Socialist Press no. 151

Labour 'lefts' talk of socialism but

CAN'T DEFEAT

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League

TORIES!

The aftermath of with the demand that "the Labour's election defeat day after the next Labour government and the unveiling of everything Thatcher's plan of Tories une the Queen's action in nationalised once more, and Speech have brought a without compensation! flurry of activity among his left wing rhetoric in the Labour's left wing direction leaders. between the TUC and the Taken at face value, their Tory government: speeches would appear to offer a strident call to the trace umon leaders and the struggle for socialism: government must cease now *Neil roused that the Tories have made it Welsh Labour Party the clear that they are hell-bent Conference last weekend on shifting the balance of PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report Callaghan

SOCIALIST

* No. 151 * 23 May 1979 * 15p

UNITY WITH

CALLAGHAN

power". (Morning Star, 16 Social democrats *Ousted Tribune MP elected" Tom Litterick also added denationalised his voice to the left' chorus.

must ne last Speaking Oxford Saturday he castigated the record of "the social demo- *Dennis Skinner turned crats who run the Laboad Party" who talks hard-won attacked demo- cratic rights during their five in He years government. 'Consultations between silently agree- nodded asked if he ment when favoured a fight to kick out the Callaghan leadership.

*Less reserved on the union 'left' Arthur Scargill, who Day plattorm a May on actually The bette called the removal of Callaghan-only propose he be replaced LO way. with his supple-spined ex- cabinet minister Tony Benn.

Facade But what is the reality behind wafer-thin ThiS cheap left wing facade of rhetoric? Have these 'left' MPs, who refused to lift a for the finger to campaign removal of the Callaghan leadership while they were actually government decided to fight him now!

Have the worms finally turned after five years of meekly crawling into the lobby government to endorse and sustain Callaghan's wage cuts, spending cuts, mass unem- ployment and brazenly imperialist foreign policy in Ireland and throughout the world? * PHOTO. Chris Davies Repor Benn Not at all! Benn has time and again urged that Labour's election defeat should not provoke "personal recriminations" other words should not be used to fight for a change Party leadership. explicitly Litterick excused his record of sup- port for reactionary govern- ment arguing that poncies, Kinnock "would his constituents never have forgiven him" if only he had voted in such a way programme as to bring down the Labour government. investment And Kinnock, Skinner industry-a far cry and Benn all sit on the Kinnock's Labour Party's National Executive, yet raised not so without compensation. And, test Callaghan steam- out the ronerea unrougn lne most anti-socialist Labour mani- festo for decades. No opposition Nor did a single Labour Dan ke without 'left' put him herself

COT

forward opposition in every one Callaghan in the recent fresh elections of the leader the Parliamentary Labour piecemeal Party. Scargill, for all his tub- legislation ana relorm. thumping and formally correct calls for the ousting of Callaghan, has mounted that the no campaign on the issue in invariably the trade union movement or the Labour Party, while Yorks NUM connues to the sponsor Irish torturer Roy leadership Mason. Of course replacement of working class resistance.

Callaghan with Benn would highlight the fact that the Tribunite 'left' have no real alternative Callaghan, programme counterpose to. Callaghan's weakness. once arrogantly unasnamea poncy or subor dall dinating the interests of the working class to the drive of the employers raise profits. The 'lefts' offer workers 'unity'. Oxford Conference on Ireland Pages 4 & 5 Struggles that toppled Heath . • Pp6-7 PHOTO. Andrew Wiard Renort Scargull PHoTo. Taurenco Sharham IRT.

Skinner nationalistic Unity Callaghan

WITH

of im port means unity behind the soiled and controls and government tattered banner in capitalist that opened the route for the return of the Tories. It from pie-in-the-sky unity with the demand for nationalisation busting, wage cutting Con- cordat; unity with army spelling Ireland, tar trom reoression ane for the international class collabor- necessity ation. working class to modulse lls full, independent, strength Such unity would mean in mass struggles to force prostration before the loom- through the nationalisation ing attacks of

VICIOUS

of basic industry and the Tory government compensa- weeks union tion-the only basis for a conferences, and continued played so ast enoretts militancy by public sector the and workers teacners. directs to the utopian pipe- power workers show that dream of 'socialism' through this is in no way the mood Parliamentary of the working class. Take up threat So weak, vague and in- complete are their political The demand must be differences with Callaghan that 'lefts' take up 'lefts have The Callaghan's threat to resign, collapsed or stand exposed once more ignominiously at the very as no more than pompous point where a firm stand winabags wing The task now is to con- have struct a principled leader- provided a rallying point for ship in the workers' move- ment that will go beyond Arrogant correct 'left' Tomma speeches and mobilise the sensing this full strength of the working class in defence of jobs, more. nas thrown living standards and demo- down the gauntlet declaring cratic rights, and to defeat that he will not remain as and drive out this reaction- leader of "a divided party" arv bosses government He has issued a call for We urge workers to join us in this task.

Moves to tighten racist grip Page 2

- INTERNATIONAL -

on Namibia In a move which leaves the UN imperialist plan for invitation Namibia even more weaken- politica ed, the key South African Namibia, the collaboration Namibian Democratic Turnhalle Alliance voted to transform Lemon do co great. the existing Constituent Assembly into a pre-inde- pendence interim authority The with full legislative powers between the DTA, and set government. The new National Assembly small part will be made up of the present 50 members of the Constituent coraborators Assembly manoeuvre. The

DIA

seats an es a maximum of the forced to do seats) plus maximum of dearine WIth on-going democratic parties not Namibian masses represented in the Constituent Assembly. wich betray tecterests Clearly the DTA will seek to use Inis l5 seat patronage in its ongoing efforts to woo groups individuals were preceded aside Ine Namibian tront SWAPO and the SWAPO Demo- Namibian mistants South African- into the "During leslialco assemov Indications are that over the of raids last tew weeks leading members of tne NNF were acting as inte meolaries between Ine south government and SWAPO militants were detained Atrican

DTA

and five imperialist officials plan. Tories prepare to back Muzorewa The fake elections in Zimbabwe are beginning option to produce the poisoned be kept open bv imperialism who will use it as a weapon fruit expected of them. Relying the on the Patriotic oppression and intimidation sections of it) to cooperate of the masses and on the in a new political bankruptcy of the i.e. one which will betray atriotic Front (PF) bureau- cracy, these elections were attempt to stage-managed to provide geois rule in Zimbabwe. imperialism with an excuse the make a deal over Weak response heads of the masses with a Muzorewa-Smith guverl- Patriotic I he and ment, Increase first response to the shift pressure the towards leadershio to come to terms with Smith and his stooges.

between the Now the US Senate has has been predictably overwhelmingly vored and quite in dropping favour of entanglement with imperial- economic sanctions againsi Zimbabwe and, with Cyrus Vance meet the OW e announced-yet British Tories this week to there would discuss their next move, it is political and probable that some torm oi cooland recognition to the reaction- ary regime in Salisbury will Nkomo's Mugabe's ZANU. While this be considered. pact Noises partiy in pressure from ine new britisn govern- increased ment is making noises which the Salisbury government, it show their willingness Ilas build and extend the achieved, without consulta- effort of their Labour pre- tion with the rank and file.

achieve decessors solution favourable to inter- declaration of unity is clear.

national capitalism. it has After its dismal "dis- been announced that fulfil its threat to disrupt the Smith. Cusson" April Lne will Muzorewa Patriotic greatly increased. Lord announced this Colonial bOvo former commitment to develop the Secretary) who led a group armed struggle in order to of Tory peers to observe the strengthen, elections April position in the sordid secret concluded, the ultomacy elections ¡cally, imperialism were fair and democratic.

Joshua Ailnouch boto the Nor ano Curity SWAPO Democrats have resisted 11 May the Advisor their Genera Carly declared †acto over northern accomoaatior witn martial imperialism into active and open Namibia including Windhoek with and other wooulated dr eas declaration further so must be increased the enormous powers Secret meetings or are ponce and army immediately Almost afterwards, South Africa cominos and claimed the setting goings of leading NNF members upor government with legis- the South Interim lative powers. Aincan covertment ane toe tve imperialist countries are merely we Havisor genera woosi was part of the of the on-going aoboltment imperialist plan SWAPO-agreed seriel meets as ooportunisi zig-zag caccutive anil That they repressive ned dictatorial powers. much of their imperialist Rhetoric secret is clear evidence ot the of Faced with the sharpened against deals South Aurican attack tne struggle of the Namibian masses The steps to reconstruct the the SWAPO leadership has Constituent Assembly as a more produced a tirade are lably left rhetoric. At the same time it Asseme a carefully committed to the same by coordinated series of attacks on oi which south Atrica has neer able to strengthen and consol March the south African army launched a series Idate the powers or its agents SWAPO bases Turnhalle une bemocratic exceeono Alance the raids of Karinga in intensity.

South Africa has been able 40 to exploit to the full the climate been ot contusIon which nas created by the SWAPO leader- ship's manoeuvrings with imper- What is certain is that the in the USA last week was no will doubt in order to further oi recognition this process of secret man- oeuvring and to present his attempts to force case to arter. Front (or So, while imperialism shifts into a higher gear in "fair" settlement- its drive tor a cantals Zimbabwe in struggle and through deal with the stabilize bour- 'internal government' anc petty bourgeois The Patriotic Front leadership, Zimbabweans continue sutter the consequences of the political betrayals of the Front's itduersnip-Detrayals inevitably following on the imperialism and Front's commitment to the politically bankrupt strategy goverhment' weak ot pure guermlaism line with its Recognition Addis the face of this was recently probable new shift-the like- again-that lihood of imperialism recog- be Cost nising Muzorewa's and military Smith's stooge government between and abandoning the 'econ-

ZAPU

and omic sanctions' which have proved so futile in helping doubt 1s no to produce a stable capital- response Zimbabwe- below for the tasks of revolutionaries struggle remain the same: Trotsky- ists must fight to expose the bureaucratically betrayals political of the guerrillaist leadership that is itself engaged secret The motive behind the diplomacy with a view to accord with redcume an lallure lo imperialism; struggle must be taken up to build a elections, the Trotskyist party to provide Front programmatic demands renewed and develop the organiza- tional forms through which to extend the struggle of the hopefully, its Zimbabwean people to victory line with their makes with independent class interests- the socialist revolution.

Nkomo's arrival ialism. Every time the SWAPO while negotiations continue cauersnio makes move', every time a further step towards collaboration is taken, government South Atrica does not in TUrn compromise but fact strengthens its hand-increases For and launches further attacks on the oppressed masses lalist plan can and Namibian militants. consequence Banker Lord Carrington, taking time off from his numerous capitalist consoridated inciuoine cirectorsaio Tinto Zine and Barclays continue ot Rio Bank has the South assured Atrican government that there Sadat faces ruin The gamble of. President which began as token gesture!

aimed of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, signing non-aggression even snaker unanimIty pact with the Israeli govern- individual could soon cost workers their jobs. walll might articular. workers emerge Westland, Rolls Royce and and the British Aerospace may now have ment by masses, their to lace redundancy As reported in past editions hov seriousiv of Socialist Press Arab govern- regime. ments in the Middle East, quite seriously as reactionary as those of Egypt and israel very

NOT

prospect of large sections of the the with will soon feel the sharp effect of ryyplan bourgeoise making a fast buck as a result of the new deal with mental aid if this isn't replaced ment, have been appiying econ.

by aid from the West. pressure in omic ane order to beat Sadat back into line. All these aovernments mus now accept that this is unlikely, Shei tour his is now playing neighbouring cut off. own which is now playing Deino process started some years ago, ITserT out, On the increased aid from the one hand, the poorest and most mysterica. governments In te area insist cemander on maintaining and stepping up economy the sanctions in order to conceal coming. political weaknesse and lack are reluctant to lend money to …orincioe on the question of Palestine, and in the a government which. hope of picking up some crumbs strained relations with its neigh- ot redirected aid and trade Dours On the other, richer regimes becoming alarmed at are beginning the impact of their own actions SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 South African troops in Namibia will be no threat of sanctions revolutionaries Tacinc the development organisa. Obligingly the South African forms and prodrama workers lid. assured nINT

WHICH

can cetend. that negotiations will continue.

against South Africar and

SWAPO

betrayals and provid the way forward to the socialist or cost such negotiations and the imper- revolution have only one *Build the armed struggle as - increased wait ol lne class struodie first task of the armed struggle Le action si struthat in is the defence of • the workers Striking, Omarure, us, Sumed, that Cadres • with military training defence squads mus OUlO Diamonds, inside Namibia. Develop Namibian workers and militants militia part of to show their resolve the of workers in defence of their and oppression. The urgent task independent class interests deposited in Egypt by the oi preserve the rich states of the Middle East.

stability of the area through an The Kuwait the time of writing, for instance But while not many of the is toying with the idea of with drawing. $1.1 governments really billion special Egyptian cown deposiT WIth Ine fearing the unknown forces that Central Bank, precisely because might to replace otherwise him should Sadat actuallv fall bossibiltv ota move Egypt's exploited Investments threatened collective action threatens his But a withdrawal of that size threatens. his quaranter TUrIne withdrawals-which could ultim- start ately threaten other Kuwaiti secure to Egyptian economy investment in Egypt! government must also be worried that their inter-dovern for their money back will be met with a flat refusa Of more immediate interest Aid cut off however will be the winding uf of Arab for the Organisation Industrialisation (AOl), a joint And, so far, whilst aid from venture sited in Egypt, designed provide fOLd cover annent accelerating a armaments WITh soonisticater built on licence imperial. The participants in the AOl scalt about are worried the Egyptian their weaponry falling into the has not been forth- wrong hands and have decided shop elsewnere Indeed. Western financiers Unless some kind benetactot now steps in to prop such whole enterprise, , 15,000 skilled jobs will be lost in Eavot alone and, as the order books shorten, As a result of this there is British workers could also even what amounts to tually face the sack. money

Bazargan speaks out against May Day marchers defy Brazil dictator shaken SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979

INTERNATIONAL

Iranian workers The agitation popular against the would-be Islamic in capitalist dictatorship Iran, is still growing. It is coming now not only from unemployed the working class and the oppressed nationalities but also trom mem- bers ot the Islamic popular com- mittees themselves. under the guidance I nouen Ayatollah Khomeini and religious reactionary committees have tedoets. west indulged in counter-revolution ary acts against democratic and their Tights nonetne ess remains a inreal co the restoration of an authori tative capitalist state in Iran.

Main aim by Bazargan given a week ago Such a restoration, however, Entezam and his deputy ine main alm rame vIsitIno corresooncent Minister Bazargan's central French paper Le Monde Bazargan made his counter- government is nim which it revolutionary ains strives for in a spirit of growing possible. Referring was shown by desperation -as two remarkablv wrank interviews masses ne lamented. Pinochet Despite the ban on all issued demonstrations by the Pinochet regime and police strong presence in the streets, 10,000 Chilean workers turned out to march on May Day. This is twice the number that demonstrated last year.

About 400 people were arrested in Santiago and the port of Valparaiso and 40 of these tried for are Lo be numerous breaking by 180,000 The strike of city Italy scullurs metal workers in Sao Paulo administration had come to a at the end of March has slanustill employees off struck tor a /0% rise as well as triggered a series of a substantial down-payment strikes which nation-wide The government appears to are seriously threatening the have entirelv ignored the resui gence of union organisation over economic policy the OT the last year. government of General Joao ministers of labour But the Baptista Figueiredo. and industry to Pear in the consenuences if the compromise, employees and teachers in Brasilia and Rio have threatened action unless they another military decides are granted a 75% rise, and the round of repression. The principal thorn in their Has been decree an increase of 45% in the flesh ine metal workers minimum wage. strike. This has been led by Luis Ignacio da Silva, known as Lula, This, doesn't even move vel. cover the rise _oT ine cost oi a promment union leader. living over the last year.

originally government At the end of April only 400 offered a 'cooling off of 4,000 schools period before in ine Lilt It seill remarned open in bao raulo ponce to take over the union itself. The offer was overwhelmingly Most health centres and rejected several nosoilals were closeo ano Invoived Khomeini "Their demands have reached such a point that they are tename lo paralyse us .

Entezam spelled out the tire- some details: "Just see for vourselt what we have to put up with. "We get thousands of letters and calls countess tereonone "state security' laws. The police also broke into a church in Santiago to leaders who were having a meeting, and Spanish delegation trade unionists was prohibited from entering the country. Nervousness Although the armed forces declared themselves 'satisfied' WIld handling of the demonstra- tions, indicative that began the first There then Brazil led inde- major strike pendentiv ot ine 4u-vear ora structure modelled on that of fascist Italy. metal workers stayed for 13 dave before lula QuIT 'disappeared' talks labour with the minister reaboeared recommend a mass meeting to return to work he promise tul dav tor ine period of the strike, a 'satisfac- tory' rise, , and no victimisations InIS Cal was accepted, the workers showed and even the employers were surorised at ine move. The 'satisfactory' rise that Lula is negotiating is 68% -far than originally cemandeo ane oniv oo above the employers' offer. The rising militancy of the worKers Stop Will Trom peo•e grotesum aralist d sub secretary of state, or a head army or department, an or avon The lowest once. oi the pretext that they served the Shah. "But who hasn't done that in the public or private sector during the 57 of the years imperial regime: "This strong popular resis deprives the government of skills and much-needed help thus clearly reducing its efficiency. "That is why Mr Bazargar has issued an appeal for toler- ance to the people". Unemployment What he means is in fact that the government would like the people to remain tolerant of the unemployment rate, rocketino inmanon. tooo snort slow change, went on to make it ages and the continued denial of elementary democratic rights.

repressive apparatus of the Bazaraan. who declared that the Shah's last puppet premier, old tyranny to restore the orde Bakhtiar, shared his objective of that capitalism neeas in iran they now having are meeting, attended by prepare in advance for such Pinochet, loyal union events-and not without leader from the copper signs ot nervousness. mines was strongly critical There are other signs that the regime's of economic regime longer policy, and stated that his can no on its five-year reign rely would no longer terror and starvation accept it as a reason for politics to cowe the masses and extended In the elections for working hours. course representatives at the Chilean working 1 ne University of Chile, opposi- class is slowly building up tion candidates won 68 o1 its resilience after its the vote against 28% for the massive defeat. regime. This will

DUCEDS

Even more indicative of undoubtedly be encouraged the growing confidence to as Chilean workers observe display resistance the wave of mobilisa- _nenew increasing difficulty exper- tion in Peru and Bolivia and ienced by pro-govern- the strikes in Brazil and ment unions in containing Argentina which are causing demands of the rank the the local dictators so much and file. trouble. At an official May Day Lula's manoeuvres, as the wide- and spreac Hisallul has oopularity Ine strIkes The government now recog mises inat i laces a orave Inreat well federal order intervention of the entire state of Sao Paulo. t nIs miont provide Iner with relief but temporary important sections of the otticel corps and the capitalists are now turning to open. do dallel response to Lne CrisIs Such a move would without doubt cause conflict witner ruling clas ano further weaken their already precarious political unity.

It is clear that the Sao Paulo strike. desoltE Lula s sert out accelerated this crisis and has that it will continue to grow.

"We inherited a state largely run by shan supporters and we don't have the people to replace The army and the them police sull have to be • reoult. l is not easy to go back to square "Subversives" The other reactionarv theme of. Bazargan's interview was its witch-hunting towards mas xist subversives "They everything they can to put obstacles in our way.

Wherever problems arise troudes oreak out we vino the hand the student demonstrations workers' strikes, armed conflicts in the provinces: all aimed to thi reconstructin state' He accused the "marxists" of making common cause with imber alism and tionism Bazargan thus openly reveals his contempt for the demotratic and material asoirations oT In masses which he hypocritically claims to represent. No to the reconstruction oi the shan's state apparatus!

Down with Bazargan regime! Free elections to a Constit uent Assembly! Build workers' and peasants' CounCIs For a workers' and peasants' government! revorationary socialist party in Iran! Figueiredo

Raising the Irish war in the labour movement Ireland coverage LEGAL BAN ON Page 4 'Why people ao keeo "The about Irish lalking Question?" There is no "Irish Question" There is only the question of Britain in Ireland!" These from dnay WO OS n Gallagher summed up brencan main thrust highly successful day -long movement conterence Ireland last Saturday sponsored by Oxford NUJ and UXTOrO ardes aCunci which drew an enthusiastic audience of students workers, dilu Election Gallagher long Brendan Gallagher whose political struggle against British Gallagher correctly stressed repression in Ireland the significance of the fact that recently mitunce sanemne Mason nor any other nelther _Labour's torture acdinst chie supporter of the Labour govern- Roy Mason in the General Elec- tion, had meals redclionary oolcles nao •tale! prepared accept the open reality that exoose îne oruta invitation attend lies behind catch phrases the conterence and defend their used hiculd reyorls position in front of the labour trelane. 'People are afraid to face up "Roy Mason is a liar and a to the truth" , he said. He knows I can Crimina nal s wav they _use the expose it. That's why he's not word 'terorist' Northern here today!' Ireland, but freedom fighter Alongside Gallagher as plat- in other parts of the worid.

speakers were lin iNEC torm Task ot Britan being personal capacity)

NUJ

a 'democracy' but how can you member have democracy when you have vundllan nammone Council

NUJ

arisr Incustrial censorsnip" member Brian Trench, Time And don't think the Preven Out reporter Ron McKay of Terorism Act is just tion (recentiv held under the PTA) intended fisnmen-ils ex-soldier Dave Swingler, and intended for you. former Labour MP don't Tom believe me Litterick remember Blair Peach Local unions supporting the "You have to be blind not to realise aiready happening conference inciuced here. The Irish and other are „ Ine

NALÜU

OPSA,

branches. dutmec blos. racialist Hammond, taking up the motion passed opposina censor.

issue of press censorship, ship. But this year the detention of Ron Mckay had created the one of the main themes on conditions which the conference had vanand Bur une ebedl orne rAl been called, traced through And though a full motion on a number of case histories Ireland eventually was put vote, interference in TV Lallit nauneen waged by Oxford delegates and coverage of Ireland force onto the omners Pointing to the way coverage agenda-setting the stage is santed, Hammond showed debate next vear s

NUJ

close paralleis between which conterence be held at Port Rush in the six viCIo usIv acla st. antl-irich editorial in The Times of 1846 Jonathan Hammond counties. and a similarly racialist passage Bernard Lavin articie Ex-soldier victim written in The Times of Septem- ber 1977. Conferences of PTA Ana, I0oking at the ways of challenging through the labour ovelicul, . nic vent treatment

DISCUSS

Ene the

NUJ

Ireiand at Dave Swingler, Birmingham NUJ member 1977

BOOK

branco the doubtful and claiming motion calling for troops out of Ireland and privilege of being the only the repeal Prevention ot terrorism Act was ex-soldier been to have heavily defeated. arrested three times under A resolution from Magazine the

PTA,

briefly spoke Branch, however, calling vaguely for an inquiry into press censor- on his experiences as ship after serving soldier in the six Lal lcu One take nde cı ve v Showr counties. contrast between Ine coverage using a volunteer ne demon- ¡cakitunar y the physical duress strated People compared with stoppedhich "ish workers Troops Out Move- nal o tre al c ment. SuSDICIO! the army, and questioned by went on list first-hanc Repeal PTA recollections atlity LeTTOl the nationalist taclics acansı Last year had seen another Dave Swingler minority.

WAR!

WHAT

WAR?

OBJECTIVE

REPORTING

Taking up the theme of media censorship, Dublin NUJ member Brian Trench opened his speech by quoting Conor Cruise O'Brien, the former Irish government minister and now editor of the Observer, as declaring that: "Any coverage of Sinn Fein is too much As u bren's stand indicates the media censorship of the war in occupied unle. applies not only in Britain. but the Irish Republic, ase insisted Trench. No reply The comoine portray the anti-imperialist devoid of legitimate as vpnticd views uneretorf not even worthy of a serious reply. Offences This is whv the Against the State Act in th South outlaws the reporting o statements

H UTT

Onemers mecar ordanisatons —meaning Te ma This unenforcible legislation intended above all deterrent to Drevent inurnalists seriously analysing the views of the republican movement and presenting them objectivery. argued Trench. Based in London The British utss. … LO0 confines its reporting largely to elaying the statements from government surces- Telegraph's macec ine Northern Ireland correspondent actually based London, whie the Sunday Times corres pondent resides in Manchester; the Sun relies simply on free- coverage trom the

SI X

outles. While there is physical inter- ference Trench reporting, continued. this is limited by the gut reaction of most jurnalists against the existence of open Censo s vertine telr materıal Instead the media largely operates Its own restrictions- intervention occasional from management and even government level Censorship As a former Minister for Posts Telegraphs Ö Brien the and South, Conor Cruise presided over the high point of télevision censorsnio OT brısh and radio coverage of the war in the North, said Trenen, listing a Series of examolas SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 Brian Trench The significance of the secret army document recently published by Republican News VV ds it exposed the guli between the army's real assess- ment of the strengths ot the IRA, and the cuntatea medla them oresentatior isolated handful mindless criminals. I s skotul media coveragi that has helped to push Ireland to the margins of British politics declared Trench must be Ducn censorship seen in class terms-the suppres- sion of debate fo on an ussue and Irish *nicT Ine british ru ing classes have no solution.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 •These documents revealing the fall of liberal democracy", proclaimed Tom Litterick, brandishing of the copies Bennett Report and the Shackleton Report on the workings of the PTA. "Instead of movina forward over the five social democrats who the Labour Party moved back Waros To abridge the rignts of the citizens" This, declared Litterick, was because Ene centres or powe are at risk", both as a result of the weakness of capitalism itself Ine strenotn tne organised working class. Detailing what means traced through a case of one Litterick's 'humanit arian" view of the evils of the

PTA

completely ran counter to a strong speech at the close of the morning session by Provisional Sinn Fein member Dave Simpson. Simpson, an Oxford student, had been arrested the previous week and held four hours

TOF

under the for selling Republican News in the centre of Oxford. Harass opponents Showing how publicity for his case and local pressure had forced his release long betore the permitted seven cavs deten Simpson pointed

PTA

out that was not intenoed „tor use aodinst une IRA but to harass opponents of British imperialism in Ireland if I had not been an Oxford undergraduate, but simply working class republican sym athiser-and arrested not asked Oxford but in Belfast?" Simpson The picture would have been different. Such all very sesh conveyor DelT whith begins with brutal army interro- gation, leads on to RUC torture at Castlereach. a forced contes- sion, , a no-jury Long Kesh prolonged sentence Don't oppose the PTA on the basis of civil rights. Civil Litterick heckled on troop withdrawal 54 year union ane me Labour ray tr Birmingham brutally broaden, deepen and safeguard man seized and detained by police at democracy • a.m. ronowing an unsubstan- tiated "tip-off" from chiefly a threat to British demo- alcoholic informant. cracy was later emphasised by Litterick in nis repty to discus 3,800 detained But Litterick was loudly and 3,800 people have so tal neckiec been detained under this legis- workers as he attempted to pre lation, stressed Litterick.

questior immediate withdrawal of British himself Gallagher brendan had been arrestec i times ov trooos trom re and the military. Imagine the furore Argush that it is to sary for British imperialism human rights the press would create it it was reported date or withorawalane unen Jew been discuss that Soviet Political So tions arrested 200 times by the KGB!

"all Parliames a fraud, talk concluded floated Litterick, when the dea shop". British the The first priority must be to Republic to tacilitate a peace- Til withdrawal we need to act in the trade 'We don't want your money PTA-no civil rights' issue rights don't apply in Ireland", "The answer to Simpson stressed Labour but kick out Callaahan.

the PTA means out Head, to kick out

TONI

KICK

to fight to get British troops out Mason", said, applause, of Ireland". and challenged Litterick to sav Speakers from the floor of where he stood on such a fight.

the conference included a dele- Sectarians of the Spartacist Council who deinesapplause as League tried their from detend Leicester ¡rades eccentic cal Tor • seT-•etermin. he reported that Trades ation" to the Loyalist Council had adopted oppressors in the North of Ire- a laree point stand on Ireland: Troops land and made their position Out Now; Political clear by leaving the conference status for before resolutions mapping out republican prisoners: and Repea of the PTA. a campaign to take the issue ot To further the Irish war into the labour applause he movement were moved stressed the importance of the and struggle tor the restoration ot voted on political status to the prisoners A WSL speaker argued the still on their three-year blanket importance of seeing Long connection between the struggle Kest concentration camphe troops out Torce The This fight, Ireland, the mounting argued, struggles of the working class ir challenges the right of British Britain imperialism rule in re and and to proclaim its opponents mere "criminals". 7 hatcher nas made l cied that she wants to "criminalise" picketing and anti-fascist marches. just as Mason set out "criminalise" republican fighters in Ireland, he said.

Abstentionists Other floor speakers speakers inciuced who defended their position of abstention in the last election, which tall enos Ine simi al stance of the Provisional Sinn Fein. This was challenged by WSL speaker who stressed that what was needed was a fight for new leadership in The DoUr movement. Mason The Oxford conference -or your justice-just get your troops out", yelled angry workers. Hostility And Litterick faced further hostility when he attempted to justify the Parliamentary support Unal ano oine Tribune Callaghans res chorary ben

MAS

had policies, arguing that Labour constit- would no have fargiven" the their actions had brought down the Labour government. you nev … Tororve shouted anyway" heckler. others while the audience respondea to LiTtericK s state ment that "It is up to you to fight the Labour and the Trace unions asking "what about you, then?"

PRESS

GANG

The honeymoon is still on. As the Tory sails government serenely out of harbour, full steam ahead for the the nearest rocks, official cheerleaders of Fleet Street still are waving from the quay- side and wishing her good luck. But the caution that has been evident from the day after the election is coming more clearly to the fore Last week the Economist warned Thatcher to go easy on 'trade union reform' for the TUC This came hard on the of heels earlier warnings from the Sunday Telegraph with the Lial consuilalion TUC would be reasonable It is characteristically dis- honest therefore of the press to hail the Queen's Speech and Thatcher's sub- sequent speech Parliament being confident affirmation of the Tory election manifesto. The truth is that the Tory government finds war Page s Troops out call passed The conference went on to Moving a resolution calling overwhelmingly in favour make vote for Callayt of four resolutions No leadershi• can a nationd Oxford conference one ine medle «censo ACTSS 5/833 Branch, called for ship John Lister, Oxford NUJ end press stressed that Secretary condemned the British military every trade unionist in the har should also take the lessons of and called for immediate with.

one day a conference Into nis or of drawal step •troop: her union branch Start of fight of the Irish people. It was amended to include of Speaking one a declaration of support for the oraanisers of the conterence ne courageous struggle • stressed: republican prisoners in Long union leaders ner Kesh and Armagh for the restor Healey reelect Callaghan and Mason ane une Other resolutions called for a who have stepped up the war in sending of a Ireland. They must be fought. campaign fact "We this walt one-ofi • TinGInG •elecation conterence and the launching of a trade affair. We want it to be the start union bulletin on of consistent fight Ireland; and Party Tor baruciation

UNIONS

out' demonstration being organ- aimed at forcing British troops iser on August 12. out of Ireland". Tom Litterick speaking from the platform workers that will follow cries preferable to action and shows considerable hesi- Nor is the Tory strategy of heading for massive job tation launching 1LS cuts to cut the public sector frontal attack on the work- ing class. borrowing requirement likely According to the Daily be easy ant Telegraph, Mashan Mrs. Thatcher, answer, as the swing to the left in the CPSA has made meeting the clear. Westminster, of corndors Daily Telegraph, remarked "You have left us i ne which has its own ideas on a lot of problems" how trade union confer- And every single lobby ences should be run, com- correspondent on the plained: national newspaDers

WHO LA

conference "During unattributed stories during the an excessive amount of time the week deciaring that tne has been spent by Left-Wing Tory government had beer militants in attacking Mr "shocked" and "horrified" Thomas, his at the state of "the books" executive and paid union officials" on taking office. The Telegraph knows that Thomas and his paid Some papers reported officials will be easy to deal tax cuts were now with in the coming attacks unlikely; others that the tax on civil servants, jobs, but would be introduced cuts that the anger and militancy that VAT would rise but of the rank and file, stoked dramatically as a result.

up by the sabotage of the The Economist expected fight on pay, will make the at least 2% to be added to an entirely the cost of living figures different proposition. through this increase In The press may have got VAT alone. best the government therefore the could hope for. But that press the preparing still does not mean it has a Tory ground for the real government capable budget and for the inevit- through able outcry from demands angry

THE STRUGGLES THAT

TOPPLED HEATH

Page 6 The agenda of the with Heath

TUC

Congress in controls September These 1971 featured continue seven resolu- tions against the Indus- trial Relations Bill, none that

OTICES

of which called for industrial action to prevent its passage into law. ularly in which Indeed the right wing at standards. the Congress, led by GMWU Chief Lord Cooper, fought ever, tooth and wage nail-though prevent the adoption policy of instructing TUC leadership. unions not to register under the Act. Shortly after brought losing this Last vote, 5-4, Cooper and other NIRC-the right wing leaders including those of the seamen's union against the declared their intention to Heatons. go ahead regardless and register. underway to force the TUC but while the tot leaders to expel the rebel miners, having unus, une voted at their July. . 'ConTer- ence to seek wage rises of began a 35-47% lialullai overtime ban on November By December eight days after formal Lne opening of the NIRC, the NUM Executive voted unan- mously to call a national strike a month later. That strike was demonstrate beyond doubt the potential strength of the working class and its capacity to defeat the Tory offensive. Flying pickets From its opening aay January 1972,- flying pickets move into action. a rearguard action shutting down coal depots, dockers to and other Statons of selected targets. Massive wole dine opposition to the populal Tories facilitated this work.

in depots close to the main dock areas. rebruary Heath saw declaring a state Dockers ot emer. this trend as a gency designed to create their hard-won conditions the lorce conditions and to the very miners back to work. survival February 10 brought the dock labour scheme itself.

first power cuts, and by 14 While

TGWU

February much of industry squirmed and manoeuvred, faced week, seeking top level collabora- with massive layoffs. tion with So devastatng was the and other employers-which impact that the right wing NUM leadership frightened culminated in the job-slash- ing Jones-Aldington Report itself as much as the govern- rank and ment and ordered a relaxa- Merseyside and in London of tion station DOWel turned the picketing. selected 'cowboy' container Defeat for Heath firms Heatons, Farm and Midland Cold desperation Heath Storage intervened personally in the Wilberforce inquiry first taken to court after a

ULLO

miners' pay, and blacking Dy February 18 docks had begun to have a massive £4.50-£6.00 settlement had crippling impact on its St.

Deen recommended, signal- Helens operation. ing a dramatic defeat for the The March 23. By Maren 29 the Heath strategy Yet such was the depth

TGWL

had

TUC

€5,000 for not stopping the collaboration that !ter. on March 9. blacking and by Ápril 20 was stepped unIs ::: 000 on wage That same day, April 20 still flexing its talks were muscles, 1n during 1972, work to rule staged by rail despite Barber's inflationary unions in support of their March budget which showed Pao ling off periodder 14 claim, and ordered would lage uncontrolled upwards days. allu despite a wave of militant This attack the rail on Sil-down pay strikes in the umons servea to prove two engineering industry (partic- things: that the the North West, bureaucracy were willing to showed workers go along with any instruc- willingness to defend living tions handed the vul Dy court: and that the member- talks did not, how- ship willing were to fight. immediately controls. Rather they Ballot ordered served the Tories as a test of the spinelessness of the TUC As soon as the 'cooling off period' had elapsed, the This test was carried out

NIRC

ordered a ballot of on the eve of the first major raliwaymen prior to any before the further industrial action. case While the leadership blacking campaign willingly climbed down and tirm participated in this ballot, the registered membership Tory Chancellor Barber The blacking was part of their views in a staggering bv. the 80% vote for stem the flood vote that secured a substan- firms using tially Imped pay settle- lower paid non-dock labour ment. It was the TGWU case, however that was to lead to correctly saw biggest confrontation threat TO between workers and the wages and NIRC in the life of the Heath government. of the registered This confrontation was not of the TGWU leaders' officials making. the Un contrary, they informed the TUC on container bosses April that they intended to pay the fine. And the TUC for their part chose May Day as the dockers ironic time to concede that the

TGWU

could appear before the ant-union But though the £55,000 Chobham was paid, the blacking cam-, paign conducted by docks And on slewaras went on. The Heatons case was the May 12 the NIRC made the historic ruling that the on the union responsible and liable for the actions of its shop stewards-effectively reverting the lega. opened of the 1901 Taft Vale judgement. been fined Retreat up to It seeme: however, as government might have been forced to retreat from confrontation. The Appeal Court that day cancelled the £55,000 fines, and declared that the

TGWU

was not legally accountable for the actions of its shop stewards.

But only three days later on June the

NIRC

ordered two London docks stewards Bernie Steer and Turner for contempt of court. The stewards had refused to stop picketing the Chobham Farm container operation. The confrontation was staved off at that point by the intervention of the hitherto almost unheard-of Official Solicitor, Norman Turner, wno argued at the Court of Appeal that there was insufficient evidence as to their picketing activities.

But CrISiS point loomed once again when on 7 the NIRC ordered July seven London dockers, including Steer and Turner, to stop threatening national blacking against firms using Midland Cold Storage Ltd., an East London depot. Talks with Heath But far from throwing the full weight of the official trade union move- ment behind these embattled shop stewards,

TUC

continued to cicaders engage in official talks with the Heath government, at a time when Heath himself Was pelking openly of the unilateral

I SUCCE

government action impose wage controls On July 10 a reluctant

CBI

agreed tripartite million talks with the government and a much less reluctant TUC. And on July 13, only before the a week major arrests was broken. controntation was to take And this was place, CBI leaders and TUC when bureaucrats agreea to the were already establishment of holidays. voluntary "conciliation and arbitration service" (ACAS), designed shackle the working class in a network of spuriously legalistic but completely collaborators impotent General machinery. But despite the grovelling of their official leaders, the opposition themselves. dockers pressed ahead with And gesture their struggle the bases that they Comtener saw as a threat to their jobs and conditions. The NIRC dockers order was ignored. Seven Dockers jailed GMWU leaders Lord Cooper and Basnett, On July 21, five London delegates from NALGO, the dockers-Anthony Merrick,

NUT

Cornelius Bleachers Union even voted Clancy, Derek Watkins, Bernie Steer against and Vic Turner-were arrested was and AUEW leader Scanlon. imprisoned in Pentonville Jail. The response from the

NUM

General trade union movement was Lawrence swift and Print all-out indefinite action workers, 42,000 dockers, transport dockers were

HUIKCIS

engineers. blastfurnacemen.

Donaldson in the wake of a Bre spore wades are House of Lords judgement .. ice container case. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 197

PART TWO BY JOHN LISTER

Pentonville picket-freed by massive s country-a total of over 2 This judgement all told-joined in reimposed the £55,000 fines the spontaneous near-gener- on the TGWU and added al strike wave that erupted another £25,000 bill for as soon as the news of the reaffirmed the at a time strategic principle of the of workers Industrial Relations Act. that trade unions, as collec-

WORKS

tive bodies, and not individ- uals, should be held respon- Protest gesture sible for industrial action taken by members Such was the scale of this In other words it relied massive movement that the blackmailing on servile the TUC union bureaucrats into more Council were ruthlessly policing their obliged to make a gesture of rank and file members-and where expelling necessary shop stewards and one-day General Strike call, that the nerve to limited strictly to pressuring pursue the interests of their the Tories to release the five members in defiance of the anti-union laws

TUC

leaders- Donaldson spelt this out: EETPU leader Chapple, and "Every has its dissenters, and they have a with along real contribution to make but members . wno aci 11 the Dyers and defiance of the union policy of obeying court orders are this token action a liability which the union proposed by could well be without". There be no And only one speaker- attempt by TGWU or an Secretary other leaders to Daly-called for challenge this position and build the immense After five days in jail, the strength reflected in the released by spontaneous move- ment. Instead, the release of dockers was the five wel

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 when managed to decision strike and credited Report. into abused Heavy were in one piece. job was resistance Heath work eventually But had been their claim. Drawing of the strike, mass flying ing These bureaucrats sections had strike as long but disu *Shrewsbury imprisoned legal rights. In the met again once bring government of repea And was wave, not by TUC action using comed with a sigh of relief

ACT

by frightened union bureau- crats, who at once called off General Strike une one-day. then devoted their ana energies to "normalising" the situation and returning DIOTOInG to their reactionary dialogue with Heath. On Friday July 28, how- Jack Jones 'was ever, defeated in his efforts to docks delegate pressure, prevent meeting rejecting the volun- tary redundancy proposals ber 2o

WILT

the Jones- contaned Aldington Report, and docks strike way called. limit on Delighted dockers who supposed had formed a 1,000-strong Duce lobby outside the Transport House meeting, brushed aside surprised police and staged an impromptu illegal with march to Parliament shout- wage increases ing "Tories Out!' More talks President A mere three days later, with 42,000 fixed howevel, lockers on national strike Tner iction and the Tories' legal tively ixe balanced over the neck the organised labour novement, the TUC leaders raipsed loyally once again 10 Downing Street for ripartite talks with Heath the pound, ind the CBI! Jones' cold-blooded international etrayal of the dockers' value, and pitch he through and By a W October fallen off value by astonishing accept Under conditions the sole Heath's "anti-inflation plan" hold back House and and docks the of living. rising The since Heath had been elected police OT needed to stroke the basic Unofficial Irom its collaboration with Heath. October Liverpool LaKS the ten days the docks WelC , Street, even while workers same time prepared industrial action Calm. The more on 30-the day the hour week began an against the AUEW. the lesson: issued instruction miners' pickets and were gather- the union's Calm too, instructing the

AUEW

branch expelled meetings. way the

NIRC

rule-books and after many penalties as 12 weeks, with its dictates. Gance notorious court case group of dilu Executive voted new not fine-but Tories' Udy

LAUS

failed to fore, difficult mounting leaders Hill, of any the over an the Tory force the launch Industrial Tory laws, the by 5.6

AUEW

December which therefore fine odw ladled out Donaldson the

AUEW

against

BOT

contempt 1,200 court. workers still there action from the 'left'

AUEW

leadership. Heath then industry newspaper his so-called an even £2 plan-a docks 20. ceiling for Jury worrled by such workers' protests. the moved into the head- between

NIRC.

the secret the talks had WiTn borne bitter fruit-in the Bill. to float which pay, which prices, rent freeze days with exchange

THEY WILL BE

F THEYIN

COMIC TIR US

THAT KHT I

Victims of builders pay betrayal: the Shrewsbury 3 The talk of price controls was of course Phase 2, complete fraud. Exempted was all to support fresh food, along all with struggle against imported goods and laws. products. And food had prices to be exposed. risen annual rate ol over 15% during the "stand- still" period! Such step, taken tar on March is normally what a peak to head attempt time for wage negotiations, ancilary could only have been calling for considered by Heath once inquiry into their pay. he was convinced that TUC leaders would fully cooper- By mid preventing pay leaders were vying with each struggles. And by January emphatic in denying Heath had univalice big settlement which were to run from ancillary Phase plans also illegal for acclarea it language of was being cast aside. TGWU action to secure wage leader Jones increases than 12 declared in a statement that months their last was to settlement, years of class collaboration deals conclaer under the Labour ment that: "We square with management in building a better Britain".

Yet militancy not sections of Britain": num ber "better workers gas prices soared again to a 28% hospital workers annual rate of increase 1.6 million In each vast protest against Phase 2. these pay But in stark contradic struggles restricting tion to this solid militancy, "selective' the next dav Mirror revealed the contin- rule. secret place between TUC leaders and Heath on the shape of a Phase 3 of wage controls!

But by mid-February But by now the impact lav-otts of the world economic crisis -powering March health tion-was tion beyond the control of were on the Tory government or the union bureaucracy. in The plummeting value of the dollar On an capitalist currencies had for emergency some time of strikes the oil producing states ol Page 7 the Middle East. But when the 1973 Middle East war showed imperialism once more ener- getically supporting its Zionist puppet state this economic grievance combined with pontical from the Alal masses demanding a cutback in oil supplies to the West. By 1973 these Octone,

AMDEN

cutbacks began to take etfect, hand-in-hand with a 66% increase in

TRADES

crude oil prices

COUNCIL

In Britain, working class militancy was still on the increase. I ne miners voted on October 11 to throw out offer. November 12 they were to begin overtime ban pursuit of their claim: But the same time feeling was growing again on the NIRC, which at the end of October fined the AUEW another £75,000. Fleet Street workers walked out in protest and on November 264,000 workers struck against the fine. week 'later, as. oil supplies dwindled the miners began their overtime ban, and engineers powel took action over pay, Heath and demonstrations against declared state of as well as voting emergency. unions November 29 petrol the pay ration coupons were being issued, and a fortnight later . The hollow mockery of the energy crisis this latter pledge. was soon sharpened Heath announced Not only did that the 3-day week would TUC leaders lift not a finger operate from the New Year to back the gasworkers and Rather than acting in this hospital workers, they went situation of acute crisis for 18 Heath to mobilise action to off his hated aown workers' fight by

TUC

government, leaders government em barked on series of pleading and grovelling approaches designed April

TUC

secure a settlement with the miners as a "special case the most Pressed by their rank and that file, the NUM leaders were their members would use a unable to strike the dea PHOTO• Laurence Sparham, IFL leaded off full scale action against Tory attacks for the with Heath they longed for workers as Instead January 24 on they held a ballot on strike Even the earlier empty action. The result was class struggle overwhelming 81% vote for all out action-a clear reflec- publicly tion of the mood of the vast majority of workers scene for he leaders

NUM

on : February 5 announced that govern- the strike would begin from February 10 Two days later a desper- are standing four ate Heath, hoping to win on an anti-union "who runs the country" platform, called a Millions of workers were General election for February 28-and vainly as food appealed to the NUM to call off their strike during the election workers went The Tories were to lose May Day the February 1974 election; and they lost October 1974. But the lessons of the the Daily Heath government beyond doubt that it was talks taking only despite the most abject class collaboration of their official thạt the working class were able to beat back the Tory attacks and eventually drive Heath's forward infla- union-bashers from office.

This creating a situa and its message political conclusion-that a revolutionary principlec leadership is essential in the struggle against the cas and other enemy-must be thoroughly absorbed for the coming been annoying against the struggle. Thatcher government

SURELY THERE MUST

BE SOMETHING BETTER

TV Eye with tunnel vision Page 8 New York. At the beginning of this So instead of fighting each.

film the viewer may get the other wo continey unite ane gradually take over the streets?

that some kind impression Cyrus is getting big support political point is being of TOr

THIS

Is snot ceda made. His shooting timed coincide with the arrival of the The gangs of New York each send delegates rallv oonice. Cyrus-the leader of by The gang leader who does the the shooting blames the gang of attencind represent 60,000 one of the witnesses. This is the raily "soldiers", Cyrus says, "Warriors" gang. and, The Warriors have come the there are only 20.000 cops in 9th Wednesday May 150th marked the Anniversary of the establish- of the Metropolitan Police Force. The day passed completely unnoticed the by of making a complaint against 'public the police are alleged to protect. the police and making it stick The for this is The making of a complaint is reason difficult-you tell doubt because the police are as following policeman-but hated now as they were wher first stepped on to the thorugh 1929. of streets On det action coot on time with overwhelming evidence Was names, some vour side is extremely ditticult ot which are now affectionately. such The programme showed the 'Bobbies' to reelers were crusners invented ridicule and insult the newly Closed shop formed force. up of such a setting body of armed men to protect Comolaints are dealt with by the police themselves land the parasitic minority Tories about closed is basec societiese exploitation and shops!). corruption, inevitably meant the A report is sent to the Police Complaints Board, described in TorCe serwould riddled with men who reflected the brocramme os a cosmetic to satisfy the public. that society. Indeed within eight years of possibility then over were dismissed for one reason or yourselt being prosecuted ane persecuted) for "wasting police time" No change Complaints are dealt with by CIBz (tormerly A1U) a group ol 100 police drawn from the CID changed haven't Ining: in London. much in 150 years. On the This means that very often head when complaints Northumbria Police drug squad tinev are investioatino people was forced to leave-having been may worked with recently and know personally.

sentenced severi vedl- stealing and pushing drugs intormation слетето е often "leaked" to remove the element of surprise and enable With this kind of record las long as cover vs de vc is not surprising that the British •T the reports inarare sent working did to the Police Complaints Board

CIB2

99% accepted and celebrate this meaned anniversary. alainst But it is surprising that the findings. Members of Board are press media were also inte paid f5 The only proaramme tor each report they reluctant I could find on television that deal with. about police was TV The the week programme gave example of a Board member, a Eve (Thursday 10 pm) It dealt with the difficulties magistrate whose husband is a 150 miles from Long Island to the Bronx: the rest of the film is about the journey back.

The actual killer of Cyrus nones somebooy to sav the toL done. But don't too who is behind the interested in musder rrom onwards it is dropped from the "plot" altogether. Apparently the author of the yurick. choser the name Cyrus for mythologic- al reasons. But the viewer will TV review by Howard Lloyd judge, dealing with eight reports therefore getting two days,

T4 TOY

JUST

police reports. 9,000 complaints In London hast vear mere 9,000 were complaints against the police which 145 beine convicted and 10 resigned Although attempting to give the impression the authors were involved in investigative report- interviewing, , the ing and tough kept at a very superficial level. The makers refrained from reels of film to which they nave access ane which would have illustrated stuff that visually com bianis are made or They kept well clear of the topical subject very against the violence complaints anti-fascist demonstrators and in the harassment of black youth.

Stopped on SUS They showed only one of black snionet of a youth stopped on 'sus'. the programme was Instead JUSt curiosity with vague innuenco. and references to a firm within a firm' The problem the makers of the programme faced is that in dealing with one issue, another, and more damag mote Serious the police image, kept ing to arisinge reter ces poion.

'a firm within arms to corruption on large scale and well organised. It is a network of police directed by Walter Hill. one against them-the other canes ano me dolici Yet they battle against every obstacle and defeat them.

with

CONTON

knives, gangs dressed up as base.

ball roller players, SKaTes ane with guns and knives; but they beat them all as well as innumer doe police essages intorming or • Their whereabouts are relayed by a disc jockey is almost exactly the same as a movie five years ago called "Vanishing starring Barry Newman too was being chasee and innocent of the "crime" he was accused of, but driving a stolen car And he too had all the forces of the law against him onit •ITTerenCed were while DJ was America, #s sce ane was bidyi k

OLE VIC

Wonder instead of Martha and the Vandellas great similarity is tha both films glorify the individual groups of individ- ais dedit ine system find no hint of this either "Warriors" Tum starting For the rest of the film we out about unity ends up being a nym to a dee The excitement is there ThIs The out on the street stock-in-trade of the American the word goes movie industry Walter Hill calls it That is, there is excitement birector if you are excited by waiting to "escapism". . in a sense this is true next victi violence will The airl that the "Warriors'.

oe smaned to une announces ground with a baseball bat, run pick up on the way that she doesn't want a over by a train, looking kids: Outsid fiVe Tasnion want sometaino now The "Warriors" have every- And when they arive back at

UNITY IS STRENGT

THE

MUGGERS

ARE

AFTER YOU

officers with contacts in high and low places who are used in many ways-such pressure on people or bribing then compidillls getting charges against criminals dropped; and actually organising At ine moment an invested tion is under way into police bank robberies involvement in of America. Ine bank ane Williams and Glynn, as well as Daily snatches the Express and Dailv Mirror. where a security guard was shot dead.

Exposed It was said that the existence of 'firm' London was exposed ten years ago by report in the Times newspaper Police Commissoner dreads.

that every sometning Commis- when Deputy

DUT

sioner ratrick Kavanaen Was directly about Whitelaw he denied know- SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 Tony Richardson reviews "Warriors", Sung Island arora asks is "Warlord" slums, asks that we fought all night to get back to?" hint of reality seems to arrive in the scene when a group of rich people get on one of the trains. But they go on their wa and nothing is said The of film ending the doesn't have the saving grace o vanishino ront in which Barry Newman is blown oblivion when , his car crashes up Here eno walking off into the sunset. The message is that there is hope for ¡nolvedas cecinst ine svstem.

This is the first of a wave of US "gang" films to come to this It obviously has nothing to do with the reality of gang life Steel or t the drug controlled Matia syndicates, bent cops and other small-time hoods fighting is no joyous celebration- it is a means to an end. They are thugs and elements recuceo ov ge caritalist system existence brutality exploitation, rape and robbery 'Warriors" •however than obviously more for the ven cie

TOE

ic eas director. Walter Hill's ideas are obviously about as deep as those NonT rever. either case the odo fight individuals who can reality dance can escabi and find a certain freedom for The song that ends the film "There SUms comoretery must be something better" Hackney Trades Council joins march against SUS laws and refused ledge of any answer specific questions on the grounds or sub sudice There however, one section of British society who _nave no comolants aoovt tne police and who do appreciate their value Huge rises This of course is the ruling Tory Party. The class and the to office by instantly awarding huge pay rises to the police.

should be seen as a combination of loyalty money, protection money, and _oickets ano anti cascist cemon strators-dead or alive

WORKER DISSIDENTS NEED A

TROTSKYIST LEADERSHIP

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 Tony Richardson reviews 'Workers Against the Gulag", edited and introduced by Viktor Haynes and Olga Semyonova, published by Pluto Press, price £1.95. Pluto Press are to be thanked for the publica- tion of the documents contained in this book. That said, as with many such books, the political implications of the

GOCU-

ments are almost destroyed by Eric bre ace MP Heffer and the intro- ductions The documents "Free mainly from the Trade Union Association of the Soviet Working People" almost are all the products of workers whether as individuals or as groups of signatories So they of the •are greatest importance in terms of helping us to assess this movement. his conscience back in Moralist 'protesting' This where the intention 1IU Preface problem the

OTI

resolve the problem. comes in. But the Heffer argues the ques- ion as a moransi, ana says demonstrate that we must protest against political position. suppression the FTUA because as "socialists tions mentions Iwe! should not be seen to Stalinism, have double standards'' He stresses that we protest about suppression of "human rights" Chile. Congress Argentina, (1919). etc., that therefore we must protest about Russia. last This is a completely wrong starting point. It puts the "1920s". the deformed workers states Haynes with a par capitalist attempi to understand the dictatorships. degeneration in This view of course is Union. completely compatible with Pluto Press's fails to reier to any degen- British Socialist Workers Party, do mamon laving taken place who VIe W Lne Similarly

USSR

and the deformed tions present the solution as workers "state lying capitalist" regimes. simply fight for basic političal and Dul inis is a concession trade union rights, the tight to the right wing and causes better

TOT

confusion amongst living". (p.15). that want to do something The about workers' show selves struggles in Russia. Socialist revolution The problem facing the working class of Chile is the necessity socialist capitalism. The problem facing the working class of Russia is the necessity to overthrow the bureaucracy by a "political" the Which of basis nationalised property relations has already been achieved. Out of Heffer's moralis- tic approach to rights and his non-historical, non-class position on the USSR come all the problems both of the preface, the introductions and the documents. Heffer's DUS LIOn conscious of responsibilities. He was able sit back and watch the Wilson/Callaghan attack the working Ments with rare gesture ot opposition. Created Russiar allong by the forcible workers suppression of Trotskyism but Solzhenitzyn

UKE

tollowed by the build up of them by the capitalist class, and by all of those that they into contact with the West, irom presenting the ot human vueston rights as a 'moral' issue.

find that SO when we documents are addressed to the UN, to US President Carter, to anti- communist US trade union boss George Meany the Helsinki Agreement signatories, unis error must be understooa, blamed or the oppositionists' "friends" and fought against. Confused In reality the only refer- ences to Stalin come in a confused attack the "cult of personality" and in the one mention of an inter- Heffer issue (Czecho- Now he feels he can clear slovakia). sitting DV The book is divided into his armchair five allu sections, the t1rs1 about Chile. The Right to Argentina, and Russia with Organise'. of acting to Within this there is a great deal interesting introductions material with regard to the produced by Viktor Haynes

FTUA.

ditferent began with a worker Vladimir called Klebanov. Not one of the introduc- who began speaking out Stalin against 1958. abuses despite the fact From then on he faced a that they appear to go back of series attempts to the roots of the problem which finally -as far back as The Second succeeded in 1966. He went of Trade Unions through kind of and several They vaguely refer back confinements menta independent mistatons organisations of workers in Waiting room makes Klebanov met together 110 with those who were the Soviet form

FTUA

the "waiting room of the In fact the whole book Central Committee of the All the others were com- the plainants like him, and, Hiccuci the shows, had

DOOK

"through received from the bureaucracy. What shown 1s that standard although it is alleged that there is no unempioyment documents them- in kussia and a worker car the contusion ve prosecuted Ior being out Haynes' introductions do not mention Stalin or Stalinism Stalinist jail (top) and political prisoners of work for more than four months, in reality dially u. the signatories of the docu- are not important". (p.32) have been unem - ployed for years. designed to back up bureau- They maintain that they cratic privileges. are only the tip of the ice- One of and that Delg are things about tens and maybe hundreds of thousands like them. the workers The FTUA victimised for complaining was formed in November 1977, and all about corruption. members are ployed. Revolt They claim to number in the In the hundreds members next and candidate members. "The Right to Strike" various documents of the major struggles of the in this section show what working class are described.

the so-called "trade unions' Particular are today in Russia. given the The 'elections' pared beforehand and after enerkassk in which a mass the preparation: strike was put down with a "The workers evidently massacre. It do not get a look-in. In the end, although workers out- that on the protest demon- number staff by ten to one nearly all those who attend fly red flags, a portrait of the conference are technical engineering Lenin, peaceful slogans". (p.76).

One OI also shows the mentality of protest that ends up some- thing more like a petition to a Czar rather government state. Activists The third section on the "Right to Protest" particulariy strong except to show that one of the writers appeals to "activists of the Communist and Parties" The "Right to Emigrate" section is particularly weak except for one statement on the plight of the working class "Our intelligentsia not be allowed freedom of creativity thought or speech, but it's far worse for the workers- they don't have the freedom to work, to eat, to rest, to strike or to form their own trade unions". (p.115). Page 9 What, then, are the general questions raised by this important book? Firstly, Heffer when argues that it is all a moral question, he gives something the Soviet bureaucracy, who seize on the opportun- ity argue whether the FTUA is a dae union or not The Kremlin bureaucrats argue that the FTUA is not Their fellow 1i1ass bureaucrats in the British TUC. accept this argument. But this is not the ques tion. What it is necessary to understand is the degenera- tion under Stalin the Soviet Union that both took away free trade unions and, more importantly, usurped the power of the working class from within Soviets. Suppressed A bureaucratic dictator- ship was installed All opposition was persecuted And it has remained sup- pressed from the 1930s- with the Trials - Moscov right the way through to the present day. The independent of the working interests class, represented at first in USSR by the fight the of Trotsky the Left Opposition, and then by the Fourth International against the impson the Stalin dictatorship find the book. 110 Without this background im possible to grasp why it Is not possible work openly in the USSR personnel-that is, those for to build a mass trade union whom the workers' interests Just as with the Curres- ponding Societies before the This system is of course formation of trade unions in this country, or the Workers Commissions in Spain, clan- the interesting destine organisation always cases in begins with the sacrifice and this section is that many of struggle of the most resolute have been The FTUA has only the • possibility being the of trade unions. Indeed its members must in reality recognise this, since section on they have in their constitu tion that it is a democratic centralist organisation -a form of not attention orcanisalon possible in a genuine trade revolt of in 1962 in Novo- union. In reality the FTUA is a group of people fighting for right have therefore a 1s important to note worker dissident group. Defensive "the columns of people But this still does not and banners bearing solve the for the working class in the Soviet Union. the documents Trade unions are only defensive organisations. They can only expose or act against abuses than to the What is required in the of a workers'

USSR

clandestine Trotskyist political organisa- tion that includes programme defence of the right of workers to have trade unions for action is not against bureaucratic but which

ACESS S.

mu 'h further. Such a party would fight Socialist for the reconstruction of Soviets on the basis of the political revolution to over- throw the bureaucracv. These Soviets would then constitute workers form of rule may Such a party, requiring the clarity on the freedom origins and international role of Stalinism in the 62 years since October Revolution, would have to be part of the reconstructed Fourth International.

Page i0 New front with Liberals planned by Stalinists At conference Central London Polytechnic next weekend, the Stalinists of the Communist Party and their fellow-travellers in the Broad Left, together with members of the Union of Students will Liberal launching a 'new alliance' in PHOTO: Andrew the National Union of Students. Although the conference has been called on The basis or dr "Open Letter" signed by various 'independents' viara, Repor Prominent members Broad lincluding ett

NUR

President Trevor Philips) and of Union of Liberal Students i tis cearv ine oranchic of the Communist Party, whose completely policies dominate the Broad Lett. Open Letter Trevor Philips Letter", The "Open the No doubt the 'cliqued oriolnaliv circurated Easter Conference of the NUS, practices' Aaronoviten cynically argues that: and Co are talking about are political the militant actions against edu neel force, embracing all those cation cuts, such as occupations the left active student and rent strikes are arguing and ideals' that need to be fighting and Tundamental reviewed are courtes d whole radical change in society".

range ot socialist bolicies that that 'the Left' in NUS has taken up, on paper, over the years. the Noo has to Behind the radical rhetoric "renew and review ideals and purposes: the 'Open approach, Letter tne intentions of the Communist ourselves cannot dilow Party are by no means original.

become come acent staman and trapped in the practices so ns new amance regresents nothing more than the and traditional to the 'democratic consolidation of the student movement

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SOCIALIST

For a

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clear

PRESS

lead in the struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies

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CP have that strategy the their leadership of pursued in

INUS

essential part has been an alliance Liberals but not just with the also will regetaliul Students Conservative Stalinists have adopted and tought al c central planks of the FCS's plat.

On student union demo- cracv thev nave attackee ceneral meeting sovereignty and fought by secret ballots.

NUS

FCS

elections guaranteed have been Ternets seats on the National Executive purely by the votes of Broad Left members. The Stalinists! strategy everywhere else, to build with been hold back and head off militant forces struggles by students workers. The 'new alliance' proposed Tor NUs Is a logical step in that lt has to do with uniting 'the Left': the main the purpose oraw ULe part of a capitalist party, into organisational the unity to extenc laminists ano lo the base of the Broad Left's support. • will doubtless be nere number rank •Ano members of the Broad Left who dubious about WIt| stanment InIS nev allen proposed by the let da proposed ship lacting as individuds falle than representatives political organisations) without consultatior any oIscuss on among the membership. The therefore, conference, aives revolutionaries the oppor tunity to intervene, to expose treacherous the record of link the brode LeTt anu proposed alliance to their whole history of betrayal That task will not, howeve out by the socialist be carried Alliance, students The 'left unity' organisation in the

NUS

The IMG, and therefore the SSA, have taken the decision to attitude take 'positive Hoping better get hearing if they say nothing about the Stalinists' intentions in creatin MG have expressed new organisa tion, the the astonishing and hope that the contr will see the birth of a socialist alliance that will unite the attack of succules ay alish hnodes • boyson ana nis Conort in the Tory government." (Socialist Challenge, 17 May) such exul essio forlorn hope Shows now t the

IMG

understand the and how oeuvres of Stalinism desperate they are to find some- thing progressive in their every twist ana turt Thev reaard the inclusion o the Liberals a side-issue, barely worth mention •As Inilla reov lo lne uver Letter" Essential The Liberals, of course, do formations of this kind just alone they the success of are une almiss stratedy Substantive parts Liberals' programme must be incorporated into the policies of the new alliance to ensure their cooperation. leadership red aly of NUS will onlv be defeated ir principled fight to expose every aspect of their treachery ana manoeuvring Snuggling up to them in the hope that they might change substitute for Luise cieal •ТО Г socidist programme based on uniting independent students with the strenon or tne workme class

INDUSTRIAL

Teachers' claim swallowed already As we go to press Yet the price increases in teachers' leaders are in gas, electricity, petrol, etc.

have already, negotiations the in the shor with period of the lorv govern local authorities in the ment made the 36.5% claim Burnham Committee inadequate and it must be over their 36.5% wage updated. Teachers all other claim. and This claim being must now see that the only answered by a 9.3% offer way to defend their wages plus £1 a week to teachers from inflation is by a sliding on less than [3.000 a veal scale of «wage clause by pending its referral to the which their take home pay Clegg Comparability Board.

automatically with rises But further offer any Clegg made by will mean further massive cuts in jobs 50 motions supplies and to schools, National Executive The since Thatcher and Carlisle have of the National Union of promised to Im pose Teachers, overwhelmed by the cash limits introduced some 50 resolutions from its by Callaghan's Labour government far local associations calling for severely and to bring public strike action, has decided to spending down to below the ballot in 'carefully selected of £8,500 million level aimed areas' some form of strike action at by Healey Final sell out at Dunlops month after the vas a need for a new leadership which would represent the inde closure of the Dunlop Speke pendent cass interests ot ent Plant, which resulted in the members. loss of 2,400 jobs, the What was the position of the rest of the left? company has announced the re-employing of 140 of the Communist Party was the "action" original workforce who had committee by Tony Lane, Liver refused accept the •oor university socioloast and author of one book "Make the redundancy money. Union Strong". In return for this tiny con- was cession the Maction" Dunlop commit a so gistor relations committee public relations committee has agreed to lift the Fort Dunlop picket of "action" winte committet plant, Tine walton rootwed leadership-repeating rolE Plant and the golf ball factory played by Huw Benyon at the in Speke. Trumph closure This is clearly a face-saving Lane was l in tavor ol cover tor the final amane onment job-cutting, the workers' of any pretence of a fight to 'viability enthusias. plan' and save whole plant tically sold it to the workers or 2,400 jobs radio and in the papers. pro- arovonout the song, He consistently backed tracted closure period since of the every cynical manoeuvre of the this January ycaf committee right from actions "action" committee. headed bi the start TGWU Executive Council chair CP District Secretary Roge man Stan Pemberton, skit- has

WSL

W'hara aso attacker avoid

TUV

manoeuvred leaflets at public meeting occupation to save all the jobs attacked demands to detending Pemberton and dema and have •gogically calling tol unity-ine open. ine books an elecled spurious : "unity which leads to trade union committee. the dole queue The

WSL

was witch-hunted in two of the first mass meetings Boosting Pemberton tor raisino these demanos workers The Dunlop not The WRP did not produce a only had to face the problem of single a riaht wing led "action" com LOU TOUl whole closure ano The onl mittee, but were also presented Newsline journalist to report a with the spectacle of nearly mass meeting in any way mildly left wing every critical acting as "left cover". for Ste expelled from sube Party: "'action" committee. expelled from Misleaders i he matant grouo lao on a special LPYS public meeting in From and the beginning it was Speke to boost Pemberton the WSL only stressed Lovden in their attempts to sell.

out the struggle. them facing the Dunlop workers was Far criticising who the their own mis-leaders and calling ToI accepted that the "viability" Tame Cal varxists Militant Group preferred than viability revel their newly acquired members- -that jobs "credibility' all sacriticeo tor tre Ca• a leadin company profitability. spokesman for the Merseyside Group, The WSL argued Militant Richard that there SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979

NEWS

if the present Burnham talks are not successful. All-out strike It is clear, and has been from the start of the nego- tiations, that the only way for teachers to restore their Houghton levels of pay is to learn the lessons from the Camden NUPE workers and call indefinite national strike action against Thatcher's cash limits and comparability board the proposals. The demand must be for the immediate offer of the and extra claim and offset the last update week's increase in the cost of living, with no strings loss of whatsoevel jobs or cutbacks in the state education service Venton, had the gall to accost members of the WSL during the marci know why we and demand to sabotaged' the wing against the right Dunlops attacking Pemberton! apparently our apt characterisation Pemberton as a "con-man" anc Loyden The IMG failed, similarly, to expose the criticise witch- hunting "action committee Their single leaflet put out at the plant during the "Socialis at Edge Hil failed to criticise the bureau at all, implicitly biam cracy for the membership the inaction and Thereov Tall ending the "action" commit- Grovelling But the Socialist Workers field Party have terms of uncritical and grovell- ing articles about how wonder- orotes Stunts Of action committee were and how the whole campaign was: "an example to trade union.

ISTS

rode

DIOCK.

ank the regular mass meetings, the excellent workers built us newspape confidence of the •morale ano work-force to fight for every job" To add the final irony te che whole charade of their intervention closure, rename saame less gall to invite the action committee to their Rank and File conference where they wil no doubt be put on a pedesti an example to all of how t sell out vour members despite its Univ The vil limited I forces in the area, has carried out thorough-going to "action" camparen aesioner and memberton committee as • the betrayers of the Dunlop workers

FBU SLAMS ARMY SCABS

Trades Councils given no lead SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 23 May 1979 With the bitter exper- ience of their nine-week pay strike against Callaghan's government, tiremen are in no mood to accept similar treatment again-let alone from the Tories. was the clear message k nIs from week's FBU confer. last ence in bridiington. One resolution opposing one of the union-bashing plans the Tory covernment was delegate moved London Ty Misk Beckwith by Rowlinson of the ducks onicdoe. tnal "In the light of the recent change of of government Country Conterence av dcy it would strongly oppose any attempt to withdraw the right The annual conference of Trades Councils ended at Harrogate Sunday without giving any clear lead to the labour move- ment on fighting the forth- coming Tory attacks on the closed shop, picketing, union democracy and bene- fits to strikers' families.

Emergency total oppos: no. motior whilst registering ition" to the Tory government's intention to snite ine balance of power "further" towards the employers, simply called on the General Council of the TUC to: feruse to co-operate in anv way with these proposals and to mount ensure a campaign tey rever redeh une statule book". Conference chairman Terry Parry the BU however detencec recent taiks netween the TUC and Tory Employment Secretary James Prior with the claim we oniv went inere to tell them it was not on".

No discussion Although the _• attornr carried this motion without challenge serious -mainly because hardiv any aistussic was allowed on it-they did not 'have all their own way carlv in tne conterence a motion register of trades counail sere make available laries aooresses was carnied against the platform. Later several sections of the report submitted bv the Trades Council Joint Consultation Committee were remitted with OpUSILIOTE tOTT •trit platform. Proscribed Most significantly, they were GATeATAC On sectIOn TCJCC report which would have effectively proscribed Trades Cam- CouncIl Supoort to tne paign Against Criminal

UNION DUES

to strike trom trade unionists This was carried by the con- ference, as was a Bucks resolu- •emancine Tnat une uu take the position of total oppos- ition to the use ot the armer Torces as sinikeoreakers.

The Bucks motion went or call on the TUC to "support Tuliv cavtce o emeers against whom the armed services being used to break their industrial action" No criticism Mick nowiinson. movino pointed out that after the TUC had voted not to support the hremen Inel ione batte army adanst strike breaking without atonit WI LTOUl CRiOn. This must never be allowed Trespass Law. Pete Mounsiow secretar v Rowlands successfully secured reference back by slim marain of 21 votes in the teeth opposition from the plat- form. the plattorm Lalel wele when they asked deteated conference to remit a motion condemning the document "A Better Way' Right wingers The document, drawn up by riont winders such prrl Duffy, Tom Jackson, Geoffrey Drain and Ken Thomas, was a sel i natcnere oroposal. amounting to permanent wage control so-called union reform' piatform arqued thai because the signatories were in a personal the capacity union leaders involveo nao ine nont te sign it. WSL member, however, Doine• our mar nebeer Way" was not simply document written by a group of right wingers but reflected the whole method of the TUC. stood midway in the alrect lne contInuItv between the Labour Party/TUC Liaison Committee document ana tne concoraal. That Concordat had been accepted by the General Council of the TUC without authority.

and then used by Callaghan in electioneering broadcasts that Labour was more able than the Tories to control the working class. A clear break from such treachery was needed in favour ot policies based exclusivelv on the independent interests of the working class, he asserted.

H con COn econo e cal change", which pointed to the unemployment created by such ds silicul chios, was carried Seconding the metion, Jack Dromey made a spirited defence Ofehalll

AT THE TOP...

to happen again, he said.

went speak Cheshire stronery ac dinst amendment seeking the campaign the police and the army-which was defeated by the conference.

Rowlinson was also the only delegate with the • LO lake Issue otherwise generally accepted formulation on pay by the FBU leadership, summed comoosite motion declared: "This conference demands that on salistdctorysellremertl oT Ine adreementi the immediate steps tc take to maintain Fire Service pay at Int uvve male manual ouartle The workers' earnings. This position to be tltdne eudruress govenment pay anVi TUTUrA policy". oT imoort controls said was right to support import to the working class im pultul meerast ortan geansı cnems ployment in the same way that was right to support those Tignting • Tor nemena orațo. against imperialism! He went on to defend the NE B "a sten towards socialism"' Section 36 of the report dealt with facilities for tl lt under -ives.

TOY

WAGES-

Conditions of super- exploitation among women workers have been brought to light by unionisation moves in a factory at Didcot near Abingdon. in the Rates of pav tirm Selected Toys Ltd are 400 an core bonts payment , which leaves full time including so- even with only marginally over £20 for a 40 hour week! Like more and more of those Taceo win similar conditions where women and immigrants particularly affected, oreakine voint was reacnec ang interest began to build up in trade union membership. .rrom ameeuine oreanised last week a shop steward was elected and all but a couple of workio ce 1ldo been recruited into the TGWU by the end of the week that the Despite cvintle emolover nas alreacv turneo tol outside advice to prevent the union's growth, and open factorv Inreats • ciose une rather than recognise a union, the workers are not deterred.

COOR DEA SIO TRID THESC SON SPIDIT

BENEFITS AWAY FROM STRIKERS' FAMILIES ALTOGETHE

..BUI YOU'VE GOI TO KNOW THE

MENTALITY OF THESE PEOPLE

WILD !.. THEYZL

STOP AT NOTHING... THEY'LL EVEN

CAMPAIGN, AGAINST US!

MIY NO ACTION PY OFICA

Page 11 Left swing did not offer any protection audis iniidton "If the top paid 25% of male manual accept pay restialil dra ollers Deiow lile inflation rate, then we, too; are PHOTO: Chris Davies Repon tied that" stressed. The conference went or pass a witch-hunting resolution urging the Executive Council

• IPCS

, finc ineuldlt sled the source ot leaks ot intorm ation to the press was generally under-

SLOO

mean the or but daily The Institution of Pro- oress the

WHP'S

Newsline, which has closely fessional Civil Servants has the struggles within for a long time been the the FBU. "moderate" of the members should shun most FBU leader Parry such witch-hunting-and Civil Service .Unions; even Speaking the debare on concentrate

TUC,

latiltl Writ affiliation to the the emergency right to strike . orincioeo manoeuvres inat their accepted only in 1976, is motion, Rowlinson warned that right wing leaders are so keen to linking pay to the upper quartile still viewed with suspicion carry out in secrecy. by a proportion of the membership. However, the recent pay struceies nave ouickiv cuven trie membership a far greater sense of their identity as a section of class ur gariisee

WUT KIR

Thornett, Alan delegate and to "replace it with demo- movement, as wassnown from the Oxford Trades Council of the decisions taken by craticamy erectea rearesentalives many its Annual Delegate Conference contrasted the strenoth ot the ot the communitv anc a those report to the total inability of involved in the NHS". at Eastbourne last week the TUC to implement it. The motion was carried Censure vote become a It nao. e saia. overwnelminarv. monument to the division between theory and practice". An Emergency Motion on There was strona censure of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson General Secretary Bill McCall Whilst publishing the report and National the Executive on provision tor the under-tives Hosultd concerned LnTE the

TUC

had acquiesced with Islington Area Health Authority committee over tner nanelnc "current, back door of the one-day pay strike on wwwolesdlt Culs mulseiy April 2 attempt to close the EGA or provision, education in generai and the the social grounds of insufficient the i ne leadersnio s attemots tc defuse the dispute by unilateral services. acceptance of an offer a day said the It failed to mention the EGA struoole nursery so betore the : strike without full Oxtord detend occupation which tolowen a provision had shown that only

WSL

wsich wis tecisive in defe ting initiative 1976 consularon ot ine Nee or frf membership was the subject of direct action was effective.

harsh criticism and motion a ruriner reoutt to ine oiat- Ine ursi dans made to ciose ine No form came soon after with the hospital floor of platform's failure Nor dence' in McCall to obtain the was mention made of the remission ot a motion from the crucial question o surce Scabs Oxfordshire County Association acton Inrouonout the Londor which called for I end to the heal th service and no oppor- A third of the members o' present system ot appointments tunity was given to discuss the the NEC had actually scabbeo to Regional Health Authorities the 2 April motion trom te toor on strike and Inose wno stooo tor reetectior two did not succeed and others - Law backs "spy came well towards the bottom ot the poll-a healthy indicatior That The union is at last neoinn ing oclle teatre neestity collective altul orotners ano sisters in oine trade unions Alan Law-the shortly-to The reason he This change of attitude was -retire Midlands official of gives is that "l have my bosses".

reflected OlIteT accisioils the TGWU-went on TV last nis cear hint tat ne has taken at conterence been pressured this by These included a rejection of week saying that he was leadership of the TGWU tends recommending acceptance selle Valiuls 00 U1 t SuilKI to bear out reports that a secret action s taken: a commitmeni of the lorry tachograph full-time officials' meeting has to issue a public policy state- "spy-in-the-cab". decided their position ment pledging support for chairman Alreaov Tina Up to now the TGWU has mem oers cuscrim inated acains Law's own 5,000 strong drivers' opposed introduction, work; affiliation branch hias said that his branch National the government despite the Steerinc Committee lias will ignore Law's position.

act fat e s uroben aw Against the Cuts; the need tor a And Eric Rechnitz, Both sides fear the explosior Freedom of Information Act to mercial drivers' representative the keep Official that tachographs would Secrets

TGWU

Executive

LTEE

SnaS orovoke trom lomrv orivers minimum: ano Ine imolementa said there was no question of When Law was asked by the tion of a monitoring system the TGWU dropping its oppos TV he had against racia why ition to tachographs changed his position, he replied recommended the "Appli Itis lay members who decide Inat the avu was • not above •Canoni ot nace relations rolicy policy changes, he declared.

the law" in the Civil Service" But if they do so on are IPCS members This is the exact opposite of The task for this question, forry drivers wil his last statement earlier in the in the coming vear must be to fight and the need year that the European parlia- ensure that these progressive TGWU hierarchy as well as the "not above steps do not remain as 'paper' was the • employers

TGWU"

Tho tlons Only

. THAT WAY THEY WILL BE DEPENDENT ON YOUR

WELL SIR, AT FIRST SIGHT IT SEEMS FINE.

STRIKERS KNOW THEY WON'T GET ANY OFFICIAL

O-NCA SUPORE FOR SIRIKE PAYmTHEN

WE'LL HAVE THEM BY THE BOLLOCKS!

: SHOULD BE LESS STRIKES..

• SUPTORI SO THEKI

• SOME VERY NASTY QUESTIONS COULD ARISE..

OH DAMMIT, OFISHALL. YOU'RE RIGHTI WH)

THINGS COULD GET OUT OF HAND ALTOGETHER!

CANT YOUR BLIGHTERS ON THE SHOP FLOOR

BE AS CIVILISED AND RATIONAL AS YOU?

BECAUSE THEYRE NOT ON

nNT IniNa Line N

SALANYJIK.

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Defeat for CPSA right wing shows workers' mood The series of humilating

(XII

defeats suffered by the right wing leadership of the Civil Servants' union

CPSA

last week is a reflection of the develop- militancy that has ed inside the working class during a winter of major pay battles. bureaucracy proved less well abla than their

NUPE

ASTMS

stable-mates UPW to ana Ine contain EnIS revolt-ang theretore the out. was that suculatual. Ken Secretarv General Thomas in particular faced the brunt the onslaught over the sell- CPSA's own pay out of tne struggie. Thomas was censured for his signing Ine oro-incomes document "A Better Way mollon censurino Ine NEC's handling of the campaign and its refusal DHSS and Depart- Ders in une Employment was also ment ot Ken Thomas addressing CPSA members

NEC

further of the CPSA. ine Was number of full-time officers on Ken Thomas, censured tor its tanure to press this se ection committees the fight a closed shop, and CPSA General Secretary, In his Alex Ritchie, CPSA National opening LOa LO lake LilS soeech conterence Organiser, emotional hlaut insisted that there was no need in the teeth ot the ories ant- soeech ano inreateneo inar une union plans. confrontation full-time officers' APEX branch And Thomas came perilously with the new government ane would immediately go on strike union should "wait and ciose to being Torced OUT the motor wa. oassed. office General S resiga ry Not was when he threatened to resigr keeping WIth InIs. defeated. emergency motions on cuts and contarenca nassec a motion severa gooo motons were withdraw his nomination to the not heard, passed on new technology, the Casn welt TUC Géneral Council the 35 hour leaving the union without any closed shop, week, the policy He was reorieveo ov workplace materally heave being allowed to fall And motions which •Motion creches, and gay rights under standing orders it is clear that such carec for croa to dopose lory anti-union legislation motion The decisions cannot be Ara an emergency conference calling

CPSA

to strike and picket and withdrawal right impremented, or Losinska and trom the Pay Research Unit and the right of strikers tamiles to the fult-timers be ousted Agreement was without the building of a new The rece ve suporementary defeated by only 4 votes in a were also kept off the agenda.

revolutionary leadership withir 444-440 split. Join police the CroA. Another emergency motion, for withdrawal calling

FUND

Ken Thomas, under fire, the Whitley Council сетепоес ine Dav settiemend only deteated by osb 33y-even and delegates who after vicious contrasted its meanness £38.75! That is all we speeches were made against It nude bay increases diver lo ene received this week towards Though extreme right winger our €2,500 Special should the army Fund! Kate Losinska was elected Presi- police if and the you want the On basis that simply we "rioune subporter pay that they get" won't make the target by Communist stood Attacking the motion Party Peter Coltman, the end of July. proposing O amadrare tened withdraw from splitting the left vote-last year's Whitleyism, Most of the target has riente wille been covered by pledges but unal. the NEC was dramatically over- "If you vote for this motion turned with the results produc- these pledges need to be voting for the union to ing a 20-6 majority for assorted turned into hard cash to the e taken over by self-appointed left wingers. tune of £200 a week if we sho• stewaros. Ine or and tne But the bureaucracy were bloody Communist Party". are to reach our target in not completely routed and Throughout the conference, time. succeeded in holding back some It became That tnere crucial debates. All contributions should was feeling growing While the conference was be sent to: Socialist Press hostility majority between the meetine in bronton. new Special Fund, 31, Dart- ine cerecates ano ine Tull- Tory government was already time officers, particularly Ken Park Hill, London making attacks on civil servants mouth Thomas, General Secretary and jobs in the Customs and Excise

NW5 1HR.

Alistail vesartment. Secretary London SP Lottery-April (general whe was also clear that displayed their complete con- Thatcher's to denational. Winning number-144 tempt for the membership.

ise protitable sections ot public Oxford Lottery sector docles woulo atectos Anotner datte win ine tur.

Winning numbers-15/14 in the Post and Telecommunica- timers was over motion 12 tions and National Giro sections sought Winning card number 164 which limit the ruonsnea oy ronose sra for ne workers sociaust beague, o1. varmoula rark hu. condon Nwo THR ¡¡nea oy Anvu rimers ura. donaon, resiserta as a newspaper al the rost urnce Screws on Enormous now being placed on the Garners strikers approaching 17th the their fight for union recognition.

This Thursday strikers will meet anel OTnel TGWU Region 1 officials, where will be made anotnici weaken the strikers' morale and resolve to continue At meeting last week the oureaucrats cave a Tar refusal to lift a finger in support of the Garners strikers nev ceciareo tnev nao ne intention of giving official backing to conferance (see below) called by the strikers to bring their struggle betore the TGWU membership There is a great danger that if the JaDOUr movement does not rally the defence of union and picketing rights the will Garners ourcaucial succeed in dealing a blow not only against catering workers but against the class In July the Biennial Dele- gate Conference of the TGWU weets anc al e alreddy being taken by officials to en- sure that the Garners' struggle Is «lot discussed there There is no doubt that the bureaucrats would like The death of this strike tand ti marathon recognition struggle at Sandersons) before their reac- this farcical election! In two weeks a minority of the British electorate will elect 81 MPs for a European Parliament. mem bers ano supoorters o the Workers Socialist League will not be voting. We call for a EEC country what candidate I no matter offered The EEC Parliament is one of banditry piled on tor Diece of another; a sham parliament of an organisation designed to autack workers onan interna tional scale It bears the same relation to a workers republic ot Europe as the United Nations to a com munist the i complete opposite of it ne - кА сама dock blocks of the

USA

• vaban, ana lo comoal tne econ omic power of the degenerated Soviet Union and of its sattelites.

shieles mem der States ing classes is the economic Communist vote Communist vote elections for national constit- assemblies because uent assem blies consuituen • nave progressive element and, while providing a cover for the work.

AS WE GO TO PRESS, Social- ist Press correspondents at the UrW, NUPE and AS/MS con ferences are still reporting developments for which we have no soace irris Issue Full reports on each of these important conferences will in a round-up in next apocar week's Socialist Press. OF

YOUR

SURE

WAKO

COPY!

Garners strike tionary role is exposed at this conference. concessions should be mase nou picketing-n should be stepped up and the challenged with bureaucrats that theil deltant uney betrayal and mobilise the union's colossal strength to deteat Garners boss Margolis

GARNERS

Conference Discuss the Implications of the Garners Strike Open to delegates and visitors from all unions Saturday June 9 Details from Strike Committee, 12/13, Henrietta St., London WC2 Don't vote in Election mad - Ali Inos o contam gooear o ! working class to offer some way forward By standing candidates or offerina critical sunport to other candidates, communists are able to demonstrate that cosemoles Walklau and to expose those canta ism. within represent the working class.

parliament cor contradictions tains such Not only does it have no control ove Ine oureaucraci (being merely a 'deliberative and advisory body) but even if • e sica comma sower would remain an open expres sion of international capitalism Reform Those in the Labour Party argued not to join the who once Common Market now arqu EEC's retormi The waste of human anc material the inter nationa attacks on toos ane the nationalism anc rampant competition betweer member states, was an accident capable of correction. •'internationalism" the EEC states is like the inter nationalism of the Olympic Games where spirit "internationalism" almetes foul and encouradee to cheat their opponents just Tal vi long as they win Why not stand candidates or such a platform? The answer is probably blindingly obvious to every class conscious worker obvious u nas not prover to the opportunists of the USFI their British section, the International marxist Group Tariq Ali is standing in West London which slogar says can d the Summar spe capitalist EEC-for EurSpei Socialist United of States • ot a USFI intervention ir nine countries where The elections are taking place.

How many votes? In France the local section the

USFI

(the LCR) has of Lutte Ouvriere to Uniteo with field 81 candidates. But the question in these all which election. noT candidates from which parties elected-but to me pons ano now manv sta home. Thimany and inauxem Germany were certain to be low. Even to for •an 'anti.

EEC

candidate • is to play into nanos ot ine bouroeoisie To stand candidates is to do hundred times over, precisely because it lends credib- election, which should be denounced from the rooftops Socialist League stands for true nationalism internationa unity in struccle coanst coolta ism, for the international liber- ation of proletariat, the destruction of the EEC, for the •vertarow ot capitalism in ever Western European country and for a Socialist United States 01 Europe In une spirit or international ism, stay home on June 7