Socialist Press no. 23

CHRYSLER, INNOCENTI...

DEFEND ALL JOBS

OCCUPY AND UNITE!

Italian car-workers demonstrate against short-time working is certain: the threats to close down Chrysler car production in Britain and Leyland's closure of the Milan Innocenti factory are postpone an all-out fight between employers and unions, on and wages in the car industry.

The world-wide recession has brought a slump in demand for cars which has sealed the coffin on the 'boom' years in which simple trade militancy could drive up slender and maintain or improve The defence of jobs is now the most political of questions The cut-throat fight between the monopolies for an increased share of a declining car market forces jobs them on to the offensive - dem- anding unpaid speed-up, redund- ancies and 'rationalisation' of production in the form of plant closures. This rationalisation, the because the crisis is a world crisis.

takes place on an international level. This demands new measures fight it effectively and defend jobs. operation."

CLOSURE

British Leyland's closure of the Innocenti factory also threatens jobs in Britain) is one part of its all-out drive for rationalisa- tion and speed-up centred on the Ryder Plan in Britain The closure follows a series of ultimatums to the work- rejected force that htey accept a 33% redundancy with a simultaneous massive speed-up. Leyland's withdrawal is also in line with its recent slashing of its Australian work-force, and the closure of its Spanish operations. In Milan the closure was immed- iately answered by the full-scale of the plant, and

OCCUANOT

one-day strike throughout the Milan area called by the Italian Metal Workers' Union but beyond appeals to other capitalists to buy the factory, and nationalist "oreign capital the es the union leaders offered no perspective for a fight.

CHRYSLER

Way In Britain likewise the proposal all the to shut down Chrysler production focussing is a part of a programme of crisis measures being to preserve equipped, the US-owned factories. This multinational. The threat 25,000 Chrysler Ryder plan. along with thousands of workers, Workers others in related jobs, has caused aismay and contusion among con- venors and Labour MPs. function While Stoke convenor Bob Morris talks of occupation in the case of closure, this is to cover his the inner complete lack of industry policy fight •TO redundancy, which he is clearly order, willing to accept. As said: ne "Of course recognise that the state. many jobs will have to go.

knowledge At the time, Pat Fox, Convenor ot Puta,

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

to therefore, Chrysler movement the to take car hands of the occupation, 'negotiated' for the plant to shut for the whole of December, and allowed the work- without compensation. force to leave the plant with only many (if prospects that any) of them will work there again.

Chrysler Innocenti and thus in defence highlight the central need for quite diferent from programme. to fight the attacks contused reformist the employers and defend all the ionalisation' in the motor industry. No problems can be solved in the firm being made existing system of ownership.

speed-up, At Innocenti, there is talk of ures) Fiat buying the factory: in Britain at Alfred Labour seems where 1,200 certain to try to stagger the closures i sacked after the by providing a limited subsidy for what the Financial Times calls "a scaled-down Chrysler work-sharing on full pay.

But in the dwindling market for cars (in Britain 19% down on last year, with huge factories working below capacity, the sights of national frontiers, employers organise

SCLI

reducing the number of plants, and fight the multinationals.

production Stewards from well high exploitation Chrysler is the joint class action employers to open the books and have no interest in the reveal real state propping up Chrysler or Innocenti (Some of the manipulation taking Both are part of monopolies which place solely interests page 5). ane of the capitalist class. So it is vital that workers learn workings of the Call its finances, stock- The turnover, its relationship to Shop the suppliers, to the banks to national meeting of stewards and and Because only with such invite delegates from the Innocenti occupation committee to speak and can workers prepare to manage a planned, nationalised call for support. ers to open the books to elected committees 'pressuring Leyland to maintain overseas investments, but to show international wor- On Sunday December 7th urgent need production out of the demonstrations gathered profiteers, several cities in into the hands of the working class, demand a complete amnesty for political prisoners. Close to

NATIONALISATION

Madrid's Cavabanchel prison, as elsewhere, the demonstrat- Our demand of nationalisation of jobs is therefore ing workers were dispersed by the the police with calls for 'nat- customary brutality. made in relation to Chrysler, which simply envisage the Large numbers were injured in baton charges and by profitable (by mounted police. Over redundancies and clos were arrested, 100 of whom were under state ownership detained. Herbert's in Coventry, workers have been

REARRESTED

state takeover. The demand must be linked to Earlier in the fight for workers' management, the day Camacho, the Labour Commission and the defence of all jobs through What steps must flow from the lessons of Chrysler and Innocenti?

Firstly, since the attack crosses The suppression fabricated so-called "left-wing coup attempt" in Lisbon on 25th November has resulted in whole of series democratic and anti-working class measures by the Portu- guese military regime and its Sixth Provisional Government.

The events of the alleged coup must of necessity be obscure from this distance, but there can be no doubt that a series of provocative military moves were arranged by the right wing to force out into the sections of left-wing open

NO CP SUPPORT

Though the military workers must ment and the Armed Forces Move internationally to ment claimed that a possible coup was being planned, in fact the whole paratroops and light corporation must discuss soldiers who mobilised to defend force the their did gains • not receive support of the Stalinists of the Communist Party, thus remaining of affairs. isolated from the working is revealed in our article, Forced out on a limb, the move- ment could then be smashed and defeated Despite

SOHCTEDOTTS

contrary, the Stalinists decisively British Leyland Combine separated themselves from Stewards should convene a events. As Le Monde put it, soon afterwards, the "moderation" the CP was the most conspicuous aspect of the events. The whole situation containing Trotskyism Today No.3

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

No.23 * 10th December 1975 * 10p

INSIDE

Inside this edition of 'Socialist Press' are art- icles on: IRELAND - page 4 CHRYSLER - page 5 WRP and RYDER - page 7. Our next edition will app- ear on Wednesday, 31st December.

SPAIN

leader released with great publicity week earlier Juan in 'amnesty' along Spain Wah with other former prisoners.

These new acts of savage repression follow similar treatment given to a demonstration outside the Cavabanchel jail on November 27th and the police murder of a militant of Huskad (Basque) their nationalist movement ETA in the sallle week These are the first fruits of the "more just society" which King charges of Juan Carlos has promised! They 200 people prove that Franco's fascist for all their soothing SUCCESSOs. talk, to maintain a are prepared level of repression in no way less than Vicious that their old Marcelino master.

PORTUGAL

SETBACK TO THE REVOLUTION

of the AFM leadership, and the refusal of the CP to defend the gains of the soldiers and workers together with complete confusion and unpreparedness of centrist anti- groups.

COMPLAINING

The PRP (the group with strong links with the British International Socialists), who claimed to be running the so-called "revolution ary accord" established in August now complain loudly that the fail- ure of the mobilisation was brought about by the pro-Stalinist sections of the military. But how could the left-wing officers and soldiers have found political leadership from a Stalinist party which had tied itsell hand and foot to the capitalist state, and which had a minister

LOVE NE

in the government? It is precisely the inability of any tendency in Portugal to build a the movement based on a clear under- artillery standing of the treachery of Stalin- ism and reformism which has left the the workers, soldiers and peasants leaderless in the face of organised attempts by the right wing to re- class assert control over the army and the state itself,

REPRESSION

to the Indeed, since these provocation have been defeated there has been a these continual round of repression. There was a curfew in Lisbon on 26th November which lasted to 2nd December. All wage negotiations have bee for a ver

Page 2

ANGOLA

INVADERS

PUSHED BACK

Over the last week the army onset of the rainy Republic of the Peoples Angola, the MPLA, has rever- ed the military situation and cored a number of successes invading armies over South African mercenaries and financed and equipped US FNLA and Unita forces. front a big On the northern defeat has been inflicted on the at the town of Caxito 30

MPLA

Luanda, the capital. miles. from 0 ast supplies od recapture supplies the capture vast and of United States weaponty Belgian origin.

CAPTURED

amounts of US military were advances in the south involving the recapture of situated on the vital Benguela rail- way which stretches across Angola from the coast to Zambia and is a vital economic and military means of communication. the South of The situation that the northward Angola now is advance of the South African invad- force of Panhard ing mercenary cars has been stemmea, armoured This has 8 vehicles captured. and

INDOCHINA

VICTORIES

CONSOLIDATE

The abolition of the monar- - together with chy in Laos the accelerated plans for the reunification of Vietnam an- nounced last month - marks the political consolidation of the regimes in Indochina fol- victories of the the lowing. liberation forces in May.

of King With the abdication Savang Vatthana on December 3rd of the Laotion: royal the shadow state - which had existed in one form since 1353 - was laid or another to rest, and this brought to an end also the polite fiction of a coalition reactionary of 'national unity' between royalists Revolutionary and the Peoples members Party (ie the Communist Party).

The Pathet Lao and Communist leadership have thus aban- Party in their 1964 doned the promise, programme, to respect and preserve the throne. willingly Forced But this much delayed step is southern one that has been forced reluctantly on them, mainly by the continued

RUSSIAN

December 3rd Grigori On disaster. inadvertently Vashchenko startled the world. of the Vashchenko, chairman Planning and Budgetary Commision cratic of the Supreme Soviet, was attemp ting to conceal the size of the 1975 harvest and to prove the success announcing Soviet agriculure that the average Soviet grain harvest of the last five years was 8% higher previous five years. the than billion Unfortunately for him, simple arithmetic is the enemy of bureau- cratic concealment: since the size of the previous harvests is known, it is possible to calculate from the 1975 стор was average that the 137. million metric tons. below last year's 30% 367: below this year's plan.

harrest.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

cratic the FNLA representatives denied all connection between themselves and "protecting Southern region with Namiba been due to a combination of the season, and to statement Saturdays Times of Major General the Soviet supplied 122mm rockets Dutton of the South African Army and heavy artillery now in the pos- session of MPLA forces. commandant, a certain Portuguese

SKILL;

The official South African line Reporters who gained access to is that military occupation of thi 'FNLA' armoured force was entire- 'protect' irrigation in the Ovambo- ly manned by Whites, either Portu- land area of Namibia and was at the guese or South African, the MPLA artillery was fired and directed by superior level of military skill and comment on Saturday "It is strange Ovamboland can call on the South

SUDCLIUL

sation of MPLA is a reflection of its nolitical strength among the wor At least the FNLA bandits and Measure of South African support.

local popular militia forces.

Portuguese-owned farms are being organised into dis- ciplined agricultural communes.

This contrasts sharply Stalinist supporters have abandoned reports from refugees of the looting continue also to lie and attempt a Meanwhile the crude cover up of their dependence continues to make bellicose state- and ments against Soviet 'interference' (ie. regular and mercenary. At a meeting of Christian Demo- of Angola) Ousted puppet Lon Nol flees Cambodia to exile.

with fuel and some foodstufts.

various intrigues of the numerous royal and by the family and entourage, provocations and hostility of the pro-imperialist Pramoj government This pressure in neighbouring Thailand.

while The Thai government, Former 'neutralist' Premier receiving right-wing ref- ectively sealed off the border ent ugees and their the border along the Mekong river (which forms the part of the Thai-Laotian creating severs diff- ated king. frontier) thus The iculties in supplying Laos, especially

GRAIN DISASTER

est harvest since 1965 and it is a The Soviet bureaucracy blames It certainly last summer's drought. contributed; but so did the bureau- agriculture organisation which has for decades held back the country's huge potential for food political price. production The USSR now needs 60 million current world tons of grain. prices this&would cost about 1.5 dollars to supply normal Union deals have consumption. So far, been made with Argentina, Canada US to buy 15 Australia and the million tons. If the USSR attempted to buy the other 45 millions on the open effect market the world-wide food prices and the cost of living would be enormous. that will black the cpen clandestine arms shipments through Over the last fortnight both Zaire. Kissinger and Ford have warned of the danger to East West detente of continued Soviet support

MPLA.

The Moscow Stalinists calculate • parties in Rome last Tuesday however that a speedy MPLA vic will bring forward a govern- tory ment in Africa sympathetic to the USSR and at the same time Ford Calueque dam in and Kissinger will cool down, reali- Angolan sing that the MPLA in no (South West jeopardise threatens to The lie was given to this economic interests in what is one of countries in Africa in the richest picture terms of Oil and mineral deposits MPLA has already shown The the local FNLA this in the independence speech by Neto, president of welcoming foreign Meanwhile MPLA has already estab lished a modus vivendi with the two great multinationals operating in Angola; Gulf Oil in Cabinda and Eastern Diamang of the tribal leaders them these two companies Between cent of handle 86 per exchange earnings foreign the bulk of employ working class.

NATIONALISATION

concerns is therefore the highest socialist economic plan in Angola.

Yet in fact the opposite has occur- MPLA has even taken over itself the functions of the Old Portuguese company security police!

"INTERFERENCE"

United States government taking a majority share- This will in no way bring the military aid to the government while itself continuing Souvanouvong - leading the liberation forces for over twenty Chi Minh - while Kaysonce Phon- Minister, and all key portfolios in government are held by Com- No "Socialism" However, in the new programme issued by the Communist Party, the word "immediate tasks' rejection of American "in a suitable manner' of interest rates and large landed prop- saboteurs and 'decadent culture intained its diplomat wal flicted on Laos'. political obstacles facing the social revolution in the newly- liberated states of South East Asia and Stalinist policies of the regimes Pressure Betrayal from the forces of the counter-revolution has forced a basic shake-up in the government.

But their basic source lies in the Prince division and betrayal of the world Souvanna Phouma - whose son fled revolution by the Stalinist govern- to Thailand at the end of November ments of the major workers states - - is relegated to a purely honorific the Soviet Union and China.

role as 'counsellor"; so is the abdic- The alignments of Laos and Vietnam with Moscow, new 'People's Republic Wighed be an icot re would government to take the new situation to impose such US government which controls a conditions on new sales as an end to arms supplies to the MPLA in needs of 100 million tons from this year's gigantic harvest and a further Angola. US, therefore, could easil!

STALINISM

undoubtedly try to secure a high Few events could make clearer consequences the disastrous Ford's government is threatening nearly 50 years of Stalinist "social ism in one country" bureaucracy The Soviet victorious made the workers of 1917 into To maintain its usurp- imperialism. the bureaucracy ed power either make

MOTE

reduce imperialism standards and The US longshoremen's union repressios. in staken of is cap raists that Osis SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December 10th, 1975

TURKEY

State prosecuting author- ities are demanding the death alleged sentence on sixteen supporters of the illegal 'Pea- sants and Workers Liberation Army, together with senten- sens Western ces of up to fifteen years im prisonment on thirty eight others Their mass trial - which has 1913 - toces dinge before a minary proceeding since September

MPLA,

court in Istambul, given these sav- investors. under the dictatorial age powers state of emergency in the capital accused of Those on trial are "armed operations aimed at over- throwing the constitutional order Angola. both the country", in force in in Istambul and in areas of Anatolia, Angola's and in the east of the country Last week mote than a hundred Angola's arrested in Istambul people were following clashes between students the funeral and police during Aft ident tweete bree students students were wounded when police attacked workers and peasants of Angola.

It will have the opposite effect of tying government revenue to the of the diamond and oil deposits the defence of a government based with Peking reflects the fact that 'socialism in one country' is an immediate economic impossib- ility in these relatively small, under- The pro-Moscow orientation of Hanoi and Saigon leaderships of islands in the South China Sea south coast of China and the long eastern seaboard of Vietnam).

Seized the US puppet regime in Vietnam crumbled last Jan- China Islands, claiming them as historically ested, but could do south approached the North Vietnamese navy occup- the south, also claimed by China ember a sharp editorial in Peking'e , whatever the excuse to invade and occupy our territory the article was Peking fears will off their southern Neither of the groups of islands and their. and Chinese Stalinism, for: a favoured relat- competition ionship with US imperialism, make of grave splits them the the defence against imperialism of in South East Asia. and tions to resolve these contradic- serious US the advantage of

RESIST

At the same time socialists in the labour movement of the capitalist countries must resist all attempts to exploit the disastrous Soviet harvest political economic That means profit of imperialism. ighting for the export of grain tr of Union at non- the and free of prices extortionate secret and reactionary political con- has ditions In addition all damaging effects Russian hostages of of the harvest disaster in the stand- workers in all ards of living countries must be combatted That means a campaign in the concessions to labour movement for workers' con- the Eving its trol of government food stocks, the increase exports ::e:0 monopol- : wages to Fues: any rise in

SPAIN: CP & SP HOLD BACK FIGHT

WHAT IS THE WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE?

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December 10th, 1975 The Spanish King Juan Carlos, only two weeks crowned, is already having a Any troubled reign. His opening moves have produced public criticism from all sides, includ- the illusion ing both hard line and soft line members of the fascist regime.

through This reflects much his not so formation" tactical ineptitude as the real pol- This itical contradictions which face the when inheritors of Franco's dictatorship.

The far right is critical of the impatience 'amnesty' under Marcelino Camacho and other Workers' Com- mission leaders have been released from jail. Despite their objections, the amnesty is derisory: it reduces sentences by three years only, and excludes 'terrorists' category which be defined to include Call Communist and of the

LICIOCES

Socialist Parties. The more "moderate' sections of the regime and the semi-clandestine parties of the right, like the Christ- ian Democrats, have criticised Juan Carlos' appointment of ultra-right- Ist economics professor Hernandez Iranda, the man whom Franco ap- pointed as the King's political 'tutor', to the powerful office of of the President Cortes (Spain's caricature parliament). Juan Carlos has also retained Carillo Franco's trusted

AWRIS

Navarro as Prime Minister. Arias' political prestige, however, like that of Juan Carlos, is suffering a major This setback as a result of the agreement leaders with Morocco over Spanish Sahara.

The sordid deal of the far-right position of the regime with King Hassan, designed largely to outflank the moronell Saharan liberation movement and Both its Algerian supporters, has led to

(CPE)

the complete withdrawal of the Spanish occupying army as Moroc- 'amnesty', can forces move in, reportedly 'scandalous massacring Saharan nationalists.

Juan All details of the deal are still censored from the Spanish presss and the last issue of the wide circul- ation weekly. Cambio 16 was seized because it contained an interview President with Boumedienne of But Algeria. words tion Juan Carlos' first two weeks of rule have sharpened differences in the regime which Franco's ruthless had managed contain. The differences however, all ed come on from shared preoccupation party hatred and fear of the Don working The differences are about Cass. how its strength can kept Was check. Juan The so-called moderates of the regime are those who realise that The Workers Socialist League was formed in December 1974 to struggle for the continuity Trotskyism in Britain and towards the rebuilding of the Fourth International. Since then our work in the mass movement has seen the League develop into an expanding organisation with important new areas of work (especially Midlands and the North in the trade union base. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, forefront of the fight for the sliding on full pay - demands which at alternative to Jones' treacherous £6 pay plan and the wholesale acceptance of redundancies by the bureaucracy.

In the Health Service, sliding scale of NHS spending and for trade union committees to open the books of the Authorities, along with the fight to end all private practice - policies adopted by ASTMS National Conference.

In local disputes also, WL comrades have tested and developed the demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle "open the books" demand in the motor industry has won a mass for the response. The WSL alone among the groups on the left has fought the speed-up proposals of the Ryder Report since its very publication, and we have leafletted almost campaign against its implementation.

At the same time we have put forward a policy to fight unemploy.

ment, calling for unity of employed and anemployed through the fight to mobilisé the trade union movement, and following this iniative, the first Trades Council sub-committee to been established in Banbury.

On every issue facing workers today that fights consistently for transitional demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose the political issues to workers.

While these practical interventions have developed the League's grasp of Trotsky's Programme there has been a consistent drive to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and their greatest potential allies in this endeavour will be the leaders of the Stalinist and reformist parties.

concessions the regime and in its makes are designed to assist these amnesty it has put leaderships to maintain control of petitions on working class through able' that the problems facing the working class can be overcome the "democratic trans- of Francoism. will not be easy task the Spanish ot the sirens people are showing their growing any compromise

WITN

with fascism and the right.

is between provinces (Euskadi) last determination forces of Spanish Stalinism and reformism into constant shifts they remain at the head of a rising mass the Communist Party and the Workers Socialist For some time virtually condemned the the calling fraud' and rejecting Carlos' call for a political Words such apparently tough must be seen in conjunc- the consistently right- wing line of the CPE: it calls for a provisional coalition government of national unity (including the left, centre and right); its General Sec- retary, Santiago Carrillo, announc- November 29th. that had made a proposal that Juan, Juan Carlos' father, should become regent of Spain (this withdrawn only when Don it); the

CPE

rejected attracted into the ranks of its pop- labour organisations. ular front organisation the Demo- of the principles of the principles of West), and an enlarged the WSL has been at the scale of wages, and work sharing leadership, the T&GWU Conference were the only WSL and form below: WSL comrades have led the struggle for the major BLMC plant in the only national fight for these policies has already the WSL is the only movement the present cratic Junta (JD) so-called 'liberal' gue that the restoration of bourg- monarchists and numerous individ- which eols democracy, ual 'demócrats' of the bourgeoisie; forward as the primary task, can- campaign for a real not come about through the con- emphasis tinuity and liberalisation signed by "respect- but only present regime professionals than on mobilis- 'rupture' with it of 2000 outside Madrid's Carabanchel jail was organised by making this not a matter or prin- police brutally attacked the demon- ciple but purely a matter of prag- strators were released the next day; CPE leaders arrested without charge

•OODUSILOI

have built great hopes on liberal- right. But we think they are wrong ins ante, between lets in the Te one y fronts (the JD and the PCD) signed words and calls for coalition with that time include the CPE's demand leadership of the Party in Paris and November 20th. does contain this call; it also demands the release of bitterly opposed by the CPE under instructions from the exiled leader- all exiles to return to Spain, an end ship. Its success in mobilising thou- to the intensifjed repression and the more stringent wage control laws CPE into at least strong verbal sup- port for the next general strike in and it ends with a demand for a constituent assembly to organise a of the exiled lead- ership, which Carrillo has promised will be soon, is almost certain to "Democrats' bring major conflicts in the party to ly, it does not call for socialism or for anything which would offend whom both the CPE and the PSOE has aided nside rapin, fact ich has mand for a 'national' coalition co- mcides will me poncy or secuon week for a coalition of the regime with Liberals, Christian Democrats Democrats and sections of the PSOE - a less broad coalition wing social democrats and a faction than that proposed by the CPE and The PSOE has also reconstituted Independence alternative pole in to Workers' Commissions in which the independence against this un- collaborationism of the democratic won substantial gains in the elect- iniative towards its reconstruction.

This has gone alongside the development in the International Pages of programme and whole range of international struggles against imperialism, in which again the method and the Transitional Programme are an essential starting point, and on many of which no other movement puts forward any who agree need for revolutionary and the demands we put forward to find out more about the our fight in thé labour movement. Simply fill in the I would like more information about the WSL COMPLETE and SEND to: 31 Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Name... Address Socialist Press Subscriptions 6 Issues.. ..£1 12 Issues. .22 24 Issues.. ..54 I would let ended subecription to Socialist Press; I would like Name.... Address Page 3

FRANC

DEMO DEFEND

they pul

CONSCRIPTS

ot thi from a A demonstration of 50.0 led by Communist and Soc ist chiefs marct party through the streets of P. against the persecution of a script soldiers and tra for unionists attempting organise rank and file com ttees, and to defend tra union and political rights the forces. (See report in S ialist Press of November 26t The Gaullist regime has set u special "court of state security with 'disaffection' in crea armed forces and th allons facing serious charges are not o sixteen soldiers singled-out 'ring-leaders', ise within the army. Michel Bourre, secretary of

CFDT

(the reformist-led the Giror union federation) in was flown to Paris under arrest I week, to be charged before 'state security' court. His was to help in the printing of paper "Soldiers in Struggle', by ra and file airmen at the Cazaux : force base.

ALARMED

What has reportedly alarmed t officer corps is that these airmen nine of whom have been arrest for attempting to organise a tra section were circulati class positions against clear capitalist army: "Our rifles defend the ba and are the guarantee of those the crisis and ker are producing ing up unemployment.. When hour comes, we shall know to labour organisat- them who hi . against those and oppress us. and Stalinist reform leaders have been forced, by spreading agitation in. the ran and the mass anger at the gover ment's take part ariest, demonstrations against repressions. But they continue to defend t state's right to discipline the bodies of armed men - only exh ung them so mo "humane" way, more "appropria and class to the last quarter of the twentie century" While Party Socialist lead Francois Mitterand - a lawyer demagogically offers to defend . the civilian accused 'state security offences against a statement last week from a te Socialist Party functionary they had "anything in commo with those who think the ove throw of capitalism passes throu the dismantling of the bourgeo army", and called for measures 'reinforce the bonds between th people of France and her army This shameless social-patriotis plays right into the hands of ti officer corps and their twins in ti state apparatus. The wave of repre don now be takeably the need to disband ti capitalist standing army.

BACK ISSUES!

We have back issues available of both "Trotskyism Today" and of 'Socialist Press'

LETTERS

We welcome readers' comments and criticisms on Socialist Press articles. Letters should be addressed to the Editorial Board, c/o 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NWS 1HR

Page 4 Abetted by a section of the ruling class the British ourgeoisie of Belfast led the andowners and the proletariat Porking class in aborting the Liberal government's attempt neo-colonial at imposing a of the whole policy upon Having dismembered reland. Ulster unionists Ireland the had then to dismember Ulster itself. the racialist criteria upon By which the Orange state was founded counties of Donegal, Cavan the Monaghan had too large and nationalist population to be easily Thomas Moles, the contained. Unionist MP for Retast Ormean. put the position to the protesting protestants of the border counties with brutal frankness when he said: "In with life sinking ship sufficient for only two boats thirds of the ships company were all to condemn themselves to death because not all could be saved?"

Within the six county coalition the unionist of surgery sectarlali leaders addressed themselves enthu- to the task of creating siastically what Prime Minister Sir James Craig for a called "a protestant state protestant people. drastic required the This local government of redrawing to convert al Cas majorities into loyalist nationalist a protestant-only strongholds and 'B-specials' whose the militia, violence sectarian reputation

TOI

first year of their the acoured in existence, they lost only when they were abolished in 1969:

PURPOSE

of purpose The entire Stormont for what parliament at integral supposed vas TO the United Kingdon was illustrated by the Agriculture of the i Minister for 1927 that: have 109 officials and far 83 I know there are four catholics, dree of whom were civil servants anded over to me before I began."

and the With the state secure the union consequent receding, the class antagonism within to the unionism more easily. came J. Woods 1921 surface. independent unionist tood as ai gainst the "clique" that ran Ulster safe seat from the and Unionists. within opposition Although sas crippled by its def-

CEASE

the disenchant- ace of the maior. = erased of lower

CALL

ULSTER UNIONISM

IN CRISIS

gaining 3 and independent union- ists winning 4. Determined to stop the rot, Minister Craig revealed an Prime for irony by unsuspected capacity choosing July 12th, 1927, the day celebrate the securing protestants political freedom, to ann- of their ounce that he had abolished their proportional method of representat- ion.

"STRAIGHT"

'straight', Instead, the single, would keep non-transferable vote the simple issue of partition before the electorate. As Prime Minister Craig explained: "We in Ulster are and ought to Adversity be a happy community. has taught us the value ot unity. Unity has brought us to our present contentment. state of peace and Devlin and his party (the Nat- Mr. the natural op- ionalist Party) are Why then position. add strength constituency loyalist of to it and weaken the influence my colleagues and myself."

general election By the 1929 voting method dowcu the unionists to recapture five of lost in 1925. the seats they had But while loyalist leaders were busy making their parliamentary •tortress impregnable (at least against ballot box battalions) developments under- were the wore economy of entire foundations mining the Ulster capital. The industries of linen and ship- Belfast pros- building upon which perity actually rested (although it should not be overlooked that up to 1926 agriculture was the largest single employer of labour) were in that the decline from the Northern Ireland state was created.

While 226.4 million square yards 1912 by of linen were woven in 1961 this had fallen to 59.8 million Shipbuilding too dec- square yards. in world lined with the recession trade. while the economy in the So South of Ireland slowly stagnated capital behind tariff walls Uister was carried through the inter war on the crutches of years subsidies. At more or less the same the bourgeoisie of Dublin in 1958 and Belfast in 1957 were ob- that their acknowledge liged to develop their own attempts capitals had failed.

OPEN

who formally Sean declared:his 'Free State to be open for foreign profit-makers in 1958 by Joe Quigley get a definite national policy decid- ed on in favour of industrial and agricultural protection and an exec- utive in office prepared to enforce that policy" was it recognised in No less the North East that foreign capital had to be wooed to the Province.

sponsored report Government because suppressed for two years of its pessimism stated in 1957 that: cause of export of capital i) basic low from Northern Te and was expectation of profit from domestic investment. than in Great scarcity il). greater Britain for profitable openings for new and enlarged undertakings.

placed Narrow economic base a question mark against the long term viability of the Province.

of the iv) constitutional status Province was uncertain.

PINPOINTED

This investigation (carried out for the unionist grove sinta covil single before years Rights banner was unfurled in the Province), pinpointed quite clearly the relationship between the sect- six-county structure ot the statelet and the economic survival ol tne alca. But if the bourgeoisie in Dublin and Belfast saw their future prosper- same way, as exactly the ity their capacity to dependant upon conditions that would create Tine attract foreign investment then th for a partit- original 'rationality" ioned Ireland no longer existed. And Britain's changing relationship the South and the North made her promote than anxious more the marriage of these too satellites Not only was the South provid- significant percentage ing England's food, but England's dec- finding limited lining capital was profitable markets in the Rep- but As the profitability of British ublic. the urge to capital declined, burden of subsidising load the industry •social security, welfare, and defence in the North became pressingly urgent. uniting Ireland from above By hopes to relieve herslet of Britain while the this burden some Republic: looking as much to Eur- ope as to Britain for her markets disin- remarkable has revealed clination to reclaim such a turbulent part of her national territory.

A reforming group in the North- ern Ireland cabinet emerged under to bring about O'Neills leadership the necessary changes. The compos ition of this group is significant. It comprised politicians who were to violently oppose in the future numbered Brian naother. It one Craig, Roy Brad- William Faulkner. Terence Robin Baillie and ford, O'Neill himself.

OPPORTUNITY

What O'Neill was to describe as the "opportunity state" 'inaugorated an era of indicative planning, the coordination of industry, housing, The attempt to create and roads. a centralised infrastructure congen- ial to foreign investment was accel- O'Neill became Prime erated when entirely Minister in 1963. of the localised against the grain of the sectarian political structure state. patronage of structure which tied the protestant working class to Ulster unionism by allocat- "loyalty', ing jobs as a reward for Ulster because was so powerful in capital, nature of Ulster of the small, local family labour intensive units. But the new capital that was entering the Province (while Ulster capital declined) was export onen- tated and capital intensive.

Being so much more productive had much local capital than utilise sectarian incentive less LU divisions in its employment policy.

Protestants and Police make preparations against hostility to the 'fur coated" brigade industry continued to fall. 206,000 that ran official unionism in 1950, it had fallen to 166,000 On occasions this took him and by 1973. his one-time mentor Desmond Boal first visible signs of the June close republicanism as sixty tensions that were gathering within earlier it had taken Sloan the years unionism came suriece „ LO 1962. In February an unemployed and Crawford. Paisley's grip the While on demonstration demnading the right loyalist forces tightened bourgeois to work marched on Stormont while representatives like Craig who had in the May elections of that year the unionists lost two seats to left credibility with the tried to retain by distancing nationalists, Gormley and Fitt.

protestant masses from their Unionist As unemployment rose in this themselves show did its companion colleagues were obliged lo peniou so For imperialism the hand. sectarianism. At the fifty year com- unel memoration of the signing of the importance of Craig's challenge to in the fact that Craig 1912 Covenant in October, protest- Paisley lay appeared to have substantial loyalist occasion marked the workers troops to throw against Paisley.

with the first serious sectarian riot- Glenn Barr as a spokesman for ing in twenty years. Against this background Paisley the protestant labour was on the Ulster Workers Council raised the that O'Neill was cry "betraying unionism". And Paisley well as being a member of the UDA. George Green was the leader was essentially this question U11 Paisley and Bunting: anti-working class agitation disbanded notorious of the Specials. Yet no sooner had these right - for what the unionist bour- leaders spoken than the same class trying to do was to geoisie was divisions revealed themselves within structure a new relationship with The UWC these organisations toa. imperialism while abandoning leadership was purged of all Crai petty-bourgeois and Green complained tha allies to the cold winds of the supporters, his Association was being taken over world economy by Paisleyites while the UDA came While Paisley was marshalling down on the side of Paisley.

seventeenth his followers under party Further Craig's own flags it was twentieth century Ernest Baird with his deput century conditions that were driving split him. "As Paisley's party abandoning them to his banners. demanded the expulsion of Craig exciting hopes of reforms By and his Vanguard co-thinkers from O'Neill he could not realise that the Ulster Unionist Council the civil rights movement inspired orificial Unionists within which lurk third of the council from a nationalist population that was no longer prepared to passively bourgeois sympathisers of Craig like acopet its status as a sub-caste in a Taylor, attempted to paper John Its demands when racialist state. over the split by abstaining from on to the streets further carried Protestants the vote Yet again the class antagonisms Paisley knew what he was talking came out and three official Union Sheena Conn and Jean ists, Heslip, all who Coulter, petty-bourgeois had only entered politics since the one abandoned their leader O'Neill.

recent troubles began, d defied their But the repudiation of O'Neill was Paisley's voted party and Democratic Unionist Party for the Ulster capital visibly expelled Craig, and motion that Vanguard supporters from the his no future unless they could turn

UUC.

The middle class protestants themselves into a junior partner have been quite unable of imperialist interests operating in of Ulster in their eleventh hour to provide They knew this quite well, but any leader to challenge this lower brilliant agitator its consequence, a rupture with the class radical. A tactician lan Paisley and superb like the is a truly tragic figure, Protestant farmer Edward Mitchell Prime defeated the future who Minister James Craig in the North motion whereby a unionist leader Fermanagh of 1903 on was brought down by forces inside the platform of "the peoples cause versus the landlord wolves" Paisley brought down their leader they have stands in and continues the prot estant radical tradition, emasculated and blighted by its racialist vision policies who has nothing more to The entire logic of the Paisleyite do than await the same fate. Thus movement for maintaining the prot- O'Neill is toppled by Faulkner who estant ascendancy has led them near- is toppled by Craig who is brought er and nearer to directly challenging down by the very forces he mobil- for state Yet the British power Army and the Tory Party (locally if unofficially represented

SPLIT

Enoch Powell) dare not contemplat populist forces holding the The recent split in the Sull MOSt reins of government in their hands unionist ranks between Paisley and Ireland the crisis of Thus Craig is explained by the bourgeois political leadership is one which philistines as one between a clerical of engulfs the political bigot and a contrite extremist won both the working class and capitalist But why the one "moderation" to class alike. As the economic crist should while the other repent remains. obdurate is a secret sealed throughtou continues UK everyone of these tensions the seven seals to such idealist in Northern Ireland politics is mass For materialists the philosophers. ively intensified. difference was one between a bour- Our historical analysis of some who could geois accomodaic i ai the main features of this crisis imperialism and a petty-bourgeois point further auricles soarine therefore a starting who could not. himsel: 20= Basing build independent estas. leadership needed to fight for d stoppers 23d SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December 10th, 1975

CHRYSLER COOKS

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December 10th, 1975 When an employer conducts throughout the a campaign press stressing how bankrup The ground is being cleared for an all-out attack on jobs, But Chrysler is not simply a British question, but part oI the worla motor maustry.

crisis shows the crucial importance of the fight to end business secrets and expose capitalist manipulation.

oi the ional impact of the Chrysler closure month of shop stewards represent- ing Ford workers in West Germany,

OHIL

demands against Ford, a statement workers threatened with the sack. The state- and 30,000 working for dealers, as well as those working for suppliers.

international capitalist crisis, Chry- sier's losses are still mounting up, lights the need for the working class Chrysler's threat to close down its UK subsidiary on an inter- The US-owned Chrysler Corpor- Chrysler workers on lobby of Parliament against unemployment, November 26t world: South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Columbia, France, Peru, Spain, Turkey, Mexico. It also has a 15% the Mitsubishi Motor Corporation. Yet, since every capitalist coun try is affected by the international crisis of capitalism, it was astonish- ing to hear the claim of a Chrysler spokesman at the beginning of last "Chrysler UK is the month, Chrysler Corporation's only major foreign subsidiary not making a profit".

THE BOOKS

UNTI

other companies Corporation's outside the US. Except for Chrysler in Argentina where inflation runs at three figure levels, the other foreign UK Chrysler subsidiaries besides were, he claimed, "basically in good shape" Chrysler's claim is that they have lost about £65 million since 1964 on its UK operations, having recor- ded losses in seven of the last eleven years. 1n seems all the international division's losses attributed to the British subsidiary.

INJECTIONS

These enormous losses have been injections into Chrysler UK by the US parent company - estimated at "Posses pite assurances given to the British gov- the last few years, ernment over and repeated earlier this year in a LU was Industry Secretary at the time.

This letter talked of "making every possible management effort' to remain a "strong competitor In markel in 1967 to 4.2% in September of this year, this sounds plan to wind down UK operations seems to have begun two vears ago.

were move lo down Chrysler seems to have had a two-pronged plan to squeeze more

PARTICIPATION

ttees were to be set up, to use the convenes stewards in the effort to introduce offered to workers in their frantic of the UK subsidiary would not be "mean- allowed to improve until a ingful way" had been found to tie trade union leaders in with manage- ment so as to ensure speed-up along with undisrupted production.

Today the real implications of "participation" with capitalist been brutally have exposed at Chrysler UK part of Chrysler's The second plan was to get financial support from the government - paid for

ANTONIE

Wedgewood-Benn's Industry via Department.

UNSTUCK

This has now come unstuck bec Weaker sections of industry can no longer bepropped up by the state, Wedgewood-Benn by Eric Varley at the Dol marked the government's of capitalist crisis ium of private banks, turned down - apparently because of have been specially framed to force and concentration of figures of losses from Chrysler' UK are the only ones ay- international operations. A Chrysler spokesman announced that detailed earnings figures for the other sub- "We never break out these num which report their numbers to the turns out that Chrysler UK is the earnings must be publicly revealed deliberately arranging for its inter- national division's accounting losses to be concentrated in Chrysler UK.

is one which has arisen more and increased Dollarice and development results, rentals of The price at which these goods and services are transterred between ine samne as price which would be fixed if they interests of the profitability of the vast sackle to produce paper profits as tax avoidance and speculation on in practice can be seen from an in- out Tne Labour Research Department at the artificial losses through manipulat- do with nothing This is exorbitant wage claims at Chrysler indood their wage navments ner Page 5 ministrative and handling cost of less than f2 each! So what exactly is the role of U.K. Exports, who Chrysler handled the sale of Chrysler's cars overseas before 28th. June 1974?

'BRITISH

The other 20% according to Chrysler's statement: through Chrysler International S.A., but are handled by Chrysler Overseas Trading Com- pany Ltd., (COTC), another British company But it turns out that COTC is a and only f2 per week higher than Vauxhalls. wholly owned subsidiary. Swiss Chrysler International S.A.!

£52 In 1974

COTC

handled million exports without Trading Profit per Vehicle Sold Fixed assets apart from a f100,000 leasehold. 1972 1973 1974 Once again the role of this com- 35 Chrysler UK 30 -21 pany is shadowy. Why is it a subsid iary of a Swiss company rather than 74 88 60 BL of Chrysler U.K.? And what are its Vauxhall 63 68 na dealings with the Swiss company has filed no accounts since 159 103 which Ford 132 1969? (Source: annual reports) Nor is Chrysler's productivity in terms of vehicles produced per figures on export prices given above employee lower than its competit- are "misleading". But Chrysler has the figures which could prove their

OIS

But there is a very sharp discrep- case, if they are right. Why are they price per kept secret? And vehicle exported is examined.

Thus Chrysler's price per vehicle continuously refused to give any exported in 1973 was around £400 less than the price British Leyland the full account books of Chrysler and by 1974 this had International be made available to trade union committees? Price per Vehicle Exported reply to the close down threat. But 1972 1973 1974 government na 629 Chrysler UK 593 621 industry - prepared by 817 1050 1248 BL & Company, the Amer 1064 1184 n.a. American business consultants, at a Vauxhall 1801 2035 Ford 1493 (Source: Annual reports and SMMT figures for production and new Spain Eur opean countries bringing new fact- venices ation has subsidiaries al around t it: trade unlon Force Since 1968, Chrysler Internat- ional SA, a subsidiary registered in handled the Switzerland marketing of UK products in 140 has not, This company an apparent legal require- despite filed any accounts ment to do so, for inspection since 1969.

reformist but in profit around £12m, trading but that of Chrysler UK!). And (twice in Switzerland taxes on profits are only 10%! last three alone In the years UK Chrysler has exported 390,000 vehicles. If each of these had been sold at even 80% of the witi figure for BL average exports, moto the actual rather than tigure Chrysler UK would been witl have £93m better off. Chrysler attempted to reply to the Labour Research Department in July 1975 In Chrysler its reply, that the Swiss Chrysler International S.A. handles its ex- ports, claiming that nearly 80% of the company's exports are handled by Chrysler U.K. Exports Ltd., th wholly owned subsidiary of Chrysler U.F sur Yet Chrysler U.K. Exports wa 28th. only set as recently 1974 and in the first six June total months of operation £85,000! It of only expenses seems virtually impossible that 80% of £98 of the company's by Danny Mcintosh million could be handled for such

Page 6 Women's Voice, (an Inter- rational Socialist publication), eld a rally in Manchester at- 600 women, ended by on 'Socialist November 29th. Worker' claims that the Rally "most artic- ras one of the date expressions of revol- feminism in Britain ationary ince the 1920's" and that it came to grips with the des- erate crisis affecting working women all over the country.

In fact the Rally failed to give those women who came any prin- sipled programmatic perspective to The rally was run as a forum to 'experiences' from local exchange Nomen's Voice groups to learn Trom their involvement the abortion campaign, from their op- osition to the cuts in nursery and education spending, in the health rvice and to launch a campaign for the right to work. were no signs of a per- There being hammered out pective to ake working women forward. The essage from the platform, and ake simply that working cles, working simply class omen should place no reliance on

LADOUT

governmenl, wolsel IPs, or the trade union leaders to defend them from the attacks of capitalism. Speeches described how the TUC sold out struggles of working women at Ladbrooks and Yarnolds now a Consen more be pecific discrimination women face.

a short, the rally described from a ot of first hand experience the mumiliation and degradation wom- I suffer in class society, and how hey are the first to be singled out bear the brunt of the capital- : crisis. But having got this far,

REVIEW

Whigs and Hunters. The Origins of the Black Act by EP Thompson, published by Allen Lane @ £6.50 Reviewed by JOHN DOHERTY It is always a pleasure to ad a new work by E P Thom- on, characterised as it is by the cause of the poor and book, while at rst it seems to deal with an bscure topic in legal history, ertheless casts many shafts light on the nature of class pression in early capitalist ociety. However much Thompson tells useful and interesting, that is wever well he says it, it must be id that this new work represents further step away from Marxism one who was in his day a founder the anti-Stalinist New Left, and юте and more makes statements tat tie his implicit idealism to a quite explicit defence of reformism.

this alas. Marxism. It is not easy to outline. briefly this main topics covered ook. The 'Black Act' of the title passed in 1723, and contained capital offences that any ther legislation British legal story. stipulations Under its people ould be, and were, sent to the allows for disguising themselves of virtually kind, not just of royal deer, of the Act was first all med at, but also of rabbits, fish ind even wood. This legislation was passed after series of attacks on royal deer and those tried to protect royal forest areas of ampshire and Berkshire. The poa- cheIs 'blacked' their faces, either hunt game in the first alace oT non-POLITICAL "VOICE A Report from the Womens Voice Rally In Manchester, November 29th the rally got no further.

For all IS left rhetoric about the "build amongst women need to workers", they ignore, just as the bourgeois feminists do the 1n women's liberation movement, the question developing PIl- cipled leadership the working in class based on a working class pro-

DIVERSION

The only practical proposals put forward, apart from continuing the present campaigns on women's issues, was a diversionary call to recruit women into the IS 'Right to Work' Committees. "programme" for these The IS committees is a hodge podge of minimum demands for a 35 hour overtime ban, and f6 now!

week, In other words accept a wage cut!

These demands could be advanced by reformist who refuse to ally IS Right to Work campaign - stunts divert from fight in unions The poachers were often com- wealthy men, with some amount of landholdings, and with virtually unanimous support in thier community, the the mag- royal forest authorities, istrates, and the bishops and other Thompson describes something of the forest people, small groups who lived the edge of land on held by the crown, and waist livelihood was regulated by a com- plex network of semi-feudal cust- omary rights'. Though they were large proportion of the not population, their story is of general significance, typical of the conflicts between many sections of the rural poor, and the pre-industrial squire- archy, who determined "rights" their to: what had previously been considered their property In oraer to accumulale wealth. This was very much part of the general whereby the process capital accumulation necessary for industrialisation actually took place.

The destruction of common rights through the more well-known pro- cess of enforced enclosure was the form this took through most of the countryside. A century later, it was Marx's consideration of the debates on the theft of wood irk the Rhine Provin- cial Assembly that led him to see laws as an expression of something other than 'the spirit of the age', and to come to the defence of the 'customary right' of the poor.

BREAKDOWN

Thompson consciously echoes in showing how the forest this, by Julia Kellett fight for work-sharing on full pay and defend the independent inter- ests of the working class by fight- leaders could support them!

steps any struggle within the organ- OI 0I union leaders to expose them to the mass of workers in a fight for lead- ership, the IS organisationally seeks leaves unchallenged their positions of demanding that the 'lefts' in the Labour Party take up a struggle to remove Wilson and the right-wing, IS ignores the 'lefts' and The s minimum sun workers participation!) is not a revolution- down of the customary rights of Ine poor to pasturage, wood sued lies, some meat, and other essential means to livelihood. Thus he says: "The rights and claims of the poor, if inquired into at all, received compensation smeared over with condescension and poisoned with charity. Very often they were simply redefined trespahe Blacks of 1722-3 in some cases executed, number of them escaped and were les were not a major item in the press of the time, but the campaign against them left a penal code which was vicious, ferocious and murder- ous dhat Thompson Century this astonishing example of legislative of 1723 was partly accidental but must also be explained as a reflect- ion of the political and social ten- in no way secure in their position If this was a time usually portrayed it was under the surface a brutal lenge to authority, important in itself might neverthe- less be seen as part of a combination rural Door but there was still of real and imagined plots to the Thompson describes the political shis description. The power of the Walpole who established it, was bas- ed on the oven use of the charac Francis Atterbury, the Jacobite gerate when he said that Walpole's 'whole administration is built on corruntion and brikery which he SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December 10th, 1975 Mer secrete ere are on. Free abortion on demand can reprint here sections only be gained as part of the fight recent leaflet put out by the WSL to defend the National Health Ser- the in- which takes politically vice. adequacies of the National Abort- Equal pay for equal work can

(NAC)

Campaign and shows achieved as part of the only be how democratic demands like the struggle to defend working class right to free abortion and equal pay of living standards through (demands of the women's liberat- sliding scale of wages - point : for ion movement) can only be fought point increases based on a working for as part of the struggles of the class cost of living index, drawn up working class around a programme by committees involving trade of transitional demands. CuntHS anatolise wives The crisis of leadership hits hard The increase in unemployment at. working class women - isolated amongst women is severer than that in the family, small working in sweated factories; and ignored by oi any other section of the working class - registered female unemploy.

the union and Labour leaders.

Women will be defended ment rose by 121% over last year.

HOT

The demand for the right of women from these attacks without a strug gle for an alternative leadership and to work has to be advanced as part of 'a programme to defend all programme within the working jobs. classin Britain, in the face of the The

WSL

demands that the" TUC's refusal to fight for abortion books of all firms which threaten on demand, the short time working or redundan- by now leads a struggle against the re cles be _ opened to inspection trade union committees; and on the appointment of the Select Commit tee which followed the fall of the basis of the information revealed, the case for nationalisation under workers' management advanced. The government has to be forced to attacks on the working class is to provide state contracts to keep the Irms running The call for all available work to into a pressure group, lobbying MPs be shared out amongst the existing work force must be taken up under women's equality solely to a cam- the control of trade union commit- tees paign to oppose reactionary legis- Women have to be prepared to lation it spreads the illusion that fight in the unions against the bur- there can be an end to the oppres eaucracy for equal job opportunit- sion of working class women with- ies, maternity leave, nursery facil- . The WŚL calls for all the un- ities. employed . organised in to be have the sole right to decide wheth- trade unions Fight for the unity of the em- ployed and unemployed! Force the not give a woman any social choice trade union leadership to mobilise about her future. the strength of the working class to fight never be a social freedom in class for special needs women! It is only in the context of an is inseparable from the struggles of overall programme that it means anything to struggle for the working class. The NAC leader- women's Today equality. only a revolu- struggle for women's equality by tionary leadership can advance and fight for such a programme confining itself to the single issue way to prevent a threat to the social than any of his worst predecessors order. But they do represent a new was a typical example of how such to free assembly) are the first come under attack from the ruling the forests were not simply against the social system, but they were also class when it feels necessary to assert his view with so much passion? Because of the con- "the regulation and reconciliation period of the type of J H Plumb al shown in some detai oligarchy inventing callous and re- internation" the lack of con pages which tells us something universal human the latest stageing post in his polit- Thompson with Plumb, Namier and schematic Marxism", s say inal since superstructure", it has no interest conflict? Is this not the arid doctrine says Thompson might argue that since "law is no more way in which class power is regists This political degeneration goes ered and executed, then we need alongsae a luren towards subject not waste our labour in studying 0] But what Red Herring Marxist with a picture of Thompson him- a view of this? Perhaps Thompson floor piled high with five years of clocks once again moving into the that the law developed in the seven- of the monarchy behalf of the bourgeoisie might ultimate subjectivist seeks a road from his own tortured soul to the stormy shores of viable lies at the heart of things so turnigg (as with protection for that law serves still to soften the It seems he is going to concede to the bourgeoisie their power to within the state, and thus preserve regulate society. But they can do so "Rights", once conceded, are delin- then can we conclude? How then

WRP ADMITS SUPPORT

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday December I0th, 1975 When published the We article in the last 'Socialist Press' exposing the unprin- cipled entry of the Workers Revolutionary Party into the British Leyland Ryder Com- designed break mittees to down shop floor resistance to we found it hard to speed-up, that the WRP could believe actually defend their class col laboration in public. Amazingly they have now done Workers Press both at the sO, Nov- 6th. Rally on ember 30th., and in Workers Press 2nd December in an Tuesday 'refuting' Socialist Press by article Michael Banda. In four-fifths of a page, Banda from wriggles and squirms away every question -blustering to cover the position. After a long pre- amble hè admits that the WRP are participating in Ryder - but quest- ions our right to raise the matter!

of This admission only came after Socialist Press had course revealed it. Up until then not single member of the WRP outside of the closed circles of the leader- ship and the member who entered Ryder knew of this change of This on such a major issue. policy would explain why Our leaflets from members were and non-members alike as they door at the 6th. went into Anniversary meeting.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Where does the Workers Press this editorial board stand on question? You would assume from its that it against statements Apart from Banda's article Ryder. defending Tom White for sitting on the Cowley Ryder Committee there has been no apparent change Previously Workers Press

COI-

"One of rectly made it clear that: the first tasks the union represen- tatives will have is to participate in the mass redundancies required by the Company.' Ryder Report was When the Workers Press made the published, correct point that: "massive invest- ment by government under a cap- appointed board who will italist take a few tame seniour stewards as hostages and declare that the era of industrial democracy has begun.

But now we find that the WRP's position is exactly the same as the From a reading OPPOrtunists of Socialist Worker you would conclude that the IS were opposed entry into Ryder, but if you go to their meetings or read their TanK and file' paper Leyland Worker you they favour of find that are in entering 'participation' committees.

NOT TOLD

When Banda, on behalf of WRP Healy, admits General . Secretary now that the WRP leadership have carried out a major policy change on a question of principle without telling theit members or readers again demonstrate the polit- they degeneration of the WRP. ical Banda's article attempts to avoid responsibility by making it seem a of what he calls "Brother defence White's action". But Socialist Press attack Tom White did not malv- We attacked the WRP of idually which White is a leading member know that the decision We taken by

WRP

Ryder was General Secretary G. Healy person- White. and carried out ally Yet WRP policy statements have said correctly continuousy that it possible to defend a single Is nol principle from within the Ryder committees. "Not a single job or basic right in this giant combine can be saved without bitter struggle against Ryder" (Workers Press, April 28th "bitter What kind of 1975). struggle" is White carrying out by joining in the plan? Ryder is currently the spearhead of attacks on manning levels and of the shadow The doreences. stands participation committees representatives are seated alternately, seated second from left between agreed manning levels on the tracks.

claim (as Banda does) that are in the leadership Cowley is ludicrous. White's only contribution (and he is the WRP's only member in any of management has attacked has been to warn that to fight the company would be an "adventure' the Ryder plan and are determined on to put what must be one of the most opportun- istic and unprincipled collection of The centre-piece of his case is eight points; we will take up the six participation at. the shop stewards it and it was Cy Blake, regarded by Healy as a sympathiser of the WRP, and allowed the Stalinists to swing the vote at the last minute with the that control. towards workers' (The WRP are backing Cy Blake in the current elections). 2) did not attend the "He meeting which was taking nomina- tions because he was opposed to it." 3) "He nominated his absence by stewards of his section.

He declined nomination". When interview- ed by branch officials and asked to state acceptance OI rejection White accepted. "The 4) stewards from his section appealed to him to stand in order to represent their views and to defend their agreements"

CONFUSION

But how can you defend agrèe- the very body ments by sitting on which is set up for the sole purpose of attacking them? All you do is cause maximum confusion and give credibility to the Ryder committees (which were discredited in Cowler before they got off the ground).

likewise Cde.Thornett was stewards from his nominated by section, who advanced exactly the same arguments. In refusing nomin- ation he that the most argued important question As a result of his stand principle. not single member from section cast a vote in the election for the Ryder committees.

5) "After a long discussion with the stewards he agreed to stand on these principled grounds" sitting on "y der ile do forge" hat principled grounds" for abandon all committees alc. and agree to stand under principle, 'pressure' from three shop stewards are right-wingers - two of whom openly opposed to revolutionary politics!

POLICY-MAKERS

Is Comrade Banda telling us that

FOR RYDER

seeking to abolish the independent trade union Geoff Whalen, Newman, Industrial Relations Manager of the Cowley Assembly Plant.

Ryder? We ask Banda and Healy: What of workers in the about the mass factory who demonstrated, by ballot, the their abstention from Ryder (under condi- hostility to tions where they had a bazlot paper their hands by a fore. thrust into man and a ballot box pushed under shop right-wing their noses by stewards)? Do they count for White's group of nothing against three stewards? Vhite polled 167 votes out o winger elected did little better with The overwhelming majority of are opposed to Ryder - yet Who do they claim to be educating?

Banda is caught on the mass ab- without surrendering our management, not in the of the working class.The struggles now and the struggles to come will but against them. In entering Ryder , but by class collab- out unprincipled manoeuvres with certain individuals, nothing else left in Cowley, turns changes his line. fury is that of a crook caught in the worse. In the language of all oppor tunists, Banda castigates the WSL as class collaboration. the ultra-lefts who refuse to join army if conscripted. workers are "conscript- They volunteer for a "commission- offensive. White, in close Consuld- with the WRP, opted to join

ADVOCATE ENTRY?

of Banda's argument course the WRP should be suggests that all advocating full into order Participation schemes to "stay with the supposedly masses". We await such a call by the Workers Press Editorial Board - or is there one rule for Tom White Cowley, and another rule for every other WRP member in the country? Banda tries to argue that enter- is ing management participation comparable with Alan Thornett's

SLL

agreement Her vers should work under the Measured Day Work system But that was after a six week strike against

MDW

was knifed the officials, who obtained a The inaugural meeting of the Assembly Plant Employee Participation Committee. Managemen But this is not the reality Cowley where it is well known that the group most hated by Parsons is

WSL.

Tom White in fact has developed all kinds of accommod- with Parsons which is shown ation White's by astounding inclusion list of in Parson's recommended deputies for this week's elections in the plant.

SLATE

There are 26 nominations for 7 from whom Parsons has positions selected 7 as the right wing slate - including, as can be seen from his circular we reproduce - Tom White.

Parsons, The decision extreme right wing anti-communist include White 'side'. Parsons is (though presumably without his Industrial Relations Director of Leyland Cars, and Mick divisions has caused knowledge) the right wing. Parsons within clearly wants a tame left to decor (In a similar way to ate his list that used by the right wing trade unions Working under a new throughout the using the Stalinists as a left face).

system after such a struggle against When Parsons argued this posit- ion within the extreme right wing the Ryder committees. grouping which publishes the leatlet after MDW was forced in the mass in the plant ORMO-TU, "Organisat- ion for Moderate Opinion which the mass are against it. has been the main voice of Parsons position at that over past two years, , no agree Parsons could be reached. men stuck to White's inclusion and principle he held out alone in North ORMO were unable to publish an election policy. ultimatum and was removed from

TESTIMONIAL

correctly taken two days later for Parsons' testimonial to White makes the IOLO Wing "I firmly believe that such candid committee to sit with foremen and ates will commit nemselves act, firmly, fairly and intelligently sibility toy in the best interests of all ou , their union and industry.

members, No one can benefit from a sagging industry, except course who have other motives." We think that this development together with the entry of the WRP

PARSONS

into requires participation some answers from Healy. Why bringing in Banda's reason for does Parsons decide to the MDW include White on his recommended comparison and bending list in an election so crucial to the it to suit his argument is to link us right wing? with Parsons who he savs has dev.

link "undying hatred" for the there not eloped an betweet Parsons' confidence that White will

WRP

because Workers Press exposed the wining and dining at play a tame role as a full time senior shop steward and the Annesly Hotel Coventry acpuly White's entry into the Ryder where the Ryder agreement was participation scheme? cooked up

TRANSPORT & GENERAL SORKERS TRICK

DEBURY EBITOR STENARD TRECT TONS

The forthoosine elections in our Undone men sa the poet cruese) «lectiona Therefore sey I te permitted to ures ant 121420227 that the following candidates for the price of Depoty Sentor steverds be 1 furly believe thet such candidetes *121 coondt t and Induatry acept of course those that here other sotimes.

It suat Yes. I BELIEVY & STRONG LEADERSHTP 1S NECULERO,

CEO THAS ALL

TESTROY.

rehap «111 have surfielent cost lance to roting Brother: Jia Bensor Petat Than Body Sher Fretter Kick Taylor Brother Toony Glen Body feet 4escatton North Brother Senysbrook Or Assembla Brother Albert Paintin 1St Inspection Brother Tong Theily 13" Paint Brother Tos White North 91de Asseabls Replanas, R Persona Dentor Steward 2an

Page 8

CASUALTY OF

TMS' Clive Jenkins - no move to anise doctors in fight for 40 hr week.

'CLEAR OFF!'

Last week, Varley, Minister • Industry, bluntly told the 000 workers who have been cupying the NVT factory in olverhampton call TO eir four month occupation cause the factory could not made 'viable'. Varley With this statement shed his hands of any responsib- y for the jobs destroyed by the bour government.

CUT OFF

When the government cut off • loans it had been providing to profits of NVT, Pused to nationalise the 49% of was still held in firm which ivate hands. Varley then advised maging director Poore to take decisions were patever ommercially necessary' - 1e. to down and sell off the plant.

NOCENTI, continued from page 1 sventing the employers from rooting plant and equipment to tart production elsewhere. Mach- Chrysler UK and jigs Irom Innocenti must be blacked ernationally. Secondly, such links must not rifice any political clarity on the stions involved. The defence of jobs at Chrysler workers must demand that left' MPs lead the fight to Wilson and Varley, who plotting savage cuts in the work- Those 'lefts' such as Huck- who refuse to fight Wilson can be seen in their true colours.

Innocenti fight, the malisation of the factory could take place if the prescill stian Democrat (Tory) govern- is brought down. Thus the and that the Communist Party Socialist Party break from the mment, and call general strike diy. of these jobs none can be carried through the most determined resist- plant level to every manage.

attack. fight will show in living the need for principled hip based on the demands of

HEALTH SERVICE:

LABOUR'S BETRAYAL

The wholesale closure of casualty departments of hos- pitals throughout the country is the clearest testament to the Labour leaders' determination to attack the National Health Service along with every other right of the working class. The junior doctors have been forced into action by the reaction- • the Wil- ary pay laws imposed by the com- plete refusal of the trade union leaders to come to their support in their fight for a 40-hour working week and reasonable payment for overa.

TORIES

Indeed the fact that their whole Tories within the BMA and the JHDA is a testimony to the betrayal of trade unionism by Clive Jenkins and the ASTMS leadership, who for years have al- lowed junior doctors to work a basic 80-hour week under punish- ing conditions without at any point seriously fighting build the Medical Practitioners Union, the doctors' section of ASTMS around campaign to change these conditions. As a result, the industrial action taken by junior doctors is confused, uncoordinated, and largely isolated from Health Service the trade unions - whose leaders in any event

VARLEY TELLS NVT

Varley is now giving Poore every assistance to salvage some profits from the closure. He is now discuss- ing with management and trade 'survival plan' for leaaels a the Birmingham factory, oldl speed-up for a vastly reduced work- force. Varley's policy is to destroy jobs protect the profits of Britisl capitalism. The union leaders go along with this policy. While the

T&GWU

make hypocritical leaders noises about 'action on jobs' from the they refuse to fight for nationalisation and turn the struggle of NVT workers into the dead end of searching for a new employer to take over the factory.

MERIDEN

In the same way they, together with Benn, encouraged the Meriden workers' cooperative where wages

LEYLAND'S SECRET

In June and July six senior of British Leyland executives went on a study tour to five Japanese motor companies. Their report has so far been kept a secret. And, having obtained a copy, we can see why. Japanese car workers, the report clean and decorate claims, their factories on voluntary basis even outside working hours', Weal their company uniforms with pride, thought for have the company rather than the individual', and show respect for seniority.

Of course, they are hard-headed "It is obvious, that realists too: similar conditions cannot be estab- lished in our company overnight, but we must make every effort to fulfil these conditions enjoyed by the Japanese by creating atmosphere of deeper understand. ing and trust at all levels" Exactly how this trust and understanding will develop to the point where levand's workers wil welcome the intensification of their work, proudly accept redundancies from their trade unions, elect Lord Stokes of the as president company union, and rush back to long ago sold out any opposition to the government's pay laws It also takes place under leaders who seek to preserve private prac- tice in while medicine, working would rally firmly class support round a clear call to defend the crumbling National Health Service against cuts and closures, ensuring maximum impact of the doctors actions.

DIFFERENCE

Workers must be clear on the complete difference therefore bet- ween the consultants' recent decis- • for ion to resignations campaigl from the

NHS.

and the present action of junior doctors.

While the doctors must be fully supported in the fight to end Victorian condit- sons attempt to blackmail the ants consultants ernment making pay-beds within NHS hosp- providing itals must be given notice to quit.

Their threat to resign the NHS en bloc is an empty Outside the structure of the Health Service they cease consultants, and become merely senior doctors seek- in the competit- employment ive and lucrative but restricted field of private practice. If they prefer the prospect of personal profit to the possibility of working within a system which provides treatment for all they must be made to make way were cut and conditions destroyed off loans to financiers which is now also threatened by the collapse of NVI.

"DEPRESSING"

When Labour MPs like Renee Short say that Varley's decision i 'depressing and a great blow to the workers' they must be asked where they stand fight for the will they Wilson and the removal of Varley, right wing? Will they call for the nationalisation the whole workers' industry under management? The first step in fight nationalisation must be the opening of the books of NVT and holding Manganese company, Bronze, to show what has happenec to the funds pumped into NVT an the ground nationalisation. the report does not sta without weekends, does not state in detail!

The evidently believes, however, that the basic solutions Leyland's problems must philosophical: "The memebers soon appreci- ated part played by teaching of Confucius in the forma- tion of the deep-rooted attitude of the Japanese. These teachings evident in a reverence for authority, the sovereign, the father and elders. Certainly the family and the company are more important than individual own estimation".

£500 FUND

The enthusiastic response from many quarters to ou theoretical supplement "Trotskyion Todar' makes u anxious to produce it more regularts, and deredop of Trotskyist principle in the sorter: EmaI

SEND A DONATION TO

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 10th December 1975 for the many able junior doctors "either in reducing the level who would gladly take their place.

rated, or porking conditions.

changing their In addition the Labour move- work-load, or MPs who talk of socialism must im outside NHS hospitals and nation- reduction in overtime, freezing un filled posts and restricting tempor- should be made an offence to ex ary staff. At the same ment, a 50% cut in advertising, a cut services (pathological examinations) and in general to: private practice is already national Mikardo, the 'left' ASTMS-sponsor- At the meeting the Joint Trade Union Committee exposed a furth- mem the struad thor a t,,000 er management document, this time a far more detailed and lengthy list of 61 proposed cuts - centring large NHS, which is also ASTMS national ly on preventive medicine, but also threatening maternity er accident units and the comple.

tion of such projects as a perman- cases deliberately dispute. The most determined resis tance to these cuts must be fought

BIOT

was tospolist Resistance must centre first on given to those speakers who fought Regional and "Area of fighting to force the books to opened, and for national their books and their future plans strike action in defence of the NHS › a sliding scale of Even scratching the surface of these impact the cuts will have on health The meeting clearly recognised the need for the trade unions to care. In Oxford on November 24th.

a meeting of over 150 health service exercise control over the manage- trade unionists was held, following the hospitals if jobs are to workers in deence for ective to All Budget Holders in the The meeting further overwhelm- management's method of attack on in District Trades tacio for d proposals on staff will be: scale fight against the cuts.

PORTUGAL, continued from page 1 will not get the 40% rise they so upheavals that had arisen. They also dramatically forced from the gov- renewed the calls for the "battle of production" which they had aban •Otelo de Carvalho, former chief Stalinist leaders will do all in their power policies of the AFM junta and play Chief of Staff, have been replaced.

lining Workers and rank and tip- Many more (for example, Dinis de lending vital political support and these reactionary policies worsen Inflation - at 27% per annum, and at generally supported the line of the strength of the order to bring back the former pro alliance of workers and i ne fascist journalists. Similar treatment has been given to the TV and radio being handed back to the Catholic the 28th November said they would "go underground to work in the a number of foreigners, and there were military raids on the offices of LUAR and other left-wing organisa- A policy to expose the reaction- All of these measures have been carried out by a much-strengthened the Portuguese workers and soldiers ended its 'strike' The demand must be to the SP and the CP leaders force class under the demagogic slogan of to break from the Armed Forces Movement and the PPD, and form no longer play a key role, measures restoration of workers' control of Intast measures — to say that the particip.

consolidate and extend their organ- isations in the factories, localities, the CP joined the reactionaries with aelence of the conditions of th

PUBLIC MEETING

LIVERPOOL

Wednesday 17th December 8.00 pm AUEW Hall Mount Pleasant peaker: Alan Thornett The Struggle for tha (ransitional Programm e to Defend Job