Socialist Press no. 20

LEYLAND BATTLE BEGINNING

UNION CHIEFS

FORCE SPEED-UP

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

On the instructions of the Labour government, acting through the Ryder Report, and with the active collaboration of the trade union leaders, British Leyland is set for con- frontation with its workforce on an international scale.

The 4,500 workers at Leyland's atlevery level of the trade union Innocenti factory near Milan have bureaucracy - from National Offi- cials through Regional and District been told that the factory will be closed permanently if they refuse Officials down to convenors - to to accept an immediate 33% red- in response to this the undancy. Italian Metal Workers' Union is Labour government. Their politics calling its 300,000 members in the Milan area out on a one day token strike. This action is hampered the interests of the employers in only by the leadership's concent- ration on the diversion of blaming closures on "foreign" companies, working conditions of the working rather than the capitalist class as a whole. bureaucrats and the extent to which

LOCKED OUT

policv emerged in a speech made last In Britain too the battle lines are clearly drawn. At the Common Lane plant workers were locked supported by the Communist Party.

out by management until they were prepared to accept substant- ial speed-up. Leyland want over 1,000 redundancies at Longbridge and are proceeding with the re- organisation of production. At in Leyland in the next six months, AEC, Southall, shop stewards est- and went on to give all the employ- imate that management require ers arguments in support of the 600-700 redundancies and led a • stating (along with march through Southall in opposi- tion to these cuts. The same stew- ards lost the vote at a mass meeting in which they proposed a sit-in strike, mainly because they failed to provide a fighting perspective right wing against those who oppose 'open the books' of starting with

AEC.

In the Body and Assembly Plants at Cowley management are changing production schedules and imposing speed-up, dropping all pretence of retaining "mutuality" agreements.

On the Princess assembly line, Not at any point in Wright's speech following a national press witch- "shoddy work" hunt on iple emerge. He covered up the ment have begun taking systematic disciplinary action against workers.

by management with the statement And while the company went on the rampage against working con- ditions and mutuality, the plant convenors were in Coventry discuss- ing "workers' participation".

bureaucrats and employers alike is

DISCUSSIONS

At the same time, national offic- ally is strong. Any move to close the ials of the main unions were meet- Innocenti plant is almost certain ing management at the Motor Show to lead to occupation. In the Cow- (no doubt over a sumptuous meal) ley Body Plant management has to discuss "progress" towards been forced back temporarily from "improving efficiency" in Cowley.

speed-up because of the strength In other words they were reviewing of the workforce. And in the Ass- management's success in implement- embly Plant, following the recent ing speed up and discussing how to struggles to force the company to tackle resistance from shop stewards open the books, resistance to the and shop floor workers. management offensive is emerging What is emerging, as details of strongly. meetings held behind closed doors Last Thursday in opposition to filter through, is a concerted effort new discipline procedures agreed between management and conven- joining Maxi track by lying in front test beds and on other installations, three tinv rubber grommets tion of the convenors, marched on the management block and dragged out the right wing to answer quest- ions in front of a mass meeting.

Wright, 'left' spokesman for employers are determined to implement their plans - starting this week, depart- ment by department. On Friday they will again meet the national officials to review "progress There is no doubt this will be resisted. At the centre of the stru- ggle again is the stewards' demand to open the books. The manage- ment base their whole "shoddy work" press witch-hunt (claiming that only 40% of cars coming off the Princess track are in a saleable condition) on the fact that they

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS, SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 20 * 29th OCTOBER 1975 * 10p The Motor Show: scene of class collaboration have a monopoly of information.

Every workers knows that a 'major factor in the poor quality of cars is faulty and wrongly-designed equate testing and other factors

INFORMATION

the component industry - to reveal the workings of the industry and workers management. such en quiries must also raise the question of the banks - who levy huge inter- est payments on loans to the car industry - and the opening of their secret transactions to elected trade union committees, preparatory to is possible to force a halt to the to defend jobs threatened through- Certainly not the Stalinist-led Combine Shop Stewards' Comm- ittee who are up to their eyeballs Bob Wright in Ryder and speed-up. made it clear at the Oxford meeting, when challenged that participation was being forced in over the heads of the stewards, that there has been continuous discussion with the leadership of the Combine Comm- ittee With by far the biggest single Continued on back page col 4

SPAIN

FOR A WORKERS

GOVERNMENT!

Franco's death is, as we go to press, a virtual certainty.

As the old Fascist murderer.

gasps his dying breath an in tense bustle of activity moun at the palace home of Prince Juan Carlos, Franco's desig nated successor. Carlos' immediate power base is the army which - despite the diss ident movement among junior officers (evidenced by the recent arrests of officers on sedition charges) remains firmly on the right. The civilian politicians chosen by Carlos will likewise be from 'FEDISA' the organisation calling itself the "Civilised Right".. This numbers among its members the present Spanish Ambassador to London, Fraga Irribane, , who is likely to be chosen by Carlos as Prime Minister. According to press reports the new government under Imbane is likelv to takt 'certain steps' in the direction of liberalisation'. These will include a parliamer ›ased on universal suffrage, re ognition of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and a political amnesty to critics of the regime - excluding those who have en- gaged in armed struggle against it.

OVERTHROW

The secretary of the Socialist Party (PSOE) Leopoldo Torres talks about the necessity for "a complete break with Franco and a new democratic start". This is impossible without the complete has consistently supported Franco The Fascist state apparatus is strong and well-organised The fact that as Franco neared death the Fascists were permitted to step up the campaign against dissident army officers, carry through the murder of Basque liberation fighters, and make further arrests as recently as last week, shows clearly that the "democratic" wing of the ruling class is not strong enough to con template the dismantling of tbe Continued on back page

USA

York Plans to save New City from financial collapse have been presented to the American Congress plans which if enacted will mean massive increases in un- employment and slashing of social services and education, accompanied by the stripping of virtually all power from the City's elected officials.

big President Ford and the business bosses who have held New York ransom are using New to York City's money crisis to carry out a major attack on working class living standards and free attack bargaining, collectve all which will no doubt become the basis for similar ones in the other large American cities.

UNEMPLOYED

extreme example for several reasons. It is a magnet poor immigrants and up-rooted people; it has a particularly dependent citizens and tax-exempt of commuters from Years of corrupt and reformist corrupt and reformist trade union leaders have succeeded in building up a tower of debts on a base of perpetual poverty, and exploitation,

ITALY

Since the regional. elec- tions June and the gains in brought to the Italian they Communist Party (PCI) result- from the leftward ing of the working movement the Italian ruling class class, has been continuous political crisis. prevent been at entry of the into the government, LnaL it quite After the elections the ruling Christian to various El y ist Party. Party leader only to replace him with Tine week crisis and the the state of class, President tradition "state of the nation" Predictably, called for: a halt to the capital from re-established harsher sentences blamed crisis the on strikes and and to strike. Party, seeking Christian class, the announced its with- drawing from amounts simply that Their call is to social

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UNION LEADERS HELP AXE

NEW YORK JOBS

maintained by social welfare pro- eight is on Welfare, revenes current budget is spent on welfare, Ctaully savagely the areas of social services, a major solution - the city's staff including 7,000 teachers and other 9,000 redundancies are planned this "nak dal wastage), tires servind are cut and work loads increased All municipal wages will be frozen And where do the trade union leaders stand? Perhaps the greatest Union) funds to stave off the city's collapse.

Shanker mortgaged the teachers' pensions despite his own admission that the measures proposed "are extremely destruct-

CP AND SP MOVE

TO SQUASH MILITANCY

the Leant to peace the an of

CHAIRS

in advance War able to Its tactics and the While the hard line of Leone's ive to our school system and to collective bargaining. The role of the trade union leaders in repressing militant action of their rank and clearly illustrated both by file was York sell-out of the New strike against the cuts, teachers and the American reucralon County and Municipal of State, Employees Union's leader Victor who responded to the Gotbaum. threat of further redundancies apologising that he "might not be hold back his troops" able to Gotbaum's union alone. mobilised in action, could virtually paralyse New York City What the plan sent to Congress does do is to protect the private investors holding City bonds and such as Jacqueline Onassis whose investments York City realise a third of her 341,000 dollar annual income.

SOUND MANAGEMENT

bone ad Chairman o banker and Chairman "Big Mac", (Municipal Assistance or sound practices have been initiated.

to elected bodies and that, in the Leone workers have developed the tactic The struggle against rising tele- onone to pay the full telephone bill was organised through local trade union exchanges, to ities cutting off the phones for the In Milan mass squatting move- inents reflect growing working class These arcas struggle by the Italian workers.

if there is no fight for leadership local level often adapt to them - in order to sell out at a later stage.

and 'historie capromise

WOLL.

Bureaucrats with no programme - Shanker and Gotbaum role as bourgeois parties committed meantime, the Federal Government to the capitalist system - search for guarantees full backing the

TOI

policies which will help the public City's current budget, and a stop and backs. to redundancies

CUL

GENERAL STRIKE

Democrats) and no less than nine and ine must be called of the pro-capitalist California to Connecticut - with political aspect to the squeeze on Ted Kennedy still an opinion polls The extreme right-wing favourite despite his unsavoury past Republicans in the finance houses - and even ex-President Nixon pre- paring to re-establish himself as a public presence (taking the role of a former, not a deposed President), VCHOCIals policies of all-out offensive on jobs Democratic and Republican parties - pusnea ever closer together in the economic crisis by their common alternative in the coming elections.

ON THE

PORTUGAL

KNIFE - EDGE

This week the social and tions. of the strength and determin- ation of the working class The event given most prominence in the British press last week was edge. As right-wing of the of coursE occupation 1,200 acre estate owned by British farmer Patrick. Wardle. ments in the strength of the With the usual tender concern workers are shown, the Armed of all reformists for the immutable Labour appointed government fulmin- Foreign Office Minister of State Roy Hattersley gang ate in ever greater impotence TOlO Tory questioners on 21st October that the defence of the estate would be robust'. The occupation of a foreign- of direct right-wing violence grew.

owned estate by farm workers was On October 15th that a member of the pro-Stalinist MDP was badly injured at Vila de North, and on 25th government extreme right - a bid which will be Fabiao their barracks in Oporto were only to departure, intervention of army chief of staff some extent a new but it • one incident in was simply the continual efforts of Portuguese farm workers to make sure that however. that thev are by no means future the industry is run in satisfied that their grievances have their interests. More forceful expression of the same feeling came from a group ol women workers from the Swedish Centidel Lisbon. plant lI When the employer threatened to Soldiers in Lisbon, along with left-wing workers, further emphas- move out and make them all redundant, they demanded to see ised their determination to hold on the Swedish ambassador, and when to all did by seizing once again the formerly he not give a satistactory his they broke one of church-controlled radio station answes, in Lisbon on ribs. Renescenca The build-up of these tensions October. became clear over the last weekend The dispute about who should a full control this station poses the class CLOser state of alert for the armed forces questions more sharply perhaps than any other was declared The efforts to get an arms Not are these the only indica-

JOCIALI

weanesau The great unknown in capitalist diplomacy present and politics is the more-or- less open political rift in the uppermost echelons of the Stalinist bureaucracy in the d'Estaing was the accidental victim infighting during the his state visit to Moscow ten days a scheduled meeting with him, fol- OlAt ation - that he was forced to stay at caught a chill from driving with the ment remain eager to encourage the

'IDEOLOGICAL'

Though the diplomatic incident continues. They are divided not on any issue of principle, but on how to pursue closer collaboration with the capitalist powers without losing of course, a dilemma which capitalist politicians such as Giscard d'Estaing privately feel the

LANE

author of a recent Pravda article no steps were taken to analyse the followed by a similar article in the theoretical journal of the Bulgarian 1S never significantly deviated from the line emanating piece in New Times, Dimiter Miter, peaceful orcard a revolute nary amnesty in the previous week had completely failed and Colonel at made near mone Lisbon (one Amadora near the few consistently loyal to the government) declared 26th on October that: "an armed conflict is necessary". The centrists of the PRP-BR, of counterparts syndicalist the British Socialists, International have melodramatically declared "under- that it is necessary to go ground" at this stage in order to considerably However, OI greater importance now than this kind the political mobilisation on policies which will make it possible for the working class to resolve the power struggle. Such policies avoided by the PRE consistently who have done nothing to force a break between the mass workers' parties and the leadership of the Armed Forces Movement. The big demonstration Lisbon on the night of Thursday 23rd October supported by the various groups the so-called In revolutionary united front', was still dominated by the Stalinists and their bankrupt calls for the return of Vasco Goncalves.

Only break from such political leadership can make possible the necessary challenge OI pOwer.

KREMLIN SPLIT

development creates the revolutionary forces and the masses 'legalist' illusions." Parties" "If the Communist "wish he added, achieve the revolution in their own countries by the peacell tHey be ready to use all forms of class struggle, including armed struggle, since the reactionary forces do not give up armed resistance until they isolated and politically are placed in a hopeless position.'

'REFORMIST'

But on the other side of the scale to these formal endorsements of revolutionary policies, Brezhnev served up - without com- mitting himself definitely to them - more 'reformist' positions. Three weeks ago one of his acknowledged the economist Eduard Pletnev, published Pravda crisis in the nest is the canad article that the economic that the policy of 'detente' will through the tiererore survive of economic recovery capitalism. This position reflects the main line of policy which Brezhnev has tried to pursue with Kissinger and the governments of western Europe in recent months. His simultaneous 'left' phrases certainly reflect within pressure from strong the bureaucracy not to pursue 'peace- ful coexistance' with such obvious that enthusiasm the. Communist Parties in the west sacrifice their 'revolutionary' com- Cretent? pletely, bringing the risk of them losing their value bargaining counters in Soviet foreign policy.

CONFERENCE

It is against this background that the Byzantine manoeuvres around the calling of a conference of European Communist Parties are taking place. Latest unofficial reports indicate that the conference will be convened, in December or early January. Like all Stalinist conferences, it will carry out no real discussion on anything at all, but will merely act as a rubber-stamp for авісс ments made in bargaining sessions closed doors before hand.

Party and its supporters would like the conference to adopt a joint - even if vague and elastic - political important minority communique which would (among free to follow its own

DEFICIT DOUBLE TALK

This year the gap between state spending and revenue in Britain (the 'borrowing re quirement') will be over f12 billion, most of it financed eing cash prom the bane in (getting cash exchange for government in bills which the banks treat as the equivalent of cash). Denis Healey in recent speeches to candlelit gatherings of finance capitalists has tried to create the impression that this vast deficit results from the Labour govern- ment's valiant efforts to maintain employment and the social services during the slump face of the united hostility of world's the bankers. This fraudulent claim is exp osed by a detailed analysis of the figures. The deficit has arisen not effort by the government toe eliminate the of consequences the slump as a direct result of the crisis and slump. Unemployment and falling real incomes and spending have relat- ively reduced state revenue from taxes. but simultaneous v increased in the form of payments unem- ployment benefits and social sec- urity payments. parties, and also the governments of Rumania and Yugoslavia. Both of these wish to develop their own independent agreements with the capitalist powers. Including United States, and to leave them- selves free negotiate indepen- dently with Peking. A major diplomatic delegation returned recently to Belgrade from Peking, setting Yugoslav-Chineser Berlinguer, Italian CP leader, denaunced as opportunist by Zaradov . relations on a friendly basis while *the Chinese Stalinists continue to denounce the Moscow bureaucrats as the rulers of a 'fascist' state and the major threat to peace in Asia.

The splits among the Soviet bureaucrats concerned with foreign policy - and this includes the whole - are certainly also • stratum top affected by the problem 'peaceful pursuing coexistence' against the thrust of China's (equally reactionary) foreign policy Not only did the Peking leader- ship make a bid for closer relation vith Western European capitalisn by (against Moscow) supporting Britain's membership OI Common Market, but they even went so far as to censure US imperialism the person Kissinger on his recent eighth trip China - for moving too close to the Soviet bloc But as tar as Kissinger and all intelligent other capitalist iticians are concerned the new "triangle' emerging in world diplomacy is something to welcomed. It means they can look forward to Moscow competing with Peking offer imperialism the to benefit of its services as 'peace- maker' against revolutionary move- ments internationally. Meanwhile inflation, aside from raising the costs of existing state which the state needs to pay on it increases simply as a result of the existence and growth of the deficit deliberate action on WoNe the cuts in government buda mes no responsible tor are now responsible in real wages throughout the public up most rapidly however are hand- reductions in the taxation November 1974 of profits in the gruwih of the deficit results not malntaln ment and the level of social services all from its efforts to rescue the most ailing sections of the capitalist class In the first year of the Labour government, spending on goods and services (education, health and oth- 5555 9

WSL

FOUNDING

CONFERENCE

A major step forward was taken in the struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism in Britain, and towards the rebuilding of the Fourth International, when, at its Founding Conference on October 18th - 19th, the Workers League formally adopted a constitution as a the mass months of work in movement had seen the League develop from a small group of comrades expelled from the WRP last December, into an expanding organisation areas of work (especially in the Midlands and the North West), and an enlarged trade union base.

In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WL has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scale of wages, and work sharing on full pay - demands which at the T&GWU Conference were the only Treneneron acceptance of redundancies by the bureaucracy.

WSL comrades have led the struggle for the sliding scale of NHS spending and for trade union committees to open the books of the Authorities, along with the fight to end all private practice.

policies adopted by ASTMS National Conference.

In local disputes also, WSL comrades have tested and developed the demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle demand in the motor industry has won a mass response, and is now aped by other left groups. The WSL alone among the groups on the left has fought the speed-up proposals of the Ryder Repon BLMC plant in the only national campaign against its implementatio At the same time we have put forward a policy to fight unemploymer of employed and unemployed through trade union movement, and following this initiative, the first Trades Council sub-committee to fight for these policies has already While these practical interventions have developed the League's gra‹ of Trotsky's Programme there has been a consistent drive to deepen an movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International, as an essential part of any initiative towards its reconstruction.

This has gone alongside the development in the International Pages ol of programme and perspectives on a whole rang international struggles against imperialism, in which again the method an • the Transitional Programme are an essential starting and on many of which no other movement puts forward any It was on the basis of this all-round development of the movement therefore, - its practice, its theoretical work, its international orientation was able to adopt a democratic centralia constitution and perspectives at the Founding Conference Our perspectives from the Conference will appear in Socialist Press i "The Fourth International - Problems This forms the basis of our attempt in the coming period to initiate in the and practical problems which lie at the root of the crisis in the Fourth towards an analysis of the post-wat seriously undertaken. supplement in the next edition of Socialist Press.

Socialist Press Subscriptions •El 6 Issues... •£2 12 Issues.. •£4 24 Issues.. I would like to take out a subscription to Socialist Press; I would like issues, I enclose i.... Name... Addres I would like more information about the WSL COMPLETE and SEND to: 31 Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Name. Address The of trade uni er social services as well as defence) action to force a defence of healt went up in money terms by 28% services thro education and social while grants and loans to ailing the fight for a sliding scale capitalist firms went up by 95%!

The government's long term been greater. the

NHS,

plan for public spending is to elim- unions committed inate the deficit rapidly and to the service must be forced finance it in less inflationary ways support the junior doctors and c (that is, by issuing long term bonds) all-out strike action as part of t The higher interest payments which fight for this demand this involves, along with the mount- In education, where even t ing demands for rescue operations Sunday Times predicts 19,000 n by bankrupt capitalists, means that teachers will be unemployed n for pressure reductions in year, the NUT and the other tea spending the social services ing unions must take similar acti which have been won by years of and call on the whole labour mo struggle will be intensified ment for support To maintain the same real level In local government and of total state spending would in- volve continual reductions in the only strike action value of these benefits. The present further savage cuts by the Wils reductions in services will appear of the a foretaste even These tasks must be taken mroe savage cuts will try to immediately aciena jobs a impose as the crisis develops.

living standards.

STALINIST RECIPE FOR DEFEAT

Page 4 Stalin: Source of the "British Road" world economic As the crisis deepens, all over Europe class, the working taking up of living defence its the standards, comes into sharper conflict both and sharper with the capitalists and with own reformist leadership.

its Led by the Portuguese workers, now Spanish and show openly their beginning to fight, and willingness strength Europe the working Glass over the placing a question mark continuity of capitalism.

But this forward movement of the working class only fear into the hearts of the strike bureaucrats, who know Kremlin Europe would a socialist strengthen tremendously the work- Soviet Union and ing class in the Eastern Europe in their ability and resolve to overthrow the bureau- workers' and restore стасу democracy. the was for this participated Kremlin such enthusiasm the with Helsinki conference in Augusti reaffirm, along with the leaders of social democracy, the carve-up Europe into 'spheres of influence' at the Potsdam originally agreed and Yalta conferences after the last WaL•

"THEORY"

the British that time Since has peddled its Communist Party "The British " Raceful", Road of line Socialism" OI Tine "parliamentary road", to this treacherous "theoryccording , capit- alism will at some unknown future relinquish its domination by Act of Parliament, with the organ- ised strength of the working class playing only a supporting role.

This nonsense the latest version of the Stalinist programme Time to change course Jack Woddis published in 1973 in which it is envisaged that: "With a changed composition at Westminster and using their existing institutions the that Parliament carried challenge capitalist power."

some of the major West European Ducaucaly The latest Britain's entitled British Party The fo Cause ana lure. fraud exposed continues its energ- etic defence of capitalism. It puts "programme" against forward unemployment and the inflation, social services which cuts in the involves, as its central framework, a policy of at "Expanding the cent per per the which used the policy year be advocated by the TUC to which growth and is the minimum rate needed Esse productioneDY, would increase year, about and providing 10C reducing the cost of unemploy- ment benefit." George Matthews, the author of this tract, late editor Morning Star, after advocating that "should be cut spending military half" and a wealth tax "should by be introduced", then concludes that: enough "By these means A REVIEW by JOHN LEA OF proposal to ensure that profits ane could be raised to invested in the right place. jobs programme, the multinational main national and of social expansion the the should therefore be taken firms re-equipment of services, the over" (nationalised). Of course, and the other such nationalisation must somehow

HILDLIY

measures outlined above."

"democratic not bureaucratic on we read pages later Two control, with representatives of the that: workers and of the Tmangement "All this would bring nearer majority management the day when the British people get rid of capitalism and estab- ish a socialist sytem in our

IMPOR

coyntry." pity that Mr.Matthews'

CONTROLS

It is a will escape the intellect nim ble workers understanding of most For if by pamphlet. reading together with the Fourthly, the measures he mentions "enough TUC and an increasing number of could be found and the monev' right-wing Labour MPs in addition expanded accordingly economy to the 'lefts', Matthews calls for will no under capitalism then they grounds the import controls, on that it not doubt conclude that it will help British capitalism necessary to bring nearer the day expand "empth po", hands one will be replaced capitalism when expand attempts by socialism. But of course this is capitalist!] by no means the case. Brezhnev and Ford: United against the, Working Class the resultant Mr. floundered because what Let us noW in imports has worsened Matthews' for programme the balance of payments problem."

expanding capitalism involves.

Matthews is able to put forward wants to create "a Firstly, ne such a reformist programme for an market by stimulat- thriving home expanding capitalism ing demand. The £6 curb on wages because of refuses to locate the CrISIS removed should and bIllam British capitalism be a low wage should cease to organisation of capitalist produc- economy.' will be Secondly, inflation Instead it is for him the result controlled through a price freeze of the wickedness and bad faith of "should least six which: last at months and should be followed by controls on food effective price profits, putting up prices in Britain and other necessities." to increase profits and indulging in commodity and

PROFITS

not by giving a clear leadership to Indeed nothing urther from ss Thirdly, profits must of course Here Mr.Matthews be dealt will. putting forward a programme is at his most subtle. He begins by how the necessity for the workin fact attributing the crisis to the class to end once and for, all the "instead of that British capitalists, fapitalist system sociatroduction ed re-equipping British industry with most modern and up-to-date economy, and mobilise workers for the encouraged investment of vast sums abroad for profit the big the greatex monopolists and the multinational though radical-sounding in places, act only to increase illusions firms. possibility of an expanding But he then goes on to argue capitalism. freeze "would not that a price for the big mean bankruptcy working class in the face of the firms, of which increased many their profits last year faster than democratic the rate of inflation." this up by a He follows SOCIALIST PRESS, wednesda!

"BRITAIN'S CRISIS, CAUSE AND CURE: THE £6 FRAUD EXPOSED" by G. Matthews.

which and Wilson government, if capitalism is to must worsen restore its profitability.

The proposal to increase wages and stimulate demand is a case It is quite true that wage point. the contracted have and market for commodities SO sales have fallen and more firms gone bankrupt. Why then do the capitalists and their lackeys in the Labour move- limit? advocate the ment have no choice. As Because they faces a crisis as capitalism long stemming from the falling rate of have to profit, then employers cut costs and demand wage cuts to increase exploitation in an attempt to restore profits. would in wages An increase purchasing power without expand profitability expanding all known by except widely Matthews, who for his own reasons to deny it, that the rate chooses British industry has of profit in continuously over lie pas It because of this ten years. that investment has fallen off.

CLOSURES

The only way known to restore profitability capitalism destroy unprofitable capital Io by closing down inefficient sectors of industry and increasing product- ivity through speed-up, labour force reductions and wage cuts of the Wage increases remainder. would simply add costs worsening the profits crisis.

Only when profitability has been restored will capitalist expan- such sion resumed involving massive circumstances, unemployment deprivation and defeats inflicted on political the working class, capitalism seeks problem the without the economic markets willing assistants of such advice as Mr. Matthews. Indeed the role of Mr. Matthews Stalinists is prevent and the • to any working class understanding of derail any the crisis, and revolutionary struggles by workers who resist the logic of capitalism.

In a similar context the nature of Matthews' freeze' stands "price He is totally unable - and exposed. not attempt - to explain why does government's pathetic the Labour failed Why did the price treeze and nail employers fight it tooth and the government capitulate?

LABOUR

LEADERS

real reason, covered up by Matth- massive profits, is that the Labour leadesship, determined to

LOU

well the real profits crisis of British of price increases part of an attempt to fend off th alling rate of profit. It is because there is a profits workers wages and living standards It is because there defend itself is by acting indepen- dently to end the capitalist property requires a programme to are the only steps the working class can take to defend itself.

DEFENCE

Wage increases must be fought for, not with the perspective of but with the expanding capitalism, perspectize of an all-out defence workers living standards, while of understanding that each victory this worsens the crisis of capitalism Wage increases must further be secured against inflation by a sliding scale of wages. This is the only defence for workers against inflation But at the same time it deprives the capitalists of as: a . to take back wage increases weapon from the working class posing of power sharply the Cueston between the capitalists and the working class

WAGE CUTS

time unemploy- At the same ment cannot be fought by calling, for the "expansion of the economy expand the Capitalists will not economy until profits are restored through further massive wage cuts and unemployment. Only the working class can now out of the work sharing on full pay - the division of the total amount of work between the total number of workers, poses the issue wages is beyond the capacity of capitalism

HOW.

employers need for speed up, pay and redundancies. Again of power, bet- ween the classes - now.

NATIONALISE

To guarantee jobs and product- of ion a policy of nationalisation all bankrupt industries is thus re- quired. This cannot be called for in Matthews' For him It 1s manner. ust prop and this air. either Stalinist party represents has anything to contri- mobilisation bute to the • OI Ine working class to fight for national- isation. the contrary the Stalinists On such struggle act to prevent They do this firstly by beginning. advocating nationalisation alongside expanding the capitalist economy by other means (wage rises), so that nationalisation becomes one policy among many.

'LEFTS'

fact that the Therefore the employers will fight tooth and nail against any massive programme o nationalisation is covered up. Also covered over is the fact that the the Labour Party have 'lefts completely abandoned the leader- ship of such a fight. into Nationalisation comes requirements of conflict with thi "capitalism. The only way national- co-exist with ised industries Cal capitalism now is by taking a leading role in job cutting and increasing is currently the prodactivity. • (As case with the steel industry).

UTOPIA

A programme of nationalisation to defend jobs would clash irrec profits capitalist oncilably with would require massive since it increase in spending which would capitalist diversion of involve sheer profits. This is why it is utopia to talk of a "parliamentar to large-scale nationalisation road" today. Nationalisation will only take place in those industries where the most determined struggle of work- ers establishes workers control over production and the full occupation of threatened factories. . The capital with the Stalinists and ists, along try at each stage will reformists to prevent this taking place.

reason the fight Also for this for nationalisationed to dive op arated from the fight to drive

IMG MAJORITY REJECTS

TROTSKY'S PROGRAMME

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday October 29th, 1975 McLennan: CP General Secretary the reformist leadership from the and replace it labour movement with one prepared to carry forward the fight against the employers. None of this called fer by 1S Matthews.

ESCAPE ROUTE

Finally the Stalinists give their support to the reactionary diversion of import controls which by assist- ing the trade will serve only to worsen the crisis, while directing the working class into an "own" unprincipled bloc with its "foreign" class against capitalist Thus at the same time capitalists. provides convenient escape route for the Stalinists and their the lefts' and co-thinkers among giving the right from dily leadership in the real fight to defend jobs against the attack of the main enemy - the employers at home.

the inter- "Callaghan te.s have "more press national forward look while Healey at the Lord Mayor's banquet promises us a hand and millions," said Mr. McLennan said word from either their bankrupt policies. Them tal suits Despite trade union pressure they rense impose new import contrats.

"They woud not more lobs in Britain and mean retalia- involve massive would by other industria.

TONY

countries." be said.

CONTROLS

should "Here Luton swe this false theory with

CADIUCC

industry •tHe wal this presented week

IN C

Research Fact service Septem- and anuar 1975 car A 1C British firms fell by 93,767. In the same made

LOIS

perind, new car registrations incrensed niporter Vals 63,135 September 'In January cars took cent of the British 1970 was 13.3 per cent figures establish "These controls re- import LaSC lation to the motor car inaustry.

RATIC

DEMO

"But a completely new econ- come Dolco encompassis lous controls and "Tri the Communist thẹ even as needs fight quences of the present disastrous government policies. Beating the nationalist drum for import controls: Morning Star, Monday Oct 20th 1975. The Stalinists' call for import controls exposes their

COHSISLCHLL

The narrow nationalism.

ROLANE

carries forward Communist Party the building Stalin's betrayal of of an international working class motement. Nowhere in Matthews pamphlet is there any mention of the fact that the capitalist crisis cannot be solved precisely in one country because it is an international crisis.

of building an inter- The task national leadership to co-ordinate the workers' response to world crisis of capitalism falls on the shoulders of the Trotskyist Fourth International which be Ie- constructed in the coming period of ctmadle led by the Socialist Warksation to, Prog The Transitional sympathising organisation of the Fourth Inter- ramme the USFÍ in the United States (the national* programme SWP is prevented from affiliating whose power becomes visible USFI by reactionary to with and through the legislation). only The tow major tendencies with- offensive of the working class

USFI

now publically are in the sharpening struggles and its engaged in political struggle against with the imperialist system.

one another, centring on the quest- ion of Portugal. Since the French general strike of May-June 1968 the European The key struggle within the up the taken workers' revolution has been a fact IMG has, however. of the Transitional Prog- in every nation of the continent - an question which objective development which the ramme in way is not the split within of the capitalist class, directly related to spoKesmen and their lieutenants in the Social the USFI as a whole. At the begin- Stalinist ning of October a minority were ourcall cracies, wriggle and prevaricate as excluded from Tendency B after document Continuing the they may The can no longer bury melt offensive of the Struggle the Transitianal or deny. for was voted down at a working class reverberates in every Programme tendency conference. corner of political life.

It is reflected in the shift to the right by the Tory leadership,

CONTRADICTION

of the Spanish fascist dictatorship (in which Franco's illness and age is purely secondary, the divisions in the Soviet What drove the leaders of Tend- leadership how to maintain B. (who ency are at the same 'peaceful coexistence' in face of the time the political leadership of the Portuguese revolution - to give just IMG) to exclude the minority were three obvious examples. two factors - that the minority was The development of the Europ- raising sharply the ean and world revolution is at the between the policies of the IMG same time the material force which and the methods of the Transitional whole series of splits Programme, and that their docu- 1s producing a and crises within the international ment attempted to connect this "Trotskyist' movement - crises in with historical contradiction the which, whatever the intentions of the USFI itself in the origins of the participants, the question of the split the Fourth International in Transitional Programme - its method Fourth International and scope, its relationship to the 1952-3 and led the way towards task of constructing the revolution- liquidation political vis-a-vis the ary paity - pushes itself ever more Stalinist and social democratic boldly to the fore. It is not possible in a short

PRINCIPLED STRUGGLE

article to give a complete analysis of the significance of these splits within the IMG. But it is possible The Workers Socialist Léague to indicate one essential fact. A itself arose from a principled strug leading figure within the Tendency B majority gle taken up against the degenerat- has attacked his own ing Leadershy Party to grasp Workers of the minority (and with that the Transit- Revolutionary and ional Programme itself in the Programme, defend the and following terms: "It is true make it the basis of the day-to-day that the adoption by struggles and initiatives of the party.

the working class of the transitional Transitional the because programme way was Programme the successful iS most concen- guarantee socialist trated antagonist of all centrism, revolution. But it is totally untrue to say that the workers sectarianism and propagandism that struggle the WRP leadership cannot go forward unless the trans- were driven within weeks bureaucratically expel the opposition in order to preserve their own position.

the transitional programme forward serious discussion of the Any willy nilly as an immediate perspect- Transitional Programme necessarily ive. question of the raises - though in many forms - the power posed as the next step yesh or the deny B steering politics. The internal struggle pres- (Clynes, ently under way in the International Committee). Marxist Group. British section of the Trotskyist Unified Secretariat of the Fourth International (USFI)

RELEGATE

is therefore one which - no matter how frivolous and partial the intent- ions of some of those involved - deals in deadly serious matters.

On this basis the IMG leader- political life: of the IMG relegate to the indefinite fut- ship reflects that of the USFI as a whole the building of a cadre based ure - which is to say that it conducts on the programme and the attempt itself less its essential method and than as a party continuously renegotiated coalition central demands into the workers' of factions. movement. Instead they substitute an inter- The major faction (Tendency B), which controls the leading bod- minable series fronts' and 'intermediate' tactics - an 'action ies of the organisation, is one of two which claims to represent the programme, campaign through the National positions of the Mandel (Pabloite) bourgeois-leminist within the USFI as a whole, against Abortion Campaign, 'Class the 'Leninist Trotskyist Faction' Struggik neit Wine 04 on the

IMGA

PRANCE

Troops Out Movement demonstration -another bogus united front.

supposed shift to the left of var- ious Labour parliamentarians, campaign to Involve bureaucrats in the Labour Party Medical Committee Against Private each tactical turn Practice follows the iast in an arbitrary and disconnected string of knots.

What generally missing in each 'intervention' is the conflict within the unity the struggte to build the political and material forces of a revolutionary leadership Stalinists and union functionaries) against those Labour

NATIONAL

"BORHOS

who hypocritically driven to are put a 'left" foot forward (and some- times not even that) by the offen- sive of the working cass and it to the Labour Govern- resistance ment's policies.

CORRECT

The minority opposition within the IMG's tendency B are essentially correct then, when they denounce the leadership's idea that the prog ramme of the revolutionary party "is not in any sense formulated with the need treate a differentiation to from the the bureacracy". They are equally correct. to insist that the Transitional Prog is not something It the be ramme 'left on a dignified shelf till That tis method and man, its that its method and many central demands can and must be fought for in the trade unions - in the sliding struggle for scale of wages against inflation, and in books open the firms threatening redundancies, and for work sharing with no loss of pay.

DEMANDS

The IMG leadership episodic- ally adopts many such demands but what it rejects is the fact that they acquire their meaning and can be driven to a head onl by creating "a differentiation" in practice with the bureaucrats, and by fighting for each demand as part of an overall revolutionary prog "ultra-left To this is not sectarianism" - on the contrary for revolutionaries to do anything else conceal the anarchic and to destructive crisis of capitalism under a bushel in the name of political 'realism', and in doing this politically capitulate to elements in the bureaucracy.

As the Transitional Programme clearly states in its first lines the central task of the socialist revol- ution is the resolution of the crisis of working class leadership - and this of requires revolutionames Page 5 struggle to mobilise the advanced workers, in their concrete struggles the and for bureaucrats support of the Programme.

The idea that the working class will ever 'adopt' the Transitional Programme itself ludicrous parliamentary adaptation to bureaucratic prejudices; the modern working class no more 'adopts' rer- policies and leadership olutionary than a child 'adopts' walking. Both arise from a struggle, both material conscious, to solve concrete and And in both cases it is questions. National Abortion Campaign: bourgeois feminist movement supported by the to reject the fabian, necessary 'realistic the only preludice that way to get anyhere in the short term is on one's belly. Yet one respect must 1n be granted that the minority were criticised by the leaders correctly IMG: that of the their positions 'incompatible' with member- were ship of Tendency B To struggle consistent IO a creative application of the Transit- within the IMG ional Programme is similar to campaigning for atheisn within the Vatican. • You encounte 'polite' sympathy in private; indiff- erence and ostracism on the leading bodies; and as the issue is pressed -

DISCUSSION

In Britain today only one revol utionary organisation fights to appl develop the essential metho of the Transitional Programme carrying them into the day-to-day struggles of the she Workers Socialist Leavened the same time only the WL seriously and honestly the hist ory of the world Trotskyist move- ment, to hammer out the politica and theoretical basis for rebuildin the Fourth International.

The only correct course fo members of

IMG

wist the who to take up these tasks is themselve to join the ranks of the WSL.

. Fo our part we pledge ourselves to serious and thorough discussion or all questics with any such com rades.

*FOOTNOTE

The basic programmatic documen of the Fourth International, adop ed at its founding conference drafted by 1938 It was Leo Trotsky, crystallising the gains an perspectives of the Fourth rational movement, especially struggle against the stalini eaucracy in the Soviet Union the Communist Parties of the Thi International in other countries

FROM'LEFT' TO RIGHT

SECOND OF OUR OCCASIONAL SERIES OF ARTICLES TRACING THE CAREERS OF 'LEFT' MPS Outcome of the 1926 betrayal: the Organiser of a Bermondsey Labour Bureau explains the 10% dole cut to unemployed workers 1931 Page 6 by John Docherty Viewers of the recent TV "Days of Hope" will films have noticed the brief appear- of Alf the figure of ance Purcell, a left on the general council the crucial days In the 1926 before and during Many will have general strike. been struck by the words of Communist Party leader a portrayed in the series about with such the need to ally people as Purcell in order to win the commanding heights of the trade union movement and the parallel with Stalinist policies of today cannot have been lost. However, one of the political weaknesses of the TV plays was societhe their inadequacy in basis of the failure of such figures as Purcell and A. J. Cooke.

We intend to return to the Days of Hope series when there has been more time to examine the published but now something version of the role of the trade unionists prominent of the time, and of the reasons end they why the proved incapable of serving the interests of these millions of workers who looked to them for leadership.

MILITANT

It must be emphasised at the outset that Purcell all his life was a selfless and militant trade unionist.

1935 December When he died in hundreds of workers followed his coffin through a bleak winter day.

molly-coddled Purcell no off the backs bureaucrat, living was a skilled of he nis membels, and principled negotiator on behalf For of many groups of workers, example, he brought some of the toughness derived from his career as an amateur boxer into negotia- tions lasting 23½ hours in November 1919 when he won important con- workers in shops run cessions for the Co-operative movement. by It was precisely such strengths that highlight the profundity this of the failure of Purcell. reputation he gained as a militant, and a founder of the a syndicalist, precisely made Communist Party, it possible for him to carry on his shoulders large proportion of of the the betrayed aspirations workers in 1926. His failure was one but not a personal was part of the inability an entire generation of the British working class and socialist movement break from the bounds. imposed them by syndicalism upon dogmatic Marxism. Alf Purcell's life encompassed every phase of working class mili- tancy and political radicalism during his active life. Born the East in End of London in 1872, was ne trade and polisher. by french of trade union active in 1910 eventually in bodies 18821 National Amalgamated became the As Furniture Trade Associalion. for these national organiser Ine semi-craft workers, whose jobs were threatened by technologie seriously Purcell long recognised the change, mutual support vital need in different workers Manchester industries. Rased in he became a delegate to the trades 1903, council of that city and a leading and respected Trade Unionist in the area.

PROMINENT

War, After the First World Purcell became a orominent figure the class working movement From 1919 to 1927 he nationally. was a member of what became the General Council of the TUC and in 1924 its President. He was also MP for of the well known as a lett-wingei, yas of the Soviet active supporter Union, and a continual advocate different united by of sections of workers in Britain and internationally.

LEFT WING

Nor were Purcell's activities confined to the trade union move- with was associated virtually every left-wing political organisation that existed in his day.

As early as 1890 he joined as a Eight Hours teenager Legal Ine Labour League, and International a body set up under the inspiration of Engels to campaign not simply set out in its title, but also for the setting up of a Labour Party. During the 1890s Purcell was a member of the Social Democratic Federation at a time when this Britain was the only in

DOOV

the claiming adherence to principles of revolutionary Marxism.

He joined the Independent Labour Party when this campaigned for the political interests of the workers as a class. He was also actively assoc- in the years before 1914 with the Industrial Syndicalist Edu- which put forward cation League, militant policies for the trade union movement. Purcell represented the South the British Salford branch Party at the foundation Socialist of the Communist Party in proposed summer of 1920, important motion expressing support for the Soviet system government. he let the afterwards, he was

SOON

member of two labour delegations Union, actively Soviet opposed the imperialist interven- tion against the new workers state was generally associated with and the Minority Movement of militant trade unionists. It is against the background of toughness and his undoubted left-wing support proven Purcell was that able to play the role that he did in 1926. It was his reputation by then for effective and daring generalshi him in a position to dea that put to the forces such a tragic blow that massed behind his leadership.

ultimate Purcell's failure betrayal derived from a number of influences. One was THe nance and theoretical weak- narrowness British Engels Marxism. of

NICOD

fought at the end of his life in the Eleanor early 1890s together with Mary and a few others to establish but it could not be in any much more than the series of dead Slate. dogmas presented by Hyndman and sense instrument in the overall emancipation of the proletariat.

the SDF. The alliance played its part in Purcell's early development was position occupied the part of the struggle for the estabusele mobilisation of the Purcell in the General by mass or the that built the non-craft period. He came into nis own u

WOLKCES

reflecting the mood of disillusion- unions, and for the expression OI ment with the lack of achievement political that independence of the 1924 Labour government.

made possible the establishment of While many of the right-wingers the Labour Party. Later, however, were away in the Cabinet, Purcell reverted to that separation of he Cas nessed was at well year 'political' Marxism from militant told the that what was needed was trade unionism that characterised disciplined industrial organisation', the movement in the years before 'the of the principle weapon 1914. workers', and through this could be Thus even though Purcell was forged an instrument of solidarity always a militant trade unionist and capable of changing the existing a passionate denouncer of the cap- structure of capitalism and bringing italist system, he was never able about a workers' state'. two things together. be these He 'political' put on Bial

CHALLENGE

member of the ILP and the Comm- Party and his unist 'trade union' hat negotiator and union However, such policies were This was how he could be Hender for a quite inadequate without associated time with challenge for the leadership of the pathetic efforts of the middle class Purcell of course was syndicalists of the guild socialist unions. movement in the early 1920s to hostile to those openly right-win set up islands of socialist enter- union leaders like J.H.Thomas an re-established prise in a sea of capitalist depress- Arthur Pugh who their predominance in the ion and slump. move ment just before the General Strike.

the collapse of these After However, because he saW. depression schemes during the Purcell's fundamental conflict with them 1921 onwards from syndicalist background made vied with them him and no way consider that militancy and unity for the leadership of the movement he became simply a helpless junior working class the part of the partner in their systematic betrayal to defeat the would be enough of the workers in the smashing of enormous onslaught the the General Strike. employers and the Tories. Because So it was that althowgh Purcell he had no other policies or pro- did not play a conspicuous part in to put forward to the gramme negotiations he could denounce leading the working class, General Strike and its ignominious capitalism with as much eloquence liked without being able to calling off, he was nevertheless part as he of a leadership that held back th pose in any way the means for its struggle. Purcell was a member ot overthrow. Committee set up the Organising

INADEQUACIES

by the General Council at the last possible moment to organise offensive. of One of the main purposes It was these inadequacies that this body, particularly as seen by made Purcell into such Ernest member convenient foil for the traitorous its Bevin, was to prevent independent regressive policies of the the part initiative of any kind on Soviet bureaucracy under nascent of the rank and file workers. the leadership of Stalin and Purcell had no means to fight this.

The Anglo-Russian Trade Zinoviev. His allies in the Communist Party Committee was a meeting put forward no policies to bring stage for Soviet leaders in retreat about the independent mobilisation Marxism and from revolutionary of the masses, so they were doomed trade union leaders British to enter the battle under generals who had taken steps towards it.

other than The policies of socialism in one who had no strategy retreat. and the native narrowness country workers The millions of who union leader- of the British trade part in the General Strike took ship complemented one another desire for this outcome It was described by had no

THIS

audice. struggle. Given any other to their Stalin as a 'united front, but in kind of leadership they could and was nothing of the kind. fact would have fought on When the The committee might perhaps have 12th SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday October 29th, 1975

NO 2. ALF PURCELL

then and then bitter

SHOCKCO

Members of the Coventry Council Tuc toadquarters to ask the

TUC

headquarters national leaders not to giverway", since "our ranks were solid" One of the members of the delegation later recalled that when they arrived they were ushered into a room to meet Purcell. It was only then that this trade unionist realised that "the mighty leader whom I had known as a fighter" who had enthralled *iron mar "had May Day meetings", me at of clay" Purcell was said to feet be "the most disappointed man in the country", but he had himself played a key role in bringing the disastrous situation about.

So it was that the most con- "left' sistently trade union leader of his day failed the working class.

He did not immediately lose his but reverted instead position, the period of enormous attacks that followed the defeat to his: basic syndicalism and reformism Now abandoned and criticised his erstwhile after the by allies of the CP, Purcell along with the other TUC leaders abandone the pretence in 1927 when they initiative in disbanding took the the Anglo-Russian Committee.

Purcell retired from After this, and for the last the national scene few years of his life was Secretary Salford the Manchester and of role Trades Council In this he became again a simple trade unionist concerned with such issues as road safety and municipal finance. AS a fighter overall interests • for the of the masses in those dark days, the of the depression, Purcell was a spent force.

stressing that Purcell remained all It is important his life a militant, and never con- sciously capitulated to the employ same way as Thomas, the ers in But he was Bevin and the others. always incapable of putting forward challenge the role of policies the others, and thus became a pert- ect illustration of the inadequacy of British syndicalism and the treachery of Stalinist tutelage.

TRENDS

These are political trends that live on in the working class move ment, and are frequently in some measure combined. By understand- ing the failure and ultimate betrayal some way Purcell, we go revolutionary leadership sential to defend and maintain the of workers in the interests the

WILSON SLASHES EDUCATION

SOCIALIST PRESS,

Wednesday Colleges of education face the prospect of deterioration and closure over the next few At least thirteen years. are "discontinue now initial training", in the jargon of the DES, and many others are to be merged with other insti- salar soon Worse still, the DES plans for fifth about those training reserved for in-service (rather than used for new students), which means that if the reality Labour government's sense several more colleges will prevails, have to close. Savage though the Labour government's plans may be, they Much are not original. of their substance was contained in the White Paper laughingly called "Education. framework expansion. (!), Margaret Education Secretary in 1972.

elsewhere in I caucation, and virtually the social services, every other area of British political life, Labour is putting into practice the policies which the Tories them- selves would implement but for the

TO FIGHT CONTRACT

Caught by both the state one hand, pay laws on the and Healey's spending cuts on the other, which are sav-

NHS,

the the Junior agıng Hospital Doctors are now at the forefront of the fight ag- ainst the most reactionary policies of the Wilson governm- ent. The new contract recommended by the supposedly "independent" review body on Doctors and Dentists pay is an insult which right minded trade unionist would tear up instantly.

PROPOSALS

It of a

"TONONG LIKE ORLOD

basic 40 hours week, doctors should: * Work the next 4 hours for no pay at all! * Do additional hours on standby working, at the hospital, at 30% of basic rate. * on call at 10% avannote of basic pay. Under the previous contract, junior doctors received overtme for hours worked in excess only of 80 hours a week, so a number of doctors will receive an increase in on this slave pay even contract. But for most doctors this plainly represents a real cut in salary, can be seen by the fact that it will cost no extra money to im- plement. In real terms the contract would mean less doctors will be employed in the NHS, and forced to work October 29th, 1975 hostility and organised strength of state spending on social services. Every of the working class. support Even education, medical care, and other the most positive point of welfare has of Thatcher's plan, to develop and aspects : been won either by the direct action of the strengthen nursery education has working class or through fear of been eroded to nothing by the their strength and militancy.

RECESSION

in oppose their fight to carried on state spending away at the Education Secretary Mulley that Labour government's latest round of cuts. to respond to

"OVERPRODUCTION"

Tories to "social wage", Cul of wages while to rip. "overproduction" of teachers. It is system? Certainly not local govern- true that this year more than 5000 LEA's, ments trained teachers have been unable furrowed brows and rapid pencils "contingency plans" draw up year ago. It is also, however, true capitulation. that school classes throughout the country are too large for really many areas conditions are so bad that teachers can do no more than Council, for example, has recently "keep order" in the classroom, if (about 14% and more trained teachers are need- in case of further calls for reduction ed, yet the government shuts down by the government, and over half of colleges. New and improved school t would involve dismissing more than 250 full-time and part-time teachers, the the reformists say 'make do' with closing of schools and libraries and which Tory leader: what you have, however inadequate the abandonment of a number of belong: in the nature of capitalism fives' policy whereby children enter develop productive forces.

primary school before theit fifth birthday, will result in more teacher unemployment and in empty class-

JUNIOR DOCTORS MUST UNIONISE

longer hours, since it is obviously massively cheaper to employ one doctor for 120 hours than three face a worsening of their conditions, hours. while doctors standards of health care will plum- met as fewer: doctors are placed under increasing physical and men- stress in a decaying Health Service.

AXE

There can mistake Castle - destroying Health Service doctors can only win their junior fight through defence of the NHS iation show no interest in defence against spending cuts. Already the of the NHS. Labour government's axe is smash- While the BMA re- fuses to lift defend ing into the hospitals - Camden and • a linger to the junior doctors, they threaten

AHA

half Islington only sanctions to preserve private pract- to a third of the cash needed in And the JHDA leaders follow the next few years. The Queen Elizabeth on in support of pay beds and the Hospital for Sick the drug monopolies Children - a major paediatric centre followed, these policies could - has ordered £70,000 in cuts by only lead to the majority being closing sections of departments, denied medical treatment while a curtailing pathological services and handful of consultants grew fat on filling W. vacancies. not In the the proceeds. Midlands only 10 out of 60 rec- ommended

ORGANISE

are to be filled. Meanwhile 1 person (600,000) are line For junior doctors the fight lengthening hospital waiting lists. must now be with the labour move- The system faces collapse if there is ment in defence of the NHS. To not an immediate injection of cash do this they must organise outside - alad in the wreckage would vanish the

BMA

and

JHDA

join the all prospect of secure or satisfying doctors union MPU-ASTMS, which employment for junior doctors.

doctors action supports the junior and fights for a 40-hour contract

REACTIONARIES

together with a sliding scale of NHS expenditure and an immediate £1,000m injection Yet the reactionaries who lead Casi In line with the policy fight of the the BMA, and their allies leading WSL, MPU-ASTMS is also pledged the Junior Hospital Doctors Assoc- rooms which they may then offer to groups of parents to voluntary playgroups! The union bureaucracy have, for the most part, rallied to the government's call for support, divorcing specific issues from the general problem and discouraging their from members effective action. Groups such as Rank and File (IS) have tended to attack the problems of teachers and the education system piecemeal, substituting militancy over indiv- idual issues general and politically conscious struggle.

PROGRAMME

They Association that for more than days. Such replace the struggle to show teachers need to ensure an We must in the teacher rights unemployed UnOR the against and demoralisation those the the union 1n must be ended. colleges. be fought and nail. Our demand for improved, not 1S staff-student In case be to fight to end practice privale both inside and outside the Health Service. In joining the union, doct- the fight to Illust LaN C implement these vital policies.

* Full ASTMS and all-union supp- ort to the junior doctors!

* Open the books of the Area Health Authorities to elected com- mittees of trade unionists, to sup ervise and control resources in the interests of all NHS workers and consumers! * Open the accounts of the drug monopolies and NHS suppliers, to prove the case for their nationalis ation! * Nationalise private hospitals and clinics without compensation under workers management.Integ rate these into an expanded NHS While building workers are ou of work, school building pro grammes must be carried forwar to improve conditions th schools. We oppose all collaboration with government wage cut: beginning with the TUC's £6 limit fight must be waged in th unions to force its rejection and t call for a sliding scale of wages t TiSe pace intlation determined by elected committee of trade unionists. Those union bureaucrats wh prefer class collaboration to th protection of their members' job and living standards, must out and replaced by kicked leadership willing to fight.

These demands require increase in government spending not a reduction; we must struggl

TOT

silalng scale expenditure, hedged agains inflation. As part of this struggle we call for the opening of th council's books to committees o order trade umolsts to resist future plar effectively to attack education.

SUPPLIERS

A major problem in the budge of all institutions has been violent increase in the price educational supplies, amounting t about 50% over the last two year The books of the supply indu tries must be forced open as wel If their price rises are divertin funds from then education, time to nationalise them witho componen the books" com rottee in which representatives from unions involved should play a part and students' representatives well - are the place to begin th defence of the education syster These committees should also lin other areas of the bodies fighting cuts with to construct a workers' plan their defence and expansion and t throughout the labo campaign 'movement for its implementatio

SLATER

STRIPPED

IN CITY

Last week's ignominiou demise of the once successfu i Jim Slater asset-stripper interesting not so much fo the financial crimes he ma happen (those day), but for the pani every reactions of the rest of th City to the possible collaps of Slater Walker Securities.

wave of terror brought the most prestigious traditional banker (Rothschild • ana namoro) onto w board they onc company _oI a reviled upstart. This is symptom of the real danger of of credi collapse cum walive which has never been system, The rescue attempt was stag managed by the Bank of Englan which has in poured hundreds million. - severa pounds into saving which secondary banks woul otherwise have collapsed like th Herstatt Bank in Germany a fer y cals ago. On one occasion in the year the Bank was even forced t with British Petroleum no plead withdraw several hundre millions which it had deposited o short with the Nationa Westminster Bank. This is all part of a world-wid fragility of credit which in th sua month has thrown BaSE varied the examples as New York Cir bankruptcy ot the last minute by (saved at pension fund the and the trade union) default international loans of the Afrik Republic of Zaire.

20,000 MARCH AGAINST CUTS

Page 8

WRP RAID

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE

WORKERS REVOLUTIONARY PARTY

To G.Healy, WRP General Secretary: October 27th 1975 Dear Comrade Healy, The Workers Socialist League unconditionally defends the WRP against the massive police raid on its Derbyshire premises, and against the vicious and scurrilous witch hunt of revolutionary socialism by the capitalist press and right wing Labour circles by which this was pre- ceeded. We have called on all our members and supporters to support the WRP's defence petition; we have given practical support within the labour and trade union movement for the call for a workers' inquiry into the circumstances of the raid and the involvement of cabinet ministers in it.

On the Hull Trades Council and in other areas our comrades have fought for motions of support. We have given this support - in which we are joined by virtually every organisation of the revolutionary left - because a most basic principle is at stake. The raid on the WRP - including especially the police claim to have "discovered' live bullets - is an attack on the political rights of the entire labour movement. More particulary it is aimed - in a new and dangerous manner - at the right to fight for revolutionary policies in answer to the capitalist crisis and the reactionary policies of the Labour government. As such it is much more than an attack on the WRP alone.

Along with the witch hunt of left-wingers and supporters of the Militant in the Labour Party, the WRP raid is an assault on the basic democratic rights of the working class, an assault employing the armed force of the capitalist state and the monopoly of the media and press barons. This assault can be met only by principled, revolutionary policies. This is why we write to protest in the strongest possible terms at the conduct of the WRP within the defence campaign. At the 'public' meeting called by the WRP in central London on October 13th as part of the campaign WRP stewards - on the instructions of WRP Assistant General Secretary Sheila Torrance - prevented members of the Workers Socialist League from entering the meeting. This was done on the grounds that they were alleged 'provocateurs'! Not only this, but one of your platform speakers had the impertinance to hypocritically demand "Where does the WSL stand?" The answer, of course, was - outside the door: in a campaign on which Workers Press daily pleads "Let the movement speak now" ' and "Everyone welcome"! This exclusion of a labour movement tendency is in stark contradiction to the welcome now daily - and completely uncritically - given in Workers Press to the signatures of such political figures as "corporatist" Jack Jones (architect of the state pay laws); scab convenor Eddy McGarry (who as he signed the petition was instructing drivers to cross an ACTSS picket line in Standard Triumph, Coventry); and leading Stalinists, Bert Ramel- son and Peter Kerrigan - long time supporters of Stalin's Moscow Trials.

More surprisingly even while calling for a labour movement campaign, you have applauded the support of the Young Liberal, Peter Hain, so warmly regarded by Jeremy Thorpe.

We note from Workers Press that you have correctly invited the full participation of the Communist Party in your defence demonstration in London on November 16th. You have sent a letter to their General Sec- retary, Gordon McLennan, offering them the right to bring their banners and a speaker. Despite our differences with the WRP and our criticisms of aspects of the campaign the WSL also wants to give full support to the November 16th demonstration, on the same terms as those of the Communist Party.

But we first want clarification on three basic questions: * Why have our members been excluded from your "public' meetings?

* Will you publicly undertake that all tendencies of the labour movement will be permitted to bring their contingents and their banners on the November 16th demonstration? Since you have invited the Stalinists, we do not see how you can refuse.

* Will you permit a speaker from the WL to address the rally following the march, to express our support for the defence of the WRP and the whole workers movement against the attack on democratic rights! Again your offer of a platform to the Stalinists in our view precludes your refusal.

I.S. ACCEPTRYDER

stewards. They should also be While the bureaucracy moves fully accountable to the shop to the right, and workers stewards... move to the left in struggle, All this ignores the fact that the the revisionists of the Inter- committees are all fully account- national Socialists seek des- able to management and have written into their terms of refer- perately to cover their tracks.

ence that they recognise "execu- Clearest example is in the tive responsibility rests with I.S.dominated "rank and management". I.S. are careful Leyland Worker'. file" paper also to ensure that foremen and industrial engineers are fully rep- On its front page it splashes resented, when they insist that its policies on the Ryder "staff" unions be included.

proposals under the deceptive The completely craven position eadlines "Break The Silence is summed up in a concluding - No Secrecy; Let Us Decide" paragraph: "None of this means supporters - deliberately chosen to sugg- of Leyland Worker should not est a struggle against Ryder.

stand for any of the committees.

Nothing of the sort is proposed.

We cannot just ignore participa- Instead this opportunist group will go away of tion and hope it propose to accept the framework its own accord.' of bogus participation. See how The message of I.S. then can be they wriggle into position from summed up as if you can't beat apparent militancy to complete management, join them!', and capitulation. they thus give a blank cheque to "That's why we should reject opportunists such as Arthur Harper participation. whom they support, but who is But if we get it anyway? Our up to his neck in the class collab- negotiators are quite right to orationist meetings of the Ryder insist that nominations to the "ad hoc' committee. three tiers of committees should On the back page of the same not be open to all on the shop paper a large article deals with the 'Open the Books' fight at 1o0r So from pretending to oppose Cowley. But nowhere in the en- participation, I.S. is now debating tire paper do I.S. point out their how its committees should be consistent national campaign against this demand. eece . "The only way that workers' Leyland Worker should clearly representatives can be eftective- be retitled Opportunist Worker, ly controlled... is through elec- in line with the politics of its tions by mass meetings of shop 20,000 students, teachers and public service workers marched through London last Tuesday in opposition to the government's educa- tion cuts. This reflection of the enormous anger against Wilson's policies attracted trade union banners NALGO, AlIl, and

NO NUR.

NUT, as well as contingents from the Association of Universitv Teachers and the National Union of Students, supported by dele- gations from cal lactories and other sections of industry.

The need for a policy to chall- enge these government cuts emerged as the central question.

While union speaker after union speaker called for "unity against the cuts" and right "priorities", all of them are involved through the TUC in implementing state

TUC ATTACKS

JOBS DEMO

The TUC has sent a letter to Trades Councils and affil- iated organisations aimed at destroying the demonstration against unemployment called by the North West Region of the TUC on November 26th. With the jobless standing at 1¼ million, TUC leaders know that the demonstration will assume national proportions expressing the hatred of the working class against unemployment. Because unemployment is created by the Labour Government and accepted by the TUC leadership, such a demonstration would direct against the Wilson leader- ship and question the position of the TUC. It is for this reason that Murray attempts to kill the demonstration and confine it to regional action taking up regional problems.

Murrav acts entirelv in the dei- ence of the right wing of fhe Labour Government and against the interests of the working class.

We are convinced of the import- ance of the demonstration and that it has the potential to be a powerful action in spite of Murray.

Although the WS consistently opposes the policy of import controls and the demand for a capitalist investment programme which are advanced by the NW TUC, we fully support the dem onstration and lobby. We urge all our members and supporters to organise coaches and fight for delegations. Assemble at 1.30, Euston Sta- tion, Wednesday 26th November.

WORKERS SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

PUBLIC MEETINGS:

WOLVERHAMPTON

Tuesday 18th November, 7.30 Rose & Crown, Penn Rd. "Attack on the Trade Unions"

LONDON

Students and Teachers; Fight the Cuts! Thursday, 30th October, 5.00 pm University of London Union, Malet St, London WC1.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY

W.S.L. Marxist Society Public Meeting: "A Programme for the Crisis" Trade Union speakers. Wednesday, 12th November, 8.00 "The Blue Room', Wadham College, Parks Road. asIns pay laws - the other side of the spending cuts, directly cutting living standards. Not one speaker canca lot sure action to nail lne cuts and force a sliding scale of expenditure. And it no action is proposed, then all the words under the sun will not change As sales dwindle and the battle for what remains of the market intensifies Chrysler is fast emerging as the sick man of the British car industry'.

Following losses (reported in the last issue of Socialist Press) the company has announced massive lay-offs. At the Linwood plant in Scotland, where 1400 hourly paid workers have left in the last 12 months, all 5600 manual workers will be on a 3-day week until the New Year.

During November and December working days will total only 17.

For workers in Vehicle Assembly this brings the total of lay-offs for this year to ?5! The Stoke engine plant in Coven- try, up to now cushioned from extensive lay-offs by a components order from Iran, is expected to announce production cut-backs shortly. However, it is at the Ryton (Cov- entry) plant that the most exten- sive lay-offs have been announced.

Over the next two months there: will be only 11 working days. There will be no more car production in € 500 monthly development fund As we report on Page 3, our succ- essful Founding Conference last weekend was able to register a number of gains and significant growth in the Workers Socialist We also adopted the perspectives document for discussion towards the rebuilding of the Fourth Int- ternational which will appear, starting in the next edition, as a special supplement to Socialist Press. This supplement is a big devel- opment for our press, but will obviously add to our expenses.

We want therefore to urge all readers to make a donation tow ards this month's £500 develop- ment fund All donations to: WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London Nes luå UNION CHIEFS, cont from page 1 attack ever launched on workers in the Corporation, they have not called a single meeting. hev have accepted that paid meetings of convenors called by management and national officials can take key decisions on the future of Leyland workers. Both the Stalinists and the reform• ists refuse to challenge this Labour Government and its capitalist pol- icies and without being prepared to make such a challenge it is im- possible to defend jobs or working conditions. They end up carrying out precisely those capitalist policies. In this situation the need for new leadership in the car industry stares every worker in the face. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 29th October 1975 Wilson's course. The strength of the demonstra- tion showed up once again there- fore the huge contradiction between the readiness of the working class to fight, and the determination of its leadership to betray.

CHRYSLER LAY-OFFS

October. In November 12 days will be lost leaving only 8 at work and in December only 3 days, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th will be worked.

sale tadl difficult for 12-14 months".

Attacks must obviously sharpen and the situation calls for the clearest perspective. So far, however, it is understood that Senior Stewards at Ryton have Imited themselves to demand.

that the three December working days be transferred to November to allow advantage to be taken of increases in unemployment benefit due to come into effect at the end of that month. Something like 95% of workers have now nearly exhausted their lay-off pay following short time working in September and October.

We say all available work must be •Workers shared with no loss of pay.

with only 11 days work before Christmas have no idea what they will be doing in the New Year. The company books must be opened to inspection of trade union com- mittees thus showing the extent of the Chrysler crisis and establishing the necessity for nationalisation under workers management.

Spain: continued from front page Fascist state and rule through parliamentary democracy. Civil war is therefore on the agenda. It is likely that the first incidents will be between the working class and the notorious Guardia Civil, the paramilitary police renowned for their brutal- ity and terror since the Civil War.

The working class will undoubt- edly demand the dismantlement of this force . The Spanish bour- geoisie, unable even to break from the monarchy as a mechanism of political stability is certainly not able to contemplate the dismem- berment of such a powerful organ of class rule as the Guardia Civil.

LESSONS

The lessons of the Civil War which ended with Franco's victory in 1939 must be learned. There can be no stable republic in Spain other than a workers' republic.

The tasks that were interrupted by defeat in 1939 must now be taken up. The demand must be for a workers' government based on the strength of independent organs of workers' power.

This must involve a break with the Stalinists who intend to act at all costs to preserve the rule of the bourgeoisie (see Socialist Press previous issue). The most recent statement of CP secretary Santiago Carrillo reported in Monday's Morning Star speaks for itself: "It [the CP] would participate in a government which included right wing groups provided they were willing to respect the results of elections held after the estab lishment of a provisional govern- ment." The Stalinists will learn nothing from the defeat of 1939 and their policies threaten a repetition.

Spanish workers must learn, and build a Trotskyist leadesship for the coming struggle.