Socialist Press no. 160

Force 'lefts' to act in Labour crisis

CAMPAIGN NOW

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 160 The hopes of thousands of and workers Labour Party activists no doubt rose substantially last week as what appeared to be a major against Callaghan struggle broke out on Labour's Executive Com- Natona mittee. Resolutions were carried proposing that the drafting of une erection manitesto de taken out ot the hands of the Party leader to

NEC

given and depriving Callaghan personal control over the spend- ing of €165,000 a year of state subsidies ne extreme ront wind went and the beserk. As pressmen media dreamed up stories of 'Red Revolution' at Iransport nouse. reactionary Labour MPs signed a Manifesto Group attacking any alemol to make mem answer- able to the Labour Party that secured their election to Parli-

HIGHL,

Lapdogs Defending to the last their rignt to act as the servile lap- dogs of International Monetary Fund and

D PILISIT

capitalism. These socia demo- up, whereby union block votes cratic MPs complained that the can be used to prop up Labour's

NEC'S

proposals would 'reduce right wing Icauel si crucid! the PLP to the role of poodle questions wile at ine same time directly accepting respon ot the party conterence. not These budding Reg Prentices sibility the reactionary went on to warn darkly that: policies adopted by Labour in There is a real danger that rarnament or in Government men women of principle and would no longer be prepared Manoeuvre to serve ane rarlia This aives maximum room ment it Labour MPs are to be mere cyphers given no say in for manoeuvre and for occasional policy making.. of

LOKCTI

Ine trenzied hostility of the militancy to let ott steam at the Labour conference. It is with a view to strength- connerence marcnee ov inat or trade union enine inis comoinee ario or ine leaders. Labour and trade union bureau- GWU General cracy on the Party machine and by Secretary Dasnell. uney value slammoind

OU L

any emeroine the ambiguity of the present set- SocIalISt oooosition within Ine - Setback for Mengistu Ethiopian troops. The Ethiopian Derg has provided met with a new and crush- AlInoUOr WIth highly sophisticated equipment ing defeat in its war against including MiG fighter-bombers, the struggle of the Eritrean these forces are poorly trained for people self-determina-

-MOSTIV

the Derg's violent conscription tion and independence. of peasants. In last year's offensive, the The EPLF has been able to armies of the Ethiopian military and has aictatorsnio sumtereo nude losses and serious setoacks in battles one front, in an ambush on an with the Eritrean Popular Liber- cinioolan •column. with some ation Front. 1,500 of the Derg's soldiers put But the EPLF was forced to out of action. retreat from the towns which it ne international workers had captured by the increasing movement must register in the involvement or tne armeo torce.

strongest terms its condemna- the Moscow and Havana Lion or Ine stainists eneraetie Stalinists on the side of the supporting role in the Derg's genocidal DerO war attrition Last autumn the Eritrean against Ene people for self Whose demand Eritrea, determination is entirely legiti- mate.

NOW

_thiooian. dictator In assisting the Derg's vicious Mengistu has launched another attemots to rebress the eritrean major offensive in a bid to crush Castro and Brezhnev une beration movement also line altogether. vienoisEu s biooy reoression aT have been the working class and peasantry opened up. with some 40.000 in Ethiopia itself. * 1 August 1979 * 15p

TO SACK

CALLAGHAN!

rank and Tile that Basnett and 1945 election manitesto other

TUC

chiefs have been And Callaghan throws for a full-scale inquiry down the gauntlet and makes it pressing into une tinance ana administra- olall Inal wil manoeuvre tion of the party. with TUC bureaucrats to squash Certainly any hint of party democracy or exchanges on the NEC in recent heated socialist policies, Benn has made weeks are incication That it clear nes launchine no cam- acute pressures are now building paign for Callaghan's removal.

up within the Labour Party Benn has Indeed even declared his workers seek an answer to in ooposition to unt devastating attacks launched by election of the Party leader by the Tories the Labour conference. ratner, than outer any No policies alternatives to political Callaghan's reactionary package He has denied that anti worKine class any real wage controls, spending cuts And to Soilt is on the cares and speed-up-NEC 'lefts' like ensure that this remains the case Benn and Benn Heffer forward forward

PUL

ony nal-bakeo constitutional policies wiiatever tor a strugale reforms and vague talk of the against the Tories' wild attacks Mengistu in Addis Ababa with sponsor Castro Workers in Namibia. Review: Pig Earth Local government finance on the working class. Callaghan has •Course made ms stance aoso ute v cear He is opposed to any struggles at all would prevent the ories carryme our tneir boncie for the next five years. Inflation But there is little sign that the WOrKIng class. • Inreatenec with indefinite mass unemploy- ment, runaway inflation, vicious succa up ana ine total devasta of education and social itIon services, will pay much attention to Callaghan's advice.

massive here struggles in defence of jobs and public services- succies in wach une roat mus up for concerted taker action bring down the Thatcher government. This is why the fight against both the right wing avour edersnio ane the take 'lefts' who refuse to campaign for their removal takes on a new urcency in unis berloo Open fight Rather than running for cover from the Tory press, Manitesto Group and the Tue bureaucracy. must demand that the left'-talking opponents of Callaghan struggle openly to kick him out of the Party leadership and socialist policies of programmie capable or detending Jobs, wages and working conditions. The Tory victory in the May election showed bevond doub the electoral fruits of Labour's "party unity arounte allanans collces. oniv a clea socialist programme that rejects all forms of collaboration with the interests emplovers can offer a rallying point against the Tories. Aiding Thatcher Those Labourites-whether riant winders Mett takers_ who oppose such a programme are in practice assisting Thatcher in ner attacks. But reality of the Somoza ousted: Back page • pp6-7 .. p.8 p.4 Callaghan situation is that no amount of Parliamentary reTorms car OTter a socialist so ution to the crisis: the road to socialism the construction of revolutiondry workers' movement that will fight to: *Defend living standards! Protect pav agreements against inflation through cost-of-living linked to workers' price index *Defend all jobs! Share the available work between whole worktorce witnouT OSs oT pay! Occupy prevent closures! the cuts. For all out

OLOD

strike action and occupations to defend health, and social services! Open the books of industry!

Reveal the profiteering! Prove the case for of nationalisation industry and compensation under workers' management. Workers Socialist The League fights for precisely such a programme. Photo. Cars Davies, Report Benn

Turkey must not become Leadership crisis faces Page 2

- INTERNATIONAL-

another Chile! On June 15 1970 in parliament to ban the left 100,000 workers stormed wing union contederation DISK events The June onto the streets of Istanbul.

the government was forced to There were clashes between withdraw the proposal. workers and police.

SIX

yedis later. a simiar On June 16 the was brought before army was orooosa parliament. sent in with lanks ana bartl- 350,000 workers immediate- cades. Workers days; once jumped over the STruCK Tor six again the government was tanks and passed the barricades forced to retreat. refused fire. •oloters There was loss of life on both

OOTH

DISK

leadership played a reactionary sides. The reason for this uprising role, trying to prevent worker!

was the anti-union laws proposal taking the control of industrial areas and refusing to draw larger sections ot workers into action ine dositions ot ine turkisn Communist Party, Turkish Labour Party and other working class organisations ane parties were no different the

IT OTTI

positions

DISK

leader- ship. Treacherous The treacherous policies of Stalinist reformist leaders and throughout period since 1970 is the main reason for the present reactionary political situation in Turkey. the one hand these On leaderships hold back taking revolutionary neir strudoes on they force Ine other hand workers towards increasingly tragile Ecevit demociacy as a solution to their Indian capital ment India, personnel in Charan with Singh cobbling together an admin- istration, reflects the world- wide crisis of leadership in capitalist countries. While the ruling crasses OT Italy, Portugal and America scramole about tor a leader. Ine Indian example deserves partic- heralds the abandonment by une mucian ourceo sle ano lanoed interests the parliamentary form of rule Certainly, imperialism longer sees the need to pay lip.

trace theme! service their largest demo- pleading InvitatIons Indira Gandhi made to foreign capital the of Singh time her 'Emergencv' rule, were accepted remain une avserca opections only on condition of a massive the indigenous and inter- destruction of democratic rights national capitalist investors.

But if the Janata did nothing in the country. to resolve metr troubies. orivate capital, likewise, did nothing to Sterilisation resolve those Janata over ficul It is now common know Decinine stancares oravind instance, that ledge, brought two million peasants sterilizatior torced marching capital last arose from

SOPCITIC

December and this alone tives of the World Bank as nas seen massive strikes ot mank condition tor their dollar-aid to and textile power the rural sector. and most recenty. ol While the Janata government course, the police forces.

continued with the same econ- The police uprising- -quelled omic policies of the Emergency temporarily only through armed period-turning the Indian econ- army-was COnTICU WITh The obviousiy the signal that

OTTY

changes had to be made. consumer curab es brocuced ov One nationa •ourdeols of their coming to power, on a paper lamented it as denoting the wreckage a political and massive ant-cmeroency anti authoritarian resistance, made social system that had begun to them all-out own •evour institutions attack on the working class and The make-shift alliances now peasantry. reached politicians bureaucracy, demonstrate • Ine areal weakes. of the ruling classes and the slalt ronically and impasse weak rura suoov sector they have reached in all, undefeated through the parliament- militancy of the working classes ary form the problems while the democrats attacks bourdeo sie has themselves resort to increasingly pushed forward fascist dictatorial measures. • the bour- TaCT mere nave deen ditter tont between workers and youth on ceoiste under • the conditions ot sharp economic crisis caused by the one hand and the fascists on the crisis the other capitalism But findina itself comoletelv lorer ale even it: own facade of democracy. disarmed by its own leadership, the working class has not been Credits able so far to wage and physical fight politica armed detachments crisis constantly against the ot tascism deepening. All eTTorIs Prime Minister Ecevit and his attacks turned tascist into uprisings in 1978. ministers to obtain credits from The bloodiest one of these the ano oiner imoerialist organisations have been in vain; uprisings took place in the city of Karaman Maras in December.

they have failed to get even one According to official figures aollar. All the vague promises from 130 were killed and thousands the IMF and other imperialists wounded. Yet there was no reaction to this ne interests or imberialism Hastis assault the oralinis and retormist leaders threatened the other than verbal protests especially The bourgeoisie took this What the imperialists plan to event as une active test or une Turkey situation create counterweien acainst Ene Iranian revolution. Martial law And this a right wing military And, receiving no reactior lake over is nee from the working class, they vvay. was because of this that proceeded to introduce the wourecoisic Has Moved main industrial and smashing working Kurdish cities. towards class organisations as the which lay way of making the workers pay behind this pontica Ture art the one vor ine crisis mainly Un to deceive and stop hand the working class remains ¿nanie by military police betrayed by its leaderships and the masses Communist Party, (CPI) remains policy, and ConsistenT where Indira Gandhi it goes slavishly follows. stalinists. •the Cri iMarxist), in state govenment in West Bengal and Tripura contrac as unett revolttionary strategy The building of popular frontist alliances and unity with other ett ane cemocratic torces Temporary While undoubtedly the oresent coffusion Torces temporary, no-one can predict form exact which poureeols Ture will attemot to oreak trom parlia rule and proceed to mount a massive attack on the ana standaras ot workers Stop OCRFI Desai Charan Singh, slanders! rich peasant (the BKD) party and persona reasons anti-Indira Gandhi ir viruienty the past, has now made a deal her, exchanging bloc Socialist The Workers port in Parliament for the drop.

League, supporting the fight ping or ail special court charges being processed against her to reconstruct the Fourth committed during the on emergency principled basis, has always This deal means the separa tion from power not only of opposed any attempt Desai's forces, • Dul diso lnuse ol poison discussion between party ane Minou-tascist The organisations claiming Jan Sangh, ofith the probat adhere to the Fourth Inter- their 'combat'- the RSS national through wine. increasine Iner accusa- activities killing Muslim tions of a police, provoca- families and militant workers.

teur or agent character. Spineless In this context we condemn the form of accusations used Tailing behind these the organ- develooments art suinel ess rrench isation: belonging to the Organ- leaders of the workers' parties.

socialist-btoc ising Committee for the Recon- to support ne struction

OT ENE

rOUTIN inter. national against the Argentinian Charan - notra a lance former's 'assurance' that he will group Politica Obrera the 'authorit- fight Committee of Chilear Leasur arianism'. i rotskyists Moscow controlled These groups, which were denied any political programme for action its own defence. This Indu strucore taken the form of isolated nave and local physical fights against organised and armed fascists. Peasantry ' On the hand the

OETIC

leadership crisis in the : working class ledve also unable to put forward and fight for win the support Ine oeasantry ano bourgeoisie, time when these also reeling under the blows of the capitalist crisis of the edge come bankruptcy So large Payers the peasantry seeino no a ternative in the working class have turned towards the fascists and generals as saviours chance in ine oolitica stance the millions peasants has been the key factor i ine turn ot me cortica situa tion in Turkey. On May Day of this year military chiefs outlawed demon.

strations and arrested thousands workers and the incrucine Ene headers TLP, TSLP and DISK But despite this these leaders still called on Ecevit to lift the generals ban on marches What comes out of events that democracy nas errectivery enoed Certainly, whichever leader ot ine Congress, indira Gandni or Deruaj Urs. Congress Party machinery they Will lavi une suboorl bourgeoisie and the indian big imperialists. This is because the interests and rich peasant dower ase oi Charan Singh are antagonistic dominant interest naustrial capital However while capitalists for their seek answer to problems, the classe remain weak when confronted the militancy of the workers and peasants What is needed is a workers which can free the masses party, from electoral politics, reformist demand: ano counter-revolu tionary 'democrats' and offer an programme and democratic •emanos. expelled by the

OCRFI

been January of tnis year nave characterised by the

OCI

"giving the Videla support dictatorship" Other Latin the Americat sections OCRFI have accused them of "open and direct defence of the dictatorship Pinochet" , of being "agents of military-fascist the Chilean junta dogs anc cuare fascism" The

WSL

regards these allegations as slanders for which the OCRFI and its sections offer no evidence and which they are using as a substitute up their alterences politically The oFFi, Ness it has evidenceto

WSL

calls otter ot these grave charaes withdraw them at once and to cease poisoning and aborting the possibilities of political clarit struggle rebuild the The Fourth International. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 in Turkey. Bonapartism, , which is the new torm • ot rule relying on thi present unstable balance of class forces must give way either cp or counter revoratior Tascist military •ictatorsnio The main force which prevented moves to carry out a reactionary milltar takeovel since the beginning of this year was the Iraniar and the impulse that this revolutio the Kurdish masses in cave lo Eastern Anatolia armed struggle the TOl national incedendence bourgeoisie declared martial law Turkish six more cities Kurdistan The Iranian revolution has created a very sensitive balance • Inis balance now seems changing once again favou a military takeover The danger is immediate. is a question of weeks, even days. Therefore fiant this danger is of utmost impor And it is important not only viewpoint trom Turkish working class but from throughout the Middle East and the world as a whole forming united front of all workers' organisa Tascism is centra to the ticht This programme must include demands for build.

in workers matias to comod military interven- Tascist and ractorv committees musto formed to of production in order to paralyse.

counter revolutionary torces The needs of the peasantry must also find a revolutionary exoression orde peasant much as _ oossioe tne masses towards supporting workers. Central to this is the demand farmers workers anc government which through the canallul transoort and malor industrie could offer the peasantry chear and credit duncas market tor meir oroouce Break from Ecevit and bour- geois democracy! sullo the united tront. Build workers' militias-arm the workers. for the Kurdish masses. For workers and farmers

GERMANY

IN CRISIS

A sharper class struggle seems inevitable from recent political and economic developments in West Germany. the economic crisis ror as lentens is crio boltical torce government have taken share shit to the right. seen the selectior ODOosITiOr coalition of Franz

COU-COU

Strauss, right wing Bavarian CSU leader as canola Chancellorship in ate • The 1980. He has immediately announced nis determination to remove the

SPD

Chancello Schmidt from office right wing coalition Germany which long seemed on the oisinteeration. There can be no doubt that the German bourgeoisie sees looming dheao ine neco for strong right wing government of the Thatcher type. Economic reports this week forecast the German current account will show a deficit of £2 billion for une urse lime do years as ol prices rise and imports continue to exceed exports

No choice in Nigerian SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979

INTERNATIONAL

elections decaying Within the of system international capitalism Nigeria is assum- ing increasing importance for imperialism. The depression world trade means an ever more urgent search for markets, and new Nigeria with its large populatior and its revenue trom oil exports is a prime candidate And through its dominating ization of West African States (ECOWAS) Nigeria act on behalf of imperialism in opening up and developing new markets for Western commodities and at the same time as technology The bower or une local bourgeoisie. Grievances Furthermore, as workers and semi-colonial peasants COUntries move IntO struggles grievances Which over national oppression have combined with resistance attacks by imperial- Imperialism attempts further bolster those states can useo. In an attemor impose neo-colonial solutions to oppressed peoples' struggles.

Mere, nas Used Nigeria's influence over the petty-bourgeois nationalist Nigerian peasant farmer movements Behind Obasanjo's "radical" public demands and the limits made by stance over the liberation 'foreign which Zimbabwe struceles ano Namibia he has been foremost- and controls the subore nates leaders of with the 'front- economy. Meanwhile the agricultural sLates-l • is in a state of near-chaos imperialism s broker in attempt• seCLOT to persuade the nationalist point nas reached Patriotic Front wally ording and Nigeria is ually increasing anel imperialist-manoeuvred neo- now a met moorer or a numoel colonialist settlement. of products in which it used to be self-sufficient or of which it doubt Obasanjo-or his civilian successor. -would also be was even an exporter more than willing to lend some The approximately 65% of directly •i ns nuce Superse the consolidation a stable dependent on the land-mostly bourgeois nationalist subsistence govern- poor to help Zimbabwe: Heavies. Durach ensure, that is, that no indepen- failures of an unplanned under- dent revolutionary mobilisations developed agriculture of the workers. and peasants projected solution rulina class to the OCCUrS The viceror agrarian crisis seems to be to rot Attractive the peasants of their land and introduce aene The relative economic mechanizen. laree scot. strength and the military ist farming. Some legislation to power this end has already been intro- the Nigerian commanace financial military nexus has duced. made it particularly attractive as Revolutionaries must convince the peasants and crisis of political stabirty no crisis of political stability tion in their interests to the agricultural buT ine neerian ruline cass under develooment has also to face the challenge of of the land and its exploited The own masses. voluntary collectivisation within resent series a planned socials economy •rovice a cemocratic successor when the military dictators Exploitation in October, return to barracks are cesione•. as we arouee in the The capitalist development last article, as a bid to stabilise of agriculture to the extent that capitalist rule in the state.

it is teasible. holds tor the The will closely farmer oniv ncreasec exotta.

watching, ready impose tion and misery: martial order, while the civilian An unfortunate consequence Doreos covere SEeKs (o ruling TOr The class. their make the workers and poor agrarian would be plan farmers pay for capitalist crises.

flight the of hungry Increase peasants To The Towns. winere Crisis there is already large unemploy- ment. Nigeria has suffered with the The urban working class, like the peasantry, being

TEST

Isnaper states the strongest effects made imperialism's crisis-ridden the acute phase costs capitalist crisis, despite the oil une roovment. reoud production which counts for up government spending TIonS to 90% of its exports. and the military The development anti-working class measures and world. system austerity pro ranite including means that in Nigeria, as in the larger world, cutting part of wroictatial s industrial sector already Tow standard of living.

smal condemned to submit the Nigeria now runs a negative trade and an annual balance, of at least 30% inflation rate i ne

TIVI

vear plan, armenin based industrial development filled hopes of greatly increased production, Taneo To Taki into the facts account crisis, subordina- tion of the Nigerian economy to those the imperialist exploiters, and the requirements always see things in quite the same way very junior bourdeos nationast darters Supportive cogs The onlitary Governments loudly announced legislation to 'indigenise' capital was Create national bourgeoisie. it has done little to change the essential situation wheredy Most focal cabitalist are allowed little more than the chance act supportive cogs in the enormous imperialist machinery which squeezes profits from workers countries and deposits them in the ample laps of the imperialist exploiters. remains for these Nigeria Times succinctly indicates, opportunity lone, we add, with the military and economic in tence to man and improve 'opportunities' in parts of Af other na makes i duractive a business opportunity its large population which forms a huge potential market: equally important has foreign exchange with which to pay fo and Sarces On over• seas." (Financial Times, 30/8/78) Largest market Nigeria's importance in this role is revealed in its position the largest market OUtSIdE USA and the EEC, for British imperialism's exports of com- used fact ment has TRICLOrIC aimed and her Tories train reCognizher dissuading Thatcher Muzorewa-Smith realme threatening to cancel contracts with Britain. The basis of this is not. how solidarity the WIth ever masses but rather Zimbabwean economic crisis which has une led Obasanjo since stringent import impose drastically cut COntrOIS down on contracts. As they reduce spending and government, jobs, Nigerian will military civilian cynically try to present Their programmes the austerity to "economic Clas. sanctions" against Ine imperialists. The Elections. we arouee In ine ast article, victory the present in series of elections (for state and tecera deals atures President and a governors, Senate, in a governmental struc- ture undE USA) will certainly lead to a government of the ruling class take over from the militarv the task of stabilising bourgeois dictatorship in Nigeria. little political There is very ditterence. even on a superficial level, between the five contest- ing parties. propaganda only Their stresses different aspects of the mystical economic-political amalgam of "Neither East 1101 neither YeST CANTaliST socialist" one the presidential candidates puts it.

Disqualified Behind this absurd formul- arion dies a common strateov tol imperialist profit imperialism's lett-barking guarc dogs la bark far more "left' than its bite!) Those whose habit it is to attempt find a 'left-wing' to such situations and party SO Aminu reople s Kano: appointed that the been •sotalitied ТГОЛ for the Presidency - running because of his tax-dodging.

leader of the Great Nigerian renoes parl had no such problems-he could afford over £¾ million in taxe last vear. These two parties have not fared very well in the elections thus far. Nor has the Nigerian Party of Nnamdi ALikiwe, Page 3 Nnamdi Azikiwe Obafemi Awolowo Waziri Ibrahim Shehu Shagari radical nationalist who showed However. after the handove his true reactionary face as the October, the civilian government will First Republic's President. bourgeois no another ootem. wolowo resistance t old nationalist, has led his Unity continuation of the repressive Nigeria to do somewhat bour- Party of policies the military ceois oictatorshie with unreats largely tied to areas in which the of a return to government by Yoruba are the dominant tribe.

the generals. likely looks strategy of attempt- oresent Initis Shehu that ing the bourgeois- to Tianten Party of Nigeria will emerge as democratic noose it will certain- leading governmental force.

ably assisted ine peasants • Who stare tr oralinis the countryside come bureaucracies. hunger, unemployment Bankruptcy overcrowed •conortions in ine cities, will no doubt share with the proletariat warm apprecia- Ts ane task • o† revolutIon. of Shagari's explanatior aries to expose the masses

LION

value of professional qualif the who participated in the election ications: The cankruotey ot cemocratic am and a tarme bourgeois nationalism. teacher. My running mate is an done through This must accomplished the fight for independent work- emphasises the commitment of ing class interests, for indepen- the NPN to food and shelter- dent trade unions and an inde pendent workers party can be quite confident Only this way can the Shaaari ruling class's anti-working class ThaT and bureaucracy will lack neither ane Shagari shows combatted Nigerian understancine or me role of ine students not long army once the generals the streets

LUCH

government have been replaced bloody tights against the regime by him and his friends. and they, too , like the workers he says, we shall bulld and peasants will face continued "a strong, well equipped and repression well-trained torce! But, as Trotsky states in capable of deterring and termin- The Permanent Revolution ating aggression from without "to lead the masses of the and of discouraging insurrection people to victory over the bloc from within." Again we can be sure that and the national bourgeoisie- the 'external this can only be done under the acression whichne reters is not that of imperialist bankers and capital.

transforms proletariat, Which and that "aggression from itself after the seizure of power the means ine struccles ol dictatorship of the the workers and peasants against proletariat." exploitation. WRP junks the old Trotskyism (WRP leaders junk the old Trotskyism Produced of the opportunist political examination Gerr days Revolutionary Party in relation to the bourgeois nationalist petty regimes of the Middle East 45p plus 15p p&p, from:

WSL,31,

Dartmouth Park Hill,

GOVERNMENT

Page 4

HOW LOCAL

IS FINANCED

In order to involve wide layers of workers in fights against cuts in Local Authority programmes and services, militants need to understand something of the way the system operates. If vou intend to tight the cuts you must first be able to identify them. This article is intended to assist in that work. There are basically two cate- cories LOCa Authority Expenditure-Capital and Current. simple currenT expenditure Is money scent on immediate activities-wages, working materials, petrol, main- tenance. whereds expenditure is money spent on fixed assets-housebuilding, road building, new schools, town nais etc Major repairs usually included in capital programmes, maintenance minor revairs ano in current programmes. Capital works are usually paid for with money borrowed by the Authority. (In rare cases will have money reserve sale trom TrOM surpluses in previous years).

Two systems Repayments of principal and interest Inese loans-cance annual cent charges, are cost to the Authority until the total loan is repaid. charges weot and current expenditure are added together make up the total Revenue expenetture There are two quite different for deciding on Capital systems Revenue ex•ere ture programmes. Revenue expenditure is paid PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL for money property sources: rates Loca taxes); grants from government and other income. Tne lardest Darti Authority's other income usually the rent received from is tenants. Other income can also derived from services for which te sumerty makes a charce. swimming baths, lettings public halls meetings cances. etc Within the general category of revenue expenditure there several special cover ene against the interests of and national taxpayers. the residents in the Authority's In order to meet these differ.

ai ca The most imoortant of these system developed. areas is housing. consists of three components The and most the unese important of the grants toward: domestic element. This revenue expenditure is the Rate direct subsidy from taxation Support Grant. the rate saver at a rate in pound fixed each year. Important Thus it gives most benefit to the occupiers oT Ine dwellings The operation of RSG and with the highest rateable value.

is settled is fairly The the way it second component important the resources element. nis is a understand from taxation to those

CUTS

are authorities with very •enuted ane comoatted government states ThA -for those chaltiple intentions in relation RSG as no moustria or once remises.

Each year a standard level of Cost or Drovee level services, resources set, of Standaro terms taking into account rateable values neac different conditions in different resources population ano element is paid to any author- areas It also wishes to share costs ities falling below this level.

'fairly' between local ratepayers Over the vears this standaro -strikes needed to stop the cuts steadily increased. the overwhelming where majority authorities now receive resources element.

ine lure. ano most contro versial, component is the 'needs The intention of the 'needs' element is to distribute money according to the ditterent needs worthy alterent arets-a objective which runs into diffic- ulties almost immediately The course

TIST

oroblem ot on the needs of an Is to decide This is done each year drawing up a list of factor! 'need'. ochevco to contr oute to The composition of this list from changes year year, but usually contains over 20 items as numbers elderly, SUCh numbers of school meals over- no usenoles crowded, and so on. Prime target-housing The • secone problem is to attach a financial value to eact of these aspects of need Is soone looki no previous years ex•enciture in and producing a formula which relates proportions

DOST

expenditure to each of the need factors. These proportions are then applied to Tne available for distribution in needs element In that is rati outine The procedures support grant. for • fixing the sums of money involved complex as the principles There is a series of discus- sions between the local author- ities over the year leading up to the

RSG

announcement November or December. Because ooltica importance, the way these dis- SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 Thatcher cussions proceed changes from sector'. year to year. This means that the govern- In a 'typical year there are ment must approve each project two parallel streams of discus individually with When Solis. has been producing forecasts future obtained authority the other with the worrow the money to carry out the project. Most of Custom or astroution. The method of distribution borrowing must be done on the is usually agreed first ven arket, win a coveramenu The future agency, the Public Works Loan forecast. expenditure are less easy to Board making the loans when market fails to deliver Certain factors can be fore capital Dant reliably-including popula- expenditure falls into the Casi tion changes, the cost of locally determined sector' and interest charges. gives •overnment services the authority a total borrowing Imorovements however are 'forecast' in terms which it can select of a balance between what can schemes be achieved (given. for example donovat capacity the This applies mainly to envir- TEne present building industry) onmental but includes Luneriment's likely provision of small orne programmes Thus the real decision about Over recent years total expenditure is blurred over additional stage of control ha a period of three •een devełoped in the housin! and transportation fields Cussions Increasingly, the forecasting This the breparatior groups have drawn up a range by the authorities of five year plans the o•lions. rantino trom drowth to which cuts, and permit the spending plans must be justified be the Secretary Clearly this is an important State the development in that it extends environment based on the cash total allocated government control. turtle to him by the Treasury then should workers 'Needs' element proceed in seeking under- stand the cuts to come? In dividing up his cash total, • purely tennical respect: assemble the It Is ditticult to necessary information with specific grants for services over which government chooses Trades Counciis. Constituen.

Parties, tenants associations, should elect coastal protection, transporta eTC. tion. to collect informo Cornered. tion from Council reports, from Next sequence central government documents political importance the and other sources. domestic element, the subsidy The union branches repres enting local authority the resources element • will have a particu- The 'needs' element is the larly valuable remainder after all these pay. rolelo will These committees ments councillors for indeed Labour When Communist councillors in some draw Essentially it has to make up.

The work of monitoring the loca authority's programmes difference between must lead regular reports receipts in grants and rents and back into Labour Party and needed to ex genture trade union branches. provide its services. It will only be on the basis The two most important of detailed information and an decisions in an authoritv's veal intensive campaign of education are usually the level of rates to that a struggle against cuts can be called for and the level of be developed rents to be charded Resistance can be mounted Once grants are fixed there is especially bohen they Labour councillors no other significant source of income. Occasionally Mato y will have to increase rates or be easily ents because of changes in th removal of their powers by the RSG formula covernment This can. cane toes. nanner determined local labour even when the total RSG money by the struggle labou increases will movement needed When the grant is announcer services and programmes, as well Consternal method of appeal government there as council employees jobs are to he saved or obecuon This will take the torm of industrial action against govern- Straightforward ment officials implement cuts, leading to occu So long as it is determined to pations to keep open schools, act constitutionally an authority day centres, etc., etc must meet the difference One certain. The between grant and budgeted right of the Tories to govern will have to be challenged directly at current expenoie our or tes and rents, or by reductions in early stage in the fight a very planned current expenditure aanst the new wave or curs Compared to current expen- This will require new expenditure leadership in the labour move.

•lEure come control is straightforward ment The biggest spending services Labour reformists and trade housing social union bureaucrats will be unable services —fall into what to lead such a fight. government calls the 'key

Force Labour leaders into New court attack on NUJ spells out Tory SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 three-line whip on abortion rights About 30 people-includ- NAC supporters, taking shouted slogans pointing to the Socialist TUC leaders' inaction ing a Workers abortion only be good coin the fus vague talk League contingent-suppor- calling demonstration Stario Bin, attacked by NAC feminists as ted a lobby of the TUC against the General Council called by however, that stoo• sentiv outsice conores: is certain, House last cheek adding To out any attempt : by NAC and other the National Abortion leaflets which pleaded torces tighting against the Corrie Campaign on July 25. •i that renes for its imnact or was aimed Way', and stated: TUC willingness to mobilise sup- ine • encouraging the

TUC

to appeal to you, our port doomed beyond its verbal denunciation the General The WSL leaflet distributed Tine ant conn nate Council, to take the first neces Members Bill sponsored by Tory sary steps to channel this anger lobby correctly on the stressed MP John Corrie, which received and LUtO

JUIC

Lne necessity

TOT

Trao unionists put resolutions fts secono reconne in rarlament protest. two weeks ago by a majority of

WSL

through their branches to union members in contrast message Even as the Tories draft their anti-union legislation, the capitalist class-acting directly through the courts- have launched a new series of major attacks. 85 Two Court rulings have hit at the right of unions to strike, picket and carry out their own discipline against scabs. The Appeal Court-under the Lord guidance Denning-on July 19 declared the seven week pay National strike Union of Journalists uncon- union cease action against members who scabbed on the strike and to reinstate those members who had been expelled. The strike had been called after a causave series of democratic meet- ings of chapel representa- tives and of mandatory ON chapel meetings.

STRI

Majority NUJ rules say a ballot for strike has to be called where the decision affects a of majority the member- ship The provincial strike called out fewer than 9,000 out of the 29,000 members.

But because all members had been instructed not to scab strike by upplying copy to provinci NUJ pickets outside Press Association during strike papers the the clear meaning of the agree-alter your rule book clear motion to the rule null and void. 1979 and make your rules clear".

annual conference Lord Denning said: "My This monstrous attack on told the executive to accept colleagues say-and all the union must be resisted.

no limitations on the right Evans puts on a left face for NAC lobbyers to the amusement of fellow bureaucrats National Executives instructing the TUC to carry out the policy of the Women's TUC. Withdraw backing And it underlined the neec for the withdrawal to ot sponsorship TOl union-backed Labour MPs like Wilson (ASTMS-spon- Sore• wito

VOLCO

for the reactionary Corrie Bill and refuse to defend women's Within the Party, Labour too, the leaflet declared, there to strike, picket, or take blacking action. 'hat notion was accept- ed timidly by the executive.

They must now be forced to act on it. The union conference must recalled emergency session to reject this ruling. Likewise in Wandsworth, building workers have been barred by ruling from picketing. site in a protest agalnst cuts in lne direct labour force. Since last year UCATT members have been picket- ing two sites of Turriffs and Goudace contracting firms of which has been shut down. Pickets banned The High Court issued a temporary injunction banning picketing until a full court hearing. The council claimed that in defending the direct labour department the UCATT regional organiser, Stalinist Lou Lewis, was acting politically, and not in pursuit of a trade dispute.

The direct ove departments labour of course political -but so are all industrial disputes. In neither cases have the unions stood to the court's blatant attempts to smash their action. The Mr. Justice Judge, told Park the union they should settle even though he admitted "it was not his funtion to even contem- plate such a possibility

UCATT

immediately ordered Lewis to call off the pickets pending the full call must be fight to account the droves of Labour MPs who absented themselves from crucial Second Reading of the Bill o for Corrie's mediaeval

VOTAG

attack on women's rights Union and statuency celedations must oe oresser to that Labour Party conference tor the impos. vULES S-ne wale to come Labour MPs to vote against the Corrie Bill at its Third Reading In une autunn Meanwhile a filibuster move led by Labourite William NUJ leader Ashton hearing. The NUJ meanwhile has said it would suspend all disciplinary decisions, though it would continue the and WILl would appeal to the Lords.

Legal costs for the union over the past year have beer over £100,000 If the Tories are to forced to back down then there must not be one inch conceded on either issue.

These court rulings are in line with NAFF-type decisions made by the courts over the past 18 months. More and the courts are interfering in the heart of workers' ability to defend their conditions and rights. Defy courts Union members in both must demand recal conferences to take a firm stanu to aery tue courts Any move against mem- bers must be countered with all-out strike the unions-demanding a recall TUC to general prepare strike to defend them. Defy the courts! Recall UCATT and NUJ conferences! Page 5 Hamilton blocked the first day of committee discussion of the Corrie Bill, effectively postpon.

sacress unti clobe But such delaying tactics offer only a short extension of

TIRE

avanaoie mounting of a full scale cam paign by the labour movement Labourite! Hill al t firmly nalling their colours to the Tories' reactionary anti abortion mast. Bigots James Dunn, Labour MP for Liverpool Kirkdale has helped so-caller "Society for the Protection of Unborn Child" (SPUC) to the launch nev network hospital chaplins gather "evidence" about abortions fanatics the from renesous nursing and medical profession.

Trade unionists and Labour Party activists in the North West area must immediately take fight for the as a Labour vr and tof candidate who selection ot a respects the fundamental right of a woman to control her owr and protect her owr Newham Council holds off cuts Newham Council on 17 July received a report from its Chief Executive and its Director of Finance on the question of in this tULS year's Rate Support Grant.

The latest Department Employmen Circula Ino 21/79) in tour short paragraph against Tires TOnE local authorities. It repeats the Chancellor's budget alical neck sa mition ott this vear c RSG and calls for local author- ities to cut their current local authorities freeze recruitment and look for of staff ossibilites cutting further The report to Newham coun cillors that recommenobo Treeze De put into ettect anc that no projects be new approved. To their credit the accept councinors decineds tol these recommendations, but did not agree to reject them finally Thev aso sneived discussior a resolution submitted by Councillor: Palmer and Plant which JOll follows: "This Council resolves: to T80C Government Instruction celona• to orevani filling of • vacancies, and declare its intention to maintai worktorce at a level appro implement government imnoser cuts in services, programmes o manpower levels. c to call an open conterence ti prepare Borough campaign against st cuts its that StatE reductions in finance imposed by government should be met by reduction. interest pay. ments by the Borough.' intended that this resolution should appear at the next Counci meetino October. Socialist Press readers should propose on these centrai lines in une Laoot ward meetings and party trade union branches fo reference GMCs councils. Individual councillors should also present resolutions at the earliest opportunity.

Page 6 SWAPO supporters in Windhoek December 1978 At a time when imper- ialism the is facing challenge of rising work- direct ing class struggle in the advanced capitalist coun- collaboration tries, workers and Stalinism, peasants in colonial and semi-colonial way countries being driven into the At sharper and politically imperialism developing levels of willingness TO opposition. form of Struggles against national oppression 10] Sion. democratic rights are Even as combined with resistance to being economic attacks imperialism and its agents. up prop Worse still for imperialism, it also faces the Africa. crisis posed by tne pontical instability of crucial imperialist agents and puppets-epitomised by the , overthrow of the Shah. maneuvIcs The level of mass struggle Cabilas has than on more one occasion forced imperialism its reactionary sachiice aid to prop agent of yesterday-as Nicaragua-in a frantic effort to promote the conditions for In the development of a stable reactionary agent with the LomONOW. This has meant above all nationalists else the search for ways of stemming the torward

MR OVE

of the oppressed ment masses, whether through defeat or diversion of mass struggle. imperialist sacrifice its control, on the politics of bourgeois same time, shown its resort to any to oppres- Shah was imperialist rushed in to the equally Somoza, Africa, the and

HCO-

of in the state This mass ot tion. given the distortion media. begin capitalist completely South American plundered Capitalist renecting robbery and the for the imports and remained eloped. diamonds, Farm workers living conditions SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979

THE WOR

OF NAM

Jim Farnham reviews The Workers of Namibia by Gillian and S national Defence and Aid Fund for South Africa, 104 Newgate £1.50 in paperback. third of the GDP, while manufacturing-mainly food and processing construction informa- accounts for less than one

SANGOLA

sixth. • Over half of the exports Roçac of official from Namibia go to South Africa thereby saving Mondangun bourgeois valuable foreign exchange for the South African capitalists at the same time as furnishing South Africa with a source of readers to vital raw materials. The South what African government also receives an important contribution to its Outja revenue in the form of taxes and royalties paid by overseas economy by firms operating in Namibia, the and particularly mining the companies. to half the Best wages product -swakopmi form of For the multinational Walvia Ba investors, Namibia has served dvelopment extremely lucrative as source of profits. Atiantio imperialist From 1970 to 1973 for wealth example the net profits of the Maltahöhe of Consolidated Diamond Mines almost tripled. African The same company has, to the according. authors, acquired a reputation over Ludoritz the years as paying the best Ocea wages available to black workers. from South Yet in 1976, CDM spent only about 10% of its net sectors thus profits on wages for its black undev- miners. workers in Namibia are lack Wages black particular and lower than those in South Africa, where 30 to 40% of the total product the mining industry is paid in remuneration-the compar- Africa able figure for Namibia is 15%-20%. The highest available to black workers are mining-for an unskilled miner working 60 hour the week, highest weekly wage in 1977 was £15. The average wage for the workers is white some times as great as that of the black-these facts point to the existence super OI With the rise ot the control ove exploited black working class supply to the economic power of the South whose living standards African bourgeoisie after the mines and fac appreciably lower then Second World War, the event Male the appalling standards of oppressed masses of Namibia to leave their their fellow workers in South were increasingly subjected to Bantustans Africa. the ruthless of system contracts of Repressive laws migrant labour-the method for starvatio labour control developed towns mi As is to be expected, this inside South Africa by the capitalist own super exploitation apartheid-capitalist state.

maintained through a mass of Namibia was balkanised Face 'de repressive laws, an extensive into ten Bantustans labour force police and South reserves) and a White Police mind African army of occupation.

Zone (which as South workers 'qua After the first imperialist included all the best of the law to world Namibia land, mines and the crowded urb Wall transferred from German to factories). shacks on the South African rule. These Bantustans Unemplo Building on the genocidal 'homelands' through have have no righ wars of dispossession waged the reactionary tribal face 'depor by German imperialism, the authonties (which are granted Bantustans, tr South African state laid the a level of power within them they can in d foundations for the penetra- by the state), come to serve cannot meet tion of British capital. as crucial instruments in the needs and

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979

KERS

BIA

zanne Cronje, published by Inter- treet, London ECIA TAP, price

ZAMBIA

80 River *fontein Ta dja

HOEK

BOTSWANA

lariental Karasburg ge River Uplapton

SOUTH

AFRICA

IBIA (South Wes tiers source'in maonas been adapted from "The Namibians of icted areas souln west Alrica, Minority an reserves Rights Group Report No. 19, new edition 1978, p. 4. ays lads roads al city towns the labour opportunities are almost nil.

apitalist farms, figures estimate bries. total labour force cers are forced approximately 480,000 of families in which approximately 50% are serve out ware canies mocese roc. to 30 months Zone About 30% are employed wages the or on the in domestic service for d farms. whites, 20% are agricultural farms, workers on capitalist vortation' employed 9% are manufacturing and of black construction and 8% in terms of Estimates ive in the over- put the a slums number unemployed arms. workers in Police Zone workers 7%, than but CU mOTe

TINTS

should be seen in the context to remain and of the work- o1 some survive as best force being forced to remain nditions which the Bantustans-unable ren subsistence either subsistence needs from Black workers on strike in the Katatura compound 1971 farming, to get jobs. About half of the 240,000 in workers legally the Police Zone are there as under the contract system. 1972, the Since allocation of all jobs under the contract system has been organised by labour bureaux.

These by are operated the imbal authorities in the Bantustans and are all headed by white employment the Police Zone. officers in Bureaux would be migrant worker must go through these obliged bureaux and LU accept the job, if any, which they can mum —rerusal mean simply that he is forced remain the Bantustan possibilities with of employment at all. Under the contract system, the worker has say in choosing an employer, or in negotiating his wages and conditions. All unemployed men under the age of 65 who are without physical mental defects, and who can not satisfy the tribal labour officer that they self- are employed are obliged to 'work-seekers' register as at tribal the labour bureau. Tribal labour officers thus wield enormous control their ove Lose TMOeT jurisdiction. Important role Themselves employees of the state, and usually tied to the patronage of a tribal chief who is also an employee of the state, there can be no that tribal labour

COOI

officers and the compulsory registration of all workers through them play an enormously important role in political control of workers. the central labour bureau, the labour officer (in this white South Cast African Civil Servant) keeps a of migrant secret black list workers regarded by police or militants-the employers ability of the state to remove the access of such workers to crucial employment weapon the struggle or any smaso workers' organised opposition. This should be seen against the context of near martial law conditions which exist through almost the whole country. By providing such essential background information, book can play a useful role for those in the labour move- ment seeking develop concrete programme of solid- arity with Namibian workers.

can in no way however play a similar role in the of development the principled political basis of such a programme. Page 7 Democratic Turnhalle supporters Alan Ce attacked and repeatedly SWAPO supporters murdered the Katatura (Windhoek) street battles of early 1978 the The internal SWAPO leadership to onslaught, from the contract workers Katatura hostel out massive the strike, was to Join

DTA.

the police and the churches joint further to "prevent millet violence' Despite of armed

SWAPO

struggle supporters inside Namibia had been left totally defenceless. Restricted Indeed,

SWAPO

collabor- ation with the imperialist UN provided South Africa plan optimum conditions to strengthen the while SWAPO militants were being Tested wan decky bases by the SWAPO leaders to imperialist pressure Nor the uncritical can approach of the authors allow them to class the collaboration wales secure external

SWAPO

leadership to respond to the murderous attacks not by any concrete able to defend workers and militants, but by resolutions and press releases at the United Nations. Workers militants and inside and outside of SWAPO have repeatedly shown their desire to move beyond the reformist collaboration of the SWAPO leaders. It would seem (fortunate- ly) that of academic research propriety have stopped the authors explicit from making the uncritical idealisation of the which is DOLLICS OI DWArU implicit throughout the book.

Popular frontist As Socialist Press has pointed however, it is SWAPO leader Nujoma all else popular duve frontist politics, and mixture What this demands above guerrillaism and secret all else is not simply a break diplomacy of

SWAPO

the from and diplo- negotlalion leadership which have but a break from the macy, the African South reformist politics of collabor- state and its reactionary with imperialism which agents inside Namibia to underlies reliance on such consolidate their and diplomacy TUIt inflict blow after blow on This requires the develop- workers and

SWAPO

of party and militants. programme based unshakably The book for example the independent class points to the way in which interests of the workers of Namibia, able to provide a way forward in the defence against state and right wing terror attacks for the develop.

of day day struggles of workers and lead- ing unalterably to the defeat of South African colonialism and the workers' seizure of po wer Destruction For the real interests of Namibian be workers can secured not by the reform of capitalist but relations, by their destruction Their real ally in that struggle is not the popular of front clerics Stalinists, bureaucrats and 'progressive sections of capital' who seek to replace illegal colonial exploitation with legal neo-colonial exploi- tation, but their working class and sisters through птолет. the world. And only by promoting a programme of solidarity on that same political basis-political inde- pendence of the working class -that workers in Britain will be able to meet the responsi bilities which proletarian internationalism demands of 'Liberal' capitalist Harry Oppenheimer in his private helicopter them.

Page 8

PIG EARTH

TERRY EAGLETON reviews Pig Earth by John Berger, published by the Writers and Readers Cooperative, price £4.95.

'There are textual, part-visual account Hally people in this world une dally an remarked Leon Trotsky in Literature and Revol- biography, ution, who think as or documentary Is aru lu revolutionists feel and as philistines. So much so, in fact, that WorKer when reading most Marxists some of it seems 'fictional'; on art ine old back-nanaea turn the page as you compliment about the dog vou stumble unannounced walking on hind legs leaps from Marx or passages instantly mind: Walter Benjamin, slid unob- done well, but it's surprising trusively into the text. it's done at all. Ways of Seeing is Marxist analysis of painting, Peasants but it cuts up its text with John Berger, untypically, photographs unpredict- 1n able ways, and has been writing excellently on art as a Marxist for many section 'analysis' oI lne consists just of a linked set and Pig Earth, vents' collection of poems, short of photographs of paintings, with no stories and essays about the written words co French 'guide' the reader. What Berger is doing, whom he has lived for two fact, is nothing less than years, is the latest product of that long exploration.

challenging the whole that Pig Earth is orthodox bourgeois notion

NOT

of 'book' about art: it is art; and this It isn't just that he writes of polls anotner Berger's untypicalities. Marxist 'content'; it's also In that he is out to question a class society where the division of intellectual the whole form of bourgeois intellectual production. labour between 'artist' and 'critic' been rigidly nas Transform enforced, Berger is notable for his contempt of that And in this he takes his frontier. cue from the great German One of his earliest, and Marxist Walter critic best, books was a study of Benjamin, who insisted that Picasso-itself a remarkable revolutionary achievement, for a Marxist couldn't of just which has always

GELICISI

pumping new kinds of been deeply contaminated material down the same old by the Stalinist suspicion of channels. avant-garde mere The whole of decadent death-throes. culture is to revolutionary means of transi orm une Defy categories cultural production them- so to transform seller-no But he has also published the social relations between novels (G, for example), and writers, audiences, whole distributors, readers and oI which defy set academic critics. categories. It's logical, in this light, Fortunate Man, for of Seeing isn't that ways instance, is a kind of part- really written by John Berger: it's produced by a collaborative group of critics, of whom Berger thinks back to the great theatrical experiments and Brecht's Germany, where plays were written by whole teams of contributors and the bourgeois nation of author' dramatically overturned. Analytical essay Pig Earth follows this pattern in to its attempt challenge the smugly water- distinctions between tight Tact and fiction'. Most of it consists of poems and stories, but it ends with a long analytical essay on the plight of the world peasantry. The stories themselves are for the most part 'realist, trenchantly and this represents both Berger's strength and weakness. Berger has what OnC might describe as a finely materialist imagination: he at rendering in is superb words the feel, rhythm and texture of routine material processes. But this means that the stories good deal are better at portraying, say, the slaughter of a cow than they are at dramatising the complex political situation of the peasantry. Experimental To do this successfully, Berger would need to break with

SAIS

forms-to stop placing himself the within dally consciousness of the peasan- try, and find instead some more experimental method by which he could project an 'overview' of the situa- tion. As the book stands, that 'overview' has banished from the art and relegated the final analytical essay It is a good example of how artists committed to historical minterialism often instinctively, that realism is its appropriate literary form. But why should it be? Whatever the Stalinist critic believe, there's may no necessary virtue in artistic realism, against, say, abstract or Cubist art-forms Indeed, in so far as such art-forms strive to break up surface 'realist Ine appearances of social life, to expose the governing and mechanisms beneath it, they may be considerably more 'revolu- tionary' in their effect than those 'socialist readism Whichstay kinds dismal locked within the world 'as it is' Berger's closing essay on the peasantry is indeed 'overview' of sorts; but what it lacks is as glaring as what it says. The economic and social conditions of the peasantry are emphasised expense of genuinely political analysis which would raise questions of the revolutionary party, and the nature petty bourgeol. nationalist struggle in its contrast with proletarian leadership. Instead of a truly dialec- tical which study, would grasp the peasantry not just in its present conditions but historical role relations, Berger offers us a sociological survey: the world peasantry as 'object' to be studied. It is not accidental, then, that Berger's political formation was Stalinist. broken with that mustory to some extent, it renains an active impediment within his writing. For a genuinely tionary account of the we would need different kind of art, and a different kind of politics.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 Basque truce offers no peace to Francoists The bourgeois nation- Francoist judges and alists of Euskadi (the pollticians Basque country) -the Unity)-the Basque Nationalist which

ETA

Party (PNV) and the (militar) dramatic right wing of ETA- and returned from Madrid in elections triumph two weeks ago. They were clutching an attempt by

UCD

agreement on a new Statute obtained Autonomy from the ruling Democratic Centre Union in the Madrid some of the of the right parliament.

PNV,

as parlia- Local control mentary for Suarez's The new Statute-quite to that demanded by close

PNV

allies the PNV-gives the Basque country local control of the police force (with agreed under which xception briefly. can send in the ladi They rapidly be nationa police and army); forced to the education; and, in the future, limited control social secunty taxation and the right to up Basque radio and TV stations The Statute which grants the working class and rights from the Spanish impose on it State in no way amounts to the concession of self-deter- The mination • to the Basque wear people. the Basque is They will be able to vote in a referendum to accept or nothing that reject the concessions which role. Francoist Suarez and the Source of tension government (sup- Mantic ported by the Stalinists and reformists) are willing ETA (military) therefore, grant. will almost certainly not be Nonetheless Suarez has without mass support for its conceded far than decision to continue the

MOTE

possible few seemed agents months ago of the Madrid government The reasons are not hard and to oppose the Statute in to find. Suarez has the forthcoming been referen- forced to react to the grow- dum. ing signs of militant mass The campaign in advance hostility to his regime from of the referendum promises the working class and petty- be, therefore, a new bourgeoisie of Euskadi. of source tension Euskadi, especially the Support province of Navarra. where This has shown up in the the right wing has always hotly its being mass strikes against the contested considered of the violent actions of the state parl repressive forces. basque country It has also been reflected The question of national self-determination in the spread of support for for the campaign of terrorism Euskadi, therefore, remains carried one of the most explosive so successiu by ETA (militar) in the last . questions in Spain and one few years against officers of which the granting of the the police and army, new statute will not resolve.

Burying military victims of Basque liberation forces

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 As a social phenomenon that occupies a large propor- tion of the 'free' time of all social classes, organised sport has received remark- ably little attention from Marxists. Atyeo's book is certainly not written from anything remotely Yet prevaliere de as prevailing bourgeois ideas and assumptions that condition our attitude to sport. addition, by focusing on the ouestion sport, he inadvertently demon strates many of the complex between capitalist exploi-

HIKS

tation ot sport and imperalism, racism and sexism. Key role By conte train hunting, contact soorts t ke boxing, wrestling, rugby, soccer, American football, ice hockey key role played by violent The in every classbased social tar as records Lack exist. nere is ttie to suggest that sport is either more or less violent under capitalism than in ore cabitarist society What has led to a shift at clear that capitalism trom the participant to the spectator. Profit from the ticket-buying fans and from media is now the prime motive

TACTO I

particular the working class provides an ideal for a steady of escapism diet TrOM deteriorating socia conditions. For the price of a ticket or a TV licence of people millons can be ushered into a world heroes villains whose and oiner with direct physical violence of the kind that would Call historit arrest it usec outsice the nea pitch markings or roped squares.

Fobbed off Workers who are alienated every day the point of at production can be easilv fobbed with the pressures ott identify with their local team, with their national Lealyl with same Incividuas ot the class background who have 'made it' to the status of media cale ority. At the same time, the relent- social forces that seek to less existence whole exploited class have that of focal point This is tension especianly true tor working Class youth. The "problem" of soccer hooliganism is hoample of capitalismes ramed spectator

TON

Ine Ine expense of participant crowd volence over an e years also shows how capital uses sport-centred barbarism to

SPORT UNDER

CAPITALISM:

A DIET OF

Johnny Byrne reviews Blood and Guts, Violence in Sports, by Don Atyeo, published by Paddington Press,

ESCAPISM

price f£6.95 in hardback.

Governments pay brainwashed workers in uniform to go through ritual Saturday battles Boxing: TV reduces bone-crunching blows to the level of fake cinema fights direct social discontent along took place at the start of the society). relatively safe channels capitalist when the bour stage Atyeo clearly demonstrates Sport therefore olds ceolsie Tostered oate-knuckle preventing boxing redirect the essentia rote hen rreues VIew men thousands of youth mobilising smouldering discontent of the having inherent aggressive ten- dencies, totally dis- directly attack the bourgeois urban Much are almost roletariat. State which keans them under.

sater allow thousang creolted paid, unemployed and people of crowd Most recent research by privileged. psychologists and anthropolo- two men and couged , and studies of sport in the coveraments mnen need ed ci to do is pay the most backward states, otner tor cetormec workers and brainwashed allow them to mobilise against indicate that workers aggression their exploiters! and sufficiently learned closely linkec well to make ther put on blue unitorms and go witn training to de competitive through ritual battles This, is every however, is not to no evidence Saturday afternoon to keep the accept the popular idea of sport that succes neuve vas (i.e 'acceptable' "emotional catharsis" groups are made less violence WithIn limits. the notion that violent inclined to violence by watchin sport Exactly the same process acts satetv-valve the contrary, the most aggressively imperialist Socielle. most Molent contaci soorts (Rome, Britain, the USA, etc.)

Moreover, sport doesn't just society like a single mirror image, any more than the 'reflects' society. Sport is and ruled governed bourgeois ideology as well as reflect it. for its USe commercial possibilities under capitalism has completely Chance mon es we co existed in one form or another for centuries. the most blatant Boxing sport, contac •TnE oes example of this. Modern boxing grew out of an amalgamation o ane wiestin soreno rasov trom mne enco the eighteenth century through first half of the nineteenth.

the aristocratic patronage and fed by the tensions of the uroan D0Or From the beginning it was that the hungry recognised best fighter. fiahter is the The first social layer achleve success in was the • exploited cotisate manual labourers, often men so brutalised by that they could absorb and mete

OUT

extremes physical punishment. Death was not at all uncom- etine WeeKs after bouts that sometimes went on for five or six hours.

Racial oppression distinct patterns of racial oppression began to be reflected the social comoosion ot the best knoir bers from the urban grettos of Irish-Americans Jews the US displaced British worker at the top of the slugging order.

By the • first decade this century blacks were also beginn-

INO

netr wal TO InE notice of the businessmen who controlled the 1908 Jack Johnson the world neawwelenu Litte mos lucrative enterprise sport the phase "White and Hope he was corr tarasne• way past series of white challengers. rUI scale many dead and injured erupted Johnson hammered Jim JeTTrIeS Torme chamelon dragged out retirement to deal with the "uppity After Johnson's eventud .consciously cemise backs were excluded from competing at the But highest level. the 1930 through irrevocably with cham- like

JOE

Brown Bomber") and Henry "Homicide" Armstrong, Even then the racial tensions could be used to highly profitable effect.

The publicity between black or Jewish boxer: ane va camene et Germant and Primo Carnera (Mussolini's protege) was all centred around the rise of fascism has since tne war boxing been almost totally dominated by blacks most ocen ser ceotiole the most snitt to omoresser sections of the Far East and Latin America Professional boxing also illu.

strates essential feature ot the manipulation ou contac sport, that is in the role of the Page 9 media. The TV screen reduces the humanitv of the participants places bone-crunching blows on the same level as fake • cinema fights The media boom has also transtormed sport trom a profitable enterprise to one of most thriving sectors of the

LETE

caoualist economy Atyeo also shows the centrality of sexism to contact sport 'Machismo' absurd social pose increasingly in some respects sport it still reigns supreme. The exaggerated the beer swilling hearties of a rugby team and the cultivated sex symbol of are just the more •latant examoles Omission worth recalling that when amie brittit ouvertsec Benny Paret into an early grave in a world championship boxing 1963 Griffith's match ferocity was excused by boxing the that writers grounds callec rarel Nao sexual in the pre-fight build-up One of the biggest omissions from Atveo's book is any evalu ation of the effect of the nation- Russia, europe a no Ces eTe cratic degeneration of the 1917 Revolution • Stalinism it is cultura patterns accepted inevitable under capitalism have been substantially broken states. Violent In the workers contact still exist • but the absence of protit motiv.

ation has ensured that the kind of calculated viciousness encour- aged in sport is rolessionidl almost unknown. It still rears its head in inter.

national however- Auss an nocker matches with Czechoslovakia for amongst the most example are brutal n seolt Moralistic The Olympic Games has also become a kind ot internationa prestige battle between capital- ism and Stalinism. The Stalinists are way ahead moment. bourgeois press gets an occasional titbit gloat nke the incident ou taecneat Red Army officer in the fencing at the last Olympics. Another flaw in an otherwise Challenoine and caretit. researched book Atyeo's moralistic stance on the whole _ouestion writes Dasildit Trom the point ot view that toc much violence is morally bad He pays lip to the effects of socio-economic forces but pulls back from a thorough analysis ot his own conclusions killing maiming and brutalising of people that carried the sport orotessiona contac intricately bound up with the development of class society il wini continue to as lond as capitalism, the most advanced form of class society lurches trom crisis And only LO CrISis. internationalism can undermine the disgusting and chauvinism trial basser

TOI

sporting ideal'.

Page 10 İön r

INDUSTRIAL

St Mary's in foretront of closure fight In what is likely to be area. first major This

AHA,

one of the battles against the Tory cuts adopted a policy within in public spending, hospital Im boseo Cosn workers and trade unionists desperate in the Westminster area of spending in the area as quickly for London are preparing as cossioie. action against cuts in the Huge local health service. they have put forward over the Drastic vos stalet IrOT The drastic scale of health noso ta traces unionists.

cuts proposed in this area was Because of the huge made clear at a special meetinc tion both in the hospital and the ot the Kensington, Cnetsea ano community Thev Westminster Area Health been unable to close St. Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road, and the Autority on Thursday 26 July, wnich was odeee ov overlud same •ressure workers from hospitals in the them from colme

JOIN OUR FIGHT-

AGAINST TORIES!

Returned office after five betrayals, the Tory government has immediately begun wielding a sharpened axe on jobs, conditions and social services. Trade Union rights face imminent legal attack.

Prices are already beginning to rocket upwards.

Plum sectors of state industry will be handed to the Tories protiteerino oid business dackers ano mne pav rises to ponce ano armed forces mark only the prelude to increased state violence and an intensified army crack- against pickets and anti-fascists, cown ime eccuoie• wortn ot reland.

The Callaghan-Healey leadership has made it clear that it will opppose any perspective other than settling down and meek- aiv accebune tive vedls orlory dcvdstatiull though they have 'once more dusted off their near AnO. forgotten "socialist" Labour's continued to duck away from any fight to remove I Uu leduers. LO0. Have Uul coraoor ton wiloatener cne mne their anti-working class alliance with Wilson and then Callaghan.

working class has experienced and overcome such But the •eTravas beore-o o•oe sedas union-oosnine coverme n 1974, and smash thraugh Callaghan's reactionary wage controls in a series of monumental These expertences are not dead. Thev point to the way that jobs, social services and hard won union rights can against renewed Tory attacks.

revolutionary leadership is •UL d rtICICe Labour traitors. Tne u condoorators the Communist Party are to be exposed and pushed aside, and mass struggles mobilised can defeat l ory coverel. uen seacersnro must moar •avn cne ocv oul toaoro gramme of transitional demands which, conditions and today's consciousness within the lead workers to arasp the necessity for socialist revolution And in taking up democratic demanas- racial and sexual discrimination, it must show the crucial role working class as the only consistent- that must be played by the ly revolutionary class capable of leading the struggle for emancipation of mankind international basis-mobilising fight an Ml0 Il solidarity Tot Anti- moe aist AT CA•TE:lIST whether in Ireland, in Southern Africa or elsewhere through- out the world, and drawing strength and political lessons from evoutonr voneavao sucte moar whicn oureo me naled Shah in Iran. means fighting for the reconstruction of the Trotsky.

ist Fourth International.

noco0OOCN aenne any ee conro smo d trade union militancy, or concessions to any wing of the labour bureaucracy, is the method fought for by the Workers Socialist Losud The next period will see major class strugales in Britain. A principled, Marxist lesdership is essential. Our movement though programme remains small in numbers HO"JOIN US and take fonward the struggle for socialism!

NEWS

the closure of Hereford Lodge recovery unit and St Columba's which has all located in ot working terminai nosolldl government's the north-west district of the HimLs. alca reduce hea tr i ne batte over ot. Mary a high Harrow Road reachec the last two weeks point during when the District Management Team announced package which would involve the closure Every package of proposals of the casualty and several other departments at the hospital.

met with Immediate organisco The response the within opposi- nos•tal was immelate. At an emergency mass meet- nave ing, voted unanimous to fight the closure by cor tinuing to work at the hospital, accepting jobs and nas •revented not ahead with vitere Shop 1 ne istrIeT

JOINT 1

Stewards Committee continued to give a principled lead against ine cuts by calling Tor ocelot tion of all threatened wards and facilities the district and demanding that the London leadership call an trade union and conference ail-London Prepare a course OT Incusirla by health and public sector workers in defence of St.

Mary's. years of Labour Ignore the local As well as this, ambulance drivers' branch

NUPE

Camden which covers St. Station Cane Jong s VV000 accident station voted continue carrying patients

DON'T GO INTO

"left-wing" MPs have : Callaghan. to establish a basis for rory cabinel, paraleliing Phase 4 01 pay battles last winter. be defended needed if the ano mel maners on ur and remove the starting from today's working class, -such es an ene te

SOCIALIST

truedes-

GET

PRESS

TRAŃSPORT

ST MARY5 HARRO

SAY STOP THE CUTS

St. Mary's workers: solid resistance to the cuts the and the casuaily ano lo lenore dl ĂHA and instructions from the wards: Tlell own mandoement concert' ing the closure of the hospital.

Also, th divering have adopted a of policy many more their turned vat ents •ossi ole admission to Mary's hospitals wnere tney prevent the wards from being First on closed. Dac Kact Scurry back recovery un It Heath, which This wave res stance forced the District Management back to Team to scurry cacuatino macimes ane come up with nem scheme. item cuts was hospital and Temoveo trom tne dcendd dl tnt within ossIol AHA meeting on 11 July, and months. following with frantic series the region and melice the DHSS. une newi orodosdrs were announced for last Thursday's special meeting The AHA are vov bcc reaucions were ceciceo on ate virtually every straits Hesistance Tne cuts coupled with the Tories the decision not exempt

SIX

wards

VAT

from hospital in Chelsea. In creased charges have led to a situation has overspent where the Area now covious £2 Their alocaec •ucoet million-an amount which they direct confrontation pledged reimburse lave stronces within ine next iwo montos hospitals one by one. Savage I ney intend to do this by making cuts and fully by Thursday's meeting-which was quarac• oy alarae contincent or capitaist press police-demonstrated that they It is urgent that the prepared take these tance torci medsure: necessar organiseo these cuts through. The decisions of the meeting Columba's showed an attempt to divert the Gooosition ov outtino dack tne TOr planned closure of the casualty continuing to at Harrow Road, and replacing dently of the AHA. this with proposals for reduc- tion of staff, overtime hours, the example

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

CAPTAL

Trial sub (UK): 10 issues, only. Six months One year Europe: Six months. Six months .. For a clear Name... lead in the Address. struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 gradual Harrow Road, and St. Mary's cosure Praed Street, and form Hospital Whilst backing down for the Devenc Commes. moment on St. Mary's-hoping to organise the resistance against to whittle down resistance ther ward closures and staff run- gradually -the have down. attention to Reverse cuts feel the opposition is less well organised the list in the nev Whilst these steps are vitall!

Athlone Houst that important, essential It Is •ОГ Han ostedd they are linked to bullding or a is to be closed mobilisation of health down completely by September public sector workers anu Throucnout London • to reversi This will be accompanied by the : cuts in this area once and the rapid run-down and closure for all of Paddington Green children's The Tory cuts can only be St Columba's- reversed by mass action , and the the next twc union leadership-wh ur arit , to taki nave so tar retuseo even the initial step of organising Every hospital conference to discus cuts-must be forced give Also, ward closures and staff cerr against the Tories "fight" The reverse the hospital in the policy of the AHA by discussion district, including the closure of and consultation is now lost St. Deonen s and the labou movement who sit on the The tactics of the AHA are representatives Autority snould D4 resign and begin to organise They are attempting to avoid strike action against the cuts with amongst local trade untonists unionised nos •itals and are picking off the weaker Debating But if it comes to a confron- This applies especially to tation, they will not nesitate to Trades Council meet this head on, backed up Westminste Tory government, bureaucrat David Triesman, who has up to now spent all his time the powers of the state, and the Tories on the debating with the resis

AHA

ăne æ e ce le mobilise workers through West- proposals minster Trades Council of which Workers at Athlone House, ne is secrelary! Sre eo must make preparati ons Paddingtor It is only a programme of all- indefinite strike action by out health public occupying the hospitals and an( secto. run them indepen. workers, linked to occupation of threatened hospitals, which in the Other hospitals must follow will Tne curs of St. Mary's, Westminster area.

SUBSCRIBE

to Socialist Press

RATES:

..£1,50 ,£5.00 . £9.00 . £6.50 Rest of the World: .. £8.00 Please send me trial sub/six months/one year of Socialist Press. I enclose Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS 1HR.

FIGHT NOW FOR COST OF

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday August 1 1979 Tories to watch over BSC closures The Tory government announced last week that it will only provide funds for the British Steel Corpora- tion on a month-by-month basis. This unprecedented step is designed to provide lory axe with blow by blow control of plant over the closures ano manning CUts. Profitable The plan laid down by. Sir Keith the Joseon Calis

TOT

corporation to be made profit- this plan and confirmed that it able by next year. loses money to resenty the tune ot t30y million per year-in common with the steel capitalist country. Power workers rebuff of workers' response to the Tories' flood tide of inflation has been given by the pay claims drawn leaders by up Ford workers in the last two weeks. Power workers demanding leaders are on the spot and a 38 hour week-having following second sultered a sell-oul acal last ballot rejection of a pay year in offer unanimously basic increase was linked to recommended by union an 'incentive' scheme. officials. for provision This show of militancy against inflation, by the 95;000 manual the end of the year will be workers has percolated even rocketing towards the 20% through the defusing mark. apparatus of a postal ballot.

They have clearly been "Substantial" driven on to defy their officials by the recent three stage 20% settlement agreed goes in Electrical Power by the tion, Engineers Association for 'substantial' 28,000 white collar and protected against managerial staff.

LOUDS

dull agreement. Mandate Todd evaded the issue of a Yet despite the clear money strike action declared that for maudle and windy threats from would not "nail statements negotiator Jack Biggin that about percentages "all hell will let loose", the wall". immediate response to the While EETPU leader frustration is clearly build- trom

VOLC

Frank Chapple was to deny ing up within the working any likeli- that there the was Class hood of industrial action.

inflation workers standards Power shown their willingness to Vauxhall fight: and Chapple has once dominated by deter- again indicated the national mination :of the

EETPU

this only bureaucracy to hold them torted and inadequate form.

back. fatall

AT THE TOP...

UNION DUES

will press forward with a crash programme of closures which it claims will save *luo million in the current financial year.

Meanwhile there has been no sign that the steel unions have any intention ot acting upon a call for national action raised mass meeting at trom a ine unreatened coroy steelworks -the only course of action that offers any hopes of preventing a jobs assale Such a strike must be fouaht Joseph for alongside the preparation for The BSC board has accepted occupation threatened plants at Corov and Shotton.

LIVING CLAUSES

An initial indication coming situation is to spell out that pay claims must: 1) make good the losses caused bi cant lie inflation since the last pay review. Vauxhall provide and 2) for an improvement in living stan- dards in real terms 3) protect this settlement The Vauxhall unions are inflation tuture 25 increase through the inclusion of a clause cost-ol-lving providing automatic which a 4.3-6.7% increases in line with a cost.

or tiented contes of elected committees But the claim includes no trade unionists and house- protechion Wives which by Such a policy challenges not only the Tory plans to inflict the whole burden of the oil price increases and the world inflationary crisis OnLO Lie those also leaders 1110 The Ford claim however argue that pay claims WhO the opposite should relate not OTe. seeking only a vague workers' needs and the increase-but defence of living standards inflation index-linking Ron negotiator increase and the the LO militancy and Guestionl and falling living Ford negotiators, full time officials, reflect in a partial, dis- What is necessary in the

THAT RUDDY

CALLAGHAN!.

U9T33

(FIRM LEADERSHIP IS WHAT'S NEEDED —

STAND UP TO THE

WRECKERS!!!

{246 MILLION

PROFIT OFF OUR

BACKS = ROBBERY

STUFF THE 57

but to the ability of the The Tories and his employers pay that workers 'right' to a profit. necessaril Tories Indeed the are increase in pay every year!

reportedly planning from all aimed at reviews, autumn campaign annual that persuading workers they should moderate pay demands and not look for money if ther have relation Calla not conceded extra effort provided by. on the shop floor. of cost-of-living ciauses.

The Boilermakers union has lodged a 37% pay claim for shipyard workers-point- ing to the probability of a steep rise in inflation later this year. The claim is due for settle january 1. But Boiler. ment of makers Heater. extreme ront winger John Chalmers made clear that this militancy on day is not conned ted to any willingness to defend jobs and conditions against the i ory onslauant. He told the Financial Times that the recognised that union retur

TOT

covernment subsidies to shipbuilding: members will be expec ted to lift their levels of produc tivity and, in addition, perhaps be much more flexible in the patterns of their present work ing practices With 8,000 jobs immediate- The strike action ly threatened in the shipbuilding the 37% industry once again underlines the gulf between the objective needs shipyard the ing political treachery of their exist- by computer ing leaders -a gulf that can only reject an 18% pay offer. be bridged in the struggle for a revolutionary leadership.

meeting

...HELL BE EXPECTING TRADE UNIONISTS

TO BAIL HIM OUT AGAIN-JUST LIKE LAST

YEARS CONFERENCE.

WHINING AROUT DEMOCRACY GOS SHORTIRIF

IN MY UNION.

..EH?. Page 11 Ford strikers-crashed through 5% limit last year Only such a policy offers workers an answer to the will conscious price argue hikes, rent increases and should not VAT rises excel The fight for cost-of- living clauses must be abandoning pressed ahead now both in workers industry the and should be pressing for these Lai be linked to the contin- throughout the labour part of the ual updating of real wages in movement, struggle to defeat the Tory the operation offensive bring down the Thatcher government. Feeling grows on pay

CPSA

members also voted 625 67 to censure Unlon leaders for recommending the offer which would leave them still behind pay OT rOS Office engineers and the 24% by govern. increases obtained ment computer staff. 45,000 members of the CPSA are being balloted on the offer. The SCPS data branch is campaian processive ing for rejection. chris ves, Bureaucrats had an easier task in piloting through acceptance of a 9.6% pay - deal at a Special Conference of

NALGO

local govern. ment delegates. But despite assurances from chief negotiator Mike Blick that alternative • WE see acceptance" coon want no had Chalmers only action would which achievo has held up telephone bills offer was action the accepted only by for over three months looks cruderners 260,000 to 179,000-a margin certain to continue follow- of 3-2. an overwhelming vote An amendment had unsuccessfully called for action operators securt unions origina 15% pay claim nearly 700 oT

WHY CAN'T BASNETT AND THE BOYS GET THEIR

FINGERS OUT AND STITCH UP THE RULES OF THIS

FLAMING PARTY-CHUCK THE SOCIALISTS OUT...

..ON

THEIR

EARS!!!

...THOSE POWER WORKERS HAVE VOTED TO

THROW OUT WHAT?!

SOMOZA OUSTED:

NOW FOR SOCIALIST

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Ireland: troops out now Ten ago British troops were sent into Bogside and Derry to put their heel on the growing The crushing defeat anger and resistance in the suffered by Somoza Catholic ghettoes to attacks dictatorship which brutally by Orange and B gangs dominated Nicaragua for Specials. 45 years is a major setback The British government, for US imperialism. Socialist Worker ano une Civil liberty marchers all claimed that The victorv of the Sandinist role was prevent National Liberation Front (FSLN) in the violence civil war will The vicious face of imperial- inevitably

SOUT

Mass was not long in mak- ist troops struggles against dictatorships in the rest of Central America and

THOST

abject impressionists. Today those same 'revolu. this critically important region.

SWP

The been long and toulaties unte sign platform statement the bloody. we sal uit Young Liberals which com. от ine masses ane nonour ine plains of the cost to the British thousands of dead. time, Socialist taxpaver, ano seeks to orino Ine Unionists the negotiating Press bus entry argued and will continue aroue inat They have been joined in the dominant Tercerista' wing of the FSLN and the provisional tner support tor the pro-imper- ialist position by the IMG Big alt and several left MPs •ourecons forces which palpably incapable of and now well as•v argoner whose treatment at the hands of explicitly opposed to the over - the British state might well have of imperialist capital in InroW Nicaragua. alven mim bause tor tnouent The WSL will be campaign- the biggest possible ing Composition mobilisation the tor march lo anti- intervene WIth clear Sandinista guerrillas on the rooftops of Matagalpa If there has been any doubt imperialist position will demanding the over unis durine me course the must now the opposition capitalist groups immedlate dispelled. The facts are supreme- political status for TrOODS In une new covernment but aiso republican prisoners and self- home toolie dos rhine no ly tital. determination from for the Irish - ne

THESE

total destruction the composition of the Junta people as a wore. pornoza s repressive apparatus itself. This body contains campaign This is most apparent in the We tor the alist oppression to be taken up.

'guarantees' 'tercerista'), the other presso co be laken ur ano tile members being an ex-member of movement integration sectors the The abour Ireland North and South and in National Guard within the 'new' nationdl Camel merce, large landowner, Britain. ality. employee of the World particular the British labour movement has, as one of sugar Minister Dank manoname plantation owner. the most unportant tasks. Secondiy, the This Junta openly process has already removal ot british trooos ov a reflects the increasing 'entente' advanced to the extent that mass campaign including black ing of supplies to the army, and beTween Nicaraquan I Dour Tormer leacine commander geoisie and US imperialism, not the Guard, Colonel Bernardino mass moolisations acainst une only through the inclusion of Larios, been appointed Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Minister of Defence. all,

FUND

VOST

portant

OT I

is the political practice course, of the Junta clearly necessary to expropriate Somoza's proerty- not least because the masses hac already begun A determined effort by our members and supporters lo take over nurs together with a magnificent collection of £320 at the end extensive ands But existing property of the WSL International Summer School means that we relations in « general have bee are able to announce that the £2,500 target in our Special and the Fund has been reached on time.

Commander

F$LN

southern front has The total now stands at £2573.60 with a further f200 announced that lano retorm wit.

in pledges still to be paid in. This means that we shall now only be "limited" proceed with the first of our scheduled publications in the character. next few weeks-a second edition Battle for ot /ne Challenge coes Trotskyism which contains the opposition documents that "the Junta the founding members of the WSL fought for within the 'indicates that socialis WRP prior to their expulsion in 1974.

measures are not very likely.

Other publications scheduled for later this year include there basis an account of the fight for Trotskyist leadership in the 'national estationment Leyland factories in Cowley and a new edition of the bourgeoisie independent Transitional Programme. wide imperialism, capable Meanwhile, readers and supporters are reminded that redistribution of wealth and the introduction of full democratic our monthly fund of f600 which has been raised through- rights for the masses. out the period of the Special Fund is now open for contri- Deflect butions to the August fund.

Contributions should be sent to: The bourgeoisie entered the Socialist Press Monthly Fund stre rules of competition anato 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR rules of competition and to •етіесі the enormous soontan. Oxford tote winners for the last four weeks were eous force of a mass uprising.

Hitherto it has been largely 3, 19-ticket 108; 7, 29-ticket 330; 1, 13-ticket 073 successtul in enis endeavour and 12, 11-ticket 065. We do not look to the junta Published by Folrose Ltd. for the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

Printed by Anvil Printers Ltd., London. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office

REVOLUTION.

socialist policies; we expect to it populist gesturés, constar manoeuvre and a stream motifs 8. designed and the disorientate masses Yet Nicaragua still turmoil and, as in all uprisings ano revolts tre balance class forces is in a considerable state of flux. The workino class and the peasantry, despite having suffered enormous losses, have been awakened ano mobilised movement which, albeit directed and ifically angers against the and somoza •oeniv boses ine questions collectivization, workers militias and soviet power These issues are most clearly evident in the loerates areas o' northern Nicaragua where the 'Marxist' factions of the FSLN roughshod nave • acooter radicalism in their administra- eve measures However the isolated replacement of money by organised provision Collary does not in itself constitute an £4000 m more cuts planned the ottensive capitalist market Moreover, this measure has not been the result of action bi organs the incerencent workers and peasants We reiterate our call tor the "intransigent SeCtion: FSLN to break with the popular the Terceristas and frontism win ine poureeois parties These: parties promise. not only the suppression of the mass movement also reconstruction of the full imper- ialist mandate in Nicaragua. Hence, besides launching full democratic Candicu rights, agrarian reform, expro- priation pithout compensation property Domotistas. a total break with US imperialism and the estab- lishment of a constituent assem- bly revolutionarv socialists must struggle incessantly to develop workers' militias and soviets to defend dril ine conquests civil war against the manoeuvres of the parasitic 'reformist' bourgeoisie Junta leader Ramires Mercado As the Tory government last week set its sights on slashing a further staggering £4,000 million from public spending, British capitalism was already lurching out of control down the road to recession, roaring inflation and 2 million unemployed.

Latest forecasts of trends over the next year vary, but al orecci a share voward lead while

OECD

actual fall in Gross reports an National FroouCt On every front the Tories' frantic efforts the raise protitability of private industr -now at an all-time low-means rising prices coupled with a wa on jobs and hard-won working conaltions Month to month stee INO USErV Ene government to take the unprecedented step of providing monin basis in order to ran through a savage programme closures BSC's desioner reverst current £350 million losses within nine months • in ine public services, a wholesale massacre of both jobs and basic rights is inevitable at a Line wher

VAI

increase and massive inflation are combined with Labour and Tory now spending cuts Service faces do mat over soeneine see bad Area Health Authorities are also seeking immediate cutbacks staff and services And education too is falling under the Tory sledgehammer, with plans for wholesale redun.

' wastage' cancies ano natura for domestic and teaching staff.

Overseas students, too, face croine penalties as a result o the £200 million cut in educa which will annual fees • for foreign student: to over to is not only But it services that are hit Tory policies public protitable services-the Post Office Ga and Electricity-in which the force has created a massive sur plus-are impose huge new price increases Managers The cash accruing from these inflationary price hikes will b to finance used by the lories their handouts employers, managers and fore men But while workers face living standards and plunging growing dole queues, there are some people who well are pleased with the Tories first two months in office National Westminster bank has increased profits by a 102%: Saiders in major afie firms will holders off £400 million cream dividends bonanza in the nex Tew weeks as ine • ories ti controls. On carcass whole areas of the public services and ruined sections weaker private industry driven to the wall by the lories policies. to• banker feed vultures, entire working class Only the most tenacious struggle by workers Tor SInIKe. and occupations in defence o all jobs, and fo policy opening the books of the capit- sector alist ane employers to reveal the whole plunder planned by show Tories •alternative • Io: years reces sion unemployment-the struggle for action Tory the overn ment and fight for a socialist, planned economy.