Socialist Press no. 32

PAY LAWSU

in a cold-blooded attack on the working class. Last week, strike leaders at British Leyland plants in the Midlands, who have been in action against the pay laws of the Labour government, were hauled before the full AUEW Executive Council. There they were pressured, by the blackmailing provisions

PRESS

SCANLON

POLICES

Scanion acted enthusiastically ition to to enforce the pay laws which are the attacks of central

LONE

Labour government on the living standaras of we workug Class, su enthusiastically that the capitalist was endorsed. press fell over itself to sing his praises. The Daily Telegraph, possibly from the start. the clearest voice of the employ- ers, pointed out that Scanlon and his Executive: "have taken unprecedented steps to exert their authority and order four groups 1n of strikers back to work"...."For union which initially opposed DUDDOIL dILY the £6 limit and all forms of wage they have acted most restraint, sooner energetically in enforcing it".

the AUEW controls

DIFFERENT

This is very different language gloat as from that used against Scanlon on the occasions when he has The defended the working class. It is the direct opposite of the attacks by the which followed his ented the use of his President's casting vote call the whole AUEW out on defeat the National strike and Court Industrial Relations in 1974. To bring Yet it was in that very period, mid-1974, that today's betrayals began. Even while opposing the Scanion allowed the of the AUEW/TASS motion of oppos-

MAY DAY

GREETINGS

The Editorial Board of Socialist Press send revolutionary May Day greetings to our readers and to the international workers' movement in struggle against Imperialism.

We offer our fullest political support in the fight to defeat the labour bureaucracy and to reconstruct the Fourth International.

SOCIALIST

RYDER THREAT USED

The recent rightward swing of "left' engineering workers' union leader Hugh Scanlon has resulted of the Ryder Report, into making recommendations which resulted in a return to work.

the reactionary social contract to be withdrawn at the special conference of the TUC. He led the AUEW in abstaining on itical perspective could resist.

the vote, and the social contract "opposition" Scanlon's Wilson's pay policy was a fraud that purpose. sacrifice in order

"OPPOSITION"

employer ition to ithope tes govercauset The whole time the AUEW was "opposition' to the social and finally, he contract not a finger was lifted to section of workers prepared by the Ryder who opposed the pay laws. But no plan had the right-wing swung in support of wage Scanlon than acted

ABUSE

Leyland would vigorously to enforce it.

This is why the employers now liquidation. Thus, Scanion does their Job openly for them. strikes of the British Ryder Report. Leyland skilled men were of great political significance. They repres- growing opposition in the working class to the attacks of the Labour government. It is for These provisions this reason that the forces ranged against them were so great.

Leyland into the local leaders of a stage conditional group of workers on strike, whilst increases in all the pressures of the media are reduction in disputes. on them, in front of a full meeting Executive Council is unemployment entirely unprecedented. wages and conditions. Scanion must be raised throughout the AUEW.

Full active given to workers Foot and Healey must end.

VOLUNTARY

INCOMES

POLICY

BLMC

Pressure can be brought to bear under these conditions which only a leadership with the clearest pol- And to force a return to work, Scanlon used all the techniques and rationalisations developed for He argued that workers must to make the "viable"; that oppos- policy was because they get not support from the union;

T&GWU

used the threat produced a 'new' formula architects of the His proposal is for a sum of - ll you reluse te return to work, then the next cash money to be agreed between the injection of £100 million, due in

TUC

and the Labour would be withheld and ment which could be distributed go into differently each plant industry. in order to police the For example, if 5% was the pay laws, Scanion utilises the full agreed total figure, weight of the provisions of the factory could decide if it each would be paid increase or on a percentage basis,

STAGES

providing the total increase in the payroll was not more than 5% But Jones has no authority divide the from the T&GWU policy confer- government's cash payments to ence - the highest body in the with each stages union - to pursue such a policy.

productivity and a

HIGH-HANDED

In this way the threat of mass It is however consistent with can be used the high-handed way he is operat- against workers who defend their which ing in a union becoming one of the most bureau- fought. cratic and undemocratic in the Motions opposing his actions must trade union movement. This raises the question as to A new leadership must be built where Jones' policies come from.

in the fight to defeat the bureau- Does he think he leads and ensure that the AUEW ends its support for the himself? Are they handed to him after pay law actio poses sta me Tst be a discussion between Foot and support must Healey? Do they derive who fight for within the labour movement at free collective bargaining, and the all? policy talks with Callaghan, With the advent of ever more blatant collaboration emplovers throuch 'participation

CONTAINING SPECIAL MAY DAY SUPPLEMENT

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO 32 * 21st APRIL 1976 * 10p

TIM

SCANLON

WHO WRITES

JONES'

SPEECHES?

As TUC leaders twist and turn to find the best means to impose a substantial wage cut on their members through Stage wo of the pay laws - Jack Jones, General Secretary of tr nd the leading right-wing TUC bureaucrat - h major policy decisions being dis- local and Cussed bureaucrats with big multinational govern- corporations such Leyland or before being presented to the trade union movement. This certainly seems to be the case with Jones' latest scheme. In workers 1n a major statement on long term flat February rate policy (dated wales 23rd 1976 but only just released Personnel Geoffrey Whalen, Director, puts forward a policy identical to the 'Jones plan.

Whalen's document proposes an end to individual plant bargain- ing - an objective cherished by Leyland for five years whilst they awaited the right conditions to force it in. He wants to replace it with corporation-wide negotiations is fast conducted by the national officers or tae unions Corporate bargaining is design- independent ed to restrict the action of the working class and strengthen the hand of the them up bureaucracy and the employers.

PART OF RYDER

from Whalen, who argues that cor- is part of the porate bargaining Ryder plan and therefore already accepted by the unions, explains with the

PORTUGAL

The elections in new ortugal on 25th April, second inniversary of the overthrow f fascism, seem certain to aow a marked, and carefully eganised move to the right. do elections not take lace under thesi the night noas the right wing year agu. ficers imprisoned after the of 11th March ¿tempted "coup' 975 have now been freed. together with The newspapers, any farms and other enterprises lave been handed back to their ormer owners. The CDS and other ight wing have been parties ctively protected by the military -gime - though despite this only mall numbers are attending their lublic rallies. All of these measures have led to consitution, pression. alled by the Times and the the ortuguese Communist party in the capitalist rost progressive gorla, nevertheless leaves ower of veto in the hands of the of state who has yet to be lected. It cannot be changed until 980. The capitalist and pro-capitalist arties standing in the election have this. Extreme right accepted agees from anti-colonial revolt in forces around Ingola and other former colonies the into Cone On 7th April the West German agazine Stern claimed that it was assible to leaders the meet •Portuguese o- called National dovement' by chance on the street Northern Portugal.

SPINOLA

also showed e magazine wing 'coup'

"THAY

ex-General eing by his in trom Swiss were their un- the Stern lace workers prevent wing forces been organising zave eft. At Beja 10th April on soldiers had to be flown crowd, and they shot on the rounding a number and killing 38- 38-year old farmworker, the rights of At the same time, eft-wing parties in The Maoist been restricted. has been banned by the

ARGENTINA

General Jorge Videla's military launched pression against the working class d its organisations. The right to strike and negotiate collective terms and conditions are spended Hundreds of been convicted of already crimes' against these restrictions od imprisoned for up to ten years court martials. summary umber of arrests since the coup is observers over put 3,000 Government are measures hacked up by the vicious activities and L erators the ultra-right tripie-A of America commando organised by (the proups

LALLCI

marl Beniamin Menendez). Since

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

GOVERNMENT!

from French campaigning their pollic. workers among the there. of the on Portugues radio and TV of the placed on the The CP, which new for enshrines Tule won it any the elections. to be in 14th On llth strong WEITer other Oporto Sweden. On 19th Monde

ZIMBABWE

in the The 40% increase African government's detence reflects the decisive budget impact within South Africa of the mobilisation of thousands workers of and peasants around the war for the liber- ation of Zimbabwe. Since the end of 1974, the Vorster government in South Africa has followed a conscious policy of accommodation (detente) towards further black states HILu. "ITe notably Zambia. was both to secure The aim like Zambia as markets countries for South African industry and to through Zambian pressure, ensure, eventual government of that the organisations. repression This fierce necessary to back up the economic policy of finance minister Martinez de Hoz. This is based on restoring capitalist profitability through wage.

the continuation of control, tax changes which assist inflation, profits sacking about the 500,000 off stat employees and selling state enterprises to private capitalists. Such measures add up to huge real wage cuts and unemployment. of the workers have continued the movement which treacherous conciliation belped the coup to take place. of leaders of the peronist (the main trade union

FOR AN SP-CP

reported that Soares said "we will will be in alone. oI we elections. opposition" after the By 9th April, the London Times was able to report a modification of independent this DOSILIOl- military and political figures might SP be included in had Soares . administration, H0W said. This policy will not serve the interests of the workers at all. In these elections we call for the establishment of a government of the main parties of the working and the SP, class, the CP forces independent of the armed other capitalist and of the any of the land, following the suffered with and tile together basis goldiers class' and on which Callaghan and Soares Zimbabwe would be liberated South Africa's amenable influence. Vorster has for some time there- fore accepted that the days of the Rhodesia Smith regime (Zimbabwe) are numbered.

VORSTER

governments South Africa however, have hither- meeting the same fate as lan Smith under the guise of 'national indep- Thus next October Vorster plans that the first 'independent' African South Africa with its own govern- control of South Africa. 70% of its mine i Soul Arca ani amond Crucial to the policy of Bantu- stans has been the cooperation with Vorster of conservative tribal the chiefs like Chief Mantanzima who is "President" of the the titst LO Nei Transkei. However, a month ago another African * chief Gasha 'important had hitherto gone Buthelezi who along with Vorster made a speech resoundingly opposed bydlku of 'one man one in TavouT

SLAN

vote' within South Africa.

This speech reflects the pressure of the forward movement of the South Africa African masses within SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 2Ist April, 1976

FRANCE

policy has forced the Communist 100.000 French University Party and reformists to support it.

school stud and secondary efforts of the students' And the brought ents and teachers and teachers leaders to obtain their objections to the gov. union support for the trade educational that the ernment's protest means significant ment has become plans to the streets 'reform' threat to the increasingly insecure last week. Giscard regime. Large demonstrations in most of the major cities (40,000 in Paris alone), though permitted by

ENQUIRY

the authorities, were heavily pres- and sured by mot DOLICE demonstrators numerous

COMMISSION

injured. The which has movement developed with astonishing speed is against the government's plans The

WSL

has supported foI rationalise the education of an some time the institution system make meet into allegations by the OCI enquiry consistently the needs of French that Michel Varga, leading member capitalism. of the LIRQI faction, is a CIA/GPU should Primary education Such enquiry has provocateur. an according to .concentrate, set up and has held its now been minister Haby, on the education first meeting. The following is the acquisition of basic skills; secon- statement issued from that dary and higher education should meeting: on courses designed concentrate to produce the qualifications tor "This is to inform you that we which demand exists. haver constituted OurseLves nature and content of So the the of Enquiry on college and university courses will of the enclosed text. The basis decided committees of participants in this Commission are and teachers, administrators Marion (Ligue this time: capitalists. At the same time, Communiste Revolutionaire),

TUN

admission to should be Horowitz (Socialist Workers Party), Socialist much more selective. John Docherty (Workers The strength and rapid growth (International League), of the movement against this Andre Frys Spartieist Tendency), We invite you to (Lutte Ouvriere). The secretariat of the take part. has been Commission of Enquiry assumed by Lutte Ouvriere, at the above adress'. The Declaration, which has the of all the above support organisations, reads as follows: "For the some time Communiste Organisations (OCl) has put Internationaliste of forward number charges, claiming that Balasz Nagy, known Michel. Varga, is an 'agent paid by the

CIA',

and

'GPU

provocateur leaders of

LIRQI,

The the organisation to which Michel Varga belongs, have demanded a 'workers' commission of enquiry' to express opinion on "the campaign of baseless allegations put forward by the OCI leadership', , as well as on 'the extension of these charges to Internationale, in that the League they have gone as far as repeated Vorster physical attacks against members of

OCI/LIROI

the fraction, notably bique, Angola, and now the the united demonstration developing struggle in Zimbabwe.

and the against Francoism, Ôn the other hand, Vorster is leafletting that place taking consolidate his was preparing to outside a meeting ditch calng ior wie military power for freeing of the Soviet mathematician This is the basis of his visit stand. Leonid Plyushch. to Israel to discuss armaments last We consider that such week. accusations made against ata South The fact that individual militant or an Africa already has mote organisation are serious enough for the than all military 1e enne re dloerry JIpłcncl fogerner means hat Vorsters past governments of black Africa to ascertain whether they have any foundation stand' will be a totally different For this reason we have decided question from that of lan Smith.

constitute ourselves into to This raises the vital question of Commission of Enquiry in order to building in this period of general invite the leadership of the OCI to forward movement of the working ail the proofs it present uS with and peasantry on a world scale class to ask all claims to possess, •anad Trotskyist leadership within those who consider they can South Africa itself. the provide any evidence on vital task facing Trot- The most affair to come and put it forward.

skyists in South Africa now, is to takes "lhe Commission

LOSLI

link the growing struggle for trade itself task of scrupulous the union recognition and wages among verification of facts and documents African workers in the towns with which it will eventually publish. To the question. of genuine national give this as much authority as independence and the abolition of possible, the Commission invites all white Afrikaner rule. those organisations that consider The fight against apartheid cannot themselves belong to the

TURKEY Down with NF coalition!

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday April 21st 1976 On 8th April fascists attacked the students of Ankara University of Political Sciences, killing student one and wounding many others.

The next day, April 9th, 60,000 people marched in a funeral demonstration for the dead student calling for the revolutionary over- throw of the government.

ARMED CLASHES

In the resulting from protests students Universities in 1n Hally developed Ankara, armed clashes between police and students leading to further two students being killed by police and badly wounded. spread through Controntations parts of the many city as police attacked students demonstrating around the slogans Down with the Fascists' and The Government Must Resign'. Police arrested more than 300 Turkish police use students. The Turkish National Front Hundreds of violent incidents Coalition consists of

COVETECHL

have taken place, killing more than four right-wing bourgeois parties. It 60 people with hundreds wounded.

These incidents months after the break-down of the fascists are rapidly expanding their government based

COALLO!

Ecevit's Republican Popular lorces under Party an elions allacks the favourable conditions created and the National Salvation Party.

by the right-wing government.

Since then the fascists have The international economic increased their attacks the crisis, which is getting deeper day working class, students and progres- by day, is felt deeply in Turkey. Six with the full support of the million workers unemployed

SVES

are state forces. while inflation is between 20 and SUBSCRIBE to Socialist Press

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THE WORKERS

SOCIALIST

LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League was formed in December 1974 to struggle for the continuity of the principles of Trotskyism Britain and towards the rebuilding of the in Fourth International. In the daily struggle to take the demands and principles of Trotsky's Transitional Programme into the trade unions, the WSL' has been at the forefront of the fight for the sliding scale of wages, and work sharing on full pay - demands which at the T&GWU Conference were the only alternative to Jones' treacherous £6 pay plan and the wholesale accept- ance of redundancies by the bureaucracy.

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

disputes also, WSL comrades have tested and developed the demands of the Transitional Programme, putting forward in every case, the only real opposition to the Stalinists and the right-wing. Our struggle for the "open the books" demand in the motor industry has won a mass response. At the same time we have put forward a policy to fight unemploy- ment, calling for unity of employed and unemployed through the fight to mobilise the trade union movement.

The WSL is the only movement that fights consistently for transition- al demands, going beyond mere trade union militancy to pose the pol- itical 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 the present crisis of the rourth International, as an essential part of any serious initiative towards its reconstruction.

urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionarv leader.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

armoured car against demonstrators

V CI COI

Inder these conditions, the cla struggle sharpening and the bourgeoisie to workers' struggles through methods of fascist terror. It also significant that the interests American imperialism in the Middle East requires them to maintain right-wing government and to establish a repressive regime in Turkey. The ability the Turkish OI bourgeoisie to establish its united front against the working class is outcome ot the reactionary the leadership of the volicies of Turkish working class Ecevit's Republican Popular Party (the parliamentary opposition to the National Front government) based on the petty-bourgeoisie and is making some left sounding speeches words they are _demanding the bringing down" of the National Front government but only through democratic and parlia- mentary ways.

DRAIN ON

SOCIAL

SERVICES

A turn out of over mass 600 NALGO members attend- ed a rally of the Union's Save Campaign Our Services in Birmingham Town Hall last week. heard NALGO They • leader Geoffrey Drain and local left' MP Audrey Wise avoid even a hint of a fight to prevent the government cuts in jobs and services.

Wise told the meeting that (like any do "e dozer), the not disagree government's White Paper on the cuts because of its practicality or its but because of its actual words, philosophy which would mean a less healthy workforce"

SILENT

The upshot of this line of argu- was Wise stating that she the White with Paper, while remaining silent on what steps she would take to fight its implementation. "left" Thus despite demagogic Wise, 37 statements, like all the abstainers who brought the initial defeat of the White Paper

ONLY U

vote confidence in Wilson's econ- omic policies the next day, winds up simply accepting the "right" of the government to carry through In this attitude they represent the interests of the native Turkish capitalists against the worid imper- ialist interests represented by the National Front. Most of the other "left" parties are supporting the RPP against the National Front government. In this way the RPP gathers the support of layers of workers and peasants.

UNIONS

Turkey, about five million employ- ed workers and two million of them Iney eration of Revolutionary Workers Unions and the Confederation of Turkish Workers Unions. trained as trade unionists the CTWU and the CTWU to join the new confederate CRWU political support to and does nothing to establish the During the Cyprus war, both confederations gave full support to their "own" bourgeoisie, banning all strikes and accepting the impos ition of a curfew and anti-labour laws. In the last few months the

CRWU

leadership has Drougit about the defeat of struggle 400,000 Involving public sector workers. The fight was against legislation changing the status of workers to civil servants, thus banning their right to unionise.

But in manufacturing industry, unionisation continues to develop rapidly. There are some parties to the left of the

RPP.

The Turkish Labour Party was founded after the coup in May 1960. Up to the coup in 1971, the TLP had considerable words with action, this is what must happen. Drain's statement was an even more open betrayal carrying with it not only on his own members in local government but also on private sector workers. He argued that if the Labour leaders were going to transfer spending from the public sector to private industry, they would have to show private projects to be econ- omically "efficient". If the did so, presumably Drain would agree to the slashing of NALGO jobs.

This call to implement open work-study and speed-up in private industry prelude to all on- slaught on jobs in the social services plays right into the hands of the employers. And Drain's strategy for a fight to "Save Our Services" is designed to exclude the member- ship from struggle and prevent a conflict at the point of redundancy.

He simply asked

NALGO

members to allow him to use his "influence" within the job-cutting TUC leadership and amongst wage- cutting Labour cabinet ministers!

SLIM PROSPECT

He was obliged to keep quiet about the slim prospects of finding who would support a call to save support from workers and b MPs in Parliament. But the coup saw the TLP closed don the change in the RPP attracted much ILI suppor In 1973 the and based itself stituted trades unions. It is now win the support of the away from the RPP. But by struggle against the He e Front government on the cratic and parliamentary TLP politically identifies itself the RPP. The illegal Turkish Comm Party

(TCP)

has no indeper alternative policies in this strug

PARLIAMENTARY

It formulates its aims establishment of democratic p through Parliamentary means Stalinists. isn't necessa Tame this stage for the working cla take but merely to power, some involvement in it. On this basis, the TCP comt IL Policy, with the RPP and During the Wal, Stalinists of the TCP gave suf to cevit on the basis that he supposedly going to esta "peace" on the island There is also a number of sI left wing organisations. The Ma considerable have support stud But they divert all struggles by 'No slogan the Soviet TO No to America Indepen Turkey! In Turkey as in all other c tries, the way to fight the fas and repressive regimes is to fig mobilize the full strength 01 working class in a united against reaction. this only Trotskyists In show the way forward. The ce demands of the struggles toda Turkey must be: General Strike to down the National Government! For workers defence sq against fascist and police attack Down with state sect courts and their laws! Repeal all anti-working legislation! * Release all political prisoners!

Drain Wise the only way NALGO members act to defend jobs and forc defence of the social service national strike action.

NALGO

Branches must re nise the road to ruin and redun cy being followed by their lea ship. begin local pre Iley ations for action to defend all against attack, along with calls the Executive for national st action, if possible coordinated i viet pubic sector unions, to : force home the cuts, and to

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Part 8 The Call for Workers' Control By Steve Murray The mass upsurge of bruary 1917 which over- rew Tsarism had drawn into ruggle alongside the ard forces of the working ass, not only backward and organised sections of orkers, but also the mass of asant soldiers and the petit- purgeoisie of the city. This tremendous braodening of though absolutely movement, the ential for success of the rolution, had temporarily amped the class conscious minor- of the working class. When the Soviet was formed majority of its deputies were mbers of the Socialist Revol- onaries or Mensheviks, and the İsheviks were in a minority.

Though the Soviet alone carried thority working masses already being forced to icentrate power its own ads, the petit-bourgeois majority the Soviet voluntarily agreed to nsfer the bourgeoisie voted confidence in the Provis- 2l Government. was this way that the faith of the masses in their petit- ration of 'dual power' was born. bourgeois leaders. the April Theses Lenin sums the nature of this dual power as of the proletariat, however, did not ows: mean an immediate dual power is evident in insurrection: existence of two governments: is the main, the real, the actual ament of the bourgeoisie, the criticism, of explaining the mistakes sional Government' of the petit-bourpeoisISR and social Cond partier government, a democratic parallel rolling in the consciously of the Petrograd Soviet Party, and Soldiers' Deputies, of holds organs state intoxication... Only by overcoming directly rests on the but this sous and indisputable majority Provisional the armed can kers and soldiers".

TEMPORARY

lessons ourselves revoltionary two conflicting regimes and really stimulate only temporarily side

CARL

ness both of the proletariat and the side with each other. The bour- general".(Tasks of the masses in sie could not for long tolerate Proletariat in Our Revolution, April their 'interfering' masses In 1917). workers vetoing the flas isions of their hers refusing to obey the orders Bolsheviks at the head of the class their officers. conscious Neither could the fundamental "patiently explain to the masses the hands of the working class and need to In santry be realised without abol- hands. 'dual power' and vesting ng the power in the Soviets. Balance between the Soviet and Provisional Government was sible only so long as the bour- sie did not have the strength to give clear direction ish the Soviets Trotsky es still shared the illusion that about. cad, peace and land", the "In a revolutionary mands for which they had oppressed masses turn more easily thrown the Tsar, could and and quickly to direct action, than ald be granted by the Provisional they learn to give their desires and demands through their own representatives The more representation, behind the rhythm of those events which determine the activity of the masses.... With all the advantages of their organic Will une factories and regiments, the soviets HeTeronetes and are therefore not free organs, trom the qualifications and distor- tions contradiction Top, lea to the fact that it sist form, lies the masess, but on the activity other hand easily becomes a conser- Lenin vative obstacle to it....At any rate - the its aple Conference on the day after the April quarter- insurrection.. the April Conference re-orient the at to Bolshevik were sitting in the Soviet as the day • in this new situation, to win before. Arriving once more in their accustomed party majority to the perspec- of a struggle for the proletarian the torship and to develop leaders". amine which could break the Revolution, p. 329) The Petrograd Soviet in session masses began to draw lessons from this experience and moved closer to the Bolsheviks. In the local Soviets SAnd from April onwards to proceed to the adoption of feasible and practicable measures for the merging of all the banks into one single national bank, to be followed by the establishment nation ton Selected Works. vol VIp. frontal assault on the Soviets, borenoise inse me gradual sections of the working class after factory would be closed down Central to this was the struggle step by stento break the illusions democracy and prepare the workers to take power through the develop- ment of workers' control. Vital was the fight to renew the leadership of the Soviets and strengthen the self- Trotsky describes how the lockout gave an impetus to the revolution- ising of the masses. the course of March and 129 small plants involving workers; in June 125 plants with 38,000 workers; in July 206 plants workers. The lockout developed in mate stalin any fest dubit.

with the goal of bringing pressure on the workers or holding up the government for subsidies. In the sabotage was that result of the as exposures of the shop committees the industrialists found themselves compelled to the re-open factories". (Trotsky, ibid., p. 385)

EXPERIENCE

From the practical experience of economic sabotage, the factory committees were won the slogans of the Bolsheviks and began to workers control exercise in industry. By June the Bolsheviks had the of the won leadership Petrograd factory committees. At they their Conference passed resolution which according to Lenin: "...lays special emphasis on the all important thing, that is, on what is to be done 1) to prevent the of actual "preservation" capitalist profits; 2) to tear off the veil of commercial secrecy; 3) to give the workers a majority on the control 4) to ensure that the (of organisation and

CORTED

direction), being "nationwide" directed organisation, by the 15 Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies and not by the capitalists..... "Let's get down to business! Let us have fewer excuses and keep closer to practical matters! Are the profits made from war supplies, 500 per cent profits amounting to or more, to be left intact? Yes or no? Is commercial secrecy left intact? Yes or no? Are the workers he enabled to exercise control? Yes no?" (Lenin, Collected Works p. 45, June 1917) Faced with the economic col- lapse, the Compromisers converied conference economic "experts". Its conclusions were that state regulation of economic life was necessary. "Contemporary conditions demand a regulative participation of the state in the distribution of materials products Simultaneous with this raw finished necessary place control all credit institutions" The Soviet Executive Committee adopted these proposals and called on the government to implement them. Naturally the government refused, for was theit own class which was organising the sabotage Meeting of a soldiers committee Lenin contrasted the extravagant Soviet ministers promises of the in the coalition government with their complete inaction. "It is sate to that evert single speech, single article every clearly and explicitly recognises the chief and principal measures of combatting and averting catas- trophe and famine. This measure is control, supervision, accounting, state, intro-

CREDID

duction of a proper distribution of labour power, etc., and it is just this which is not being done for fear of encroaching on the supremacy the landowners and capitalists, on their fantastic and . Immense scandalous profits" The steps to take, on thé other hand, argued Lenin, were simple: would be enough to arrest to hundred financial magnates and bigwigs, the chief knights of embezzlement and of SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21st April 1976 robbery by the banks. It would be enough to arrest them for a few expose their frauds and show all exploited people "who Upon exposing the needs the war" frauds of the baking barons, we could the them, placing banks, the capitalist syndicates and all the contractors 'working' for the workers' government under control". (Lenin, Collected Works vol 25 p. 58, June 20th 1917).

step forward from the limited elements of control being the exercised by workers in the factorires could be made without encroaching private property and challenging the bourgeois Provisional Government. The Mensheviks tried to scare the working class with the technical copossibility of running industry impossibility running industry without the capitalists. Lenin replied: "There is the slightest not technical difficulty in the way of amalgamation of the banks; and if the state power were revolutionary word (ie. if it did not not only in fear to do away with inertia and routine), if it were democratic not only in words (ie. if it acted in the interests the majority of the people), it would be enough to decree confiscation of property and the penalty for managers, board members, and big shareholders, for the slightest delay for attempting to conceal or documents or accounts. It would be enough for example to organise the poorer employees separately and to for detecting fraud reward ten and delay on the part of the rich, for nationalisation of the banks to effected as smoothly be and rapidly as possible". (Vol. 25 p. 321). The fight for workers' control, which had out of the grown struggle against the lockout fulfilled two economic sabotage, It the power of eroded the capitalists in industry, , and at the same time convinced the working class through its own experience of the impossibility of going further without destroying the political power of the capitalists and concen- trating all power in the Soviets as instruments of the proletarian dictatorship. It the basis on of the the control masses were prepared to overthrow the Provisional Government.

The October Revolution, how- ever, did not bring to an end the struggle for workers' control. The immediate task facing the Soviet government was to develop from workers' control in the factory to a system of state regulation of the and distribution of goods. The banks and the major mono polies were nationalised, but whole- sale nationalisations were excluded.

First the resistance of the individual employers to state regulation had to be broken and more important, the working class had to gain the technical experience necessary take over direct of management industry. Workers' control continued to develop after October, stimulated and backed up by the Soviet power.

The nationalisation industry developed gradually by sector as the masses began to gain of and habanatice learned to break the resistance of the technical experts and utilise them under workers. management. was only the allied wars of intervention and the civil war which cut short this process and forced the abrupt nationalisation all industries by decree in June 1918.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21st April 1976 With the of upsurge in working class militancy Spain, the explicit class collaboration of the Socialist Communist and parties each seeking "liberal" with alliances sections of the capitalist class - has been one of the main forces leading class conscious workers towards parties which at least claim to be further to the left. Three of these in particular have grown rapidly months and have played significant the role wave of 1n strikes and other actions since Organisation Revolucionaria de los Trabajadores Communist Movement (Movimento Comunista All three are estimated to have close active supporters. important organisational alternative Univ to a verv smaf extent, and in the most erratic way, have they offered a real alternative to

MAOIST

All three parties commonly *Maoist are known though their very varied origins. colleas They all some degree are centrist in that they ricochet from day to day between the reactionary positions of the CP and apparently ultra-left revolutionary even positions. The PT was formed in the 1960s by a left opposition group expelled from the CP Last it changed its name from the International Communist Party because, claimed, such a "aroused suspicions of

MATERN

Trotskyism". Its political line, however, arouses such suspicions. Following the CP, it declares that the primary objective In spain is for the working class in alliance with other "democratic" classes to establish bourgeois democracy.

Its major difference with the CP SP, stof montains that only wthe CP, still maintains that the instalation the proletariat can our present revolution be said to have ended in success"

SEPARATED

like the CP's "socialism", But, this is postponed in the PT's party programme for an indefinite future and safely separated from the democratic of objectives the moment. In its recent practice the PT has become little more than left the CP

CIDIOT

remained loyal and of the Democratic Junta. uncritical wonde The ORT is on the surface less close to the CP's line. In its origins to left wing the OR! goes back of workers groups catholic and

•POLICIA

SPAIN

CRISIS OF

WORKING CLASS

LEADERSHIP

intellectuals in 1960s, socialism) but the step, to argues for

CALY

such as Vanguards and Catholic the armed struggle of the workers Action. produce the bourgeois In 1963 some of these formed democratic stage. the syndicalist

AST

'which Its definition of the political itself converted into political first stage do, L115 numbers of Maoists, alter however, go further than the CP's party include the nationalisation of expelled from the CP, had become and the majority. monopolies democratic So in spite of its catholic origins workers' control. the

ORT

Maoist the These differences have not

IIUW

extent that it claims to follow "the prevented

ORT

from joining Chinese of the class collaborationist alliances.

revolutonary Communist Party " and bases itself It of recently withdrew ideology Marxism- trom the •141 Socialist Party's and the thought of Mao- Democratic Leninism Platform and called for ise-tung* unification of the It is not surprising that from this Junta and the Platform - an event which has now starting point its apparently taken place, commendable obiective «to combat creating the body under the revisionism of the CP" has not Democratic THine

OTI

Coordination, though certainly not led it to a consistent revolutionary because of the ORT. position. The MCE began in 1964 as the

TWO STAGE

Basque Communist Movement, nationalist split from the organisation

ETA.

It adopted its rather led to bizarre has variations on the CP line. The ORT, present name in 1972 and claims for instance. accepts the CP's rigid the ideas of Marx, aneglance concept of a "two-stage" revolution Lenin and Mao. strength is still concentrated (one step from fascism to bourgeois

THES

the Euskadi (Basque) region, democracy, and in another, separate police Barcelona disperse a rally demanding amnesty for political prisoners.

Police attack students in Madrid.

where in many towns it occupies a dominant position in the workers' and students' movement. It is the only one of the three large centrist/maoist organisations to have made specific strong, criticism of the CP's political line.

correctly the Democratic Junta as "an alliance of few reformist parties with political representatives of the oligarchy" recent issue of its paper Setere ten People it condemns the interterence international" of Wilson and Meir in the spanish opposition.

In contrast to the CP's call for "national unity" peace and MCE talks of the forgiveness the need to "disarm and dissolve" the repressive forces of the state, and bring the instigators of torture and repression to trial and punishment.

On economic questions the MCE has called for an end to wage control, the of nationalisation of all important of economy under

SOCLOIS

democratic control, recognition of the right of workers to inspect the books and accounts of all capitalist Page 5 firms, and workers' participation in the running of all public services (health, transport, social security etc.). Such demands, however, presented in the movement's pres not as elements in a programme of struggle more desirable objectives in contrast to recent economic measures minister Villai fascist economics

MIT.

CONTRAST

And the MCE's correct if very incomplete criticisms of the CP are startling its … to political position until recently an ally of the Socialist Party in the collaborationist equally class Democratic Platform, which, argued was significantly to the left of the Junta The MCE only withdrew from the Platform just before its union with the Junta. much smaller group is the Communist Organisation of Spain (Bandera Roja). The group, which left the CP in 1960s, was concentrated the ear" Catalonia (especially Barcelona). After huge oscillations of political line it liquidated itself back into the CP, but a minority has recently resigned to re-establish the second incarnation of Bandera Roja (Red Flag). The made a consistent criticism of the CP and group Socialist party than the three larger centrist/maoist groups. Its press has condemned the way in which: "the revisionists and reformists, often supported by the PT and MCE, have tried to limit the demands and channel the combativity of the people into narrow pacificism in the face of the attitude of the police." aggressive It calls for: amnesty, dissolution "Freedom. of the repressive forces (armed police, etc.), the overthrow of the government and the monarchy. and the building : of workers' self- defence organisations.

CRITICAL

critical position towards the CP's abandonment of even the pretence of fighting for dictatorship соттест of correct points than a qualitative political advance on the CP's line.

WINSLOILL

incorporating these demands; they groups, the last few years have seen looser, the One of these is the very localised Vitoria in February and March, the level is the Workers' Syndical Union

CATHOLIC

This organisation, like the ORT, originated in the movement Catholic the 1960s, walkes though it has now lost most of its relit conscinection. consciously models itself on the French trade union federation,

CFDT.

established a political party, Socialist Reconstruction, political line is hard to distinguish from that of the Communist Party.

The large number of centrist, maoist or syndicalist organisations which have established themselver Spain is symptomatic of the dissatisfaction of workers growing with their traditional stalinist and reformist parties. But none of them have been able to offer a clear programme to serve as a basis for a complete break with class collaboration. The challenge and opportunity in this situation for Trotskyism is obvious. In a future article Socialist Press will assess the record and programme of the groups in Spain which claim allegiance to the Transitional Programme of the Trotskyist Fourth International

CHARTER CONFERENCE

BOOSTS TRIBUNALS

MARCH TO STOP CUTS

Раде 6 Far from taking a decisive battle in the for new step women's rights, the conglom- of left groups domin- eration ating the Working Women's Charter conference (primarily the IMG) advocated the use of industrial tribunals by women fighting for equal and pay opportunity. In this way they sowed illusions in the recent bourgeois legislation instead of taking the clear position that only independent class action by the working class can further the struggle for women's rights.

LAWS

as

CAMPAIGN

They when selling their zone. paper at the door of the conference campaigned the right-winger of the "Life" tion group, resulting very successfully in the vast majority of their reaction- ary literature being handed back or torn up. (A leading member of the Abortion Campaign National attempted to argue that it might be to quote the "Life' useful argu- ments to people unable to decide on the abortion issue!).

WSL

alone, in the comrades attended "workshop" they "legislation', fought for the princip- position that the tribunals provided by the Equal Pay Act and the Sex Discrimination Act should be boycotted, that only the independent action of the working further the class can genuinely struggle for women's nghts, and the crucial element in this is that leadership. Report from the Working Womens Charter First National Conference WWC Conference (Red Weekly photo) i women c to he assement These bureaucrats will be only "legal and assembly too pleased to provide women assistance" first uld caprevimens lines jobs financial "men's the policy main document management colld and an area where due to the presented to the conference jobs' advocates: Sex Discrimination Act opportun- made available for "To fight for unions to take up ities could be cases of discrimination under the Acts and provide legal and financial help": (Policy (a) of the London Planning Committee Resolution).

recently been recruiting labour and

DELETE

The WSL proposed that this (a) should be deleted and policy ham, due to the initiative of the amendment instead the made: circulate all shop stewards commit- should be "That the tribunals tees in the affiliated plants, urging boycotted and instead a fight taken that they investigate discrimination up to call on the leadership of the gamst women in the recruitment unions industrial action to fight for equal pay and against discrimination' The workshop heavily defeated in the struggle not only against the this amendment, though extreme right-wing leadership in the concede that the words 'industrial Cowley Assembly Plant, but also in action' ought to be somewhere in stand is taken, to force convenors the policy! and shop stewards committees to applicant figures - men and women This is the first step towards fighting sex discrimination through the mobilisation of the class and through the struggle for workers'

COILIOL.

The fight against the cuts in would advise one for maybe all IMG on other hand the Health Service is a crucial of these disappointed women to go one for the working class. An to an industrial tribunal, plead her important stage in that fight case before the lawyer, CBI chief will National be the and Trade Union bureaucrat who Demonstration called by the make up the panel, and win at for her best compensation National Coordinating "injured feelings" - certainly not a Committee against Cuts in the

NHS

(NCC)

in London on This is the logical conclusion reformist March 25th. from bankrupt positions argued by the IMG, ICL, The NCC was set up last October following national delegate conference organised by the shops. Their and rational- IMG-dominated Medical Committee excuses isations were endless: Against Private Practice.

"We have to use these tribunals " plateam" [who's listening?]

AMENDMENT

as a afford close cannot down any avenues" At that conference the delegates more like a ....."What about the the Oxford

ASTMS

Health cul-de-sac. from women who aren't in unions?".

Service Branch moved Branch they all claimed one after another.

the amenamell calling both for a sliding scale of

BUREAUCRACY

defend the expenditure to Health Service against inflation and Of course, these arguments are of trade committees unionists to just what the trade union bureau- look into the day to day running of crats want the working class to the NHS as well as for the books of hear. The bureaucracy don't want a Regional and Area Health struggle for women's right on their Authorities to be opened to these hands - it is much more convenient to ship an irritating woman member

COHIHULLECS

These demands crucial 1n off to a tribunal with her complaint . real fight the launching at where she necessary, be 11 Lal. sharpest point - the point where the fobbed off with compensation for by Gill Blackwell At the report back to conference it emerged that the other workshop "legislation' had also had TO contend with those who wanted to boycott the tribunals, although this had been untortunately also defeated. In the workshop on 'Wages, the cuts and unemployment' a counter- move by a Society of Civil Servants delegate to remove the sliding scale of wages amendment to the Charter was successfully defeated.

OPEN THE BOOKS

Berry Beaumont of the NAC and the IMG spoke very ably of the strength of the 'open power and the books' demand in the struggle to oppose the closure of the Eliz- abeth Garrett Anderson Hospital.

The endining that Committee was the very recommending lengthy resolution from the Feb- Women Against the Cuts' Conference be adopted as policy WSL comrades spoke in support of this, expanding on the demands for a sliding scale of state expenditure and to open the books. They then attempted to amend this very general specify a concrete path that the conference could direct towards, taking up the section on Labour 'lefts" trade union leaders which said: "We call on every trade union leader or Labour MP who speaks against the cuts to put their words into action, by voting against the and by mobilizing working class action the cuts". for situations where programme hospital and health workers must have a perspective for strike action to defend their jobs and conditions as well as the service itself.

Since that time, though the NCC has apparently gained in influence (through the of declared support the National Executive of NALGO) the tendency to pull away from a fight sharp questions has on remained. certainly

NALGO

giving important financial support to the 25th April demonstration.

But the same time the union leadership have yet to seriously undertake any programme industrial action in defence of the They, pleaders, with the service. hide ASTMS and

NUPE

behind a left' form of words as nominal policy, while doing their nothing at local level to implement that policy. The NCC, therefore, in so far as it will not fight out these questions, far from coordinating class action against the cuts, becomes restricted simply "coordinating" marches at the political level of the "left" most reluctant We support all serious struggles.

of the working class against the cuts and in defence of living standards.

We therefore stand foursquare in support of the April 25th SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday April 2Ist 1976 Castle - gave employers and bureaucrats 5 years to manoeuvre over Equal Pay Act The morning's plenary session had been addressed by a member of the CPSA (Civil and Public Servants Association) spoken of his union's long fight for women's rights over the years, and of their recent struggle for a creche Apparently the creche scheduled to open on April Ist, but had just been axed The wl comrades, to test ou an amendment that "We welcome the attendance at this conference of the CPSA Exec- call utive and call upon them to national strike action against the social services spending, cuts demanding a large increase in, and a sliding scale of, public expen- diture".

"NO POINT"

Berry Beaumont came back into the discussion, saying that she was delegates "quite that would be going back from the conference to fight for this policy branches anyway, and so there was no point in passing this amendment! She asked the WSL to withdraw it When this was refused, another IMG delegate put the motion that "the motion be not put" - which was overwhelmingly carried Thus the IMG successfully head ed off any decision to fight real being made by the conference, and diplomatic coexistence preserved a with its CPSA 'left' bureaucrats.

But we must warn the NCC and the real danger that, a fight is not taken up against empty rhetoric and "left' talk from the trade union leaders it attracts, it can become simply a sophisticated left cover for inaction while the bureaucracy and management at local level get down to the real job of coordinating the The clearest way of beginning a fight to test out and expose the left bureaucrats is to demand they call for strike action to back their bold statements. As the cuts bite home this call must be the centre point of the march. Our demands are: Stop the Cuts in the Social Services! local and national strike For the cuts and action to oppose defend jobs and wages. * For an immediate £1,000m cash the Health injection to restore followed by a sliding scale Service, of spending! * Ban all private practice!

* Open the Books of the AHAs and RHAs to elected TU committees!

* Nationalise the drug monopolies.

medical private suppliers and facilities. Integrate them into the NHS under workers management!

SOCIALIST PRESS, M'edresday 21s1 April, 1976

ASTMS LEADERS IGNORE NHS

There will be no discussion at the Annual Delegate Con-

•ASTMS

the ference of on Ireland Health Service, abortion, in spite of many motions the preliminary on with these agenda concerned subjects. At the last Conference ASTMS discussed the National Health and policy Service against private practice both inside and outside the Health Service and Jenkins for committees of trade unionists to be elected to monitor the day to This

ASTMS

programme and finances of the day but all that the National

JOY.

Area Health Authorities. Executive have done about it has A second motion was also passed reter Conterence which called for a massive injection motions to the Parliamentary Com- into the Health Service mittee, while allowing massive cuts OI money a sliding scale of expen- in the Health Service to be carried and for diture to protect it from inflation through. Twelve motions appeared on the and cuts, Burchillitie

RULE 14

WRP BACKS TUC

The retreat from principled trades councils who were proposing opposition to the TUC were simply politics on the part of the putting the head of the working Workers Revolutionary Party class in a Roose has in recent weeks assumed This is exactly the argument of the character of every Stalinist and bureaucrat who Tout. wants to avoid a fight. Not only do the WRP leaders democratic discussion suppress

RESPECTABILITY

within own organisation, Their exclude members of other political tendencies the workers So movement from their meetings and behind the the

TUC

generally besmirch the with the their 'IrotskVim everyday practice. They have now joined the right wing, the TUC bureaucracy and the Stalinists in support of the .

for them to anti-democratic 14 this under collea between We have held back recent of

WRP

the issues from workers reporting movement? of WRP and will supporters voting in favour of rule Perhaps there was some mistake, we thought. Perhaps they same Smith spoke were mandated by their union branches, we thought. But it was a the real real position was ine put problem of down the forward by Cyril Smith - a leading Labour Truly, member of the WRP - at a meeting Charing Cross ASTMS on of the April. 14th. rule 14, he Those who oppose told the astonished branch the Secretary, also members, are trying to tear apart supports the WRP, the In Lambeth,

CONCIN

where he is a delegate, they had ever having passed without anybody without tne worrying. Those delegates to other been discussed

LETTER TO SOCIALIST WORKER

'Socialist Worker' from members delegated to Camden Trades To Council. Dear Brother/Sister, We are delegates to the Camden Tradés Council who oppose Rule 14. As you know, the majority of delegates voted against the rule at the Council's AGM.

We note that Socialist Worker has consistently pointed out the dangers of Rule 14 and the need to fight it, although without saying how this should be done. In some Trade Union branches (eg ASTMS, Charing Cross), affiliated to Camden Trades Council, however, Is members have urged acceptance of the blackmail letter from the Camden Trades Council Secretary, which stipulates that only those branches supporting the rule will be admitted to the May Delegate Meeting.

If your idea of struggle against Rule 14 is to capitulate at the bureau- will be in no position to give a lead and, worse still, cracy's first slap, you you will badly let down other trade councils who have thrown out the rule. We believe a united fight of all trades councils whould be waged against the rule - but such a fight cannot even begin if delegates who in theory oppose Rule 14 refuse to do so in practice..

We ask that you make clear your position; in particular: 14?") Will you oppose signing an undertaking that branches support Rule (2) Will you fight Rule 14 up to and beyond the point where the TUC suspends and disaffiliates Trades Councils?

(3) Will you actively support the All-London Campaign against Rule 14 launched by Camden Trades Council delegates (including IS members) and work for its meeting on May 6th?

(4) What steps will you take on behalf of any delegates who may be excluded from Trades Councils because of their opposition to Rule 14?

Yours fraternally, Geoff Bell Colin Smith Iohn Cudlahu agenda concerning the preliminary Health Service, some censuring the NEC for their lack of action in defence of the Health Service, and called the for enquiry into running of the NHS, along with industrial back the demand for the immediate injection money, into the service, and a sliding scale of expenditure.

The Conference Standing Orders however, have decided Committee the NHS area thor ASTMS this year. Trity not a "priority are presumably happy to wait until some future conference, when has been still further devastated by cuts. The rottenness of the ASTMS leadership is shown also by the way the proposes discussing

DUL

Tne full time officers' dispute, in which officer, Judy Cotter was dis- one missed. Though several motions called for the election of full time officers the

SOC

has chosen only one motion for discussion simply instructing the NEC to further improve the comfortable conditions employment of for full time officers and ensure that "disputes such as the recent officers dispute can never occur again". Thus the non elected bureau- cratic base of the Jenkins leadership is to be further strengthened at the expense of the membership.

of the Con- The manipulation ference agenda and the refusal to tackle the crucial questions facing the working class confirms that the 'left' well as the talkers as орен right-wingers within the

TUC

are of incapable defending their members against the Labour

ASTMS

branches send must emergency resolutions to the Nic demanding the Conference discuss the important topics deleted by the

NEC.

BUDGET

Taxes Slashed - For Industry, Not Workers. Times', 'Financial The usually a good barometer to climate business the said of the budget: opinion, "Mr Healey appearsto have taken well the special care publicised demands of industry and to reassure it that the Government (in both senses) business when he talks an Tas layer strategy designed to create the right environment for the manufacturing sector and to encourage investment" of the The central feature the Financial budget which lead Times to the quite correct make assessment is, of course, the plan living which is embodied in the for huge standards proposal for phase two of the pay policy. East London Cuts Committee sends May Day greetings to the labour movement. Fight

SHEFFIELD

ATTACK JOBS

A half day strike on May 26th has been called by the Sheffield AUEW District Com- mittee. In a town where not DC but also only the many other trade union bodies are completely controlled by the Communist Party, this can only be seen as a manoeuvre maintain their credibility to among their membership. The reality of the reactionary Stalinist CP politics of the exposed by the events at Laycocks, subsidiary of

GKN.

Both its Colin Taylor, and the Chairman of the Joint Shop Stewards, Thackeray, lar members of the Communist Party.

These two recently signed an with no to agreement, recourse stewards or membership forcing grades to workers other do labourer's work. The with the need for the for the does awav firmn to recruit labourers - of which in the there, is an acute shortage factory. The agreement reads: "Where production worker is instructed by his supervisor to work labouring job, 0. d shortage of work situation exists on his/ber job the worker concerned will be paid at his/her average earn- ings for the period of time spent on the labouring job" When the shop floor heard of this agreement there was a move- against it in one of the three ment main factories making up Laycocks.

of the 150 But also very important, though less publicised, is the decision to permanent, and slightly extend the temporary" exclusion of stock appreciation from company profit for tax which was introduced the November 1974 budget complicated This highly and indigestible change taxation criteria embodies enormous cuts in capital's tax bill.

As recent figures released by the Bank of England make clear, without this British capital as a whole would have made 1974 (the latest year for losses in full figures which available). Without the concession, the rate of tax of profit after would have been - 0.3% (ie a loss of 30 pence for every £100 of capital with the concession the invested), Iate was t4.1%.

MAY DAY GREETINGS

Dagenham Trades Council sends May Day greetings to all workers in the contin-

STALINISTS

workers in that plant was held at The which convenor spoke. the meeting unanimously rejected hi argument called for a mas and meeting of all the plants.

stewards of all the The shop plants met last Friday and voted almost granitoss (including those supposedly 110Sl requesting the earlier mass meeting.

against a joint mass meeting and in favour of accepting the convenors The Stalinists and right-wing ir the work plant were shown completely together. The action o these CP members must be rejected the whole trade union move by ment in the town. Where does the AUEW District Committee stand?

If they don't reject the deal and remove the credentials of th fraud of thei convenor then the position May 26th will on theit exposed stewards are helping the employer to increase unemployment.

Just like the leadership of the Stalinist

AUEW

nationally, the being against иветрюу ment while every action thay tak inCIeRBes it. We demand of the Shaffiel Communist Party members: wher do you stand on this! "One leading membe CP and a familiar face st ali Committee conferences Morton, converos of the Shar Sheffiekd, factory factory dominated by completely the CP's position to il hug logical and conclusion personnel manager for the firm.

Healey The real effect of this change i mer lay bit usually prete archai usually of archai merely and irrational accounting practices is that British capital as a whol notate sansides capital, a State subsidies to capital, investment and other purposes exceed industry's tax payments On the Bank of England figures, indeed, the rate of profi before Bower han the oer tax rate! (4.0 payment of tax in 1974 before tax and 4.1% after). It seem that this is now to become regarde Financial Times repodes at ecstati little wonder that civil senior servant saying "This Department Industry Budget, a real support fo the industrial strategy " Islington Trades Council extends May Day greetings to all sections of the labour

Page 8 A clear indication of the bankruptcy of protest politics epitomised by the Stalinist and left-reformist Broad Left leadership was given by the recent National Union of Students Conference. As further and higher educat- are decimated by Healey's cuts and graduate unemployment reaches the highest ever level, the •road Leit can onlv offer more protest campaigns. Healy Replaced The of the appearance RP's non-political daily per 'Daily News Line' on ay Day, published by Alex itchell, does not indicate ay change in the process of ¿generation and disintegrat- on gripping the WRP and the ternational Committee. The April 10th edition (No 27) the WRP's stop gap three times week News Digest - four pages comment from the pes - carries a statement on the Publication Fund

TARGET: £500

Since we last well lo pIck Oxford PSF have received: Oxford NHS £I0; Oxford £S; eral London Central Bolton reader £1; London th £7; Banbury £3; London £10: £42.80; Aggregate don reader £1. Total received since last tion: £101.80. Total so far: 34.80. With over a week to go to the the Pubhcations rune we like to go the well over of our target. send all donations to: 31, Dartmouth Park Hill,

NUS CONFERENCE

NO LEAD

AGAINST CUTS

Alongside this goes talk of "links" with the trade unon movement at all levels - which in reality links the means with bureaucracy at all levels.

The of the right- contidence wing in the Broad Left was clearly shown Landudno Tribunite president Charles Clarke retained against the 'socialist chal- onlice of lenge opportunist ex-IS member Hugh Lanning with the assistance oi fork ferred in the final count.

The continued domination of

COLLEGE

as WRP Secretary stepping down of Gerry Healy from the General Secretaryship of the WRP and the election of Mike Banda to the position. The state- ment said: "'The Workers Revolutionary Central Party Committee has voted unanimously appoint Michael Banda as General Secret- ot the He replaces britney. Comrade Gerry Healy who has of the Trotskyist been becretary movement in Britain for 27 years.

Comrade Healy will take up other work in the Party, concentrating on cadre training".

TASS CONFERENCE

TASS delegates at their Annual Conference from 3rd- 7th May have the possibility of giving a lead to the entire working the fight class in against State pay laws. The Coventry No: 6. Branch have submitted an amendment to resolution for substantial national wage claim, stressing the for sliding scale of necessity a wages clause. The amendment, passed, would give direction to the fight to defend living standards.

For such be claim followed by challenge the right of capitalism to put their economic crisis on the backs of the working class: The manoeuvrings of the lead- of

TASS

ership the period, when they have not led a single struggle against the Social Contract indicates they will do everything to avoid the passing of the

NUS

the Broad Left, together with the gains made by the Tories (who had a member elected onto the executive) high- light all the absence of above alternative effective leadership from the IS and IMG. The IS, the largest opposition with a complete absence of an alternative programme become no more than a left cover for the bureaucracy ase. auyoraling always nothing but 'more militancy. And whilst the IMG present various correct demands, they do not see these as the essential basis 101 d As for the small YSSS (WRP) right to education for all! Force the Labour government to resign!

Vote for the YSSS candidates and A serious fight to defeat the demands out of the right of the working class.

be the battleground on which to *For a sliding scale of grants based upon a working-class cost of *For a sliding scale of public *Students must fight alongside trade unions for the opening of the books of the local authorities joint committees of students and trade unionists to reveal the profits of the suppliers and the plans to cut jobs and education.

This is step towards workers' control of education.

DOCKS

STRIKE

strike by 300 shore gang workers on Liverpool docks, now in its sixteenth day, is almost certain to close Liverpool dock in the next the labour force to dwindle by "natural wastage" have been lost in this way over the workers who manoeuvre the ships within the docks system. boatmen who will black any work One of the employers involved So far there has been no sup- porting action by the dockers who are being laid off progressively.

National Coordinating Committee Against the Cuts in the National Health Service Demonstration Sunday 25th April Assemble Speakers' Corner at 12.30 for march to Trafalgar Square. SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 21st April, 1976 Who Writes....contd from front page.

the Leyland plan in the following number of anomalies exist that terms: be put right as soon as need to "some things, eg., the total possible". amount of to he made Robinson and Whalen are of titorie y available for wage increases in all agreed on the main plants [NB], security of employ-

COUNT

problems and anomalies, a ment including lay-off and sick. comparison shows. pay: ways in which the Robinson: "Rates of pay for difference In pay levels doing the same category of work between plants are to be reduced - anything from £6 to vui in or can only sensibly be negotiated on £13 week depending on the a group basis". approach and proposes ation dates for agreements - lead- ing to the widening of pay levels".

troughout the year is an almost publicly, claiming it was T&GWU plant receiving its the government's pay code" ing within a plant means built-in Longbridge complex, Chairman of The Company would like …Joint Cars Council - highest "participat- of Leyland, also by a collective negotiation.....

At' the March meeting of the cussion, pointing out that: mittee, (two weeks after Whalen's document was written; Kobinson surprised the meeting by propos- ing that the committee reconsider eliminate the friction so that we its long-held position of defending independent plant bargaining, and proved can be achieved". isons show the real meaning of participation and its implications for the independence of the trade union movement and trade union democracy. Ape for The letter are te is time to step up the campaign to defend democratic approach to Stage Two in exactly rights in the unions and to launch a new campaign, based on the new situation these developments Urging a change in government create in the Leyland plants, to policy, Robinson says: destroy the class collaboration of "Rigidity of flat rate increases the Ryder Committees and to solve the do not help us to defend the independence of the problems...In Leyland a great shop stewards movement.

BUILDING

WORKERS

CHARTER

The Building Workers building industry and land Charter organisation is hold- without compensation. ing its 7th Annual Confer- for the release of Des Warren, bankrupt instead of the usual ence on Saturday 24th April Stalinist pleading for parole, the in Birmingham. delegates must not only demand This rank and file grouping of national strike the building workers dominated leadership of their union but also politically by the Stalinists, as is •initiate strike action themselves as shown by the circular inviting preparation for drawing in trade • branches to send delegates.

unionists in other industries.

The experiences so far with the building industry and the contin- cutbacks Labour government have shown ued imprisonment of Des Warren that no other action can seriously hope to force Warren's release.

are detailed, but the only policy statement is that "Rank and file policy is needed to bring about change". Workers Socialist League This meaningless statement Public Meeting leaves open whether this should a right-wing rank and file A Programme to policy or a socialist aiternative. Defend Jobs Knowing the way the Communist Sunday May 9th, 7 pm. Party continuously covers up for "The Lion', The Wicker, the lack of leadership provided by UCATT, T&GWU and other build- Sheffield ing unions, we can see why the Our Policies to Defend phrasing is left vague. Jobs and Wages ments of the "the reformist senti- the Building Workers Thursday April 29th at 7.30 Charter offer, no perspective in John Barnes Library defence of jobs or conditions.

Camden Rd, North London The only way forward in the industry is the fight for a new leadership around an alternative Hull Trades Council programme of cutbacks Demonstration Against social services, a sliding scale of state expenditure in the services, Unemployment the institution of a programme of Saturday May at 11 am. public works to employ unem- Kingston Square ployed building workers together