Socialist Press no. 220

Labour leadership:

LET RANK AND FILE

SOCIALIST

PRESS

Weekly paper of the Workers Socialist League * No. 220 * 22 October 1980 * 20p Foot, Silkin The shock waves gener- ated by the moves towards democratic reforms within the Labour Party are still rocking the Labour Party.

The resignation of Callaghan has rightly been seen by thous- ands about aCTIVISTS throughout the country as more than a no thing shabby manoeuvre WIne PLP leadership to cling on to control of the Party and frus- trate the decisions of the Black- pool conference. the Party leader in Parliament is a matter or clear principle These MPs are part of a large Callaghan hopes by his resig- nation to foist Denis Healey, co- reactionary caucus who oppose author of all The reactionar any tank ane are voice policies recent Labour policies or leadership of the governments, onto the Labour Labour Party. by Party and the working class must be forced uner

GMCS

The is that i Haley, their to repudiate this plan with position or stand down. closely On the other hand some left estaonsnment. Treasury and the IMF, be set u have ready the PLP in a bid correctly called for suspension standing orders of the with the aid of a few right wing of the union leaders, PEr ana opposea moves to go through any future electoral ahead with the election.

COLCEC

Every enemy of the labour the unions and the It is these forces who repres- working class, every Fleet Street ent the voice of the Party rank and file and the decisions of the nack and wice munters cheer ing wildly for Healey Blackpool conference. This is not only because they Scargill is right to point out that: sunDort Healey s DOLCIes.

DUL

because that It is belief that tear stituents will not easily forgine con- Blackpool reforms could throw up a leader who will no longer any

WINO

goes against the wishes of the General Manage.

as in tne past obediently lake from the Treasury, ment Committee" NATO and Fleet Street. And it is in the GMCs, and in the trade union movement activists must that Labour : raise The capitalist class have their with one voice the demand that overt now taction

WOTK

inis phony election be halted within the Labour Party. One and the results the whole tales rejected by symptom is the letter concocted labour by 62 wing movement.

TIONT

declared that: candidates of supposed system of election for elections "the

DECIDE!

1s a sick 1oke. Au une sourou efforts of the press to credentials Shore and Silkin can easilv be discarded.

Nor does the candidacy of Michael Foot alter this position.

ensconced him Tool lone ago self as the resident apologist for rotten Callaghan policy every from wage controls to the Lib Lab pact. He cannot be regarded any sense a 'left' candidate Foot could only take over in his capacity as Deputy leader until such time as the reforms initiated at Blackpool have been Healey Scargill clarified This is why Socialist Press firmly the Stallus planned PLP elections. We urge Labour activists to call on every who claims to support the particular the 17 who signed the etter calling for a suspension o MerStande orders-to voycoll leadership election within the PLP. London Labour moves left-back page. Demonstration No Cruise missiles! Assemble Speakers Corner 12 am. Sunday 26 October No to imperialist war drive!

Defend the Soviet Union!

NO TO PLP

ELECTIONS

Shore Electoral College: cut out PLP! The issue of just how an PLP. Although it is not possible to alter the votes of the PLP on electoral college should be to be the leadersnip issue irom 10U% set up has begun to zero at one step, it is essentia discussed by Labour should remain at th activists. centre or any ruture campaign the A meeting of the Rank and writing manifesto Mobilising Committee on be October 16, attended by dele taken awav trom the leader. and placed under the control of the the for Cales Callar NEC. The 3-year rule › on consti- Democracy in the about Move ment, put forward the followin tutional changes must again be basic conditions for an electora chauenged But in addition the setting college: up of an electoral college can 1) Annual elections 2) Voting at annual confer- only be seen as a step towards election by the Party confer- through direct votes or tation representation WiTh

CHUC

This in turn calls for moves organisation and MP. processes Whereby trade union delegations 3) At least two thirds of the total vote to go to CLPs tand coy with the

PLI

arrive decisions Lauculus Meetings conferences of vote not to exceed that of CLPs political fund paying members Recorded voting, details available should mandate delegations on be every TO key issues. ататев oreamsanon

WITHOUT

Only in this way can the which accountability is impos- union block be sible VOLt

SY SUCH

brought under democratic 5) Full provision for casual vacancies. Such moves must be linked Such policies represent to the Igni or poncies ol striKe step towards democracy DUl detiance of athe antunion cats, Tory cuts, action they can only be agreed if the of are ana Till-scale moolisation 1h further policies. defence of jobs and living stan- The first of these must be dards. abolition of all rights for the

TURKEY: no confidence in generals' "impartial" stance Page 2

-INTERNATIONAL -

The Turkish junta, after of The fear, provocalive a period of little mass resis- from the right probably action also dictated the shuffling of 37 tance or mass struggles, between posts in the flex its beginning acilals Army. muSCes. But it is doing so in a limited and particular way, The yet unable as 1U01a 'even-handed" The itself to defeat the working class approach necessary appear in open conflict, must shackle Suye nas ocal Ine Torces [ial navt beck shown by the execution of a consciously striving towards right winger and a left winger on civil war. OcLooCIy. with the the contlict BUt ubsequently more

ITOM

working class must come. both Despite the "civilised" diplo- sentenced to death. matic activity with Greece and the

KUT

1319 pecause the four-hour necoranons will dictatorship does not military Rodgers,

NATO

Commander yet feel it has the 'strength to will determine policies that take on the working class direct- the late or tne mutary allalot ly. ship are those decided by the It sees the immediate threat IMF bankers. from the COmEC lascist National Action Party led by Turkes. Co. Evren cannot ir 2100 For this reason. onlv lour reality stand above the imper- days after the initial hangings, Turkes and 28 NAP, leaders were Janst CIISI. Attempts to direct workers' charged WIltO amne pension funds towards being people against eachother for capitalist credit, the mass massacre", a charge carry further devalualor Ing a minımum sentence ot zu Turkish lira and now further while bourgeois political years, sweeping price rises, show that leaders Ecevit and Demirel were the reactionary economic policy rereascu. Ecevit/Demirel nas Deel taken over bag and baggage by Ene generals An undefeated working class Also released were right wing not remain passive will reactionary атракан valel at that point And arrested) and important leaders trade union the imperialists and the Turkish Jett wing o [ne think twice

DISK,

bourgeoisie may confederation wil0 suppression of the about remain free. une

NOW

AVAILABLE

BRING|

a Socialist Press pamphlet

THE TORIESI

E THIS WINTER!

A brand new pamphlet, spelling out programme and perspective for struggle to oust the Tories.

Available, price 45p including postage from WSL, BM Box 5277, London WC1V 6XX.

Police with machine guns at funeral of fascist terror victim before the coup No confidence can be placed one sure defence of capitalism throes, the mass its death in ine muntary Junla s presen liberal face. fascist party. Just as Ecevit betrayed the Workers in Turkey must pre inevitable end pare now for the workers ne camec to represcl ii podcies amelenest of of Evren's fragile balancıng act behest policies the The definitive acleal the streets will only fascism imneralsm. winsvitl be achieved by workers militias forced to take on the working class, or be forcibly replaced by organised by a united front of workers' organisations. those who will. LCR complain of violence Text of an open letter alleging violence between Trotskyist forces, sent from the French LCR (section of the USFI) to the OCI (part of the Parity Commission).

Several of them suffered con- Comrades, cussion. This indescribable deed On Tuesday 16 Septembe by shouts of accompanied ve miltanes or ee cn we was violently attacked at the Un Tki tem

• CLU

versity of Nanterre by about ter Among the beaten militants • comrade Francois Fredents Augetdre and Raphacl, were muhtars president leader of the OCI at Nanterre.

administrative commiliet UNEF in economics at Nanterre Our comrades were thrown Zappi, a and comrade Laurent to th tere taken fo hopi.

memer oi tne Nallolai Duical of the JCR (a member of the of commission administrative

UNEF).

We are sure that the gravity of this attack wil not have notic, indeed.

TROTSKYIST

escaped your ine

INTERNATIONAL

methods employed are, They are

LIAISON

those or tne stalllses wholly ibnil ot the sad tr moemen

COMMITTEE

labour movement and so can only be condemned by all those wno are struggil!

under the banner of Trotskyism and of the Fourth International.

In the past, we have already Grawn volt amenn a Hocı of times to the incompatibility

DISCUSSION

of such methods, which smack

BULLETIN

more ol gangsterisin revolutionary politics, with the No.2 normal relationships that should exst wilm lIc ment That is why we demand that Articles on Nicaragua, condemn the you instantly Parity Commission and atTaCk •cand oul TILC Declaration militants and leaders Nanterre. Trotskyist greetings, Price 40p plus 15p p&p comtades. For the Political Bureau from WSL, BM Box of the LCR 5277, London WCIV ARInKMMe 6XX SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 October 1980 Irish hunger strike is allowed to die, the blood will be on the hands not only of the Tories and the military chiefs those of the labou DU aso bureaucrats who have so long collaborated imperialist wItl and number of trade union repression Labour leaders have now signed the petition launched by Charter 80 which supports th demands of the humanitarian without declaring orsoners. position on the role of imperial- ism in Ireland. Put to test But such gestures of human- itarian concern must now be put to the test-and these leaders now be called upon to must the fight for tangible таке up solidarity action in the British class to support the working struggles of the Irish prisoners Socialist Press, while deeply and critical of the programme methods of repuoncar movement upholds the right of all opponents of British imper- ialism in Ireland to take up arms in the struggle for national liber the demand atone

DUDDUL!

of the republican prisoners to be recognised as Prisoners of War We regard this as an essentia part of the fight for the immed- iate withdrawal of British troop troops to allow Irish people to determine their own future.

We call on our readers and to play the fullest supporters solidarity the Do siDe o actions that will every locality, and the place in national demonstration called in London for December 7. Resolutions At the same time unionists, students and Labour must urgently memnoers press resolutions through their and national organisa- the demanding possible support for the Irish prisoners in their struggle against a savage and intransigent Tory government.

WHAT

YOU CAN

DO *Friday October 24: demon stration to Brixton Prison mark- ing outh anniversary or terenc McSwiney's death on hunge 6.30 outsid Assemble strike. Brixton Police Station. Called by RCT *Organise support activities taking place in your area, particularly in week of 2 when hunger strike UCLUDel starts. *Support National Day 25 October Action, Saturday with local picket protests.

Missiles *Lobby Anti Nuke October, Sunday 26 demo ,11 aNovember Speakers Corner, 15 *Support British Withdrawal demo which there. will have Assemble 1 pm, Embankment.

• A Hunger Strike coordinat- ing committee has beer estab- lished and will meet on Sunday mong an tr one or dop. ments in the campaign can be , obtained by phoning 01-267- 2004. While Socialist Press is lend- ing its support to the conferenc of the Campaign for Democrac Labour Movement November 15, urge readers who cannot attend that the attend comelenct demonstration TO1

SIISE

and a British withdrawal to be held in London that same day.

ITALY: WHO'S IN CHARGE?

SOKIALIST PRESS. meinesia: := Ocrober 1980

INTERNATIONAL

CRUCIAL

TEST FOR

LEFT IN

EL SALVADOR

El Salvador continues to About 70% of industrial and exist in an awful no-man's- almost all agricultural produc- tion was paralysed. land between outright milit- The also saw the

SULIKC

and the confrontation ary parucipanon residual violence of every- bourhood committees alongside workers' self-defence in neo-colonial squads. day life the Enese ToTeNtaCu society. massacre that seemed likely Saver Too piecus religious Since when the military intervened in sources sied in the Une

MYTOK

work centres. Udy s the battle against before the stoppage was due.

Ilavc the dictatorship

•21SIE|

vast majority of these casualties Gunpoint who never took up ae vikeuils arms, workers and peasanls wnu and organise with the All workers were threatened with redundancy if they came left but have not embarked on out and soldiers raided the bus armed struggle. Thiss the result of the US-backed 'counter- the buses out onto the streets at Hassiyy, campaign unleashed gunpoint. Nevertheless, very little pro- by the Junta this March under the guise of an 'agrarian reform'.

duction took place ane SHoos boycotted. The agreed general!

LO W

which

STECEL,

that the level oi attrinon Mas

WIKCIS ULUL

reached a critical point and that belongs to FAPU, did not come out but simply worked to rule Tne rk pobudl liuul oovus ition is at a strategic cross-roads proved and

LINE

Illay Have to be decisive in making the but appears strIke a strike rather than a call to arms. military from held back until offensive.

BESLLL

of early September when it came There are number cordination out apparent possibie reasons I01 tuls.

with by CULi alloilly Majano's forces on the 8th.

Harvests This failed and a new series of •OSLInCS anu First, Salvadorean society assured the 'right' wing of the and politics are to a large degree military total supremacy.

structured around the schedule Majano is now a spent force, of harvests that take place in even. in

BATS

owir tens. and the autumn. of the key military The large number of land- less wage labourers that trek the countryside in tnis penou are all important constituency for the organisations of the left, Illass and to call lor an uprising m lne middle of the harvest, the only time of the year when hundreds ot thomsenos workers Call earn any money, is considered "Does Italy have any suicidal. head of government? If so, mid- to late-November, how many and who is/are however,. the necamirv wil di without work and it they? once again is during this period of the year That, today, would be a test- that in mOSI exam question in asl militant. Italian pontics-a subject besiae The second important reason particle physics looks for the lull in the left's offensive simplicity itself. hi the cond e b co what is tne anwer! command-the

DRU-

Well, of course, in the best caused by the departure of the tradition of academic answers, FARN in September. depends wlal vu of orientation The the mean by 'head of government". If you mean the person who HARN aNO populat WIllE

FAPU,

wash che towards an goes to work every rsh led "progressive' alliance the Prime Minister's office and Junta by signs the letters, then it is still 11110T member Majano. There Calt He Prancesce LOSsra Was ittle doubt this policy deposed in a parlamentary vote helped deprive the FDR general of confidence at the end of last strike of 13-15 August care-

O LS

nonth. But ne remains a premier, такет VInOUL VISI0l "insurrectionary general This means of political support, paralysed and impotent. strike was calcu iol a tulce udy period, apparently denying its insurrectionary nature from the If you mean the person who constitutionally has been start. But, neve thetesu aure nominałe me mser oi failure the head of President from Pertini, then it is the Christian proclaimed by the international Democrat party leader Forlani bourgeois press. At the barricades in San Salvador positions held r Romeo men dictator Olsted

WILO

last October. Socialist Press has devoted considerable space to Showing how the present programme and orientation of the left will not lead to the overthrow oi capital- Ism in El Salvador It now clear that the military struggle is extremely army nerce-tne certami losing large numbers of men and Calut vuitt arvial alvaa Tne Commrsoe-out political as well as the military

FDR

is putting position of the une cerea or toe sunta useu u doubt. The activities of FAPU are but the logical nothing the

SIOR

oile cace other mass organisations to seek with 'moderate' elements of the bourgeoisie been eltect confuse the masses and head off StruLEIC allelo l Nicaragua is, in fact, сору proving a failure. Extended campaign This by means entails It the end struggle. oi the indicates that it has simply acquired a different character- that of an extended campaign of in the left attrition which build military dulc strength and the right continue who is the head of government.

Forlani has now formed cabinet based on the same rour- coalition as the Cossiga party Cycucil like CorsaCIcu. Cossiga's government, in order economic austerity impose onne masser OL worce a bid to alleviate Italy's growing economic crisis. Central Bank Of there is course, one theorv which savs that Italy's real head of government in Itals is the head of the Central Bank And it is true that through Its nistory o ce voecnc crises the Italian bourgeois state has developed very ability GeMee Lale financial, military 20001 oune sectors of the state to repressive function in the absence oi an stable government in Rome.

But that relative indepen- of the profesional full- dence time State che Tetely capitalist class ive capitalist class the Italian power it now needs to draw the pop wich ales ust lal se to murder scores every day in a because forces noot tacc itacee bUbulal Recently remaining Nca coe have There is no necessary point civilians the Junta at which a barbaric dictatorship, announced decors return to 'normalisation'.

This has been taken up with est vestige of popular backing is defeated simply by virtue of its the State Departm- ment and presented by the right own Daruarus l as an indication of the eclipse of Trotsky once argued vehem- ently against the Bolshevik of the elt e cae vcoly that leader Frunze 'middle way' mulaly there It is, though, the playing of a such unig as inherent proletarian tendency to dictatorship Calu- LI1C military offensive politically isolated and utterly Washington, strategy. dependent on is true. In of terms now training 300 arm!

WAC S

has to tactics and strategy officers in Panama to 'observe UliC human rights practicing take account oi tne balance or forces and material conditions, countr wsol ley wozlale to cannot presume There can be little doubt alll

DRU

ec ure Dule that it Reagan wins the election military terms. the US intervention will take an increasingly open character and But this is not the same to defending drop oclence as political mobilisation; there the "middle ground'. remains an ever-present require- Salvador itself the right In back in control ment

WOIK

furmly

IO W

revolutionary mobilisation and awaiting the time to launch the working class. a huge counter-offensive.

Dictatorship CoruiLuns must deepen and extend our with the Salvadorean In El Salvador today solidarity • TN19 intrinsically bound up task wolkes Deas lls LiCu struggle to overthrow the dic-

WITO

L.ne sunagge lo overlow tatorship and at the same time the dictatorship cannot call role Thus, while we of imperialism and the need to on this day o1 TOI aI OSIC that, we are obliged constantly break trom the bourgeoisie and call for insurrectionary fight for workers' and peasants' government. moonIsauon tne menclcc of the working class and There is no inexorable logic T neN 90% of the laid off about leeun ol tne working class and try to resolve the economic workers. crisis. presenting the deal nts, tone, it r no ne, fove is assemblies

COTI

workeIs. or none, leader of the Catholic trade one, union federation was greeted by politically adrift. The dangers of that becam and te see from ers mass apparent during the last three flee from the mass in Fiat's of total strike under meeting shower Turin factories against the crisis maSSes torn company's plans to lay off 23,000 workers. Far from over has developed SLIKe into a bitter conflict between As we go to press it is stil the workers and the agents of not certain if the employers and tol poremsen, cin ere Fald backed capitalsmn In tne unions Reactionary demonstrations of the "silent government, can force Fiat majority who want to work" have been organ WOIKeLS DaCK LO WOIK ised and there have been provo- A crisis in triat do, the indus- cative physical attacks on the trial crisis in is far from Flat pickets The courts issued a judge And the same can be said men ivi poa pree for the government crisis. scab worker who Forlani will soon seek a vote of wanted to cross the picket line conneence Before this could fully guarantee he will get. tested the union leaderships The attitude of the Com- cooked up a compromise returr TenISN to work formula. Party the short-term ns tales to prospects. guarantee the thousands of jobs Secretary Berlinguer provided state but hinted that he mav be willing to stane funds to temporarily cover soften opposition to Forlani if Page 3 the CiSaStrols second-hand Sandinista policy of 'Broad Allances. New! Socialist Press Pamphlet con- laining analysıs oi tne military coup by the Bolivian generals.

Defend Bolivian masses against imperialism! Price 32р incl p&p from WSI Box 5277, London WC11 BM Berlinguer paper conces- ne wakes some sions to the CP's UDUSILIUl positions. Certainly • be ter olinis leaders must fearful WiTCs was umeastec by the unions' militant stand the early days of the aRl SatKe

No joy for Thatcher

CBI PLAN TO WOO MORE

TRADE UNION OFFICIALS -

backers •industrial base, this conference wake of the In the changes in the law unti there has been "time for proper and government to hysterical displays of sup- urges the CUSt the North Sea revenues considered judgement on for the Thatcher port and scope provide direct need

IOI

anss alce unconvincingly strategy action". trade and industry." stage-managed at the Tory Steel and ceramic manufac- Elsemhere employers who high energy about conference, British larcis mcll nave so loudly OrCes. i ane evel Vela vical employers seem set for a far the past "Iree enterprise some qualms "government disquiet in a motion that: and more sombre conference. in industry piead interierence CBL's fourth annual the government's Ihe SuPPOrts for the fores to act to reduce for controlling inflation, begin on policy 1s to Comel Cuce import penetranon, but is concerned that the action November, an0 will interest rales anu eneiey cuss this anxiety over the state of necessary that saenreve and even help create new jobs.

the economy and the effects of major problems and causing well as Thatcher's policies now predom- damage in industry. U turn hardship amongst those who are years' inates strident demands for more anti- and allied manu- The bosses from the CBI's Electrical union laws. themselves the seven among naro n wet n ecoz TaCITeTS SnO W tabled under the Council for instance call for worried that the Tory ryd verar resolutiulls a 'U' turn by which they their Thatcher to do neading InoustTia relations. the most significant come from implementing NEB-style fellow emplovers put in ortice 1s creating conditions for imports seeking investm o pre ao mei employers ciciceil the wipe them out of existence.

serious contraction of eve UKS order prevent 7201 more acton dealils! that there is unions but a nalt to lurtner 1 ney alzuc discuss the best way of achiev- readily available to CBI handbook, more A new ing this: incentives for instance; involve themselves in industrial Trade Unions in a Changing relations matters at plant level.

"Apart from increasing their Challenge number, the : quality of officials World: The This in turn requires substantial This is Management, has just been the number needs to be improved. increases industrial partly a matter of paying highe since published, spelling out how

ONGEIN.

and better salaries relations Drob ems recult crucial to employers is the able more immediate attention if control is bereis tu allal cultivation of a pliable layer abdicated the people to the job. steward or to the workforce".

are wondering how you of trade union bureaucrats union could reaso nably and tame shop stewards. VOUl offer higher salarie. The

CBI

that more fringe benefits conlolalls Our money while unions can be too power- officials, just wait till you hear ful in their confrontations with the rest of the CBi package But this will cost money: management, "But job security •Lilt

TOO

that in relation and the CBl is honest enough to For this important. reason, admit that they think it should their own would be preferable for to weak that is used to to appoint all executive officials members ley aue ollel ve vur hulicy and ineffectual". rather than nwovice fiem wkn rn. salaried posts, an effort to remedy this, plain-clothed policemen: provide for their election for a 'Undoubtedly the real level period only the soos ms al ivEcosi rixed of members' subscriptions needs strengthening the hand feel appointed official may union officials, detaching them rise finance such an freer to act in the interests of increase in numbers. from any his members as he sees them KaROl accultd Nevertheless the bosses want bility to theishop l aor.

than at their behest". officials to see a better calibre of collab.

are to. Never mind the niceties of substantial orator making the grade in the restored occasio nally they democracv And position of influence, they must bureauclaly. argued so nypoccany In tne Tory press. This would obstacle : to the culti- simply vanon or a leaders!ip sunavie lo the employers: "It is argued, of course, that of Makers of election une pest Wal ensuring : a close link betweer officials and members and tha would distance appointment them eee seoe tion in desen- mere epaten than eeno, reduction demo- Modern would be mere than out weighed by the increased authority longer required the officials no to satisfv a fickle electorate and Marxism sn the Bi sko togn ung benefits sel lo ved DraIse! certal convenors who "can co-ordinate and may be company-onentated than more an official. although without the By Terry Eagleton official's wider perspective Out of hand But they warn that some by shop stewards run courses The moas can cel out oi nailu.

"Courses run by the TUC at local technical colleges by

STILL AVAILABLE

unions at their own educational This Socialist Press pamphiet contains articles by establishments necessaruy are ol Terry agleton on marxist theoreticians from the time less value than a of the Comintern to the present day-Lukacs, Korsch, courses which include training Benjamin, Marcuse, Sartre and Althusser. Gramsci, what neers TO

KMOS

Price 65p including P&P from WSL, BM Box 5277, within his own particular work- London WC1V 6XX piace-and employers increasingly concerned that such courses become conflict- based by teaching stewards how defeat management than solve problems". "selective" for case" SuIone controls on Japanese imports.

Textile and pottery demand

LOU.

incasule. protect them against overseas competition, as do CBI regional West, North Courtis yorkshire ano numbersce Indeed even the patriotism Ihe dilemma oi wnetner or not to allow mass meetings to take decisions is also debated- there are of course pros anic for management. Too cons much of a link between leading stewards anc Thel Has. membership may discourage the stewards from simply acquiesc- ing to every attack: 'There needs, , of course, to be a balance struck between the benefits of such mass meetings and problems involved. the all, management must CA DOVe retain control of the frequency of such stoppages of work; cost needs to be considered, and on practical the oirs communica- first instance may tion have to be confined to stewards.

"There must be a balance between obtaining the views of For the grovelling dele- gation of TUC leaders who crawled in to Downing St. for their much-hailed meet- ing with Thatcher last week week, there was nothing but Tory contempt. Howe flatly and natchel rejected the miserable five-poin!

lame-brained con- cessions sought by the TUC Ihey nao askea lor a cul in interest rates: import controls to "threatened

DICLCLL

hustics with extermination : long-term for growth in "'core plânning industries" of North the use Sea revenue. and restoration public spending cuts. With the exception of the final request-a ludicrous one to this Tory government- put to oi these evely one

DULCIC.

Hlas been tabled by sections oI tne CBI for their annual conference next month. Starting point fighting for the far trom independent interests The

TUC

working has, ke lie Miaue is slaltulle policy Tory industrial tacitly by called an anguished demand from th . CBl's Southern Region that: believes

COCCICC

that the contecer on British Industry should remember that it is constantly British". membership on every issue the and encouraging representatives influence. to lead and of 'mandating" problems inhibit stewards from taking the job in the first place" Indeed the e CBI point out the "check-off of the avantaces system of collecting union sub- from pay at source. scriptions Management stand to gain most by the way this weake. Unt links between shop stewards and members, they argue time stewards tse same should be wooed by the com- pany-being offered i guaranteed pay and the prospects of promo- SO that they can be persuaded to stay on. YeTUne onenCCSsU] much has outpaced from the homespun advice Doses concuclalvil - TUC bootlickers- sent packing point the fight to restore the viability of British capitalism And far from mobilising the strength of the workers' move to bring down the Tories, ment they tried in vain to use the fear "uncontrollable ot socia. to scare the Tories into making concessions Anger Alan Fisher, TUC president, warned that despite the craven collaboration of

TUC

cut and leaders with everv lor closure the frustration anc of unemployed despair the soon turn to alzeı ll a direct and forthright way unless the .government changes its policies. course, is the last nat. the TUC thing leaders They that the members would throw off the control not only ot tne ones oul parasitic bureaucracy itself The Tories recognise that the and this reinforces their

COLCH U

The construction of a prin cipled socialist leadership in the and the labour movement Thatcher though rank file But sides savage enect. Thatcher's monetarist policies- down in the mouth, llidy Thev ate sall concerted wita cae maximise best strategy to exploitation By Terry Smith lay-offs have become the rule of manufacturin inausty, many empioyes seeking simply to behead the union organisation in their firms militants -by seeking c oul kev and stewards as the first targets for voluntary redundancy.

For trade unionists the Issue is not simply to combat the subtle techniques for more leadership their corruoun: spelled . out in the bi nana- book, but, more important, to fighting strategy to acoDl incorporating the defend jobs, occupation of threatened plants the fight to open the books of the employers, and the struggle mobilise full scale supporting local and national acto ulla level in tne ligne to oring dowi job-siashing Tory govern- NeHEL. mobilisation action oi mas. against Torv T.n e consauutl ii vital to change this situation.

Len Murray

500 join fight to renovate Leicester's killer houses •

SLUMP: PRESS GROPES

FOR A SILVER LINING

After the fifth fire in August 200 angry tenants workmen were round travelled to County Hall in suate une pouses. oree noles Leicester last Monday even- were drilled in the outside wall and insulation was inserted.

ing after a mother and her burnt Sune nouse three year old son died in a down Monday had 011 fire. insulated. one resident occupied the building "It hasn't made much Dosted. for 2½ hours until representa- difference but the to us tives from the Housing Depart- birds in the area have fire-proof ment came to mecl lucill Tests Sixth fire The workmen carrying out the job were horrified when a are angrv that this enants une sunnon is the sixth fire in a year in steel built houses on the New Parks They downed monday in protest. In June after the fourth fire in three months tenants threat- 'No fault' thing was done immediately.

the houses A year ago Both the council and the fire were re-wired OuLSIUC contracțor, and many tenants that the work was there fault in complained wiring or in the structure of the Credo Willi WIlC sticking out of walls and sockets houses-and the ThaT hanging off. accidents are due to people.

Labour-controlled Leicester public meeting

TCLI

City Council insist that the steel which 500 attended on Wednes- each day evening, council spokesmen houses safe-yet claimed that down in less than six minutes.

October 1979 had "better than Feel richer this month? In this context the pathetic retail price Well, drop maybe you hadn't "we"-the Tex anecdo ine press and noticed, but mass media last week can be British capitalist economy- more clearly for what it is: "our" were in surplus on une murs ou mass ment and long term industrial payments last month to the devastation. tune of £444 million. This, along with other Working' (equally deceptive) pieces information have been dutifully Thatcher declared that the relayed by the press during the of inflation drop the rate week in an etroit to that "government bright side' to the gloom and policies are working" unleashed Tory TeLeSson Yet the fact is that retail economic policies. rices in the private sector ar Falling demand eing held down through the of cut-throat •_comoe- balance of payments The tition which is squeezing the surplus reflects a drop in the profit margins of manufacturers of goods-which itself pips arlo relaters flows from falling demand in squeak. the recession-hit British market.

Only so long as the slump 01 Cats. 101

SURNAT DEND DAR SATRON

instance, has dropped by 17% in at rock bottom will prices be volume in the last three months.

forced down in this way-at the indicating the from expense comites of the British car industry, and bankruptcies of the weakest points the fall in consumer spending as intlation and redun- but at tne sgniest gumme.

dancies take their toll of work- mann acture sales toi and ing class living standards.

Imports overall slumped by restore their sagging profits by a 9% September, and nave fallen by 6% over the last three months. But industry in Britain itself continues decline. The weekly toll of sackings topped and 14.000 agall lasl wecK. figures show that output industry has now manufacturing below Taren 1968. Surprised Output in August was 10.7% below the average year-and even that includes the increased strength of North sea oil production as a compensa to the decline of other sceluis. Even the Thatcher ment seems to have been sur- prised by the of the extent helped N13190 lave unleash. Chemicals, textiles, engin- eering, food, drink and tobacco industries are among the hardest hit in a generalised pattern of us de Clusules average fire record"-the average oeing one lire per Jo nouser per year. ret of the 500 steel houses on une estate. less unan s have burned down in one single year Meanwhile in Hull, a tenants' acton committee is stepping up the fight to force the council to renovate 150 steel houses.

Not successful The campaigners claim that Scunthorpe Counci carried out such work on 500 houses-but despite a successful fight to stop le du core on uchoud! ing hazardous buildings, the they have not been successful in then Cally cost renovation which is estimated at £6,500 per house. various areas of the iney were bullt p materials-designed to last 15-17 years. Now are paying the heavy price SUCCeSSIVe to provide adequate housing.

tidal wave of price increases that could well dwarf previous infla- tionary crises. The monetarist strategy clung to so tenaciously by the Thatcher one government which can therefore succeed in its long term goal of restoring profitability the strongest of capitalists onl expense monumental the devastation throughout manu- facturing industry Chancellor Howe is still refusing to offer even a token concession to his growing body critics in the 0I b1g business form of a cut in interest rates.

Gro wing But last week he did point out that as they liquidate their crisis-torn the British economy, British indus- trialists, bankers and speculators up their drive for are sicoomg investments overseas. "Private sector capital out- ilows are growing", he told plump gathering of well-pleased bankers at their annual banquet.

Howe Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement

CONFERENCE

"BRING DOWN THE TORIES THIS WINTER"

Saturday November 15 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Digbeth Hall, Birmingham Open to all labour movement bodies Credential £1 (unwaged 50p) from G. Webster 169, Barclay Road, Smethwick, W. Midlands Angry tenants invade County Hall

CAMPAIGN FOR

DEMOCRACY IN THE

LABOUR MOVEMENT

Public meeting 'Kick out Callaghan's Gang' Friday 31 October 7.30 pm. Len Fagg Hall 71A St. Johns Rd Tunbridge Wells

CAMPAIGN FOR

DEMOCRACY IN THE

LABOUR MOVEMENT

Public meeting "Fighting the cuts in Camden" Wednesday 29 October 7.30 pm. Friends House, Euston Rd include Sandra Speakers delegate to the Plummer, Party conference Labour (in personal capacity).

STOP IMPERIALIST WAR

DEFEND THE SOVIET

Page 6 overwhelming The the emergence in ine last lew years of a new US military support within the workers' stralegy for a policy of movement In place of the "deterrent" unilateral disarmament and seas embodied into all sile "Mutual Assured the growing hostility to the Destruction" (MAD) has come a imperialist

NATO

alliance call for a "flexible" was reflected vividly in the of waging a "limited" capable speeches and votes of dele-

USA

war between unc and its subservient NATO allies gates at the last Labour on the one hand and the Soviet Party conference. Warsaw Pact Union

LIC

A massive demonstration nations on the other. expected the summer of 1980 October march called by signed Presi- on President Carter Nuclear for Campaign dential Directive 59 which gives

CALC

Disarmament against new effect to this shift by altering une arms race of Tories are course more of the US 1he More and stepping up arms spending-with nuclear arsenal will henceforth four Dulliase amed specnic sovie sub- rident nuclear-armed military rather than economic marines from the US at a cost oi targets-supposedly to allow the over £5 billion. present Lilt Gay But the frantic pace of the (Reagan?!) to threaten selective being and limited military am Deranst firmly set by the American USSR short of all government out annihilation. US-controlled Cruise New A key role in this new turn is and targeted persning missiles, played by the US weapons to be on the Soviet Union and East stationed in Europe. workers' states are to But far from this increasing suropcan be installed in European NATO the European "security the three countries nations agains une dramatically increasing invasionist spect of a "Soviet veals. the 2-1 numerical superiority in invasion", such siting Europe-based "tactical" nuclear medium range weados merel warheads which NAIO already guarantees that in any military enjoys over the forces of the were Warsaw Pact. erupt, Ine Moviet mutaly authorities would have no choice but to launch their own MX system European missiles targets US In addition, the And while the American the next seven imperialists argue that a over years to bring into service 3,400 in e approach to ine use ol Cruise missiles new nuclear weapons eliminates launched not from ground units the fears of Mutual of sulliv but from bombers-at a A cured cost of $4 billion. "limited" nuclear war Within the USA itself, Carter more thinkable, and thus more has given the go-ahead to the new $100 billion MX entirely Europe itself missle system, which will mono- engaged at

NATO

the polise 22,000 square miles of command land in the states of desert "hardening", airfields and other Utah, and -they military facilities against nuclear Nevada hope-provide the ÚS imperial- attack, ana developing commun ists with the awsome possibility ications systems that would not 'first strike nuclear blacked against targets Ine exposons. a calle war which imperialist Meanwhile the budget chiefs increasingly feel military Carter to military research, development, test and new weaponry is evaluation' $16.5 billion for staggering 1981 The $1.5 billion allotted to the MX missile alone is more than the allu development budgets for the US Deparments of Labour. tion and together with the Environmen- the Protection Agency, несета! and the Centre for Disease Control! objective of the imper- ialists in such colossal expendi- not "Defence" in any ture conventional sense ol ine word.

Offensive They are seeking to achieve military superiority sufficient the Soviet Union and the over workers' states to ensure imper- ialist control of the colonial and sem coloma councils. being installed by the US now in fact offensive imperialists 1s and nature. Pershing missiles stationed Europe are designed not for the (which Europe "detence would be largely obliterated the event of a nuclear conflict "theatre" which

SUCH

"tactical" nuclear weapons were used) but defence of the

USA

itself. Indeed alongside the deploy.

Ernest Bevin back left ment of new weapons has come to be a distinct possibility.

As much as four years ago US Defence Secretary James Schlesing er pointed out that: "We continue to deploy our theatre nuclear forces Europe and Asia. In the

DO U

case of Europe, wehr de three we have three Dasic ments. First the maintenance of theatre nuclear capabilities in NATO is essential to deterrence.

deploys theatre long the as forces of its own. They help to dete the use of nuclear weapons b the Pact and along with our and nudeal stratedd tional forces, provide a general deterrent across the entire spec- trum or possibie aggression Second, should deterrence theatre nuclear capa- fail, our bilities source limited other than the early use of US and allied strategic forces.

with keeping 1 nira, NATO's flexible responses we do not rule out the sulategy, the use or nuclear weapolls States and its allies United should prove necessary contan and even a H rentional attack by the Warsav Pact". Defending USA For the US imperialists, European-based therefore, weapons are a part of detending not Europe, but the USA, the use of US and early allied strategic forces". And US cheis do not even rule oul a use of nuclear weapons to stem conventional hypothetical attack in Europe. match bathe than th2, and but in laci American than thi proposals for include cra use of nuclear bombs "allied" eliminate resources in might or neutra courtes unal be of value if they fell into the hands of Soviet forces. Far from defending Europe, US would under military conditions real flying conInct utcraly thousands of sorties dropping The Potsdam conference: Truman and Stalin- with Labourite 3119

TOTANY

NO 20807 bombs nudear on citles civilian targets in the capitalist Western Europe counties and the Middle East! Even W. German Chancellor Schmidt, a vigorous defender of US imperialism's war plans for Europe, has admitted that: "effective defence of Europe would only be possible time or in geographically short it would lead limited rapidly • to Ene Europe .. a war which, though regarded as a limited war' by be no the superpowers, WOlu less than a war of annihilation the countries of the battle 10. field". "Theatre" In fact the use of Europe as confrontation between long-range • arena US Stalinist allu bureaucracy in the Soviet Union dates back War to the Cold period of 1948, when the USA first stationed strategic nuclear bombers in Britain mid-1950s,

NATO,

tne under US command, began t "theatre nuclear aC0I0) weapons in Europe. From then until now

NATO

has had a numerical and generally a tech- nical superiority over the forces of the Warsaw Pact. bureaucracy res- Soviet ponded to this naked threat by developing 1TS own weapons alongside its nuclear strategic long- colo illit rangence the early 1960 the early 1960s the

USSR

has had long-range Western wicker European tiplets Soviet triple-warhead SS20 frequently SOSsues referred to by the imperialist threat warmongers as the introduction requing Cruise and Perse SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 October 1980 Lab QU

GA CLOS

- THE

SM STOP

external stability NAT O) are simply more modern • 1r "democratic" imperialist with French

SOIS

reames are deployed not only imperialism. They produced a search fo against Europe in the West but respectability which from 1934 against China in the East.

The difference is that while onwards took "Popular Front" alliances SS20-with maximum European CPs and between the range 4 UU maes "democratic" bourgeois parties hit targets in the USA, the new to be aimedat and is poin tare US Europe-based weapons This policy led by the Stalinists sabotage ir mass strikes and occupations

USSR,

ana inus constitute France, and, more signiticantly new threat to the major the defeat of the Spanish revol deformed workers' states.

ution at the hands of Franco's The fact is that while the imperialist powers have sought fascist forces Having failed to establish by since the verv tirst days o manoeuvres a stable diplo Russian Revolution in 1917 to SuCh find reversing the matic foothold with European ways bourgeois governments, Stalin historic gains of that Revolution 'Popular the logic of and restoring capitalist exploi

LOOK

tation in the world's first Front alliances with bourgeois workers' the Soviet parties a stage further-and in state, signed the notorious bureaucrac Stalin-Hitler Pact which suppos- side the miles to cen all else to achieve secured the borders of the above with the "peaceful coexistence" imperialists. The folly of such methods Pursuing Stalin's uto Dial demonstra dream of building "defence' was country ted vividly in 1941 when Hitler one "socialism 1n the Pact back- unilaterally tore economicany and commenced the invasion of ward country encircled by the Soviet Union! hostie atone cus The Red Army-deprived of -the Kremlin bureaucracy has by Stalin's proved itself and again „Des and completely purges more than willing to sacuuice for action was caught pared interests and sabotage the struggle of revolutionary unawares after major setbacks hopes of

WOTKED

and huge material currying favours with the imper- losses was the invasion eventual- ialists. the Nazi armies lv turned back routed, and the Red Army able dot the one the ari Alliances only Soviet ring nion bu th e European In wake Eastern countries oI Hitler s victory over the German work.

reaching as far as Berlin 1933-a victory Even then Stalin's main pre Clas facilitated occupation policies of the mass and deals with the imperialists sectarian in the final years of the war was German Communist Party unde influence Stalin's directions-the Kremlin not to carry sought further into Europe, but to re increasingly senders

DRIVE!

UNION!

ur Must

RATE

Europ steal with imperial. Shek) agalist Jnion Even the Stalinists in Britain, B.: he imperialists were still ciled Icsoonsive to the existence Kremlin foreign policy, the and wished struggle her military Trotskyists in the Labour Party superior- Soviet Union. for a policy of unilateral nuclear attempt disarmament. he Stalinist leaders 1957 a Trotskyist-backed

CITE

whatever lo do resolution calling the Japanese- disarmament already was seeking terms Norwood CLP for the fittender-that cas took the decision to Party une conference in Brighton. It was attacked nuclear bombs Gaitskell and the right wing 10 U Nagasaki also by the former darling of the left, et Aneurin Bevan. Bevan's line al of approval discussions Moscow Kremlin leader explained that he did *emlin bureaucrats a unilateralist policy adopted eat of approval to the Britain Hiroshima European 6 1945 by nuclear weapons 'allies" in declaring could counter-balance the USA and tan three days later. used counters, argued Kruschev.

15SR nate of the faks Bevan weeks came back denounce approached unilateralism emotional spasm", and declare- the moves to a surrender. in terms reminiscent of William Rodgers and David Owen today Sialinist press in Britain USA enthusiastically -that British both Secretary could not go " bombing une into the conference chamber".

declaration of war, The British CP obediently took intelligent people know up uls line. accusing the unilat. nomic bomb helped to eralists of war and thus saved The CP denounced the establish- being By

JOHN

LISTER

says deapons Bomb TEr the Soviet CP General Secretar Gollan inose his Party's 1959 1950s Conference to wage an explicit as always chluck on unilateralists, intrigues Tor Emphasis on opposed socialists the issue of unilateral disarmament in a way which has tended to slow up the activities . of the forces of peace, when utmost time al a is the need... for unilateral ulully The real tabled Issue is what will by unite the Labour greatest number get rid of the bomb. e think that every experience only has shown that but agreement on unilateral renunci- make arion on hear weapons a con- dition fight for came after peace only divides the with Bases". It tends Kruschev-who to divert attention all from the issue -interna- not want tional agreement". bases. In pursuing their goal of an "international agreement" the imperialist leaders the Stalinist began a bargaining of feting the then President General Eisenhower US the French as "an Thorez publicly leader criticised those Stalinist municipal councillors who general end had failed to testing obey CP Political Foreign Bureau instruction to attend a reception pledge for the imperialist war-chief in and Paris. office. Ill Italy. ton the Stalinist daily It paper formally declared that: "sectarian" •We Communists of Rome salute Dwight Eisenhower and, twist policy

THE EUROPEAN NUCLEAR BALANCE

rati the gravest danger but unsuccessruly -: Trotskyist demonstrations I:: country, sharp no world wars the extent of class is carbarism in the pursuit of larsed But the! profit. 23: =3 arrival of the Commes Pers global class collaboratior a peaceful persone Opposed coexistence. It was not the Stairs bu It is the right and the duty Trotskyists organised ::und of the workers' Newsletter who is: themselves with demand modern techniques and weapons the lead industrial action to ral: nuclear for defence. weapons But of course the privileged Newsletter pamphlet in bureaucratic caste March 1958 was entitled political power in the deformed "Black the H Bomb workers' and the states Kockel It called mentally opposed to the devel for action by unions opment concerned to stop the construction of bombs and powerful potential mobilisation masses the semi-colonial Campaign revolutionary struggle for overthrow of capitalism And it correctly So long as the demanded Labour Party and deformed NEC mount workers' international isolated remair campaign for working class action to nationalised property force an in a hostile world dominated by to the _ manufacture and finance H Bombs, ot capital, and itself to halt such tests remain an ever-present threat of war-a war more construction moment Labour was elected to the WOrK destructive and final than any previous experience. is significant to note that The struggle while it was the therefore bound up Stalinists who tailored their policies to a national and inter- national level for a revolution- and everv turn of the foreign of the Kremlin, it has ary leadership within the work- ing class that can mobilise the Wi miss it Poseidon with the Thompson se the varied signatories to the Арні 1930, но с о сен Appeal European Nuclear he sovie the Haunched April Soviet moves = sa bamament nor of the unlatera in Europe with the workers' states which moves of the imperialists, when they declare :: imperialist bourgeoisie ir that: We do not wish to appo which has shown ton guilt between the politica and military leaders of both East and West Guilt lies squarely on both parties superpowers to the withdraw all nicer from European territory. weapons We commence to as it a

LIUS

united, states to arm and Europe already exists. • We musi most learn to be loyal, not to or 'West', but to each other..

East Workers must contrary learn to be loyal not the that holds smooth-talking liberals who ar protes the issue as simply one stands funda protest and : propaganda, to their own independent class the most interests. weapon: the working International gain imperialist countries in The proletariat, as an inter- the class, nanoma focus Soviet Union main struggles against its ow bourgeoisie in each country, an states fight to defend the nationalised enclaves property relations of the Soviet relations Union as an international gair for the workers' movement.

there And the working class of the deformed workers horrible, more fight in their own defence not states must by military/diplomatic methods of their against war is leaders, but through the over bureaucratic with the throw of these leaders and the struggle for world revolution

nested is Ocober 1980

DRIVE!

UNION!

says our Must

T NATO

ROCKET BASES

MAKING H-BOMBS

millions of lives". establish a basis ior peacelui (Pamphlet: Atomic Energy coexistence nerween deformed Soviet workers' state and Social Progress) capitalism Stalin himself according to allu tie power elsewhere alta, US Trendent Tehran and andost Hithe ba endorsed barbaric action Potsdam Stalin agreed with the imperialist leaders "All he said was that he war carving up of the world into glad to hear it and hoped we 'spheres of influence" would against the Je thesed use of it Stalin was willing to betrat struggles revolutionary years, Within Three Italy, Greece and Viet- US imperialism would France, course, Bomb deploying the nam and even China (where in Europé-against the Soviet 1945 he signed a 30-year treaty Chiang Kai Shek) in Union! with Even the 1950s pursuit of his deal with imperial- the ism But the imperialists were still Stalinists in Britain. as alwavs responsive to the intrigues of Kremlin foreign policy, opposed to the existence and the USSR and wished ot surele establish their military superior- Trotskyists in the Labour Party for a policy of unilateral nuclear ity over the Soviet Union.

disarmament. was аттетої то intimidate the Stalinist leaders nothing whatever to do resolution calling for unilateral -and tabled Norwood CLP or tab Lab our the Japanese- aisarmament with decame who were already seeking terms of surrender-that the Party conference in Brighton. It attacked only by Americans took the decision to was not Gaitskell and the right wing. but uneaste nuce bomos on also by the former darling of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Aneurin Bevan. August 1945. ' Yet Bevan's line came after discussions With Seal of approval Kremlin leader Kruschev-who explained that he did not walt The Kremlin a unilateralist policy adopted in Directa Sapphe seal of apolo to the Britain. Hiroshima European nuclear weapons 6 945 br could counter-balance the USA Dom b on AmousE joining the "allies" in declaring used bargaining war on Japan three days later This was in spite of the fact evan came back denounce unilateralism as "an earlier been approached to act emotional spasm", and de•lare- the moves to a as med lator in in terms reminiscent of william Rodgers and David Owen today Japanese surrenaer The Stalinist press in Britain British Foreign and in the USA enthusiastically "naked Secretarv could not go into the conference chamber".

we comed

DOLI

une and the declaration of war, The British CP obediently took claiming that: up this line, accusing the unilat- "All intelligent people know that the atomic bomb helped to of being sC Clairla shorten the war and thus saved The CP denounced the establish- By

JOHN

LISTER

With grateful acknowledgements to the Guardian in the name of 250,000 elector electors ... express our confid- ence and our determination that he great hopes for peace whic vere aroused in the hearts of a hopes created by the peoples, between the President of the United States of Americ: and the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union. shall not end ir isappointment. he May 1960 talks betwee Eisenhower and Kruschey were ment of the CND in 1958 as a in fact followed by a renewed "split" step lurch towards Cold War politics peace movement. with the U2 spy plane scandal In 1959 CP-influenced union and tensions over Cuba. eleanons a cool car line with this situation conference voted against the scores of unilateralist motions.

and growing pressure from the Young Communist League, the 1958 CP pamphlet Close the SIND'S Aldernas ton marches round to support for all US Bases called not for unil unilateral disarmament, but for: -and supportinett the

ENDS

the pacifist and reformist and Tacare inse пс en leaders. weapons by interntional agree The Seady ship had fought p ment" unsuccessfully-to CP General Secretary John Trotskyist their banners off Gollan chose his Party's 1959 Conference to wage an explicit aemonstrations and to avoid int sharp class issues that they attack on the unilateralists. ic for: Emphasis on the raised. But issue of welcomed tney arriva los the at perspect a to unlatera disarmament in a wa with global perspective which has tended slow up class collaboration and peaceful the activities of the forces peace. at a time when utmost was not the Stalinists but nice the great sume l Trotskyists organised round The Demander he solead unite greatest number demand

TUC

to lead DeODe o derra or me borro industrial action to halt nuclear We think that every experience has shown that make weapons. Newsletter pamphlet in ancemen on unarera renanci March 1958 was entitled "Black ation of nuclear weapons a con- dition • of the fight for peace • Rocke le n bomo It called for action by Bases" only divides the movement.

all unions concerned stop It tends to divert attention the construction of bombs and from the real issue-interna- bases tional agreement" In pursuing their goal of an "international agreement" with Campaign the mellist Stalinist parties began a cam- President General Eise tower paign of feting then And it correctly demanded the Labour Party

NEC

mount international IoI Htench Header Callbac Thorez publicly criticised those working class action to force an Stalinist municipal and general end to the manufacture and of H Bombs, testing and to had tailed to CP obey obstruction to rid a represe Political Bureau pledge itself to halt such tests and construction work the moment Labour was elected to for the imperialist war-chiel ir Paris. It is significant to note that In Italy, the Stalinist formally while it was the Stalinists who daily declared paper thative Communists of Rome tallored their policies to every twist and turn of the foreign policy of the Kremlin, it has salute Dwight Eisenhower and.

THE EUROPEAN NUCLEAR BALANCE

= mies 100 unambiguously fought war movemens ror a orcibe defence of the Soviet Unior The whole of the period Revolution Russian the sunce has confirmed that the war danger that stems from and Unt contadicuons angles searpo for way to destroy its to destroy ways nationalised property relations of the workers' states Trotskyists, in defending every historic gain i made bv thi working class do not stand neutral in the face of such a treat. We are in favour of the maximum defence of the Soviet we car tol Tne nuclear disarmament not of the workers' states which deformed stanu m mie daves earer ou of the imperialist bourgeoisie in each country, which has shown by two world wars the extent of its barbarism in the pursuit of pronil. Opposed It is the right and the duty of the workers' states to all. most themse ves With Ine modern techniques and weapon: for defence But of course the privileged bureaucratic caste that holds political power in the deformed WOrKCIS „stale. stanus lunda mentally opposed to the devel of the most opment oI use powerful potential weapon: th mobilisation of the working in the imperialist and semi-colona countes revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of capitalism. so long as the Soviet Unior and deformed workers' states isolated of remain enclaves nationalised relations in a hostile world dominated by finance there remain an ever-present threat of wal—a war more nortoie, more destructive and final than any previous experience. against war is me suede therefore bound u with the fight on national and inter national leve for a revolution.

ary leadership within the work- ing class that can mobilise the Page " Polaris/Poseidon mass struggles necessary for the defeat of capitalism, overthrow of bureaucracy revolutionary the and crater Thus while Trotskyists of Workers Socialist League the will be participating in the mas demonstration of October will do so from our ow independent argue pacist leadership tonat has opposition emerged witn the resurrection of the CND We do not agree with the standpoint of E.P Thompson and the varied signatories to the Nuclear Appeal for European Disarmament Ahe soviet hose rat Soviet moves with the detence in burope aggressive impesialists, oven they declare moves the Inal "We do not wish to appor tion guilt between the politica of both mand West. 2100 East squarely on been partic.... es Guilt ask superpowers li withdraw all nuclear weapons from European territory ..

commence to act as if

MUSI

united, neutral exists. We mist and Learn to be loyal, int to mast Europe already or West", but to each other. the Workers Tearn to be loyal to contrary approach the issue as simply one propaganda but of protest and to their own independent clas interests. International gain The proletariat, as an inter- national class, must locus it main struggles against its ow fight to defend the nationaliser property relations of the Sovie Union as an international gai for the workers' movement And the working class of the deformed workers states must in their own detence no military/diplomatic Tine methods of their bureaucratic leaders, but through the over Inrow ol inese leaders and the struggle for world revolution.

THE BIRTH OF FRENCH

Pige: Trotskyists fought in vain for a united front of workers' parties to combat German fascism

TROTSKYISM

In France, possibly even leading particular unions and elsewhere, the branches. more than However, in 1930 theUnified Com- bolshevism' of the with Opposition split munist Party was the most sy naicalists seeking to uistanice doubtful. themselves from the militants of whom the Ligue The Per was born out or the relatively late conversion of the thev accused of wanting to take Party over the trade union movement.

which,

O IU

•octalist In 1931 Collinet and Rosmer ahe sacred soon and national Gauche 'sacred union' and national «ounucu chauvinism in 1914. Communiste April 1933 a unification In Marcel Cachin svmolises the well relationship. held among fairly Comess was Trotskyist fail to une nO l Bordigists refused to take part. Lenin himself. The congress ended (in October mere handful of militants Monatte, that year!) in new splits.

and around Rosmer The Ligue together Souvarine. with Naville defended proletarian interna- Union tionalism to the bitter end.

Molinier. Communiste was born, led by who Apart

ITOM

Nonalle. did not join until 1923, they Collinet and Fourier isolated. all involved in the creation Treint were remaler stayed outside the very soon Souvarine ot the congress, publishing 'La Critique opposed the Stalinist line and with were expelled colaboralon Simone Weil and others. Souvarine published in 1924 Trotsky recognised only the part of Trotsky's New Course During years 1925-29 It included several opposition groups were only a few workers, and these persecution in had to undergo aro una publications: the actors due danas or lue The 'Zinovievist' Treint with Stalinists. published Girault Darre 'L'Unite Leniniste'. Lacked means Monatte and Martinet published 'La Revolution prolet- The great mass of worker: arienne'. did not understand muCa Maurice Paz expressed him- the still PCr self in 'Contre le Courant'.

of the October carried the glory Fourier revoluTion

WOIKCIS

published 'Luttes des ciasses sympathetic to the PCF, and Barbusse the review 'Clarte'.

themselves, to believe not bring had hoped Iot

L TOLSKV

Trotskyists were wildl une unification of these groups but saying. came nothing. these hopes Further the opposi- more, Souvarine split from Trotsky in the tion lacked the means and 1929. militants publicis positions and to implant them La Verite With only a In une work places. few dozen members struggled: In September 1929 the first the PCF and To reform La Verite' Trotskyist weekly the Comintern. Unti 1933 thes the appeared, willie continued to regard themselves Ligue Communiste was set up of the Comintern, members The main leaders of the LC in Naville, despite expulsiulis early yeals in the fae of the fascist Rosmer, Moliniet a00 гтанк. menace proposed They joined later by workers' united front to struggle younger militants such as Rous, physicauly against Ine orgalsd Crampeau ana Koussel tions of the extreme right.

the same time this period the PCF During 'Unified O pposition' was set up was following the hird Period in the CGT (the PCF controlled line, believing that the situation union federation). upposinon- and ists such as Cornette, Engler and was revolutiall denounced the social democracy Collinet had some successes in as the twin brother of fascism.

In Germany this same policy suicide une orolelarial and all Tee Him to Come po CP kept power. of its strength tor attack-

MOSI

ing the Socialist Party, going so far to vote with the Nazis as against them. Criminal policy Moreover, according Thaelmann, secretary of the CP, the fascist trees should not blind workers tne socal lascis forest. by the lazis would on would Nazis any SnoT could only accelerate the arrival did of the revolution! In vain criminal Trotsky this allack policy me on pods, hen "rom Hitler power, Calle trotskyists nad to mouny wieu perspectives. The German movement

WUIKCIS

destroyed and war was already inevitable. It was necessary to focus on new tasks, the construction or new parties and a Fourth Inter- In France, the fascist menace and the workers' response opened (February which was ic Lead the popular to

TORI

1936. Drawing out the lessons of the Austriar (Terman the Trotskyists analysed events, of bourgeois demo- the collapse cracy and the pontical polaris tion between the extreme right and the extreme left. a workers' They bro Dosed united front, , thé formulation of put workers' militias, forwaro the slogan arming workers, and elaborated a trans- itional programme. The Trotskyists and the SFIO: Entry and exit. time . The But was pressing. Communiste was far too Ligue weak to implant is programme the working masses. At among (August 1934) they entered the stu. Why the SEIO and not the

PCF?

Firstly, because possible there to develop their ideas openly, Lilt structures of the PCF would not Moreover the Stalinists were conducting a lerocious witch hunt against them. , because the SFIO seconuly. was then the most important workers' party. ranks of the PCF had of been aepielca In the notorious Third Per100 when its adventurist policies had tie lasses. hardly comprised more than 30,000 members at this time.

claimed much figures, However larger case that the

PCF

certainly the had to await the turns of 1934, towards a policy of 'unity' and more so of 1936 to become a mass party). The Bolshevik Leninists (as called them- the Trotskyists selves) for their campaigned let a wine i pose gary within party Revolution- (Pivert's travele naire) and won the leadership 1 of the of the Seine Teunesses Socialistes (Craipeau.

Rous). But this activity earned them

SFIO

the bureaucracy. • During Inl Deroc

SFIO

and the PCF were the a degree of coopera- achievilig tion. United front The Trotskyists had long cooperation, in the perspective for a workers' united front, and workers struggle Ior power The reformists Stalinists had quite preoccupations; the differen turn that they had just executed was with the aim of, at best a with a fraction oo vular bunl of the bourgeoisie (the Radical Party) excluded revolutionary and 'national front even a cort ol sanctioned by the Laval-Stalin pact Stalin had turned the page on the Third Period and opened the page on alliance with the bourgeois democracies. out its hand not only to the SFIO but also to the Radical Party It voted for militarv credits the Chamber of Deputies. to was heading towards Everything a pnase or social-palmolism (sec SOCLALIST PRESS, Heanesday is October i »:.

In this issue we begin an occasional series of articles on the history of the Trotskyist movement in France. This week we present the first part of a study of the movement from the beginnings of the crisis of the Comintern to the outbreak of the Second World War. It is based very largely on 'Les Enfants du Prophete' by Pierre Roussel, who was at wrote the book associated with the the time he British 'Socialisme ou Barbarie' which had links with the Solidarity grouping Trotsky's Whither France?' and 'Lutte new

TO THA

Letter the workers of Ouvriere' replaced 'La Verite' to The France' dated 10 June 1935) 'La Commune' and

SFIO

before In August 193 / the warren encountered repression by the expelled the leaders of the JS of Popular Front government une semne. al was call tall of of the Bolshevik-Leninists.

accusce fermented the massive factory movement Some crisis of the Trotskyists: The Thorez (CP leader) weeks later 1935-36. naving explainea to une workers The departure from the that "One must know how to strike" in Trotskyis his turn srIo caused a crisis among lie end Trotskyists, which brewed for the denounced agitators and provocateurs" who several montis There were groups, pushed the workers to continue inree which in reality were two: that the the strikes in tne nope Bolshevik-Leninists, movement would break strike led by Naville and supported by down, in an adventure harmful Trotsky. They published 'La to ime working clas Verite' Unfortunately for them and 2. The young socialist revol- working class the for the Craipeau such utionaries

TOTSK VISTS

Zeller, originating ir kous and influence Certainly nel Thee analyses and slogans were clear the une Delic being derived published from ana correct Bolshevik- allied the were Trotsky's Whither France?' and related documents. Lenists. The group led by Molinier of their weakness But the and Frank, which published La eloits, ana tnen lack or mipial and opposed Commune' tation in the class lusions id with the widespread illusions otner s groups The political conflict the Blum and noter on Trotsky's accusations based workers harboured reduced held and Molinie to, in Deutscher's phrase thal rIank 'centrist' positions which wett 'Prophets disarmed. A Lieu those of the left wing of the efforts were to no avail, the mis- SFIO led by Pivert of the revolutIon There was also a conflict on inevitable question of the paper. The the Witch-hunts by the govern- group published Frank-Molinier and the lies and persecu ment its paper ownfinanced tions of the Stalinists had faile O1 factional basis weld togetne directly by Molinier on the basis com pos is the rou of dubious fiancial operations arguments which same In addition led to the earlier split continued organised the Groupes d'Action

(GAR)

which "Molinier Affiar' revolunonalre con had escaped from party control.

tinued to give rise to mistrust Trotsky intervened in a decisive and polemics. Frank expelling The internal life of the POI Molinier and some others vicious composed Wait December 1935 disputes, factional cabals set up their own group bureaucratic procedures "La and continued to publish regarded Was Commune They seemed dangerous crook by Lotsky all proletarian base have a relatively the majority of the POI leader- as a result of their earlier work ship, and he was expelled in the GAR. Frank followed • close behind Their group took the name him. Ine lormer lui was recon Parti Communiste International- stituted and "La „Commune' iste (PCI). reappeared. The split was com- months later there plete. was an attempt at reunification of the two groups. Out of the short lived fusion Continued next week

JSR

and

PCI

the of theGBL Internationaliste (POI) was born

Scots conference calls for

OCCUPATION HALTS NEW YORK

HOSPITAL CLOSURE Labor News I TALIST PRESS. Heiresias 23 October 1980 action on jobs The recent conference to bv 5% and an end to all exemp- tions on prescription charges.

fight unemployment organ- of Ewing's (The militancy ised by the Central Region stands marked Trades Federation of contrast to his position on the Councils and held in Falkirk election struggle leauti silly was an outstanding success.

wilm ne cabour rary wncre along with another twelve 100 dele- Labour MPs, Attendea oy over Scottish 15 trade publicly linea up witn ine light councils •trades wing in the Party). ano severa oca cavour rallies.

the conference unanimously Indifference adopted a fighting programme (see below) A motion was also passed Bill Sneddon, Secretary of the the rederation. speaking mn tae demonstration to protest against morning, praised the unemployment in tne centrai youth and trade who Region. The main the nad emonstralcu al le lory O1 Party Conference the previous conference was that there was Friday. no future in trying to change He especiall fascist drew atten- Thatcher's policies the only

TION

style course of action leit is to bring methods of the huge force of this government down. police defending the Tories. This position was even • local echoed by Harry Ewing, callous open hostility of the Tories, MP. about to be seen in the he said, has pointed out that a spate of closures and redundan- context of 11.000 unemployed in the Central Region, 9.3% of cies in the Central Region could the workforce, with virtually no way be blamed upon no

JODS

avalable unc

MIRILY

foreign coming on

#INUILD

industrialised Falkirk-Grange- The sriniso markel. mouth area. called upon trade alsu Redundancies unionist maximum support to the campaign to keep Callendar Park Teacher He cited such local instances as the redundancies at ulynwed conese. ПО й unuel and the Carron Company, threat of closure. , layıng Sneddon's the blame for a drop in demand After speech, for consumer there were manv contributions antone ane Tory imposed cuts from the audience, several draw- door of the experiences of building and renova- upon bitter ing I House tions. sugees Icuunuanci Ewing highlighted in the area. also

EETPU

Jim Newlands, IcaKed proposing reductions in unem- member, commended to ployment and sickness benefits conference the establishment of Police wade into Harlem hospital occupiers After nearly a ten day workers and youll including

AFS-CE

Local occupation and an attack by 429 and many other unions dozens of police, New York Democrat Carey had massive suppor said mayor Koch would find the funds to Democrauc with most of the prevent the shutdown of the along Sydenham Hospital capitalists were stunned by York Carey's The Wall New The cave in which Street Journal lamented occupation was the had supported by hundreds of that ponticians a centre for the unemploved supported by the labour move- ment in the and used as a area focal point for information and the monationstance Moving and the of alternoon Kowiano the

TGWU

explained the relevance and urgent necessity each or me Domts la contrasting the of the confer- fighting resolve ence with the likelv outcome of the STUC-organised convention in December and assorte anand v against this position John Hendry, Assistant Secre STUC speaking lary oi ne the close of the conference record of sought to defend the unemployment and the further dismay of a large body sub-committees of the affiliated of the audience, proceeded trades councils with une remu for imposition of Calli Tn e of mobilising for a permanen selective import controls.

une nemploved 11 Cone lor the area and a maximum turt "Unity" demonstration in Liverpbet.

November 29 under the He also managea, call for "unity" , to guise of a Other trades councils should of defend the record the last lead consider To lowing The given by Central Region and ser Labour Government ano mero.

present right the wing within about organising similar confer the Party. ences m tner own areas No doubt if Hendry had not A priority in this must surely timed himself to the last now be with Ayrshire would have faced speaker, he recently announce cosure or the ICI plant at Ardeer with some very shao CLICISIs The conference marked a sackings and the ongoing major step forward in the fight struggle 101 Marine Construction Central Region. Hunterston. The next step must be the implementation of its decision.

through the establishment of reprinted from caved into charges of racism and the city budget yeals and used 0 v COmE WRILY Curs nave been asid pressure politics. This could pretext to completely close set a "bad" example of how the facility but for now it stop the cutbacks the is not to be. to Journal worried. Shows the way The struggle to keep the hospital open in the black of Harlem This important victory community has been going on for over five shows the way to stop the Programme of Action adopted by the Conference. 1. Organise the Unemployed.

Ensure that the unemploved do not leave their trade union.

Set up unemployed branches in each whereve possible District Committees should consider a greed recruit Hell Can bas to unemployed who may have dropped out of trade union membership, and conside recruiting unemployed Those people who may young Obviously the feasibility of doing this will vary according to THe nature on the trace unot concerned. The trades councils should allow observer status to organisations unem The ployed. closures in every area from schools and fire- hospitals, The rank and file of houses. the workers which backed should demand that

HOW

their unions fight for this as policy every area New York. Page y A similar policy of maintain- ing union membership should be adopted for retired members wherever possible. • Branches of the Scottish Old Age Pensioners Association encouraged to attend the trades council meetings as observers.

dancies. coordinated response from trade unionists in the are: is needed to fight redundancies.

Where branch is redundancies and decides will to take action to ignt inem then we must ensure they not isolated. Every step must Di taken to give support action from all sections of the trade Шn01 movemen The Federation of Trades Councils should be the given of co-ordinatie responsibility this effort. 3. No cuts in local authority Services We call on local authority representatives to else to implement the lon for the trade union movemeni pledge its the upport te urge controlled

LADONT

COCA

authorities in Scotland to unite together in a campaign to refuse to implement te lory govern policies. This would mean not just maintaining services question of rent and rates rises will result from the which governments economic poncies 4. Defend living standards Taking a cut will wage! not HelD unemploymeal l ally anne i wir renuce demand are make the situation worse.

The crisis is a crisis of the capitalist hidden incomes policy and fight Tall coves or the in ease i gie wages which give living. Full support is needed from trade unionists to resist the lory attempts to cul unemployment and security against Tory attempts to cut the value of the pension and benefits 5. Open the books. wnen companies trouble it is trade unionists who are asked to make the sacrifices employers when redundancies and for sation. Pt coons increases to consider Tate ation is given to the social havoc created in local communities by that They measures companies open their books and prove the state of their finances Find out are ine, trouble Then can put to the forward Fight back against the redundancies. flood of redundancies has been great, industry many

INORIST

back has to be started. No more redundancies. Work sharing with pay should demanded. 7. Work sharing and retraining: Fighting for a shorter work- ing week, longer holidays and an earlier retirement helps leads to im provement in lifestyles if they are coupled with no loss of earn- genre aces overtime makes these New tech- makes demands nology also to be linked to manpower and retraining agreements where technology 8. For an alternative economic me his crisis is a crisis of the CholaSt System are as SIc cdi only be solved by changing the allowing greater system drastic cut unemployment and: HOne have chosen the latter path and any changs can only • take place Ton removed. Then it is a question of replacing them with a govern which chance mre systen. we causoi affiliated branches to fight to the development of such ensure economic alteralle

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

League tells workers to occupy firms plant and machinery. Demands for the opening of councillors workers committees to reveal the need to nationalise the and trade union leaders the firms'

LABOUR

have been slammed for their "futile" responses to the latest jobs cuts in Winsford, including the employment on closure of the Metal Box needs, not on profits. will put which 500 on the dole. A meeting of trade unionists, available factory shop stewards In Winsford last week and convenors ulation condemned the "lack of effec- tive action" by councillors and factory and launched their own proposals leaders Mr. union to fight redundancies. of some week thousands the backed by Workers Socialtst League, will throughout Next. leaflets, Winsford factorles spelling out circulated their proposed course of Included in the plans is the firms threatened with redundancies all tion. to show bosses that the fac occupation to be thrown on to the scrap heap going not tories are With workers by the economy on a world scale offers the a way thousand taking Tory streets oppose TIVe leadershi policies there is plainly no which un tocays strucores ments lack of the advance organised working class. lidat yet the existino trade union also can be ase int bureaucrats and Labour leaders parliament. whether The Workers offer those perspective Ledque workers prepared

TONE

ment tientino defence dares, social sebose san deman- jobs, stan- out to build such a principled leadership in the working class cratic wonts. in britai "nese can only be detended through policies start Which independent interests of the which, working class, Internationally, class, has internationa affiliated the to gain and everything notnine Trotskyist International to lose trom attemois to restore the profitability of their "own" Committee, which fights for the employing class. reconstruction International In a period where the contra- dictions lead aust system force ine wnoesale Country closure and destruction or the forces of society, the parasitic socialist planned cracies in the and to stop the siripping of for the defence of jobs.

"We believe that shoptioor workers will see our demands and ask their leaders what are thy toilino de to defend jobs The traditional trade union of Incapable elected we solution are doing it for them," he said.

books to leaders are the providing whole branch of industry. In- formation in the books should then be used to formulate workers' Worksharing on full pay and with a sliding scale of hours distributed between the whole of the pop waters coneds of actor t work. work defeat united employers. Murphy, spokesman for the group, said: 'The traditional Labour Dave adopted defeatist policies and futile ex- have ercises like writing to a Tory figureheads M.P., Sir Nicholas Bonsor, who with will have no sympathy an open • union leaders are issuing listing our demands for them in stand up and fight and to ask them. to trade We their policies letter From last week's Winsford Chronicle: them what are What more can we say?

JOIN

THE

WSL!

degenerated workers' states.

invite We readers Socialist Press more To achieve such a perspec details of the WSL dea to fin us in the stringle for necatu beyond socialism. protest Hitalicy Socialist Please send me more details Trotskyist move. the Workers Socialist of League. Name . Address newly-formed Liaison Tine and the building parties in every the struggle Send to WSL: BM Box ano 5277, London WC1V 6XX. stalinist deformed and

MERSEYSIDE

FACTORY CLOSURES

Fisher Bendix Leyland Dunlop Meccano - Why campaigns woro lost di "how they can bo

JUST OUT

A new pamphlet produced by the North West Area of the

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Workers Socialist exposing the League betrayals of the trade union leadership in the fight against factory closures and the policies needed to defend jobs. Price 27p including postage from WSL BM Box 5277, London

WCIV 6XX

Trial sub (UK): Six issues.. Six months One year.. Europe:

DAY SCHOOL

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PRESTON CUTS

PROTEST

A successful lobby of and County Hall, Preston was Akir sher Many areas School organised by the have been reached by Campaign Meals in Tuesday Blackburn, Lancashire last Hyndburn, (14th) morning. Preston and Great Harwood The demonstration was held a lancashire by the •to comede ted County Council Education o-commotee General Purposes Sub-commit- teaching tee meeting to discuss proposan year's education from the already budget. meals service. The Conservative controlled Council have dogmatic- County the last over ally adhered to national govern- doubt ment directives to attack educa- tion and social services be successfully defended.

In their enthusiasm to attack The ing stand ares or workers and to inflict further hardship low income families, this on even Council made demander are thatcher administration: demanded Support Although the central issue of the directed towards school have continually need to defend other areas of the educational spending. at same time. The campaign has received support from school meals staff teachers,. district and county councillors, trades councils, Accrington MP Arthur Davidson SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesda: 3= Outer 9:

DON'T GO INTO

THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!

SOCIALIST

For a

PRESS

clear lead in the struggle against wage control, cuts and redundancies

RATES:

..82 £8.00 £14.00 £9.00 Rest of the World: .. £10.00 Six months.... Please send me trial sub/six montha/one year of Socialist Press. I enclose.

Send to: WSL, BM Box 5277, London WCIV However, the major political lesson to be drawn from this 1s highlighted by the fact that the cut back proposals were accep- NUPE General Secretary of Lancashire Struggles to defend services, the jobs and living standards just carried cannot out • Iron all subourt colles Chorley, The Fylde, Iso anor Blackpool, Darwen, Apparent victories in one struggle are detracted area The long list of cuts (accep- attack

TONI

wiel General Purposes workers is simply transferred to other sectors. It is essential that 40l teachines as her councils of action are buit to does not defeat all attacks, that there is posts) mutual support and that the strue is are also inked. sector depleted school priate : is only by • the mass inde- work of the campaign weeks pendent action of workers anc tew contributed to this and the unwaged that a successful defence working class shows that jobs and services can interests can be carried out.

Fisher

BIRMETALS: 27 Lambeth Labour SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 22 October 1980 300 workers from Bir- metals Ltd and their suppor- ters last Friday marched through Birmingham in the pouring rain to a rally al Digbeth Civic Hall. The protest march was to gain support in the citv and to publicise their case. There were number of Lace umon bodes represented.

particularly TGWU, and a large collection was raised. I ne was especialv important in view of the signif- icance of the : conspiracy against the y00 Birmetals workers WnO since April 25 have been laid off and then sacked. During this period they have unemployment received benefit, no social security for dependents, no strike pay and no cuunuancy money. In 27 weeks they have had to rely solely on donations.

Even after they won a test case for unemployment benefit, the Inspectors Offices tabled an appeal against the ruling-thus stopin comment. company, part of the Bass other castoroup in the other factories Midlands, has got around the necessity payments in the closure of the factory. They have done this by provoking a dispute and then sacking everybody. The dispute was over the refusa of the com- pany to negotiate a pay review.

Twelve workers went on strike, then asked to fill their jobs.

When they refused the other workers were first laid off, and uner sacked. The company use the and or applied house building. There were a number of speakers at the Digbeth rally mcluang ine local Labour MP Peter, Archer who-forgetting the bitter disputes under Labour could only happen in the particular climate created by this Tory governm well. Archer suggested no BUt form of action. Derek Robinson, whose own case most soeakers said brenared Birmetals way for the The attack, also spoke He said that what was neces- be was ior the strike to made official by all the unions, and that it should be escalated throughout Birmid Qualcast.

He also said that a delegation

UNION DUES

WEEK JOB FIGHT

from BL Longbridge was from stopped going on demonstration-under the threat of the sack by management!

Bill Jordan, AUEW Division- al Organiser, announced from 'the platiorm that the action had now-after weeks!-been made official by his union. Dut une AULW Mionv se money up to the point successful claim The unanimous decision of officials In the Contederation ot Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions to accept a miserable 8% pay increase on penal ot 2 million workers is a major sell-out. The decision has already given new heart to the Tories as thers reing standards stil as they standards stil ler is winter Though the vote was unan- imous, other l6 unions selected AUEW President Terry Duffy as the front man to publicise their betrayal.

members should lobby the next National Com mittee of their union which is deal- endors The l demanding it be rejected.

Department Employment appeal-because of "legal technicality' He argued that the dispute was about the legal question: looking getting redundancy pay". To look at getting the jobs back, he said is an "idle dream".

Des Morgan, the convenor, Out now! Bringing together recent material published in Socialist Press, this new pamphlet details the crisis in BL, the collaboration of the union leadership with Edwardes on the future of BL and explains how BL management are manoeuvr- ing this on year's pay review. Price 42p including p&p from WSL BM Box 5277, London WC1V 6XX. Offsballl

AT THE TOP...

Just two weeks before hosting the November called for support for a mass labour demonstration and picket this movement confer- 24 Local Government in Pray october The ence factory gates. Crisis', Lambeth Labour He said we must "show we Council together with its are

LIUL

LIC

leader Ted Knight have Employment Bill". Mick Brightman decided they have from the no Gardners option' but to implement occupalon solidarity of that strike The Tory policy and sell off committee. council houses. Throughout the not single speaker attacked This ungainly retreat the trade union leaderships.

defended on the grounds that if That a strike can go on for the council aoesn t then government montns belore being made official, and that the only direc- Will intervene and do so directl tion given over the heads of councillors.

ten onclals Is towaras seeking redundancy ALEW isa disgrace Reject The leadership has 8.2% scandalously accepted increase for engineering workers at time of 17% inflation, a BL pay that Ilal question" is saving jobs!

But then they help to sabo- tage the fight for jobs at a major plant! Action must be organised offer! both inside and outside Birmids against the management. The

TGWU

for example, which has members sacked. has At talks between the power to bring this firm to a Leyland halt. management and But the only real basis for the National Joint Negotia- getting those in work to support ting Committee, the com- the struggle around the "final offer" pany made a defence of the threatened jobs.

of 6.8% and 8.2% on over- une lactory shova ve re opened-and all available work time and shift premiums. throughout the group shared on means 60р

GUNS

full pay. ot the £5.40 offer to oIle The mass picket on Friday production workers. should be fully supported and The offer is extremely con- all finance sent to tentious work oce ud has received only 5% at each of Dispute Committee, the last two wage reviews Longbridge, Londonace rare.

NO O 10101 R HANCT3

Birmingham B31 2TW. 16.8% over three years. indication of the feeling on BL wages was given last week when meeting Cowards membly Cowley Plant and a meeting the Body

CAR INDUSTRY CRISIS

raanl DoIn voted to reject the original 6.1% offer.

ven the highly bureaucratic

A POLICY

JNC has relected the new offer.

and have called a senior stew-

FORSIBL

meeting Monday to next wilal to do

WORKERS

But this is only four days the settlement date, away meanine unal mass meerugs to take action-if they are called!

will only be a day or so before Lial uale. important The most question will be the position taken by the union leaderships.

If they leave the decision up co individual plants instead calling out workers- une Call only umited action-then they know this to be a recipe for defeat. ine opportunities are there to link up with miners, water workers and others whose review date is in November.

WELL THE TORIES HAVI

...IT'S TIME FOR A

MANAGED I0 ENORE

-REAL CONFRONTATION

OUR BRIGHTON DEMO

- CMON LADS. GRAB YOUR

SKULLIES. WERE OFF 10

TO REASON, SO...

I DOWNING STREET!

AND SO, AFTER 1½ YEARS OF "INDECISION"

THE LEADERS OF THE PROLETARIAT ARE ON

THE MARCH-THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH.!

IT'S NOT ON!!!

SO ON REHAIE OF THI

BROTHERS HERE AND IF

IT PLEASES YOU, YOUR

• HIGHNESS MOST GRACIOUS

*I FADER OF OUR PEOPLE

WE BESEECH YOU TO BE

NICE

AND KIND TO YOUR

MOST LOYAL SUBJECTS

- SAVE OUR BRITISH

ECONOMY: KICK OUT

THE FOREIGN

RUBBISH AND

| MAKE BRITAIN

GREAT; OR ELSE...

Page 11 votes to sell Yet only a few weeks ago who are frustrated beyond Knight drew a rousing ovation belief at the from the trade union leaders and the bulk of Labour councillors to lift a ence wiel die moved. tion calling on the NEC to co meer alanst une curs The Lambeth conference on vramale achion including inaus trial action to halt the cuts November promises to be a In his speech and in fringe large affair, aclerate meetings spectrum of trade come ence made it clear that he was calling union and Labour Party bodies in effect for general strike But if it is to be any more action to defeat the lories than a talk shop it must set its And he repeatedly and not face firmly against the kind of uncorrectly) rounded compromises cartea out by tne Lambeth councillors and Laut unon leaders. атаскіпо their abject refusal • to declare all-out war on the Tory defence of jobs and coveranent Vital social services Counclors could not carry Rejected Lambeth it is now Every cut in service, every 150

NAILITU

members in' the closure, every redundancy must housing department who rate and rent rises leading the fight against the used by councils like destruction Lambeth. lasi year way as a housing-by refusing to imple- round the Tory cuts-must ment the council's decision to rejected, full and a scale fight sell. ware for genera down the Thatcher bring Newcastle government. the draf! Aircrumcnts lo resolution designed to spell out Like their colleagues such a policy have been tabled Labour-run the Newcastle. AUEW 16 branch • Leiceste refusing

NALU

members are supported by Socialist to send out forms. or Organiser, Socialist Press and mation on house sales-though the Campaign • for vemocracy In appucations are being loggea Labour Movement. this kind 01 We urge to the significantly arising from the Lambeth conterence to suppor tIeS amenaments and step ut union, The which offers the fight in their areas for action lead of thousands to defeat the Tories. workers throughout the country Ted Knight (left) on Lambeth anti-cuts protest

BE SEATED, GENTLEMEN. MRS THATCHE

WILL SEE YOU IN LESS THAN FOUR HOUR!

HOLD IT THERE.

NO NO MA'AM, YOU MAY GET US BOOTED OUT

OR ELSE WHAT?

-AND FIND YOURSELF UP AGAINST SOME

— AKE YOU

UNCONTROLLABLE MILITANCY!

THREATENING TO

BOOT US OUT?

Published by Folrose. Ltd for the Workers Socialist League, BM Box 5277, London WC1V 6XX. Printed by Morning Litho Printers Ltd., London Registered as a newspaper with the Post Office. Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Workers Socialist League.

PRESS

TO STOP

CRUISE.

While they continue to press for a massive further build-up in the nuclear armoury of US imperialism, both President Carter and Ronald Reagan this are week hypocritcally parading disguised apostles of "peace' and detente. installing Even Wille and lethal long range Cruise and Pershing

HISSICS IN

suropea has

NATU

countries. sought electoral support by reviving the idea of endorsing second suralege Arms Limi- tation Treaty (SALT 2). NATO Alliance At the same time the new military junta installed with the blessing of US LurKey imperialism has agreed condi- tions for means still further cuts in health the readmission and social services. weece to me anu-soviet NATU alliance. Wherever you the new war moves that repres- look, aggres- ents an sive preparations are being made class: the ov tne imperianst countries order strengthen their posi- square Leg made It clear that in attacking the deformed workers' tion in relation to the deformed states the But this war drive is not itenas also to impose dictator ial military rule over any British intended directly as a threat to attack or invade Eastern Europe

SUI VIYUIS

and the USSR: rather it is a part Canst. ists to maintain or restore its control over semi-colonial xternal repress and contain the nation st working class, while the bosses regimes in Central and Latin Africa, the Middle ana mer cloue or generas and administrators East and Asia. their secret bunkers. o intimidate and it neces- crush anti-imperialist sary struggles in these parts of the World War 2 world by overwhelming military force is the only option left for a world capitalist class insoluble economic crisis means the Kritich starvation and abject misery for dictatorial laws countless millions of oppressed workers and peasants. Thatcher and leading imperialist.

"fascism" Working class cucis bian co crushune workers movement Soviet opposing And the war drive is also 1Sm part and parcel of the attacks on Thev are driven increasings towards such a position by the

WUIKI?

Class imperialist countries themselves.

logic of the capitalist In the USA Carter is to spend $100 billion on has developed in the anarchy of Ine new missile system while slashing capitalist development that only back spending education, a wholesale nospilals anu soctal security.

productive And Britain, too, on a world scale can Thatcher's £5,000 million plan surviving sections of to buy four Irident submarines prospect

SOCIALIST

STOP TORIES

CARTER '80

напото (homer stadt-Anzeiger. assured profitability in the longer term. But it is not only the cost of The Thatcher government's monetarist on the working policies-traumatic as unev seem tol workers and Operation for weaker sections of capital- fall short of the devastation British capitalist class 'healthy necucu restore profits. Yet the fact is that for the overwhelming majority of man- ot the nuclear holo kind there is no crisis of "over- The main tasks of the armed but British live safely Just as in word War Two helped to push us further towards our target.

imperialists imposed against the wile supposeal 1201 today we are to meet the remaining £500 by the beginning of December.

the name "totalitarian- So crisis the Thatcher government destruction treacherous Labour and trade union leaders.

Our address is: Torces of cantalim offer the capitalists restored and October bitter climax of death necessary". from the prisoners' struggle in 1976 by lican militants as taking imperialist oppression. Though forces, subjected to kept for months special remanc insist that these men production". On the contrary willi there is simply grinding poverty Jall CaTe "criminals". and a chronic lack ot the most Dasic necessities oi lie. It is the capitalist system, based production not tor need but fo profit, that is unable to utilise and expand the productive Iorces. To end the war danger; to defend and extend the produc- tive potential developed under end the appalling capitalsin. lo poverty and deprivation in the economies, cabilalsin must be overtarown In Britain this means that those marching against nuclear October • 26 join forces with those sections of fighting the Tory Further spending cuts. the tens of thous faced with redundancies the anas and closures, and the millions suffering fall

LVIS

struggle to standaras. in mass by London Labour Party at bring down the Thatcher the weekend "pressure" of NO amount will stop this Tory government put forward a manifesto for th acting as an imperialist govern next GLC tasK ol everv anti war campaigner now is to fight expanding services way possible to defeat in every statement ¡alie all carry forward En passed declares that: against Labour's leading Mass clique for workers' govern policies led ment based banned could become the focal point of socialist economy. a national campaign, involving

FUND: STILL SLOW

With another £100 to add to the £64 that came in the previous week our Special Fund continues to come in too slowly. Fortunately a collection of €120.00 at a national aggregate meeting of the Workers Socialist League has However, we really must achieve a higher weekly income on this fund if target of the first £1,000 by November 15 and the Inflation may be 'only' 15.9% but we are facing continual increases in our costs which just have to be met. That is why we are asking our readers and supporters to consider giving just one day's pay towards our fund. If you have not sent us a donation yet, why not send us a day's pay today. It is an investment in the struggle to mobilise working class action to bring down and the conditions to deal with the create Socialist Press Special Fund, BM Box 5277, London WC1V 6XX IRISH PoWs

LAUNCH

HUNGER

STRIKE-

In a few days' time-on At present there are some 27-republican 450 prisoners prisoners of war in the 'H' nave been engaged tor as muc Blocks of Long Kesh prison as four years in the courageou in the North of Ireland will blanket protest, in which they go on hunger strike "to the prison have wear clothing or do prison work-an if have been forced to remain cla a blanket in freezing only in This desperate action flows filthy cells. four year the restoration of Appeal This was stripped from them For years the prisoners have the Labour govern appealed to the British labour ment, in a bid to portray repub for movement ior support to ther struggle. arms against British Yet almost unanimously the by special trade union and Labour leaders who readily protests contally savage interrogation procedures end Hilla allu one statu have remained deaf and blind to (as the barbarism of their own undeclared iorm of internment).

ruling class in nearby Ireland.

arraigned before special, no-jury courts, and sentenced to jail in desperaton prisoners have now embarked special horror of Lon what could rapidly prove a imperialists (and the for help. Hillar. If any of the hunger strikers simply common Cont'd page 2, col 5 London LP move left other Labour councils against signs of the the cuts, for left in the Election and the vener: Labour Party were shown at election of a Labour govern- the Special Conference held ment" it any specific demand tor omit any specific demand strike and to action. limit the The decision was made to electoral strategy this statement provides a elections defying the starting point for a struggle by and CuTs local others aimed at defeating the which was Tories. opposition to Tor Labour

GLO

It also allows scope to avoid the incorrect strategy of fighting we cuts by increasing the rates.

The declaration does this by including Cantle government nationalise the and annul local compensa reed GLC , says the • ag manifesto free loca would the burden of debt charges and allow a state bank to grant interest-free loans local services and Lunt developments adoption The of policies such as these bv a delegate con.

ference shows the feeling of the rank and file and the • possibilit- its opened u • wnen ine vice-uke grip of the Callaghan leadershig is prised loose Such policies must be excluel practice must be linked to demands for strike action and for local authorities themselves to repudiate debts the focal as the mobilisation workers for the defeat of the Tory government.