Socialist Press no. 179

TO TORY RULE

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League

STEEL

STRIKE

THREAT

If the Iron and Steel on its own in a position to bring steel production halt Trades Confederation The result could be the first carries out treatened national steel strike since 1926 national strike on January Within davs oroduction o1 components domestic 2, the ensuing battle will cars, other appliances and amount to frontal oroduct: challenge to the political grind to a halt. policies of and economic Dilemma the Tory government. The strike has been called as And the Tories would be an angry reaction to the British acute dilemma. faced with an Steel Corporation's insulting 2% with the leaders aireaoy pay offer, which was announced of hand any simultaneously with proposals

OUL

on the marginal improvement 32,000 steel- sack anotner offer, new DrOOUCTIVITY workers in new wave of throughout deal, they would have to choose the CIOSUreS between two evils: industry. sanction an *They increased offer to the ISTC- Viability would spur on workers public sector throughout the The danger for the Tories is • that for the first time a right and otner anecealy. non profitmaking sectors of industry wine union leadershie has beer to struggle in defence of their forced to fly in the face of the financial crisis facing massive living standards *Or they could instruct BSC declare Ene em alovers ana lo firm, and face stand their determination to defend their members' living standards would crippline strike waicn immediately emerge as the focus recaroless or ine vidully u Tories' the the Corporation. of resistance And this defiance, reflecting battery or attacks on une whole workiready isT shoo roor militancv coula well Already leaders are inspire thousands other OT workers to take fight up Enreatenina to mount pickers or docks and steel stockholders to adainst ory policies in inausu prevent the movement of scab and the public sector. steer subories nese • reoresentina nat could •STrIKe

TRUS

of BSC's 180,000 workforce, is provide an advanced demonstra tion of the impracticability of the anti-picketing laws-or produce pitched battles between workers and police that would rapidly spread drawing scope support from wide layers of the here seems ittle coubt Enat both BSC and the Tory govern- ment are staggered by the ISTC strike call. Easy meat After vears of the mOSt collaboration cringing with cutback, closure, and every soceo-uo attemot oy manage- mentors helping to carry treen ane with six worker through on the BSC board, the Staggered-Joseph steel unions must have seemed for a rock-bottom easy meat. No. 179 * 12 December 1979 * 20p The threatened Corby plant wage offer As ISTC leader Bill Sirs admitted: "Our cooperation in closure apparently steelworks nas been interpreted as a sign of weakness. fact the GWU with 13,000 members in the steel industry, has lived up management expectations and denounced the ISTC strike call, pledging itself instead to "педо- Tiate on ine derisor o outer.

But after making increasing- ly militant threats of action to prevent the closure of the Corby steelworks-action that has not yet taken place-the ISTC exec- utive clearly teel unable to sell a 2% pay orter togetner witn a string new closures and redundancies to an angry shop Toor memoersnie. Betrayal Now that they have called the strike and named the date.

only a brazen and humiliating betrayal on their part or retreat by the employers in the next two weeks seem to offer a way out. strike call transforms ine scene The Inousanes workers. It offers a much lead for needed action to stan dards in other non viable industries. Indeed there could scarcely be a clearer example than BSC of the way in which the crisis of profitability is forcing the capit- alISt class TO destroy whole sections of the productive forces and massively step up the exploitation ot the worktorce order to compete with its rivals AS Itcet stanos to lose €350 million in the current Antiquated Tinancial year equipment means that it only produces 108 tons of steel man-year against 200 in rrance ane over Germany. It is so uncompetitive that, witn ine value or tne bound making imports even cheaper BSC is finding itself wiped out ot even the home market Ford in Britain, for instance, is planning to cut its use of British steel from 70,000 to tonne next • vear- replacing it by cheaper imported steel from Europe.

BSC

expects overall demane to olummet next vea 15 million tons-against of 22 productive capacity two out of milion tons. uniy 14 centres are making a profit.

Hence hell-for-leather scramble by BSC management to axe the worktorce by over 50,000 and shut down the least utilised ane eds plants, while the bankers and users continue to profits off the backs of steel workers. Nor could a programme of hope reserve oos in steel. it wourd merely inflict additional unem- ployment on workers elsewhere British workers should instead link up with workers overseas a common struggle against neir exploiters The talling demand Tor steel because is less social need for goods contain- ing steel: it is the result or the which capitalist system, produces not fol social needs but simply for profit! For workers to kowtow to Cont'd p.11, col.1 The split in the USFI-a letter and reply Page 8 Bill Sirs: will he chicken out again?

TGWU National Organiser Todd: loud noises on Corby Will he call action on pay?

- but no action

DUEL

CORBY STEEL-

WORKERS SAY:-

OCORBY STEEL-

RUNDOWN

WORKERS SAY:

NO

CORBY STEEL

WORKERS SAY:

NO

SU UNWIN

NO

CLOSURE

Mass pressure on IST leaders for action

KHOMEINI STRUGGLES TO No peace

IMPOSE DICTATORSHIP

Page 2 Alongside this repetition of From back page Khomeini's made the tnps ayatollahs conflict and have been attempts to regain control by more these disputes have undoubted- Khomeini given A force sup- spurious

DOOSE

Shariat-Madari's present stand- porters setter back зашо the station over the weekend, only ing with opposition move- to be ousted in turn apparently ment in Azerbaijan. Khomeini's Revolutionary

TOODS

cocaine

LACU

Council' has responded allegiance to Shariat-Madari.

this struggle has conserable

SALS

sudden development among the opened up in Azerbaijan, there largest of the oppressed nations is every indication that the truce w11 be succeeded the imprisoned by a renewed offensive from the demonstrators have nationalists the armed against no less a figure than released. ¡orces or tic sale prime ministet with these Mountis still has been despatched to nego- Khomeini has problems the demands which tiate failed to move towards a resolu- Ilave nOW

OCCI

tion or ine crisIs Howine Iron include some form of autonomy the of the for the region: embassy in Tehran. occupation 1 10 stuuchite have demonstrated their at least Two partial independence from Khomeini and posed obvious question or now lal they holding hostages Iranian US government and against the now much tney same time from the 'Rev- olutionary Council' itself.

socialists Collitar tion with Carter's administra- tion now forced the US display signs of released concession on ene centid vucs tion of the Shah's extradition, which open up the road to a WITH AN international cam- Kennedy paign still for alle release of 14 socialists from the

HKS

of the Kennedy's opportunist (section of the crimes and denunciation United serisoned have those imprisoned been of the Shah nas beer bulaiy followed released. TeAMS care ments denying opposition According to Intercontinen- Shah tal Press Mohammed Poorkah- tyle released "international forum'-so long as from vaz was the hostages are released first.

obviously and Kia Mahdari 27 move. November chief Waldheim's hints of some fight for the release of i re "new initiative") the remaining I must now ve up with renewed vigour ments by Ootzbadeh that it the Shah moves out by the workers' movement.

ot the tne would be Iranian " authorities Scrubbing off the traces of 'democracy' Bureaucratic spring 'democratisation' ication' measures. cleaning has wiped Peking's But Deng has now lined up "democracy clear of wall with ois rivas ceany assessing any trace of proletarian that the 'dissident' movement and democracy political no longer has any opposition to the ruling ambitions and is tast becoming a threat to every section of tre Stalinist bureaucracy. bureaucracy, including himself.

But Chinese workers are now This tactical "free" to express themselves on offers vet another vindication o provided by the the Trotskyist analysis anolner want, ruling Stalinist bureaucracies.

reking municipal committee Posters can be displayed here limited wonderel -at a safe distance from the city gestures it may make for its own centre-after registration With the authorities, who must also dive permission tor the poster to appear! Suppression: new suppression has been expected since the standing committee of the Natlonar demanded action" reso lte those subversive forces which Tor attacked the party teacersals wall'- a symbolic used nas been Dawn power within the Peking bureaucracy. Xiao Ping has In the past, Deng Demonstrators outside the US embassy Israeli border. content with the returo or ni Iran and some inter- Economic war Hallullal tlial This scenario depends on the agreement of third party While these manoeuvres con and the the all as lubl, tinue, Imperialsts are scarcel entaus front roll steadily colonic iastic about the offers received on to the excuse bocance for the Shah -from Sadat, so far finance lawyers who and the Lebanese fascist militia constantly putting forward new their statelet along writs and appeals in every con ceivable direction. But the resolution of the conflict will from not come economic Thi Enest memnoos. forces building up within Iran After catastrophic month of November for car of this section I Casuas sales, the future of the giant can open • UC caste Corporation through its leadership the devel- US Chrysler opment of genuine proletarian looks more bleak than ever.

oemocracy in unild Despite cut-price offers by *at struce can e weer major US motor manu- every to the end only by the building facturer, sales Must and party which ot a revolutionar 22% General 1U1 asserts • Into ar oreranante -wilde and leadership the revolutionary was worst hit of all. independence working And truck market the political dictator- class rom Chrvsler's sales were down by a ship the Stalinist bureau- disastrous 54%-far worse. inal the 33% drop suffered by GM and Ford's 24.6% Chrysler-$750 million in the red on 1979 operation -is therefore in an extremely weak position in pressing its appeal to the Carter administration and to Congress for Federal cash assis- tance. While Carter-not wanting to the can 158,000 carry election year-has proposed that $1.5 billion made available condition Chrysler raises a „amount independenly US and Congressmen are not so keen • Carter proposals to offer only $1.25 billion, on condition that that Khomeini's clearly show vely

STUE

space of time in which to make changes of direc tion before collapse under une pressure rom a sues The fate of the US agents held hostage in the embassy will within this determinec process ana not wheelies and dealings inside the UN o legal wrangles in the courts o the bourgeoisie. But the central question remains as it has done trom th beginning of the mass agitation against the Shah's what programme can resolve tn

TA012T

8100 can fight to Implement that programme? there is only one answer: it is only tne workug class of Iran, led by a Trotskyist fighting for the interna of socialist tional programme the oppressed masses Iran from the threats of world imper-

KISSI

come evol tionary power of religious and bourgeois reaction. *Seize hanks and Tine capitalist holdings. No major workers compensation -to management planned and a socialist economy. *Build workers militias and factory committees. For soviet to replace the committee and tribunals of Islamic reaction "Arains

UNCHICLE-

programme a massive public works *Against national oppression _for the rights of self-determin ation of the Kurds and all other oppressed nations full democratic rights for all women and homosexual men alism-every possible assistance to the struggles against imperialism with Khomeini the Revolutionary Council'-for a workers and peasants govern- ment in Iran *Defend the Iranian revolu against imperialism and tion reaction. *US workers fight for the Shah to be sent back! rIS CHRYSLER US

A DEAD DUCK?

Miller half of it from imposing a three Wage workers Even United Auto Workers leader Fraser -who has already donated million 44tl) members pay and benefits to the Chrysler relief effort-has naa to come out against such a wage freeze, which has also been denounced Treasury secre SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 Bolivian President Any hopes on the part of imperialism and the Bolivian ruling class that the new nationalist government President Lydia Gueiler would be able to demobilise the working class were totally shattered last week.

The Gueiler regime has lost no time in showing its willing ness act as the agent.o imperialism: Ten davs ago it introducec a series of austerity measures for which the International Monet- ary Fund has been pressing for some months. raised a rico a ra las The petrol equivalently), the peso was devalued by 18% the prices of all imported goods) and, concession, few prices of basic necessities were The measures provoked an immediate wave of demonstra.

tions and strikes Barricades were erectea ir workers' districts of the capital La Paz, as demonstrations were violenty anaced byle coco protest against Here on ire by wors doubling bus-fares, buses • сов (the central trade union feder- ation) expelled the bus workers' when called a strike adanst the ous durnines Latest reports suggest that Gueiler has been forced by the oressure to i witneraw some o the price increases But this must be a move o •esperation ane aready elves i sign that the life of the Gueiler regime is unlikely to be longer than une very show averade mit of her predecessors. The COB. leaders , however, show themselves as always com pletely hostile to leading the workers mobilisations towards the establishment ot a workers and peasants govern- ment. Instead, they are only too negotiate a sell-out ready to with the agents of the bosses.

without the wage But even plan freeze the Senate's IS a non-starter-since there Chrysler can raise $2:75 way bankers it from hostle the midst _ oI a For Chrysler workers the be answer must prepare occupy threatened tactories prevent that the UAW in i Chrysler GM take action Fords and Toga i wor sharing on full pay, to operate across the motor industry.

Nationalise Such only of jobs defence as a whole. is clearly incompat with the ahie private owner ship of the US car monopolies nationalisa . cres out for the ente

MOLO

industry its suppliers, dealers and without compen bankers. workers' management And this, in turn, points to the need for the Us trade unlor movement, led by the UAW, to break from Carter, Kennedy and the capitalist Democratic Party and build a labour party socialist pro through

PORTUGAL: THE PRICE OF

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1S79 "A dark prospect for the Portuguese people". That judgement on last Sunday's right wing victory the Portuguese general election came from the party which relatively made the biggest electoral gains- the Communist Party led by Alvaro Cunhal. The Democratic Alliance (AD), composed capitalist parties (the Social Democrats, Christian Demo- and Monarchists) gol 45% of the votes. will WiTh seats ll of now have majority eight other parties over all this parliament, which will last only eight months until the normally scheduled elections. Reactionary But despite this short time and the small majority the AD look set to redouble the existing attacks on the and conditions of wages workers and to undo more of the made by gains after the of overthrow the Caetano dictatorship 1974. The new Prime Minister, Social Democrat leader Francisco Sa Carneiro, is an In the run-up to the election Carneiro has set out accomplished political his policies clearly. opportunist and field ced reaction a democratic" economic they will was modelled Caetano's those of Thatcher in Britain oppositionist in parliament, fake and then spelle redundancies minister (unemploy- Occane General Spinola's ment is already 13/o), sup- goverl- port for the capitalists and ment in April 1974. But he cleverly distanced measures to cut real wages already fallen (which have himself from Spinola's right by 10% in the last 3 years. wing coup attempts, and Britain into opposition to went

USL

Thatcher's build economic which rechristened the measures were fore- shadowed by those of Social Democrats in 1976 in an effort to displace Mario Callaghan and Healey, so in Portugal Soares and the Socialist Carneiro's Party the policies are only an exten- recognised Portuguese section of the sion of the ones initated by so-called Socialist Inter- Soares Socialist Party government national. between 1976 and 1978 Soares, Best equipped smarting under his Party's loss OI 00 1n When and the popular vote (27% com- Callaghan Brandt clear that pared with 35% in 1976), in made it effect they thought Soares was acknowledged best-equipped to betray the affinities of his policies with Portuguese working classR those Carneirc Sa Carneiro moved rapidly publicly acknowledging that far the right-wing the election result gave the 118L0 which he AD a "legitimate right" alliance now to heads. zoveill. Soares

TREACHERY

25 DE Portuguese workers celebrate the anniversary of the 1974 coup did But they not he added, give the AD a legit- change right Indee constultion So Carneiro has said he will use his majority to "socialist" the change the Portuguese Causes Con lon the "transition to socialism and the "building of a class- less society" It is now only through formally these clinging formulae that Soares who nad so much to do witn tne 1976 constitution can try to perpetuate his links with "socialism" And, ironically, Soarez now blames the part of that Constitution which estab- lishes the voting system his and party devised for their own bene fit) for the fact that the AD has won a majority of seats with a minority of votes. Undermined But the results show that Mario Soares' reputation "socialist" today or a as a of the defender working class in Portugal has been deeply undermined-indeed almost totally destroyed.

His party's catastrophic performance was very large- the result of voters working class areas through- the

COOLS

aestrung the SP and voting instead for the CP The CP's share of the poll increased dramatically 14% to 19% which Irom certainly makes the now CP the majority party of the Portuguese: working class, the large petty-bour- still going vole Soares. Just as Soares' losses are the result of his support for anti-working class poncies so the Stalinist gains result from a very agile combina tion ot verbal "opposition" to these policies-coupled, however, with a complete failure to mobilise the full strength of the working class against them. In particular the Stalinists have been scrupu- careful to combat any pressure on them (when with the SP they together controlled parliamentary majority) to form a govern.

without Cavitaisi parties. When 'the Cond so of the votes andor defeated Mota Pinto the government last botn avoided any reference to the obvious Concudon 10aH they should form a joint government. "Opposition" Instead they meekly accepted another govern ment (that of Pintassilgo) military apppointed by President Eanes. So. CP has though the gained a lot of votes from "opposition" stance, its its Stalinist leaders share responsibility Socialists for preparing the way to power of the new Only with the now, workers' parties safely in a minority, has the CP startec for an alliance witł calling the SP against reaction Stalinist-dominated The trade unior (detaind . too, CGTP (Intersindical), whose leaders have stood bj for paralysed over as the real wages of years workers has grown, unemployment has now started saying darkly deliberatley (but vaguely) that Portu- the guese workers will know what to do" against the new reactionary threat. Combat reaction But all the workers' leaders refuse as adamantly as ever to take up a pro- gramme of demands which will meet the needs of the working class and peasants combat daily growth of reaction. Such a programme and a Trotskyist revolutionary party to fight for it are, aftermath of the elec- tilt tions, more urgently needed than ever. Page 3 Mass mobilisation after the fall of Caetano

OUT NOW!

CO

BATTLE

Second edition of the opposition documents presented inside the WRP by the present leader- ship of the Workers Socialist League With a new introduction Price £2.50 plus 20p postage and package from Workers Socialist League, 31 Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR

Page 4 Workers move in at Meccano Over 900 workers at AUEW convenor Bernard Riley and Metal Mechanics the Meccano plant on convenor and secre- Merseyside a week ago of the joint stewards Lal y took over the factory John Lynch • committer and are holding a work of the workers' attempts to obtain an inde- in' with a view the to pendent the on setting up of a workers' cooperative. They declared themselves move in favour to management's response investigation into sudden claims that the Comedy rridav November 30 of the plant Is not vladie This is a refreshing depar- any notice. ture from the seemingly of closures positive sign in the endless round struggle has been the appar- Merseyside where on willingness the workers have time and again leaders of the six unions to sold by leaders been unwilling question management even to question claims that the factory was capitalist viability. The workers at Meccano making a loss. must press home this policy evident during 1 nis was the interviews with the by demanding that all books accounts of the firm, press, and tives of Socialist Press were its parent together with Airfix, be handed present. company

MECCANO

FOREVER

over to the elected trade

UNION

COITELLCCS

sible for carrying out this investigation. be must also demanded to the books and of the banks, accounts retail and net- ANal company. Interest payments The company report states that although the firm claims to have made a loss of £920,000 in the last six months and the parent company made a loss • 0; £659,000 as a result of this, these figures were dwarfed in the same period by colossal interest pay- to the bank of over Mello £1 million! A worrying development came on Monday December › wnen orcials or lne mall Meccano, at Tne

GMWU,

(consisting whelmingly of womer workers) were reported be in favour of ending the of the plant in occuvalion favour of the work in' tactic. This-like that of attemp- ting to set up a cooperative -is a dead end that must be rejected. The establishment of a cooperative within the capitalist crisis existing would inevilably mcal lilal the interests of the Meccano workforce-the right to job, a living wage and good conditions-would working be sacrificed in a vain effort to compete in the anarchic jungle of the capitalist market place where relegated the hell for leather scramble for profit.

Nationalise For every successful firm there is another that must go to the wall. The clear need is for the toys industry, as part of the Inside the occupied plant engineering industry as taken out of whole, to be the hands of the profiteer- and placed ing employers, under the social ownershir of the working class. . practice this means of the the nationalisation toy industry, without com- the under management of elected trade union committees. as part of a socialist planned The press has also tried to direct workers' attention of to the large number 'foreign' imports, a position which is being opportunis- tically played upon by trade and Labour Party union calling for LeTS who are controls as substi- import tute for serious action defend jobs at Meccano and elsewhere. Strike action will not Nationalisation be by alliances with British capitalists which simply palm off unemploy- ment on to the backs of workers overseas. Nor will be won, in Parliament either, as these It can only be brought that demanding the leaders organise union national strike action in sup- the port of occupation throughout the industry. The demand that dockers black all Airfix goods must be extended through vigorous campaign of flying picketing to bring the parent company to a stand- still. Those Labour lefts such as Heffer and Loyden who have visited the plant register their verbal support must be pressed to carry the lignt into the Labour Party.

This means fighting to remove the right wing Callaghan leadership and all have to Inose wno say SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 allow the Tory government through mass strike action.

*Extend the occupation to remain in ottice for its full term through national industry- and who oppose wide strikes! action to bring them down.

*Open the books of the They must be forced to banks and campaign for the extension company, elected trade retailers to of the fight against closure.

such as at Meccano into a union committees, to revea the need to nationalise the generalised action to force the Tories out of office.

toys industry, without com- under workers To facilitate this struggle pensation it is necessary to build local management, as part of a committees of socialist planned economy *Work full consisting of delegates from sharing on all labour movement bodies.

pay! *Build councils of Such committees can the action to action! all import support and extend the *Oppose occupation and bring down controls! the Tory government WSL Rally SuccesS The continuity of the workers today, and then wen WSL's political struggle for the struggle for Trotskyist politics method principles and the trade unions among fought for by Leon Trotsky formed the theme of successful rally called by the Workers Socialist League Socialist Press editor John last Saturday. Lister after outlining the current political situation Over 150 men and women in tier wishing to fight for those youth and students the revolutionary leadership in parts of the country workers movement to consider attended the rally, which cele joining the WSL brated the 100th Anniversary of The on Ireland Trotsky's birth, and the 5th tilm Patriot concluded Anniversarv of the founding of which also rally, saw a collec- the Workers Socialist League.

tion of over £90. Platform speakers explained Trotsky's life the relevance and WOlK

BUILDCTUNCLS

Part of the audience at the Rally

Fianna Fail plays nationalist card in bid for poll success SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 "I condemn the Provis- • there is ccupied six counties evidence that his "republic and all their ional

IRA

will extend any further activities". than this smattering of green rhetoric. succinct and there memorable words to the press, Assistance Ireland's new Charles Minister There is no doubt however Haughey stepped easily into the that with nationalist sentiment retiring British puppet Jack Lynch.

running strong in the soutn, 1970 court case speculation Despite accused-and Haughey that Haughey might Chance gun-running Lynch's position cringing subservience to British imperial- the IRA materially assisted him clinch a six-vote victory ism ana acceptance or tie val the leadership election over his tition of Ireland, the new Prime Minister made it clear that he more wooden George Ival Colley. wow man can dals arica Fianna Fail itself has been in ments sorry disarray following a disas- "security" between European elections Lynch and Thatcher and a catastrophic defeat in the And though he may make a Cork by-election. few more Party's Worried FF Fail policy politicians no that Haughey's doubt hope calling British declaration lor a of intent to withdraw from the charisma and nationalist image Journalists' 'no' to offer, no action! organiser, told the meeting Provincial journalists wanted unanimous urged been by have rejection by chapels even if their chapel leaderships they were not prepared to to reject a 14.5% offer take action. dis- Proposals that from the Newspaper Ine chapels should cussion Society. include discussions about journalists-who The action were heavily defeated and a proposal from Peter struck ior seven weeks last vear to drag tne final oilet McIntyre (Oxford) that up to the same level as has chapels should be asked for -offered this year-do call a fresh been a manaalt lo not only face a cut in their meeting standards of living. an alternative on the agenda The employers have failed to get a seconder.

thrown out every claim on hours, holi- Not fooled other days and other which The membership maternity/paternity pay the well knows that nothing is Newspaper Society has arro- fight, won told the gantly

SCAOLGLUIS

fooled. unlikely to Government that the Chapels for whom the seven the law attack still strike too the righis, then WEeK women's recent a memory are liable Newspaper Society want the to reject an approach which right to unilaterally Wolse. pretends that action can the their conditions hived off to a separate dis- agreement. But the stand taken at a Many chapels have meeting in London at the reported b1g votes the offer against weekend acceptance and the against has a distinctly hollow ring.

role of the leadership should The negotiators urged FoCs fight for strike industrial now be to discuss not action as the only. DOSSIDIt action when discussing the 30% to win offer which is due to claim, shorter hours, longer implemented from January improved holidays maternity leave Mike Bower, regional can retrieve a measure of elec- Lynch's popularity toral Wlal reactionary economic ропсю. and deals with imperialism have nepea to sacilico But of •course multi-millionaire and a property like Irish Skas canitalists a. personal interest In restraining the the six counties and struggle movements the so-callea tree stale principal the target of such struggles is the imperialism of British from the occupied North. But Haughey, his fellow Irish imperialists know full well that were this to accomplished by mass action class and Irish working small tarmers, the dynamic would lead in the the struggle expropriation of the of capitalist exploiters and land- lords and the establishment of a By and large the same last people who opposed year's strike and who were dragged into it by the mem- bership have held ar din the delegate over sway meeting But honest militants who declared themselves ready this strike again year, precious were given In a craven capit- ulation to what they call mood of the member- ship" the SWP-dominated Journalists' Charter put out a leaflet calling for a work to rule. noted that The leaflet the thing the News- one paper Society were terrified of this year was a repeat performance of last year's strike, and concluded that a work to rule could get more out of them! Work to rules have history in the HOLOnIOuS union of ineffectiveness and have led on numerous occas- ions to strikes over victimis- which bury the ations original aim of the action.

There can be no conces- sions to 'moods'. strike can protect the stan- dard of livling of the mem- That what militants must fight for.

socialist united Ireland eventuality forestall to and stem all forms that of revolutionary struggie British army maintains rule in the North, and machinery the vicious battery operates repressive legislation against the republican and socialist move- Two-faced practice doing Yet while in possible everything the national struggle, the Fianna leaders-political descen Fail dants of two faced "nationalist' compromiser De Valera-still use the fraudulent image of Irish Ill walls popular

IRELAND

SUVINIE

the unrivalled leader of Fianna Valera the De balanced for decades on nation- (based rhetoric alist 1916 activities renublican with the most sordid back-doo!

with British imperialism President Gerry Adams went order clerical reaction out of his wav to combat wha artfully to bridge the divide ove he regards -red scare the six county partition that the republican move. against had erupted into the bitter civil wai of 1922. "First of all there's One Apron strings thing which said categorically -there The whole of Irish history within Sinn Marxist influence shown that the national has it simply isn't a Marxist carried Fein, organisation through by capitalist politicians "I know of noone in Sinn who themselves tied by are Fein who is a Marxist or would their class interests to the apron be influenced by Marxism...

strings of imperialism "1 think its important very Nor can it be carried through to the this back the leadership of forces • that we trace under republican first person who started this the which was Roy Mason-who movement-fail to recognise the weren't said on the one hand we necessity of mobilising the working class, North and South, political but were Matsists..

ous than to e descriptione struggle

IOT

descriptions serious than liberation and socialist revolu before. used progressed those things were For all their talk of estab- seen to be lies "We see this as a more sig- leaders have only recently connota- their opposition to gangster tions" Marxism. So for Sinn Fein leaders i interview is worse to be called a Marxist published in Republican New (November 3) Sinn Fein Vice han to be called a gangster.

IRISH

POLITICAL PRISONERS

ARE LYING NAKEDINLONG KESH

IRISH

POLITICAL PRISONERS

ARE IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

FELTICAL FERONE

IRISH

TRISA

POLITICAL PRISONERS

ers Stea

• LINAL FRISO

ARE BEING SYSTEMATICALLY BEATEN

RESTORE

STATUS

POLITI

IRIO

OLITICAL

PRISONERS

British workers movement has duty to support Irish struggle Page 5 Haughey (left) with Lynch

TROOPS OUT

NOW!

IRA

has likewise branded statements linking the armed struggle with Marxism as discredit the cause of trish uberaton But the fact is that without a and policy evolutionary party dedicated to the mobilisation of the Irish working class, in alliance : with the national the amal Tammer. struggle itself in Ireland is un winnable, and the 'socialism' of Fein more than the utopian part 'socialism mentary British Labour Party. Socialist The Workers League, as a Trotskyist organ stands four-sqaure Isation, hehind a Marxist DrOgrammi and strategy to win the list and carry liberation, war.of struggle for through workers' republic Within this context we give unconditional but critical sup to anti-imperialist port by the struggles currently and republican unconditionally defend them the repression of the British and Irish state machines.

We stress that the Irish war m1l9

ROT

confined within the borders of Ireland itself It is an international respon sibility of the world's workers movement-and in particular of the British workers' movement- to mobilise maximum practica and political solidarity with the liberation struggle and fight for the aereal of britis ism bitter, but And whether unavoidable fact. not Sinn Fein cares to admit it to brave bile ba this or rared brave the hazards raising • British struggle workers movement at this point of time are Marxists, committed the against reactionary labour bureaucrac and for the independent of the internationa working class.

TROTSKY'S TRANSITIO

PROGRAMME

Page 6 The Transitional Pro- gramme or. The Death Agony of Capitalism and the Tasks of the Fourth International is the founding document Fourth the Inter- the work national and most crucially relevant to revolutionaries all over the world. And while is not possible bring to out all aspects of The Transitional Programme within the scope of this article, there are certain key questions which need to be stressed. First of all it must be realised that Trotsky did not produce the Programme 1938 as a result of some sudden divine inspiration, in order to revise any of the basic positions of Marxism and Leninism. Preserve gains He wrote the Transitional frogramme the context of the need made by preserve ine gains the Russian Revolution and the need to pose a solution to the nuge crisis of leader.

ship in the workers' move- following IllCll betrayals of both the and Third Second Inter- nationals. Moreover, he based the Programme solidly most fundamental principles of Communism. In this sense the Trans- itional Programme part of a continuity of revolu- tionary strategy that begins with the ten demands at the end of Chapter Two of The Communist Manifesto, con- tinues through Lenin's The Impending Catastrophe and How to Combat It (Septem- 1917) through the decisions of the first four World 'Congresses the Communist International, and through the documents of the Left. Opposition the start of Trotsky's fight against the revolutionary degeneration of Stalinism. 1933. Alter when the full implications decay the Third Pitched battle in Trotskyist-led unionisation fight, Minneapolis, 1930s Trotsky national had been shown ary struggle would of course beyond doubt in the defeat be false. It is necessary to of the German working class combine the two" by Hitler (Declaration of the Bol- Trotsky stepped up the development shevik Leninist Delegation and method at the Conference of Left that would arm revolution- Socialist and Communist Organisations, 1933 Trotsky for necessary alice prin- June 1934 cipled leadership produced "A Programme of in the workers' movement. Action for France" antici- pating many of the demands Participation the Transitional Right from the start he Programme four years later.

emphasised the need to test In writing the 1938 Pro- out pro ramme in practice: Trotsky gramme, bore firmly in mind the "Theses International on Tactics" adopted by the cannot be prepared without practical participation in the Third Congress of the Com- unfolding munist International: "In counterpose a programmatic place of the discussion to the revolution• minimum programme of the reformists and centrists, the Cominunist International the the

DUL.

concrete needs of the proletariat, for a system of demands which their disintegrate the totally the power of bourgeoisie organise the proletariat, stages the struggle for the proletarian dictatorship, and each of which expresses in itself the need of the broadest masses.

masses them- cell Ene selves are not yet conscious- ly in tavour of the proletar- ian dictatorship.. Guide It is vital to stress the • place of the Transitional Programme in the uity of Marxist and Leninist development in order to see it for what it is-the guide SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 In this last of our occasional series on the v mark the centenary of Trotsky's birth, Denn central importance today of The Transitional overthrow capitalism. The accompanying extract Leon Trotsky on the Transitional Programme Transitional Programme Socialist Revolu published by Pathfinder Press at £2.20.

for building bridge. edition of the Transitiona between the present objec Programme) Trotsky spell tive conditions and present out the need to fight fo consciousness and the transitional demands as wel socialist transformation of as democratic ones. society. It is vital to take wha These to are that of capitalism can concede-bu "out only as the basis for forcin today are • thus concessions which will set junking than more 130 time-bomb ticking away years of accumulated know- within capitalism itself: ledge and experience. "We can't stop only with That is not to say that the day-to-day demands of the Transitional Programme the proletariat. We must is some sort of fixed dogma the most backward to be woodenly applied in a workers some

CULLICE

routine way. slogan that corrèsponds to their needs and that lead.

Method dialectically to the conquest of power". (April 1938) The key element is the And again in May 1938: transitional metnoo method which by its very one of our demands will realised implies intense be Malue dynamic under capitalism That contradictions why calling them the needs between workers and the needs of transitional demands. It creates a bridge to the men capital. "During tality of the and workers a transitiona epoch, the workers' then a material bridge to the move- socialist revolution. does not have and "The whole question is systematic well-balan- how to mobilise the masses ced but a feverish for struggle" explosive character. Slogans forms sould be snoordina- well as organisational Objective situation ted to the indices of the movement. On guard against In these discussions with handling routine leaders Cannon, situation as against a plague Schachtman and Dunne Trotsky discusses in depth (Transitional Programme) how to concretise and fight Thus it. is necessary for for some of the principal demands of the Programme revolutionaries take up additional demands -especially the sliding scale which of wages and hours and the reflect changes call workers' objective conditions defence Trotsky was assassinated in squads. 1940. Time and he again The

WSL,

emphasises the need to base for example fights for such additional programme on the objective demands as the opening of situation: "Naturally if I close my books of industries nationalised since the eyes I can write a good rosy wal and of social programme that everybody DOst-wel services, in order to raise the will accept. question of workers control.

"But it will not corres Bond to Likewise fight for situation; and wt i ne sliding public the programme must corres- scalts expenditure determined by pond to the situation independent "I believe that bodies this ele workers health mentary argument is of the protect and education facilities that utmost importance "The conceded by mentality of the capitalism only during the post "boom period. Wai Democratic demands Not all the demands in the Transitional Programme are transitional Many basic demo al C cratic demands designed to defend and extend the right organise independently, both economically and politically. Trotsky shows how it is for revolutionaries essential to be at the forefront of the fight for democratic rights but that at the same time this fight must led by revolutionary methods pose independent class working action opposed to the collabora- tion offered by retormists and Stalinists. the crucially impor- tant discussions with leaders the American

SWP

(appended to the Pathfinder

The strategic task SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 Trotsky is especially severe on a sectarian approach to this question. "Ôf course if we had any

NAL

real choice between retormist party or a revoll: tionary party, we would say this is your address [mean- ing the revolutionary party ]. But a party is absol.

To sav that will fight against of course opportunism, will fight today and tomorrow, especially if the class had working party been organised, by blocking ings of Leon Trotsky to a progressive step which can McGilvray discusses the opportunism, is a ›gramme in the fight to very reactionary policy, and ire from discussions with sectarianism onel «The reactionary because d are taken from opposes the necessary 'n" by Leon Trotsky, the action working class". The culmination of the transitional approach is seen by rotsky as the demands placed on the reformist and Stalinist they break with the bourgeoisie class of the proletariat is and form a workers' govern- backward but the mentality is not such a as substance Collaboration railroads, but more This demand be must mobile and under the blows of the raised in close connection objective crisis, the with millions of unemployed, it icerosaly programme of transitional can change rapidly" demands which such Trotsky also places the government must be called building of the revolution- party at the centre of ary By this cementing 'Trans-

LIC ONES

connection em phasises itional Programme. the dangers oi class collab- Labour party oration and shows workers the need for a government The party's that will genuinely represent represents a common under- their independent interests.

standing of events and tasks The reality of life under by the vanguard the capitalism is that the ruling working class. class is engaged in a contin- Only revolutionary the fight party can lead the fight for uuls prolits bv making workers and 1s d012 demands pay for the crisis through bring about unemployment, cuts, speed- the socialist revolution: up, attacks on wages, and so "This Transitional [the on. Programmel brings the reader oniy to the doorstep.

Leadership It is a programme for action from today until the begin- The strength of the ning of the socialist revolu- Transitional Programme tion." (June 1938). that it starts trom the neces of the this process Іле LacK sity to reverse party also to steer a course and from the necessity to between the twin dangers of solve the crisis of leader- "sectarian abstraction" ship in the workers move- alla "opportunist adaptation".

ment itself: Thus, the discussions "The programme for the Trotsky class fall from on the frogramme, deal of heaven. We can arrive only devotes a great understanding of the attention need to build a Labour Party in the The is the articula-

USA.

programme This remains a key ques- of the necessity, that tion tion of international signif- learned to understand, WC icance for revolutionaries to necessily une the same for all members of more- Is day, a cuestion over which is directly linked the class, understanding t to the fight for the Trans- understanding itional Programme. the tasks and the under- standing of this necessity is Sectarianism the programme". (Trotsky, June 1938). Arguing that his support- ers should not pre-judge the nature of such paLly, For a labour party in the United States become a, reformist • than unowon me actor committee: party-it depends upon the dev- Lundberg writes book, America's] Sixty Families.

The elopment. Here the quesiion of Annalist claims that his figures orocramme comes mentioned yesterday and I will say, the factory are race. should see underline have a programme of transition- hooks. This programme we musi al demands, the complete develop parallel with the idea of in party unions, ot them being a workers and farmers' government. We are for and workers militia. Otherwist party of the toiling masses dent an abstraction, and an IS abstraction is a weapon in the Take power in ine state. nanas or the dodose class We must it-we are for the creation of polis comrades is that they have factory concretized Countlees workers factory committees. All these that we are for the bloc of workers and farmers, vestions are now hanging but not They soeak of techno. such farmers as Roosevelt. I do and put forward the whether you noted of "production for use". that in the official ticket he gave cuanatan and advance the for bloc only with the control of production exploited farmers, not exploiter Yes, the canitalists do lonen books] in two instances: when the the situation factory really bad. or if the can accele the workers. But the question must put from point of general view. the Just late. ou Have unemployed, govern- and the ment claims it cannot pay m and the capitalists say that they more contribu- make tions-we want to have access to book-keeping society. farmers-exploited farmers and agricultural workers. We the • Call champions movement ThIS but on the basis of a concrete programme ot demands... Ther we have to introduce five or six demands, very concrete, adapted the mind and farmers and incul- workers cated into the brain of every comrade-workers' factory com- maltrees. an• then workers and farmers' government. That's the genuine sense • Naturally we must make our first step in such a way as to accumulate practicar work-not to engage ir abstract formulas develop a concrete programme action sense that this transitional pro- the Trom Col control of income should be organised trough Tac tory committees. Workers will We our own statis- say: ticians wno are devotee to tae working class. If a branch of shows that it is really industry runner mer answert propose to expropriate you. We will direct better than you. Why nave you no promit because or the chaotic condition of capitalist society. We say: Com- merica cocters are & concoracy the exploiters the of exploited, the producers the toilers In the free Brey chined of corrided claimed they secrecy for protection. But now they do not have secrets among themselves but only from society. Workers control This transitional demand is step for the workers' also the preparatory oran • TOl The crec tion industry. • very thing controlled • must be workers, Will of society the conquest power-that American wokesdad Tone. tic, But you say: The capitalists refuse for the pay unemploved. and hide their real profits from the state and from the workers by dishonest book.

keeping; the workers will under.

• What are the tasks? The strategic tasks consist of helping Masses, Ther mentality politically and psy- chologically the objective to ot Situation. overcoming prejudicial traditions of the workers, and of adapting it [their mentality] the objective situation The social crisis of the whole system.

In this situation-taking into consideration The ex der ience and then viewing the crea.

the CIO. strikes, elb.-ve nave TEll right more optimistic, sive in our strategy and tactics- coveninste advance slogans that are not in, the vocabulary of the American workine cons What is the of the transitional programme? We can but for us, for our strategic con- ception, it is transitional programme-it is a helo to the masses overcoming the ideas methods,

TOTUS

aheadstine tenselves the exigencies of the objec- tive situation. This include

MOST

SIm DIe cemanes cannot foresee and prescribe local and trade union demands ditions capitalist

SOCIETY

today, immediately lead: over the imits of capitalism.t is not the reformist minimum which never workers' control of production.

These demands TrASHIONY trev from the capitalist society to the proletarian revolution they consequence become demands ment we can uso ony wet the day-to-day demands of the proletariat. We must give to the backward workers some concret corres Pand to electioned and that dialectically concuest or bowe Page 7 Open the books! stand that formula. create committees to control If we say to the farmer: The agricultural credits-they will bank fools you. They have very understand that. It presupposes LUFOUlenT among Ine you that you create farmers' farmers; it cannot to look committees into this idea into the masses

DARK

auce Every farmer will understand and into our own that. will say: The farmer that's We absolutely focussal can trust only nimselt, let ni immedlately... James P. Cannon adapted to the local situation of must be led by the idea of the soviets to • actor. tre coverooment on creation ot workers this demand to the slogan for the creation of a workers' and workers' the creation farmers' government. soviet These both extreme Soviets are the development points, I don't propose that the

DUT

to find the connecting links and socan me aunche imme ate lead to the idea of ly for soviets-for many reasons, masses the and especially because the worc revolutondry core uest why some demands appear very opportun American it had istic-because they fol are adapted the Russiar workers-in acid adorate orce workers. That why other the dictatorship of the prolet- appear too revolution- possible they probable that retlect more al caust the oolective situation Than the manner that we doserveo Ine Sit actual mentality of the workers.

down strikes in the US, we will It is our duty to make this gap observe in a new form the equiv. between ane supied alen

SOVET-

tive factors as short as possible.

will begin by giving them That is different name. why I cannot overesti- the In a wate Incortance certain period soviets transitional programme can be replaced by factory com You can raise the objection mittees, then trom a local scalt that to a national scale We can't Wt cannot EnE rhythm tempo the foretell but our strategic orien development, and that possibly cation tor the next denoo is tne the orientation towards soviets. The bourgeoiste Will TinG respite. That whole transitional excluded-but then we must fill up obliged realize conditions today and the soviets • suraletur tomorrow. oreseni situation we must be oriented for a strategic not a This strategic offensive retreat. The Transitional Programme in Reconstruct the Fourth today's class struggle Nov. 1979 Submitted by the

INTERNATIONAL

Workers Socialist -

DISCUSSION

League as the basis for

BULLETIN

60p discussion for the form- ation of principled Tendency. International Available in the first edition of the International Discussion Bulletin, (price 75p including postage) from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR.

USFI SPLIT: THE FORM

A letter from the IMG

. AND THE CONTENT

Page 8 London November 28 Dear Comrades, takeable evidence Please find enclosed reply to your article in Socialist majority WOU e democratic world congress rress on une sont mn me rourt International. We hope that this can published soon section ossete in oreer mat te recore can be put straight on questions place after only which you evidently had inade- sianed flau quate #ottatione about wien you published your article.

conference to Comradely greetings. Phil Hearse WoTeOK Movenent comrades aen•ee "international bureau" The article published in Socialist Press (14.11.79) WVl Ltd contains allegations against section. the Fourth International How is and members of its British as loval COrSICCT section, the IMG, which are anternationa sign a public quite untrue. with We protest, in the strongest 'possible terms against the publi- International The cation of what amount to crude refuse falsifications in this article.

tront First, French section? you slate Inaren bers of the Leninist Trotskyist Would the WSL, Tendency "bureaucratic- tolerate ally from who signed ex enco Ine inter. national and that the Bolshevik We reply:

WE REPLY:

resolution on Nicaragua It certainly appears to be by the the case that there were Secretariat made it unmistake- some factual inaccuracies in building of a Trotskyist party or our article in SP 175, for even a trotskyist faction within which we apologise. Nicaragua, declaring instead that The decisive events explaining orCosY wogn une sput schills dl lucan reality took place the Juternanona October the itself firmly meeting United FSLN's battle to Secretariat. un wick a series of truly horrific political victory positie USEI mopted, polist tion. " (emphasis added). the Usti maiority the opposition of the Bolshevik ared itself opposed to the agita- ancon d en Nahuel Moreno) tional demand for the removal and Leninist Trotskist u1 tle cabiaust mansters trom the Nicaraguan 1 endeney Overturning the inadequate National Reconstruction but com paratively "orthodox' ESL.N leaders uncritically supported by USFI Faction "oointed to the exou attacking the

WSL

geadersnio sions from the USFI as unmis- and calling for a conference that the au Calisc LIC DrILIS i TOLsKV si movement because the WSL was nOT arow

CRAN,

The fact of the matter is that Would consider that a the expulsions from the French loyal act? Would vou tolerate in your organisa- Tede esne

SUCA

•coe and the Bolshevik Faction took tion? Obviously not. these Then Calt allacr the leadershio of the frenci

NUDIC

avocai together with the OCRFI for a section for defending the elem- "re-organise" the entary democratic

- TUTTIS

centralist functioning? What is This action, taken after the "bureaucratic" about that?

had disloyally Second. vou arque that cdf , a leading mem- meetino Tine Jonn strawcon of the ber of the LTT in Britain carriec OCRFI, was quite incompatible "eleventh out an Cille which prevented "mass contmuce mcmaoers• ®1 the International and its French expulsions" from the IMG.

possible to This too is a crude falsifica- memoers Strawson did •oPoDe who tion. appeal together "climb • his political defends identical vp vyarlisaliun bositions• positions today as he did before almea dl allacking and sputting and who the split. rescind this action What he did do was refuse to Conaress go along with the splitting act of orne French LTT and Bolshevik , for example raccon acersnies ano oooosi ranks their flagrant breach of national memoers appeal and public international democratic against the wishes of the WSL celtasm.

MEXICO

BELIZE

E

SALVADOR •

USEI on Jula 4, she clear that it opposed the Pacific Ocean … DOTee0 H N n the Fourth on the side of thee tion today on the slogan "all bourgeois ministers out of the ersure nt government!" likewise Wolt oT ine socialst revolu- succumb to the sectarian temp- tation of applying an abstract Indeed the USFI also decl- suleik. The USFI went on expressiy declare support • 1U1 bourgeois

GNR

its faith Government carry through in lts. a01lv to the necessaty policies To focus political interven- Nat content with political support for a bourgeois govern- ment, the sante meeting of the USec woll JuDOOr- albeit with formal reservations- the FSLN's expulsion of Simon Bolivar Brigade tne Digaat nau been orga- nised by the Bolshevik Faction and was accused by the FSLN o ræe vnn zn calling for independent workers militias. The USec position in effect echoed the statement had been handed by

USFI

delegation

FSLN

Managua on Sept- zenders ember 3, which declared "All activities which seek today divisions dene between the mobilised masses and the FSLN are contrary to the interests of the revolution.

the FSLN was right to demand that the non-Nicaraguan members of this group-which Comrade Strawson pointed This brings being oUt. correctiy in our view, tnat the differences over Nicaragua

OCRFI

Ine were not of a funda- Bolshevik Faction. mental This weeramatle nature. To be sure, turning a sectar- ian face against the Nicaraguan Oniv tline wnicn revolution poses big dangers of forces together conference arawn penta pro-mper- alist forces. USFI and a desire But the political line actually and destroy defended national Bosnevik Faction amounted to an ultra- . DIniCE There left sectarian position, slightest tundamental conference setting programmatic breaks with Trotskyism-what- organisation ever the future course of those an attempt separated "reconstruct" coddes „Trom the -l Talluldl . DUl a Therefore the split an into "national Frotskyism".

unprincipled split, How is it possible to wwt/ws struct" trom incorrect positions on the • programmatic basis of the unity of the party. •As the World Congress. unprincipled with no stowe the was _aole to defend its positions. This gives the lie to the accusations that is taking place the. leadership of the is a the rourth rotten bioc'' itself? The Fourth International is the only democratic centiails conferènces International where ditterence can be discussed out, including between organised by Lutte Ouvriere They maonrv edoershio. acura Salvador, duras except : Caribbean Sea upon by the the Fourth International.

• oce or anc tariat." (emph. added) It was decisions ment-at tionist policie and the allvaill „coe orr lism"

NICARAGUA

arguing that: Managua 'Trotskyist under no bo SLiN s currents

CECOSTA RICĂ

with USFI's 'no-go' area for Bolshevik Faction geois government of any "Under there defined itself above all as a mili- tary the organisation-leave to build, country. way, The October 1 USec meeting also went on to instruct Trot- International. "Democratic skyists in Nicaragua to cene dl activity" liquidațe their orga nisation and fo act the building of the Fourth Inter- national in every militants in the as loyal framework of the organisatior Callot which led the overthrow of administrative Somoza and., leads this revolu tending to the tion [the FSLN].:. to defend the fundamental ideas of revolu- tionary Marxism." which constitute = threw out battle "LT resolution from the national." wilc! the concemned

DOTE

USTI'S

failure to attack the Nicaraguan stand-for all with bourgeois lunta. and the grovel ling endorsement by the Ameri- host of other issues in the near SWP of Castro's speech and more distant past-is a legi- can the Havana non-aligned conte- fullatt one. renece. And, in another resolution, Public factions the USec specifically raised the In particular Incal ot expusion against the Bolshevik Faction should ne USI "immediately" liquidationist poli- these Hlaslt woudy bedt une arum ror aemo- cies. cratis centralis a he sion in Repeating its condemnation years of the Simon Bolivar Brigade, which contending the Usec's resolution on this

TIO N.

the issue fae mown the oti me mr national Majority Tendency and members the pro-SWP Leninist Trotskyist they lead and the organisations faction) argued and fought for must immediately halt any opposing policies SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979.

up .the confer- common resolutions, no agree- organised by action • new and the conference, like those organised tor hose vrel ant rn conference has no those who Wan political basis of agreement. The Hernamenal

OUT

a stuaro brings these they maintain absolute Where even for freedom from international con hostility to the thei! sulait. ownl countr "'national Trotskyism" pure and TO S•IT ur the Fourth Inter- simple. The expulsions and split in the not the Fourth International were possibility this fact provokec by grave breaches of democratic central it represents not ism for us, the building of an Fourth Inter- international democratic Tinf is SImo e etres1 centiais organisation fundamental point of the "recon- Trotskyist programme. • the Fourth International Is this not also a fundamen of. the WSL's pro. by altending a conterence which •an k is simply a cynical manoeuvre gramme? conbination And if can you so, how future? What construc possibly continue to give public tion of the Fourth International support to operation outside the ranks precisely aimed at not forming organisation nue actone and designed as an alternative to doing so? We have seen a number of I s one e vo z! "all those withdraw your public support adhering to Trotskyism" before, for this conference always finish with no Nicaragua, struggle, sold rival newspapers, Guatemala, and Hon and recruited members for that decided mutually dillaruloLi leading bodies of compete organisations-eac. . They f which claimed adherence to the USFI! must place themselves under the The new-found and touching United Secre centra TeNDeC …TOr democratic in the wake of these lism-for all cde. Hearses's rhet-

USFI

oric- nothing whatever the that Moreno seaking both for the and every BF and the LTT, made a state- thing to do with imposition that same October and liquidationist political line on dissenting USFI meeting-denouncing the nauld• " of the majority, militants. There little seems doubt

USC

"democratic from

HOEMARO

Wolltld in order to impose them that, with regard to the form of eventse le Histons is correct 'upon militants of the USFI the CA UNO th

USFI

militants took place _. within the can letter of democratic centralism circumstances abandon the fight for class poli- and only after they signer tarnde endene wish etty joint declaration with the which

OCRFI

practise collabora But reality, the refusal of the bourgeoisie the USFi to ostrone the XItl give political support to a bour- Conne aton dens oe sort. Nicaraguan events. circumstances is CAENOr ates-yet than a month before the Cong

TEOT

• 21327. doning the absolute imperative -and the attempts to forc whatever tactical ibly Hwa HONsElerce .the Fourth Nicaragua into the FSLN amounted bureaucratic and centralism can inente find its political content only in suppress discussion and force through policy revisionist country, and Starting point onu ca aunOt measures pure and simple Nor do we agree that ihe destruction of political positions issues at stake were "not diffe hich consti orle of a fundamental prog gains of lallillali Halute. Fourth Inter ror us tne struggie lor mae • pen st rots pist patios the In our view such a political starting differences our Marxist programme, defence of the political indep- Moreno's positions on a endence of the working class a collia issue oi uralelot Lide Comaise lo astempt ts • of cde. Hearse attempt turn the tables • and argue "sectarian" positions of the The worth BF did not amount to a funda- that while the IMG and mental break with

LIOSKYIS

He lalle.

#COI

Te lece a stake throughout has been the rank opportunist capitulation of situation the USFI majority to the FSLN leaders, which does, in our view ouDNe Mandelite Inter- amount to betrayal the political As for line subsequently argued John • by Strawson a se remants or IM LT within the

IMG

in the class

Quadrophenia: escape routine Unemployment used to attack conditions SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1975 Mandel: OCRFI leaders Lambert (right) and De Massot Castro within the rump Xith Congress relevance -or tne outcome of that Cong 'loday s cass strugged ress-we have no information on which to base tionary view But the Workers Socialist eitorts to block vital League has consistentlv argued discussion, the rump USFI, now that the USFI is not, and was dominated by the arch-Castroite not, "the" Fourth International, SWP, will remain an obstacle to but merely one of the fragments the clarification forces on a world scale. or a post war lotskyist move- ment confused and divided by For this reason of struction repeated crises attempts to initiate a present lake discussion with the USFI on the ranks of the Fourth Internation- political and International" Issues Involvea in tnese crises- order to create political intends to signify the USFI.

basis The future for a principled recon. tion of the OCRFI, BF and LTT struction or the ri-nave them.

selves been successively blocked is for us a question for which by USFI leadership which there is as yet no final answer.

They do earlier this year pulled back that major political issues divide tom an agreement to circulate and discuss the WSL document Them. The Poisoned Well. convened -to give other Is it therefore comrade Hearse and the ISFI assess une ever or leadership that. the Workers Inat does exist Socialist League The WSL intends to partici- should welcome the calling by the BF, pate in this and to argue as LTT and OCRFI of an open stated. conference 1980 positions and historical analysis declared task of which is to in that open conterence with.

liquidationist out in any way solidarising with OOoose the politics of the USFI majority the politics of the three conven- which we have always opposed virallons and which specifically refers, in on our fight for the reconstruc- its initial documents, back tion of a democratic centralist the lessons of the split of 1951- Fourth International. 53? And if the USFI were really When will the USFI show confident of its political itself ready seriously to discuss tions tanism nit opposed such issues? it would lone comrade invitation of the BF, LTT and Hearse and the IMG maintain OCRFI to their discredited argument that conference, rather

LIC

eons OT The ill-prepared splits and opportun- erstwhile political ist fusions partners for taking part.

post-war have no London 19 November Dear Editor, I wish to make a number of critical the U11 Tickell (SP article by 175) on Quadrophenia. The 'revival' of the mod scene means many youtn will be alvidea among the various musical trends.

On some is battles of the both exploited used and by capitalism via the music rags to divide our class.

What the movie is about is the attempt to escape the stereotyped, boring, dull routinism which dominates the majority of vouth The life hum-drum 1S its destructive and demoralising effect. The youth turn their music to find independence from bourgeois This control. process is ignored or left as a side issue. The high level of Trotskyists unemployment now prevailing in the West of Scotland provides and the cease conditions for employ- pontical ers to intensify exploita- tion of their workforce through the imposition of VICIOuS agreements any recon- the Fi must wages and working Dace ourse the conditions. An example of this is the 'the Fourth Hearse concluded contace decemen between Ayrshire political evolu- Marine Constructors and the Chicago Bridge Constructors on the one hand, and on the other hand the trade union not hide the fact officials supposedly repres- conference interests enting ine ot the them and men employed in building militants the chance to oll ng at Hunterston. agreement Ayrshire. Blackmail our programmatic The extent to which the officials from ine unions including involved the Boilermakers) will capitu- and concede late the Ietreating employers is spelled out in clause after clause. Demarcation essential to the maintenance of skills, posi- i differentials and

JODS

1S to seclal- thrown out of the window: take UD the "As far possible, skilled men will do the work participate in that for which they _cast ra- qualified by training us, ana the Usris own and allies and experience but must carry on with semi-skilled or unskilled work, If there attempt to Reader's letter beat up appear (Incidentally The lesson of the tragic • very realistic). death of Keith Moon is thai The Who recognise the inab- ility of youth to find any- of way forward in cult follow- ings. As a group whose base sons and daughters. rested generally on a "poli- This created tical narrowest analysis" of sense) the unit' today. situation, they need to have their finger on the pulse of diction in the family. today's generation. important The reviewer's attitude is An the film supposed to scene. understanding of the world.

Many-including But in reality it becomes a cruel slamming of a good the confused Descriptions of Ken kills himself. Russell as simply pot give no real view of the only the bike going over the impression, and meaning or top of the cliff. Russell's work. and relection or a commer- cialised disillusioned young The 'intermittent' reality worker to the is rubbish. The job, home, mates and whole routine of of ning Jimmy (Phil Daniels) is real walking on the beach, alone Many face and youth and disillusioned suffer such oppression. evidence do craft work for them to to time and a half. On top of all this, there To try to blackmail men is a list of jobs which must into abandoning industrial continue to be done outside action to detend themselves "in adverse an "allowance" of £250 will ditions" paid twice year For this, there is no extra employees "no who have payment specified! lost time at Hunterston due to industrial remarkable witn the six months period prior omits as what it includes.

to payment". As for wages, night work As well as there being no is to be paid at time and a conditions quarter for the first ten travelling money is allowed hours and only after that -despite has been on each some distance accrued shift is payment increased inajor centre of population.

Page 9 The role of police it to strength). •Mods-and cde. In fact to a communist Tickell they, do! They.don't the cuestion must be the "joke' inability ot spontaneous Ilm although obviously not (un)conscious movements as Trotsky would see them.

to satisfy our needs. the court The Youth Socialist scene is funny, although not of the wolitica sube tee political supporters The two camps of people Tickell's alternative. do exist. The older sections Only through the chan- parti- nelling of aggression, anno Weren cularly apathetic, but many and hatred of vance understand their "control' revolutio- into a nary youth movement can division this repressive apparatus and which exists in the family society be Icachonary crushed. It is part of the contra- Yours fraternally; factor to P.S. In cde. Tickell's view is the concluding the area and scenery were lacking. authenticity'. The film Coc however Tickell-believe that Jimmy, shot in the Shepherds Bush ultra-Mod, area of London. The White City housing However, the shot shows estate-where the streets are shot-is reputed to be the GLC's worst housing estate.

I feel it was the disgust Graffitti, The Nazi unhappily, also very real. The question of blues ¡nod scene. barbiturate pills, is also left We are left at the begin- aside in the article Many film-a Mod youth feel they need drugs to co-exist with capitalist This question picssules film's should be examined. Nor is there any money specified for working at heights-although rig will go as high as 300 feet As the site builds up and more men employed are the bitterness at such terms must surely increase both against the management who have this im posed agreement and against the servile trade union officials who have So abjectly accepted such terrible con- ditions for their member- ship. workers are not Throughout alone. country, reformist union readily accepting employers arguments that membership must tne "sacrifice" order to Preserved prentand there "defend jobs" are busily speed. agreeing up, closures, and a massive erosion of real wages. It is vital that the bitter- ness against these officials is allowed to turn into cynicism towards the trade weather con themselves, unions demoralisation. Rather the fight must be taken up in every industry the agreement is the construction

TOT

for what it principled, leadership, prepared and able to fight tooth and nail for the independent inter- money no of the ests working class, against the betrayals of the the site being at bureaucracy and the black- trom any mail of the employers.

Page 10

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

CHARING X

SELL OUT

the During The at engineers vicious Charing Cross Hospital mounted by the Fleet Street decided at a meeting press culminating in a stage last week to end their strike and doctors,

SIX

week draped return to work without Cancel doubt their victimised two management's colleagues. LSedIs Giosc These two engineers have hospital. now been suspended on full The pay pending the outcome of

UAOS

district dis- and appeais Lucu ar allist missal. sacked for a major sell out. They were implementing the policy of Support their by working to allel rule as a protest against cuts North in services and dangerously The

AUEW

District Ow ame veis. The strike that followed organise the was in aerence oi Joos anu the national services at the hospital.

Management's provoca- tive actions and breaking of agreed procedure made clear the sacked of breaking tnen matenlion of the unionisation Tne 01C121 engineers to limit the degree of opposition to the cuts strikers back to work. The line taken progralille.

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leadership shows dispute respond witch-hunt was Fleet Street's lies Callu their inability to give even a lead in the fight limited managed counter-picket by nurses and blanket against the cuts. The results of this strike spurred ens, will strengthen the position by Charing Cross the deliberate management within the hos- the down and will pilai cucouiare suit in others to role played by the 10uOW destroy trade attempts to bureaucracy national level union organisation. during the strike amounts to

STILL AVAILABLE

London failed Socialist Press supple- necessary "Fighting the support for the strike, while ment executive Cuts". Price 15p refused even to call for the including postage from immediate reinstatement of Socialist Press, 31 Dart- and engineers refused to make the strike Park Hill, mouth London NW5 1HR Instead they ordered the by the .£1.80 £3.60 €7.00 . £13.00 Send £8.00 £15.00 . £9.00 £17.00 Don't miss your copy! O'Fishall's Year

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CALENDAR

Price £1.00 plus 20p p&p From Socialist Press, 31 Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR

TORY ASSAULT

ON NHS

WORKERS

hammer In a double blow at health workers and the National Health Service Tory Ministers last week announced plans for organ- ised strikebreaking and for the development of private medicine. Secretary Social Services Patrick Jenkin. cleariv hearten- ed by the vicious scab-herding that eventually broke the Hospital

LIUS

engineers strike has issued circular Health Authorities to "volun- teers" to do the job s ot strikers.

on them

E0 USC

He declared full government support for any health author- ity Inar useo sen scao abou: during a strike, , and called for the pay of workers who refused hnes to be

CEUSS

pcKel been mealy-mouthed stopped. Troops would H CaSUIC responsible trade unionism".

These Tory guidelines are coupled with detailed plans, drawn up last winter, tor milit- strikebreaking and with alter. less publicised directives Stan

ADC

Social Health areal senI Aled sisted in using the Authorities. One of these volunleels recenlis Weekly publicised by Labour scabs, ms ninp hati calls upon type spend thousands of pounds installing facsimile transmission macemes dn Qulsc tolcpuule With the lines to enable rapid and direct path, communications in the event of suaUs union oriicials already

SUTIKCS

such expenaiture, al a tume cash cutbacks in the of huge lakt clearly where NHS-indicates the lory prontes ne building the response of trade But union and Labour leaders has labour and extend their struggles Meanwnte designed to hearted support of an• COCIOTS tation of the

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

For a

GET

clear lead in the With struggle against thousand wage control, cuts streets to and redundancies lack of your cheque/P.O. to organised working class. Socialist Press, 31 Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR —wnetrel perspective defence •ares. cratic rights. These can througl gonce: of the working class, international employing class of the League. Name Address. Send, to:

NW5 1HR

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 December 1979 Jenkin end the phasing out of pay beds COHSE leader Albert Spans-

NHS

hospitals ang ezci wick complained that the new controls on hospitats. private This move, which will enable "undermine concuutants to ime taer Dockers as

NHS

patients line waiting predictably been Scab force has IUUiili weicomea by tne lat cals or llle

BMA

Shadow Orme includes But the Bill also Services Secretary, per- euphemism tiehter regulation of cash limits describe the on nente aumnorime —ameo k prevent authorities defying 1 ones planned snock lorce oi government cutbacks approach Abolished could lead to contlict betwee!

volunteers and full-time staff".

Health Authorities, Tories on the war- ATer introduned ender the ast ry at the ready, and may on tte guyilll cill. defensive, hospital workers who aeosaee And hospitals are urged to action against the cuts or engage in their own fund-raising in defence of their living stan- daed buisinok in cachaisa to activities in order to make good government cash cuts. councils Tories, it's back So, for the action, drawing in the organised movement to strengthen to the pre-NHS days of charit hospitals and private care for the wealthy. move working class secure : the whole- 101 consultants the answer must be mass stnke action to bring down the Tories.

Iurei devas NHS, the Tory Health Services Bill proposes to

YOU SHOULD

JOIN US!-

dictions of the anarchic capital- by the workers system torce lte WHOTESdH taking to the closure and destruction of the Tory oppose forces productive society, policies there is plainiy no sotamls panca acoll omy on a world scale offers a the militancy way forward achieve such a perspec Yet the existing trade union tive leadership needed bureaucrats and Labour leaders which , in today's struggles figh ts 'left'-have a vance worker

ROYON

militancy OTTeI ThocE trade union protes ot parad to fight in politics and illusions that capit.

can be abolished througt jobs living stan alism cociar services ane demno •arktamenu The Workers socialis Trotskyist move. only be defended League which and day ment fighting day stall from the independent interests omo such a orncıo er which, leadership in the working class and internationally class ha notning to gam and everyuuins reotien to lose from attempts to restore Socralist Press seek the profitability of their "own' details of the WSL and its work and to join us in the struggle for In a period where the contra- socialism. Please send me more details

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WSL MANIFESTO

A basic statement of the policies of the Workers Socialist League. Price 15p including postage from WSĘ, 31 Dartmouth Park Hill, London

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SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 12 Decerte 15 : BL workers face new sell-out major betrayal Another is in store for BL workers- this time on wages. Leyland Last triday Tne Cars National Joint Negotia- again failed to ting Committee reject managemenl s Hisulll offer on the annual pay review.

be paid on The offer, due to 5% the Novembel glyes vast majority of BL workers and the skilled workers in urace 1. Agreements In return for this the deal «emanos use sutener dr every significant protective agreement BL workers over many won by Robinson vears— av-ott elic clt. mutuality, and seniority agree claim. ments. Faced with this, the obvious reconvene the con- This offer is in reply to the step was to claim the BL unions JoI DV woncence.

WISKICI

£24 per week across the board what action should be taken.

and a cost of living clause.

But nothing further from the minds of the National At last Friday's meeting. BL management made it absolutely dominate clear that they would not alter committee. Poled d0M7 = =000E or improve the monetary oiler 1 bey mored by Bob Frye toe the They even refused categoric- Corky Assembh Plaz ze ally apply across-the- to noa tal principl -somct OTZ ERDON XELEa. 2 which had been insisted on b!

a: ads i samie: Dobon convenors' conferenz J*I Ama IrOn which had endorsed the oremz

LAULARE

STEEL STRIKE

From front page closures employers. BSC's latest pay and ultimatum would simply pave nuca acene canony the way for further attacks in be mounted by a revolutionary leadership with tne wuture as te crisis continuc.

to run out of control. wnicn stans not trom tne prod Now,

BSC,

British Ley- lems of the employers but from the needs of the working class.

and all other firms where land, fighting MaOHTY I Tas micors reason for wage-cuts and develop mass strike action to sackings, workers stand bring down the Tory govern. ment, fighting for the removal tirm and fight tor their indep- endent interests *asnst Enss o te v vs v of bankers ' and slaughter the steel The OT industry, and creating conditions for the establishment bree workers must oresdre now for mass battles. oi a worker government In every area ISTC members carry through policies leading to a planned must p ec STrIKe commutees suciatist CConOny and at once seek the active sup- of jobs and The oniv detence port of other unions (and labour living utan dards. support to the movement oransons m ine formation of councils of action strike. beren• avino sranoaros.

to defend, extend and develop *No closures! No redundancies! For work sharing une day senke. ane mooe uc maximum forces protect inou nott oo WItNout los oi picket lines against the forces of pay! *Open BSC's books to elec.

Litc stale ted trade committees union witaln une suske commttee the and councils of action it will be DrOTETS made bankers, contractors and users scrutinise, •cucoal y from BSC's "losses" charenoe ano comoat di tach the manoeuvres of the *Bring down the Tories! step

TUC

*For socialist planned

ISTC

and bureaucracy, economy! wno time ane dan l tae casu have shown themselves to putty the hands Ofohall

AT THE TOP...

UNION DUES

They then decided to leare aside the 5% offer and negotiate on the 85 pages of strings and clauses attached to penalty only be seer I NIS mOve Call as tantamount to acceptance of the 5%. Two more meetings are fixed or ius week to mezowalo 01 these clauses. The meeting was dominated the altermath Robinson victimisation. Robinson who was senior

LOJNC

was mon Don excluded from the meeting- bui might be not (as but (cu o' mur cricht Ken Cure, Executive Councl- man of the AUEW According Moring Star Cure instructed Robmson to attend and appoinied Harper from the :Dress Lane piant to take tis szi

PIERZEN

Mainoeu view that he wowkt sor ake i position

CU CECI

But be au ert D5: a Rabinon b o masel into po zbeat an tx: iI" RoGinsOn, i I: the National Lnia of Students conference predicting Longbridge and throughout BL if hě is not reinstated a speech might While such drum up recruits for the Com- Party

NUS,

munist nothing could be more likely to infuriate Longbridge workers and antagonise serious militants prepared

ILDL

warelic necessary fight for Robinson's reinstatement. Steel militant sacked IN WHAT appears almost a Car0on copy tre Lerer Robinson sacking, ISTC Branch Secretary Brian Molyneaux was sak eo ast nusoay tor distd a pamphiet putting for- uting ward an alternative to the BSC c osure dans. 300 workers at the Stocks- Sheffield have bridge plant in now come ouT o erence Moly neaux after a mass meeting decision. follows Vict mister hard on the heels of the sacking of Stocksbridge member Joe nerdertson . wno vou ut toe closure of the laboratory at the plant.

ISTC

officials claim to be pursuing this issue at nationa level'. Leitu She solidarnity of Stocks- But clear that orlece

WOKES

manatement would still be enjoying an open season on militants at the plant.

STRIKE

I WELL, MY DAD USED TO TALK

WHATS A

AROD TESSRKS RANKA

11926-MATBE HE CAN TELL US.

Vauxhall victimisations of their rembers support 200 bady shor een caled of hd iere Jad. mana Tre I0 UTr I DT 25e5 putting the boot - 5200 a vengeance.

DT T TN

* acetal

ETNES

Tranu Having forced morkers = accept vcIOuS SinN. flexibility of labour and tighter WErci floor discipline, manage- victimisacor ment nava cone on to sakalkv end to Tarage sT IOs shop stewards. shoo foor Cardt0Is WC 230 union rights. Isolated strikes by 80 AUEW 40,000 more civil service jobs to go Last week the : дотет 2.48 00 annouaced sarage wii se • ant 8% cut in civi sernice yat a loss of 1,290 joas of There mil be a doss There will be outs of 10% in 40.000 jobs ove the next Departments of National the three years of 20,000 is on top ment and the Civil Service already cut by the Department. jobs month recruitment ban imposed Civil service union leaders by the Tories soon after they see it as a partial victory that were elected. government only Tne The government said proposed an 8% cut instead of that although most of the cuts the original 15 and 20% 10, natural achieved options. This ; is no victory! As the waroe miner connol ecaret that there will be no redundan- clear, these Tories have made cies:

CUT!

are ust une occinnino The work of one-quarter of an all-out attack on civil service the jobs to be cut will be con- jobs tracted out to the : private sector. Lord Soames said that the with Tory policy cuts announced last week were idy and order' departments bear the only "the savings : which it has smallest reduction. been possible to identity reason of Trans- The ably quickly" ' and "the search Loar trufell port for • greater economic efficiency - The most heaviv nit with a 17.7% cut and a loss of ,wh co on zno oe dnez cene

MINERS TAKE THE

MONEY

The wild celebrations by Margaret Thatcher and the Tory press last week seemed strangely misplaced. overjoyed that They were the miners voted-narrowly, and with the decisive votes coming from foremen technica grades-to accept a ten-month 20% pas, sáid Thatcher, showed This, only another 5%, many miners that cleariv decided that now worKos wowu return Wah sensible sige agin have the not the time to open the box since vh 20% of Gormley betrayals, but to Tories regarded take the money "sensible" settlement! " orle nave And, with climbed down before a powerful review due for November 1983 next section of workers: and and the NUM Executive declar- miners ate nocine tneir cirena" ing themselves in advance of the in reserve for next year Not much for Thatcher to celebrate!

ballot to be ready to settie fo

BUT AT THE CNECUTIVE

BUT BILL-50,000 LES

N OFFICIALS! IT COUR

OLT HASEODO SMETNG

PETTY CASH- THAT SHOULD FIX IT!

(WELL SON, "STRIKE" MEANS STOPPINK

WELLIN-ONE OF TK

THINGS WILL HAPPEN.. EITHER

BUT WIAT IMPACT WILL OUR STOPPING

THE EMPLOYERS WILL GET SC

WORK HAVE

FRIGHTENED THAT THEY'L

(NOT US-YOU FOOL-TH

MEMBERS!

CONCEDE, OR AS IN 1926.

YES BUT WAT HAPPENS THEN, DAD?

One-day strike call

THE

CUTS

campaign South Yorkshire-which initia. the 28 TEt NOVEnOBI lobby subsaquently annexed by the Labour • Party —has called on Councils to organise a one-day strike on Monday February 18 campagr

FLE

KA Bs ked the TUC to call a 24-bou against the stoppage cth shoukd be sup- Elto he hec re oti burt they remain restric "forcing 2.AL 4• antange 1 Te wad task is to force the ens ost of office. size of the From civil service now on wall be mards- wil netii moth mare cuts major revews beng cameo out in ine Departments of Health and Environ Durial ocruTt ment, the Ministry of Defence and the Inland Revegue

DHSS

review

TOP

threatens thousands of jobs and :leolosus c mdu auack onta inadequate social airead) security system. Scrap benefit The review benefit tor scrap benefit state sickness the ursu ent weeks of waness anc transfer this responsibility to the employers. thi: proposal is imple mented there will be a loss of 5,000 jobs while thousands of will tind WorKer mnemseve de ried niei may ores aged prolonged wrangles otart entitlements Other proposals are to end the maternity aran and deat) crant trom Aort yol anc te abolish earnings related supple. ments sickness and orovment oenerit Suplementary benefit postal reviews and home visiting alst toreateneo meanini that many old and disabled will be people : denied benefits to wnieh tney are entitied Strikes On December 7 when the cuts announcement was made unere were sakes aino walkowt by CPSA and SCPS members in parts of the several country demonstrating rank and fil ooposition to the cuts

SCPS,

neoresen no nusevi cer vants) immediately organise joint national strike action evere unese cusae donic oi other sections of workers, spear- head mass action to bring down tne tory government.

WHADYA MEAN DO SOMETHING'?. I'VE BEEN HEI

IROK FOKTITCAKO AND NEER DONAH

'LETS SEE... COULDN"

NE STRIKĘ!

:..WE'LL GET SO FRIGHTENED THAT

WE'LL CONCEDE!!!

Khomeini struggles to

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

TORIES PLAN

TO SMASH

PICKETS.

Pickets-mass pickets, solidarity pickets, effective pickets-are, along with the closed shop, the main target Tories' the anti- of new Bill published last week by James Prior. Picketing would be legal only it carried out by. Wiard *employees outside their own workplace; "Union OTTICIalS with uner members at own work. " cacker workers oicketing their former employer in a rein- statement tight: picketing places *strikers where their employer gives them under the new Bill, Illegal, would be lorry drivers picketing docks, miners oresses an emolover lo picketing sack a non-union member. plants other than their own, and Bill offers addition the covernment cash aid to Movement unions unionisation disputes such conduct ballots during postal Garners, Grunwick internal strikes union elections everson mie. Any union leadership that And, it the Law Loras over- judgement accepted such a pay off would turn made last vear by Lord Denning ot course oe consciousy nand against the Prior ing over control af its affairs to

NUJ.

may tighten the Bill still further by witch-hunters in the press

LIC

designed and mass media. Bill sympathetic addition make striKes ana Prior's blacking action illegal. abolishes the right of a woman own job after return to nic 80% vote taking eave. ana imposes a series of new require- The attack on the closed alowed to return to work at alls before Sho• takes tne form oilssure that new closed shops can only established through an 80% No obligation secret anor cool Employers with a payroll of wide-ranging "conscience" less than six staff are no longer clause enable almost any back women

SCOO

LaNG seek extensive court damages if after maternity leave- firms are now obliged only to he is sacked for refusing to join to a "suitable alternative' a union. oTTe There are spect lippe sar her old job. Other measures strip away liable maKe the obligation of an employer to in •amades cases where

FUND

It's going to be a tough fight if we are to raise the beginning of the £750 fund target by our But it is something we must Christmas holidays. fight to achieve. So far we have £325.30 in hand, including a donation of £20 from comrades in Denmark. But there are many areas we haven't heard from the days ticking by to Christmas it is With yet. essential that a major effort is made to raise the outstanding £424.70. All donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR provide the "general level" of terms and conditions for a given now Toolic tions on union recruitment, and a new • series ot technical. regula- tions, entorcible by trounals of the courts. Major attack The Bill is a major attack on trace union ronas. our carerury framed order to hit the hardest workers' movement where The already shown themselves to be weakest-in the area of picket- ing rights. responding to the new Murray bleated measures Len T861 wett irrelevant, dangerous and unfair" But rather than threatening concertec trace union action te Tory government Murra that is proposing them, merev Toreateneo inat the ou would consider withdrawing its 'Concordat' reactionary •roposals. •rawn uc

CUTION

and Labour leaders last winter in a vain bid to stem the mass Khomeini's 'Islamic Rep- ublic' is now gasping desper- ately for its survival. Oppos- ition to the rule of the 'kev- Council' olutionary spreading daily on a mass scale. The US campaien against has not succeeded imperialise the behind uniting nation while it Knoments redesno. has opened up new discussions and orientation of among Tre Cass the mass movement which over- threw the Shah State apparatus Unable to build up a stable state apparatus through which *homini is now losing tor exercise dictatorship which means CoRTTO. were formerly at his disposal.

Last week's referendum on the constitution Republic' showed the extent of the facing Khomeini s crisis Phase 4 of struggles against controls wage Mu leader David Basnett arracke une ones or orner in new laws-declaring that what needed was "commonsense was compromise and Yet while union leaders have themselves ready to shown down the line OI comoromise the jobs and conditions of their the Tories, and members, by employers crisis, do economiç not share this approach Encouragement Every weakness and retreat by the union leaders encourages their press home uncl attacks with renewed Tury With TUC leaders already in full flight, the Tories know that tney can also count on Labour : reactionary right wing do to their best to damp down resis tance to the new laws. impose dictatorship A nstentions were massive probably in the region of 50% of the total electorate. occupied by the oppressed nations Iran, rate of abstentions the higher, much active Was boycott campaigns were loughl through. Wrecked The governor of the south- eastern province of Baluchistar confessed that he would regard 5% turnout as Polling • were wrecked stallull and local government offices occupied. Kurdistan, abstentions the last minute clauses supposedly quaranteem rights of national minorities And in Azerbaijan, mobilis- escalated rapidly into a alreci conflict with Khomeini's central Demonstrations • led to an occupation of the radio station Students to strike against The National Union of Corrie conference. has Students called for a one-day strike by all NUS members on the day of the finai reading of John Corrie's anti-abortion Bill. time limit for abortion to 20 weeks-a limit even attacked by Unt low"-and sets out to destroy charities like the • Britisi: Preg Service, Advisory whic is being rushed pell- abortions, mell through its committee fanatical ano T Or) or an occas The National Abortion Cam paign has called on the TUC to call a one day strike to ooos the Bill, and this will now be assisted by the firm stand o the NUS. with solid Tory But Parliament majority and numbers of reactionary Labou anti MPs committed to an abortion position and hostile t passage of women s nuts. une the Bill seems assured The fight for abortion right: must therefore be directed not health service trade unions anc wider labour movement *to take tines ding action strikes occupation: defend existing NHS abortior tacities agins curs or costre *to continue to provide of the abortions irrespective corre bul *to mobilise scale supporting action to defenc and clinics attackec charitie: Prior with Thatcher *to fight for the defeat of The a Second to bee in the Tory government and for ship was second none denouncing '"secondary" picket socialist policy of incorporating

TUC/

such noorion paces. Into a ing last winter and the expanded NHS. Labour _Concorea _contains proposals similar to the many Tory Bill.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

Labour traitors

OXFORD

The struggle against Prior's Bill is therefore linked to the

GRAND XMAS

fight Labour remove principled

BAZAAR

TraItorS ana

TOI

leadershio in the unions There is no doubt that the Saturday 15 December will resisted Tory 12.00 onwards Incasurea East Oxford Commun- be taken up at once within the workers movement domall one ity Centre acon Princes Street Thatcher government to prevent basic trade union rights being Games, Gifts, Food more threatened by Tory and more legal restraints. of reality and distortions director general television eric she Ayatollah Shariat-Madari •the ШОУС ment in Azerbaijan has turned for political leadership always Shariat-Madar maintained a solid base of mas support in this north-western where his religious leadership has unchallenged by Khomeini s power in other areas. Attacks Now living in Qom and sub jected to attacks from fanatical Shariat- Su DUlles has Madari I never secret of his moderate political support positions: state structured on the model o Bazargan bourgeois parliamentary demo in Tabriz, and the broadcasting of demands for an end to the where religious cracies the play no direct constitutional proposals. leaders would release part in secular affairs come strators arrested over the pre- These positions have of the ceding and execution brought the two day: of loreign minister colzdaden Cont'd page 2 for his 'systematic censorship'