadership under conditions where the public memocrsno in many areas nas avour movement as a whole mobilised in any vet serious sustained action to win Socialist their demands! soecial conterence The offer must be rejected sector workers on and the demand raised for all- March. our surike delon to win ine Tur IRAN: Who are the Fedayeen? Centre pages Barnet dustmen picketing Brent transfer station the experiences so far in the Workers Socialist fight against low pay and to League has pointed consistently necessary both to win the to ine weakness oT the otticia claim and to defend and extend We have stressed the need une socid services as a whole Such policies include: tor a new leadersnio not tied to the coat tails of Callaghan and *All out indefinite national dedicated to preserv- strike action for the full claim.

in office the present wage.

*Stop public

CULS

services. hosoitals schools, nurseries and other Rights of workers facilities threatened with closure. A leadership is needed that *Open the books of the loca the right of authorities to trade union committees, to show how to restore ano imorove suppliers, standards, their private contractors conditions of work, their social banks, etc., feed off the public sector and the need for them to

SCI VICE

ne nationalisec without.com It is because this is our start- under workers' ing point that Workers Socialist management *Improve League members and supporters ThE crumbling clear and strong NHS and social services! Restore wherever they have all cuts and protect the service been involved in inis strugale- 20ainst intiatIon ThrouGh Camden and in sliding scale of spending!

For crash government programme of public works!

question is to out the scab ot a ternative throughout the Callaghan/Healey cabinet! and the Demand that those 'left' Labour sector unions virs uno cam to oooose ther For this reason the Workers cutting policies take up League has called

TOT

ane trade unions Saturday 3 *Build a principled socialist leadership in the labour move We want to bring together

Turkey: the "lull" before the No solution to Italian crisis Masses resist French sackings Page 2

-INTERNATIONAL-

"It is the silence before storm storm" the writes our correspondent in Turkey. The silence is predominantly On from the left. the one hand Ene suo•oseoly cem ocratic Ecevit government has used its renewed martial law powers to left-wing superese ouwicd protest against this and other tions In Istanbul. On the other hand Ecevit's torms of state repression Prom siemi The fascists supporters in the trade far from silent. fascists ano about ovreaucrecy reruse whose series of terrorist murder to raise whisper of evell atracks recently sucteedeo the imposition forcing Fragile martial law over major areas of cotne steboine their violence in a bid to have extended clampdown "attenauly. peace Among Tne atest mureet victims was the editor of a leading liberal daily paper, cousing didtur among the toerdl middle class. Fascists preparing Lin Chad- The fascists are clearly pre- paring further risings along the lines of their brutal massacre of Peace has returned to religious minorities in the town Turkish troops-martial law period extended the capital city of Chad,.

o notacadlds including tax increases as well as as the real civil war bites sut the silence nes aiso been broken by Suleyman Demirel, an extension of martial law deeper still leader of into new the right wing Justice the ailoltialll power, areas of the country. rarty-wno nas onan s. h Taii trom Ine people of Turkey to overthrow imperialism has attention N'Djamena last the Ecevit government. focussed been ceasefire Monday, was stabilise ccevil• resuonst was hecd kUrKisil between signed troops The describe wemire s statemen capitalism to President Malloum "a sad declaration But the delays in piecing loyal democracy" Meanwhile together the massive economic has and the forces supporting • ПА Prime Minister ninasert oroceeoee WILn nevr аскасе : Tincessary Oafe

UU L

subsCIC Turkish anti-working class measures the bankrupt bour- Habre. Once again, was the French and the al lli y *Sudanese government which dictated Litiese dials state. formal terms, the the ceasefire Ivisluvts facade of the 'Government of National Reconciliation', that had been shattered by Italy's Prime Minister for sne reason tor inis snitt o the recent in-fighting. tactic the Berlinguer the last two years, Giulio But in reality, the leadership's increasing problems Andreotti, has had to give balance of power has shifted int keeoie • Ine

SUDOT S

up even sooner than predic- decisively. base at a time when the govern- ted in his efforts to form a ment it supports imposes grow- 400 only soldiers burdens workers new government, excluding under his command in the afil Communist threatens even more. capital, Habre was able to ministers but The CP leaders, of course, with the needed CP support seize contro of most of the dare not admit that they have city extremely rapidly. in parliament. Chancee inerr une unoer into. Depressed by long years erable pressure from the work- T.he task hurriedly Was of the ing class since experience their increasingly Party entrusted

• SOCIAIST

incompetent officers. of the President Pertini veteran arcuit oo s to controi lnis French bourgeois pressure. state the politician Ugo La army "advisers" military Wiald. i ¡edeer or mne tnv neouo. "National unity" lican Party. N'Djamena delighted This party was formed after by the discipline and the of fascist rule efficiency of Habre's nir wtadrawa ot suobort section sourceoisie 'Northern Armed Forces' justified not by opposed • to the clericalism of working class

(FAN).

the Christian Democrats reference to any the minds the criteria but lust the oooosite _OI AT 10. La dita nas deen on Enrico Berlinguer accuses imperialists, the success of. the stage Italian parliamen- .OT Andreotti of betraying not the tary politics for over HAN has bred fantasies of workine cass out ine dolces o!

the liberation crushing Me many Times Detore hisro, deret predete the do been a vocal spokesman for struggle through the agency architect some of the most unpopular of these renegades from the Coristian Democratic arlance anti-workine class borcies or Ine rebel army. Italian capitalist class.

Anm tht crisis 5, io cou the A former leader of the But this time government crisis is, first course, FROLINAT himself, Habre since the that the ruling wat not une vomaton u covera has risen to power swiftly in any class caleo nim-ol N'Djamena. orheto taie istie ead ort- But has take head barely begun the far greater task of defeating the libera- •rooose• covernment This is a sign of the twin tion struggle which he crises of politics-the deserted and betraved. crisis of bourgeois parliamentary the clients of As rule and the crisis of the com- imperialism fought out their munist Party. The private battles, the armies of 'Mobilising the resources wicocltl the

FROLINAT

advanced sprang CrisIs trom the of our national solidarity to refusal to go supporting further towards the capital.

bring solutions to the Andreotti captured Adre, They government ntunee the social consequences' of the •cruament. key town on Dorder with the 'rationalising' the steel eastern frontier industry. Sudan, controlling the high- N'Djamena between way was how inat the rench and Khartoum. prime minister, Raymond Barre Other towns in the east summed up proposals for fell, and the fate of still entorcino 22.000 redundancie: in the imoustry in the

LIU1C

WODiCIlI allu audien -a all party central provinces is disputed parlamentary delegation (one' of these-Massakon-is deputies-left him as a group o' barely a hundred miles from very worried men the capital). Massive as they are, these job The French army has rosses ocine tareatcneo now are been given new hope in its only fraction the total number sought the But

MISSTON

capitalists. the time, the same Ana workers nave respondec FROLINAT has been able with violent anger to the barrage _to strengthen its positions of attacks from the bourgeoisie while the fragile state appar- and its government. of Chad aLus • Dec une reoiona strikes called in cracked down the middle. the steel industry on February Berlinguer sebesie re fecit tainables to whether capable Carty f out te trassive cores working class that sion oT Ene the imperialists require.

The imperialist powers will be eagerly watchino the proares: offensive and TASCICTi Demirel's anti-government cam- the next Jalgtl putting perore: Th pil mohey on their chosen winner.

ment representing the interests nibsion of iCP masters the of class but admission of coalition covernment "'national unity" Despite novelty oT Li Malta it looks verv unlikeiv tha he can get the Christian Demo- crats to agree.to a form of CP participation in the government new enough for the Berlinguer leadership hold uniell lank ane Tie with promises "partly ot Communist government", fact the traditional work- ino class suporter ot Ine are showing less and less interest charade which goes on in parlament They are showing themselves determined to move into actior irrespective of the wishes or the aopedis oi ineir eaders. Strikes week saw a sudden re-acceleration of infiation to 25% the around ved. ano neoinnino ot what s qanneo to be a series of short country-wide strikes all-important 16 were supported by dockers, carwarkers, miners, teachers, stal ane away workes ane other sectors Whole many. were closed and cities towns •own ov ine suces. Hundreds thousands of marched on various in mans localacmenstrdtuls TowAs. : these were • Enf tardes seen since 1968-in some cases even larger, and on a scale never matene Derore This latest wave in the move- ment ment has already spread beyond The main stee •rooucino redots Lorraine and Nord-Pas du Calais into traditionally less mitanu area

SUCT

Ardennes around Sedan the . Loire region, the Saint-Etiennı mooilisations and Roanne were larger than known. any previousiy 100,000 9L cv wor ker took strike action, and nait o these the protest SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 But for the workers' move- ment neither the preservation of aCeviT •nOTOr. military or fascist rule offer any forward hope the * only way fight for must be

LTT UOTI

armed workers' mitia political break from Ecevit by the unions, and the demand to ' a workers ano deasanis covern- ment, . engineering industry in support new three-year wage contract. this sharpening atmosphere that either La Malfa , for his strong views in tavour ot wage policy and the Italian ending workers' "sliding scaie' which

SOME

compensatiol inflation-will try start else elections will have to take place. Either way, the options Italiar class, and the ot their Stalinist protectors a1 CP are now Ine nea o e more limited than ever •Inere s no son-n tais stua oo tho soer that the leaders of so-called autonomous whons or me oissidens une CP are capable of offering a programme on which to lead I the WOrKIe Cias. alons t class collaboration. This underlines yet again the Uroency CoAstuCinl Wases seaseae trokit Trotskyist Transitional Programme march. Unemployment in the region has risen by 22% over the last year. Unprecedented The vast scale of this action nas thrown the union bureau crats on the defensive. At Valencienna the north, the Dessinnistl oreaiction. disproved were by stalinists 50,000 or more workers in unprecedented display sonloarity In Lorraine the union leaders made frantic prepara- to

LIOTS

score orotes gestures and gimmicks. Only in this could they dissipate the strength of their members into diversionary backwaters.

Now the CP-led union feder- ation the CGT has struck : out multany wItl oO1O proposal of a national petition of protest to the government.

Spain election As we go to press Spain's second electior general since the death of dictator Franco is about to take place. Publte oainion dols contirn that the two major parties in the election will be Adolfo Suarez' Democratic covarnine colETe Union (UCD)-an alliance of the "enlightened" and the most opportunist sections of the ola setty bour dois oooos the Nüan''—ane retormis Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) led by Felipe Gonzalez h predictions are toat Inl PSOE may come out on top but without parliamentary majority. Its leaders have not ruled out in those circumstances entering TACE CORDOATOnSE coautor with the UCD This-or any other collabor- dovensuen SBL-ul would be supported by Santiago "Eurocommunist"" CP the wu ne aa oka way to getting about 10% or Toi seats Thes important elections to be • followed in a month bi municipal :elections) will fully analysed, beginning in next week s Socialist Press by an on the-spot corespondent. Andreotti While the reformists- and Stalinists are struggling desper- atelv to maintain their hold ove the mass movement, groups of militants already breaking evone une ms laooseooy the bureaucracy At Longwy-focus of the hoverent. hi Lortarre-workers moved • ałck taeoca police HQ after being driven out of television relay station. Already important moves have been made towards linking French suraseits WILl paramer deveropments in neign bouring Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany that essential initiative firmly removed from the control of the bureau- cracy ano curectec •towaros a genuinely proletarian of providing ment capable soclalsi SOlUTIGT crisis of the steel capitalist

IRAN: Marxists must fight for soviets as well as constituent assembly SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979

INTERNATIONAL

It is commonly agreed that Tine irania revolutIon lico resulted in a situation which the forces of oppressed

LUFG

Clady 000058• ridden apparatus of the state.

The key question is now to consonadto Workind and construct soviet-type bodies as part of the struggle to press forward overthrow of Iranian capitalism.

this the fight demo. cratic demanes Incolne establishment of a constituent assembly plays an important but not exclusive fore But the new iranian Socialist Workers Party, section of the of the restricts International almost entrely demand, and puts forward no call for the building of workers councis or soviets it une coull- uing mass struggles. The following extract from SWP statement illu an rantar strates this position. Socialist from reprinted Challenae of February 15 The fight to establish has megan tight democratic been the central occupation and such century, has never been so close factories by the protection of the to bottle vult. workers, expansiol The next step for all the armed reservations and toilers can neighbourhoods and the open- summarised files

SAVAK

one sentence: In ing of secret crimes the opening TOrWare Ine convocation of a constituent books of the imperialist firms the exposure of assembly. by the workers, ne preserri victory was worl The crimes or the ranlavi terro by the oppressed of Iran and it last 25 and over is the result of the stubborn and responsible to the bringing those • workers,

TAP

of millions. The future government that The constituent assembly, of can tree ran trom the evils ex oression will, will defend and support all Imperialist •omination te terror autocracy and and through struggles historical backwardness will discussion also be decided by the people decice the

DIO

small questions and from thạt Inemserves Only the masses themselves, imperialist 'nationalising to and banks, companie. ending the national oppression

DECISIOTS

solution to the forced Kurdistan and CrisIs Azerbaijan, upon our society by imperial- to winning equa baluchistan. ism and absolutism. rinnts tor women to duarantee ing freedom of expression and fully representative to workers' control assemony assembly, in which of the factories. critical torces Cal only through ine pate, way the , is the only Inat immediate convocation will of the people can find true constituent that assembiv the people can be sovereign. expression that an us assem ov central question facing The represents the sovereign people The constituent assemov will De will not be responsible to any deciding the future the Socialist

OUL

and will recognise themselves Party proposes the workers no power of others. estaolishment workers It should be based on direct, and peasants' republic, that is a ane secre that supports Literates and illiterates should struggle InE workers •ano The high voting rights. toilers of city and countryside.

Have school

VOUTA

• Wile nave displayed so much daring and self-sacrifice should vote.

From this glowing account one might cone loe That The Constituent Assembly is capable The soldiers those sons of of solving all problems, and that the workers and peasants, who with solidarised The cemand tor soviets is suder have fluous at this stage. This holds the revolution, Should nave danger offering a purely right to vote. Air tne womer and men of this land should be parliamentary road to the iran ian masses. able to participate in elections An editorial from Sacialist to a constitutent assembly The mass struggle organisa- Chalence or reorwar «makes tions which shattered rule this position more explicit still: The decisive question at the of the autocracv should oversee the elections. moment is tre oreanisaton or No government appointed the masses at every level: into soldiers can bring freedom workers, and peasants from above to iran and no cuca covern Commates ment can defend the gains parties; into trade unions and peasant organisations; and into revolution against Ene dowers Worker are peasants manitas reactis a rs possi Before such organisations are possible developed abstract slogans for This only Which Republic little- ravine . made possible-the power or une what Is soviet power without -and by expanding and the mass struggles, The Petrograd Soviet, 1917 power? " 14: The dictatorshio of the proletariat, is like the dictator- of classes in hat. ship other dictatorship. 1KE ally originates in necessa suppressing by force the resis- of the class which tance . The • Josing Its polltica power.

fundamental difference between the proletarian dictatorship and that the large landowners of in the Middle Ages and that of Tene capitalist ounte the consists in this, that while ShiD OT lanaowels and the bourgeoisie Torciby the resistance of majority the nonulation. namely the working the dictatorship of the proletariat forcible sup- pression of the resistance of the minority of the population, minority large landowners and capitalists.

is this of vie power Ties ins of an end Se foundatior, State entire power, entire Stati The deparatus. is the mass organization of those which were oppres very capitalists, that is sed by the workers allo SomE proletarians who not exploit labour and who are always forced to sell at least nart or their la dour!. The masses, who even in the bourgeois most democratic republics, where in law nay not equal rights, but in fact were by a thousand ways preventod and tricks Trom in politem rid making rights democratic I Darties are now arawi continuous, unhampered decisive in democratic administration The •tate. What is soviet Contrast the Iranian SWP's talk of democracy Theses on Bourgeois Democracy and the Dictator- ship of the Proletariat' (1919).

15. The equality of citizens, bourgeoisie, without which the regardless race, nationality, which impossible. always bourgeois democracy The Soviet organization oromise everywhere out lak of the State is designed to give carried out, and could out because of the the proletariat, not car capitalisma class which was most concentrated has been capitalism, and educated by made a complete reality at one by the Soviet regime the leading role in the State.

stroke The experience of all revolu- proletarian dictatorship, fo and all, movements tions only the power of the workers who are not interested in private of of the world socialist move. the property I ball. teaches us that only the ment, nrolcon ano mn toe for their distribution and redis- •position to tribution, is able to do this.

unite the cratered ano back ward strata of the working and exploited population and carry 16. The old democracy, that them along. democracy and bourgeois parament 19. Only • the Soviet organi- organized that was zation of the State is able to working classes who were most destroy, at one stroke and com- to administrative hapold of bureau- pletely, the old, that mache Soviet power, the pro bourgeois and judiciary, Walke letarian dictatorship, under capitalism, even in the other names so oran ea democratic republics, MosT brings the masses remained and nad to remain the administrative close being in fact for the workers machine. the the working masses ana merging of legislative The greatest * The Paris ma kind in the and executive power democracy effective. Soviet organization of the Stati Commune took the first world serves the same purpose, as does astorical stee in This direction the substitution the pro. the Soviet regime the second.

the workshop The of State auton .

TACTON.

TOE

TerrIToNal the goal constituency Dowe socialists, including all Marx. Unless this goal n7. ooppresson ant oru democracy, that reached true oppression only equality and freedom is not ment Under the monarchy: it is still attainable. that in all bourgeois republics, But only Soviet and prole. even the most democratic.

democracy leads in fact Only. power, 'to this goal, for it begins at once ne soviet organization of the very only State for the prepare of any the very classe: kind of wither awai State oppressed by by cine captas l mas abolish the organizations öf working the military or people into constani and unrestriCter accidation really fuse the proletariat with State administration. the military, the prole- disarm the

CHIC

Page 3 The Iranian SWP's position and method of approach is also different that cocary

SOPHIAO

Transitional Programme which the links between demo. shows cose talis itional demand for soviets.

Backward countries are part world imperialism. Their development therefore; has the most audiacior economic Torms comoined with the last word in capitalist technique manner are detined the politica Strivings The oro etarial backward countries: the struggle for the most ot national inde Gone enor pendence And democracy is combined with the struggle against world socialis imperialism Democrati transitional demands, and the problems of the socialist revoltion are nor elved separate historical epochs in this directly from but stem one • anotner. Ine Guinese •rolo tariat had barely begun organise trade unions before provide foi 'suita anse • •resea gramme is completely applicable colonial semi-colonial countries

LUOS

where • the proletariat has become capable of carrying on impossible merely to It is democratic pro. reject the gramme; it is slogan grow Constituent) Nationa • OI Assembly preserves its full force for such countries as China or primary step, workers must be armed with this democratic programme. able summon and unite the farmers.

On basis of • the revolu. tionary democratic programme, is necessary oppose workers to the 'national' a certain bourgeoisie. Then, at masses under the slogans democracy, revolutionary and should Cor arist Their historical role each period, particularly their given National relation Assembly, will bi the political level of the by the bond between proletariat, them and the peasantry, and thi character the proletariar party policies Sooner or later overthrow the should soviets bourgeois democracy. Only they capable bringing -the democratic revolution to a con.

clusion ane likewise opening al Trotsky

THE GREAT CAMDEN

BREAKTHROUGH

Page 4 Socialist talks to Camden dustmen's steward John Seymour. On Fridav vou were one of the handful to oppose the Camden Council's offer. Why was this? 1200 council

TES.

Over workers met in the town hall on Friday. I think about 20 people present voted to ouT oT lost the • otter recommendea branch on our behalf of the strike committee.

‹ was one ot inose zu. Let s get it straight. i recognise that the lowest grades tor many of this otter ov Camoen s a tan- tastic breakthrough. When thirds the

TWO-

borough's workforce are getting a til rise and a so nour week its odds on that any mass meet- ing would vote for a return to work. I fought against the deal on against because in and yo did against because in vvdy the offer give the hour week to the other third of borough, who are on bonus.

ror them we only above the national offer was the the bonus due to the 35 rise in nour week coming i. A dustman's from £70 to £81. Had it been the board settlement we wow nave collies What they doing for are as mine is making grades such canine bonus rather than the oasic We came out for £60 basic and the bonus should not £44. have been left alone. We only get that bonus for redun- achieved by dancy and "rationalisation" in the past. offer means that extra Work increasinov becomes "normal" work if we are to earn a decent living wage. Why did the strike committee finally accept an offer that they rejected last week? In Socialist Press last week I reported need from originaly changed from originally oTtering •uaranteed and a hour weekly wage to offering a week to mini cares This was now interoreted as that those who had a meaning took them that already over to wowe only ael Indl bonus consolidated and added

TO D

the strike committee when - this was reparted back fromer negorating team felt that We the _about Group had gone back on their Strike leaders A joint meeting of public sector strike committees in the London area last week decided to step up the fight for all-out strike action in pursuit of the £60/35 hour week claim. Called on the initiative datin of the Cressy Road committee, chaired by dustman John and brought Seymour, caesations ou revuse au sowate worker and nome nea TrOn Hackney, Southwark Harrow, Tower Hamlets, Barnet ane Greenwit The sleeucsion Showerne damaging the policy which "selective". action, the public sector workforce. The meeting decided that a priority estdolish the work of this new joint committee in the fight for It voted unanimously to: *Campaign for rejection of Tha co oat They were now putting ar otter which didn t concede any.

thing like the full claim and which clearly tried to spit the On Saturday there was d which public meeting tull time otticial Mike laylor Labour Councillors and 200 questions from answered strikers. I think this hostility shifted The counchors aot morning Mondav when they indicated get in gain, indicated they would offer tou basic ous bonuses--caicul• ated on the national rise, not on Camden's. This big That evening the nour again. About 50 group strikers lobbied tre meeti This time they Wollen t delegation into their accept a meeting so we knew someti was up. learned at 11 p.m. that night that Bethell had put _nine rediy repeated the previous offer -and carried it 23 votes to 7. Most of the strike committee were verv bitter. Next day the position began to change. Arouments were now demne put forward that the national offer was about to be settled at unite forces

WSL

9% insults low Paid *Fight to action in London. *Demand this made until the £60 nationa 35 hour week claim is won in full. will The committed again at Friends House, Euston on Thursday March 1 at 7.30 p.m.

NUPE

OFFICIA

PICKE

Cressy Roäd dustmen with John Seymour (second from right) Analysis of wage rates uplifted by means of a Camden supplement to £60 plus existing differentials between grades A-G. Grade A Grade B 39.70 Basic pay (Nov 77-78) 37.40 37.80 • 38.30 Assume a 10% pay 3.74 3.78 3.83 3.97 award (78/79) 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 Supplement Camden supplement 13.86 13.82 13.77 13.63 6.67 6.67 London Weighting 6.67 66.67 67.07 67.57 68.97 Total addition to London Weighting the following allowances would also be added-where applic able: - shift allowance, un-social hours, foul linen, dirty money, running repairs and tool allowance level than strike committee. muck ONeT Camden's. once ene secretary starteo to capitulate then acceptance Strike committee members spread like wildfire. began To aroue at we le finally get what we could before it was was compounded by a member of all over Socialist Workers Party This was backed up with a forward idea moral argument that the higher the and paid-meaning holding mas. meeting Friday to "discuss the claim" should be pre- caretakers This was really stupid. It was pared to make sacritices Tor tre paid meaning non-bonus a selve a retra Anyone with ounce sense could see thạt implicitly secrtlary The secretary and chair. hacken these arouments uo d saying that Camden would with.

man iumped on the idea. and offer if we didn't the news spread round the their ar av borough that a mass meeting accept by Friday. go back was to be nero or How did you respond to these Friday. arguments? The IneV were a wrote national negotiations looked Why did you object to the offering 9% s meeting? Hike mass I thoucht that the still KITi called a mass meet- we had escalating strikes in the that Fisher and ing which ¡tably vote to return to work would find it really hard to Everyone on the strike com sell the dea didn't think the struggle called it before the council had claim was coming for the ratifie had called it before are to an end. We had called it before Secondly it is wrong to say the coonoles nao been conec a for the should that out. sake This was a massive weapon acceot a lousy of others-we are all low paid in in the hands of the councillors the public sector. and they They were knew it I that we all came out uncontactable all day Wednes arcued tor the tou with toe leading and that we the when we And tinally met until all stay out them on Thursday we were in a snould workers got a good deal. weak position to argue anything Third had : far as I knew the they because Knew amas. Council never meeting had been called. would they witnolaw offer How did your depot react?

that my position was spotlight At a mass meeting on Friday Camden was the at 8 a.m. the general feeling was and we should provide a lede would have by rejecting the offer and press tlidl ahead on the full claim. grudgingly return work although they weren't very makes wner em oroyer happy with the offer such a big concession it's time to press ahead and escalate the Most voted at the town hall to return to work. action I will be holding a meeting did the mass meeting on Monday to So how men [SP: th discuss clear-up come about: Those who supported my council have offered €180 ove found themselves three weeks to clear the up outnumbered rubbish] and the quickly backlog SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 Area 2 ready to stay out A mass meeting of Camden home helps voted early. in the strike to seek complete exemp tion from the strike call.

Socialist Press 137 carried an interview with tameer nom help shop steward Christine made who the point Creasley. section Area 5 *hat nar the only section of home helps for all out indefinite propared strike Roton win tade union controlled emergency cover.

This aspect of her statement Shirley has been challenged by Kersick steware Are who tells Socialist Press how support for all-out action was wicer than we nad recoowused.

, What was your objection?

It was inaccurate state that Area 5 was the only area That's geared to all-out strike. rubbish. geared to • Area < was it agree to the their Then their emergency cove The Thursday. before the meeting, my home mass helps turned up for pay, I stood my pay ces. ano TIcKed each individual home-help off for • o against, whether they would abide by. an all out strike The cecisior tuesday. majority were for. Wednesday after the Grade C Grade D Grade E Grade F Grade H strike decision was taken, soent all day at the office-and like 42.00 43.25 Christine an emergency list got •ne witted l coWn 4.08 4.20 4.32 ensured that no referrals were being members. to 5.00 5.00 5.00 was lett uo to tne nome nels le 13.52 13.40 13.28 decide who emergencies

THA

were, not the supervisor.

6.67 6.67 6.67 geared to strike So Wi 70.07 71.27 72.52 ane nad begun, to implement emergency cover What do vou think of the way the exemption was handled?

to call a mistake mass meeting of the home help!

problem not breaking the because it was obvious what was Brent Transfer happen, areas to Station where we tip our refuse.

were comelete. o soroaniser and still working They swamped the people How are you going To continue the struggle for £60 for a 35 who were orean sed. couldn't get a word in-any fool hour week? could have seen what was going beneve that workers if the public sector will reject the to naoDen national agreement Secondly, the women lobbying the strike com With ambulancemen on the mittee meeting should brink of strike action and with mat set thet can he singing in nave Deer an owel sell-out smashed. strike committee meeting sioint at the people uses didnt discussion vut snould maintain committee strike throughout the national struggle and use ou agree with. Ine • vote was 'tner to home helps exempt under a lot of pressure. strike action-as the model for other workers It's more vital than ever that accept Sister Kerslick's joint strike committees are built point that underestimated we and of level of organisatiol indefinite strike amongst the home helps. extendin action ano demancina inat Inest bureaucratic traitors call ready strike section was national indefinite strike action Tor me Tun Cidin majority Javour ou stavine ouT indicts the But it certainly opportunists of the Internation. al Marxist Group charlenge of l February, NUPE Branch Secre.

IMG

John tary and member decisior to exempt home helps from the shedding strike amounted of social services and old people". We should have consideres about brinain more caretuv them out-there. are so many complications" scandalous " n. statemenT comes trom a member organisation which distributes for Actior Campaign full development of women in the union we a like to know now thi IMG plans to "develop" women

NUPL

workers by sending them back

PICKET

work at the very point when women worker drawn into trade unior

AHA CLOSURE PLANS

HIT CANCER PATIENTS

Ambulance drivers head new round of action on pay SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 Westminster Kensington, and Chelsea

AHA

have plans announced down St. Columba's close Hospital Hampstead Heath in four weeks time.

small The hospital terminal care unit which takes in cancer patients from several parts of London to give them Ine speciaisco that this ironic particular hospital is planned for the axe, in the midst or a nage press campaign attacking which hospital strikes claimed to endander the lives o1 cancer patients. So great is 'the pressure on this district of the AHA to make inev nave acesso • Tar to force through the closure in a and particularly bureaucratic callous way. Having been recently foiled their to close attempt Hereford Lodae another smal hospital in the area because of the resistance organised by the Stewards' DISTrICT

JOINT

Committee they nave been forced to look elsewhere.

Fearing similar reaction local hospital TrOM who have so far fought success- fully against the closure of St Mary's general hospital, Harrow avorded hoco Tney nave announcing - the normal

SIX

months consultation period by 'temporary intention of opening Columba's again. Workers and stewards at st.

The strike by ambulance Columba's are holding meetings which they are drivers in London, Manches- week to fight the ter, Somerset and Aberdeen preparing closure. last Wednesday has sparked Occupation off a new round of action amongst health pay It is obvious that an occupa- workers.

TION

nosolta UnCI workers' control only the Over two thirds the move which will save this hos- Lonoon service na a complett stoppage and this quickly spread •tal action organised amongst local other areas of the country- hospital workers and other trade Aberdeen dirvers had begun their action two days T his attempted closure must earlier. not be seen in isolation.

By Wednesday morning, two has been London singled out partly because of the Great Ormond Street and Queen successful resista e to district. had Elizabeth's. hackity district. pledged to come out for three ne Ara are torcer to makd through the Callaghan cuts government's policy of enforc. StriCT cash Health Service, and they are not particularly concerned who the -the old, affected by cuts- The have already begun closing Padding- •Green Childrens Hospital) ton- all-out passage from the Ana financial bulletin shows what little concern there is for SICk ano ovino wen oncea requirements action maintaining capitalism: hospital columba s provides a service tor the dying.

Only 20% of the patients come from Kensington within and Chelsea It was viestminster considered, theretore nton the list for temporary closure.", Workers St Columba's Can you decarida the bAck

JSSC

the local District ground to the one-day strike on ano in 20 February? must spread the tight to save this hospital and force the trade strike was orelgalv lead planned from. a national meet- Union oureaucracy ing of stewards in Birmingham, national campaign against the vicious policies of the Callaghan nerd beginning February. covernment. Following this, the

NUPE

did Tut Limers ano convenors nothing to plan for the action, to inform the members even or wndt was napoemin rollowing pressure from the meeting of convenors press. voted action and the

NUPE

PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report sale Nevertheless the individual against this recommendation and decided to come out. We discovered by our own was action efforts that there Tron olner dita. beginning of the week in Aber- as well as Manchester and aeen Somerset. What 20 happened on In London over 50 of the 72 voted out. stations Healey The numbers were buit up Workers at St. Bartholomew's Hospital voting for strike action on 15 February days over pay and in support of the ambulance crivers. ano ine Westminster Hospital had complete one-day stoppage.

Sabotage It is now obvious that health workers de determing o ca tor a substantial wage increase despite the repeated attempts of their own leadership to sabotage struggle, ano wilh their policy "selective action" The leadership of the . "'ow campaign" is now hope- pay essly split, caught between the their ship the one hand and a on confrontation with the govern- ment on te ouriel. Next step: A North London ambulance driver talks to Socialist Press by the press to excuse the use of but the reason why not every oody came

OU C

Was because of the confusion sown the convenors and

NUPE

by In general, this strike was than 22 Januarv Dav of Action, because knew we were against Te officials and all the rumours of a well as lust as tne caim Itset. What happened at your station?

the Despite views convenor. оскетно midnight • and continued throughout most of the twenty tour nouls What do you think is the next stop? now to do everytning to bullo up the claim and against the sell-out. It seens me now mal there must be mass meetings to this, though the now to prevent them taking place. Although up to now they managed have •maintain uniteo tront in artemolne sell out the wage claim, they are now in a hopeless dilemma, with recommenaine resceliol of the 9%, GMWU and TGWU calling acceptance, and COHSE making no recommen- •ation at all. Step up action Health workers must. sweep asice tais indecision ana sie ur the action in pursuit of the full pay claim.

PRESS

GANG

Even the royal family has its division of labour. While the Queen toured the me aune

OTELIST

Cain kand e chies fre o an and receiving presents that public it sold could settle sector workers caim in tulls net to sorting out the problems oT artish caoitaiisi His speech the Savoy Hotel on the shortcomings the mandoement Wd. sort of populist waffle that the stock in trade of Labour and доvce nicely more grampy mignt not. seemn to nave much bearing on the contradic tions between labour and capital but it is a theme which has a long history. The se chreende gringo. unrelenting witch- period hunts against all members of the working class threw the press into a quandry. on the one nane new er have a policy of never carping about the main characters in the royal soap opera . Un me oue hand they generally feel obliged defend managers against this KIno or CritiCISm The speech was the tront page lead story in the Express, Page 5

AMBUL ANCE

END

LOW

NUPE

says:

PAY

£60

NOW

NUPE ambulancemen in Belfast The conference is at West- t s now vita that moe main weapon of the bureaucracy- minster Hospitai and is beinc of individual supported by Westminster that isolating Trades Council StriKes cemorarisine INt membership-is fought against The conference can help to through building of joint maximise strength the ano determination of health workers strike commitice. the 9% offer and A sten in this direction ha: £60/35 hour been taken by the kensington TOntInO TO. Chelsea are week claim. It must prepare for have called an all campaign coordinated,

WIJU

indefinite strike action _Loncor meeting

TOT

neal tu stewards : on Friday. London service hospitais

WIER

emer future services supplies March coordinate gency being controlled by local strike action Ine nedle service. committees. and Daily being told to tighten their belts Mirror, Star, Sun Mail she gave away to the neads o The Daily Express attempted six gulf states solid silver saivers total £15,000 each-a to resorvi Ins contrao clon De

WUT LE

praising Charles for saying some hand out of f90.000 about the crisis while In return she received- deferentially suggesting that he to the Mirror and according gold palm bịt lightly. with studded pearls, gold The Mirror (Charles the pale fruit Bowl on stand oInK Princes rasco n em diamond encrusted horses: two the Sun launched into the and sapies with amamente attack with the blunt headline: sapphires, Charles toot ir studded watch, a ruby brooch In its editorial comment (A a goldmesh dress and matching proper Charlie) the paper said: handbag, a gold coffee jug with 'Sadiy when he with talks acoul goblets studded problems, •comoex incustria Paco ou as amoo e sabols the Heir to the Throne simply as big as marbles and a two foot doesn't : know what he is talking solid •silver model of dooul. fishing boat day By The next positions Prince Philip had to make do had firmed up. . The Mirror led with three gold swords Brother on story headed decorated and with rubies enarles aoout counc workers cramonos NeXT Inursday is. Maundy visit because Thursday a day on which the soeech. Queen traditionally hands out While the thunder of this pOOT row rolled up and down Fleet Unfortunately she has run into a slight problem of communica- rosino n•ortant issues of the Heir to the Throne and tio that is how to explain to Royal Impartiality, the woman of thousands of f low hundreds herself was living it up in the Middle East. ece workers wny She covered her ace Que mand ter Arid dinile legs with Queen and hei Arab digni- Islam and her boat modesty baubles Britannia with gold ane saver. lantes ouve bach While British workers were worth more than f1 million.

Fedayeen leaders see Page 6

HAWKER SIDDELEY

electricity generators ฿ Tabriz for domestic & industrial use §21m * 15% interest in plant curatin enerators to

BRITISH RAIL

Consence cation ot section e of railway f7m

IRAQ

GEC

Power station £30m Petroleum equiament Various UK suppliers £100m Sm barreis day Her talk ed ensed by (BP led consortised & NIÚC through Khare Istand Scarcely an aspect of the and economics politics of the imperial- ist world has been un- touched by the Iranian revolution. In the economic sphere its reverberations already the inter- ¡caclice national trade, the the price curiency markels, of gold, some of the world's biggest banks and the arms industry. The ultimate economic effects of Iran's revolution will be determined by the political outcome of today's revolutionary struggle. Effects Some of the serious effects of what has already will not ovuicu nowever. ve quickly reversed First and foremost, Iran's importance Conome nas been as a supplier of oil. OI

I USE

was marketed inter- nationally through a consor- tium of the American, British French and oil monopolies. Before the oilworkers' strike, Iran

SIX

million barrels of oil a day -about 10% of the world's total production. Israeli oil Virtually all Israeli and South African oil imports, West Germany's and a significant share of Japan's were from Iran. In the short term the cut- back in Iranian production to well under one millon barrels a day has already crisis in the market, but it will WOrd not be for a few weeks that the cutback has its effect oil available the on in tiscal markets Already the 'spot' (immediate delivery) price has shot up. The racist South African government, before placing secrecy restrictions on new

CEMENTATION

CHRYSLER

Two 30-storey Car assembly {100m £16m Projected phase clues o more

BRITISH STEEL

Meshed

CORP

Consultancy contract

TEHERAN

for steel complex at Isfahan £32.7m Isfahan

AFGHANSTAN

R A N

- MAIN OIL-

MARPLES

RIDGEWAY

AKCA

New highway Rerman @ £125m Shur-Gaz

DAVYPOWER GAS

Fertilizer complex • Bandar Abbas £17.5m Persian Gul

WASTAN

MILE:

information about oil. That the government announced last week that in seems so far to have failed the last few weeks it had to in this aim is shown by the 80% pay more than the fact that last week the oil official

OPEC

price for workers retused to resume 'spot' purchases of oil. producton untu they were some high-ranking directly represented on the officials of the Carter ad- Revolutionary Council. have been Khomeini/Bazargan 1 ne stating that the government's oil policies new ou crisis is worse than might be deduced from the the four-fold increase statements some prices which OPEC imposed Khomeini in 1973/4. followers. Shortfall They have said that the policy will stabilise Saudi Arabia. as well as production at about half the some other gulf states have previous level (2.5 to raised their output to million barrels a day). compensale or some or lne lost Iranian supplies. Cancellation But this still leaves large shortfall-and most of This, they say, is all that the producers would rather would be necessary to pay keep for the can- appreciating asset im pols under the ground than swap cellation the expensive it for a fistful of US dollars as ContraCTs which look unlikely to do Many these WCTe anything but fall. cancelled put into The tight supply Bakhtiar abeyance. ov situation that means the OPEC countries are beginn- ing to see the opportunity to raise oil prices this year the LtaN 14/0 already agreed. states already gull last week were able to raise their prices well beyond the official OPEC ruling Some of the most militant And Saudi Arabia's extra demands being placed on the production already goverhment come from charging the higher the Fedayeen (the Organisation price Iranian People's which was not supposed to recall Guerillas). operate until October. Fedayeen forces now No policy estimated at 150,000, claim to have played a leading role in the Of course, there is always fighting at the air base in East the possibility that Iranian's Tehran Tehrane when army and sparked supplies will The Khomeini/Bazargan attack government doesn't Embassy in Tehran. yet They now have a policy of seem have established any serious oil production policy Its initial position is to encourage and exports to resume-but this seems less a policy on pro- duction than an effort to impose its authority on the and militant oil workers. General Motors plant regime. And it now seems impossible that they will be renewed The full value of these contracts-for Britain, the USA and West Germany- amounted to many billions or aouars The arms trade with Iran became billion-dollar business for imperialism in the 1960s when the Shah's regime was first built up as a military agent imperialism in the Middle East. But the real arms bonanza didn't come until alter the increase in the oil price in 1973 Iran's huge increase revenue enticed salesmen. from all parts of the imperialist to wOnd Tehran immense bearing bribes for Shah's officials. holding onto their weapons and calling for the dismantling of the army, elected army WIth and for elected work- otticers. place councils The Fedayeen have nac hundreds of members killed or imprisoned since they launchec their 'armed struggle' against the Shah and have a pole obviously become of for attraction young Iranian mailants workin tor alternative to the Tudeh party Armed masse SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 29 February 1979 How the re the confide Chieftain tank courtesy of t One of these has admit- the Royal Ordnance fac ted bribe of tory • Leeds (which produces million Chieftain tanks and where deal with the Labour most workers belong to the for the T&GWU), the Jarrow naval purchase of Chieftain tanks.

shipyards, British Aerospace tact Rritish exports to ($ 800 million of anti air- Iran 1,100% rose by from cratt missiles), SwanHunters 1970 to 1978 (see chart). and Vosper Thorneycroft (both building ships for the Shah). Tens of thousands of The end of the arms jobs in the imperialist will also imply economies (perhaps as many significant worsening of the as 80,000 in Britain alone) balance of payments. are the result of these arms The cancellation of for arms so far Their end will precipitate amounts to $8 billion along major new struggles on jobs, with a further $4. billion of especially in the government other goods. ordanance factories and Among these are Avenger various sections of kits sold by Chrysler for

LOE

engineering and vehicles assembly in Iran. This deal industries. was worth i$200 million to In Britain the firms and British Chrysler and was an plants most affected will be essential part of its rescue But the role of the Fedayeen which describes itself as Marxist.

, could become crucial Leninist. defusing working class struggle against Khomeini the mutant nistory gives group a credibility that the party lacks-yet Fedaveen Stalinist theories complete with advanced two stage theory frontism som ortunie Tudeh Party Its sole and criticisim • the (which Carls retormist, on fact that the Dasec • the Tudeh Party rejected guerillaism, 'Socialist' The Fedayeen describes the Soviet Union China Cuba, Vietnam and all other degenera ted and deformed workers states Savak chief, Nassiri, and t and explains support of Chinese and Moscow In fact Khomeini has made bureaucracies for the Shah as ill his anti-communist credentials attempts to persuade clear his , Prime dovised

QUITE

the Shah to change his policies.

Bazargan has put or Today the Fedayeen support record his readiness to use force Khomeini, todistinguish the Fedayeen seekine go8inst him and between the mullahs. disturb the order and security" Last week they planned a march Split headquarters . break down that wall [erected by the The Fedayeen was founded mullahs] so that we could speak split in with the Tudet to him directly." 1963. first Jazant their Khomeini, who leader was sentenced to 15 years aoes no share a reciprocal respect for the before the Fedayeen turned to 1967-four years Fedayeen, branded them extremist opportunists and said guerillaism he would not meet them. In line While in prison he wrote and smuggled

OUT

mani work Fedayeen called are comested of now used the which march. ever this theoretical attel the incident a spokesman told the Fedayeen wa later Daily Telegraph's corresponden prison by the nureered in in Tehran Shah's forces "Because Khomeini is anti- Extracts from the imperialist and anti-dictatorship popular revea the bankrunt and has popular support we go front approach of the Fedayeen along but unfor the Iranian him everution tunately he is surrounded by Their strategy was USe wall of mullahs guerilla war to rouse the masses are preventing people from having (which the Fedayeen regarded direct contact with him. with deep pessimism).

volution in Iran shakes ence of imperialism ‹ unity with Iranian bourgeoisie SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 British Labour government operation two ago. on these loans will be made Already Chrysier has laid the near future if ever. off 1,500 workers in Britain 1 nere is mucn talk or tne as a result of the ending of possible retaliatory freezing this trade with Iran. of the estimated S 10 billion But these direct effects official ot the iranian revolution are possibly less significant than the indirect effects. 1970 = 100 which this economic 1,200 [C750M ¡onvulsion has produced. Fears 1.00U

UK EXPORTS

Finance capitalists have

TO IRAN

n the last week expressed 800 ncreasing, fears for the oughly $12 billion which is

TOTAL UK-

600- ran's debt, incurred by the

EXPORTS

Shah's government, to Europe banks and the 400 United States. (£66M With the Revolutionary 200 Council of striking workers till

COLLOI

1970 72 Central Bank, there is little hance that due payments ce generals executed by the Islamic Revolutionary Council 1973 Fedaveer then our country is on the verge Ine ublished Iran Jazani's of a socialist revolution and the amphlet, The Socio-Economic together with allies forms the basis the alysis or a werenoent caota.

it State which stresses that the But this revolution. He of a working class vanguard erroneous sener. The contradiction between unite WITh The nationa burgeoisie against imperialism labour and with its two revolution-the social manestaton OT a • con- between The Trontation the prole. cond a 'people's revolution'. tariat and the bourgeoisie, not be the principal contradic. Exploitation tion of the system prevaling in Iran. 'In so far as this is a class For this reason our society is stem based upon the exploita.

not at of a socialist от a creat malority ov revolution. e lt is not a revo m- hall minority, the deepest and tion where the slogan would be ost fundamental of its contra- abolition of private owner- Ship of the means of oroduction

LUOS IS

which endore. e growth of the system and and •the expropriation of fall continuation exploita- private capital. Moreover, the need for Since the relations of pro- the national economy, and the Iction in this system are based need uproot dependent can laust. were sions to de austrie tendency among some Marxist economic domination believe that immediately after contradiction in Iran the people's incıpal day imperative that our society wat wowween about id capital. If this is the case should go through a necessary Khomeini's homecoming speech estimated to be in imperia- list banks But this would be desperate which nicasule might other provoke countries wilderaw funds. Yet Iran's default retaliation could witnoul even worse effects in the form of bank panics and failures. Already Dow Chemicals have got a court order to freeze the US assets of a small Iranian bank for non- of due payment this may set

ATU

for precedent their companies. They may try the same tactics of asset freezing confiscation the penalty clauses in the can cance arms deas period of transition before the establishment of socialism.

of the sum because anti-imperialist necessity because pro- part of the of Natult and 'Dourceorste since imperative to 90 through period of transition before soclalism, principle contra- of our society, mainly diction contradiction which The present HaS SSems Doc is that between the people and its enemies. The mani- economic TestatIon or Inis contradiCtion Is that the exploited as well as the strata and classes under imperia. ust oporessior are side, and on the other side there are the domestic exploiters de- pendent on foreign an all-pervasive control over Iran. The social aspect of this con- tradiction is that there are the workers, the peasants, the urban ana rule deny dourceo ses die the national bourgeoisie on the one side, and on the other side, were Concer bourgeoisie, the whether of private capital or form sector; foreign Government imperialist powers." In an earlier passage Jazani seeks to exolain mne treachery o' the Soviet and Peking bureacra.

cies the Shah, supporting which of course he does not call treachery. "They manade to casture a considerable portion of the market from international the monopories their economic I ney help growth by expanding economic relations with Iran ¡ney may also believe thai with the expansion of economic relations they art

END

DARTIAL !

- i. IRA! MARI IN

'TRAN!

ST Popi If it were the direct economic situation on the effects of the revolution on, imperialist . economy 1S say, oil prices which was the magnify the im balance most important considera- which already existed inde- tion, then the biggest oil pendently Iranian ot tne importer- -such as Japan and West Germany-would find The Iranian revolution currencies their has already, only two weeks most old, of severely hit. had the effect the capitalist sharpening But, on the contrary, the world's economic crisis first effects have been to But basic the most further weaken the dollar in reason why the imperialists relation to the yen and the tremble at the sight of the Deutschmark. Iranian revolution not 1S What this suggests is that either the immediate the effect of Iran's feared direct economic (a) helping towards the econom- Iran their with because of ic independence of Iran, and (b) aborove or tae recime ano trad co resen relations with it. the expansion public sector (eg steel industries, the present stage F our struggle etc.) they are helping to create socialist the Soviet Union, China and list" tendencies in the system other socialist states: We believe that if the social ist states 1. We are swayed by such in no way ir art they have favour of conster tion. Then objective understanding of between Iran and the socialist states since we would not be the the and system futile Iney nave aiso talled to pay due attention to global transforma- neither stites to break tomatic tesse expect these cons relating to counties ki Iran." tons within Howerver, demand we that the socialist states refuse, at Having delivered this milc criticism to these 'socialists' the Jazani urges them not to move realmes proarammes and its in.

towards ternal as well as regional poli outrignt opposition to the Shah: cies; and that they "The revolutionary adopt a fri move analy stalk towards the basest dictatorshir suffer as a result of the socialist on the gion. The continuation countries, friendly relations economic relationship . Page 7

END

MARTIAL LAW

IN IRAN!

END

MARTIAL

IN IRA

Anti-Shah demonstration in London consequences. The real cause of their terror is the sight of one of the powerful, inter- most nationally supported well armed regimes in the world reduced to dust in a few months before a mass move of workers, peasants mell l and students, armed until the last moment with little more than unshakable determination to rid them- selves of tyranny and oppression. That is enough to turn any imperalist's blood cold.

with Iran is in no wav depen.

aent upon such a stand We socialist pressure groups in the socialist Slaloo groups in the West, to protest against crimes committed by the Micke opinion aware of what happens inside Iran." Such passages : from . the lead. ina theoretician of the Fedaveer are a clear statement of their hostility for permanent revolu cemanos that the masses struggle for a socialist Khomeini's revolution against new recime Forces which pull behind the Fedayeen practic behind. Khomeini and the pulled STrenotnenine nationals bourgeois torces. They well end up on the receiving end ourers trom leader whose power theysupport.

The takeover of the Tiaravan Palace

†Forging the link between art and revolution- ГОРДОСТЬ СОВЕТСКОИ КИНЕМАТОГРАФИИ Page 8 The first ever comprehensive exhibition of the work of the Soviet artist, Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956) has been mounted at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. Rodchenko was a leading member of the Constructivist/Productivist move- ment in the decade following the Bolshevik revol.

ution. The exhibition covers his paintings, draw- ings, photographs, furniture design and posters and street art. It includes work never exhibited before, including paintings held by the Rodchenko family in Moscow. It will stay in Oxford until March 25 The Russian Revolution which make Institutions October of 1917 turned life practical reality". upside down not just the property relations of Czarist "ne man testo aso formu. slogans, the first two of ated Russia but its social fabric which "Down with art, in every sphere. de cocca science and "Religion is a lie. Art is a lie".

In art, no less than in politics and the family the led directly to an explosion Soviet artists no longer took as their point development the Cubists but the proletarian revolution of the Bolsheviks.

he most conscious ot unese attempted forge artists direct unity the new Soviet power and their work.

necessary *• co mis t was to destroy the old idealism, sanctity and humbug of the art yaricly -o cryste une artist ana nis/ner subjectivism and to assert the functional natre of the artist/designer. Cosy decoration Rodchenko wrote in 1920: Mayakovsky art or the tuture will not be the cosy decoration of The dangers ot procialming family homes. It will be just as proletarian art by decree have 4ostorey sky- been pointed to by Trotsky. He scrapers, mighty bridges, wire- attackee ine anc less, aeronautics, Kuznitsa as seeking to become subarues which will be transformed into monopolistic arrasellatives The tie artiste interests 'or ine eror development from etariat. He retused to condemr painter to anti-painter covered a artistic creation to the • than five years and with •i no more make Pullindl from the revolution-a period of generanties artistic rapid and revolutionary change creation when that creation was Modchenko nao been Intil. enced first by Aubrey Beardsley would Curat and Gauguin and 1915 to supple- spienaid it we nad onwards the Futurists ment Communist political artists, designers ine group writing, the Bolshevik and architects-of which it must artistic

OUTCOK

be remembered Rodchenko wa form. But we haven't and that is part-rejected each not accidental. The heart of the these in turn. walter is wat artistc creatity very nature, lags behind First edition the other of expressions Ossip Brik, critic and writér, of a man's spirit, LITe • the saint are coss. {the quarterly one thing La- periodical: Left Front of the stand something nd express it Arts) attacked those who logically. and

GUIL

title constructivist it organic- a simiate but rejected its disciplines: ally, reconstructing the whole "Instead 'composition' system of one's feelings, and to they say 'construction', instead of "to write' they say 'to shape', instead 1y to - 400 construct. But they are pictures, landscapes, portraits. There who are others do deares WOrK production, who also talk about material, texture, construction out come tre very same age old ornamental and applied types of cockerels and flowers, or circles in dashes "There is a consumer who not need and does pictures ortanents. ana Wind afraid of iron and steel. This the consumer proletariat. With of the prolet ariat will come the victory of constructivism." Detached art This drive adainst bainter. liness' was directed against those who wanted art to be detached, superior and important in the sense of being mystically signif- icant. 1921 Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova marries Horehenko. produced 'productivist manifesto'. Amona its ideolodical aims was: "To make intellectual МАЯКОВСКИЙ production truly particinate of communist budding up culture, as an element equal in value with others". amongst us political aims: "Establishing contacts with all the productive Cover for Mayakovsky's poem 'Pro Eto' (About This). The Conds due woman was his lover, Lilya Brik.

mash coales or the united soviet

POHEHOCEL

ПРоИЗвоДСтвО І ФАБРИКИ Rodchenko's poster for Eisenstein's film, Battleship Potemkin, 1925 find kind of artistic His painting developed towards expression for this new entity. principles of construction.

ThA 'The latter process He declared that only line in more difficult more organic. shower. art reflected reality. subject to conscious "Line has bid a red farewell ence-and end it will to painting". always lag behind. Next hes in eases on writing of a DOlITICal 'painterliness canvasses hastens ahead stilts, cass on colour while artistic creativity Finally he broke with paint- hobbles along and turned to Denino ing crutches." photography, Pra or work in which Clearly attempt photomontage predominated InE dump painting was futile and Productivist Art flowered in the raising ot photography over

AUS

Soureal! painting one sided and distorted cracy Stalin was eating its but the drive of the productiv- way into the heart of the Soviet break trom system. • 30 Was 10 Soviet system beginning to find art tustities itselt as a movement the fact that artistic creation an authentic voice. take place under Trained designers monteste A manifesto is not art, yet Rodchenko went the manifesto Vkhutemas-an enolneerint Rodchenko, trained Last workshoe which designers not to become famous wanner witnour creaton. Rodchenko became artists but to work in industry.

abstract artist who then rejected In 1923 he began a long and fruitful collaboration with the poet Mayakovsky-starting with tne cove cesion ПРО ЗТО Mayakovsky's poem 'Pro Eto'- 'About This In 1924 Lenin died: In 1926 Mayakovsky wrote poem against bureaucratic interference Inson or out Poetry.. Tax conversation! with Workers' overalls In these Rodchenko years designed furniture, crockery and aset ot workers. overdils. Hi and Mayakovsky began covering the streets with copies of advert isments-to Ine DoveT babuss dummies garette cigarettes, for baby's them till you're old") and for films by vertov, Eisenstein and others The had come to the people. The formost poet of the most revo uten ano Inf politically direct of its artists designing advertising were uses, pok covers ana new KIOsKs. The link between Rodchenko and the cinema was His posters for Potemkin' are direct, challenging and vivid The Productivists redesigned Darine seri TrIS to get the simplicity and direct. ness they wanted. 1926 Trotsky expelled from the Communist Party and in years , that tollowed art was torced to serve the needs of stalin Rodchenko's photographs continued develop, trom sharo aistorting angles oI nany full face prints to expres the variety the sitter. ПОТЕМКИ 1930 Mayakovsky suicide and The noochenkos onotodran' Pioneer' was officially criticised.

The following year _ne was expelled from the of formalism. Stalin's arounes Social Realism had In sense the Construc tivist-Productivists denying role independent artist, had reduced their ability fight this direct subservience art to serve the bureaucracy.

Continued work Although Rodchenko fell disfavour he into • continued work ane ourine the ear v 19st photographed the construction of the White Sea Canal Capitulation wrong word. hather, the revol utionary political expression which gave the Productive artists their impetus was on thi and Rodchenko-not Trotskyist and political comprehension of the •cacuon unar beset nis work- Rodchenko wearing a worker's suit he designed. Photograph by Mikhail Kaufman, 1921 SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 was forced back with it He took a paintie call and continued to produce quan- tities of vivid photography.

But his art could not help construct because Commist SOCIeTV communist society was "longer or the agenda When died in 1956 (three years afte his best work was more than 30 years behind are signs that Rodchenko renaoll. tated in the Soviet Union Allowing his family release pictures for the Oxford exhibition was an oblique mark of bureaucratic approval But th Wis the neve renabilitater Soviet Union until politica revolution the there Constructivists and Productivists revolu tionary optimism and the hop enein. TnE so atior artistic creation from the masses. That is a revolutionary goal with Stalinism.

A centrist writes on the SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 party Molyneux Mr attempts to present the basic ideas of Marx, Luxemburg, Lenin, Trotsky and Gramsci on the revolutionary party and then to comment on their practical rele- vance today. With Tony Cliff as editor of this book it is fair of the reader to assume that it has approval of the The seant Socialist Workers Party

(SWP),

favourable referenc since references are of made the writings other SWP members such as Chris Harman and Duncan Hallas. of Mr. study book should Molyneux's then, provide some guide to the ideological pinnings of this tendency.

It is not possible to take and mis- up every CIOl conception contained in this brief. work-space

TOO

But certain central points must be made. Throughout the book the importance scientific and minimised-the significance oi ine party as tne maleria.

organ of class consciousness is thus undermined; in stands a glorification brace of the working class and its consciousness in its present form. Mere organising Essentially, the task of party The ' Teduced. merely workers organising in a more permanent way, for tasks which they are have already assumed to recognised in the day-to-day struggle.. method emerges sharply when most Molyneux addresses himself to the theory of Lenin (and Kautsky), that socialist con- sciousness must oe Droughl the working class "from without". From attacking the notion of Kautsky (and at first accepted by Lenin) that "from without' can "bourgeois the intelligentsia" intellie ts science" the Moly- neux goes over to blur the distinction between the scientific knowledge of the revolutionary party (consist- ing most advanced OT workers who have risen the level of Marxism and the best elements of the bour.

geois intelligentsia who have come working over class) and the spontaneous consciousness 1n the class the Luise struggle itself. Deprived of role Though Molyneux makes frequent to about phrases as a "vanguard" the nartv he "need to understand the totality of social relations' that the latter and admit revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg "a can only come from much wider sphere than the factory", he therefore deprives the party of its role the theoretical genuine and polltical leader or lne proletariat. Thus we read of: workers spontan- eously rising much greater heights than trade and trade POnUCs Necessary Self-consciously defend- himself against ing the accusation that he is about overthrow the whole of Leninism, Molyneux asserts Mark Hyde reviews Marxism and the Party by John Molyneux, published by Pluto Press at £2.95 that a revolutionary party is still necessary because: .. this consciousness does not develop gradually • On the contrary, it takes and sudden leaps giant forward and can suffer ship- equally catastrophic wrecks. Nor does the con- spread evenly

SCOURIES

class, the through the SO consciousness of the advanced socialist workers be organised and

TENURE

centralised increase the maximum its influence within the class as a whole." has ever Now denied that when the work- Page 9 The consciousness of the There is, we are told, a "qualitative difference' opposed Marxist (as centrist, SWP-type) party, is between Trotsky's defence more than that of Leninism against Stalinism up to 1933, and "advanced socialist workers"; OF, , ås Molyneux his struggle for a new "workers achieving (Fourth) International from puts it, 1933 onwards. socialst consciousness spor taneously" "Pitiful" The task is not merely to "increase to the maximum The first was basically a the "influence' of this conscious- • thing; the second good ness" "pitiful gathering", based The consciousness of the upon Programme which he calls a revolutionary party is that method"_"a to which Molyneux "false fixed Call sections bip seis ink thee isolation from system, this book-the strueles advance and of SeCLIOIs complete body know- OI ledge of scientific Marxism.

Molyneux (with crows the Lenin could give leadership complete teal part played by Trotsky- revolution kussian not because he shared the ists in leading mass struggles the in many countries): consciousness its demands-for a "advanced socialist of for sliding scale wages, workers"-but because he the opening of the books of fought this consciousness.

big business, for the nation.

Adventurist alisation of the banks, for the workers' militia-were If the Bolshevik party the taken by up Devel had merely sought workers" the influence" of "increase Molyneux does i not workers' these to how avanced bother • explain revolution the Russian socialism will achieved would have prematurely without such measures! broken its neck during the adventurist upsurge of July Actual experience 1917. While paying close atten- Molyneux's tirade delib- ton to every mood in tre erately conceals the fact shift of proletariat, every the Pro- that mass opinion, while encour- gramme was based upon the aging ever progressive actual revolutionary exper- trend, the Bolsheviks under ience of Russian Bolshevism Lenin's leadership, were Comintern and earty to maintain the inde- able first , (which spoke pendence of the party from of transitional system all pressures including demands' of the advanced pressures Further, the experience workers themselves (though of every mass revolutionary of course had their these upsurge the prolelallal effects in the ranks of the has confirmed its method party too). right up to the present day.

What was the publication Dialectics of capitalist accounts but the Portugal and Iran And was possible Bolshevik of the books'? because strategy opening of April 1917 after was not What were the seizures arms in those countries but tail ending the based advanced workers (the 'old the first instinctive strivings Bolsheviks', including Stalin towards workers' militia?

had done this before Lenin's Centrists like Mr Moly- return to Russia). neux serve . concerne lessons of such experiences Rather the strategy could separated from from the working class and not thus obstruct the develop- Lenin's stuay or alalectica. ment of revolutionary materialist philosophy leadership. (which Mr. Molyneux seeks represent as idealism), from the study of No programme the nature of the imperialist of the development of programmé 'fixed' walk. capitalism in Russia, as well of course, be revised may, from in the light of as (eventually) experience Trotsky's theory of Perman- (as was the Bolshevik pro- ent Revolution. gramme in 1917) but what It is a happy coincidence puts forward Molyneux that Mr Moly- of course, no programme-but instead • neux's separation of Marxist a recipe for continual adap- from theory tasks to the existing con- LaBO organisation, and his of the working party sciousness view that the revolutionar class has only to do A nàtural complement of movement this view is the relegation of workers spontan- wnat • CO of building eously in a more systematic the task way, provides a rationale for centralised International to the dim and distant futüre, the current practice of the

SWP

of in favour of "collaboration which never lures possible" today- giving workers struggle wherever and patting the long-time justification assistance ing driven the back class' them on the for the SWP's sordid series

COLO

1n conflict with capitalism the hope recruitment, of easy blocs development of the revolu- while refraining from any abroad. crisis the book tionar. sharp struggle tol Molyneux's conditions for sharp changes gramme against the present to begin Causes any lit in consciousness consciousness of the class questioning on the And fool could nature of' the revolutionary only a fail to see that the proletar- Quiescence at least it will party, then iat in struggle constantly have served one useful pur- Traws concluse states the of In times relative pose. role state, the quiescence But the task then is the Cas which study of the actual works different political struggle tendencies parties, play this game appear oh-so- of the great thinkers he etc. "summarise" advanced, seeks but ini times ol Yet a revolutionary pro- upsurge act as a drag on the order to discover the actual gramme of action for the movement. theoretical gains that have overthrow of the capitalist Molyneux's opposition made and their value and revolutionary been system, to the Marxist programme is today than their • rather consciousness

SUCH

distortéd far more than the sum total Trotsky's "dual legacy". cracked mirror of centrism.

of these experiences.

International sell-out Page 10

INDUSTRIAL

preserve profits. French and Italian •union bureaucrats last this week turned up to rein- confirmed by the IGWU's Rubber and force the efforts being Chemicals made by all eleven talking John in Dunlop's unions Speaking threatened Speke plant Feb) he to head off any serious that: action to prevent its to streamline planned closure. And once again leaflets we distributed by the Workers accept that there would be Socialist League exposing difficulty in maintaining all the the in which way 2,400 jobs struggle being - shunted but as efficiency down blind sidings by Speke there convenors were subjected to attracting ate plain, new products to witch-hunting attack

TGWU

Executive Council Chairman Stan Pemberton. No denial The WSL has stressed Conspicuously from the beginning the fact ton's attack or the leaders that leaflet at the previous mass accept that the 'viability' of meeting had Dunlop capitalist denial that as employer is paramount-and of union position theretore thev and convenors.

THUS:

accept the company's 2,400 conclusion: clumsy jobs at risk in Speke must anti-Trotskyist be sacrificed to the In oraer

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

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attempt at Dunlop would see the pathetic pro- worker doubted test policies behind it. Last week's mass meeting : position it was amply statement Pem berton soft-peddling his officer, 'left' nationalist demand 10. import controls to keep out Miller. Guardian 'foreign' tyres in deference French and Italian pointed on union LilC "We do accept the need platform. paid the industry They in turn and make it more efficient, Pemberton the curtesy of probably avoiding any reterence occupation of the plant to and helped prevent closure, at Speke [!] set the scene for the con increased tinuing campaign of 'lobbies' and 'talks' lined up possibility by the Speke convenors. One such lobby was the futile Communist Party February 147obby of Parlia- at which ment, mere Pember- handful of people udu

WSL

the turned up to implement the 'revolutionary policy of avoided any handing valentine cards to this the MPs! officials WSL leaflet Instead he merely set up This fiasco smokescreen 'followed up' by a demon- bluster stration on March 10 called hopes that no worker by the Stalinist-led Liver- pool Trades Council. Pemberton then turned his the against WSL leaflet which called for the meeting to adopt policy of occupation, and demanded that Pemberton use his position as national chairman of the TGWU to press for a national trade

CAPTAL

which group meeting joint plan of action against closure and sackings Speke and other threatened tyre plants could be hammered out. tically declaring that if you- Yet though [the want these elements WS] to lead you, I will be glad only too to stand down" , Pemberton failed to explain where he stands on these policies. Nor would he respond to the demand on him to join with local 'left' Labour MPs Eddie Loyden (who has verbally supported For a tion) and Eric Heffer in tight to kick out the anti clear Callaghan-Healey socialist lead in the Trotskyism Today 4 Contents include *Mandel's Dance with Stalinism *The Significance of the Transitional Price 45p plus 15 p p&p from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London N5 1HR Cowley workers "From the hard up workers on ADO 14/71" at British Leyland's Body Plant

DEAR EDITOR,

so-called bonus Leyland suspended dispute cave ne 5% ook don't workers' rise livelihood the whim of Heffer Labour leadership and of their policies and mass wate

CULS

unemployment. But he quick to was argue against one drawing the logical who, the conclusion from con- venors' do-nothing policy the Speke closure, suggested that the pickets now manning gates should be wilnurawi allow the company to re- start production However in deference to bureau- the international crats on the platform, Pem- TOr dIl berton failed to answer the And the fight to member's same suggestion the fight in that the picket line be trans- ionally ferred to the docks-to stop Transitional Programme. imported tyres from and again entering the country! We say clearly: alone NO to import controls! whether YES to occupation! No to: Dunlop's "via- bility"! union, and YES to an elected trade conuss or tre committee to open Dunlop's books and show In each the need for nationalisation theory without compensation workers' under manage- starting tron ment! socialist revolution "volun- NO to sackings, This tary" or compulsory!

YES

to work sharing against redundancies. and among the whole workforce unionisation without loss of pay! movement of course essential the irish reconstruction of the

OUT ITS

are torm Programme *The US SWP Forty Years On Name . Address SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 28 February 1979 Letter: from hard-up to stoo their nreoccupation witt • we have suffered twc consorting with management prolonged and arduous years of We demand a decent living British management's latest wate officials do the job for which they were elected our parity payments have been preserving the because of the lorry living stanoaro. ano workind of their members, incicentat blackmailed by the drivers an increase of 14%. It makes our measly wolf-criers of management.

Yours fraternally, non-existent-ever the Ford B.J. *We recommend are sick and tired of our brothers concerned consult the being dependant on panel below and join us. in the fight for such a leadership! Ed.

We now ask our union officials

NERS

-RIS

WSL: we offer a lead Whichever way you look at the struggles and prob.

lems now facing the working class throughout the world one thing stands out above all: the necessity for a prin.

cipled leadership capable of leading the struggle for state power and the establishment of a socialist society.

The massive revolutionary upheaval that has now toppled the seemingly impregnable might of the Shah of Iran and which is now coming into conflict with the restrictions placed upon it that socialist "leaders serves as a vivid reminder revolution is not only possible, but essential if the apparatus of capitalist repression and exploitation is to be destroyed once and But such a revolution requires a conscious marxist leadership construct such a leadership is inseparable from the day-to-day struggles of the working class internat- Tor the brincioes. mernoo ano demadas ortneirotskylsi The Workers Socialist League has time proved be the only movement in Britain that fights not shrink fron are mne movement cad abe. even head-on battles with the existing leaders of the working class wingers, "left' talking these be open Ladourites orotarmiss ovure communist rarty Of course this policy has made us no friends in the trade Labour bureaucracy, or amongst the opportunists ant • British, 'left'. But it has meant that the WSL ha consistently offered the most powerful lead to workers in struggle.

both in struggle we set out to prove to workers and in practice the necessity leadership and for a programme of transitional demands which today's problems and today's consciousness withir The workino cas. a workers in studdie to cros• в пева то why the WSL has featured at the forefront of pay the fight struggles in British Leyland and the public Sector, closures, in struggles against Ene cuts fights, and the fight for democracy in the labour This method of approach - reiectina anv descent to simple trade union militancy or concession to the labour bureaucracy - is not only in Britain but internationally.

the labour movement the in takina up international issues in WSL stresses not only the obligation of British workers to support these in an id othern a r liberation revolutionary struggles such struggle the the necessity tol nternationa as organising centre of the world party of socialist revolution . is not the biggest movement on the left in Britain; 8ооговсп to Dorotheor ano oractice maker neonly really serious revolutionary movement.

WHY NOT JOIN US?

ocow or more cris. or doorocca vor local branch, who will gladly supply more information about our programme, policies, and perspectives.

MORE DETAILS

Please send me more information about the WSL ¡Send to Workers• Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS 1HR

Press Civil Service pay claim Down with P.R.U.

SOCIALIST IRISS,

Members of the Civil and Public Services Association and the Society of Civil and Public Servants last Friday national. one-day staged a token strike in support of a pay increase. The two unions are demand- government ine Litt increases of between 25% and 30% line with findings of Unit, Pay Research ine PHOTO: John Sturrock, Report body supposedly ince•enoenu whose job it is to look at wages and come in the private sector for up WIth a decent aver aut civil servants. Negotiations over

CIVI

have been servants Jay of vague idea governeo ov ine comparison' twertt and at the last three to

CPSA

conferences get rid of the PRU and allow the membership determine been put forward by the lettin une utton. the motions have been devated by Each nowever. a margin of around two to one.

is not surorisino headers Union important sections of the mem- what they know of this myster- bership are hostile to the PRU.

Jous DOuy body It is a ratner snac owy More whose activities are must continue to turn the union a most from such impossible to monitor. avay towards the principle 'Detective work' bership control ing up of pay claims At the It is made up ot nair union and half government sponsored must be the independent mobil- On the union side the nominees. isations of the membership.

nine civil service unions which Council sit on the living standards forward jointly put nominees The union rank and file have comparison no idea who these people are!

gained in the private sector.

nominees government i ne lass shrouced mystery only because of 'detective work' committees carried out by militants in the inflation The November 1978 issue of the mem Dersnip information rank the and tile magazine 'Redder Tape' lists the govern- of ment nominees as a director ano Marks and Spencer, Lief Mills, the general of Bank Union National Employees, Lady Pike, an ex• Tory MP, Lord henherd this would neec Deputy Director of the Sterling cost OT Group companie. Professor Rodney Crosley, professor of mathematics tile committees The PRU briet is to investl- gate comparable wages! the private sector; and civil servants time as pay is negotiated on the basis of from the PRU continues. For now, their tindings. No rank and file union mem- the current claim. has any idea ber which companies in the private sector are investigated. It the union leaders know this information

CPSA

members don't let on certainly reported that: about it. Expose PRU full PRU recommendations.

Militant civil servants must fight to expose continue the the when we will the inner worKinus

PRU

PRU.

Demands must be placed on mented. Chall

UNION DUES

SCPS members lobbying 'left' Labour MP Joan Maynard on pay in 1977 At rallies up and down the so y ciedily CPSA leaders reflecting the members anger attacked the government attitude importantly the fight CPSA President London said that the unions bodies and Len ever did not feel bound by the TUC/ of mem- government concordat until it over the draw discussed their •nac Doct centre of any serious conferences. fight to defend living standards "Leadership" The key focus for defence of rally At the Coventry Geoff Lewtas musi Nationa omnicel measure of real incomes against promised "We wiif give leader- vague some campaign •we to this Sull will not settle without reterring WIth increasts any offer to the membership.

There must be a fight for the Monday the unions From strike selective establishment of rank and file embarked which would action at 20 key and shów to computer centres but workers at of the Department of Employment the sort of Health and ine yeodrell wage claims which would regain and Social security nave not standards. been asked if they would living even in strike involved action. Cost of living clause The CPSA NEC are using the argument that "we don't want Any pay claim seeking to do to hit the public" to restrict the to include a planned strikes. which Clause vote for the one-day would guarantee wages against I he strike (by a margin of 2-1) came inflation as assessed by rank and circulated

NEC

the when branches with a motion which Moves towards such commit- I in favour of a teęs can take place at the same read Are you one-day strike? Will you give the struggle to break NEC authority tor a calliodryi the ful staim action to achieve of industrial the tight is on tol A leaflet given out by the Develop links two unions in Coventry, where a demonstration and rally of 100 leaflet An accompanying took place, strike specified one day action at 20 computer centres "Now Mr Callaghan is offer- and a national overtime ban.

ing us a staged programme based on the PRU findings but not the The overtime ban which nas applied, only seriously affects Department of Employ- far, he will not even tell us how many stages we are going to get, ment members when extra work for example, comes time of a major lay-off. Excent ecommendation imple- in such conditions it is generally

..SORRY, O FISHALLS, ER..

NOT IN- I DON'T KNOW

WHEN HELL BE BACK..

REALLY?.. OH GOSH!.

A290

AT THE TOP...

•AND THAT NICE DAVD OWEN EVEN SAID HE

"TOOK PLEASURE IN CROSSING...)

the Tories! members Steven struggle. Tim: Callaghan's patent on nail in the cortin Tor members and finally disposes of also government's ritterent to the sent tour a later team ore Civil Service, rights This Thursday we identica letter threats only The increase the militancy Steven: At the rally in the after- Terry Lightfoot The Len Lever, from the floor. irrelevant. feeling in some inert sections of the CPSA member- that the union leadership on how to win the strike.

ship despite its strong words want to Tim: Heckiing which could win €12,500 action he claim-particularly while the General Secretary workers are in local authority land co-signatory dispute. cordat) waffled claim The civil servants based around April 1. ware riser unico a standing agreement states nature of the pay weeks any wound that artel quickly award would not be backdated.

down. Clearly this will be used by the right wing to present a sell-out deal CPSA/SCPS members must for ail-out strike cam carel action to win the full claim.

develop links They must in with unions against wage CoNTIOl was begun example last triod • local NUPE when invent members joined the demonstra- tion spoke on inell at the rally afterwards. government Statements last Friday ministers Showce their determination to resist the CPSA/SCPS claim. David Owen, the Shah of Iran's friend, res- ponded to the strike bure ing have great •leasure crossing this picket line" as he went into the Foreign Office.

DEFEND SACKED

NOTTS JOURNALISTS

NUJ Mass Picket Nottingham Evening Post All day on March 3

IT'S SOME OF OUR PICKETS- THEYRE COMPLAINING

ABOUT LABOUR MINISTERS

CROSSING PICKET LINES...

GOOD GRIEF!

.. APPARENTAY EVEN MICHAEL FOOT

You KNOW,

1 THE LEFT WINGER- GAV

THEM ARUSE AS HE WENT THROUGH

THAT'S

OUTRAGEOUS!!

HOW

UNSPEAKABLE!!!

Garners Just like strike nears crunch press the As we go to TGWU leaders are about to speech Thursday put the declare their position on a Day of Action for March 24 • the unior in support of the 13-month the government old Garners strike. preservation of TGWU this shows InCT The attitude officials agreements heatendi the Tories who on restricting with the porci and their desire to see picketing letter from ended soon

SITIKE

Head of the possible. points strongly to tne threatening loss o prospect of open sabotage, with flexi-time, a refue strike oom beeing _eTe got an almost • Committee the same with correctly declared with and a last minute pita ahead action effect it had was to if neces- backing without ThIs sar such a focus is vital at this welcomed by maintain and develop • Sace lu Jazz and support tor the senne president It is likely that the Strike chaired the may come Committee Unde heavy pressure, yet it must stick meeting and made it clear that this was not a debating society to its uns. would consider speeches

TGWU

hector Headers refuser his it e must That said, we were treated to in support then this self-congratulatory faced and drawn entire labour speeches devoid of any policies the attention movement. denied Strikers are nov • telephone facilities in access per year Ken Thomas, offices at Henrietta of the

CPSA

actually been, 'Con- street ane nave on two days, locked out of the Sate originally made premises avail- 'We can't accept staging lof the able as strike committee rooms.

the know with the An stacine. • rt bureaucracy is clearly coming to up and sat a head

GARNERS

OFFICIAL

STRIKE

TRADE UNION

RECOGNITION

Victory to the Corners strikel Garners pickets: help always needed

...THEY SAY MR CALLAGHAN SIMPLY DROVE THROUG

WHAT ARROGANCE!!

THE IDIOTS! — HOW THE HELL

• DO

THEY EXPECT ME TO STOP REAL STRIKE

ACTION WHEN THEY

BEHAVE LIKE THIS?

THE CHALLENGE

TO KHOMEINI

PRESS

As the new government, to been under Medhi Bazargan puts cutirely brave face *nomeini-out and development attempts oil to tensions that exports, to the imperialist amone nis torrowers Thousands are vivid countries, up signs that the working the masses will reject any attempt to stabilise Iranian only find capitalism. The crucial demands for the construct the didandit of the stander or restart oil вxсIuGe worked councis are spreading form of political amongst workers and rapidly society. youth. Last Friday the left wind Rubber stamp Preda naked call and in around these direct opposition Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution- ena um attracted power of Khomeini's eager crowd of over 100,000.

tionary Council' And during the weekend this promises initiative echo constituent the Islamic guerrilla confirm Trom avan. clearly group, the Mujaheddin-e-Khala,

ANTONT

whose Rajavi, speaking at another large rally, took Fodayeen's huge revolutionary demands-in particular their calt shattered which the replacement the the Shah. standing army with a "People's But Army" Show The Mulaheddin had hither- Iranian workers and youth have Clear out Britain's licensed killers Eleven members of murder against the Catholic vicious pro-imperialist population. Protestant murder gang in The Belfast were last their WEeK sentenced to a total of 42 avails l chosen at random life sentences for their cam- strike terror paign of bestial torture and Catholic workers and youth and

FUND

As we go to press we are still £146.65 short of our monthly target of £600. With only three days to go to the end of the month, the situation is serious.

We just cannot afford to go short on the monthly fund.

Every penny is urgently needed to sustain readers and supporters of Socialist Press should consider whether they can make a contribution to this vital fund and help us achieve our target.

Meanwhile, our thanks to those who have sent in money this week including our Danish supporters who have sent us £15. • All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR Printed, by Anvil Printers Ltd., London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

SOCIALIST

GROWS PE

regarded by the press the Fedaveen. ever confusion the governed this latest Mujaheddin that indicates the groupings cannot offer a consis- revolutionary lont lead to tis movement. them clearly of But clearly in and around the Shah against thest forces which are must be won to tne I rotskyisi downfall would herald the end programme in fight for of exploitation and oppression- conscious leacer Khomeini regime seeking to re.

The central demands in such forces, a programme must be: *Down with the dictatorship

DUCTION

from any masses control of

IRANIAN STUDENT

SOCIETY

Labour Movement Now vague talk of a refer rubber-stamp Conference on 'Revolu- Iran ana eventual elections (sponsored by Leeds assembly that Trades Council) the new Saturday 3 March "'normalising" capitalist exploit- 2 p.m. ation in Iran, and stemming the movement Leeds Trades Council the power of Club, Saville Mount the last week's events Leeds 7 Inat thousands of armec anti-imperialist intimidatE forces. At least some of the eleven 'Shankill Butchers' had butchers' own are known savdet members the reactionary Ulster Volunteer Force, a terror- he hearts oo into the hearts stranglehold British imperialism over the occupied six counties. Assassins But these vicious assassins SUTTe consequences of their barbaric other murderers and not only left free their intimidation _Continue and repression, but are actually backed sanctions ano me cower or tne state.

These licensed terrorists of course include British imper- the paper. All alist at the Loan the

RUC,

ally orison screws concentration camp. Troops out To bring end to their savage activities British Ine movement must join 1200U actively with Irish workers to force the immediate withdrawal of troops and ensure the right of their bish political forde.

the Irish people determine Published by Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

of Bazargan! For immediate elections constituent assembly. *Build workers' militias! Dis- band the standing armv! *Build workers councils in every area, drawing delegates i every working class organ- and file Talk Sooters *Occupy and expropriate the banks and capitalist mono polies! *Land and cheap credit to the tillers! *Equal rights to women and minorities determination Selt for the Kurds and Azerbaijanis!

*For peasants government! New dictator Bazargan A task force of up to the language 200,000 Chinese troops, 1½ million allegedly advancing in lation in the country. human waves across minefields, continues to press its punitive "raid" bureaucrats to into Vietnam. planned Vital Vietnamese road, has also rail and telecommunications economic prodiems in links have been broken, and Wholesale economic disrup- tion caused as thousands of related tc panic-stricken refugees flee Chinese-led south from the war zone. Reactionary deals осе маткет The Peking Stalinists, fearing growing mass demands for improved living worth an have attempted standards "solve" their whose CrIS1S turning to reactionary deals with imperialism. In such deals they offer themselves ally Soviet Union- agalist lne and attacking Soviet- backed Vietnam they hope to prove this. But the Hanoi Stalinists hold an equally reactionary A combination of

DOSILION

nationalism and bureau- determination to all crush forms of ition led last month to the Vietnamese indefensible invasion of Kampuchea (Cambodia). Nationalism And Vietnam itself the virulent national- Hanoi Stalinist Giap ism of the Hanoi regime has Chinese step up attack on Vietnam led to sustained attacks on facing catastrophic disrup- rights of the tion Chinese Such divisions and conflicts serve only weaken the international Black market. working class and The inability of Stalinist strengthen. the hand imperialism. establish a Workers socialist must demand economy the immediate withdrawal opened up huge of both Chinese and Viet- Viet- nam. Last year's crackdown namese troops to their own on the Chinese minority was flourishing there no likeli- black hood of stability or social- market North and South, which had Ism in that region unti a cornered the majority of the Marxist-led political revolu- achieves the overthrow

LION

In retaliation the Chinese of chauvinist bureau- the cut off 80 aid programmes crats in Hanoi, Moscow and Peking. estimated $300 million per year to Vietnam, Peking Stalinist Deng